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Show VI-62 UPDATING THE HOOVER DAM DOCUMENTS COLORADO RIVER STORAGE PROJECT 57 hnn power and energy rates, but in the exercise of the authority hereby granted he shall not affect or interfere with the operation of the provisions of the Colorado Kiver coinpuct, the Upper Colorado River Basin compact, the Boulder Canyon Project Act, the Boulder Canyon Project Adjustment Act, and any contract lawfully entered unto under said compacts and Acts. Recommended herewith are certain revisions considered essential to the proper recognition of the rights and interests of the water and powrrt users of California. Attached hereto is a copy of the Commissioner's' proposal of June 13 upon which the revisions urged by the California interests are indicated by striking through the recommended deletions and underlining the recommended additions. The recommended revisions are discussed in the paragraphs which follow, in the order in which they occur. The title and the first sentence of section 2 are changed to make the proposed principles and criteria apply on an equal basis to all the authorized reservoirs in the Colorado River storage project, not to Lake Powell alone. So far as the effect on the lower Dasin is concerned there is no distinction between water withheld to fill the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, for example, and water withheld to fill Lake Powell. It appears only reasonable, equitable, and consistent that the filling period and the application of the principles should begin on the date when any one of the Colorado River storage project reservoirs, is first capable of storing water. Such intent is indicated in the eighth paragraph of the Commissioner's memorandum of June 13 and in section 5 of the proposed principles and criteria, but section 2 appears to be inconsistent with section 5. The second revision is in the middle of section 2 to provide that the application of the principles and criteria shall not end automatically when Lake Powell first attains elevation 3,700, unless at the same time Lake Mead storage is at or above elevation 1,346. It is deemed essential that during and after the filling of Lake Powell to elevation 3,700, a reasonable cushion against adverse runoff conditions be provided by stroage in Lake Mead, in order to assure the full meeting of downstream water requirements and the maintenance of rat eel head at Hoover powerplant. In addition, it appears that the transition from filling to cyclical operations would be more readily and smoothly achieved if the contents of Lake Mead were at a fairly high level at the start. The next revision in the last sentence of section 2 is to provide that the Secretary shall not at any time previous to the attaining of elevation 3,700 for the water surface in Lake Powell, declare for any other reason that the principles and criteria are no longer applicable, except upon notice to the affected parties a reasonable period in advance. This is so that the lower basin power and water users may have ample time to appraise the situation which would result from cancellation of the criteria, and opportunity to take such action as appears necessary. Revisions suggested in sections 3 and 4 of the proposed principles and criteria appear to require no special comment or explanation. The next revision, in line 9 of section 5, reverses the Commissioner's proposal and states that the effects of evaporation from the surface of the upper basin reservoirs shall be included in computing the total effects of the filling of such reservoirs upon the power capacity and energy generation of the lower basin powerplants. The position of lower basin interests upon this item is set forth in a letter dated October 10, 1960, from A. J. Shaver, chief engineer of the Colorado River |