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<br />W <br />-...1 <br />W <br />~ C. Socioeconomic Characteristics <br /> <br />1. Hi story <br /> <br />Evidence of the presence of humans in the Colorado River Basin spans at <br />least 10,000 years. Prior to 1900, historical records were documented <br />primarily by Spanish explorers, U.S. Army scouts, and American settlers <br />and mi ners. <br /> <br />In 1869, Major John Wesley Powell explored 500 miles of the Colorado <br />River system from Green River, Wyomin9, to the mouth of the Virgin River <br />which is within the present area of Lake Mead. Powell's studies and <br />recommendations were the first scientific explorations and, for many <br />years, were the most significant in shaping policy and legislation for <br />adapting the arid lands of the West to agriculture. <br /> <br />With the decline of mining enterprises, agriculture became the basic <br />industry of the Basin. Many miners, disappointed in their search for <br />gold and silver, turned to stockraising and the growing of crops as a <br />means of livelihood. Towns and cities were developed mainly near farms, <br />mines, and important railroad points. <br /> <br />2. Popul ation <br /> <br />The Colorado River Basin is sparsely populated in comparison to the <br />national density. Population distribution is predominantly urban. Over <br />80 percent of the total Basin population lives in the Lower Colorado <br />River Basin with about 70 percent of these people residing in the <br />metropolitan areas of Phoenix, Tucson, and Las Vegas. In addition to <br />the population within the Basin, the Colorado River serves major urban <br />centers which lie outside the Basin, including Los Angeles, San Diego, <br />Denver, and Salt Lake City. <br /> <br />Table 2 reveals approximate historical, present, and projected popula- <br />tion figures for both the Upper and Lower Basins. This table indicates <br />that the Basin has been subject to a high degree of immigration. <br /> <br />Table 2. - Population data for the Upper and <br />Lower Colorado River Basins <br /> <br />Year <br /> <br />Lower Upper Co lor ado <br />Colorado Colorado River <br />Basin Basin Basin <br />1,565,000 338,000 1,903,000 <br />3,275,000 537,000 3,812,000 <br />5,225,000 1,040,000 6,265,000 <br />109 59 100 <br />60 94 64 <br /> <br />1960 population <br />1980 population <br />2000 projection <br />1960-1980 (percent increase) <br />1980-2000 (percent increase) <br /> <br />11-8 <br />