WSP01685

• File Number: 8507
• Description: Rio Grande Basin
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Date: 7/27/1970
• Author: US Dept of Ag/CWCB
• Title: Plan of Work - Rio Grande Basin in Colorado
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Percent
of basin

46.0

4.7

0.5

0.8

37.3

10.7

100.0

e

Del Norte, one at Monte Vista, and two near La Jara Reservoir. Generally
speaking the basin is presently recognized as an economically depressed
area. Agriculture and industrial development has accordingly remained
stagnant for many years.

The tourist and outdoor recreation industries are important elements of
the present and future economy of the basin. Recreation inventories and
appraisals of outdoor recreation potentials for all counties in the basin
will be completed in the course of the study through cooperative efforts
o~ Soil Conservation Districts, RC&D Area Committees, SCS, and other
State and Federal agencies. The Rio Grande National Forest provides out-
standing recreational resources. More than one-third of the basin area
is in national forest. This forest land attracts visitors year around
for its scenic beauty, camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, trail riding,
and winter sports opportunities including skiing, tobogganing, and snow-
mobiling. Opportunities for additional recreation and recreational
development exist throughout the basin and are enhanced by the existence
of the national forest, Wheeler Geologic Formations, La Garita Wilderness
Area, Upper Rio Grande Primitive Area, the Great Sand Dunes National
Monument, and the Monte Vista and Alamosa National Wildlife refuges.
Distribution of land ownership in the basin is approximately as shown in
the following tabulation:

Private
land

: Bureau
:of Sport
:Fisheries:National:
and Park
:Wildlife :Service

National
Forest
Service

:Bureau
:of Land:
: Manage-:
: ment

Total

e,

State
land

Acres

2,214,100 226,300 23,900

36,700 1,799,900 516,000 4,816,900

The population of the basin is close to 40,000 which is a decline of
approximately 14 percent over the past 20 years. Forty-four percent of
the people in the basin live in cities and towns. The remaining 56 per-
cent are rural dHellers, however, of the slightly more than 1,800 fanns
only 12 percent are tenant farmed. The area of the basin is about eight
percent of the area of the State with about tHO percent of the State's
population.

e

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