ImpactTaskForceReport2002

• Title: Impact Task Force Drought Assessment and Recommendations
• Date: 5/1/2002
• Description: Drought Assessment Report
• Basin: Statewide
• Drought Mitigation - Doc Type: Reports

To determine the Mitigatio Measu res, the task force examined:
a) Railroads. Considerable utility rights -of -way coincide with railroad rights -of -way. The
representative of Burlington Northern & Santa Fe presented in some detail the fire prevention
program of that line, which was believed to be representative of railroads within Colorado. This
program includes four season maintenance of trackside land, regular automated sensing of
hardware problems, altered operations on high wind days, extensive on -board fire extinguishing
equipment, and other activities. It appeared that railroads are actively attempting to minimize fire
danger.
b) Hydropower sources. Accounts for about 4% of Colorado's energy usage. There appears to be
no current danger to the closed loop facilities, such as Cabin Creek and Mt. Elbert, which produce
power with downhill water flow and then put the same water back uphill in low -usage hours.
These facilities have only evaporative water loss. Open loop facilities, which derive their water
from reservoir or stream flow, are projected to have adequate water for this year (2002) but may
be severely restricted in future years if the drought continues. Water demands for summer fire
fighting in 2002 could adversely affect this projection. In all cases, any hydropower lost could be
replaced by conventional sources without excessive strain on the system's capacity. An increase in
energy costs may be associated with this loss of energy supply.
c) Cooling water. For conventional plants, cooling water appears to be secured by adequate rights
and water storage for the power producers contacted.
d) Electric transmission lines. There appears to be sufficient redundancy to prevent the fire-
induced loss of a single line from leaving any part of the state "dark" for a prolonged period. Loss
of two or more of the major transmission lines, simultaneously, could have a more serious effect.
Many of the existing lines have been built with surrounding fire mitigation; however, there remain
lines built to standards of prior decades which hang over beds of dried wood and "feathered"
rights -of -way. There is some fire risk with these lines.
e) Gas transmission lines are typically underground and removed from direct fire risk. There is a
risk to gas lines from earth movement resulting from fire extinguishing efforts or from flooding as
a result of post fire effects including heavy rain on denuded areas. Gas line distribution and
pumping substations also create a risk in the event of fire, but sufficient control exists to prevent a
gas - fueled fire. Many rural areas are served by radial arms from substations without redundancy,
so the loss of a substation would eliminate supply to parties served until the substation was rebuilt
and restarted. There is an open question of the redundancy of high pressure gas lines serving