WSPC05190

• File Number: 8200.700
• Description: Colorado River Basin - General Publications
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 7/6/1981
• Author: Federal Register
• Title: Federal Register - Part III - Water Resources Council - Synthetic Fuels Development for the Upper Colorado Region Water Assessment
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

0'--J8'"
IJ, \.J....
Federal Register I Vol. 46. No. 128 I Monday. July 6, ]981 I Notices

35057

One-third forested. the Region is
characterized by mountains, plateaus.
and valley basins. Mountains form 8
perimeter on the eas!. west. and north.
The dry climate exhibits wide variations
in temperature due 10 sea80nal changes
and elevation differences.
Agriculture is the dominanlland and
water use, with mineral extraction the
leading activity in dollars of output. The
Region contains outstanding fish and
wildlife habitats. Sport fishing. hunting,
and year-around tourism and recreation
also contribute to the Region's economy.
The Fedrral Gm'emmen! controls
aboul60 percE'nt of the land in the
Region. mosl of which is m..anaged by
the Bureau of Land Management. The
remaining 40 percent Is in private. lribal,
and State ownership, in descending
order. The area is sparsely sellled. The
1975 population was aboul 08..00u

people.
The Region's water l'esourus serve an
area much greater than that of the Upper
Basin alone. Through trans basin
diversions, the Upper Basin resources
supply municipal and agricultural needs
to the east, including the Cily of Denver,
10 the south (Upper Rio Grande Basin),
and to the west (Central Utah Project).
Oulflows from the Upper Basin. under
provisions of the Colorado River
Compact. are the principal supply
source for users in the Lower Basin and
for Itansbasin diversions 10 users in
Southern California and Nevada.
1. Oil Sholl' Resources.. The Green
River Fonnation (ngure 2). the major oil
shale sour~ in the Uniled Stales. was
formed in ancient lakes of great depth,
The thermal and chemic:.al
characteristics of Ihe lakes allowed the
deposition of thin-bedded oil shales and

a number of relatively rare caroonate
minerals. The fonnatian i, estimated 10
contain more Ihan 3 lrillion barrels of
oil. Estimales for deposits thicker than
15 feet. yielding more than 15 gallons per
Ion. place Colorado's resources al 400
billion barrels, Utah's at 120 billion
barrels. and Wyoming's at 12 billion
barrels.
2. Cool Resources. The coals of the
Upper Colorado Region constitute a
major portion of tolal western coal
reser\'es (Figure 3). with discoveries
every year adding to the Region's
potential. These generally good quality
bituminous and subbiluminous coals
and an anthracile deposit in Gunnison
County, Colorado, have desirable
characleri.Ucs including low sulfur and
ash conlents and mcdium- to high.Btu
values.

..LU"'OCOOIE....'_,_/jI