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Section 5 Addressing the Water Supply Gap Technical Roundtable The following are some of the key considerations when examining the project elements, benefits, potential implementation issues, and potential attributes for this alternative. Project Elements ~ Divert unused compact entitlements near the state line downstream of instate users. ~ Stream temperatures, nutrients, and TDS in water after treatment will be different than streams receiving discharge from project. ~ Reduction of flows in the main stem Colorado River and the presence of federally listed fish species below the diversion. ~ Significant energy requirements. ~ Delivery to multiple basins. ~ Storage in Arkansas and South Platte to regulate deliveries to end users. ~ Advanced water treatment (reverse osmosis) would be required to remove total dissolved solids and other constituents and there would be associated high capital and O~eM costs for advanced water treatment and the disposal of the water treatment waste stream concentrate. ~ Conjunctive use with non-tributary groundwater can potentially improve the overall project operation. Benefits: ~ Minimize loss of irrigated acres in South Platte and Arkansas. ~ Diverts below all major users in Colorado. ~ Maximize Colorado's compact entitlement. ~ Less reliance on additional deliveries from headwaters areas, thus minimizing streamflow impacts. ~ Additional flows in upper South Platte, Arkansas, and Colorado Rivers, providing for additional environmental and recreational enhancement. ~ Multiple basin delivery. Implementation Issues: ~ Water quality is poor and treatment costs (capital and O~eM) are very high. ~ Disposal of treatment waste stream concentrate is a challenge and very costly. ~ Potential for increased compact call. Potential Attributes: ~ Delivery to in-basin users for agricultural, domestic augmentation, andinstreamflows. ~ Exchanges for additional flows in Colorado headwaters. ~ Allows water development while protecting recreational and environmental flows in Colorado basin. 5.4.5 Flaming Gorge Pipeline The Million Resource Conservation Group is evaluating the feasibility of a potential future pipeline from Flaming Gorge Reservoir, a BOR facility located in southwest Wyoming at the Utah state line. This group plans to initiate environmental documentation under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. The source of water for the project would be a contract with the BOR for yield from Flaming Gorge Reservoir or a new water appropriation. Project proponents estimate that 150,000 to 250,000 AFY of water could be diverted from the Green River at several possible locations including: ~ From Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Wyoming. ~ Directly from the river near Green River, Wyoming. ~ From Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado. FINAL DRAFT 5-33