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Show In the Uinta Basin a significant factor prevents it from becoming a densely populous area. Its geographic location places it at a trading disadvantage. An economic study of Uintah County-*- 1^ prepared by the University of Utah reports that manufacturing would not be a significant factor in the future economic development of the Uinta Basin. Water Supply a. General Water supplies presently being used in the Wasatch Front and Uinta Basin portions of the Bonneville Unit consist of the unregulated and regulated surface streams draining the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains, the water of Utah Lake, and ground water developed primarily from wells in the unconsolidated valley fills. Streamflow in the Unit area varies both seasonally and annually in response to the quality and distribution of precipitation and variations in temperature. The bulk of the surface water originates from winter snow packs in the adjacent mountains. Spring snowmelt provides most of the annual runoff in the significant streams. Unregulated streams usually discharge 60 to 80 percent of the annual flow during the 3- month, April through June, runoff period. Peak runoff flows are common in the order of ten times the base late summer and winter flows. Firm water supplies on unregulated streams are therefore limited to the magnitude of the base flows. These base flows have been appropriated and fully used since early settlement of the valleys. In drought years the base flows may drop 1D only about one- third of normal flows, greatly reducing available water supplies. Regulatory storage, such as has been provided by Strawberry, Deer Creek, Sexier Bridge, and other smaller reservoirs, has made possible regulation and use of the major surface flood flows. In addition, some regulation has been provided in Utah Lake by construction of a low dam at the lake outlet and pumping from the lake. Much of the water supply entering the lake consists of waste surface and irrigation return flows. While the lake serves to collect and recycle such flows, the large evaporation loss from the lake is a heavy drain on Bonneville Basin water supplies. Groundwater has been developed to a varying extent throughout the area to augment surface water supplies. Much of the development has occurred along the Wasatch Front areas of the proposed Bonneville Unit coincident with population concentrations where water is needed for municipal and industrial use. 172 |