Who’s really behind the Wolf Creek Reservoir?
Dear Editor,
Have you ever wondered about the real reason behind the huge Wolf Creek Reservoir proposed by the Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District (RBWCD)? A few miles east of Utah just off Highway 64, is a proposed project larger than anything in Routt or Moffat counties. And it involves pumping water up from the White River to fill.
Coincidentally, a Denver-based oil company, Mahogany Energy, is asking for an even larger reservoir in exactly the same location. Could they be the real driver behind this project to store almost 30% of the White River’s flow?
Mahogany is proposing an 86,000 acre foot reservoir in the same location (for perspective, ten times bigger than Lake Avery.) Surprisingly, they have never used these water rights for any energy purpose since these rights were acquired back in the 1970’s. After six decades of non-use, and no active operations nearby, why would they need a mega reservoir to store their upriver water rights?
Originally purchased by energy companies for oil shale, this method of extracting oil has never been economically feasible. But today, based on the growth of population in the west and the decrease of water, there is something more valuable now than even oil … our water.
Could the real proponent of this project be an energy company? From a court document in 2017, RBWCD’s attorney noted: “Applicant is in discussions with an energy company for the joint development/use of the Wolf Creek Reservoir.”
What could be better than having “us” the public fund the filings, permit work, public meetings, and other costs while claiming the water needed for Rangely, when in fact the Division of Natural Resources has said that there is no shortage of water for Rangely.
Could this be setting our White River up for a massive speculative project where water could be stored in this desert reservoir and shipped via the vast labyrinth of underground pipeline systems owned by the energy companies (and licensed for liquid transfer).
To cap this mystery off, the RBWCD initiated the first call on the White River this past year, during one of our highest water years, claiming they needed the water for electrical generation all while losing hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund the failed hydroelectric plant.
Based on their audited documents, since 2018 to 2022 RBWCD’s hydro plant has lost more than $1.5 million — hundreds of thousands every year. Now they want a hydro plant to which they would pump the water uphill. That doesn’t make any sense.
Some other points for the public to consider:
1. With few if any benefits to the public, the proposed reservoir cannot be used for endangered fish, augmentation to help upriver, or any agriculture. So why build one and for whom?
2. Evaporative loss of this large reservoir is likely way more water than the town of Rangely uses in a year.
3. The Wolf Creek location would be of no benefit to the upper White River or the entire eastern end of the County and basin.
4. With the only public access from Moffat County on Highway 40, and Kenney seeing an average of less than five visitors a day, how does this make any economic sense?
RBWCD meetings are difficult for the public to attend with no virtual opportunity and each meeting spent mostly in Executive Session with no public allowed. This secrecy is concerning especially when our county’s $4 million in tax dollars mysteriously disappeared, only to reappear — with no explanation?
RBWCD could go a long way towards regaining public trust by providing more transparency as they spend our money on teams of out-of-county lawyers and consultants, all the while losing money on the existing hydro-plant and creating problems for ranchers and landowners with their call on the river. Isn’t it time to figure out who or what is really behind the Wolf Creek reservoir?
Deirdre Macnab
4M Ranch
Rio Blanco County
Thanks to FFA members
Dear Editor,
The White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts would like to personally thank the following Meeker FFA Chapter members: Dawson Willey, Lilly Newman, Skylar Grimes and Eva Scritchfield along with the Work Based Learning (traveling club) members Vivian Brown and Teagan Sheridan who donated their time to help with our Districts’ annual meeting on Feb 10. It is great to see the youth of our community involved and show interest in activities such as this. Their willingness to lend a hand with all aspects of preparing for and bringing to fruition our annual meeting was encouraging. We also would like to thank Aidan Tapia for presenting the FFA Creed and wish him good luck in his future competitions.
Thank you!
White River & Douglas Creek
Conservation Districts
