Yampa River Structures Project
Completed in 2013, this project designed, engineered, permitted, and built and improved on several instream, recreational and environmental rock structures in the Yampa River, in downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It was funded through months of fundraising and a grant from the State of Colorado’s Water Conservation Board.
These structure projects include: regrading and replanting riparian habitat, creating formalized river access points, removing debris from the river, repair/enhancing existing boating structures and installing a new boating structure.
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This section of river was identified by the Yampa/White/Green Basin Roundtable as one of the major recreational reaches of the river in the Basins Non-Consumptive Needs Assessment. This reach of river has the “Highest recreation use along the entire Yampa River allowing for multiple recreational opportunities and includes the only Recreational In-Channel Diversion in entire Yampa/White/Green Basin”, according to Phase I of the NCNA.
The Yampa River Structures Project carried a portion of the City of Steamboat Springs’ Yampa River Structures Master Plan (YRSMP) which was a combined effort between consultants, the City and the general public to provide “a framework for instream and riparian area improvements that will optimize the recreational benefits of the river while protecting its ecological integrity.” The YRSMP was approved in November 2008 by the City of Steamboat Springs. This plan reviewed 6.4 miles of the Yampa River and riparian corridor located along City owned property. It identified over $3.5 million dollars of potential river work.
The YRSMP identified seven 7 locations within the proposed project reach and 5 types of river structures to work on including: regarding and replanting riparian habitat, creating formalized access points, removing debris from the river, repair/enhancing existing boating structures and installing a new boating structure.
Read article from Steamboat Pilot regarding this project.