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Show s.r:v.w,u.a hydrographicoiv. GRAVITY AND PUMP WATER _ USED FOR IRRIGATION YEAR 1953 LEGEND PUMPED POR tRRIGATION VERDE BELOW 8ARTLETT SALT BELOW STEWART MOUNTAIN Extract From the Report of the Salt River CALIFORNIA DEFENDANTS Project for 1953 Exhibk No 6 (pages 14 and 15) Admitted: July 3, 1956 WATER TRANSMISSION Fulfilling the Valley's water demands is the Transmission Supervisor's responsibility. Under his control, the gravity water behind the dams on the Salt and Verde Rivers, is released for distribution to the lands. In an effort to improve the transmission system, the Board approved the purchase and construction of a $50,000.00 cutter dredge from American Steel Dredge Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana, the successful low bidder. This dredge will begin operation in the spring of next year at Granite Reef, a diversion dam for the Valley's irrigation distribution network. The diversion basin, filled with sand, is a serious problem to the Transmission Supervisor in scheduling the water to the canals and laterals,, as can be seen in the following picture. The dredge will eventually control this sand problem very effectively. POTENTIAL AND ACTUAL PUMPING The graph above illustrates how the gravity underground storage was drawn upon to maintain a favorable balance. Throughout the year, the 18 silver iodide generators operated 2,500 hours. These cloud-seeding rain units placed in strategic locations on our watershed, were activated whenever low nimbus and cumulo-nimbus clouds developed in the area. With a total gravity water storage capacity of 2,076,713 acre feet, the Project has available 969,827 acre feet for 1954, which will be augmented with the spring runoff. UNDERGROUND WATER This valuable supply of underground water storage that is primarily replenished from the irrigated lands has been vigorously developed throughout the year. As noted in the graph at right, the potential underground supply increased from 40,000 acre feet per month in 1949 to a maximum of 71,000 acre feet per month this year. This graph also depicts the favorable balance be- tween water potential and demand throughout the year. This favorable potential was insured with the re-drilling and equipping of 7 wells, the deepening of 3, at a cost of $310,069.00, made available under the Rehabilitation and Betterment Program. In addition, $45,288.00 was expended during the year to overhaul 134 deepwell pumps to maintain them at their peak efficiency. During the year 451,638 acre feet were pumped, requiring 125,353,636 KWH of electric power. The new Highline Pumping Plant delivered 40,211 acre feet to the higher Project lands, and consumed 3,671,000 KWH at a cost of $33,476.00. This amount represents a yearly power savings of $24,007.00 over the old pumping plant. |