WSP10185

• File Number: 8112.600
• Description: Arkansas White Red Basins Interagency Committee - AWRBIAC -- Reports
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 6/1/1955
• Title: Arkansas-White-Red River Basins - Part II - Section 7 - Hydroelectric Power Development of Utilization
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Chapter VI - The Plan of Improvement for
Hydroelectric Power Development and Utilization

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, 8. Chapter VI defines the pertinent terminology for this
i8Q~tion of the report, describes the basins concerned and the stream
f1~w, evaporation, and sedimentation characteristics of each. It is
shown that the wide extremes in run-off require large amounts of
regulatory storage in order to ,effectively regulate the stream flows.
It is pointed out that the use of water for hydroelectric power pur-
poses must be and is coordinated with other water uses such as water
supply and irrigation. The critical hydro periods for each river
basin and for the entire region under study are described. It is
found that the regional critical period for 45 existing, under con-
struction, proviso clause,l! and potential projects in the White,
Red, and Lower Arkansas Basins would extend from August 1939 to
October 1940, inclusive. It is also noted that a new regional crit-
ical period may be presently in progress.

9. The hydroelectric power potential is described and it
is pointed out that 50 potential 'plants, with a tentative total in-
stalled capacity of 776,100 kilowatts, ,were screened and omitted
from a total of 76 potentialities studied. The power characteristics
of the 26 Selected potential plants are discussed in detail and the
outputs are combined with the 26 existing and under construction
plants and the 18 proviso clause plants in the three basins to arrive
at an ultimate installed capacity of about 3.2 million kilowa ttsahd
a potential average annual energy output of about 9.3 billion
kilmratt-hours. It is pointed out that some of the potentials may be
adaptable to pumped storage design.

10. The possibilities of coordinating the operations of
the 45 plants in the Uhite, Red, and Lower Arkansas aro pointed out.
Operational experience shows such coordination to be feasible. The
critical period operation study made for these plants is described
and it is ShOMl that the hypothetical operation increases the total
of the non-coincident minimum peaking capabilities by 149,000 kilo.,
~atts to 2,869,000 kilo~atts.

11. The necessary coordina'tion of the hydro pOlTer output
with other sources of supply is described. It is sholffi that, a.fter
accounting for the ultimate outputs of all existing, under construc-
tion, and proviso clause hydro plants and existing and scheduled
fuel-electric plants, all of the potential Upper Arkansas plants could
be ,absorbed by the estimated 1975 load in Colorado. It is similarly
shoun that the potential proje~~~ in the remainder of tho basins could
be absorbed by the estimated'1975 loadS in Power Market Aroas D, D, E,
F, and H (see plate 1) with the predominant allocation to Areas E

1.1 See paragraph 27 fur dofini tion