WSP11823

• File Number: 8281.400
• Description: Colorado River Studies and Investigations -- Colorado River Depletion Projections
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 3/25/1955
• Title: Report on Depletion of Surface Water Supplied of Colorado West of Continental Divide
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

o
<.."J
W
,~
00
(.0

CONTENTS

Page
Letter of transmittaL _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __ __ __ __ _ __ __ __ _ _ n __ __ VII
Water supply __ __ ____ __ _ __ _ _ __ ____ ____ __ _ _ __ _ _.. __ __ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __.. _ _ _ _ _..'_ _ _ _ ~ _ ____ _ _ _ 1
Origin of supply ____ __ __ _ __ _ ____ ___ _ ____ __ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ ___.. _ __ _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _____ _ _ __.. 2
Limitations on use_______________________________________________________n__ 3
Colorado River compact____ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ ___ _ _ __ _ __ _ ___ _ _ __ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 3
Upper Colorado River Basin compact__________________________"______ 4
Present. de~leti?ns_ __: __ _ __ ______ ____ ____ __ _ __ __ __ _ __ _ ___ __ __ __ ___ __ _ _ __ ___ _ ___ _ ___ __ ____ 7
IrrIgatlOn In basIn_____________n_____n_____________________c___________ 9
Other depletions with existing facilities~ __ __ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ __ __ __ _ 9
Summary of present depletions___ _ __ _ n _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ __ __ ____ _ .__ _ _ __ __ _ __ _ 10
Committed supplies_____ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ 10
Potenuial depletions by irrigation___ _ n _ ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ n _ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ __ __ __ 11
Unit consumption of water.._____n______________________________________ 11
IrHgable area on western slope__ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ n _ __ _ __.. c _ __ __ __ _ _ _ _.. _ _ __ _ 12
Land classifications_ __ ____ _ __ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ ___ _ _ ___ _ __ _ _ _ _ ____ __ _ _ _ 12
Summary of irrigable areas__ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ ___ __ _ ____ _ _ _ 13
Limitations on developmenk _ _ __ _ __ __ ___.. __ ____ _ __ _ _ __ ___ ___ __ __ __ __ _ __ _ _ _ __ __ __ 14
Subsidies for main stem projects_________________________________________ 14
Subsidies for Gunnison River projects__ _ __ __ __ _ n __ __ __ ___ n _____ __ _ _ __ 15
Required subsidies on southwestern projects__________________________ 16
'Projects in Green River Basin_________n____n______________________ 17
, Probable limit of depletions__. _ _ __ _ __ __ __ __ __ __ n _ _ ___ __ __ _ n _ __ _ _ ____ _ _ __ 18
Potential industrial use___________________ .nn________________________ _____..______ 19
Oil shale development..__ ___ __ _ __ n _ _._ __ __ __ n __ _ __ __ n __ __ _ __ _ _._ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _19
'Processing' of oil shale__ _ _ __ __ _ __ __ _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .' _ __ __ ~ __ _ __ _ _ 19
:Costs of developmenL__h________________________.._____________h 21
Oth~rindustries_____________________________________________________________ 21
Processing of coaL______ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ __ n __ _ _ _ _ __ ___ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ __ __ __ 22
Population increase__ ___ _ __ _ _ _ __ n _ __ _ _ __ _ n _ _ _ n __ __ _ _ _ n _ _ _ _'_ __ _ _ _ __ 22
Diversion requirements and stream depletion_____ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. _ __ _ _ _ 23
Oil-shale processing__ _ _.. _ ___ _ _ __ n _ _ _ h _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __..__ _ 23
Other uses in industrial areas________________________________________ 23
Need: for 8torage of flood waters___________________________________..______ 25
Future tr~nsmountain diversions__ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ __ _ __ _ _.. 26
Diversions from Colorado River Basin_ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ n___ _ 26
Economic factors_ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ __. _ _ _ _ __ n_ _ _ _ __ ___ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ 27
Diverllions from Gunnison River Basin_____________n_____________________ 28
Relation of subsidies to depletions___n___________________________________ 28
StOl:age requirements______ _ _ __ ____. _ _ __ __ n _ _ __ __ __ __ _.... ___ _ ____ _. _ _ ____ n __ _ 29
Conclusions_____ _.. __ _ __ __ __ __ _ ____ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ ___ ____ ____ _ ______ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ 29

LIST OF PLATES

A. OperatiQn of reservoirs on Colorado River for delivery of 7.5 million acre--feet
annually at Lee Ferry with depletion of 7.5 million acre--feet per year in
upper ,Colorado River Basin.
B. Operation of reservoirs on Colorado River for delivery of 7.5 million acre-feet
annually at Lee Ferry with depletion of 6.2 million acre--feet per year in
Upper iColorado River Ba8in.
C. Maximur\1 subsidy per acre of new land and corresponding area of new land
in irridation projects expressed as percentage of total irrigable land in
Colora(lo River and Gunnison River Basins.

v

~