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. Hi)?,671 (such as skiing, camping, and fishing); and air-quality, water-quality, and l.nd-use impacts that might jeopardize the present agricultural and recreational uses which contribute substantially to the basin's economy. Water-Resources Impl ications The assumed alternatives for coal-resource development in theYampa River basin by 1990 (table 1) will have varying effects on the basin's water resources. Basin-assessment studies include evaluating the follow- ing water-resources impl ications as 'related to each alternative: (1) State-managed water laws by the appropriative doctrine of water rights and possible constraints on development imposed by interregional basin com- pacts, (2) ,surface-water and ground-water avai labi 1 ity, and (3) possible water-qual ity problems associated with coal mining and conversion alterna- tives, as well as those caused by increased population growth. Water Rights and Basin Compacts Possible factors control 1 ing the extent and form of coal-resource and related development, will be ownership of water rights and water alloca~ tions stipulated in regional and international river~basin compacts. Ma- jor basin compacts having a direct influence on water availability in the Yampa River basin are the Colorado River Compact of 1922 and the Upper Colorado Basin Compact of 1948. In recent years, rigorous legal enforce- ment of the water-quantity stipulations of these compacts has been Over- ridden by an equal concern for the water-quality impl ications of increased consumptive or changing uses of basin waters (Weatherford and Jacoby, 1975) . The appropriative doctrine of water rights involves a hierarchal priority system of assigned beneficial uses. A detailed analysis of water rights, well permits, and surface-water diversions will be carried out in the bas in assessment. These data wi 11 be used a long with informat Ion on projected consumpt ive water use, proposed surface-water impoundments, and water allocations to del ineate possible future water-supply deficiencies and water-quality-related' problems both spatially and seasonally. Availabll ity of Water The long-term mean annual streamflow from the Yampa River basin Is 1.9 billion cubic metres. Historically, consumptive-water use in the basin is attributed primar'i ly to irrigation (70 percent) and growth of phreatophytes (18 percent).. Total consumptive use in the basin is est i- mated to be about 6 percent of the total surface-water supply on a mean. annual basis (Colorado Water Conservation Board and U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1969). In this same study, basin surface-water depletions were projected to increase nearly threefold with incremental losses due to increased irrigation, consumptive use by coal mining and coal-conversion facilities, additional diversions of water in the basin, and evaporative losses from proposed major reservoirs. To date, few large-scale reservoirs (capacity greater than 25 mil- l ion cubic metres) have been constructed on the Yampa River or tributary 11