About the Project

The Yampa River, a tributary of the Green River, is a key part of the Colorado River system, flowing through northwestern Colorado and Dinosaur National Monument. Like most rivers in Colorado, the Yampa River faces growing water scarcity and declining riparian habitat resulting from increasing temperatures and recurring drought conditions.

Williams Irrigation Diversion was removed in November 2022. The 200-foot-long, 10-foot-wide, six-foot-tall gravel push-up dam spanned the length of the river and was constructed annually in the summer to irrigate 120 acres of hay and cattle operations. Located above the town of Hayden, Colorado in Routt County, it also blocked fish and recreational boat passage, particularly during frequent low-flow conditions. The stretch of the river, known as Morgan’s Bottom, is a critical transition zone from cold to warm water fisheries and an important area for rare and declining fish, including the endangered Colorado pikeminnow, globally vulnerable roundtail chub and flannelmouth sucker. The project is also a part of the Yampa Integrated Water Management Plan (IWMP), a basin wide stakeholder-led restoration effort to address water scarcity and improve recreation and river health.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) owns the land and senior water rights at the Williams Ditch diversion and led the removal project in tandem with riparian restoration. In collaboration with the Yampa IWMP, TNC has identified additional barriers that block boat passage and fish passage at low flows. TNC is working with the local landowners and water users in the Morgan’s Bottom reach to address these diversions in future years.