BOARD01567

• Board Meeting Date: 5/1/1975
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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United States_concerning deposits which cover parts of Colorado, Utah
and Wyoming. Estimates vary as high as three trillion barrels of oil
in these formations. How much is recoverable, no one is quite sure.
One thing is quite certain at this point in history is that the result of
considerable exploration in the last ten to twelve years indicates that
the richest part of the oil shale formations lie in the Piceance Creek
watershed of the White River Basin. The White River Basin of Colorado
and Utah contain a now estimated eighty percent of all recoverable oil
shale of this western area. There has been considerable planning over
. the years to develop the water resources of the White River Basin to
furnish a water supply for a potential oil shale industry. It is indeed
a tremendous potential.

Utah has made some overtures to Colorado concerning the possibility of
arriving at some understanding as to the division of the waters of the
White River. The problem we both have had is that we have not been able
to arrive at a reasonably firm estimate as to the water requirements
from the White River, both for the oU"shale industry and other \.1ses.
Considerable farming also goes on in the White River Basin and there are
several municipalities in the basin. The White River also flows through
the homelands of the Ouray and Uinta Indian tribes. The water needs of
the Indian tribes must be taken into account. This situation creates
a potential for considerable disagreement among the three entities
involved, that is, the Indian tribes, the state of Utah and the state
of Colorado.

The White River is relatively small. It produces just a little over half
a million acre~feet per year. However, based upon the best :I.nformation
that we have at this time, it appears that the water supplies of tha
river are adequate to satisfy the needs in Colorado, Utah and on the
homelands of the two Ute tribes. We have a presentation this morning
which is designed to furnish the two boards and our audience with the
latest and best information on the potential uses of the White River
and the various plans that are evolving to utilize the water resources
of that river. A primary purpose of the two states and the Indian
tribes should be to arrive at a mutual understanding as to how we can
best divide and utilize the waters of the White River. Then perhaps we
can go forward with a common goal. If the upper basin states do not
stand together in developing their common water supplies, then we are in
considerable trouble. So this is a very critical issue.

This board, and I am sure the Utah Board, is committed to doing every-
thing possible to work this problem out in conformity with the desires
of people of our respective states. We have here today representatives
of the Yellow Jacket Water Conservancy District, which encompasses most
of the White River Basin in the state of Colorado. This conservancy
district is the vitally interested primary party, as far as we are con-
cerned, in any agreement concerning the waters of the White River.

We had yesterday some debate about the energy policy of the state of
Colorado. We have had some disagreement about one of our projects
concerning the furnishing of water for energy. It was brought out
yesterday by Mr. Sherman that we do not have any policy in this state

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