WSP10845

• File Number: 8220.114.J
• Description: Dolores Participating Project
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 1/1/1981
• Author: USDOI-BOR
• Title: Dunham Point - Peaking Power Investigation Newsletter No. 1-3
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

Bureau of Reclamation
fhi s newsl ctter 15 prepared !:::y the
Bu reau of Peel amat ion. formerl)' the
~Iatcr Cind POller Rcsourcpr, Service.
Tile Bureau, the Western ~rea POller
Administration and concerned
individuals will be determining the I~
econoLdc, environmental ilnri e!1ginf'er- ill
ing feasibility of constructlng d !i1
pumpert-storage, peaking power I
generating unit north of the'IcPhee
e ,>cl'voi r, pres(!nt 1 y llndel"
construction. Several qucsti[)ns and ~
cone P l'll S \Ie re va iced J t ~ fl.' vub 1 i c m
meeting 11cld in Dolons, 'olorddo on m
^pril {Jrd. Tt,c issues voiced at ~
thi s publ i c neet i ng Iii 11 De addressed '
1 n thi S dod future news 1 etters and m
planning meetings. The first gencrdl I
p 1 dnn i ng team mee'l: 1 ng \~i 11 De lIe 1 d
Ju 1 Y l1th at 7: 00 P~l in the uo lore s, '
P k (olClrado Community tenter, 400 ~
ea ing fliversicle Drive. The agenda includes
d look at potenti a1 pl'obl ems in the
Power local at'ea assnciated Illtll a peaking "'.:
pOI/er plant and thl: nCtds for peilk 1 ng :11
I t t power, both local and regional, and I
nves iga ion foe 'hi, "ojoct i, puticolee. ,
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NEWSLETTER NO.1

dunham
point
,.n

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CONSERVAT!OI\I BOARD

June

1981

Jr-NESTIGI\TIm PROCESS AND SCHEIllJLE

.he i ni t i a 1 plla se of the
invest 1 gil tf on Hi 11 oe to i denti f y
specific needs and problenls to be
stUdied, several of Wllicll we hope to
identify and discuss at the July 9
meeting. This process has already
been in i t i ated and tli 11 cant i nue
througnout tile stUdy by vay of pUblic
meetings and coordination with
involved individuals and agencies.
Field data will be collected and
analyzed to address the identified
problems and needs. TIle information
gathered ....ill also Ilelp to formulate
and evaluate a number of possible
alternatives. All the above activi-
ties are scheduled to culminate early
in 1982 in the selection of a plan or
the decision to end the study.

If a Jecision were made to end tile
investigation, a concluding report
would be prepared. If, hOllever, a
plan were selected, refinement of the
project platl would then take place.
Toward the end of this phase, the
Durango Projects Office will prepare
the first dl'afts of Jua1 reports
cons i st i ng of a pI anll i ny fE:asi bi 1 i ty
report and an environmental
statement. A forma] pUblic hearing
on the environmental statement IIil1
be conducted in the vicinity of tl.e

proj ect area to recei ve ora 1 COMflcnts
from any concc/ned individual or
group. These comments as well as
those suoJ.1itted In IHiting ....ill be
ild d I(~S sed in a fi na 1 en v i ronmen ta 1
statement. Tht final environmental
stater.lent 1;;11 tl:en be filed '~itll the
Fnvironmenta1 Protection Agency and
distributed to those who had comments
on the draft statement, and a "lIotice
of Availability" will be published in
the Federal Register. Tile usual pro-
cedure would then be for the
President to submit the reports to
Congress with a recommendation for
authorization dnd appropriation of
advanced planning funds.

Prior to construction, however,
detailed advanced planning studies
must be conducted to assure tile plan
is up-to-date and adequate for all
technical disciplines involved.
TIlese studies wll1 result in the
prepal'ation of a Definite Plan
Report. L1pon approval of this report
Jnd the appropriation of construction
funds by Congress, construction
prepa ra ti ons can tilen begi n. Bascd
on projected SChedules, construction
coulrl begin in the r;]id-19~O's, with a
J- to 5-year construction period.

"''ti:ham 'point
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'POWEI PLANT

for..

The unit would consist of an upper
reservoir (forebayi, [JIJnhal:1 Point,
and a gcneratin9 station on a lower
r(>sc\'voi r {afterbay}, \/hi ch Iloul d be
r:cPhee reservoir. Thp DUnlla~ Point
site is <lbout 1,1 on fe(!t hi ghcr <lnd
about 1 mile north of the Dry Canyon
arm uf McPhee reservoir. TIle concept
of operating a pllmped-storage peaking
pOllet' unit \Iorl;s as follows: During
periods of lOll power demand when
energy is cheap, water would be
pumped from McPllee Reservoir to
DUllllam Point Reservoir. 7hen ....llen
the demand for po\ser is greater and
energy more expensive (up to ten
times the off-peak costl, tIle water
in Dunllan Point would be released
through the generating unit to return
to McPhee. TllUS, there would be a
supply of power tllat would otherwise
not be aVdilable during peak def,land
periods {power cannot be stored, but
must be generated at the time it is
used). Forecasts of future demand
for powel' indicate that the energy
generated by thi s uni t ~Ii 11 be
rnarketable. Even though conservation
has reduced the rate of growth in the
~m dellland for energy, there is a
substantial forecasted need for addi-
tional peaking power in the west. If
you live in the power marketing area,
~ particularly rolorado and lIell tlexico,
then this unit would Ile1p meet your
future paller Ilceds. Another benef~t
~ of peaking power generation units is
m tile reduction in the consumption of
m fuel used in fossi 1 fuel fi red power
plants.
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