The Yampa River's Hydrograph
Channel: Greg Hamilton
Date: 2021-03-26

Free DISCUSSION STARTERS and GLOSSARY - view or download at this link: https://gihamilton.com/discuss/hydrograph.pdf

In this episode we learn about the dramatic ebbs and flows of the Yampa River. State water engineer Erin Light visits cattle rancher Jay Fetcher on the Elk River. Jay tells us: "The Elk runs more water for its length than any river in the United States." In typical years, abundant snowmelt flows down to the confluence with the Yampa.

Jay calls the rivers "wild" as does a mural in downtown Steamboat Springs. Kent Vertrees (past leader of a river nonprofit) explains that heavy spring flooding reconnects the river with the land. But then, he explains, water levels suddenly drop very low, creating management challenges for agriculture, recreation, and more.

This wild variation of flow rates is known as a river's "hydrograph." The radical shifts in the Yampa's hydrograph are rare in the American West. Most other rivers have what Kent calls "large-scale reservoirs" to regulate flows throughout the year. For the Yampa, there are ecological benefits of this wildness that allow the river, as Kent explains, "to function like it has for millions of years."

Climate change and increasing demands for water from near and far put extra pressure on the management of this natural resource. Without large reservoirs, how does one manage a wild river? Jay gives two examples from his ranch: 1) a conservation easement that assures productive water use will stay tied to his land forever and 2) the ability to lease water to the state for use by others.

ABOUT THE SERIES - "YOUR WATER TABLE: Finding Common Ground Around Our Rivers" Meet people who get their hands wet in many facets of water management here in Northwest Colorado. This series of six short videos (under 4 minutes each) touches on issues, threats, and opportunities facing our local water resources in the Yampa, White, and Green River Basins. Series made possible with support from the Yampa White Green Basin Roundtable https://yampawhitegreen.com and American Rivers https://www.americanrivers.org