I have been working in Dinosaur Nat’l Monument under the park botanist, Tamara Naumann.  Located in northwestern Colorado, Dinosaur Nat’l Monument is home to over 60 miles of the Green and Yampa Rivers, and boasts a seriously impressive landscape.  It is like no place I’ve ever seen before, and it’s standard to get the sensation of being on another planet.  The geology of the Monument, which I will not get into, could easily be an entire post by itself.  But, if you would like more info on the Monument’s unique geology, shoot me an email at jcr02@uark.edu.  The scope of my internship has been primarily focused on river ecosystem health and function.  The Yampa remains the last wild/undammed river in the Colorodo River system.  The Green River has been regulated upstream by the Flaming Gorge Dam since 1964.  Dams are known to disrupt the physical, chemical and biological connectivity of rivers.  The Green and the Yampa rivers collide in the heart of the Monument at a place called Echo Park. Because the two rivers were so similar during Pre-dam conditions, and are located in such close proximity to each other, a unique opportunity arises to study the impacts of large dams on big western rivers.

The Yampa Canyon

Gates of Lodore. Lodore Canyon, Green River

 For more info on the Yampa, check out http://www.yampariverawareness.org/