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CHAPTER I SUMMARY . population. Even without substantial population increase there is a definite demand in the area for piped rural domestic water systems. That there is a need for additional irrigation supplies in the area has been recognized for many years. Earlier reconnaissance surveys indicate about 117,000 acres of irrigated land are in the entire VCRS area and that 35 percent of these have an inadequate water supply. The exact potential water need for irrigation cannot be determined because the exact acreage of arable nonirrigated land is not known, and the absolute need is influenced by National and local priorities. Demand in the area to preserve and improve the quality of fish and wildlife resources and water-oriented recreational opportunities are prevalent. Preservation of the present high-quality stream fishing, along with improving the access to it is a major problem. It is a current National goal to reverse the trend of encroachment of civil- ization onto wildlife habitat and big-game winter range by setting aside lands for wildlife use. The demand for water-oriented recreational opportunities is continually growing, and predicted population increases will accelerate this growing demand. Existing and future industrial and municipal developments in the whole area have the potential of causing deterioration of historical and prehistorical resources. The pressures of industrial development and population growth could also cause alteration of the wild, scenic, and recreational values of the rivers in the area. . Potential Water Development Plans Bureau of Reclamation studies The Bureau of Reclamation has been studying possible water develop- ment projects in the VCRS area since the 1920's. The earlier studies were all appraisal level investigations and considered only irrigation. Hydroelectric power production began to be considered in the 1940's. The reconnaissance studies essentially culminated with reports published on the Yampa-White Project in 1957 and on the Juniper Project in 1963. The Yampa-White Project was an all-encompassing proposal that covered virtually the entire VCRS area. It proposed the irrigation of 187,000 acres of land in the Yampa and White River Basins, the annual production of 221 million kilowatt hours of electricity, and the pro- vision of 128,000 acre-feet of municipal and industrial water each year for use in the Colorado River drainage. Even before publication of the Yampa-White report, two units of that project were given priority by the Colorado River Storage Project . 7