WSP04572

• File Number: 8271.300
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program - General Information and Publications-Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1981
• Author: R Evans W Walker
• Title: Optimizing Salinity Control Strategies for the Upper Colorado River Basin -- Part 1 of 2 - Title page - 186 -- Abstract - Bibliography
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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dropped since this report was issued, but the relative
numbers can be expected to remain approximately the same.
, -

Energy interest groups have been actively involved in'
the purchase of agricultural water rights. The actual
extent and quantity of this activity is difficult to assess,
but the economic viability of many minor tributaries will be
severely affected by these water transfers. The USDI (1974)
conservatively estimates that about 5 percent (11,100 ha-m)

of current agricultural water supplies in Colorado and Utah

will be transferred to energy users by the year 2000.
Plotkin et al. (1979) believe that the UCRB will be the site

of a substantial amount of conflict between energy and

agriculture for water supply, and that water will be the
largest constraint to energy development.
Water consumption by energy related users is associated

with, in order of expected usage, oil shale, thermal-electric
fossil fuel power generation, coal gasification and lique-
faction, and conventional coal mining. The remainder

generally has little water requirements except for those

associated with the increased population. Excluding coal

slurry lines and based on some rather tentative high water

requirements data, it is estimated that about 107,300 ha-

m/yr of water will be needed to meet energy development

needs in the UCRB by the year 2000 (USDI, 1974).

It is estimated that even moderate synfuels development

in the state of Colorado will require water storage projects

costing as much as $2.5 billion. By the year 2000 it is

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