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Executiue Summary <br />• Providing data and information that may be used in collaboration with SWSI and other <br />current and future investigations to determine the quantity and location of unappropriated <br />waters that may be available within the study area to meet the potential water needs of energy <br />development in northwestern Colorado, while protecting existing water rights. <br />The research performed as part of this study will assist members of the Roundtables and other <br />water officials in making informed planning and development decisions through use of the data <br />and technical information contained herein. <br />This report reflects the research and documentation of Phase 1 of the Energy Development Water <br />Needs Assessment. The focus of the first phase was to quantify the varied amounts of water <br />needed for natural gas, coal, uranium, and oil shale resource development under different <br />production scenarios. Completion of Phase 1 entailed: <br />• Research of existing and available data and reports documenting the water demands needed <br />for natural gas, coal, uranium, and oil shale development <br />• Definition of a series of energy production scenarios for near, mid-, and long-term planning <br />horizons <br />• Compilation of a list of conditional water rights for the Colorado, Yampa, and White Rivers <br />that can be developed by energy development companies <br />Phase 1 focused on three t~pes of water demands as they relate to energy development: <br />• Direct water demands needed for the extraction and development of the energy resource <br />(e.g., drilling, production, dust suppression, reclamation, washing) <br />• Indirect water demands to support the increases in community populations attributable to <br />new jobs created by the energy industry <br />• Water demands associated with the thermoelectric power generation needed to supply the <br />energy industry with electricity 1 <br />There is a relatively high degree of con~dence in quantifying the water development needs for <br />natural gas, coal, and thermoelectric power because substantial information and empirical data <br />1 Electricity is required for extraction and production processes as well as the additional domestic electricity <br />demands attributable to the energy-related increase in residential populations. <br />~ ES-3 <br />