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Executiue Summary <br />not subj ect to water administrative actions. Significant development of conditional water rights <br />may also impact water delivery and administrative actions that are subj ect to interstate <br />compliance under the Colorado River Compact (1922) and Upper Colorado River Compact <br />(1948). <br />Recommendations and Conclusions <br />Overall, the results from the Phase 1 evaluation will assist with further development of the grant <br />objectives in Phase 2, specifically exploring the various alternatives to identify and quantify <br />reliable water supplies to meet the energy sector's increasing water demands. <br />Oil shale development, along with the associated power production, could require tremendous <br />amounts of water, up to 378,300 acre-feet annually. Additional conclusions that can be drawn as <br />a result of Phase 1 of this study include: <br />• The amount of water required for natural gas, coal, and uranium, including the amount <br />associated with population growth to support these industries, is significant but appears to be <br />within the realm of water supplies available for planning and development. <br />• The amount of power generation needed to serve the oil shale industry in the long-term and <br />high production scenario, including the amount associated with population growth, could be <br />extremely high, approximately 19,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity, more than 14 times the <br />size of the largest power plant in Colorado (Craig Station). <br />• The indirect water needs for oil shale development could exceed the direct water demands, <br />assuming thermoelectric power would be supplied by coal-fired power plants in the study <br />area. These demands could be reduced by approximately two-thirds if natural gas-fired <br />generation facilities were used. Water demands could more than double if they were met <br />using nuclear power facilities. <br />• Many industries located in the study area have extensive portfolios of conditional water <br />rights, many of which are senior to existing absolute water rights. Development and <br />perfection of conditional water rights could require administrative curtailment of junior <br />absolute water rights and their application to existing bene~cial uses of water. <br />~+~ ES-13 <br />