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<br />Cot.) <br />o <br />~ <br />N <br /> <br />Substantial areal variations of sed,ment and water yields in <br /> <br />the upper Colorado River Basin were shown to occur by Iorns. Hemoree. <br /> <br />and Oakland (1965). <br /> <br />Sediment yields are relatively small. 10 to <br /> <br />lOO tons per sluare m~le per lear in tne mountaineous parts of the <br /> <br />basin; wnereas, the ~ater yields are relatively larger. <br /> <br />Conversely, <br /> <br />the low-land areas of the Upper Colorado River Basin have relatively <br /> <br />larger seaiment yields--500 to 2.000 tons per square mile per year- <br /> <br />-and smaller water yieldS. <br /> <br />The basin-wide variation in sediment <br /> <br />yieldS is the result of several factors--geolo<,Jy, soil-profile <br /> <br />development' vesetation. topographic reI ief. ana precipitation. <br /> <br />Due to the areal differences in sediment yield. the relative impact <br /> <br />of land disturoance upon stream sediment loads varies cons1deraoly <br /> <br />depending upon location. as shown oy Andrews (1978). <br /> <br />In those <br /> <br />parts of the Upper Colorado Kiver Basin that naturally have large <br /> <br />sedi;nent yieldS. land disturbance will not substantially increase <br /> <br />the supply of sediment to the stream channel. <br /> <br />However, in those <br /> <br />parts of the basin that naturally have small sediment yieldS. land <br /> <br />disturbance will probaoly increasE SUbStantially the supply of <br /> <br />sediment to the stream channels. <br /> <br />17 <br />