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~ 2.4.2 Water Management The management or regulation of the waters of the Green River has been considered a high priority since settlement of the basin by non-native americans during the late 1800's. Without regulation of stream flow it would have been impossible to utilize the water resources to advantage. The annual fluctuations in water supply is inconsistent with demands of irrigation, power, recreation, and other uses which the public consider beneficial. Because there are no densely populated regions in the Green River Basin, irrigation, power, and fish wildlife, and recreation are the principal uses [3]. 2.4.3 Agriculture By far the greatest user of water in the Green River Basin is irrigated agriculture. Irrigated agriculture is present throughout the basin and is concentrated in the more desirable areas along the rivers where the land is relatively flat and water can be pumped or carried by gravity from the river. The crops grown are more dependant on elevation than any other factor, the number of frost-free days limits most agriculture in the Upper Green River and in the Yampa to the production of hay and alfalfa. Agriculture is more diversified in the lower elevations found in Utah from Jensen to below Green River. These areas produce wheat, corn, and some row vegetable crops. The duty of water in this area is high with 30 to 50 percent of the water applied being consumed by plant transpiration and evaporation. 2.4.4 Municipal The demand for municipal water in the basin is quite limited, with an estimated population of three to four persons per square mile and no large population centers, there is an ample supply of municipal water for the foreseeable future. Small municipal water projects have serves the growing communities in the basin and should continue to meet needs in the future. 2.4.5 Energy and Industrial The history of the Green River Basin has been strongly influenced by the search for energy in many forms. Early explorers marveled at the abundance of water and other natural resources. Early settlers discovered coal in southern Wyoming and in the Yampa basin of Colorado. Later in the century; oil and gas resources were discovered throughout the basin. Today, all these energy sources are important economically, and are dependant on the water resources of the basin. Hydropower dates back to the early settlement of the basin when small hydroelectric facilities were installed to serve the needs of individual communities, mills, and ranches. Larger projects came about as Reclamation built larger reservoirs as a part of the Colorado River Storage Projects. Two reservoirs were built in the Green River basin, Flaming Gorge in Wyoming and Utah, and Fontenelle in Wyoming. Flaming Gorge is equipped with three generation units which are rated at 108 megawatts (MW). Fontenelle is equipped with one generation unit rated at 10 MW. Power from these facilities is used throughout the Upper Colorado Basin and some is distributed to population centers elsewhere. 2-4