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003158 . CHAPrER I ruMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS General Description The triangularly shaped San Juan Area is roughly perched between the deep canyons of the Colorado River and its tributaries, the Dolores and San Juan Rivers. Because of their deep-seated positions, mostly in rugged terrain, these rivers provide only a small amount of water for present uses within the area and limited potentialities for future water conser- vation developments. Creeks flowing from the Abajo and La Sal Mountains which rise within the area provide most of the water for local use. Water supplies are far short of the needs. Only about 13,000 acres are irri- gated out of a total of 400,000 acres of arable land. Approximately 160,000 acres are dry-farmed. . The principal ground water aquifers in the San Juan Area are in bed- rock or consolidated formations which underlie much of the area. Allu- vium or other unconsolidated materials are not known to constitute an im- portant ground water source except in Spanish Valley and possibly in Castle Valley, both of which extend northwest from the La Sal Mountains toward the Colorado River. The potential of bedrock aquifers as a source of ground water should be further evaluated. The colorful area with its spectacular rock formations is a wonder- land of scenic and recreational attractions. Many places of interest are not easily accessible, however, and only in the last decade or so have significant numbers of tourists been attracted to the area. The growing current interest can be attributed in large measure to the construction of Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River with its 186-mile-long Lake Powell, the creation of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Canyonlands National Park, and the good start being made in extending hard-surfaced roads to the more prominent scenic and recreation attrac- tions. A continuation of the program for road improvement and extensions is regarded by many as the greatest need of the San Juan Area. Minerals are among the more important resources of the area. Mineral exploration and production have been erratic, with activities stimulated from time to time by new discoveries, promotions, or technological devel- opments. Minerals that are currently most important economically are petroleum and natural gas, uranium and other metals in sedimentary host rocks, and potash. Coal is found in the Dakota sandstone in parts of the San Juan Area, but deposits as yet have not been determined to be compar- able in quality and mineability to nearby deposits on the Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico and Arizona. The Black Mesa coal field in . 3