WSPC00578

• File Number: 8045
• Description: Section D General Studies-Federal Projects-General
• Date: 12/1/1979
• Title: Moon Lake Power Plant Project-Reports 1979-80-Position Statement on the Rangely Reservoir
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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and place the water supply facilities in operation. From the standpoint

of reliability, ,the plant will require sufficient water to operate for a

period of forty years after initial commercial pperation of the plant.

The water supply facilities must be constructed and placed in operation

approximately one year before commercial operation of the power plant.

The amount of water which can be obtained from Rangely Reservoir on'a long

time basis depends,on two primary factors. The first of these is the amount

of future water development and use from the White River which would reduce

the inflow to the reservoir. The second is the amount of wat.er which must

be released from t.he reservoir t.o sat.isfy demands downst.ream from t.he reservoir

including any fut.ure requirement.s which may be imposed for minimum flows into

the St.at.e of Utah.

0289

Estimat.es of fut.ure water use from the White River in Colorado requires

consideration of conditional water rights Senior to the conditional rights

for Rangely Reservoir. Under Colo.ado water law t.here are t.wo basic types

of water rights, absolute and conditional. An absolut.e water right. is per-

fected right, with a given priority dat.e, t.o divert, store or consumptively

use a certain amount of water. A conditional water right is a right. t.o perfect

a water right, also with a given priority date. In order to perfect a condi-

tional water right it is necessary to demonstrate that the water has been put

to beneficial uS,e under the conditions stated in the conditional right. When

a conditional water right is perfected and becomes an absolute right, it. retains

the priority date of the original conditional right. It is our understanding

of Colorado Water Law that any conditional water right senior in priority

date to Range1y Reservoir may be developed subsequent to construction and use

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