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<br />Federal Register I Vol. 46. No. 128 I Monday. July 6, 1981 / Notices
<br />
<br />Colorado', mosl significant coal
<br />deposits and mining are found in the
<br />northwestern pari of the Slale. The high
<br />quality of Colorado coal places it in
<br />demand for steam electric generation
<br />and metallurgical appliations. U1ah',
<br />coal is located primarily in the
<br />80ulhcernlral porlion of the Slate.
<br />Mining is mostly underground with
<br />currenl production II.boul10 miUion ton8
<br />per year. Most of New Mexico', coal is
<br />in the San Juan River bllsin in the
<br />northwest comer of the Slale. Surface
<br />mines predominate in this area,
<br />producing coal fOf two nearby
<br />powerplanla. Wyoming has extensive
<br />coal deposits; rapid growth in mining i.
<br />occurring in the Rock Spring area.
<br />Arizona does nol have significant coal
<br />deposits.
<br />3. S}'nfuels Development Areas.
<br />During the assessment, 81:lt subareas
<br />were deHneated atlbe basis for the
<br />conclusions pregented in this report. The
<br />delineaHon was based on bydrograpbic
<br />and water management consideration.
<br />and the location of base energy
<br />resources ann their synfuels
<br />developmentpolential. The synfuel.
<br />development areas shown on figure 4
<br />are:
<br />
<br />Upper Greeo River
<br />Yampa River
<br />While River
<br />Upper Colorado River Main Slem
<br />Lower Green River
<br />San Juan River
<br />
<br />IV. Waler Resources Conditions
<br />
<br />A. Surface Water Resources (Present
<br />CQflditions)
<br />
<br />The princlpal water supply SOUtal in
<br />the Region i. .wace water. The natural
<br />surface water regime of tbe Region bas
<br />been substantially altpred by the
<br />construction of o\'er 30 major reservoiu
<br />having a total active storage of 3-1..5
<br />million acre-feet (mat). Main stem
<br />resen'oirs account for 29.7 maf of this
<br />lot61. witb Lake Powell alone accountiog
<br />for 25 maf.
<br />Navajo. 1-1aming Gorge, Fountenene,
<br />the Curecanti Unit {Blue Mesa, Morrow
<br />Point. and CrJ'stan and Lake Powell
<br />reservoin make up the Colorado River
<br />Storage Project (CRSP). These are
<br />shown on Figure 1. A major function of
<br />these main stem reservoirs is to regulate
<br />Dows so that the Upper Basin Slates
<br />(Arizona. Colorado, New Mexico. Utah.
<br />and W)'oming) may consume their
<br />compact entitlements. yet meel their
<br />compact obligation. to delh'er specified
<br />amounts 01 water to the Lower Basin at
<br />lee FerT)'. Under present steady state
<br />conditions. the average volume of water
<br />avaUable in storage in the CRSr syslem
<br />
<br />would be aboUI 8S ~reenl of the lolal
<br />active storage.
<br />Deplelions of surface water by
<br />consumptive uses within the Region and
<br />e;ll;ports from the Region average about
<br />3.12 maf annually under present (1975-
<br />1976J conditions of development.
<br />Agriculture accounts for nearly 70
<br />percent of these depletions and exports
<br />about Z5 percent. The remaining 5
<br />percenl is divided among thennal power
<br />generation. support of fish and wildlife
<br />habitat. ~eation facilities, mineral
<br />extraction. and municipal and industrial
<br />uses, Evaporation from CRSP reservoirs
<br />is estimaled to average 715,OCO acre-feet
<br />annually.
<br />Salt concentration and loadings are
<br />the most prevalent water quality
<br />problem. in the Region. Due 10 the
<br />concentrating effects of water
<br />withdrawals for consumptive use or
<br />e:ltport and reservoir evaporation. the
<br />problem becomes more severe as the
<br />water flows downstream.. Of the salt
<br />loads 10 tbe Colorado Rl\'er at Hoover
<br />Dam (Lake Mead). 60 percent comes
<br />from natural sources Bnd the balance
<br />[rom man's activities (primarily
<br />irrigation). Average annual.aIt
<br />concentration. below Lake Mead
<br />averaged 723 milligraffi8 per liter (mg/l)
<br />in 1972.
<br />B. Groundwater Resources I
<br />Because of limited e:ltploration and
<br />use, the e:lttenl and quality of
<br />groundwater resources in the Basin are
<br />difficult 10 quantify. Nonetheless,
<br />groundwater could be a significant
<br />waler supply source for some synfuels
<br />developmenl Primary interest 10 date
<br />has focused on the Piceance Creek
<br />structural basin, whIch lies in the midst
<br />ol western Colorado's richest all shale
<br />resen'c~. Two-artesian aquilef1l hlwe
<br />been evaluated in this area, with
<br />estimates of lotal ,'olume ranging from
<br />2.5 to 25 mal and annual recharge from
<br />23,000 to 29,000 acre-feet. Yields from
<br />ex.lsting wells vary lrom 100 to 1.000
<br />
<br />gallons per minute, and concentrations
<br />ol dissohied solids range from 200 mg/l
<br />in the upper aquifer to JO,OCO ms/! in the
<br />lower.
<br />The San Juan development area in
<br />New Mexico also has groundwater for
<br />synfuels development.
<br />
<br />C. Future Depletions for Conventiollal
<br />Uses
<br />
<br />Regional water availability for
<br />synfuels production was assessed
<br />against a baseline of projected
<br />depletions In Ihe Region.
<br />Three levels of depletion by
<br />conventional water uses and exports
<br />were e:ltamined for the year 2OOO-a low
<br />level (4.1 million acre-feet per year), a
<br />medium level (4.5 maf/year), and a high
<br />level (4.8 maf/year).l-'or the purpose. of
<br />this report. the availability of waler lor
<br />synfuels development is discussed in
<br />relationship to the medium level.
<br />Projections for this level (Table 1)
<br />represent the States' current estimates
<br />of the most probable level of depletions
<br />by convenllonal uses and export.,
<br />Evaporation from CRSP reservoirs
<br />would be e;ll;pected to decrease about 4
<br />percent from the present estimated
<br />715.0c0 acre-feet annually. The drop in
<br />storage levels due to the greater
<br />depletions will lessen the reservoir
<br />surface evaporation.
<br />Future depletions show three major
<br />water use trends. First, irrigated
<br />agriculture is projected to continue to
<br />e:ltpand. accounting lor just over 60
<br />pert:ent ol total depletions in the year
<br />2000. Second. exports from the Region
<br />are expected to increase, most notably
<br />for municipal and industrial use In the
<br />front range urban corridor in Colorado,
<br />the Rio Grande Ba.in in New Mexico.
<br />and the Bonneville Basin In Utah. Third,
<br />a 350 to 500 percent increase in water
<br />use for thermal electric generation is
<br />c:ltpected Even with these increases,
<br />howe"er, thermal electric facilities
<br />would .till account for only 7 percent of
<br />the year 2000 depletions.
<br />
<br />TitHe 1.-Prosent and Pro/tKred O8pIetions
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