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0?3 IRp STRATEGY FOR UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN I. Statement of the problem In the coming decade, unprecedented development of the land and water resources of the Upper Colorado River Basin will occur. To a greater extent than ever before in our nation's history, environmental consid- erations will be viewed with respect to National security and economic growth as energy reserves and water resources.-of the Basin come under increasing demand. Development of the land ani4 water. resources. in the Basin will involve oil, oil shale, and coal development, coal gasifica, tion, tar sands, uranium, silver, gold, and molybdenum mining, pipelines - and transportation corridors, power plants, reservoir construction, hydropower and irrigation development, trans-basin diversions, groundwater development, timber harvest, water transfers, land use changes, population growth and associated secondary impacts. These developments and associated potential impacts loom over the already severely modified and-reduced habitats and, in some cases, the rapidly declining populations of the diverse flora and fauna found in the Upper Colorado River Basin. II. Assumptions/Background This IRP encompasses those portions of the States of Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming which fall within the boundaries of the''Upper Colorado River. Basin defined according to water drainages (Figure 1), The Upper. Basin, consisting. of portions of the above mentioned states also includes portions of Arizona and New Mexico and together comprise approximately 113;470 square miles or about 45 percent of the entire Colorado River Basin. While the focus of the FY 80 IRP 603 was on endangered fishes and riparian habitat, the data and discussion presented in this document consid0 all resources and development actions contained in the existing database developed through the CARP (Comprehensive Analysis of 'Resources and Problems) and COOT (Collection and Organization or Options and Tasks) process. The Basin is presently attracting considerable- attention thatJocuses on the potential, unprecedented development of its land and water resources:and environmental considerations: Its water resources serve an.area much greater than that of the Upper Basin alone. Outflows from the Upper Basin,. under provisions of the Colorado River Compact, are the print pad supply source for users in the lower Basin and for transbasin-.,diversions`to users in southern California and Nevada. 41