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<br />Gaylord V. SkogC'rboC'
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<br />and minimizes Ihe impacts of drought years, The long-Ierm eSlimale of mean annual
<br />virgin now al Lee Ferry, Arizona (the dividing point on Ihe Colorado River Ihat separ-
<br />ales Ihe Upper Basin and Lower Basin) varies from III to 14.7 maf, with 13.8 maf
<br />frequenlly used in planning studies.
<br />With the completion of Ihe Ccnlrnl Ari7.l\na Projecl durin!! Ihe 19805, Ihe Lower Rnsin
<br />will be fully Ulilizin!! Iheir enlilkmenl 10 Ihe Colorndo River. The Repuhlic of Mexico is
<br />already .utili7.ing their full enlillemenlllf 1.5 maf. In conlrasl, Ihe Upl'er Basin is I'resenlly
<br />consumrng 4 muf, bUI Ihe queslion is Iheir full cnlillemenl, wilh eslimates varyin!! from
<br />4.2 10 7.5 maf; however, there is nol suflleient waler supplies 10 exceed roughly 5.8 maf.
<br />There are still serious questions to be answered regarding the degree of water develop-
<br />ment that will be allowed in the Upper Basin.
<br />The populalion projeelions for the Lower Basin show that domeslic waler demands
<br />will increase by 1.0 maf by Ihe year 2020. Considering that groundwater deplelions
<br />exceed recharge by 2.5 maf annually, and Ihnl the Lower Basin entillemenl is already
<br />nearly fully ulili7.ed, the only via hie alternalive appears 10 be Ihe conversion of irrigalion
<br />waler supplies to meet domeslic demands in Ihe future.
<br />The greatest demands for new waler supplies in the Upper Basin will be Ihe resull of
<br />energy development. Since the waler supplies in the Upper Basin are not fully utilized,
<br />there is considerable capacity 10 accommodale"new energy developments. In many cases,
<br />waler lransfers will be made from irrignled croplands 10 energy complexes, However, the
<br />Upper Basin Stntes have in the pllst been exporling sillnificnnt portions of Iheir entille-
<br />ments to meet growing water demands in the metropolitan areas of Salt Lake City,
<br />Denver and Albuquerque. These areas are still growing very rapidly, so there will be
<br />great demands upon lhe syslem to meet competing water demands.
<br />Finally, many of the questions regarding Indian water rights are yet unresolved. Even
<br />very reasonable demands would create serious water allocation problems throughout the
<br />basin and adjoining basins.
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<br />o KOje..y" Go~
<br />The Physical Environment of the f1'fr;?-
<br />Colorado River Basin
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<br />GA YLORD V. SKOGERBOE-
<br />
<br />ABSTRACT
<br />
<br />The waler supplies in Ihe Colorado River Rasin ,arc heavily ulililcd, wilh IIppro~i-
<br />mnlely 30 per cenl or Ihe w.ller heing ,'sporh:,IIO ll"-jl>ining ha,ins. primarily III ,,'I\e Ihe
<br />melropolilan nreas of Ihe soutlh:rn California (Los ^ngeks and San Dieg"l. Sail Lake
<br />City in Utah and Denver in Colorado. AhoUI 15 millil>n aere-reet (nwfl ..r waler oriS-
<br />inalcs in the Upper Busin and 3 muf in Ihe Lower Basin. The Upper Basin slalcs have
<br />not fully ulili7.ed their enlillement to the Colorallll River, while the I.ower nasin slales
<br />are IIsing nC;Irly 1111 of Ihe nvailuhlc surface Willer supplies plus min/nl! of ItrHllndwater
<br />supplies. Ahonl hnlf of Ihe polentinl hydroelectric p,'wcr Iws been develop,.d in Ihe hasin.
<br />Ninety per l'Cnt of the urnnium reserves in Ihe U.S.A, ure localed in Ihe Colorudl> Kiver
<br />Basin. There are tremendous deposits of COlli within the busin which Lire rupidly being
<br />exploited. The vast reserves of oil shale arc soon 10 become a small rarl of the nnlion's
<br />energy supply.
<br />
<br />INTROUlICTlOi'/
<br />
<br />The wuler reSl>urees l>,iginulins in Ih~ C"l,'rado Kiv,'r lIasin (CK III arc II,,' m",' rlllly
<br />ulili/ed or any major river hasin in the Uniled Stales or Am,'riea fU.s.^". The mean
<br />annllal waler supplies from the Urper Colorado River Basin (UCR B) arc roughly 15
<br />million acre-feel (mnO, while Ihe Lower Colorado River Bnsin ILCRB) produces ahoul
<br />3 mar IInnually. Nearly one-Ihird or these waler resources arc e~ported rrom the Basin.
<br />primurily for use hy metropolitan areas in southern Californin. (he Wa",lch Front in
<br />Ulah (e,g., Salt Lake Cily), the !-'ronl Range in Colorado (e.g. Denver) ,Il1d Ihe Rio
<br />Grunde in New Mexico.
<br />The drllina(.!e area of Ihe C"lorado River Rasin is 244,000 ''1"arl' rhiks.. "f whi,'h
<br />109,500 s4mlrc miles is in the UCR n, und 2000 sf.juure milcs in the LeR n. hlCHted in the
<br />Republic of Mexico. In addition, lhe SHhon Sea Basin, which is not presently hydrologi-
<br />cally connected to Ihe Colorado River bul received flood flows prior 10 1907, has a
<br />drainage urea of 7IUX) square miles. The dfllinnge area of the Columhia River Basin is
<br />arproximalely the same as lhe CRB. bul the available water supplies in the Columbia
<br />River ure len limes greater.
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<br />. Pror..lOr. Dep.rlmenl or A.rleullur.l .nd Chemi..1 En.in..rln.. Colondo 5'.,e Uni.."i'y. For' Collin..
<br />CO BOn), U.5,A,
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