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<br />.... <br />&\a~( <br /> <br />APPENDIX E <br /> <br />POSSIBLE USE OF RUED! RESERVOIR FOR l\.1EETING STORAGE REQUIRE- <br />MENTS Fon 1\fUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL 'VATEH FOR THE OIL SHALE <br />INDUSTRY, RIFLE-DE BEQUE AREA IN COLORADO <br /> <br />Prepared for the Colorado 'Vater Conservation Board by eon suIting <br />engineers Philip P. Smith, Clifford H. Jex, and Laren D. Morrill, <br />August 1D59 <br /> <br />Claims for the use of unappropriated water of Colorado for the <br />development of !l,e oil shale resourees in the Rifle-De Beque area of <br />west.ern Colorado date from 1918. At, that time, immedilltely fol- <br />lowing 'World War I, a rapidly expandiug mlLrket. for liquid fuels in <br />the United States, then as now, derived almost wholly from petro- <br />lenm. crude, pointed to an apparE'nt. impending neen for supplement- <br />ing that source material wit.h oil deriyed from Oil sha.le. <br />Disco\rery of large pet.roleum reseryes in east Texas in the early <br />twenties, find durillg the next decade in Oklahoma, California, and <br />elsewhere, \'irtually arrested the immediate interest of the oil in- <br />dustry in Colomdo oil shale. This is exemplified in the records for <br />water filings for industrial uses in the Hifte-De Beque a.rea.. During <br />the ~)eriod 1918 through 1925, 11 claims were reeorded with <br />the Colorado State engineer for water for the oil shale industry. <br />From 1925 unt.iI 1940 on I)' Olle claim for industrial water for oil <br />shale was made in that area, and that was for only 1 second-foot of <br />direct flow from the Colorado River, to serve t.he Bureau of :Mines <br />experimenta.I pla.nt near Anvil Points, in the vicinit.y of Rifle, Colo. <br />Durin;; this period, 1925 through 1D40, however, the Union Oil Co, <br />of CalIfornia and t.he Texas Co. initiated a program of purchasing <br />ranches with perfected and p~ll'tially perfected wate.r rights, and in <br />some instance.s un perfected water chums or filingsl some of which <br />lmvc subsequently been carried to decree in the Garficld County Dis- <br />trict Court. Beginning 'With February 5, 1949, and continUing to <br />rln.te. 13 elaims, ca.lling for itn aggregate diversion of 1,O~1.5 second- <br />feet, h,we been filed with the Colorado State engineer. Two of these <br />claims have been earried to deeree in the distriet, court and most of the <br />ot.he.rs are in the process of being adjudicated. The. following tabula- <br />tion shows t.he apparently valid claims for mnnicipal and industrial <br />water for use in the Rifle-De Beqne oil shale area and data on the <br />two elnims which have been carrie.d to decree. <br />90 <br /> <br />II <br />II <br />\ <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />. <br />