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The basic problem, therefore, becomes one of filling the upper basin reservoirs at the earliest practicable time to reasonably high operating levels so they can begin to produce the power revenues required for repayment of their costs without disrupting the lower basin economy which depends on Colorado River water for its strength. The cooperative efforts of the va rious upper and lower basin groups and the Bureau on the filling problem have been very helpful. Great use was made of the cooperative studies in arriving at a tentative set of "Proposed General Principles to Govern, and Oper-, ating Criteria for Glen Canyon Reservoir and Lake Mead During the Glen Canyon Reservoir Filling Period," approved by the Secretary February 9, 1960. These proposed principles and criteria are based on four major premises, namely: (1) Anticipated uses of water (other than power) below Hoover Dam will be satisfied; (2) secondary energy should not be generated at Hoover during the filling period; (3) minimum power heads in the upper basin reservoirs should be ate tained at the earliest practicable time; and (4) operation should be such as to maximille combined energy generation at all Federal power- plants on river. In addition, the proposed principles and criteria pro- vide that an allowance be ma,de for any computed deficiency in firm energy at Hoover Powerplant which might be caused by filling the stor- age project reservoirs. A final decision on these proposed principles and criteria has not been reached. Comments by most of the interested parties have now been received and consideration is being given to all aspects of the pro- blem to determine if the proposed principles should be revised and if so, the nature of the revision. On October 1, 1959, six utilities presented to the Bureau a plan whereby they would construct certain elements of the transmission system. In essence this plan provides that the utilities would construct all necessary transmission lines with the exception of a line, or lines, be- tween Glen Canyon and Poncha Junction near Salida, Colorado, and from Flaming Gorge to Vernal, Utah, and to Oak Creek, Colorado. Said another way, the utilities would construct what amounts to all north-south lines and the Government would construct what amounts to all east-west lines except for certain lines in Colorado. The utilities followed up their October 1, 1959, proposal in April 1960 by several letters which set forth the charges which the utilities would make for use of the transmission lines which they would construct under their physical plan, - 21 -