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<br />
<br />Westrans Takes Over Aquatraln
<br />
<br />In an agreement signed March 18, 1985,
<br />Westem Resource Transport, Inc,
<br />(WESTRANS), of Tulsa, Oklahoma, will
<br />d8\lote resources to study, plan, and d8\lelop
<br />projects that will divert saline water from the
<br />river and carry it by pipeline to points of
<br />beneficial use In industry and energy
<br />d8\lelopment.
<br />The agreement also spells out ways
<br />Reclamation will aid WESTRANS, Inc" in
<br />planning a liquid cartlon dioxide/coal slurry
<br />pipeline to be built by the firm and other
<br />investors, The coal pipeline Is physically
<br />separate from the saline water projects, but
<br />the efforts are linked by the cooperative
<br />agreement.
<br />The agreement is Modification No, 2 to the
<br />original Cooperative Agreement dated
<br />November 2, 1982, The joint effort was
<br />formerly known as theAQUATRAIN Project.
<br />The Department of the Interior supports
<br />the coal pipeline because of the economic
<br />and national security benefits to be realized
<br />in developing the Nation's coai reserves,
<br />The coal pipeline, also named
<br />WESTRANS, will be a cost-<lffective means
<br />of cal'l'fing 10 million to 15 million tons of
<br />coal annually from the Powder River Basin of
<br />Wyoming to Long Beach, Califomia. for
<br />export, The period from 1~7 will be
<br />dello\ed to pipeline planning, environmental
<br />analysis, and a decision to move forward on
<br />the project, The period 1987-1989 will be
<br />
<br />For questions concerning projects discussed
<br />in this newsletter, piease contact the Public
<br />Affairs Office in the Region responsible for
<br />that project.
<br />
<br />Bureau of Reclamation
<br />Upper Colorado Regionai Office
<br />P,O, Box 11568
<br />Salt Lake City, Utah 84147
<br />
<br />Telephone:
<br />
<br />FTS 58&-5403
<br />
<br />d8\l0ted to design and construction, with
<br />operations beginning in 1990,
<br />WESTRANS, Inc" will reimburse
<br />Reclamation for its participation in planning
<br />the coal pipeline, The Department of the
<br />I nterior and other Federal agencies will
<br />analyze potential pipeline corridors, assess
<br />environmental impacts, help acquire Federal
<br />permits and rights-<>f-way, and aid in
<br />securing en intemational trade agreement
<br />with coal purchasers,
<br />
<br />Interagency Coordination
<br />
<br />To enhance coordination between the
<br />Department of the Interior and the
<br />Department of Agriculture, the agencies
<br />have formed a joint Technical Policy
<br />Coordination Committee, The committee is
<br />addressing issues in the areas of economic
<br />criteria, program coordination, and
<br />monitoring and evaluation.
<br />Wori<ing meetings have been held to
<br />discuss many facets of each issue,
<br />Agreements have been reached about the
<br />items to use in a joint summary table of the
<br />various units and the criteria used in
<br />calculating cost-<lffectiveness, These criteria
<br />will enable interested individuals to more
<br />effectively compare cost..,ffectiveness
<br />values,
<br />Many other items have been discussed,
<br />and agreements will allow a more accurate
<br />comparison of the costs and benefits of each
<br />agency's program,
<br />
<br />Commercial:
<br />
<br />..:
<br />
<br />Lower Gunnison Basin Unlt-
<br />North Fork Area
<br />
<br />A part of the off-farm salinity problem in
<br />the North Fori< area is bell8\led to stem from
<br />irrigation flows seeping through unlined
<br />canals and laterals in the study area, The
<br />Reclamation study is limited to off-farm
<br />salinity contributions, Some of the salt
<br />loading in the North Fori< area is beli8\led to
<br />come from nonirrigation sources, thereby
<br />distinguishing the North Fori< area from the
<br />Uncompahgre Valley, The off-farm salt
<br />contributions to the river from the North Fori<
<br />area have been estimated by the Soil
<br />Conservation Service at approximately
<br />2OO,OOJ tons per year, Areas north of Delta
<br />and southeast of Hotchkiss appear to be
<br />contributing especially large amounts of salt.
<br />Emphasis is being given to identifying and
<br />quantifying the off-farm sources of salinity
<br />and to formuiating alternative solutions to
<br />diminish the salt loading to the river system,
<br />A preferred plan will be recommended based
<br />on cost effectiveness and acceptability, Since
<br />little information is available aboUt the private
<br />irrigation systems and other off-farm salt
<br />sources, a large portion of the study effort will
<br />be directed toward data collection in these
<br />areas.
<br />A plan of study outlining planning
<br />procedures was prepared, The investigation
<br />is expected to take about 5 years,
<br />
<br />801-524-5403 you would like to see included in SALINITY
<br />UPDATE, write to:
<br />
<br />Bureau of Reclamation
<br />Lower Colorado Regionai Office
<br />P,O, Box 427
<br />Boulder City, Nevada 89005
<br />
<br />Telephone:
<br />Commercial:
<br />
<br />FTS 598--7420
<br />702-293--8420
<br />
<br />For answers to general questions or items
<br />
<br />Editor, SALINITY UPDATE, D-100J
<br />Colorado River Water Quality Office
<br />Bureau of Reclamation
<br />P,O, Box 25007
<br />Denver Federal Center
<br />Denver, Colorado 80225
<br />
<br />Telephone:
<br />Commercial"
<br />
<br />FTS T7fKJ782
<br />303-236-6782
<br />
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