Yampa River
The Yampa River extends for nearly 250 miles from its source in the mountains of Colorado to its confluence with the Green River. For the last 47 of those miles, the Yampa River is within Dinosaur National Monument. The river enters Dinosaur on the monument's eastern boundary and joins the Green River at Echo Park.
The Yampa is the only remaining free-flowing tributary in the Colorado River system and the major drainage of northwestern Colorado.
High flow, resulting from spring run-off, generally lasts only a few weeks in late May and June. During the remainder of the year, the river is essentially unnavigable.
The Yampa River harbors outstanding examples of remnant native cottonwood willow and box elder riparian communities, and it provides critical habitat for several endangered fish.
Dinosaur NM represents a unique opportunity for research because it contains three distinct river reaches: 1) the regulated Green, 2) the unregulated Yampa, and 3) the hybrid Green below the Yampa confluence.
Pre-dam similarity between the Yampa and the upper Green creates an unparalleled opportunity for comparison studies that will help guide restoration efforts in riparian systems far beyond the monument's boundaries. These three river stretches offer a rare opportunity for scientific study related to impacts, preservation and restoration - what we have lost and our opportunities for conservation and restoration.
