Updating the Hoover Dam documents, 1978 / Milton N. Nathanson.

page VI-64

VI-64 UPDATING THE HOOVER DAM DOCUMENTS COLORADO RIVER STORAGE PROJECT 59 ignore in connection with monetary reinbursement the great value of such peaking capacity to the Hoover power contractors. The last portion of section 5, concerning reimbursement of the upper basin fund after 1987, is stricken through in the attached revision of the Commissioner's proposal of general principles and criteria. The Hoover power contractors in California are opposed, to such a provision as they consider that it would be an unfair penalty against lower basin power users in the future. It is a well-established principle that if the output of existing powerplants is to be unpaired by new developments upstream, the financial burden of such impairment rests on the upstream development. To whatever extent Lake Mead storage may be drawn upon to meet downstream requirements, the storage project will benefit by faster filling of the reservoirs and buildup of power head than could otherwise occur. Section 8 of the proposed principles is revised to include a provision that any water stored in Lake Powell above minimum power pool shall be subject to release to maintain rated head on Hoover power-plant. It is considered imperative that insofar as practicable the lvilowatt capacity at the Hoover powerplant be unimpaired by reason of the filling of the storage project reservoirs. Suggested revisions in the proposed principles and criteria not specifically mentioned or discussed herein are considered self-explanatory. In addition to the change recommended above, other corollary changes should be made in the Commissioner's memorandum of June 13, 19G1, to the Secretary in accordance with the revisions of the actual principles and criteria. No statement of general principles and criteria can possibly cover all contingencies. It is realized that many of the details of the actual operation of the reservoirs during the period of filling of the Colorado River storage project reservoirs must be left to the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior and his advisers. Additional criteria and more specific operating rules no doubt will be formulated and applied as the procedure evolves. To this end it is recommended and strongly urged that the Secretary in conjunction with the announcement of proposed principles and criteria also provide definite and specific arrangements for the formation of a working committee to collaborate with the Secretary in resolving the problems that are bound to arise and in devising and enforcing specific operating rules to insure that the daily, monthly, and yearly operation of the reservoirs will lead to full observance of the general principles and correct application of the fundamental criteria. Such a committee should include representation of the lower basin water users as well as the power contractors, and the water users and power contractors should be given an effective voice in the decisions to be reached by the Secretary in consultation with the committee. Congressional authorization for constitution of such a committee is desirable. An adequate gaging program to obtain the required information on streamflow, storage, and use would be fundamental to the deliberations of such a committee.