Friends of the Yampa and a team of volunteers have been working hard to collect water samples to work toward getting Outstanding Waters designation on many Yampa River tributaries!
Many of Colorado’s headwaters streams provide high-quality water that contributes to the overall health and resilience of rivers in the region and by extension the health of the communities, ecosystems, and economies connected to it. OW is a designation awarded to such reaches of streams, rivers, or other bodies of water with high water quality and exceptional recreational or ecological significance, that are deemed worthy of increased protection by the state of Colorado. The intent of the designation is to preserve the high quality of the designated reaches for future generations.
A river or water body that is designated as an OW receives special water quality protections within and upstream of the reach, protecting it from long-term degradation, that is, from deterioration of existing water quality conditions. For a stream or part of a stream to qualify, it must meet specific water-quality criteria gathered across a wide range of measures.
Protection of Colorado’s highest quality streams is vital to our state and our way of life. Clean water is not only critical for drinking water for our communities, but also for habitat for fish and other wildlife, farming and ranching, recreation, and the long-term economic development of Colorado’s towns. Email info@friendsoftheyampa.com if you have questions or comments.