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<br />Executive Summary
<br />
<br />Rates of population growth in Moffat and Routt counties for the periods 1960 to 1990,
<br />1970 to 1990, and 1980 to 1990 were estimated from historical census data. The 1970 to 1990
<br />rates (2.8 and 4.3 percent in Moffat and Routt, respectively) were used to project increases in
<br />regional population for the years 2015 ("near term") and 2040 ("long term"). Population was
<br />assumed to increase each year by a fixed percent of previous years' population.
<br />
<br />These rates of population growth were used to extrapolate future water use in the
<br />municipal, commercial, non-thermoelectric industrial, mining and "other" water use categories.
<br />The rates were also applied to mining because much of the water use in mining involves sand
<br />and gravel operations, which should generally expand with population. In other sectors,
<br />projected water use was based on specific growth assumptions. The resulting estimates of
<br />potential 1989 and projected 2015 and 2040 water demands are summarized in Table S-1.
<br />
<br />Table 801
<br />
<br /> Summary or Current and Projected Water Use and Demand (al)
<br /> 1989 2015 2040
<br /> Potential Demand Projected Demand Projected Demand
<br /> Withdrawn Consumed Withdrawn Consumed Withdrawn Consumed
<br />Domestic 5,577 1,624 14,327 4,175 37,662 10,983
<br />Commercial 1,111 169 3,022 456 8,310 1,247
<br />Industrial 88 88 216 216 8,542 8,542
<br />Thermoelec 22,615 22,615 22,875 22,875 30,993 30,993
<br />Mining 5,053 1,692 12,571 3,725 32,686 8,936
<br />Irrigation 336,496 83,184 336,496 83,184 33,469 83,184
<br />Livestock 5,635 885 6,135 1,385 6,135 1,385
<br />Other 667 349 2,536 1,309 7,118 3,640
<br />Res Evap 5,778 5,778 5,778 5,778 5,778 5,778
<br />Export 4,788 4,788 4,788 4,788 4,778 4,788
<br />Total 387,808 121,172 408,744 127,891 478,508 159,476
<br />Source: USGS, 1989; Blank, 1990; Davenport, 1990;
<br />
<br />In the near-term (2015) scenario, no significant increases in agricultural or
<br />thermoelectric water use were assumed. The potential use rates from 1989 for agriculture and
<br />thermoelectric generation were used as base demands, thereby presuming full use of recently
<br />irrigable land (75,000 acres) and 90 percent utilization of generation capacity in the future.
<br />Increased water usage from an additional 20 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity at Craig
<br />was assumed for the near-term scenario.
<br />
<br />In the long-term (2040) scenario, additional generating capacity was assumed at the
<br />Craig (428 MW) and Hayden (184 MW) generating stations. These increases correspond to
<br />the addition of one more generating unit of existing capacity at each site. In addition, 8,000 af
<br />of new withdrawal and consumptive use for a potential coal gasification plant near Craig was
<br />assumed .
<br />
<br />Reservoir evaporation, exports and irrigation use were not increased over the potential
<br />1989 level for the near and long term projections. Irrigation demands were held to 1989 levels
<br />based on the assumption that minor growth in irrigated acreage would be more or less offset by
<br />urbanization of existing irrigated lands.
<br />
<br />S-8
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