WSP10526

• File Number: 8210.110.60
• Description: Colorado River Water Users Association
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 12/6/1962
• Author: CRWUA
• Title: Proceedings of the 19th Annual Conference
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

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As Lake Mead reached its peak last July, Colorado River water was lap-
ping at the spillway crests at Hoover Dam, Today, the lake contains about 23
million acre-feet, only about five million less than capacity. Runoff for the
1961-62 water year ending September 30 was over 15 million acre-feet, If we
can have a couple more years like that, the immediate problem on the filling
of Lake Powell behind Glen Canyon will be over,

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Let me make it plain that under the filling criteria all uses of water
below Hoover Dam, other than power production, will be satisfied while the
Upper Basin reservoirs are filling, And an appropriate adjustment will be
made with the Hoover power contractors for deficiency in generation of "basic
firm energy" at the Hoover powerplant.

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Needless to say, the hydropower production at the Flaming Gorge and
Glen Canyon powerplants will be coordinated with the Hoover powerplant op-
erations to produce the maximum amount of energy from these Federal hydro
giants, which is practicable and consistent with the filling of the Upper Basin
reservoi rs from the available and storable stream flows.

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We are pleased with the conclusion of the transmission line controversy.
Benefits will accrue to all parties involved through the arrangements agreed
upon for construction of backbone lines by the Federal Government and for
interconnection and wheeling arrangements with other utilities. At the same
time, the rights and interests of the preference customers are fully protected,

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Most important, however, is the fact that the magnitude of the power
revenues going into the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund will be greatly en-
hanced as compared to the previously considered proposals of the private
utilities. Accumulation of revenues in the Basin Fund would even exceed that
available by the construction of the proposed all-Federal yardstick system. At
the same time, all the purposes of the all-Federal system will be fulfilled,

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Also of significance is the signing of interconnection and wheeling con-
tracts with both the Colorado-Ute Electric Association and the Salt River Power
District. These latter contracts provide that in exchange for delivery of power
and energy to the Bureau from the proposed preference customers' steam
plants at Hayden, Colorado and Shiprock, New Mexico, the Bureau will make
available an equal amount of power and energy to the Colorado-Ute and Salt River
utilities from the Bureau's hydroplants at Glen Canyon, Curecanti and Flaming
Gorge,

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The installation of thermal generating capacity to be exchanged for ca-
pacity from Glen Canyon would need to be coordinated and integrated both as to
time and location with development of Storage Project powe'rplants and trans c
mission system if benefits to the United States and the Basin Fund are to be
realized. These savings would result from reduction of investment costs and
transmission facilities, savings in transmission losses and revenues from
wheeling charges for delivery of thermal capacity to preference customers
in the Southern Division.

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When the entire program contemplated is accomplished in time and place
the total increase in the Basin Fund as a result of these savings is estimated to
amount to more than $100,000,000 over the 86-year period of payout analysis.

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