Show Agricultural water vs energy water Water shifted to energy would inevitably l lower the quantity ty available to agriculture a group of oC economists economists' at Utah State University point out in an article article article ar ar- in the current issue of Utah Science Even if the water returned to the Colorado by energy enterprises enterprises enterprises en en- is reallocated to acres of land are likely to be forced out of Agricultural production because of lack of water according to John Keith Jay Andersen and B B. B Delworth Gardner writing in the publication of the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station THEY TilEY POINT out that research done at and elsewhere indicates all the projected scale large-scale energy developments in the Colorado River Basin will affect both quantity and quality of oC water This is true whether energy production emphasizes oil shale and other petroleum development coal mining liquefaction and gasification or fossil fuel Cuel and nuclear fired electrical power generation They reported data on the expected annual consumptive use of water in various energy production enterprises For example coal gasification would consume to acre feet Ceet per year coal coal- fired electrical genera generation tion to oil shale to Total consumption for all the energy production efforts might be to a high of acre feet Ceet of water per year This compares with acre feet Ceet diverted for Cor agriculture in 1970 Consumptive use also creates water quality problems Keith Andersen and Gardner com ment IRRIGATION results in salinity buildup in runoff waters Energy development can concentrate and add salts and other pollutants to the waters they return to the river they explain Present policy trends point toward having the projected energy developments return none of their allocated water If this trend is sustained it would mean an annual removal of at least acre feet from Crom the river the economists say adding that this could increase pollutant concentrations downstream TilE THE researchers say existing and proposed water laws appear to be inadequate to the situation because they condone inefficiency and inequitable table distribution of oC costs casts and benefits They urge public and private agencies to act quickly to ir initiate research as an aid to decision making Prudence demands of future energy developments and their potential effects on the quantity and quality of Colorado River basin water Lack of such foresight could cause Inefficiency inefficiency inefficiency and inequity in water allocation and thus jeopardize the future welfare of oC the basin and its people their article concludes |