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<br /> <br />Federal Power Commission <br /> <br />Enormous deposits of copper are in U~$ and Arizona, and smaller deposits <br />are located throughout the region. Gold, ~ilver, lead, and zinc are carried <br />in these copper ores in sufficient quantity; to become important products. <br />Although uranium has been found in significant amounts in most states of <br />the region, New Mexico has the bulk of the :nation1s known reserves. The <br />region also has deposits of antimony, cobalt, mercury, mangenese, vanadium, <br />magnesium, molybdenum, strontium, tungsten, radium, nickel, gilsonite, potash, <br />calcium chloride, as1;lestos, and many other!!. The largest known deposit of <br />natural soda ash in the world, designated qommercially as Trona, is loca.ted <br />near Green River, Wyoming. <br /> <br />Large deposits of iron ore are found in Utah, Colorado, and in southern <br />Wyoming. <br /> <br />Water <br />-Although water is not plentiful in th~ region it is one of the most <br />valuable resources. <br /> <br />The mountain streams with their trout: fishing potentialities end scenic <br />beauties are the basis for the region's large tourist industry. Irrigation <br />water from these streams and from the underground supply makes possible the <br />thriving agricultural economy of the area. Much of the future economic <br />progress of the region is dependent on fur,ther conservation and. utilization <br />of the limited supply of available water resources. <br /> <br />D - Principal Economid Activities <br /> <br />The Colorado River Basin states have ,in the past been primarily producers <br />of agricultural commodities and raw materlials. Agricultural goods are pI'Qce13sed <br />to a limited extent before being shipped-t;o other parts of the United States <br />for consumption. The majority of the minEjrals produced are reduced and shipped <br />elsewhere for final processing. Previous iestabl1shment of manufacturing <br />facilities in the East, high transportation costs of finished producta, <br />and the limited market in the immediate stea have been responsible fo.r this <br />practice. Increasing density of the population patterns of the West is <br />rapidly making the establishment of major,manufacturing facilities econom- <br />ically feasible. Further development of ~he natural resources of the region <br />is expected to hasten this trend. <br /> <br />Agriculture <br />Throughout the region, rainfall is generally insufficient for the grow- <br />ing of field crops without irrigation except in some of the northern areas <br /> <br />- 6 - <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br />