Eastern Oregon Water Storage Appraisal Study

Reclamation, in cooperation with eastern Oregon stakeholders, has completed a study of the potential to improve water supplies in the Burnt River, Powder River, and Pine Creek basins. background>>

This appraisal-level report is prepared in compliance with requirements of the Economic and Environmental Principles and Guidelines for Water and Related Land Resource Implementation Studies (P&Gs). It presents a discussion of the formulation of alternatives, a description of the appraisal level designs and cost estimates for the alternatives considered, and the results of the P&G-specific analyses.

The purpose of the Powder basin appraisal study is to:

• Demonstrate an unsatisfied need, either current or future, within the basins
• Determine if water demands in the Burnt, Powder, and Pine basins are un-met (projected to the year 2050)
• Demonstrate whether that need may be satisfied by structural plans for management and development of available resources
• Determine if there is at least one regional alternative to meet current and future demands, and
• Determine if there is a Federal objective consistent with Reclamation policies, laws, costs, benefits, and environmental impacts in which there exists at least one regional plan that can be recommended to be carried forward into a feasibility study.

A public workshop was held April 22, 2011 to discuss the contents of the draft document and potential paths forward. Water conservation and efficiency improvements are actively being pursued by basin stakeholders. Although benefit cost requirements set forth in the P&Gs are not met in any of the alternatives as configured, analysis of the various alternatives using available hydrologic information indicated storage potential exists that could be assessed by the stakeholders and other entities for various multi-use purposes.