MEDIA INFO: Western Colorado Proposes Large Dam/Reservoir For “Oil Shale Production”

MEDIA INFORMATION
September 20, 2018
Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Colorado, 970-218-8310

Western Colorado Proposes Large New Dam/Reservoir For “Oil Shale Production”

One of the proposed dams/diversions we are tracking is the “Wolf Creek Dam” using White River water in northwestern Colorado near Meeker. The White River is a tributary of the Green River.

The “Rio Blanco Water District” has been proposing versions of a large new dam/reservoir for a few years, and has recently taken steps forward in the planning process. Aspen Journalism reports (link here) on the latest planning which includes:

“The potential 131,000 acre-foot reservoir would include a 90,000 acre-foot working pool, with 3,150 acre-feet for municipal use, 3,500 acre-feet for oil and natural gas use, 42,300 acre-feet for oil shale production,…”
…
“The dam forming the 130,000 acre-foot reservoir would be 177 feet tall and 2,300 feet long. It would cost $191 million…”

Statement from Save The Colorado: “The opposition to such a project would be fierce, uniting river protectors and fossil fuel fighters in the West. Further draining the Colorado River system to fuel and subsidize more fracked gas and fracked oil, as well as oil shale production, couldn’t possibly be more wrong.” — Gary Wockner

The Rio Blanco Water District has recently put in a funding application to the Colorado Water Conservation Board to escalate the planning process.

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