WSP09378

• File Number: 8200.200
• Description: Colorado River - Basin Hydrology
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 4/9/1993
• Author: CRWUA
• Title: Colorado River Profiles
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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a rainstorm is revered as
far more than just a storm;
in Utah, it's an event
Water is the critical fac-
tor in the west's develop-
ment, but management of
the environment will allow
the expansion of the range
of opportunities in what
has been called an oasis
, civilization, Water is the
limiting resource in any
development scenario and
that means hard choices
eventually will have to he
made about what consti-
tutes the highest and best
uses of water resources.
Water resource planning
must, therefore, be done
in the context of a plan-
ning process that is both
comprehensive and long- .
range, The state planning
coordinator's office has
estimated that the popula-
tion of Utah will be 2,27
million by the year 2000,
This is an increase of
900,000 from the estimat-
ed present population of
137 million, This popula-
tion projection to the year
2000 is a conservative one
and does not contemplate
the effect of events such as
the rapid development of
the synthetic fuel
resources of tire state,
Since water and the use
. of water is a means to' an
end and not the end itself,
Plans alld policies for the
development of Utah's
water resources are subor~
dinate to or dependent
upon overall policies for
the development of the
state of Utah, Therefore, a
state water plan is always
dynamic rather than static
in nature, It is a part, albeit
an integral part, of a
growth strategy for the
state that includes other
dimensions such as parks,
transportation, tourism and

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community development
Utah's most precious
resource is, and always
has been, water.
Capturing and using this
vital resource wisely is the
single greatest challenge
facing the state, When
Utah was in its infancy,
the waters of the mighty
Colorado River were of
little concern to the popu-
lation of the period, The
small streams that bub-
bled from the surrounding
mountains supplied their
needs, But that was short-
lived: Had it not been for
a few visionary men who
foresaw what the needs
would be today, Utah
would be without suffi-
cient water. Somehow
they knew they were des- .
tined to provide for one of
the fastest growing states'
in the nation,
To accomplish Utah's
water development, what
would prove to be a long
series of legislative battles
was launched in 1922 -
battles which, when won,
would provide water for
today's water needs and
for tomorrow as welL The
first issue then, as now,
was to capture Utah's
share of water draining
frOm tributaries flowing
through the state into,the
. Colorado River, One of
the greatest primary
sources of water in all of
Utah remains the Uinta
Mountains where the
average precipitation is
nearly 60 inches, Most of
that becomes runoff into
the Green River which
downstream merges with

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CRWUA

the Colorado, which in
turn carries Utah water
out of the state, The
Central Utah Project will
make possible the utiliza-
tion of Utah's fair share of
these waters now being
lost into the Colorado
River,
The project will provide
critically needed water
supplies to the central
Utah area, Impacts of this
project will be felt by prac-
tically every person and
. establishment in the state
of Utah,
From a clear drink of
water to a green field of
crops to a lakeside outing
with the famly, these are
the real benefits the
Central Utah Project will
provide for the future,
It truly is the fulfillment
of unselfish dreams of
those who realized Utah's
tomorrow would depend
upon the most valuable of
all natural resources,
water.

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