WSP06075

• File Number: 8200.760
• Description: Yampa River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Yampa/White
• Water Division: 6
• Date: 4/1/1976
• Author: USGS
• Title: An Environmental Assessment of Impacts of Coal Development on the Water Resources of the Yampa River Basin - Colorado and Wyoming - Phase-II Work Plan
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

'. I NTROOUCTI ON

The Yampa River basin encompasses an area of approxImately 8,000 square
miles (20,000 km2) and includes the watershed catchments drained by the Yampa
River and the Little Snake River subbasins above Oinosaur National Monument
(fig. 1). Current year-round population In the basin is estimated at 18,000;
however, due to large seasonal influxes of people for recreation during winter
and summer, seasonal populatIons are substantially higher, Major population
centers are Cra i g and Steamboat Springs (f ig, 1), wh ich together account for
more than one-half of the basin's total population. Economic activities in
the basin include agriculture, timber, recreation, and mining.

Energy resources in the Yampa River basin in Colorado and Wyoming are
being developed. Coal is. the dominant energy resource being developed, with
annual production in northwestern Colorado expected to increase from 3,7 mil-
lion tons (},4 million t) in 1974 to over 20 million tons (18 millIon t) by
1990. Other ener9Y resources in the basin include oi I and gas, oi I shale,
uranium, and geothermal springs,

Oecisions affecting policy of ener9y-resource development need to con-
sider the environmental and economic impact of this development, Energy-
resource development leads to increased discharge of residuals to water, air,
and land, Residuals are the noneconomic byproducts of energy-development ac-
tivities (Bower and Basta, 1973), DIscharged residuals will modify envIron-
mental quality, and attempts to modify or reduce residual dIscharges will
affect both the quantity, and quality of the basin's water resources,

':

The Yampa River Basin Assessment project (,referred to in thIs report as
the basin assessment) was started March 31, 1975, and is one of a series of
pilot multidisciplinary studIes supported by the U,S, Geological Survey.
Through interactions with agencies responsible for regional planning .and de-
velopment, these studies will help to determine the types and forms of hydro-
logic, geologic, and other information useful to decision-making administra-
tors in their analysis of pol icles affecting development and, use of natural
resources. Project staff members are headquartered in the Colorado District,
Lakewood. The Yampa basin-assessment study is scheduled to be completed by
the end of September 1~77.

The initial study phase (Phase 1) of the. assessment has concentrated on
deseribing the environmental settIng of the. basin and the current and fore-
casted energy-development. plans. The five major work elements of the assess-
ment's first phase are indIcated in table 1. The first phase. of the study
consists of assessing, prior to development of energy-related a'ctivities, the
present environmental conditions (both the hydrologic and phys.ical .conditions)
in the Yampa River bas'in, Subsequently, the relative impact. on the environ-
ment of the various proposed plans for energy-resource development will be
evaluated. Phase I empha'sizes the analysis' of existing data in order to de-
termine the kinds, amounts, and spatial and temporal.coverages of additional
data needed :to effectively conduct the second phase (Phase II) of the bas In
a-s ses smen t.

The Phase-I work elements of the bas in ass:essment are described in some
detail by Steele, Bauer, Wentz, and Warner (1976). A summary report document-
ing the results of the Phase-I analysis currently is in preparation.

2