Yampa River

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Yampa River
The Yampa River, seen from a high overlook.
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Major cities	Steamboat Springs, Craig
Length	250 mi (402 km) ^[1]
Watershed	7,660 sq mi (19,839 km²) ^[2]
Discharge at	At Deerlodge Park
- average	2,093 cu ft/s (59.27 m³/s) ^[2]
- maximum	32,300 cu ft/s (914.63 m³/s)
- minimum	1.9 cu ft/s (0.05 m³/s)
Source	Rocky Mountains
- coordinates	40°9′30″N 106°53′59″W / 40.15833, -106.89972 ^[3]
- elevation	7,833 ft (2,387 m) ^[4]
Mouth	Green River
- location	Dinosaur National Monument
- coordinates	40°31′44″N 108°59′3″W / 40.52889, -108.98417 ^[3]
- elevation	5,080 ft (1,548 m) ^[4]
Major tributaries
- left	Bear River, Williams Fork
- right	Elk River, Little Snake River
The Yampa River is shown on this map of the Green River watershed

The Yampa River is a tributary of the Green River, approximately 250 mi (402 km) long, in the U.S. state of Colorado.

It rises in the Flat Tops in northwestern Colorado, in the Routt National Forest in southeastern Garfield County, and flows northwest, past Yampa, and north to Steamboat Springs, where it turns abruptly west. It then receives its chief tributary, the Elk River, near the small town of Milner. It continues west in the plateau region along the north side of the Williams Fork Mountains, past the town of Craig. It is joined by the Little Snake River in Moffat County, just east of Dinosaur National Monument. Inside Dinosaur National Monument, it joins the Green near the border with Utah.

The Yampa forms a noticeably wide, shallow stream throughout much of its course. The lower three fourths of the Yampa, from the Elk river down, are navigable by small craft. However the meandering, shallow nature of the river can render the river unnavigable during late summer in low water years. The discharge of the Yampa varies from about 600 ft³/s (17 m³/s) during low water summers to 20,000 ft³/s (600 m³/s) in spring runoff. Average flow at its confluence with the Green is about 2500 ft³/s (71 m³/s).

The Yampa River is one of the finest Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike fisheries in the United States. However, due to the presence of several endangered fish species, the Colorado Division Of Wildlife, Colorado State University and the US Fish and Wildlife Service have been removing and killing bass and pike, leaving them to rot on the banks by the thousands. Some studies suggest the introduction of bass and pike may have played a small role in reducing endangered fish populations. Over 30,000 smallmouth bass, 10,000 pike, and 9000 channel catfish have been killed since 1999. Studies have shown these removals have not increased numbers of native fish species. These actions are ongoing, despite a lack of scientific support and strong public opposition.

Proposal to pump water to the Front Range

In December, 2006, a report came out on a proposal to pump water from the Yampa 200 miles east, and under the Continental Divide, to the cities of the Front Range. The diversion would start near Maybell, Colorado, 20 miles downstream of Craig, Colorado^[5]^[6] . The proposal faces widespread opposition because it could lower river flows in late summer due to the diversion.^{[citation needed]} The Yampa is one of the West's last wild rivers since it has only a few small dams and diversions.^{[citation needed]}