WSP00416

• File Number: 8240.200.10.B
• Description: UCRBRIP Annual Report
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 12/22/1997
• Author: UCRBRIP
• Title: 1997 Annual Reports Package Part 1
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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IV.
V.

COLORADO RIVER RECOVERY PROGRAM
FY-97 ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT

PROJECT # 17 BC

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Project Title:

Green River Channel Monitoring Field Data Collection
Little Snake and Deerlodge Park Reach of the Yampa River

II.

Principal Investigator:

George Smith
P.O. Box 25486, Denver. COLORADO 80225-0486
E-mail: george [e-mail]
Phone: [phone], Ext. 325
Fax: [phone]

III.

Project Summary:

The goal of the channel monitoring program is to support the efforts of the Recovery
Program in developing flow recommendations. restoring flooded bottomlands. and
monitoring channel morphology conditions. Each year, one or two important river reaches
are selected for baseline or follow-up surveys based on annual program guidance and
priorities. The goal of the 1997 Yampa River channel monitoring effort was to resurvey
and monument channel cross sections initially surveyed in the early 1980's by the National
Park Service Field Support Laboratory. The resurvey permits an assessment of the changes
in channel morphology of the Yampa River over the past 15 years. A total of 28 cross
sections in the Yampa and Little Snake Rivers were resurveyed in August 1997. These
included 21 cross sections in the Yampa River canyon and 7 cross sections in Deerlodge
Park on the Yampa and Little Snake Rivers. One new cross section was surveyed on the
Little Snake upstream of the Yampa River confluence. The other 27 cross sections were
originally surveyed in 1982 to 1984. 1"he results and analysis of the channel morphology
changes will support flow recommendations for the Yampa and Little Snake Rivers.

Study Schedule: Initial Year - 1997. Final Year - 1998

Relationship to RIPRAP: Green River Action Plen, Yampa/Little Snake Rivers I.C.2
Identify year-round flow needs for recovery and refine Yampa River flow recommendations.

Channel monitoring program.

VI. Accomplishments:

All of the original cross sections in the Vampa and Little Snake Rivers originally surveyed
in 1982 to 1984 were resurveyed. These cross sections were never permanently
monumented. The original endpoints consisted of trees. rocks, or I-bolts, which were
described in some detail in the original field notes. The crew chief of the original survey
team, Jim O'Brien, FlO Engineering, Inc.. conducted the resurvey and, through the use of
the original photos and field notes. was able to relocate all of the cross section sites. All
of the cross sections were permanently monumented w'lth rebar and survey caps. These
bar and caps were assigned coordinate positions with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife GPS system.
A few of the cross sections were repositioned (within a few feet) to permit better siting
of the coordinate positions. The accuracy of the GPS system was limited at some cross
sections by the canyon walls, which inhibited the tracking of a greater range of satellite
positions. Most of the endpoints were located with an error of plus or minus ten feet.

The Deerlodge Park reaches of the Yampa and little Snake Rivers have undergone
substantial channel geomorphical changes. Evidence of these changes are bank erosion