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<br />II <br />I <br />'I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />!I <br />I <br />I <br />II <br />I <br />I <br />I I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />average yield of 930 acre-feet per square mile in the North Fork and South <br />Fork Basins and less than 20 acre-feet per square mile in the lower basin <br />between Meeker and the state line. <br /> <br />The higher precipitation in the form of snowpack in the upper basin results <br />in extreme variations in flow throughout the year. Figure 11-1 illustrates <br />the effect of the snowmelt runoff on the monthly distribution of flow. <br />During the peak snowmelt runoff months of May and June, nearly 50 percent of <br />the total annual volume passes down the river. This marked seasonal <br />variation makes it obvious that even moderate development of the basin's <br />water resources will require storage to allow for seasonal regulation of the <br />river flows. <br /> <br />Streamflow Records <br />Historic streamflow records at various points in the basin were obtained <br />from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and provide the basic <br />hydrologic data needed to evaluate the water availability for a Yellow <br />Jacket Project. In the study area above the Piceance Creek confluence with <br />the White River, there are 17 points where qaily streamflow measurements <br />have been made for more than a one-year period. Figure IV-l shows the <br />location of stream gages having at least eight years of record, and Table <br />11-2 lists the periods of record for each gage. The gaging station located <br />above Meeker has the longest period of record, with measurements covering 74 <br />years of the period since 1901. The records at this gage are extremely <br />valuable in examining and evaluating the hydrologic characteristics of the <br />upper basin. <br /> <br />Some of the stream gages in this region were installed following the USBR <br />Yellow Jacket Project studies in the late 1950s. Gaging stations were set <br />up near the storage and diversion points of the planned projects. The <br />records of these. stations were extended by correlation with the older <br />records of other stations. For this level of study, the existing streamflow <br />records and correlations were considered adequate. Subsequent activities in <br />the analysis were to 1) select the period of record to be utilized in the <br />simulation of project water operations and 2) fill in missing records by <br /> <br />11-3 <br />