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<br />
<br />I & e~roi.ned the proposalsf'or vaus !\lternate reserv;i~~-.""
<br />To be ef'f'ective these alterna.tes$ue:\:i,provi'deapproxiinately the same
<br />storage of water and llI11.st waste a$ ,l1t~l.e water as possible. The latter
<br />is extremely important for the, avlj.ilabl$,water for consumptive uses in
<br />the Upper doloradoRiver Basil).i.s If'arless than will be needed for the
<br />'full economy of' this region,
<br />1
<br />I have been furnished with ini'ol'!IW.tion on the Newl4oab, Dewey,
<br />Desolation dam sitesf and have cOlf.sidered the possibi..ityofincreasing
<br />the height of' the p!'oposed Glen C\,-nyon Dam,I.!lI)I,particularlyimpressed
<br />with the showing that any of' thelle alternate dam and reservoir sites',
<br />would result in a net 'loss of' water f'rom evaporati.onfrom approximately
<br />100,000 'to, 200,000 acre feet per year. 'Even the lower figure is enough
<br />to provide all of the domes'tic~ c9mmeroi.alal).d iI}dul;ltrial water for a
<br />city 'chesize; of Del1.."er, ' In an area where water is' soprec:LouB th:l,s
<br />is a' matte~' of very. se:d.ous dl!mSe~uence. " Such J:Ol;lt water cannot be re-
<br />placed at any cost aild the'ultima~e'regi.onal'e()onoroy:would have;to be
<br />redaced accordingly,,' '
<br />
<br />There has been some questi.on as to the l1-ccuracy ,of th", esti- '
<br />,mates . of' evapol'ation, and the app1:l.oati.on, of,'~hefO:t'lllulas; used to ;()ompute
<br />lOsses. ' I have l'eviewed.'thi.s mat!ter andi' 'while there may be, some, error
<br />'due to'ashortiage of ex.pe~o:'.mentalfdata, ,I',lInconvinclSdthat the:calcula-
<br />tions are reasonable, and anyerro~.'that exi'sts is, ,equally applicable to
<br />'the caloulations'f'olha:Ll l:'eservoiil's.,' The:refore, ,the erroril'l',ne:t dif'-
<br />, ferenoes in calculated 'losses betWeen allY' two :reservoirs must ,be: small.
<br />
<br />., I.'
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<br />There would,besubstantial,losi1 in electric generat:l,.ll{i:capacity
<br />if any one of' the alternate sites! were selected, l~hile this is a matter
<br />of' ' economi.c importance~Ido.not .Iil ttach 'as ':lll\lch weight t,o ' it as t,o the,
<br />loss of water. The power' l,oss cO'.lld be replr;.ced by s~eaJl) power at some
<br />increased 'cost. ,,'
<br />
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<br />
<br />, I share the concern of'(those who: woul<;l, preile.'Ve the be:auties
<br />of the Dinosaur National MdnumentJintheir pxoesel'l'~ natural statap but.
<br />as betweena'cho:\;ceofaltel'ing~his scenery 'Vli.thoutdest:'oying ,it, 5.n a
<br />basin whi.ch is and Will remain r~ch i.n scene~"Y',.,Or the ir:repla,ceable
<br />loss of' enough water t,o supply aH the needs, qf' ,4 .l1.tythe size: of
<br />Denverr I'believethe conse7.'\"ation of' the water, in the interest of the
<br />nation is of grea'~egt impo::,tance,;
<br />
<br />In vi.ewof the f'dregoirlg, I reoommendthl1-t th9 plan for the
<br />development of. the, Upper Colo::ad~ River. Basi:l inc:;L '.ldethe ~ho Pa:rk
<br />and Split Moun'~a.in DamsandxoeseI!Voi:rs within, the"DiJlosaur Na t:i.onal
<br />,Monument, ,Thi,s is inkee:pi,ngwi.~h the orig:l.nalrecommendation made by
<br />the ,f'ormer Secretary of the Inte~ior.
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<br />,:.,
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<br />/sIEalp~ A. Tudor
<br />. ,',Ul'lder ,Seoretary
<br />
<br />APPROVED:
<br />/ s/' DO'.lglas MaKay
<br />
<br />52001,
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