Recommendations

The goal of the Yampa Integrated Water Management Plan is to build a roadmap to collaboratively identify and support actions that help implement the basin goals, and ultimately protect the use and benefits of the resource for future generations. It will identify actions that users can take to protect existing and future water uses in the Yampa River basin and support healthy river ecosystems in the face of growing population, changing land uses and climate uncertainty.

Preliminary Focus Areas

The IWMP is not attempting to identify every possible action that can be taken. Instead, it is seeking to identify high impact, multi-benefit projects and management strategies that require collaboration amongst a number of entities to be successful.

In December 2020, the IWMP Committee members developed a preliminary list of Focus Areas based upon its review of the Stakeholder Data Summary. The small groups used the IWMP Decision-Making Criteria, to identify priority opportunities that fill a critical need, are not currently being adequately addressed, and are best addressed through a collaborative approach.

Work Groups

In 2021 and 2022, the IWMP reviewed all findings and worked to narrow its focus to a subset of issues that were relevant to a wide array of stakeholders and within the IWMP’s expertise and ability to influence. Sub-committees focused on three prominent issues facing the Yampa today. They considered the findings, developed objectives, commissioned follow-up technical work and developed recommendations for consideration by the full IWMP Committee and the Basin Roundtable.

Riparian habitat, Wetland and Natural Bank Stability

Objectives: 1) To identify projects and strategies that balance the needs of water infrastructure while increasing high-quality habitat in riparian lands and 2) To identify voluntary incentives for riverside landowners to sustainably manage their lands and livestock

Agricultural Infrastructure

Objectives: To strengthen agricultural diversion infrastructure to benefit agricultural operations while ultimately improving river health, fish, and flows

Flows and Shortages

Objectives: 1) To improve the basin’s ability to meet the river flow needs of the fishery, seasonal recreational boaters and agricultural water users, 2) To identify preferred flows and alleviate shortages today and in the future through accurate datasets and modeling and coordinated storage of water that maintains a natural hydrograph and 3) To better utilize the array of available mechanisms to deliver water where it’s most needed.

Final Recommendations

In July 2022, the IWMP Committee released its recommendations which includes the following activities. Each recommendation is described in detail, including lead entity, next steps and needed financial resources, in the Final List of Recommendations.

THE RIVER CORRIDOR

• Yampa River Recommended Practices Manual (aka BMP manual)

• Establish a riparian buffer program for the Yampa Basin

THE WATER IN THE RIVER

• Return flow study

• Hydrology monitoring plan

• Basinwide water temperature monitoring plan

• Water quality in the upper Yampa River watershed and Stagecoach Reservoir

• Flows for listed fish

• Meeting existing environmental flow targets and rights

HUMAN USE OF THE RIVER CORRIDOR AND ITS WATER

• Identify repairs needed for existing reservoirs and secure infrastructure funding to complete

• Secure funds to implement multi-benefit diversion structure upgrades (per CAA/Ag workgroup's 2021 Flowchart and Prioritized List) in Routt County

• Secure funds to implement multi-benefit diversion structure upgrades (per CAA/Ag workgroup's 2021 Flowchart and Prioritized List) in Moffat County

• Coordinated reservoir operations to meet irrigation and environmental shortages

EDUCATION, UNDERSTANDING AND COLLABORATION REGARDING THE RIVER CORRIDOR AND ITS WATER

• Build capacity to support IWMP recommendations with basin wide coordination, collaboration, partnerships, communication, and leadership for agriculture.

• Build long-term capacity and support for representation of agriculture in Basin-wide water efforts and initiatives.

• Provide education on water rights and provide support to improve diversion data reported to DWR/State of CO

• Ditch Governance - Provide education about ditch governance and support to water right owners who may want to form an entity, update existing governance documents, or prepare user agreements.

• Demonstration projects & outreach

• StateMod model refinements

• Yampa River dashboard & information database

• Utilize the Yampa River Scorecard Project (YRSP) to centralize collection and reporting of river ecosystem data going forward