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<br />001891
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<br />i;;: GROUNIl WATtR TOsT/n:,\JIfS '" I , \
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<br />In tht> Sahllnl, the~s ton,at-an oasi~
<br />cO;lld be de(rlnumtnJ in~, SUbsequent precip-
<br />itation of the evaporated portion would fall
<br />wh('l'e Jt could'oo no gOotl.-,This'is not tme ill
<br />the Colol'ado RiveI" nasin, Cervi's has found
<br />{rom its,expert witnesses; ,
<br />But at recent congressional hearings, on rec-
<br />lamation pr<ljccts, other oxpert testimony was
<br />given thnt _the e.vaporlj,tlon ,Io_sses from reser-
<br />voil's in the Colorado River Slisin, totaled ncar.
<br />Iy 3 million acre.feet Il ,year, - This was written
<br />off al; 10sl water. lost to Colorado, J6.st to the
<br />Up!),;,r and Lower Basins, If not 10ll't to the
<br />wol'ld,
<br />The fallll('1 of thiS congressional testimony
<br />11....<: ill th" facl thnt the cVnl10ratcd WaleI' Is
<br />dumpcd ri~ht o;l'('k in thc_ {m'm of pl'ectpltatiOl\
<br />OV('r the Bot'kic,~' - the 'piCket" fence to whIch
<br />the pi'evalJilllf winds carry it.
<br />Of ('oUl'se, evaporation tnkes 'place in tbe
<br />COlonldo River Basin, hut as in th.e case of,the
<br />(alse <1ssumption that there is a shortage of wa-
<br />ter in the ColD-rado' River (see - story in Cftrvi'8
<br />S('pt~ 29 I:Wle) polillclans and experts arc de-
<br />ceiving thell1selves on primary faets of- hY<lI'Q.
<br />logical science, The evidence is there if tbey
<br />wnut to examine it.
<br />In the efCort '10 set the record' straight, Cervi's
<br />Joumal publishes lhis ,week a pictorial repre.
<br />sentation on Ihe HYdl'ologie -Cyelc, togethet with
<br />a map or the, Colorado River Basi'ns sMwJng,
<br />lllllong other datn, the direction of prevailing
<br />winds
<br />Tlll'se maps were drawn (or Cervi's by
<br />iHilIs f'~. Bunger, rnwd in' "Who's' Who in
<br />Amel'ica" 'liS the country's leading expert on
<br />the wlltet' supply of the Colorado RIver Basln.
<br />H's a m.l'stif.l'ing- thing, says Bunger, tbat
<br />JJllln.l-' \wHet' officials whO,eal'ly in theil' -cllreer
<br />had ilMtilled into. them' the {ollowing qttotaUllll
<br />from the Bible now overlook tlu~ full portent of
<br />what was wI'IUen. Book of EeeJesialltes, ch,ap_
<br />tel' I, V()l'se 7, reads:
<br />All the river.~ run into the seo.;
<br />Yet the sea.'is not fllll;
<br />Unto the place from- Whence tke- riVers
<br />come
<br />Thither they return again.
<br />In a way, the quotaUon, Of which water rllen
<br />are tond, , Js the basis of the: Hydrologic- Cycle,
<br />Evaporation and --preelpit.aUon ~ the chicken
<br />and Ihc egg - wliicll caine - fil"st? The process
<br />is ul1('nding,
<br />The evapOl'atlon lI'9m a,Cean, rlvers, and
<br />S[I'ClIm:;, vegetation, natural lakes 11l1d ponds,
<br />re.~_Cl"Vojl's, h'l'ig-nted areas and even soil, Is.
<br />carded by the 'bJllowing 'ewuds over the land
<br />and precipitated back as, rainfall-or-snow,
<br />Bunger estimates that where You have
<br />30,000 acres of J\lnd in a reservoir basin the
<br />evapol'ation amount is 2 feet imd 60.000- acre.
<br />reel goe,~ Ill} in the air,
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<br />nel'S, naVe teS.Ufie.d_ ~ this is lost to the Colo-
<br />rado River Uasil1, ~
<br />"Till$: i~ a fallacy, said Bunger', '''the -mois,
<br />ture.lndon -Winds from the PacllIe, blowing ,ljP
<br />the bll~in, pick up the addJtional evnporation
<br />and" precipitate', It right back."
<br />The prevalIing winds, starting at tbe Gulf of
<br />California_ and the Pacific Ocean, are coming
<br />f,'om the south.w:est and going to the northeast.
<br />The wind directions represent a la.year aver_
<br />age observed at various weather stations.
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<br />
<br />. Wluln CervI's JQurnal started out on its
<br />,wolle into tho experts' views _ on 'hydft}logical '
<br />Ilhel1oltll.'na in l'olatJonship (0 the Cnlor'ado Riv.
<br />el' !losin in this stllte, it run inio' rigid concepts,
<br />mos-t of which had thck origins in political con;
<br />sldcl'nUous _or departmenti'll je~lIousie:i.
<br />TOll federal-level replies sidestepped tho
<br />issues, At the state level, the pattern was.Intel....
<br />esling.
<br />Meaningles~ battle cries exhorting Colorll'
<br />dims t{) defend their watel' rights, "witl:i' their
<br />livcs and honot''' were interspersed with eal"-
<br />nest rhctQrie on 'the history of ColoradO'1I lead.
<br />ership in tbe l'Celamlltion field,
<br />Tllere WIlS nl) cl'ystal-c1eal' lI!1Swel' for ques,
<br />tiOllS like thia:
<br />. Is thCI'C enough water In the Colorado
<br />Riv,ol' [0 /neet all eommUments?
<br />'.- Is water being lost for lack of use?
<br />. I~ the emphasis of wnter authorities mis.
<br />placed? -l,
<br />. Could Colorado River water be har_
<br />nessed 10 jJl"ol'ide cheapcl' r>ub!ic power?
<br />. Should dcvelol)fficnt of Cheap j}Ower be
<br />linked with, eivic attempts to attract majm' in,
<br />dustrinl Usel'S?
<br />Only l'clllisfIc officlals ill,'-loWt'r echelons of
<br />federal rllnks had opinions they were wiliing to
<br />impal't c;lndidly. There Was II reluctance to be
<br />quoted by name, possibly spurred, by fears of
<br />,arresttJd cm-cers.
<br />Their views - eohiclded much with thOse of
<br />Mills E. Bunges., who has placed no eonstl'aint
<br />On ce-rvi"s fiO fill' as. attribution is concerned,
<br />Authol'ities ot! water abound, and like in any ,
<br />field of cndcuvor', few pOllcY-nl.akeI'S can claim {,
<br />to b(! without sin. Most of the Ilolley-mtlkel"B
<br />however, claimed only- tu be poli~y.lmplcmcn_
<br />tel'S,
<br />Cervi's found Reclamation Buteau oUidals
<br />more coneCI'ned aboul their l'lvnll'ies wilh Ule
<br />Army COrl}.~ of ElIgincel's (who wiU run what-,
<br />project) than they were about -taking 'the' lead~_I'~
<br />'ership on a fair assessment of a coldly logical r,
<br />water policy. . .
<br />And ovel'1a'pping as one, federal IIgency' call
<br />be with another, retreat often ilty half.way
<br />through <1 discussj()tl by reference to another
<br />MOI'.cOll :"ag-c3S
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