OCR Text |
Show CALIFORNIA DEFENDANTS Exhibit No. 5 Admitted: June 29, 1956 Extract from report by engineering consultants Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Hall and MacDonald; dated April 16, 1956, adopted by Arizona in promoting sales of Agua Fria Power Plant bond issue. (Pages 19, 20 and 1st para, of p. 21.) Effects of Groundwater Levels on Power Load Forecasts Mention is made elsewhere in this Report of the progressive lowering of the groundwater table in the Salt River Valley in recent years, and its effect on the amount of energy required for agricultural pumping. To control the withdrawal of water from underground storage for irrigation, the State Legislature established an Underground Water Code in 1948 providing that, in certain areas, no new wells could be put into service to irrigate lands not previously in cultivation. The Code does not affect the drilling of wells and the use of water for residential, commercial and industrial purposes. With this basic underground water code in effect, however, it appears probable that future growth of electrical load for agricultural pumping will be limited to increases due to deeper pumping, use of boosters to salvage waste water, conversion from gas and oil to electric drive, etc. The availability of an adequate water supply for domestic, commercial and industrial purposes has also been considered in relation to its possible effect on future power loads. |