OCR Text |
Show VI -16 UPDATING THE HOOVER DAM DOCUMENTS COLORADO RIVER STORAGE PROJECT H stand have been made available to the lower basin interests. In addition, there have been many discussions with interested individuals, correspondence from various Senators and Congressmen, and further meetings as follows: January 9, 1961, in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the Upper Basin Engineering Committee. April 20, 1901, in Los Angeles, Calif., with the Hoover power contractors and other lower basin interests. May 8, 1901, in Denver, Colo., with the Upper Colorado Rivert Commission and advisers. Out of these meetings, letters, and discussions have come many suggestions for changes in the proposed general principles and criteria. Our own views have also changed on some aspects in light of information developed subsequent to their issuance. The proposed general principles and criteria have been reviewed by the Bureau taking into account the various comments of the basin interests as well as our own views. The revised general principles and operating criteria transmitted herewith reflect the Bureau's recommendations. We have proceeded on the basis of securing a practical approach to the problems of filling, as distinguished from what might be considered a legalistic approach involving an attempt on our part to establish principles and operating criteria on the basis of conclusions as to the perimeters of legal rights and obligations, with the consequent hazards which would attend such an approach. Consequently, our feeling is that irrespective of what might or might not be conceived by any party as the outer measure of its rights or obligations, and with no attempt to establish those limits as a basis for these principles and criteria, we propose action purely within a reasonable exercise of secretarial discretion. In general, the draft of the proposed general principles and criteria was well received and many oi the comments involve editorial perfection and clarification rather than change in substance. The most substantive of comments, and the most difficult to reconcile, go to principle 5 which deals with the proposal to make an allowance for a portion of the diminution in power generation at Hoover Dam. Because of the extent of comments on this principle, this memorandum will deal with that principle first. One of the comments received was that it should be made clear that the general principles and criteria will apply to all of the authorized storage units of the Colorado River storage project and not to the Glen Canyon unit alone. Since the proposed general principles and criteria are framed around the "operations of Glen Canyon Reservoir (Lake Powell), it was decided, in the interest of minimizing the extent of revision, to retain the present format. However, principle 5 of the general principles and criteria has been expanded to make it clear that in computing the allowance for deficiency in firm energy generation at Hoover powerplant the formula will take into account the effect on the stream by impoundment of water in all of the storage units (Glen Canyon, Flaming Gorge, Navajo, and Curecanti) but excluding the effects of evaporation from the surface of such reservoirs. Consistent with principle 2, the computation of and provision for allowance would not apply to Navajo and Flaming Gorge until the filling operation starts at Glen Canyon. Lake Powell will probably |