7401

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7401
• Author: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
• Title: Ruedi Reservoir, Colorado Round II Water Marketing Program, Final Supplement to the Environmental Statement, Fryingpan - Arkansas Projects, Colorado.
• USFW Year: 1989.
• USFW - Doc Type: Billings, Montana.
• Copyright Material: NO

1.8
In spite of the current decrease in interest in developing the oil shale
industry, it is still anticipated that the ultimate requests for water will
largely reflect approximately an 80:20 ratio between industrial and
municipal/domestic uses, respectively, which was utilized in the analyses in the
Draft Supplement. The analyses in the Draft Supplement are further considered
to still be valid because any major reduction in requests for industrial water
would make the analyses even more conservative, i.e., the analyses have evaluated
a very high industrial demand which may not be achieved until much further into
the future than originally anticipated, if at all. Thus, this FSES is evaluating
water sales at a level much greater than may reasonably be expected in the
short-term (15 to 20 years). Considering these varied water requirements, the
FSES has analyzed the environmental implications of various magnitudes of water
sales, conservation measures, demand schedules, and depletions to Ruedi Reservoir
and the associated river basins above the Cameo gage on the Colorado River.
Ultimately, the FSES will be one element used by Reclamation to determine
the water quantity and uses related to sale of Ruedi water, and has served as
the basis for a Biological Assessment of the impacts on threatened and endangered
species as required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended and
supplemented with interagency memos. A specific Biological Assessment was
prepared as a separate document. Section 7 consultation was completed with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and a Biological Opinion was rendered on
June 15, 1987. Reclamation requested that the Biological Opinions for the Green
Mountain and Ruedi Reservoir water sales be combined and the FWS concurred. The
Biological Opinion concluded the Green Mountain Reservoir water marketing program
and the Ruedi Round II water marketing program are not likely to jeopardize the
Colorado River endangered fishes, provided that certain conservation measures
be implemented by Reclamation. The conservation measures (increased flow for
endangered fish species during specific periods of the year) have been analyzed
in this FSES.
1.4 Scope of Issues to be Addressed
'This FSES culminates a long period of analysis by Reclamation and its
contractors. The process started when Reclamation determined that additional
water sales from Ruedi Reservoir (one round of water sales occurred May 13, 1982)
could have significant environmental impacts because of the magnitude of the