Upper Yampa River Watershed Plan Protecting and Managing Long Term Health A Collaboration of the Upper Yampa Technical Committee, Watershed Group and Constituents Lead Author: Lyn Halliday, Environmental Solutions Unltd, LLC Steamboat Springs, Colorado Upper Yampa River Watershed Plan Executive Summary May 2016 Upper Yampa River Watershed Plan Executive Summary May 2016 Upper Yampa River Watershed Plan - Protecting and Managing Long Term Health Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Chapter 1. Overview Chapter 2. Understanding Existing and Potential Water Quality Issues in the UYRW Chapter 3. Overarching Goals and Objectives Chapter 4. Watershed-wide Known and Potential Stressors and Solutions to Water Quality Threats Chapter 5. Assessing Watershed-wide Data Gaps Chapter 6. Sub-basin Water Quality Classifications and Identified Water Quality Concerns Chapter 7. Action Plan and Matrix by Objective Chapter 8. Outreach and Education Chapter 9. Ongoing Water Quality Monitoring Commonly Used Abbreviations Appendices A. Upper Yampa State of the Watershed Report 2014 B. Best Management Practices for Fisheries C. Best Management Practices for Riparian Areas D. Best Management Practices – Land Management a. Tier 1 Examples – Non-Point Source Runoff Upper Yampa River Watershed Plan Executive Summary May 2016 Upper Yampa River Watershed Plan Protecting and Managing Long Term Health May 2016 Executive Summary What The Upper Yampa River Watershed Plan (WP) is the culmination of decades of collaborative efforts to protect and enhance the health of the Upper Yampa River Watershed (UYRW). The Upper Yampa Watershed Group (UYRWG) initiated the development of the Plan in 2013 and is committed to maintaining and improving the physical, chemical, and biological health of the upper Yampa River and its tributaries. By creating a non-regulatory watershed plan, the UYRWG hopes to increase local partnerships and their capacity to protect and enhance water quality, promote water conservation, and sustain and improve the present health of the watershed. A watershed is an area of land from which all water drains to a common point, a hydrologic system within which all living things are inextricably linked. Watershed health is influenced by both natural processes and human activities and is important for drinking water, agriculture, recreation, and ecological integrity. As water moves through a watershed the surface and sub-surface conditions affect the quality of water. The UYRW planning area is approximately 1,800 square miles and extends from the headwaters of the Yampa River to the confluence of, and including, Elkhead Creek (figure below). The Yampa River is a snow-melt dominated river system which is typical of drainage basins located at high elevations where a majority of annual precipitation occurs as snow in winter months then melts and runs off over a relatively short time period in spring and early summer. Upper Yampa River Watershed Plan Executive Summary May 2016 Upper Yampa River Watershed Plan Executive Summary May 2016 Upper Yampa River Watershed Plan 2016 Accordingly, flows vary considerably across seasons. The river carries tons of sediment over its sand, gravel and cobble beds before its confluence with the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument. The system supports consumptive (municipal, agricultural, industrial) and non-consumptive (environmental, recreational) uses. The continued tradition of agricultural flood irrigation augments groundwater aquifers and creates wetlands which can assist with late season return flows to the river. The primary focus of the WP is on preventing water quality degradation through the implementation of improved practices relative to non-point sources of contamination entering waterways through stormwater run-off. Riparian area protection and restoration; improving watershed connectivity; and maintaining the ecological balance of riparian, wetland, upland & aquatic biota are also priorities. Why Although water quality in the UYRW is generally good, current water quality data indicate trends that warrant continuous monitoring. Thus, the WP identifies needs for watershed health protection going forward. These include encouraging the use of management practices that address ecosystem function, surrounding land use, and the ability of the river system to support the demand of the local communities. For community members and water users to fully comprehend the Yampa River system and the aquatic ecosystem, water quality and quantity must be considered holistically. An approved WP opens the door for potential funding to implement well-thought- out projects in the future. How Maps were created to aid in the understanding of features and influences on water quality both on a watershed