Page 4

2 RELEASE OF COLORADO RIVER WATER upon to make good a proportionate share of these 280,000 acre-feet. That is, we will want to make certain that the upper basin is not being let in for a future assessment, so to speak. But first of all, we will want to know by what authority the Secretary of the Interior accumulated this water, presumably by encroachment upon flood control standards and criteria. Even more important, we want to know by what authority he is using it for flushing or sluicing, once it's accumulated, when it is so gravely needed for other purposes. Our first witness will be the distinguished Secretary of the Interior, the Honorable Stewart Udall. The Secretary will be accompanied by Floyd Dominy, Commissioner of Reclamation, and Mr. Edward Weinberg, Associate Solicitor of the Department of the Interior. Before calling the Interior witnesses, however, I will direct that a letter I have received from the Honorable Edwin L. Mechem, Governor of New Mexico, on the subject appear in the record at this point. (The letter is as follows:) EXECUTIVE OFFICE, STATE OF NEW MEXICO, Santa Fe, May 18, 1962 Hon. CLINTON P. ANDERSON, Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR ANDERSON: I am informed that the Commissioner of Reclamation plans to release about 280,000 acre-feet of water from Lake Mead in the coming fall and winter for the stated purpose of removing sediment plugs from the channel of the Colorado River below Imperial Dam. Unless unusual water supply conditions prevail, such releases will, under the filling criteria announced by the Secretary of the Interior, adversely affect the filling of Lake Powell and the accumulation of power revenue credits under Public Law 485. The importance that water now in storage in Lake Mead will have during the initial filling of Lake Powell makes it imperative that any trouble-some silt plugs in the Colorado River be removed by dredging or some means other than the release of water. I am not convinced that the Bureau of Reclamation has the authority to release water from Lake Mead for the purpose stated if such releases might adversely affect the development and use of water in the upper basin. The Commissioner's contemplation of this wasteful use of water demonstrates that such authority, if it exists, can be used, on one pretext or another, to operate the river inequitably. I urge that your committee make an investigation to determine whether the Commissioner of Reclamation has the authority to make releases from Lake Mead to remove sediment from the channel. If your committee finds that such authority does exist, it would appear that amendatory legislation should be introduced to divest that authority. I appreciate that it may be too late to have amendatory legislation enacted during this session but early introduction of such a bill might implement action in the next session. Sincerely, (Signed) Ed, EDWIN L. MECHEM, Governor. Senator ANDERSON. Mr. Secretary, Mr. Commissioner, and Mr. Solicitor, we are glad to have you with us.Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 1,354,625 byte