22 ‎(6)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 5/21/2008
• Description: WSP Section - Lake Powell Pipeline ‎(FERC 12966 UT & AZ - EIS Scoping)‎
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Colorado Water Conservation Board ~~.o~,r~~,
Department of Natural Resources _ _~ ~.~
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 ~ ~ ~
Denver, Colorado 80203 ~ , ~~ ~~~
Phone: [phone] ~,~ ~ ` ,1t, ~,,,"~
Fax: [phone] ~ ~ ~ ~• ~~~~~, ~
www.cwcb.state.co.us ` ~ ~ '~ ~~ ~
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Harris D. Sherman
DNR Executive Director
MEM~~NI)UM Jennifer L. Gimbel
CWCB Director
Dan McAuliffe
CWCB Deputy Director
T0: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
FROM: Randy Seaholm, Chief Water Supply Protection
DATE: May 10, 2008
SUBJECT: Agenda Item 22, May 20-21, 2008 Board Meeting
Water Supply Protection -Lake Powell Pipeline
(FERC 12966 UT & AZ -EIS Scoping)
Background
On March 4, 2008 the Utah Board of Natural Resources (Utah) filed a Notice of Intent
and Pre-Application Document (PAD) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
to construct the Lake Powell Pipeline and a Hydroelectric System (Hydro System) from Lake
Powell to Sand Hollow Reservoir located near St. George, Utah. The Lake Powell Pipeline
Project (Project) would be approximately 180-miles in length and would deliver 70,000 AF of
water to Washington County,10,000 AF to Kane County and 20,000 AF to Iron County. The
Hydro System, which will lift water approximately 2500 feet before dropping it 3000 feet into
Sand Hollow Reservoir, would have an installed capacity of 363 MW and supply an estimated
400 GWh. The pumping energy requirement is estimated to be 525 GWh. A portion of the 1958
water right for 165,000 AF held by Utah for water in Flaming Gorge Reservoir will support the
Project. The Project does not anticipate storing or holding water in Lake Powell but rather just
wheeling the water through the reservoir. While water would only be wheeled through Lake
Powell, the Project nevertheless would benefit from the reservoir storage and elevation. The
Project has been estimated to cost between $500 million and $600 million depending on the final
con iguratlon.
FERC is initiating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and is
beginning the scoping phase. The FERC "Integrated Licensing Process" (ILP) will be used to
license the Hydro System and to prepare the environmental record needed by all other federal
Water Supply Protection • Watershed Protection & Flood Mitigation • Stream & Lake Protection • Water Supply Planning & Finance
Water Conservation & Drought Planning • Intrastate Water Management & Development