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DEVELOPMENT OF ESTIMATED DAILY FLOWS YAMPA RIVER AT MAYBELL f\ OVERALL DESCRIPTION OF WOR \~.. \ (' <,' ., This work was undertaken to as ist the Colorado River Fish Project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ("Fish Pro.ect") by roviding certain hydrologic data it requires to investigate the potential benefits an' nta s of summer low flow augmentation in the Yampa River using storage water made available by the enlargement of Elkhead Reservoir. Funding for this work was provided through the Colorado River Water Conservation District. Three hydrologic data sets were developed in this effort, including: 1) estimated daily virgin flows in the Yampa River at the Maybell gage; 2) estimated daily flows at the Maybell gage in the year 2040 without the Elkhead Reservoir enlargement project; and 3) estimated .daily flows at Maybell in the year 2040 with an enlarged Elkhead Reservoir operating to provide augmentation flow in the Yampa River. Development of the data sets relied heavily on previous work accomplished as part of the Yampa River Basin Reconunended Alternative Detailed Feasibility Study ("Phase 2 Study") and its predecessor, the Yampa River Basin Alternatives Feasibility Study ("Phase 1 Study"). In particular, data sets of current and future water demands and modeled scenarios of river flow conditions developed in those studies were used directly and indirectly to estimate daily flows at Maybell. ESTIMATED DAILY VIRGIN FLOWS AT MAYBELL Estimated daily virgin flows at the Maybell gage site (USGS gage # 09251000) were developed by adding estimated depletions associated with historical upstream water uses back into the gaged flow for each day of the study period. The estimated depletions added back into the gage values were those associated with: 1) the municipalities of Steamboat Springs, Hayden and Craig, 2) the Hayden and Craig Generating Stations, 3) irrigation of upstream agricultural lands, 4) the diversions of the Maybell Canal immediately upstream of the gage, 5) diversions for export from the basin, and 6) the first-fill of and subsequent evaporation from principal upstream reservoirs. Historical records needed to carry out the work were obtained from a variety of sources. The principal data sources included the Division 6 Office of the State Engineer. which provided records on diversions and irrigated acreage, and water and wastewater managers of the larger municipalities in the basin. Related documents and information which shed light on historical data or provided means of independently verifying it were also obtained and reviewed. Historical data necessary for the work included: gaged flow at Maybell; daily diversions of the Maybe!! Canal; daily diversions of the generating stations and municipalities; wastewater flows from the municipalities; populaticns cf t.'J.c ~u::icipalities; historically irrigated acreage; I