9607

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9607
• Author: BBC Research and Consulting.
• Title: Yampa Valley Water Demand Study - Final Draft report.
• USFW Year: 1998.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver, CO.
• Copyright Material: NO

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The current economic structure of the Yampa Valley points to the relative
importance of retail trade services, mining, construction and utilities in terms of
employment opportunities and personal earnings of local residents. The historical
perspective suggests that tourism, energy-related development and agriculture deserve
close attention for the future. The manufacturing sector, as yet underdeveloped, was
also examined for future potential.
Yampa Valley Economic Base Prospects
To project future Yampa Valley economic growth, BBC examined the prospects
for each of the existing components of the Yampa Valley economic base and considered
the possibility of other activities which might develop and further expand the Moffat
County and Routt County economies. The following discussion highlights the key
results of these evaluations -the bases for these findings are discussed in Section III of
the report.
Agriculture. The long-term history of Yampa Valley agriculture is marked by
one dominant characteristic: stability. The evidence from nearly 60 years of history
indicates remarkable persistence in the agricultural sector, the acreage under irrigation
and the number of people working on farms and ranches. The projections used in this
analysis reflect this stability:
• Livestock production will decline modestly over the 50-year time
horizon.
• Irrigated acreage and crop production will remain approximately the
same as they are as of 1997.
• The economic influence of production agriculture will decline as further
consolidation and technological advances gradually reduce the number
of employees.
Tourism and recreation. BBC developed year 2045 estimates of recreational
.visitor days (RVDs) based upon an examination of the prospects for a wide range of
discrete winter and summer activities. Over the course of the next 50 years:
• Winter tourism and recreation will more than double, from roughly
660,000 RVDs to about 1.5 million RVDs.
1 Summer and fall tourism and recreation will more than double from a
total of 2.7 million RVDs to approximately 5.7 million RVDs.
• The local economic base required to support tourism and recreation will
increase by 115 percent, from about 5,300 jobs to 11,300 jobs in 2045.
1 Energy and mining. Coal and power generation are not resource constraints in
the Yampa Valley and regional demand prospects are favorable. Rail and market
competition will eventually constrain coal expansion. Environmental issues will
SBC Research & Consulting ES - 4