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""'Jf Wo", be1t'fta on Gl.n Canyon dam. The Project The Colorado River Storage Proiect, as authonz.ed by Public law 485, 84th Congress, is a multi.purpose reclamation project pro- viding for four large main-stream dams known as "storage units" and eleven Irri- gation prolects known os "participating projects." The project provides for for-reaching benefits, including flood control, regulation of the Colorado River, produchon of power, recreational developments and woter for use on land and In comrnunitles. Con- gress authorized on appropriation not to exceed $760 million for the proj" ect. It will be constructed under the direction of the United States Bur- eau of Reclamation. The Federal Government will loan the orig- inal costs of the project. Ap- proximately 99 per cent of total costs will be repaid by those who benefit from the water and power. History In 1922 the Colorado River Compact was negotiated among the seven states served by the Colorado River. This compact pro- vides for division of river water between the Upper and Lower boslns, with each basin granted 7Y2 million acre-feet each year. Upper Basin States ore Colorado, New Mex- !Co, Utah and Wyommg. Lower BaSin States ore Arizona, Nevada and California. (A smoJJ pClfjjon of Arizona IS In the Upper BaSin, and small areas withm two Upper Basin stales-Utah and New Mexico-are in the Lower Basin.) In 1948, Upper Bosin stales negotiated a compact dividing the waters allocated these states (:md settmg up the Upper Colorado River Commission, with representatives from each of the four slates and the Federal Government. Upper Colorado River Storage Project plans were completed In 1950 and construc- tion outhorization approved by the U. S. Senate April 20, 1955. House of Represen- tatives approval followed March 1, 1956, and Presiden' Eisenhower Signed the legiS- lation into law April", 1956. Several Important contracts hove been let and work proceeding on several projects. To date, about 70% of the contracts let hove been below engmeer's estimates. For e.>::am- pie, the prime contract for Glen Canyon Dam was $107,955, 122-nearly $28 million under the engineer estimates. Main Stream Dams The four mom-stream storage dams pro- vide the river regulation and the water storage necessary for the functioning of the project. These four dams include the Glen Canyon Dam located on the Colorado River in northern Arizona; the Navajo Dam lo- cated on the Son Juan River 10 northwestern New Mexico; the Flaming Gorge Dam lo- cated on the Green River in northeastern Utah; and the Curecantl unit located on the Gunnison River In western Colorado. All of these units, with the exception of the Navajo Dam, create hydroelectric power which IS needed by the area for industrial and com- ......,.~-: -"",~~~-"""","",,,,"~;.~ .- -"",'L" ,.~'"'... ~~ :........_C~~~!-e~->;::,- ~ __ ~-:-i#.~ -- -....~~~JZ:~;....---~~. ~_....'!.\...- ~~~:. ~'~;~;~~~'f~" " ~:.~~::~- "~":::'-~l !';l~-rl~:fli',. ..- .~~ ,;/.~~mt-. ~..~:!.~ .. .. .O~:.~g.L ";:., :>f~:'. munity expansion. Sale of power will pro- duce revenue which will help repay costs of thf' over-all project. GLEN CANYON DAM ThiS dam will rise 700 feet above founda- tion and will be 1500 feet in length. The res- ervoir it will form will have a capacity of 28 million acre-feet of water and will extend 186 miles up the Colorado River and 71 miles up the San Juan River. lis installed generat- ing capacity will be approximately 900,000 kilowatts, with on overage power auf put of 4,600,000,000 kilowatt hours each year. NAVAJO DAM According to information presented dur- ing Congressional hearings, this was planned as an earth-fill dam that will be 408 feet above foundation and extend 3,750 feet in length. The reservoir capacity was estImated at 1,700,000 acre-feet of water. Additional studies and investigations by the Bureau of Reclamation are now in progress. FLAMING GORGE DAM ThiS dam will rise 495 feet above founda- tion and will be 1,270 feet long. The reser- voir will hove a storage capacity of approx- imately four-million acre-feet of water and will ex1end 91 miles up the Green River. The dam will have an Installed power capa- city of approximately 108,000 kilowatts and will produce salable power of approximately 430,000,000 kilowatt hours each year. CUR.ECANTI UNIT Construction on this unit In western Colo- rado wdl not be commenced until further engineering and economiC studies have been made. Preliminary s1udles show that a favor- able plan would include a series of several dams, reserVOirs, and power plQrl's along a 35-mile river section. These power plants would have an installed generating capacity of about 159,000 kilowatts. The Curecanti Reservoir, the fart-hest upstream of the series, would be formed by Blue Mesa Dam, which would be about 350 feet high and would create 0 reservoir with a storage capacity of about 940,000 acre-feet.