Rocky Mountain Industrial Minerals Conference - Natural Gas, Industrial Water Keys To Intermountain Region Development - I. Industrial Water

WATER provides to many mineral industries functions similar to those performed by money in the economic system. Water is a medium of exchange. It is also required in chemical reaction for cooling, for transfer of minerals, and for cleaning. To a great extent, water is also a raw material in almost every industrial operation; it becomes a component of the finished product. In the Rocky Mountain region, water is treated with a great deal of respect. There has not been enough of it when needed. Long ago storage facilities were planned and devised to assure a supply during periods of shortages. This comes from the history of the region in irrigation and mineral processing. Within this region the shovel was always the most lethal weapon used in settling disputes over the use or misuse of water.