WSP10075 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

available at the Dotsero Powerplant. Some of this water belongs to early water rights downstream and, though it may be used for the generation of power, the water may not be sold. The amount which would be available for sale is 129,-430 acre-feet. The area in the vicinity of the project is presently served by the interconnected transmission systems of the Public Service Com- pany of Colorado and the Federal Bureau of Reclamation, whose transmission lines will eventually connect with those of the Federal Colorado River Storage project. The Sweetwater Project power could be fed into either of these transmission systems and wheeled to existing markets. This power would be quite beneficial in main- taining voltage at a point far from the large power producing areas of the re:;ion to the east and to the west of the project site. Offi- cials of the Public Service Company of Colorado have expressed an interest in the Sweetwater Project. Preliminary investigations also indicated good possibilities of selling water service, automatically afforded by the project facili- ties constructed for power production, and a future potential for expanding thE: water service by the construction of delivery facili- ties. 'This latter market is dependent upon the predicted develop- ment of the oil-shale industry in western Colorado. When this industry devf:lops, project power need not be wheeled to distant markets since there will be a need in the immediate area for all the project's power, as well as for all the project's water service. Final location and design of the project will be accomplished in 1960. Construction is scheduled to begin in 1961. Project operation would begin in June 1964. Water sales of 5,000 acre-feet or less could begin in 1962, if plans to meet this date were made well in advance so that full benefit could be taken of the 1961 construction season. * * * * * 2102 DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT The proposed Sweetwater Hydroelectric Project is situated in northwestern Colorado. \.Vater for the ,project is derived from areas situated high on the "'White River Plateau, a tableland ranging in elevation from 10,000 to 12,000 feet. This plateau and its sur- rounding slopes comprise an area of approximately 1,400 square miles. Lying as it does some 60 miles west of the continental divide, it is favorably situated to intercept water-laden air travel- ing eastward from the northwestern states. The high. areas of the plateau have a rate of precipitation per square mile greater than the 14. OOO-foot peaks of the continental divide further east. Vari- ous streams and their tributaries arising on the plateau are en- trenched in it. The Colorado River, rising on the c.ontinental divide to the east. has channeled deeply along the south edge of the plateau. It is proposed to route project water, collected at high altitudes from tributaries of the Colorado and White rivers, through two powerplants developing 2,772 feetofhead and discharge the water into the -Solorado R.iver at elevation 62,25. Project powerplants would have a rated capacity of 56,400 kilowatts, producing 307,000,000 kilowatt-hours of energy annually for sala:. The pro- ject is favorably situated for incorporating peaking capacity into its design in an area where peaking capacity is needed. In addition to generating power::. the project would have additional revenue from selling water service in the amount of 129,570 acre- feet annually. Its location near the Colorado oil sh3.le deposits makes delivery of industrial and municipal water to this potential industrial development possible. Delivery of smaller amounts to present water users is also planned. 4