U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FRONT RANGE INFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCES PROJECT

摘要

Development and maintenance of a region's infrastructure requires large volumes of aggregate (primarily stone, sand, and gravel), water, and energy. The U.S. Geological Survey has initiated the Front Range Infrastructure Resources Project to collect, compile, and analyze new and existing data on aggregate, water, and energy resources along the Front Range from Pueblo, Colorado, to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Aggregate resources of the Front Range are extremely abundant; however, they are not always close to markets, they may not meet exacting specifications required for specific uses, and their availability may be limited by environmental controls or land-use conflicts. Meeting future demands for aggregate at reasonable prices in the Front Range requires understanding the availability and quality of aggregate. Existing geologic maps will be compiled to determine the areal occurrence of aggregate resources, and models, when used for predictive purposes, will relate resource occurrence to quality, quantity, and availability based on environmental and land-use impacts. This project is being conducted in cooperation with the Colorado and Wyoming Geological Surveys, the Colorado Division of Water Resources, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and with industry organizations including the National Stone Association and the Colorado Rock Products Association.