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o ;:Yj CV';) N CHAPTER IV PLAN FORMULATION Economic aspects The estimated cost of contructing this alternative plan without oil shale but with surface irrigation would be $68,230,000. The annual operation, maintenance, and replacement costs would be about $620,000 including those for recreation facilities, fish and wildlife features, and energy for pumping. It is estimated that an average of 19,541,000 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy would be required at a capacity of 22,000 kilowatts. Estimated annual benefits of $5,829,000 and annual equivalent costs of $5,517,000 result in a benefit-cost ratio of 1.06 to 1. The main reason for this low ratio, as compared with the other alternative plans, is the relatively high pumping cost. A further breakdown of costs and benefits for each of the alternative plans is shown in the comparative table in Chapter V. Environmental considerations Environmental effects of this plan would be connected only with irriga- tion and coal development as water would not be developed for oil shale. Releases from Lake Avery for oil shale industry use would not be available to supplement the flows of the White River. The open waterways of the Morapos Feeder, Oak Ridge, and Curtis Creek Canals would interfere with wildlife movement. These canals and the buried White River Feeder and Yellow Jacket Conduits would present visible landscape scars. By pump- ing water to Lake Avery and the Little Beaver area directly from the White River the flows of the North Fork would not be affected nor would any land- scape scaring or wildlife habitat damage result upstream from Big Beaver Creek. Impacts from project irrigation development would be confined to the Little Beaver area, but native lands would not be broken out. Irriga- tion of new lands would alter wildlife habitat and movement. There would be an inundation of wildlife habitat at both reservoirs, with an accompany- ing improvement of fishery habitat in Milk Creek but a reduction in pro- ductivity at Lake Avery. Alternative Without Oil Shale-- With Sprinkler and Surface Irrigation This alternative plan, like the previous one, is based on the assumption of little or no water requirement for the oil shale indus- try. Irrigation provisions include both sprinkler and conventional surface methods. A water supply for the coal industry and municipal use would also be provided for. A summary of the annual water supply of 66,400 acre-feet is shown in the following table. 40