BOARD01980

• Board Meeting Date: 2/5/1982
• Description: CWCB Meeting
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

'Water for Ho~es, for Industry, for Energy, for Enjoymen1

Homes
If the rapidly increasing growth rate con.
tinues in western Colorado and the Grand
Valley, existing municipal water sources
will be depleted. Requests have already
been received for more than 21,800 acre.
feet of Dominguez Reservoir water to
support local municipal needs. (An aere-
foot of water is the amount required to
cover an acre of land to a depth of one
foot,)
Dominguez Reservoir would have a
storage capacity of 302,000 acre-feet, and
water impounded by the dam would
greatly supplement present municipal
supplies, servicing homes in Grand Junction,
Fruita, Palisade, Clifton, Whitewater, and
the Redlands.

already scarce resource; no waste products
have to be disposed of; the fuel (water) is
readily available, so no extraction costs are
involved; and control is relatively simple.

Energy
Water from the Dominguez Project
would yield energy in the form of hydro-
electric power. Dominguez Powerplant at
the base of the dam would have a capacity
of 18 megawatts (enough power
for 25,000 homes), while Rim
Basin Powerplant would have
an ultimate capacity of 500
megawatts of peaking power,
when fully developed. Hydro-
power has significant advan-
tages in meeting peak electricity
demands that occur during cer-
tain times of the day, week, and
year: use of fossil fuels is re-
duced, thereby conserving this

Hydro-Electric pOWlr. . . a chlap.
cllan.afficientlnergysourcl.

Recreation
Dominguez Reservoir would be
about 26 miles long and would have
a surface area of about 5,000 acres
(8 square miles). Backwater areas
and nesting structures would be
developed for fish and wildlife, while
multi-level outlets at the dam would
control the downstream water tem-
perature, thus helping to preserve
native fish habitat. Zoning would be
established around the reservoir for
the protection of wildlife species.
Attractive recreational and fishing
opportunities would be provided by
an average annual reser-
voir fluctuation of seven
feet and an average
daily change of one foot.
Recreational facilities
would be provided at
three sites within the
project, and picnic and
rafting facilities would
be developed on the
river below the dam. An
information center
would be constructed to
explain the project and
and interpret the natural and cultural re-
sources of the area to visitors.
Current projections are that the overall
cost of the project will be repaid within a
50 year period from sale of electrical
energy, municipal and light industrial water
and other benefits.

A big lakl, close to home. . . that's what the
Dominguel Project means to area residents.
There will be about 60 miles of shore line to
explore. fish along. water ski along and InJoy.

Domingu.ez
Da:rnll"lRlCIDolJ1E:Cl:;:"lr'