4000

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 4000
• Author: U.S. Department of the Interior.
• Title: Report on Water For Energy in the Upper Colorado River Basin.
• USFW Year: 1974.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

IV. OTHER FUTURE WATER NEEDS

Exports, Minerals, and M&I - M&I uses are heavily directed towards
exportation to large metropolitan areas such as Salt Lake City,
Albuquerque, and the Fort Collins-Denver-Pueblo "Front Range" in
Colorado. By 2000, expected additional demands ranging from 620,000
to 915,000 acre-feet were estimated for these uses.

1980

, 1990
(1,000 AF/yr)

2000

Exports: Minimum
Maximum

140
140

335
425

500
725

M&I: Minimum
Maximum

20
25

45
50

65
75

Minerals: Minimum
Maximum

15
30

30
90

55
115

Generally, municipal water needs related to energy development of
an areawide nature are included above. A range of additional future
exports above that presently being exported for M&I is presented in
the following tabulation.

1980 1990 2000
(1,000 AF/Yr)
Colorado: Minimum 180 250
Maximum 115 225 335
Utah: Minimum 140 220
Maximum 20 145 270
New Mexico: Minimum 0 0 10
Maximum 0 0 10
Wyoming: Minimum 15 20
Maximum 5 55 110

Agriculture - Agricultural (food, fiber, and livestock) water use
dominates present water use in the basin, representing 67 percent
of depletions. While this percentage will drop during the next
25 years, increased irrigation will be the largest component of any
future increase in basin depletions. Most irrigation increases
will result from Federal reclamation and Indian projects as shown
on Table 13.

The timing at which all or most of the projects reach full capacity
significantly affects water operations in the basin. Most analyses
predict the majority of the projects at full development by ,1990.

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