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<br />w <br />ao <br />Ul <br />co <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />is rich in coal oil and natural gas and contains the largest oil shale deposits' <br /> <br />anywhere in the w::>rld. The potential for geothermal development within the <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Colorado River Basin is not known nor is the potential for solar energy develop- <br /> <br />ment clear. The high average annual solar flux on the Arizona desert lying <br /> <br />within the Ba.sin makes that region a potential solar resource development <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />area. Uranium resources within the Basin are also impressive and will <br /> <br />be called upon to provide fuel for the nation's expanding nuclear power <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />effort. <br /> <br />Hydroelectric power generated within the Basin also constitutes <br /> <br />an important energy resource with particularly important, water management . <br /> <br />implications. <br /> <br />Mining and mineral extractions. The Colorado River Basin contains <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />a very significant mining industry. The Lower Basin has supplied nearly <br /> <br />60 percent of the nation's copper production in recent years and this is <br /> <br />expected to increase. Incidental to the production of copper is the recovery . <br /> <br />of significant quantities of gold and silver. Production by subbasin is tabulated <br /> <br />later in the report. <br /> <br />Urbanization and Population <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The Upper Colorado Region is sparsely populated with an average <br /> <br />density of about three persons per square mile. In 1970 there were only <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />seven towns in the region with populations greater than. 5,000. Only <br /> <br />two of the seven towns had populations greater than 20,000. A summary <br /> <br />of the number of towns by t:p.e ranges of population size in each of the eight . <br /> <br />40 <br /> <br />. <br />