WSP07064

• File Number: 8200.765
• Description: White River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Yampa/White
• Water Division: 6
• Date: 1/1/1966
• Author: Unknown
• Title: White River Water Supply Studies - 1966 - 1975
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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RECEIVE

J\.lL 3 - 1911

Tt\E SECRETARV
OffiCE ~~I BASIN REGION
M\~S~NVER, COLoAAOO

3100
U-080

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VERNAL DISTRICT OFFICE
P. O. Box F
Vema I; Utah 8'-078

July.I, 1975

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Hr. Peter A. Ru~ledge
Area 011 Shale Supervisor
P. O. IIox 2939
Grand JunctIon, Colorado 81501

Dear Hr. Rut ledge:

....

A dMI on the WhIte RIver. _r oil. shale 1_ tncts U-a and U-b
""sbeen proposed to supply Mater for 011 shele deYelopl!lllflt, town
sIte, Irrigation water and recreation. The 1el1soes plan to haw
. their detailed de'f'8lo~t plan. for the tncts COIIIIlleted In the
last quarter of tV 1975 and hope to have It approved In the first
half of tV 1976. They would then be able to bogln development prIor
to their third pa-,-nt, Moy 19n and cosU 1<<lUld be recoverable frOCll
theIr fOllrth and fifth payIllllnt. ThIs _ans a lIIOrk force wOuld be
assembled In the spring of 1976 whIch would requIre housIng, public
servIces and water.

Both the IIlH and tho Bureau of Outdoor Reereatloa haYelnfo....lJy
looked at the IIhlte !llyer as 8 possIble Wild River. It appears that
the portIon between tho Ignatia SUlge StOP and the Colorado State
line _Id probably qualify as scenic and the portion between Ignatlo
and tho Hountaln Fuel Brldge -uld probebly qualify as wild. There
are two endangered and two threa~ species of fish In tho Green
River system with a possibility 0' those 'Ish In the White RIver syutem.
A Bureau of Reel_tlon study of possible wter _rees for 011 shsh.
devel~t outl toes a IlUlllber of alternatiVe SOUf'COI of water of ..tIleh
tile White River site Is one. Twenty three anvlronll'le..tal _Itorlng
sitos would-be Inundated by the proposed daIII on U-a end U-b.

The lessee end the Shte of Uteh are apparently c:onvlnced that the
White RIver daIII I. the best alternative. Consideration IIItlst be gIven
to alternative llOUrc:e5 of ~er, tho possible 4Wverse effect on M'"
clangered and thnllltOlled fish spac:los In t~ Green and WhIte RIvers, the
Irrevocable clm:sage to a poteAtlal Wild and Scenic River and the lIfe
expectancy of a f'OSOnOlr located on the slit Illden White RIver. An
environmental Impect statement dIscussing the roglcnal alternatlvos
for WIIter for 011 shale deYel~t IIillY be needed prior to c:ommltmcnt
on any one altel'lllltlve. . Even though n:J final dl;ct!llon ~1l1 be IlIi)da
prior to EIS preparation, a change 0' .Iternotl_ may ~ dIfficult

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