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Show Water Resources Commitment of 313,000 acre- feet of Unit water would be made in the following manner: 207,500 acre- feet to irrigation; 99,000 acre- feet to municipal and industrial use; and 6,500 acre- feet to fishing conservation. This commitment of a portion of Utah's compact- allocated Colorado River water would reduce flows of the Colorado River by 166,000 acre- feet each year, and would increase the salt concentration of the Colorado River at Hoover Dam by 10 mg/ 1. This commitment would also reduce streamflow in about 205 miles of Utah's streams. Approximately 19 miles of stream would receive increased flows. Utah Lake would be reduced approximately one- third in size to provide about 100,000 acre- feet of water each year through evaporation savings. Evaporation losses in all the Unit reservoirs would total approximately 48,000 acre- feet each year. Esthetics Construction of the Bonneville Unit would irretievably and irreversibly alter the esthetics of the construction areas. There would be an imposition of man- made structures onto natural scenery and unnatural excavation scars and embankment slopes. The excavation scars would be revegetated or partially revegetated where practical but the visual impact would be permanent. Mineral Resources There would be an irretrievable commitment of resources such as earthfill, riprap and cement. Also extraction of some minerals such as the coal deposits underlying the Currant Creek Reservoir site ( exception would be oil) would be unfeasible due to inundation of the area. Fuel consumed during construction which may have been used for another purpose also would be irretrievable. The hydro- power development in conjunction with the Unit, would contribute toward conservation of fossil fuel. An estimated 175,000 tons would be required annually to produce electricity equal to the potential output of the Unit's hydroelectric plants. Hazards from Natural Catastrophe In making the commitment to build the features of the Bonneville Unit it is recognized that during construction and operation of the Unit, there would be some risk to human and animal life. The Bonneville Unit would have segments on two different geologic crustal masses. Strawberry Aqueduct would be on the seismically inactive middle. Rocky Mountain province. The Wasatch and Jordan Aqueducts, and their related storage and distribution features, would lie upon the Basin and range province, and generally within the belt of active seismicity. Once operation of the Unit would begin there would be an irreversible risk, although remote, to human life and 486 |
