From Steamboat Today (Michael Schrantz):

The drought conditions that plagued Northwest Colorado and large parts of the nation put businesses, recreation and the health of the river in peril. The Colorado Water Trust’s lease of 4,000 acre-feet of water from Stagecoach Reservoir was the first-ever use of a 2003 state law that allows temporary leases of water to protect rivers threatened by low water years. That lease put 26 cfs into the Yampa for a large part of summer, salvaging some recreational use and bolstering the health of the river.

While noting there were other factors that the led to the rebound of the Yampa in July, Van De Carr said the Colorado Water Trust’s release “benefitted any person who lives in or visits this town this summer.”