WSP03640 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

SUMMARY This report documents the investigation of the Dolores Pumped- Storage Unit (Dolores Unit) of the Colorado River Storage Project Power Peaking Capacity Studies. The Dolores Unit was one of several potential peaking power projects recommended for additional study in a 1978 Recla- mation report on potential sites for peaking power development in the Upper Colorado Region.ll The. investigation examined the feasibility of a pumped-storage peaking power facility on the Dolores River in south- western Colorado. Even though the most feasible plan identified in the current studies for the Dolores Unit had an estimated benefit-cost ratio of 1.4:1.0, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) determined that further funding of the investigation by the Federal Government was not warranted because additional peaking power capacity was not needed for Reclamation project purposes. Consequently, Reclamation concluded planning investigations on the unit at the end of fiscal year 1983. Reclamation had earlier offered to continue studies if a non- Federal participant would fund the remainder of the investigation over fiscal years 1984 and 1985, A survey. was made to assess non-Federal interest, and the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Author- ity (Authority) indicated it was interested in the study. The Authority entered into negotiations with Reclamation, obtained the necessary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permit, and hired an independent consultant to assist it in making a decision. The consultant reexamined the power marketing demands, estimated the investigation and construction costs, and confirmed the overall feasibility of the unit, The Authority, however, decided not to fund the study because it felt the project power needs were speculative and not clearly defined and because the unit would be primarily for energy generating capacity, while the Authority is mostly interested in water storage projects. The plan identified in 1978 would use McPhee Reservoir, a feature of the Dolores Project which is currently under construction, as an afterbay and a potential reservoir on Dunham Point, a high mesa adjacent to the McPhee Reservoir, as a forebay. This plan and three others using alternate forebay sites in combination with McPhee Reservoir were exam- ined during plan formulation but all were found to create unacceptable fluctuations in McPhee Reservoir, a situation which would cause signifi- cant adverse impacts on the fishery, recreation, scenery, and operation of the reservoir. Current studies indicate the most feasible plan would use a reser- voir site on Plateau Creek above the McPhee Reservoir maximum water sur- face elevation as the afterbay and a reservoir on Campbell Mesa as the forebay. Studies originally identified a 1,OOO-megawatt (MW) power- plant as being the most cost effective, but more recent investigations 11 U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region. September 1978. Peaking Power Status Report, Salt Lake City, Utah. S-1