Show montrose area Is rich in resources MONT colo this the trading center for or a large arr irrigated atad area of the valley a 11 CY of the colorado was founded in 1882 by joseph selle selig today jt it Is hie file county scat sent ol 01 one of the richest count counties les in colorado al a l 1 has rt potential many times greater than Us it present industrial mining and agricultural development F according to a survey study stu y made tor for the Mont iose ic chamber of commerce by the Un of colorado buteau of business in addition to agriculture and mining montrose county Is also famed tor for its stands of timber most of which Is of commercial value and untouched prior to world war II 11 although montrose Is basically the trade area of a large district in central western cat ern colorado from the standpoint of population it has gone through several severa years of constant expansion the 1950 census of montrose was listed at persons potentially montrose county count could expand its agriculture condit considerably providing additional irrigation water becomes available some areas of the county are still arid especially in the western end near the utah border that district Is the center of considerable uranium mining and milling operations now and the low valleys and cannon floors are producing crops wherever water lg Is available currently a comprehensive plan of potential utilization of the waters of the gunnison Gunn lson river basin is under consideration by congress as a part of the colorado river storage project these projects if and when bul built said the bureau of 0 business research report will provide the needed additional wa ter to mak make e possible a continued nue agricultural development of the lh montrose area also ot of importance when considering the montrose potential Is mining of gold silar copper lead and zinc in addition to west end p 1 lont iose coun county tys ur uranium production ti on it tg Is in the area tn to the south of Mont iose that mining Is important and undoubtedly the contribution of mining to the overall over all economy of the area in the future will be relatively slight unless it becomes possible to refine or to finish certain of thu minerals mined mim d in tha the aiea abea said the survey report other than the minerals listed above the montrose area Is know known a for its deposits of industrial minerals such as cop copper pIr feldspar graphite and gypsum among oth ers |