WSP00908

• File Number: 8200.765
• Description: White River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Yampa/White
• Water Division: 6
• Date: 11/12/1986
• Author: Morrison-Knudsen
• Title: Summary of Water Resources Development Investigations - 1966 through 1986 - White River Basin
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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TITLE:
DATE:
SPONSORS:

WHITE RIVER STUDY

December, 1983

Yellow Jacket Water Conservancy District, Mobil Oil Company,
Cathedral Bluffs Shale Oil Company, Shell Oil Company, TOSCO
Corporation, Exxon Coal Resources, Inc., Phillips Petroleum
Company and Marathon Oil Company

Evaluate, at an appraisal level of detail, the engineering
feasi bil ity and cost of constructi ng such alternative storage,
diversion, and delivery facilities necessary to develop the
water rights being made available by the participating
organizations for industrial, agricultural, municipal, and
domestic uses in the Colorado portion of the White River Basin.

OBJECTIVE:

SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS:

o The total water demand of the White River Project was 137,000 acre-feet
per year, of which 35,000 was located in the upper basin in the vicinity
of Little Beaver Creek, and 102,000 was located in the lower basin in the
vicinity of Piceance Creek.

o A two-reservoir storage system utilizing the most senior and productive
water rights, made available by the participants, would maximize water
supply and meet the established demands.

o The most efficient and cost effective reservoirs include the Avery and
Warner Point sites in the upper basin and Powell Park and Mahogany sites
in the lower basin. The Avery and Powell Park combination appeared to be
best; however, costs were within 10 percent of next best alternatives.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS:

o A coalition of potential water users should be continued to maintain and
expand the cooperative effort exhibited by the White River Study
participants.

o The Colorado Water Conservation Board should consider the findings of this
study and those of the Yellow Jacket Project Study in preparing the next
phase of State investigations in the White River Basin.

o The YJWCD should continue to examine the possibilities of expanding its
boundaries to include all potential water use areas.

o Additional engineering investigations, including detailed geologic
explorations, should be conducted at each of the four principal damsites
to firm up the designs and cost estimates for alternative plan comparisons.

o Baseline environmental data should be collected at each of the four
reservoir sites and at the major water diversion locations.

o Studi es of the White Ri ver Basi n shoul d be expanded to determi ne whi ch
reservoi r sites and associ ated water del i very systems woul d best provi de
all projected water uses in the basin.

o The potential water users in the basin should encourage the continuation
of state and federal evaluation of minimum instream flows and assess how
such minimum flows impact yields of water rights.

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