WSP10311

• File Number: 8200.765
• Description: White River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Yampa/White
• Water Division: 6
• Date: 11/1/1980
• Author: Utah Div of Water Re
• Title: White River Dam Project - Proposed Action Plan
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Mr. Paul Petzri ck
Page 2
June 6, 1979

Sponsors: The project wi 11 be sponsored by the' state of Utah,
Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Uintah Water Conservancy
District and the Ute Indian Tribe.

Background History: When the 1973 oil embargo was imposed by the
oil producing and exporting countries (OPEC), the United States took a
serious look at other alternatives for obtaining oil. Rich oil shale
deposits in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming became the subject for ~pssible
development as an alternate source of oil. Federal government land
containing these deposits was put up for bid to encourage oil companies
to tlevelop this resource in a prototype lease arrangement. Phillips
Petroleum Company and Sunoco Energy Development Company were the,
'successful bidders on lease tract UA; (see figure 1), and Sohio
Petroleum Company was the successful bidder on lease tract Ub (see
figure 1). In June of 1974 these three companies formed the White
River Shale Project (WRSP) for the purpose of establishing a plan for
joint development of the leases.

Water would be required in processing the oil shale. The state of
Utah had filed to appropriate 350 second-feet and '250,000 acre-feet from
White River and tributaries in May of 1965 for the purpose of mining,
drilling, and retorting oil shale, etc. These oil. companies naturally
then looked to the state for a water supply. WRSP has ,indicated a need
for up to 26,000 acre-feet of water annually to process oil shal e in
lease tracts Ua and Ub.Also the Oil Shale Corporation (TaSCa) under an
option to purchase state oil shale leases is planning to develop oil
shale in the White River area, and has requested 18,000 acre-feet of
water from the state for a water supply.

In early 1974 the state of Utah undertook studies for providing
storage on White River adjacent to the lease tracts. Many dam sites
both off-stream and on-stream were investigated. By February 1975, the
site in Sec. 17, nos, R24E, on-stream was selected as the most feasible
site from surface indications. Foundation drilling and test pitting for,
borrow materials then proceeded at the selected site.

Descri tion of Project Facilities: White River Dam will be a zoned
earth an roc -fl structure. ee figure 4). It will have a 3 to 1
upstream slope and a 2 to 1 downstream slope. The associa~ed powerplant
near the downstream toe of the dam will develop firm, pO~lerwith an 8~1~1
capacity, a Francis turbine and an average generating head of 98 feet.
Other dam and reservoir statistics are found in Table 1.

Pumping Facilities for Oil Shale Development: A pumping plant
located on the south shore of the reservoir in Sec. 14, T10S, R24E,
(Figure 5) will deliver up to 26,000 acre-feet of water annually to the
lease tracts Ua and Ub prototype plant. Another pumping plant will ,be
located downstream of the dam approximately 30 miles to deliver up to
18,000 acre-feet of water annually to oil shale leases of the Oil Shale
Corporation (TaSCa). These pumping facilities, however, are not a part
of the White River Dam and Reservoir project and will be constructed by
others in the future.