Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />,. C i' 1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />," <br /> <br />.- <br />- <br /> <br />w <br /> <br />...J <br />----.J <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />The basin encompa!<!'E'S an are8 of approximately <br />8.080 mF (20,9<):) km1); about three-fourths of the <br />basin is located in northwestern Colorado and onE'- <br />fourth is located in Wyoming (fig. 2l. In Colorado, <br />:'\.toffat and Roult Counties tfig. 2) constitute <br />nearly two-thirds of the total draina,gl' art's of the <br />basin. {'onlain ahout 80 peTcpnt of the basin'" pop- <br />ulation. and han' the majority of the economic ac- <br />tivity. Primarily for th{'!'{' reasons, many of Ihf' <br />component studif's dt'alt more with conditions in <br />the Colorado part of the basin. Thl' relrional setting <br />of the Yampa River basin is described by ~teele. <br />Bauer. Wentz, and Warner (19791. <br /> <br />Pl"RI'OSl :\:-.;n SCOPE <br /> <br />The Yampa River ba..in al"~s:;ment was 8 multi. <br />disciplinary proj{'ct conductf'd by the LS. Geolo- <br />gical Surn>y to demomtra!e the application of <br />methods for evaluatin!,:" existin!,:" water resources in <br />a rej!ion IGreeson and other!'. 19..1. and to as..<;ess <br />potential effect." of impending coal-resource and as- <br />sociated economic development on the region's <br /> <br />limited water resources. In addition to evaluatinjt <br />hydroloJtic prot'el'SoE'S that mili!ht be affected by the <br />discharge of gaseous. liquid, and solid residuals to <br />the I'nvironment, thf> a"st'~"ment included: (1) A <br />summary of the effects that State water laws and <br />Federal compacts may haw on the availability and <br />distribution of water resources: (21 a summary of <br />how technical information may be u-"ed in regional <br />planninJ:' and manaJ:'ement of water resources; and <br />(3) reJ:'ional economic and water.use analyses based <br />on various alternatives of coal-resource and as- <br />sociated economic devf>lopment. <br />The ba"in assessment demonstrated how a <br />variety of as.."{>,,,-<;ment methods could be applied in. <br />teracti\"f'ly. It also provid{>d some r;:eneral indica- <br />tion of how application of these techniqu{>s might <br />b{> useful to oth{>r regions facinl{ similar develop- <br />ment and constraints on limited a\'ailable resour- <br />ces. Detailed data and technical analyse:;; dealing <br />with the rewon's waler resources were df'si!{Oed to <br />fulfill some ot the information needs for rt'J:'ional <br />planning and decisionmaking. <br />In the desil!ll and implemt'ntation of the basin <br />as~s.."ment. various project actidties were coor- <br />dinatt'd ....ith other studies beinJ:'conductt'd concur. <br />rently in tht' basin. Tht' two phaSE'S of the hasin <br />assessment were outlined by Steele. Bauer, Wentz, <br />and Warner (19i6a) and by Steele, ,James, Bauer. <br />and others (19i6bl. In the first phase, existing en- <br />\'ironmental conditions in the basin and feasible <br />coal-de\"f'lopment alternati\'es .....ere df'Hribed <br />(Steele, Bauer. and others. 1979). In the second <br />pha.;e, somt' potential direct (coal-resource related) <br />and indirect (related to the associated economic <br />de\"f'lopment) effK,ts of co.al-reSl:mrct' development <br />altf'rnatives on the ref:ion's water resources .....ere <br />evaluated. All study results are documt'nted in <br />detail in a series of special-topic reports, which are <br />includf'd in the references at the end of thi.<i report. <br />The principal invf'Sti!1:alOrfs) of each basin. <br />as.'ies..',ment study are indicated by authon;hip of <br />each chapter composinJ:' this report. Other person- <br />nel affiliated with eaeh study !!:enerally are <br />ackno.....ledged by the report(s) cited in each <br />chapter and listed in the referencl'S. <br />The first three chapters of this report discuss the <br />!1:eneralaspects of the a<ises..;;ment, inc1udinJ:' the in- <br />herf'nt need for tt'chnieal information in df.'Cision- <br />makJn!1:. The remaininr;: seven chapters briefly <br />de~ribe the as."f'Ssment techniques used and in- <br />dicate ~sible applications to water-resourcf'S as. <br />sessments in other regions undefl!oinJ:' ener!1:Y <br />development. <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />