Hydrologic studies of the U.S. Geological Survey related to coal development in Colorado

The coal resources of Colorado are extremely valuable. Viewed in the perspective of the existing energy crisis, coal is the sole energy resource for which the United States is completely self-sufficient. The productive life of known oil and gas fields is measured in decades, whereas the productive life of coal resources, based on present rates of production, is measured in centuries. Twenty-eight percent of the State of Colorado is underlain by coal (fig. 1). The U.S. Bureau of Mines estimates that total coal resources that can be strip mined are approximately 18 billion tons (16.3 billion t). Development of coal resources and associated activities will impact water resources.