OCR Text |
Show Filling of Upper Basin Storage Units On March 13, 1963 at 2:00 o'clock p.m. the two outside gates on the left diversion tunnel at Glen Canyon Dam were closed. In accordance with the "General Principles to Govern, and Operating Criteria for Glen Canyon Reservoir (Lake Powell) and Lake Mead During the Lake Powell Filling Period" promulgated by the Commissioner of Reclamation, approved by Secretary of the Interior Udall on April 2, 1963 and published in Federal Register, 27 F.R. 6850-51 (July 19, 1962), the act of controlling the flow of the Colorado River signaled the initiation of operations under the "General Principles.' Conditions at the three Upper Basin Storage Units and at Lake Mead at that time were as follows: Water surface Surface storage elevation, feet contents, acre-feet Navajo 5,851.85 105,100 Flaming Gorge 5,787.75 82,000 Lake Powell 3,203.30 119,500 Lake Mead 1,188.23 22,299,000* * active storage On September 30, 1963 the conditions at these same reservoirs were: Water surface Surface storage elevation, feet contents, acre-feet Navajo 5,940.25 379,300 Flaming Gorge 5,930.86 859,500 Lake Powell 3,393.5 2,535,000 Lake Mead 1,149.04 17,373,000* * active storage On June 13, 1961 the Commissioner of Reclamation transmitted to the Secretary of the Interior a memorandum discussing his proposed "general principles" and an "Explanation of Proposed Procedures for Computing Deficiencies in Firm Power Generation at Hoover Dam During Filling of Colorado River Storage Project Reservoirs." The Region 3 office of the Bureau of Reclamation in Boulder City, Nevada began computing the so-called "deficiencies" as of 2:00 p.m. March 13, 1963 in the manner discussed in the Explanation dated June 13, 1961. The Commission's Staff receives copies of these computations each month. These computations are reviewed periodically. The staff's comments concerning the results and procedures used in computing the so-called "deficiencies" are transmitted to the Commission and its Engineering Committee. To the end of September, 1963 the Region 3 office of the Bureau has estimated that the filling of Upper Basin Storage Units has caused a diminution in firm energy generation at Hoover Dam power plants of about 75 million kilowatt-hours. 22 |