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~ r- e"'. C' ~~:,'" "?:.>ty SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS (Continued) it is believed that most of that area will have adequate supplies when developments now under construction or being planned are completed and operational. In addition to the M&I needs of the Grand Valley, it was noted that the oil shale industry to the north of the project area might require as much as 834,000 acre-feet of additional water for mining and extraction processes and related population uses, Also, the unsatisfied water de- mand of the Denver Metropolitan Area will be 94,000 acre-feet by 2010, according to the most optimistic projections of the Denver Region Council of Governments. Other future needs have been noted, though unquantified, including those of the coal industry and other front range cities. An unmet need exists for more than 2 million additional recreation-days, according to the Colorado State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) of 1976. These demands include boating, swimming, waterskiing, hiking, camping, picnicking, hunting, and fishing. A need also exists to improve the late season water quality of the Gunnison River through the terminal reach where the city of Grand Junc- tion pumps auxiliary M&I supplies and where irrigation water is diverted for lands west of Grand Junction. The average total dissolved solids through this reach range from a flow-weighted mean of 372 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in May to 1,130 mg/L in September. Individual late season samples have tested as high as 2,316 mg/L. .'.i1~<t, It was determined that a need exists in the area for about 14,000 acre-feet of water to irrigate an estimated 4,000 acres of land, About half this land is presently unirrigated, while the other half is irri- gated, but with an inadequate water supply, especially in late summer when streamflows are low. Concern has also been expressed that the farming operations in the Gunnison River Canyon should be continued, Fish and wildlife needs identified are for preservation or enhance- ment, and there is also a recognized need to preserve prehistoric, historic, and paleontologic resources in this area. During project investigations more than 40 general alternatives were considered, incorporating various combinations of identified fea- tures and differing levels of development, The alternatives were ini- tially screened with emphasis on technical and economic considerations, practicality of implementation, and public recommendations. Several alternative components were analyzed to provide water for M&I use and irrigation; however, since irrigation was found to be an economically infeasible component, it was not included in any of the candidate plans. Different development levels were considered, with and without peaking power. Five sites for Dominguez Dam and nine sites for pumpback forebay reservoirs were studied, and plans were eliminated that included unsatis- factory dam or pump storage forebay sites. Nine plans were selected for further consideration. In essence, these plans were the ones that best withstood the tests of completeness, effectiveness, efficiency, and acceptability. Six of the alternatives 8-2