MEEKER | Last week, local water expert Bob Tobin took members of the White River Alliance back in time as he presented his findings during the Alliance’s monthly speaker series.
Tobin ran the United States Geological Service in Meeker as the District Sub Chief from 1974 to 1988, and spearheaded an intensive study into both the flow and the sediment flowing through the White River.
Members learned about the peak flow years of 1983/84 where the area experienced flooding and massive winter kill of wildlife, and then the year the river hardly ran at all in 1977. Studies show the peak flow averaged between April and July, though more recent studies have shown earlier run off.
Tobin explained that their data showed 80% of the water in the river came from snowmelt in the Flattops, providing an average 450,000 acre feet a year. Most of it, 80%, comes from the North and South Forks — providing crystal clear mountain water.
While most of the water comes from the mountains, almost all of the suspended sediment comes from the desert range below Meeker, just below the Piceance basin from runoff. This is due to the fragile soil content. Sediment run off collects in reservoirs unless it is allowed to pass through down the river.
He noted that water basins like the White River are similar to the human body’s vascular systems. It is important to keep the secondary and tertiary vessels healthy and flowing in order to have a healthy main stem. The organs are the forests and vegetation, and it’s important to keep drawing samples, just like we do with our blood, to measure the amount of oxygen (key for fish), dissolved solids, and Ph, along with several other indicators, to measure health.
Tobin was glad to see interest by the group in learning more about the historic flows, health and sediment, and hoped that others will continue to track the health of the White River on an ongoing basis.
To learn more about the White River Alliance, visit: WhiteRiverAlliance.net and attend our monthly meetings and speaker series.
