WSP08184

• File Number: 8200.765
• Description: White River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Yampa/White
• Water Division: 6
• Date: 11/1/1966
• Author: USFS
• Title: Water and Related Land Resources - White River Basin in Colorado
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

The largest portion of State and local government land is school lands
under the administration of the Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners
(20,500 acres). This land is in the Moffat County portion of the Basin.
Municipalities own the remaining 600 acres.

All of the national forest land is in the White River National Forest.
These lands are in the eastern part of the Basin and range from about
8,000 feet to 12,000 feet in elevation. Land administered by the Bureau
of Land Management is generally at elevations below 8,500 feet. In the
eastern third of the Basin, Bureau of Land Management lands are notably
disconnected or in isolated parcels. About 25,100 acres of these lands
are not within the boundaries of the Craig District and are commonly
referred to as "Section 15 lands". The long range program for these
lands include their possible transfer to state or local government for
public purposes, or disposal through exchange or public sale. This
would materially aid in establishing a more desirable pattern of land
ownership. The consolidated public lands in the western two-thirds of
the Basin are generally considered to meet the criteria for retention
in Federal ownership for Multiple Use Management as provided by the
Classification and Multiple Use Act of September 1964.

Climate

The climate is highly variable over the Basin, being semi-arid with
relatively warm summers and cold winters. Extremes are due largely
to the wide range of elevation and exposure. The mean annual tempera-
ture at Meeker is about 440F. with extremes of _430 F. to 1030 F,

Average annual precipitation varies from more than 30 inches in upper
reaches of the Basin to less than 9 inches at Rangely. Higher irrigated
lands above Buford have an annual frost-free period of less than 50 days,
while the lower valley near Range1y averages about 124 days.

Seasonal distribution of precipitation is fairly uniform during the year.
A little less than half usually occurs during the December-April period
as snow. About one-third usually occurs during the irrigation season,
though this is variable with respect to location, Accumulation of winter
snows is the principal source of stream flow. Summer rainfall generally
takes the form of showers that contribute little to over-all water
supplies. On higher areas near the eastern edge of the Basin, rainfall
is typically mountain thundershower in characteristics, with only limited
areas having locally severe intensities. At lower elevations, summer
showers are affected by convective conditions and frequently occur in
the form of "cloudbursts". Floods are of short duration and low total
water production, but peak flows are high.

Evaporation studies have not been carried on in the Basin to any great
extent. Data from comparable areas in the State indicate that average
evaporation rates would be from about 55 inches in the lower part of the
Basin to around 25 inches at the higher elevations.

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