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INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY " ; .j j , This progress report has been prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation to inform interested persons about the status of the current investiga- tion of the Yellow Jacket Project in northwestern Colorado and to solicit more public involvement in the planning process. Because of the broad par- ticipation on the planning team and the controversial problems that have beset the project for many years, a unified document is needed to summar- ize what has been accomplished to date, what data are available, and what courses of future action are open. This is such a document. It is not intended as a final project report, but rather a tool to be used in fur- ther planning. A description of the project area is presented, includ- ing physical, biological, social, and economic factors. The problems and needs of the area, as they involve water resource development, are dis- cussed. Data compiled through previous investigations are utilized where applicable. Six alternative 'plans have been developed. These are briefly described in Chapter IV and numerical comparisons are summarized in Chap- ter V. In the study of'alternatives, nine potential reservoir sites were considered by the MOP team. Three are on the White River, one is on Milk Creek, and the remaining five are on tributaries of the White River. The six alternative plans cover a range of assumptions varying from a modest level of development to one that is quite substantial. Both Fed- eral and private participation are included. The relative emphasis on each future water use was considered and uncertainties were recognized. For example, oil shale development appears to be imminent but could be de- layed by any of several reasons. Development of coal resources for energy might therefore be accelerated to help satisfy the immediate energy needs, or coal and oil shale resources in the project area could be developed con- currently. Agricultural production seems to be gaining in National impor- tance and its priority could become much higher. An attempt ,was made to provide for these uncertainties in selecting the plans for analysis. Full consideration was given to widely divergent viewpoints and plan- ning priorities of the MOP team members. New irrigation of land, for in- stance, is opposed by wildlife interests, while the Yellow Jacket Conserv- ancy District--which holds the key water rights in the area--strongly rec- ommends maximum irrigation development. General environmental concerns are presented in ~his report for each alternative presented, and ideas on enhancement of natural resources and mitigation of potential losses are included. The analyses are of a gen- eral nature at this preliminary stage of project planning, particularly considering that few details on use of project industrial water are avail- able. Because of this, impacts of the use of water for coal and oil shale development are not addressed. ) .. <' ~A' .~ ~~.- ,. . :"