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Show Extract From the Report of the Salt River CALIFORNIA DEFENDANTS Project for 1954 Exhibit No 7 (pages 20 and 21) Admitted: July 3, 1956 Improved operations and rehabilitation of facilities, including lining and replacement of obsolete gates, checks and structures has decreased the water losses in the system betwen 1950 and 1954 by 40; . This reduction amounts to a water savings of 48.000 acre feet per year, which is substantial for the expenditure, involved. Listed below are the gross run-off figures from our 13.000 square mile watershed for the last fifteen years: 1940 - 95X.39O Acre Feet 1947 - 4X4.504 Acre Feet 1941 .V127.449 Acre Feet I94S - 7OO.SS7 Acre Feet 1942 - - 7X2.526 Acre I eet 1949 - 1.335.4X9 Acre I eet 1943 __ X7 1.91X Acre I eet 1950 - 41 1.02 3 Acre F eet 1944 - X45.X54 Acre I eet 1951 - 679.452 Acre I eet 1^45 - 953.536 Acre I eet 1952 - I.XX 1.435 Acre I eet 1946 632.139 Acre I eet 1953 - 453.9S5 Acre Feet H>54 6X5.X37 Acre Feet S R \ W I A HYDRCX.RAPHIC DIVISION GRAVITY AND PUMP WATER USED FOR IRRIGATION YEAR 1954 Jl PUMPED FOR IRRIGATION VERDI: BELOW BARTLETT SALT BF1.OW STEWART MT. UvidgMAMHAyuL wafceA The Association's policy of pumping from the underground flow of the valley has always been on a carefully calculated basis of utilizing this water resource as a controllable item in the overall operation of our system. It is easy to visualize our program when it is recognized that gravity waters, released at the lowest of our storage dams, when once within the open channel system, cannot be checked or stored. With the 250 pumps, however, the flick of a switch governs the development and distribution on a time and volume basis, so selective and flexible that operations become greatly simplified and therefore more efficient. In order to properly maintain the supply from this vital source of water, the Pump Department constantly studies its graphic efficiency curves in order to re-equip, re-drill, re-design or maintain its pumping plant at a development potential adequate to fulfill any annual demand required. Of the 1.276.000 ;icre foot total requirement for 1954 to properly supply the lands of the Project. 4X7.OOO acre feet were pumped from the underground water supply. This amounted to 3KrJ of the total use and represented 63r'( of peak potential. The graph on page 22 reflects the relationship between the gravity water and pump water used for irrigation on the Project during 1954. This graph clearly indicates a very close control and balance maintained between the Project's water sources. There is very strong evidence, based upon long range studies of annual precipitation and its resulting run-off! that there is an appreciable loss in the amounts of water reaching our reservoir system, as compared to ten or twelve-year samples stairstepped back to the early nineteen hundreds. In our opinion, this decrease in flow is directly attributable to the increased encroachment upon our wjicrihed of nuxiouw plant growth. To combat this problem there are several experimental programs being put into operation, in an effort to select, through closely observed data, the most effective method of eradication. Fortunately, losses on the watershed coupled with dry precipitation cycles, have to date failed to seriously inconvenience or incapacitate our operations in supplying never less than 2.00 acre feet of water to each acre of farm land in our 240.000 acre project. Engineering and construction of all kinds on the Association's 1.270 miles of canals, laterals, and ditches, cost $I.32X.275 this year. Of this amount, the United States Bureau of Reclamation made $520.4X5 available on an interest-free loan Through its Rehabilitation and Betterment Program. An additional $574,220 was spent by the Association on maintenance of the Project. Some of the major accomplishments during the year were: |
