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I I I I 'I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I CHAPTER II - WATER SUPPLY - INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS General The White River rises in the Flattops area of northwestern Colorado and flows westward into Utah where it joins the Green River. The drainage basin in Colorado totals about 3700 square miles, ranging in altitude from approximately 4950 feet at the state line to over 11,500 feet in the headwaters. Water supply for the Yellow Jacket Project will come entirely from the North Fork of the White River. The North Fork drainage area covers 254 square miles, approximately 94 percent of which lies within the Routt and White River National Forests. The annual flow of the White River at the state line is 503,000 acre-feet. Water use within the basin has not changed during the past 40 years. The primary use is the irrigation of acres of land. approximately significantly about 32,000 The White River is typical of major rivers in Colorado in that the majority of the annual runoff volume results from snowmelt during the spring and early summer months. Historic water use in the basin was for the production of hay, small grains, and pasture. Large land areas can be irrigated through direct river diversion without the need for regulating storage since snowmelt runoff occurs during the time of greatest agricultural demand. However, irrigation demands have grown and have created shortages during the summer months of drier years. It is apparent that any, new water project requiring a significant amount of water must include a storage reservoir. Water Availability Table 11-1 presents the average annual runoff of the White River at various locations in the basin. As illustrated in this table, there is a significant decrease in the water yield per unit area in the lower basin due to major topographic and climatologic differences. These effects produce an 11-1