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Show At the time of the hearings before Congressional Committees in 1954, it was estimated that Flaming Gorge dam would cost about $85,-000,000. This estimate was for a concrete gravity type dam. Since that time the Bureau of Reclamation has designed a more satisfactory thin arch concrete dam and has determined from detailed diamond drilling at the site that such a dam would have superior qualities over a gravity dam. This change in basic dam design will result in a reduction of about $20,000,000 from the original cost estimate. Contracts that have been awarded for the construction of the Flaming Gorge Storage Unit now total approximately $33,000,000. 3. Navajo Storage Unit The Navajo Dam will be located in northwestern New Mexico on the San Juan River 34 miles east of Farmington and 3V2 miles downstream from the confluence of the Los Pinos and San Juan Rivers. The dam will be a rolled earth fill embankment structure. Revised studies indicate that the reservoir will have 1,700,000 acre-feet total capacity and an active capacity of 1,028,000 acre-feet. Accumulations of sediment in this reservoir will amount to approximately 330,000 acre-feet in 100 years with much of the sediment being deposited in the inactive space. The major purpose of this reservoir will be to regulate the flows of the San Juan River for the potential Navajo Indian Irrigation Project near Farmington and the San Juan-Chama Project in the Rio Grande Basin and perhaps for the small authorized Hammond Project. Part of the water to be made available may also be used for industrial and municipal purposes in northwestern New Mexico. Recreational facilities will be provided and are expected to contribute materially to the economy of the area. Construction Activities Work under a contract awarded in October, 1957 for the construction of residences, streets, utilities, and power facilities for a temporary Government camp at Navajo Dam was completed in June, 1958. Contracts have been negotiated for furnishing electric power, gas and telephone service to the camp site. Several temporary houses have been constructed. The Bureau of Reclamation has decided that it will be cheaper to house its personnel and office in Farmington with only the field personnel at the dam site. Extensive explorations have been made in the barrow area to locate 30,000,000 cubic yards of earth materials satisfactory for the dam. As the result of successful negotiations between the State of New Mexico and the Federal Government a 13.6 mile access road to the Navajo Dam Camp area has been completed. Plans and specifications for Navajo Dam were issued in May, 1958. The construction contract 32 |