Oil shale water rights acquisitions could threaten agriculture

A study by an environmental group says energy companies have acquired hundreds of water rights for oil shale development and that exercising those water rights could transform western Colorado by drying up agricultural lands. Western Resource Advocates, based in Boulder, said in the report it released Wednesday that companies own water rights allowing for more than 1.8 million acre feet of storage and more than 11,000 cubic feet per second of diversions in the Colorado and White river basins. Karin P. Sheldon, the group’s executive director, said energy companies essentially have cornered the market on Western Slope water rights. Exercising these rights for large-scale commercial oil shale development would jeopardize many agricultural uses involving junior water rights and water now leased from energy companies, and harm the ability of Western Slope and Front Range communities to meet future water needs, the group said. It found that ExxonMobil owns the most rights, with 49 conditional claims and ownership in 48 irrigation ditches. Shell holds 31 conditional rights, has ownership in five irrigation ditches and is in the process of securing rights on the Yampa River. Several other companies have water rights holdings. Among them, Chevron has 28 conditional rights and ownership in 24 irrigation ditches, and its Unocal subsidiary possesses absolute rights to another 48 wells and springs and owns 13 ditches...Grand Junction Sentinel