WSP05038

• File Number: 8220.131.A
• Description: Yellow Jacket Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Yampa/White
• Water Division: 6
• Date: 2/28/1973
• Title: Preliminary Summary Sheets: Yellow Jacket Project Colorado
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

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Preliminary Summary Sheets
Yellow Jacket Project, Colorado

Location

Northwestern Colorado in White and Yampa River Basins of the Upper
Colorado River'Basin,

Authorization

Feasibility studies authorized April 11. 1956, P,L. 84-485.

Current Status
.

Feasibility investigations on the Yellow Jacket Project were initiated
in FY 1961 and a proposed feasibility report was completed in October
1968 and distributed to interested Federal, State. and local agencies
for their review and comment. Extensive revisions in the plan since the
1968 report will be made as a result of intense local interest. Several
meetings have been held with board members of the Yellow Jacket Water
Conservancy District to discuss what action needs to be taken in view
of the fact the Colorado Division of Wildlife still objects to the plan.
Alternative plans to the present plan have been presented and discussed
with the District. These plans are currently being considered and evalu-
ated by the District preparatory to meeting with the Bureau at a later
date to discuss the alternative plans. It is anticipated the report will
be supplemented as a result of possibility of changes being made in the
plan.

. The Yellow Jacket
which an analysis
(MOP) procedures.

Project has been selected as one of the projects on
will be made under the Multiple Opbjective Planning
This work will be undertaken soon.

Plan

The Yellow Jacket Project is planned largely to provide water for indus-
trial, municipal, and domestic use in connection with anticipated devel-
opment of local coal and oil shale reserves. It would increase irriga-
tion supplies for production of livestock feeds and also would benefit
recreation, fish and wildlife, and flood control.

Three storage reservoirs would be constructed as part of the project.
Two would be in the White River National Forest in the White River Basin,
~ncluding Ripple Reservoir on the North Fork of White River and Lost Park
Reservoir on wst Creek, a North Fork tributary. Flows at the wst Park
site would. be augmented by flows diverted by feeder canal from tributar-
ies of the South Fork of Williams Fork in the Yampa River Basin. The
third reservoir would be Thornburgh Reservoir on Milk Creek in the Yampa
River Basin. Ripple and Lost Park Reservoirs would be coordinated in op-
eration but Thornburgh Reservoir would be an independent unit.

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