7409

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7409
• Author: U.S. Department of the Interior.
• Title: Quality of Water, Colorado River Basin.
• USFW Year: 1991.
• USFW - Doc Type: Progress Report No. 15,
• Copyright Material: NO

UPPER BASIN DEPLETIONS 39

Ruedl Contracts

Estimates of projected depletions for water
contracts from Ruedi Reservoir were taken from
the Ruedi Biological Opinion. Estimates were
9,000 acre-feet in 1990, and the ultimate yield of
contracted water of 28,000 acre-feet in 2000.
Depletions were computed assuming 100 percent
consumption of industrial water and 40 percent
consumption of water delivered to municipal and
domestic users.

Blue Mesa Contracts

Reclamation's Upper Colorado Regional Office
has determined that up to 10,000 acre-feet of
water can be contracted for out of Blue Mesa
Reservoir for industrial purposes. It has been
assumed that this water will be contracted by
2000 and that it will be 100 percent consumed.

011 Shale

Projections of water depletions for oil shale
development contain a high degree of
uncertainty. Values shown in table 3 were
provided by the Colorado Water Conservation
Board. For the present table, Reclamation has
chosen to assume that development will be
deferred by 1 decade, so all depletion values
have been postponed 10 years. These values do
not include water contracted out of Ruedi
Reservoir for the oil shale industry.

Rock Creek, Bluestone,
and Green Mountain Sales

These projects and depletion values have been
added to the table at the suggestion of the
Colorado River Water Conservation District.
Rock Creek is located on the Upper Colorado
River near Kremmling. It is a transmountain
exchange for municipal and industrial uses.

Bluestone is located near DeBeque and will be
used for industrial and oil shale uses. Sale of
water out of Green Mountain Reservoir will be
used for augmenting water rights, for irrigation,
and at ski areas.

Craig-Hayden Powerplants

In 1987, two units at Hayden and three units at
Craig were on line. The present combined use of
water is estimated to be 13,000 acre-feet.

Colorado Ute-Southwest Project

Colorado-Ute Electric Association planned
construction of two 400-megawatt (MW) units in
western Colorado. Association officials indicate
that plans to go forward have been delayed
indefmitely. For purposes of this table,
Reclamation has assumed that one unit will be
constructed and on line by 2000 and the other
unit will be on line in 2020.

Utah

Miscellaneous Additional Depletions

Values used for 1987 represent additional
depletions that have developed since the
Comprehensive Framework Study (1965 level)
estimates were prepared. The Utah Division of
Water Resources provided these values and the
projections to 2010.

Bonneville Unit, Central Utah Project

Present depletions from the Bonneville Unit
include reservoir evaporation, storage accrual,
and irrigation uses from Currant Creek,
Strawberry, Soldier Creek, and Starvation
Reservoirs. Project storage which was accruing
in Strawberry Reservoir was spilled into Soldier
Creek Reservoir in 1983 because of high runoff
conditions and prior storage rights ofthe
Strawberry Valley Water Users in Strawberry
Reservoir. Reservoir water surface elevation
limitations in Soldier Creek Reservoir further
reduced the capability of storing water for
project purposes. Net depletions to the Colorado
River System in 1987 are estimated to be about
53,000 acre-feet.

Based upon the present construction schedule,
the depletions to the Colorado River are
expected to rise to 136,000 acre-feet by 1990 and