WSP00003

• File Number: 8200.760
• Description: Yampa River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Yampa/White
• Water Division: 6
• Date: 4/1/1969
• Author: CWCB - USDA
• Title: Water and Related Land Resources - Yampa River Basin - Colorado and Wyoming
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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The first major settlement in the basin took place during 1876-1900 after
the fur trapping period. Early development began after the discovery of
gold prior to 1860. Colorado became a State in 1876.

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The basin is sparsely populated. The 1960 population was approximately
13,160. The population increased rather consistently between 1900 and
1940 when the area was being developed. The 1967 population estimate of
13,400 is close to the 13,850 population in 1930. In 1960, agriculture
was the largest employer with 906 people (19.3 percent) of the labor
force. Projected population is 15,500 by 1980, 19,300 by the year 2000,
and 24,400 by 2020.

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Fifty-nine percent of the land in the basin is in Federal ownership, 35
percent is privately owned, and approximately 6 percent is owned by State
and local governments. Approximately 6 percent of the lands are used for
crop production. The remaining 94 percent are used for grazing, timber
production, watershed, recreation, wildlife, and other purposes (Land
Resource Frontispiece).

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The average annual undepleted water supply II for the 1943-60 period was
1,605,000 acre-feet, average annual depletion was 102,100 acre-feet, and
average annual discharge at the Colorado-Utah state line was 1,502,900
acre-feet (Water Resource Frontispiece). The major use of water was for
irrigation.

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The average irrigated acreage during the 1943-60 period was 96,500 acres.
Potential developments, adjusted for expected encroachments on the irri-
gated land, would add 68,500 acres for a total of 165,000 acres of
irrigated land in the basin (Colorado and Wyoming) by the year 2000. For
the Colorado portion of the basin projections of irrigated acreages are
98,000 for 1980, and 142,000 for 2000 and 2020.

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Livestock production dominates the agricultural industry of the basin.
About 50 percent of the cropland is devoted to production of feed and
forage crops. About 60,500 acres are used for wheat production and a
small acreage of other crops are grown. The 1959 Census of Agriculture
showed 56,700 cattle and calves, and 237,600 sheep and lambs in the
Colorado portion of the basin. Rangeland provides 511,000 animal unit
months of grazing and pasture and cropland grazing 144,000. Total
agricultural income from sale of farm products was about 10.3 million
dollars in 1959; of this, the sale of livestock and livestock products
amounted to about 8 million dollars.

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II Aggregate natural runoff of the river basin plus 300 acre-feet
import before diminishment by man-related depletions.

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