OCR Text |
Show APPENDIX VI VI 67 62 COLORADO RIVER STORAGE PROJECT 10. In the annual application of the flood control regulations to the operation of Lake Mead, recognition shall be given to available capacity in upstream reservoirs. Colorado River Commission of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nev., January 8, 1962. Hon. Stewart L. Udall, Secretary of the Interior, Washington, D.C. My Dear Mr. Secretary: We have at hand a copy of the June 1961 "General Principles To Govern, and Operating Criteria for, Glen Canyon Reservoir (Lake Powell) and Lake Mead During the Lake Powell Filling Period." It is our understanding that the Secretary of the Interior will be interested in comments thereon from the interested parties. The Colorado River Commission of Nevada, a party to the lower basin engineering group, which has made studies and previously offered comments on the proposed "filling criteria," offers these further comments, commenting only upon those paragraphs which, in our opinion, are subject to revisions: Section 2: As presently written these criteria apply only to the Lake Powell rilling. We suggest that these principles apply during the period defined as the interval when any Colorado River storage project reservoir is capable of storing water and the date on which Lake Powell storage attains an elevation of 3,700 feet, with Lake Mead elevation simultaneously at or above 1,146 feet, or May 31, 1987, whichever occurs first. We believe it was the intent of the Commissioner of Reclamation to apply these principles at the date of the capability of any of the Colorado River storage project reservoirs to store water as indicated in his comments of June 13, and as appear in section 5 of the criteria. Sections 2 and 5 are inconsistent in this respect. Section 5: The position of the lower basin group, on the item of "evaporation" is set forth in a letter from A. J. Shaver, on behalf of the lower basin engineering ^roup, dated October 10, 1960. We believe that evaporation during the filling period is part and parcel of the total reduction of flow to the lower basin. Further in section 5, provision is made for the Secretary to make fair allowance for anv deficiency in firm energy in Hoover powerplant, either in replacement energy or monetarily. In either event, this replacement should be in accordance with the Hoover contractor's schedule, and at times and in amounts that would have been available to the contractor had water not been withheld in the Colorado River storage project reservoirs. Nevada must insist also in the recognition of capacity rights in Hoover powerplant, and to storage in Lake Mead to protect those rights. Generating unit N-8, assigned to the State of Nevada, is now producing capacity and energy for the State, The Commissioner recognizes that the installation of this unit, at a rating of 95,000 kilowatts, permits greater peaking capacity, but does not increase the total annual energy delivery to the State. We cannot logically accept criteria that do not consider the value of this peaking capacity unless reimbursement is made in capacity deficiencies as well as in energy deficiencies. |