7721

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7721
• Author: Skogerboe, G. V.
• Title: The Physical Environment of the Colorado River Basin
• USFW Year: 1982
• USFW - Doc Type: Water Supply and Management
• Copyright Material: YES

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GaJ'lord V. Skogf!rboe

about 4 per cent of all energy forms consumed within the Uniled Slales (National
Petroleum Council. 1972). Projections indicate that full development of all potential
hydroelectric projects will provide only 4 per cent of the electric generating capacity and
about 2 per cent of all energy resources consumed nalionally by 1993. Such a scale of
hydropower development would utilize aboul 60 per cenl of all pOlenlial United SIa1es
develoflmenl ~iles (Commoner 1'/ al.. 1975). The lotal hydroeleelric power pOlential of
/99:1 lriln~I:lle~ inlo IIhoUl a hlllf hillion hllrrel~ of oil a YCllr. The polenlilll hydropower
conlrihulion from lhe Colorndo River Dn~in would npreur to be insignificanl as far as a
basin-wide energy plan is concerned. Conslruction of hydroPOwer unils solely for eleclri-
cal produclion seems unwise at a time of inereasins waler demand and environmenlal
concerns for maintnining wild and scenic rivers. Inslallation of turbines, however, should
be considered as an integral part of all feasible future and exisling water management
invesligalions (Flug et 01., 1917).

Ura";/lm rt'.m/lr('(!,f

Uranium deposits were di~covered in the late IBOOs in the Colorado Plaleau and are
eSlimated to be at leas I 90 per cent of the nation's uranium reserves (Rocky Mounlain
As~oeintion of Geologists. 1972). A dislribution of existing mines and known ore deJlosils
within lhe Upfler Colorlldu River U:uin is shown in Fill, 4. Ore deposils typicnlly
conlnin nh"ul 0.7 pcr wnl 1J2.., (lhe nclive ingrl.dicnl uf Ihe fission fucl) Dnd rC4uires
upgrading 10 2 :1 per cenl. lIpgrllding Ihe mined ore Ilnd prepllration for use in a nuclear
power eleelrie generilling facility involves a ~eries of complex processing ~Iep~. Although
mosl of Ihe nalion's uranium supplies are located wilhin Ihe Upper Colorado River
Dllsin, Urilnium upgrading IInd cnrichmenl fllcililies need nol be locnled wilhin the basin.
Water needs for uranium mining are known 10 be negligible. nnd ndequnle lellching nnd
runoff control measurcs havc been uliJil.ed in Ihe pa~1 10 prevenl bolh groundwnter and
surface waler conllllninalion from mine lailin{!~. Furlhermore. plannl'd and exi~linll
nllclear (!cncralillll plaflls for Ihe Uniled Sillies alllnlllllin!l II) ~nme 201l.000 Mwe, do nnl
inclllde allY sile~ wilhin Ihe UCRU (Wilkin~nll. 1974/. hili there arc silcs in Ihe LCRB.
Nuclear plafllS arc Iypically Incull'd neUf heuvy load eenter~ a~ a result of Iheir relalively
huge generaling capacilie~ und re~lIllillg energy losses frnm eleclric tran~mi~sion over
long di~llInces. Allhough Ihe Uflper Colorado River Rusin may eXflorl large amounts of
uranium. Ihe water u~e a~socialed Wilh this energy form should not pose a problem ror
the basin.
Nllclear gcneraling plants discharge approximately 50 per cenl more wasle heat
through Ihe cooling waler sY~lem Ihul1 do fo~~il fuel plUI11S and Ihll~ require grealer
amolll1ls of waler. FUlure u~e nf urunium i~ predicled 10 upprnach a 19H5 cumlllalive
requirt'mel1lor 451l.lHH) lOllS or prnccssed umnillm concelltrate IU JO.). This umounl of
fucl will be generuting seme :100.000 Mwe in 19115 as projecled by the Nalional Pet-
roleum Council (1972/. Presenlly, Ihe lotal United Stales electric generaling capacity is
arotllld 400,000 Mwe (Wilkinson, 19741. while the uranium concenlrale capability is
around 16,000 Ions rer year (National Academy of Engineering, 1974/.

Coal reserves

A major resource and leading mineral commodity of the Rocky Mountain region II
represented by valt quanlitiel or low lulfur coal. The elttent of these coal re~erves in the

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The PhysIcal Enl'irO/lment of the Colorado Rit'l!r Bas;n

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