Laserfiche WebLink
<br />035G <br /> <br />1.3 ' <br /> <br />analysis. Current requests for Rued! water exceed 93,000 acre-feet~.~s shown <br />c . <br /> <br />in Table 1.1. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />The table shows that the largest amount of water requested is by indus- <br /> <br /> <br />trial users. Seven of the nine industrial concerns requesting water were <br /> <br />associated with oil shale mining projects. Estimates of potential oil shale <br /> <br /> <br />production levels for the State of Colorado range from 1.22 million barrels <br /> <br /> <br />per day (bpd) in the year 2000 to 2.44 million bpd at that time (Office of <br /> <br /> <br />Technology Assessment, 1980, and Colorado Department of Natural Resources, <br /> <br />1981). Of the 21 potential shale oil projects in Colorado identified by the <br /> <br /> <br />Engineering and Mining Journal (June, 1981), 14 are located in the mainstem <br /> <br /> <br />Colorado River subbasin. Eight of those projects have either announced pro- <br /> <br />duction levels or have requested a water contract with the Bureau of <br /> <br /> <br />Reclamation. <br /> <br /> <br />Estimates of water consumption by the oil shale industry vary from 5,800 <br /> <br /> <br />acre-feet of water consumption per 50,000 bpd of oil production to 12,500 <br /> <br /> <br />acre-feet/SO,OOO bpd. Water consumption figures for actual plant operations <br /> <br /> <br />and associated uses (i.e. land reclamation) are not available. The most fre- <br /> <br /> <br />quently quoted value for water consumption by the oil shale industry in the <br /> <br /> <br />literature is 8,500 acre-feet/SO,OOO bpd. This estimate is based on energy <br /> <br /> <br />and material balances published by independent analysts (Isaacson, 1981). <br /> <br /> <br />The water demand from municipal development associated with the oil shale <br /> <br /> <br />industry is estimated at from 10 to 20 percent of the net industry demand. <br /> <br /> <br />The Bureau of Reclamation's survey also indicated this level of demand by <br /> <br /> <br />municipalities in the area.' Considering these various shale oil industry <br /> <br />water requirements, as well as other requirements, the draft EA will analyze <br /> <br /> <br />the environmental implications of various magnitudes of water sales, demand <br /> <br /> <br />schedules, and depletions to Ruedi Reservoir and the associated river basins <br /> <br /> <br />above the Cameo gage on the Colorado River. <br /> <br />Ultimately, the Environmental Assessment will be one element used by the <br /> <br /> <br />Bureau to determine the water quantity and uses related to sale of Ruedi <br /> <br /> <br />water, and to serve as the basis for a biological assessment of the impacts on <br /> <br />threatened and endangered species as required by the Endangered Species Act of <br /> <br /> <br />1973 as amended. A specific biological assessment will be prepared as a <br /> <br /> <br />separate document following the selection of a preferred alternative. <br />