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<br />CHAPTER I <br /> <br />SU~IARY <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />somewhat restricted by legal and environmental restraints. Petroleum <br />and natural gas production is already well-established in the area. <br /> <br />Recreation and tourism are important economic factors in the study <br />area. Providing goods and services to visiting big-game hunters and <br />sport fishermen adds a considerable sum to the region's economy. Steam- <br />boat Springs is one of the Nation's leading ski areas. Other recre- <br />ational activities in the area include sightseeing, camping, hiking, <br />backpacking, rock hunting, and white water rafting. The area includes <br />major portions of White River and Routt National Forests and Dinosaur <br />National Monument. <br /> <br />In spite of the sparse population, the area is reasonably well- <br />developed and has most of the social institutions and services common to <br />modern America. All parts of the area are served by improved roads and <br />highways, and commercial transportation services are available to most <br />communities. Scheduled airline service is available at Steamboat <br />Springs, Hayden, and nearby Vernal, Utah, and charter air service is <br />available in most towns. Transcontinental bus service is available in <br />most communities in Moffat and Routt Counties, while a local busline <br />serves Craig, Meeker, and points south. Rail freight service is avail- <br />able at Steamboat Springs, Hayden, and Craig. <br /> <br />The entire area is served by Rural Electrification Administration <br />cooperatives and Mountain Bell Telephone Company. It receives network <br />television signals by translator systems and has three radio stations <br />and seven newspapers. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The UCRS area is generally well-supplied with community facilities <br />and services. It has 14 elementary schools, 5 junior high schools, 5 <br />senior high schools, 1 combination junior-senior high school, and 2 <br />junior colleges. There are four small hospitals in the area with a <br />total of 98 beds, but patients often have to leave the area for special- <br />ized care. Law enforcement is provided by county sheriff and municipal <br />police departments as well as State highway patrols. Fire protection is <br />mostly by organized volunteer departments. <br /> <br />Present water uses <br /> <br /> <br />The major use of water in the Yampa and White River Basins is for <br />irrigation. Most of the irrigated lands are served by privately owned <br />and constructed diversion and delivery systems from nearby streams. <br />There are only a few storage facilities and they are privately or <br />State-owned. <br /> <br />The Ute Indian Tribe claims rights sufficient to irrigate about <br />13,400 acres of reservation land on White River. The tribe is currently <br />developing about 3,000 acres of this land, and a reservoir on the river <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />5 <br />