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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />002299 <br /> <br />CHAPrER I <br /> <br />GENERAL DISCUSSIONS <br /> <br />Natural Features <br /> <br />Location end physiography <br /> <br />The Yampa-White project area covers the area drained by the Ywrrga and <br />vfuite Rivers, including all of the northwestern portion of Colorado, a <br />small part of southern Wyoming, and a small part of eastern Utah. The area <br />includes about 12,830 square miles, consisting of 7,950 square miles in the <br />Yempa River Basin and 4,880 square miles in the White River Basin. <br /> <br />The project area is bounded on the east by the Continental Divide <br />formed by the Park Range of the Roclcy ~~ountains. The west boundary is <br />formed by the Green River, of wich the Yrunpa and lfuite Rivers are major <br />tributaries. The north side of the area merges into the broad open coun- <br />try of Wyoming that is drained by the Green River. The south side adjoins <br />the area drained by the main stem of the Colorado River, <br /> <br />Besides the Park Range, several prominent topographic features lie <br />within the project area. In the southeastern part is found the v1:1i.te <br />River Plateau. l.luch of the northern part of this plateau is covered by <br />lava forming the Flattop Mountains. The Danforth Hills rise between the <br />Yampc and vlhite Rivers in the eastern part of the project area; the Yrunpa <br />Plateau and Midland Ridge ere conspicuous features in the western part; <br />and the eastern end of the Uinta l-bunteins occupies the northwestern pert. <br />Juniper and Cross l-buntains, two isolated hills east of and in line with <br />the Uinta !'buntains, rise abruptly out of a broad valley know as Axial <br />Basin. <br /> <br />Elevations in the project area range from 4,640 feet at the mouth of <br />the White River to more than 12,000 feet at numerous points at the eastern <br />end of the area. The lands at the higher elevations end below timberline <br />support verdant forests of spruce, pine, fir, and aspen. 1.s the elevations <br />decrease, the forests give way to cedar, juniper, and pinon groves and they <br />in turn give way to sagebrush and semidesert areas. <br /> <br />Streams and watersheds <br /> <br />Both the Yampa and White Rivers are tributaries of the Green River, <br />in turn a tri butory of the Colorado River. The drainage area of the lfui te <br />and Yempa Rivers comprises about 12 percent of the Upper Colorado River <br />Basin and produces about 15 percent of the total runoff of the Colorado <br />River at lee Ferry, the dividin~ point between the Upper and Lover Colorado <br />River Basins. Stre~low records end estimates indicate that the ave"aoe <br />historical runoff from the area exceeds 2,200,000 acre-feet a year. <br /> <br />2 <br />