|
<br />
<br />
<br />1
<br />1
<br />
<br />j
<br />109,6pO square miles are above Lee Ferry. The
<br />river ri$es in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado
<br />and W~oming, flows southwest about 1,400
<br />miles, llnd terminates in the Gulf of
<br />Califorrlia. The system consists of portions of
<br />seven S,tates: California. Colorado. New
<br />Mexico,l Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and nearly
<br />all of Arizona. The drainage area was divided
<br />into ten:reporting areas: three above Lee
<br />Ferry; tH.e Lower Colorado River mainstream;
<br />and six tributary areas draining to the
<br />mainstrepm.below Lee Ferry (see general
<br />location (nap). A brief description of the
<br />reporting\areas follows.
<br />
<br />"':>
<br />-';")
<br />~
<br /><::"j
<br />.......:
<br />Q
<br />
<br />i UPPER COLORADO RIVER
<br />
<br />Green Riv~r: The Green River reporting area
<br />comprisesl about 44,800 square miles in
<br />southwestern Wyoming, northwestern
<br />Colorado, ~nd northeastern and east-central
<br />Utah. .
<br />Principal tributaries of the Green River are
<br />Blacks For~, ~enry's Fork, Hams Fork and Big -
<br />Sandy Cree;k In southwestern Wyoming;
<br />Yampa andlWhite Rivers on the western slope of
<br />the Continental Divide in northwestern
<br />Colorado; a~d the Price, Duchesne, and San
<br />Rafael River,s in eastern Utah. These streams
<br />I
<br />are fed by npmerous headwater lakes.
<br />The large* towns in the reporting area are
<br />Rock Springf and Green River in Wyoming;
<br />Vernal and Price in Utah; and Craig, Steamboat
<br />Springs, andl Meeker in Colorado.
<br />Mineral pr~duction is the major industry.
<br />Oil and naturj31 gas are of primary impor-
<br />tance, as are i:oal, gilsonite, asphalt, and trona
<br />(soda ash). T~ermal electric power production
<br />is becoming an increasingly important industry.
<br />Agriculture ranks near mineral production
<br />in importanceito the local economy. Agricul-
<br />tural development is centered around live-
<br />stock production, primarily beef cattle and
<br />sheep. Becausla of a short growing season, crop
<br />production is limited largely to small grain,
<br />hay, and pasture. These crops are used as
<br />winter Iivestoc~ feed and complement the
<br />vast areas of public grazing lands.
<br />Irrigation con;sumptive use accounts for
<br />nearly 80 percent of the total water use in the
<br />
<br />Green River reporting area. Nearly 690,000
<br />acres of land are irrigated in an average year.
<br />Large exports of water are made to the Great
<br />Basin in Utah.
<br />
<br />Upper Main Slem: The Upper Main Stem re-
<br />porting area is drained by the Colorado River
<br />and its tributaries above the mouth oftlie Green
<br />River. Principal tributaries are the Roaring
<br />Fork. Gunnison. and Dolores Rivers. The Upper
<br />Main Stem reporting area consists of 26,200
<br />square miles, with about 85 percent of the area
<br />in Colorado and the remainder in Utah.
<br />Grand Junction, Montrose, and Glenwood
<br />Springs are the principal towns in Colorado.
<br />Moab is the only major community in Utah.
<br />Mineral production is the predominant indus-
<br />try. This area is the Nation's chief source of
<br />molybdenum and is a major source of van-
<br />adium, uranium, lead, zinc, coal, and gilso-
<br />nite.
<br />In the Upper Main Stem reporting area,.as in
<br />that of the Green River, agriculture centers
<br />around production of livestock which feeds on
<br />irrigated lands to complement the large
<br />areas of rangeland. There is somewhat more
<br />diversification of crops in the Upper Main
<br />Stem, however, with some major land areas
<br />devoted to sugar beets, beans, potatoes, table
<br />vegetables, and fruit. This diversification is
<br />made possible by climatic and topographic
<br />conditions which create favorable air drain-
<br />age and minimize frost damage.
<br />Irrigation consumptive use accounts for
<br />over half the water use in the Upper Main
<br />Stem reporting area. In an average year nearly
<br />550,000 acres of land are irrigated. A con-
<br />siderable amount (almost one-third of the total
<br />basin use) of water is exported to serve ag-
<br />ricultural and municipal needs on the east-
<br />ern slope of the Continental Divide in Colo-
<br />rado.
<br />
<br />San Juan-Colorado: The San Juan-Colorado re-
<br />porting area is drained by the Colorado River
<br />and its tributaries below the mouth of the
<br />Green River and above Lee Ferry, Arizona.
<br />The largest of the tributary streams is the
<br />San Juan River which heads on the western
<br />slope of the Continental Divide in southwest-
<br />ern Colorado. Principal tributaries of the San
<br />
<br />6
<br />
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />.
<br />
|