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<br /> <br />in any given year, although it is rare when such a curtailment is necessary. <br />Such is the case now and after an examination of the situation during last <br />August, it was decided that generation during the contract year ending <br />May 31, 1955 should be only 88% of the normal firm obligation. a reduction <br />of 502,000.000 kilowatt hours. Under this reduced program it appears that <br />the minimum level of Lake Mead next spring may dip to an approximate <br />1,090 feet, about 20 feet lower than the present level which in turn is about <br />110 feet below the maximum reached in 1941. <br /> <br />The future alone can tell us whether or not our meticulous planning <br />has been sufficiently well balanced to take care of every contingency that <br />nature sees fit to thrust at us. But this we already know, the Colorado Rlver <br />is the lifeline of the Southwest and when we take into consideration the effect <br />the river has on the economy of the region, we realize that the stakes we are <br />playing for are well worth the calculated risks involved. <br /> <br />Let us now review very briefly some of the highlights that the Bureau <br />believes you will be interested in: <br /> <br />1. Crops valued at nearly$al8, 000, 000 were produced in 1953 on Region 3 <br />projects receiving full or supplemental water supply from Reclamation- <br />constructed facilities. . <br /> <br />2. The Bureau completed work on two major projects, the second <br />barrel of the San Diego Aqueduct and Coachella Valley distribution <br />system. <br /> <br />3. Arizona, near Yuma, construction on canals of the Wellton-Mohawk <br />division of the Gila Project is substantially completed. <br /> <br />4. Bids for the rehabilitation of the Yuma Auxiliary Project will be <br />issued around the middle of next year. <br /> <br />5. All power production facilities and transmission lines on the <br />Bureau's Parker Dam Project have been completed. <br /> <br />6. The dredging program between Davis Dam and Needles at present <br />is feeling the effects of a lack of funds. Resumption of dredging <br />above Needles will be resumed when additional funds are obtained. <br /> <br />These are but a partial list of the present activities of the Bureau <br />of Reclamation but they do indicate the role that we are playing in <br />Reclamation Projects. <br /> <br />- 31 - <br />