scale and at the sub-basin level. Impaired stream segment information from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) was further analyzed. Using both vetted water quality monitoring data and watershed health indicators, each of the five sub-basins was assessed resulting in the creation of “snapshots” of each. Results are outlined below. Trends of concern watershed-wide include: • increases in sediment loading; • riparian area degradation; and • non-native species encroachment. Bear River Sub-basin - Outstanding Waters / Anti-degradation designated streams • Normal seasonal bedload alterations in main stem of Yampa below the Catamount dam causing sediment issues between Lake Catamount and Chuck Lewis State Wildlife Area • Erosion from livestock grazing practices • Forest fires having the potential to threaten water supplies and water quality • Contaminated runoff from historic mining-related runoff Environmental Solutions Unltd, LLC / Upper Yampa River Watershed Group 6 Upper Yampa River Watershed Plan 2016 • Elevated zinc & dissolved iron in Little Morrison Creek (some natural some human- induced) • Yampa River below Stagecoach Reservoir – elevated selenium & manganese (some natural some human-induced) • Elevated temperature (M&E list - drought years) • Mercury in fish tissue at Stagecoach and Catamount Reservoirs • Elevated nutrient concentrations in Stagecoach Reservoir and Lake Catamount resulting in accelerated eutrophication • Blue green algae blooms Walton Creek/Fish Creek Sub-basin – smallest area with largest population center • Elevated temperatures and low dissolved oxygen levels (drought years) (M&E List) • Elevated Manganese • Loss of wetlands which are necessary to filter stormwater as well as provide infiltration to groundwater • Urban stormwater runoff carrying contaminants and potentially increasing temperature from impervious surface runoff Elk River Sub-basin – largest tributary / some Outstanding Waters /Anti-degradation designated streams • High readings of E. Coli • Elevated Mercury - 303 (d) List • Added bedload resulting from both several years of record spring runoff as well as poorly designed river channel restoration projects • Willow Creek/Steamboat Lake outlet • Damage from in-stream structures Middle Yampa River - Trout Creek/Dry Creek Sub-basins • Elevated Phosphorus • Elevated suspended sediment potentially a result of degradation of riparian areas from unmanaged cattle grazing on leased lands • One Dry Creek segment on 303 (d) List for exceedance of agricultural and aquatic life standards, Iron, and Selenium • Sage Creek 303 (d) List for exceeding aquatic life standard for Iron • Erosion caused by reduced ground cover (noxious weeds, overgrazing) • Degraded stream banks and eroded channels (Morgan Bottom area) Elkhead River Sub-basin – USFS Special Interest Area • Fish tissue Mercury in Elkhead reservoir– (303 (d) List) • Elevated temperatures due to erosion-caused wide shallow exposed channels and deep vertical mass wasting banks. Environmental Solutions Unltd, LLC / Upper Yampa River Watershed Group 7 Upper Yampa River Watershed Plan 2016 Following the identification of water quality trends and concerns, an analysis of potential sources or “stressors” was developed for the WP. These included both immediate and long term issues as they relate to the health of the watershed. As part of this analysis, impacts, impairments and possible solutions have been outlined. Assessment of data gaps and further evaluation of each sub-basin followed, culminating in the development of a detailed Action Plan. Finally, a list of potential projects was developed and prioritized. Potential Project List 2016 Priority (in no particular order) • Hire Watershed Coordinator • Develop a BMP toolbox tailored to the UYRW and create related website • Steamboat Lake / Willow Creek pollutant assessment & mitigation • Elk River sub-basin comprehensive study/plan • Headgate improvements education/mitigation • Morgan Bottom Irrigation Delivery & Habitat Improvement • Stagecoach nutrient management and algal study • Steamboat Springs Stream Management and Target Flows Study • CDOT Sediment Plan Implementation • Native Plant Nursery • Riparian restoration priorities: o Oak Creek o Need rapid assessment stream segment strategy in other areas • Elkhead Riparian improvements and noxious weed management • Trout Creek/Fish Creek, Foidel Creek Riparian Fencing and Noxious Weed Management • Oak Creek Stormwater Management • Outreach & Education Secondary • Nutrient and sediment loading modeling • Riparian health assessments – implementation plans including Adopt a Stream • Critical wetlands identification & mapping – protection implementation • 303(d) list segment sampling – Triennial review participation • Butcherknife