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

Glacial deposits of Pleistocene age are widespread in the Park Range and
the White River Plateau. Moraines representing several intervals of
glaciation are present along most of the major valleys in the higher
portions of these areas. Several levels of pleistocene stream terraces
underlain by sandy and gravelly deposits occur along the Yampa River and
its larger tributaries. Recent alluvium occurs in floodplains of most
smaller tributaries as well as along the larger streams.

Mineral Resources

Petroleum, natural gas, coal, sand, and gravel are the most important
minerals being produced currently in the basin. Most of the oil and gas
production has been in Moffat County, Colorado, with minor amounts being
produced in Routt County, Colorado, and Sweetwater County, Wyoming. In
1963, Moffat County produced 1.3 million barrels of oil and 10,274,526
mcf of gas. The principal fields are Powder Wash and Hiawatha in the
western part of the basin.

The coal resources of the basin are located mainly in the Yampa coal
field in Routt and Moffat counties, Colorado. An extension of this field
continues into Carbon County, Wyoming. The coal occurs in the Williams
Fork Formation of the Mesaverde Group of Mesozoic age and in the Lance
and Fort Union Formations. Most of the coal is of high-volatile C
bituminous rank and is low in ash and sulfur content. A total of about
23,607 million tons of coal, 76 percent of which is bituminous in rank and
24 percent of which is subbituminous, is estimated by the U. S. Geological
Survey to have been originally present in this field.

Coal mining operations have been carried on over a substantial area in
Moffat County. This area extends north from the White River-Milk Creek
divide to Craig. It also extends several miles both east and west of
State Highway 13 (Figure 8, following page 66) between Axial and Craig.
Underground mining in Moffat County (1967) produced approximately 214,000
tons (99 percent) of coal. The remaining 2,000 tons (1 percent) was taken
from surface mines.

The Routt County coal mlnlng area lies in the Oak, Trout, and Fish creek
areas and extends northwest to the vicinity of Mount Harris. This area
extends about 20 miles south and about 16 miles west of Steamboat Springs.
Mining in the area has produced a large tonage of coal over a long period
of time from underground mines. Presently, however, the major portion of
the coal produced is by strip mining methods. The strip mine production
(1967) of the Pittsburg and Midway Coal Mining Company was 692,000 tons;
the Peabody Coal Company produced 597,000 tons; and the Energy Coal
Company produced 495,000 tons for a total of 1,784,000 tons. Other pro-
duction in Routt County amounted to 30,000 tons. The Hayden plant of the
Colorado Ute Electric Association receives coal from the peabody Coal
Company. The majority of the remaining coal production in Routt County
is marketed in eastern colorado.

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