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<br />of a previously decreed right cannot result in any greater depletion <br /> <br />than existed under the original right. Only through actual court <br /> <br />proceedings can this matter be determined. <br /> <br />While I have listed two courses of action to secure water <br /> <br />for the oil shale industry, there is an obvious third course which <br /> <br />has been pursued to some extent by almost all of the various oil <br /> <br />companies. This third course is to initiate original filings for <br /> <br />water rights on the Colorado River and its tributaries. Actually, <br /> <br />numerous filings have been made by various companies. Because of <br /> <br />their junior status, we regard most of these claims as worthless. <br /> <br />In a few cases, these filings were made many years ago and could <br /> <br />ripen into a usable water right. These cases are the e~ception, <br /> <br />however. There is no way that these claims could provide anything <br /> <br />resembling an adequate supply for a mature oil shale industry. <br /> <br />To summarize the Grand Valley water supply situation, we <br /> <br />see no great problem in providing an adequate water supply for a <br /> <br />mature oil shale industry in that area. While there will be consider- <br /> <br />able expense in connection with such a supply, we do not see this <br /> <br />expense as placing any serious limitation upon oil shale production. <br /> <br />However, the White River Basin poses an entirely different problem, <br /> <br />Which I shall briefly discuss. <br /> <br />The Piceance Basin of the White River produces an almost <br /> <br />insignificant amount of water. \1hile there are some significant <br /> <br />-9- <br />