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<br />industry. <br /> <br />In 1956 the state of Colorado requested and the Congress <br /> <br />authorized a feasibility study of the potential Yellow Jacket project <br /> <br />in the White River Basin. Subsequently. the Yellow Jacket Water <br /> <br />Conservancy District was organized as the sponsoring and contractual <br /> <br />agency for that project. The project was originally conceived as <br /> <br />being primarily for the irrigation of lands in the White River Basin. <br /> <br />However. even in 1956. it was clearly perceived that the White River <br /> <br />Basin possessed a great potential for the development of energy <br /> <br />resources. The completion of the feasibility report was therefore <br /> <br />delayed pending a better understanding of the energy resources of <br /> <br />the basin. When it was finally determined that the Piceance Basin <br /> <br />of the White River appeared to contain the overwhelming preponderance <br /> <br />of high grade oil shale deposits. the Yellow Jacket project report <br /> <br />was revised to reflect the potential demands of the oil shale industry. <br /> <br />The feasibility report was completed in 1972 and provides for the <br /> <br />furnishing of municipal and industrial water to the extent of about <br /> <br />71.000 acre-feet annually. This supply could be revised upward. if <br /> <br />required. <br /> <br />The immediate problem with the Yellow Jacket project is <br /> <br />one of water supply. I strongly suspect that if we attempted to get <br /> <br />Congress to authorize construction of the project. we would face the <br /> <br />united opposition of the other six Colorado River Basin states. These <br /> <br />-11- <br /> <br />0209 <br />