Statement by Commissioner of Reclamation Floyd E. Dominy at Colorado River Commission Meeting in Denver, Colorado

Document: Statement by Commissioner Floyd E. Dominy at Colorado River Commission Meeting in Denver, Colorado, Wednesday, April 15, 1964 (photocopy), page 3Cutback of Power Generation Despite the opinions expressed by representatives of the power allottees at Hoover Dam, that sufficient water should be available for generation of firm energy during the 1962-1963 year of operation, Regional Director A. B. West held that only sufficient "water be made available at least sufficient to meet downstream requirements." It is a matter of record that water for downstream irrigation and domestic requirements only were released from Lake Mead in that year in anticipation of the needs to start filling operations at Lake Powell the following year. The same condition has since applied. No water has been released at Hoover Dam solely for power production since 1960. Water Salvage on Lower Colorado River Channelization of the Colorado River from Topock Gorge to Big Bend has resulted in an annual water salvage of over 130,000 acre-feet. Since early 1960 the Bureau has had an approved plan for the rectification of 16 miles of badly braided river channel in the Cibola Valley, that would result in an estimated additional annual salvage of 36,000 acre-feet of water. Work has been delayed until early this year by Congressional Committees pending agreement between the States of Arizona and California on their common boundary. As mentioned above, up to 285,000 acre-feet annually of additional water salvage will be possible by operation of Senator Wash Dam and Reservoir, an offstream facility which we now have under construction at a site only two miles upstream from Imperial Dam. The reservoir, in a strategic offstream site, will be used for the storage of excess water reaching Imperial Reservoir, including minor floods, for later release as required to satisfy irrigation requirements. As pointed out, in our best years of operation at Imperial Dam, we have seldom been able to regulate flows reaching Imperial so that less than 300,000 acre-feet of water in excess of Mexico's scheduled annual requirement reached the International Boundary. We anticipate much closer and accurate downstream deliveries when Senator Wash Dam is completed. Need of Conserving Water in Lower Basin Since issuance of the decree in Arizona v. California by the Supreme Court less than six weeks ago, we have given high priority to a determination of overall operating criteria to be followed in river operations under the decree. On August 14, 1962, Regional Director West wrote all contractors of Colorado River Water calling attention to the potential critical situation and urging a reduction in water requirements where possible. This has not been too successful, but since issuance of the decree the extent and requirements for uses of water all along the river have been and are presently under scrutiny to develop plans for reduced delivery schedules to irrigation and domestic users conforming with reasonable use provisions of the Lower Basin water contracts. 3Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 1,470,481 byte