Yampa River Awareness Project
Yampa River Awareness Project aims to educate the public about the significance and challenges of the Yampa River. The initiative includes outreach through film, media, and partnerships to increase understanding of the river’s ecological, cultural, and recreational importance. It seeks to inspire action and stewardship to protect the river’s natural flow and ecosystem health. YRAP is a partnership with Friends of the Yampa, American Rivers, and OARS.
The Yampa River Awareness Project’s goals are to:
- Document the unique resources and values of the wild and free-flowing Yampa River.
- Inform the public and policymakers about these values and what could be lost if a major dam, diversion, or dewatering project occurs on the Yampa.
- Inspire people to protect the Yampa River for future generations.
- YRAP is organized by the Friends of the Yampa who rallies local, state, national, and international organizations, businesses, and individuals to realize the unique natural and recreational values of the Yampa.
Thank you to the supporters of YRAP:
History of the Yampa River Awareness Project
Highlights from past years:
2023
What is a River 2023? – River Radius Podcast – Sam Carter
Atmospheric Rivers 101 – River Radius Podcast – Sam Carter
This wild river is a ‘roller coaster’ ride as the West replenishes its reservoirs – KUNC, Alex Hager
A Colorado water policy group goes rafting to watch the Colorado River system refill – KUNC, Alex Hager
2022
Opinion: A float trip ON the Yampa made us OF the Yampa – 25 people come face-to-face with the aridification of the West – Matt Moseley – Colorado Sun
Craig, America – American Rivers film
2021
Wild Rivers with Tillie – Episode 5: Wild and Free! The Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument – Yampa River | Colorado and Utah, Southwestern U.S.A.
Wild rivers with Tillie – Episode 8: The Yampa River – Enough Water to Go Around. Yampa River | Colorado and Utah, Southwestern U.S.A.
Craig betting on Yampa River to help transition from coal economy, Water right tied to recreation on hold for now – Aspen Journalism, Heather Sackett
Exploring an epic Colorado river during record-breaking drought. Climate change is sucking water from the West’s beloved rivers, but there are lessons to be found in the change. National Geographic, by Peter McBride
2020
2019
The Current Flows: Water in the Arid West, a photographic exhibition by Colleen Miniuk-Sperry, Curated by Jeanne Falk Adams
Can A ‘Wild’ River Survive In A Rapidly Drying West? KUNC, Luke Runyon
Echo Park hasn’t changed much since expedition 150 years ago, AP News, By Eleanor C. Hasenbeck
A run through Colorado’s Yampa whitewater reveals the wildness that remains. But will the West’s rivers survive urban demands?
Over-allocation of Colorado River Basin water and climate change are intensifying long-running conflict, Denver Post, by Bruce Finley
2018
FOTY takes Mighty Arrow crew down the river and secures granting after trip
2017
Took Peter Skidmore from WFF and Tillie Walton down the river and this kick started our funding with Walton Family Connection
The Last Wild River, OARS, by Emily Nuchols
2016
The Yampa – Of History and Hope, Colorado’s Yampa River serves as both a reminder of what is possible, as well as why we work so hard to preserve the last wild rivers. American Rivers, By Sinjin Eberle | June 8, 2016
Yampa River Trip Journal Day 1, initially published on Nat Geo, by Amy Kober
Yampa River Trip Journal Day 2, initially published on Nat Geo, by Amy Kober
Yampa River Trip Journal Day 3, initially published on Nat Geo, by Amy Kober
Yampa River Trip Journal Day 4, initially published on Nat Geo, by Amy Kober 2015
We took Charlotte from CLF down the river and this kickstarted our funding with CLF
Downriver: Into the Future of Water in the West, by Heather Hansmen
Twenty of the West’s Leading Water Managers Raft Colorado’s Yampa River In a historic drought, a group of decision makers take to the water to discuss the future of rivers, Smithsonian Magazine, Heather Hansmen
Google Street View went down the river with YRAP. 360-Degrees of Wild: Google Street View of Yampa River Launched, by Nicole Seltzer – video of it floating Warm Springs – Google Street View starting at Warm Springs Rapid
2015
An article on Smithsonian.com from Heather Hansman – Twenty of the West’s leading water managers raft Colorado’s Yampa River – In a historic drought, a group of decision-makers take to the water to discuss the future of rivers.
