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O".~'il'~ 'U.L'" 'r l..J Dr aft - 9 f 81 In 1979, the Northwest Region produced 11,828,382 short tons11 of coal, 65 percent of the state's 18,131;.,726 ton total. The Gunnison Region produced 2,1;.80,365 tons and was followed by the Colorado Mainstem Region's 1,706,599 tons. The Arkansas Region, for many years the state's largest producer, mined 1,035,1;.29 tons; the Platte Region, 785,1;.37 tons (all of which came from Jackson County); and the Southwest Region produced 298,514 tons. Thus, six of the state's eight hydrologic regions produced significant qUdntities of coal in 1979. There is general agreement that Colorado coal production will increase in the future, although differences of opinion exist regarding the extent of the increase. Currently, most Colorado coal is exported from the state by railroad. .~ If additional coal Is convert.d to other forms of energy-- e.g., electricity, gas, llquid--\,[thin the state, or if coal is transported to other states via coal slurry pipelines, the impact on the state's water resources could be substantial. Oil Shale12 , Oil shale deposits in Colorado are extensive, covering an area of approximately 1,380 square miles in the Northwest and Colorado Mainstem Regions. Included in this area are some of the world's richest deposits. It is estimated that as many as 400 billion barrels of oil could be extracted from reserves in Colo- rado that would yield at least 25 gallons per ton of shale. Although little commercial development has taken place, it seems l1A short ton contains 2,000 pounds. 12Sources: Colorado Legislative Council, 1974; Colorado Department of Natural Resources, 1979. 12