The upper Virgin River and Kanab Creek basins area occupies parts of Iron, Kane, and Washington Counties in south-central Utah. It includes about 1,300 square miles (3,370 square kilometers) in the upper Virgin River basin and about 650 square miles (1,680 square kilometers) in the upper Kanab Creek basin. The area is sparsely populated with Kanab (population about 1,400 in 1975) being the largest community. Although the area is largely agricultural, it is known to contain large coal reserves with potential for development.