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Last modified
8/11/2009 11:41:38 AM
Creation date
9/30/2006 10:16:00 PM
Metadata
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Publications
Year
1980
Title
Upper Colorado Resource Study: Colorado and Utah - Concluding Report May 1980
CWCB Section
Water Conservation & Drought Planning
Author
R. Keith Higginson, Commissioner
Description
Study to determine expected increases of water needs for energy-related developments along White and Yampa Rivers
Publications - Doc Type
Tech Report
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<br />CHAPTER I <br /> <br />SUMMARY <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />to control the discharge and to alleviate ice-jamming and sediment prob- <br />lems would enhance the feasibility of increasing this development. <br /> <br />The larger communities have modern domestic water systems which are <br />apparently adequate for present needs. The municipal systems derive <br />their water from the nearby streams or the adjacent alluvial aquifers, <br />except for one small community which pumps from a bedrock aquifer. Most <br />rural areas are without piped domestic water service. The only signif- <br />icant industrial water use is for steam electrical generation. <br /> <br />Problems and Needs <br /> <br />If the oil shale industry should develop in the area, it is assumed <br />a large amount of water would be needed, both for the industry and for <br />the new population. At the present time, it is not clear whether the <br />industry will develop, or if it does, when and to what extent. In <br />addition, the best methods of retorting are not established, making <br />water requirements difficult to assess. Based on present technology, <br />annual water consumption estimates for each 100,000 barrels per day <br />production range from as high as 20,000 acre-feet for surface retorting <br />methods to as low as 7,000 acre-feet for modified in-situ processing. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The future of the coal industry is as difficult to predict as <br />that of oil shale, but at the present it seems to be much more active. <br />Future development depends to a large extent upon favorable Federal <br />action concerning a number of industry applications and proposals. <br />Assuming that there should be a significant increase in production, <br />water needs would be dependent upon the use of the coal. If coal is <br />shipped to distant markets by rail or truck, the water needed in the <br />area by the industry would be quite low. If, on the other hand, the <br />coal is processed locally for thermal electric generation or coal <br />gasification, or if it is transported by slurry pipeline, the water <br />requirements could be significant. Annual estimated water requirements <br />for these uses are 15,000 acre-feet for each 1,000 megawatts of in- <br />stalled generating capacity, 9,700 acre-feet for a 250-million-cubic- <br />foot-per-day gasification plant, and 15,000 acre-feet to transport 25 <br />million tons of coal by slurry pipeline. <br /> <br />Future needs for municipal water cannot be reasonably predicted <br />without more definitive and supportive predictions from the oil shale <br />and coal industries. Industry estimates received by the Bureau of <br />Reclamation place the population increases in the area, at some undes- <br />ignated time and based on optimum production, at 49,530 as a result of <br />oil shale and 11,900 as a result of coal development. Based on an <br />estimated per capita consumption of 0.2 acre-foot per year, 12,280 acre- <br />feet of additional municipal water would be required for the increased <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />6 <br />
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