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<br />The study area covers most of Moffatt and Routt Counties, parts of Rio
<br />Blanco, Garfield, and Grand Counties in Colorado, an~ parts of Sweet-
<br />water and Carbon Counties in Wyoming, including the .towns of Steamboat
<br />Springs, Craig, and Hayden, Colorado. The project will complement
<br />several other ongoing studies in the Yampa River region funded through
<br />State and Federal agencies; close coordination of the U.S. Geological
<br />Survey project with these related studies will be maintained.
<br />
<br />According to Dr. Steele, ~'The availability of water may be a limiting
<br />factor to future development of the Yampa River basin's energy resour-
<br />ces. The possible constraints on water availability and current use as
<br />a consequence of existing water laws ane basin compacts will be consid-
<br />ered.1I
<br />
<br />The basin-assessment project will evaluate a range of feasible basin-
<br />development plans resulting from the projected increase in coal mining.
<br />Using a technique called "residuals-management analysis," the types and
<br />amounts of waste materials discharged to the environment. are determined
<br />for all activities associated with energy-related economic development.
<br />Evaluation of resultant effects of discharged wastes must take into
<br />consideration treatment technologies and costs, raw-material process and
<br />waste-modification alternatives, and applicable environmental standards.
<br />Analyses of these impacts will utilize various modeling techniques,
<br />earth-resources and socioeconomic data, and other investigative-tech-
<br />niques such as using satellite imagery of the basin.
<br />
<br />Steele also stated that: "Our studies are designed to evaluate the
<br />effects of various proposed development plans on the basin's surface-
<br />and ground-water resources and to provide Federal, State, and local
<br />decision-makers with the basic environmental information needed to
<br />formulate and evaluate policies for the development of energy resources,
<br />Furthermore, we expect the techniques and conclusions reached in the
<br />Yampa River basin will aid similar studies in other energy-rich basins
<br />in the Western United States."
<br />
<br />The work-plan reports, U.S. Geological Survey open-file reports 76-367
<br />and 76-368 describe the Phase-I and Phase-II work activities of "An
<br />environmental assessment of impacts of coal development on water re-
<br />sources of the Yampa River basin, Colorado and Wyoming." These reports
<br />may be inspected at the following U.S. Geological Survey offices:
<br />
<br />1. U.S. Geological Survey Library, Room 4AlOO, National Center, Mail
<br />Stop 950, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Va. 22092
<br />2. U.S. Geological Survey Library, Bldg. 25, Room 1222, Box 25046,
<br />Denver Federal Center, Mail Stop 914, Lakewood, Colo. 80225
<br />3. U.S. Geological'Survey Public Inquiries Office, 1012 Federal Bldg.,
<br />1961 Stout Street, Denver, Colo, 80202
<br />4. U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, Colorado District,
<br />Bldg. 53, Room H-2l03, Box 25046, Denver Federal Center, Mail Stop
<br />415, Lakewood, Colo. 80225.
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