2014
Yampa River Awareness Project brings river advocates down Yampa Canyon, Eugene Buchanan, Steamboat Pilot
Yampa River Awareness Project Documents, Educates and Inspires, American Whitewater Journal Posted: 06/27/2014 By: Kent Vertrees
Colorado’s Yampa River: Free Flowing & Wild from the Flat Tops to the Green, by Pat Tierney and John Fielder
2013
Is the Yampa worth Saving? Steamboat Pilot, Tom Ross
New urgency in planning water needs, Steamboat Pilot, Tom Ross
Rise and fall of the Yampa River defines a unique ecosystem, Craig Daily Press, Tom Ross
The Last One, A Yampa River Awareness Project, by Kent Vertrees, Ben Saheb and Cody Perry
Floating One of the Last Wild Rivers: Yampa Journal, Day 1 – National Geographic
Floating One of the Last Wild Rivers: Yampa Journal, Day 2– National Geographic
Floating One of the Last Wild Rivers: Yampa Journal, Day 3– National Geographic
Floating One of the Last Wild Rivers: Yampa Journal, Day 4 – National Geographic
Colorado’s Water Demands Conflict with Efforts to Preserve the Yampa River – Denver Post
The Yampa River Tribe – Steamboat Pilot
2012
2011
This trip kickstarted YRAP
Epic flooding images that have been used over and over again
Wild Yampa Canyon Needs Preserving, Denver Post, Scott Willoughby
We also ran the LYC in 2011 as part of FOTY and YRAP and created this movie called Little Yampa Canyon – Wild & Scenic
2011 KUNC program – Conservationists Mobilize to Protect River, KUNC, Kirk Siegler
Yampa River Runs with Possibility And Protest – Kirk Siegler – KUNC – 06.22.2009
Front Range Eyes Yampa River – Kirk Siegler – KUNC – 06.11.2009
Yampa River Center of Latest Water Battle – Kirk Siegler – KUNC – 06.10.2009
2007
Entities Represented:
2024
Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable
Routt Recreation & Conservation Roundtable
American Rivers
Colorado Mountain College
Center for Western Weather Water Extremes
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego
Dinosaur National Monument
Thelonious Step
Trout Unlimited
Colorado River Historian
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.
Eagle River Water & Sanitation District
Walton Family Foundation
Colorado Water Trust
Speaker of the House, Colorado General Assembly
Central Arizona Project
City of Steamboat Springs
Keystone Policy Center, former Executive Director for the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs
Mac Design
Yampa Valley Sustainability Council
Steamboat Springs City Council
Colorado River District
Orange County Water District
Colorado River Sustainability Campaign
American Whitewater
2023
American Rivers
Hopi musician, artist, educator, and storyteller
Dinosaur National Monument
Colorado River District
Great Outdoors Colorado
Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program
Craig, Colorado City Manager
Colorado Department of Natural Resources
Walton Family Foundation
Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E)
Upper Colorado River Commission
American Rivers Regional Board
KUNC
Denver Water
Community Agriculture Alliance
The River Radius Podcast
Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable
Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District
Colorado Water Congress Board
Somach Simmons & Dunn
Yampa River Fund
2022
Colorado Mountain College
American Rivers
Dinosaur National Monument
Upper Colorado River Commission
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Colorado Division of Water Resources
Moffat County Commissioner
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
Yampa Valley Community Foundation
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.
Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program
Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District
Walton Family Foundation
10 tribes partnership
University of Montana
BLM Little Snake Field Office
Good Vibes River Gear
Colorado River District
Author Matt Moseley
2021
Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable
Routt County Conservation District
Colorado Mountain College
Steamboat Springs School District
American Rivers
Dinosaur National Monument
National Parks Service
TV Producer
The Nature Conservancy
Aspen Journalism
Colorado River District
Outside Magazine
White River Stakeholder Group
Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District
Craig Chamber of Commerce
Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program
National Parks Foundation
American Whitewater
Tech Business CEO
Yampa Valley Community Foundation
2020
2019
Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable
Colorado Mountain College
American Rivers
Tri-State Generation and Transmission
Colorado River District
National Park Service
City of Steamboat Springs
Moffat County Tourism Board
Aurora Water
Routt County Commissioner
River Network
CMS Photography
The Nature Conservancy
Yampa Water Fund
KUNC
American Rivers
Steinberg Photography
Yampa Valley Landowner
Upper Colorado River Commission
Steamboat Pilot
Colorado State Representative
Colorado River Basin Program
State of the Rockies
Denver Post
Endangered Species Policy Specialist
Water Consultant Martin & McCoy
2018
Colorado Mountain College
Hog Island Boatworks
American Rivers
River Network
World Wildlife Fund
The Nature Conservancy
Colorado River District
Author Peter Heller
Rios to Rivers
American Whitewater
Hydros consulting
Colorado Mountain College
Challenge Aspen
Rancher
Tri State
New Belgium Brewing Co.
Upper Yampa Conservation District
Routt County Commissioner
Fluvial Morphologist
Aspen Journalism
University of California Santa Barbara
Dinosaur National Monument
National Parks Service
Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable
4Front Strategies
2017
River conservationsist
City Council Craig, Colorado
Colorado Division Engineer, Water Division 6
Pete McBride Photography
Tri-State
Writer Hillary Oliver
Hispanic Access Foundation
National Park Service
Walton Family Foundation
Craig City Manager
Denver Water
OARS
National Parks Foundation
Author Kevin Fedarko
Nite Ize
River Network
2016
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association
Colorado River Water Conservation District
Enthusiast Network
National Park Service
Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District
Western Rivers
The Nature Conservancy
High Country News
University of California Santa Barbara
National Park Experience
Colorado Department of Natural Resources
2015
Water lawyer, consultant
Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable
Routt County Conservation District
Upper Yampa Watershed Group
The Nature Conservancy
Aspen Journalism
High Country News
Journalist
Amazin!
Colorado State University
National Parks Foundation
Colorado River Water Conservation District
Walton Family Foundation
Colorado River District
Denver Water
Protect the Flows
Conservation Lands Foundation
Hell’s Canyon Ranch
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Dinosaur National Monument
American Whitewater
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association
Gov. John Hickenlooper
2014
Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism
Colorado Mountain College
Rig to Flip
Conservation Colorado
American Rivers
Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable
The Wilderness Society
Colorado Foundation for Water Education
Headwaters Magazine
Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District
The Nature Conservancy
Braden Gunem Photography
Conservation Colorado
Colorado River District
The Nature Conservancy
Rancher
Routt County Conservation District
Upper Yampa Watershed Group
Colorado Water Trust
Western Organizer of the National Young Farmers’ Coalition
Yampa River Systems Legacy Project
Conservation Colorado
Rig To Flip
Western Resource Advocates
The Wilderness Society
Past District Ranger of Little Snake RD – BLM
Dinosaur National Monument
Paddling Life Magazine/Recreation Publishing Inc.
2013
American Rivers
Colorado Water Conservation Board
The Nature Conservancy
Outside, Men’s Health and the Drake
Colorado River District
National Parks Conservation Association
Colorado Water Trust
Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District
The Wilderness Society
OARS
Colorado Mountain College
2012
2011
Colorado Mountain College
Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District
The Nature Conservancy
Colorado Water Conservation Board
American Rivers
OARS
Mountain Gazette
Steamboat Ski Resort and Corp
Steamboat Pilot
Paddling Life
The Wilderness Society
The Denver Post
Mesa State College
National Public Radio
American Whitewater
2007
Colorado Water Workshop
National Wildlife Research Center
Futafriends of Patagonia, Chile
American Conservation Experience
Kathinka
Western State College of Colorado
Fisheries Technician
Mesa State College
Friends of the Yampa
River Advocate
Filmaker
Western State College of Colorado
Yampa River Awareness Project Photo Gallery
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Help us educate and inspire the public to protect the Yampa River for future generations.