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<br />l.U <br /> <br />CHAPTER II <br />TIlE BAS IN AND TIlE MODEL <br /> <br />THE UCRB ECONOMY AND THE OPTIMIZATION MODEL <br />Background <br />The Upper Colorado River Basin (VCRB) comprises an area of approximately <br />102,000 square miles. It is a Basin characterized primarily by high, <br />semi-arid plateaus, but it also encompasses both high mountains and lower <br /> <br />desert areas. <br /> <br />In 1975, <br /> <br />the Basin had a population of 430,300, or <br /> <br />approximately 4.22 per square mile. While it is still regarded as a sparsely <br /> <br />populated Basin, the population growth over the 1970-1975 period has been <br /> <br />24.7%. There is every reason to believe that this growth has continued or <br /> <br />even accelerated into the present, stimulated to a large extent by energy <br /> <br />development or the prospect of energy development. <br /> <br />A number of comprehensive studies have been made of the UCRB over the <br /> <br />past fifteen years. Initially, these studies were motivated to a considerable <br /> <br />extent by a concern for the economic and demographic stagnation of much of the <br /> <br />Basin during the two decades following WIl, and emphasis was placed upon <br /> <br />economic development and diversification. Among the major analyses were the <br /> <br />studies of Udis et al. of the sub-basin economies of the Colorado River Basin <br /> <br />(CRB) in the mid-sixties and the joint state-federal agency Upper Colorado <br />