WSP04852 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Currently. Exxon Corporation has a contract for 6,000 acre feet from Ruedi Reservoir. This contract is associated with the potential development of oil shale facilities in the lower Colorado River basin near Rifle. The oil shale industry could have a significant influence on the demand of water for industrial purposes. If this industry is not developed, the demand for oil shale based contracts could decline. However, if significant development occurs, demands could significantly increase. The demands for reservoir water associated with an oil shale industry could be significantly greater than all other future reservoir demands combined (municipal, environmental, etc.). As outlined above, it is difficult to anticipate the amount of increased industrial demand that may occur. Significant future demands associated with industrial uses are supported by recent interest in the marketing program being developed for Wolford Mountain Reservoir water. Potential industrial water contracts associated with snowmaking in the Roaring Fork watershed and a cogeneration plant near Rifle have been discussed. We believe that it is reasonable to expect that industrial demands could increase by several thousand acre feet or more during the next fifty years. If significant ski area expansion or oil shale development occurs, the industrial demand couid increase much more than this amount. 5.3 ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS Several endangered fish species occupy the Colorado River downstream of Rifle, including the Colorado squawfish and the Razorback sucker. Efforts are currently underway to facilitate the recovery of these endangered fishes. These efforts include the release of 20,000 acre feet of water from Ruedi Reservoir, and the use of 3,000 acre feet from Wolford Mountain Reservoir in 3 out of 5 years. This water is released to improve instream habitat of the endangered fishes, primarily during the later part of the summer. The Bureau of Reclamation is also evaluating the potential to increase stream flow through improvem.ents in irrigation efficiency in the Grand Valley. Additional demands for water for environmental purposes may occur in the future. Recent studies by the Fish and Wildlife Service have developed in stream flow recommendations for habitat purposes. The recommended instream flow levels are greater than the existing stream flow of the Colorado River year- round during dry periods. If recovery efforts for the endangered fish species are not successful, and this lack of success is related to habitat conditions, it is possible that additional releases of reservoir water may be desired to enhance habitat. Such releases could be provided by facilities such as Green Mountain, Rued!, or Wolford Mountain reservoirs. 5.4 OUT-OF-BASIN DEMANDS A potential market exists for out-of-basin water users. Trans-basin users could release water from an in- basin reservoir (such as Wolford Mountain Reservoir) to augment or exchange with out-of-priorily trans- basin diversions. Based on previous detailed studies, we estimate that the demand for out-of-basin water could exceed 5,000 acre feet in dry years. It is possible that any contracted water used for out-of-basin 21