BOARD00836

• Board Meeting Date: 9/6/1956
• Description: Minutes and Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

471

ANSWER:

MR. CRAWFORD:

MR. KOBES:

MR. WUNSCH:

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"I do not have the figures. I recognize
much of that is private land. We feel this
way. ' Even th~ugh it is private property,
there is nothing to say in the future the
Department might not have to obtain some
of these private areas and open them to
public fishing, and any fishing on private
land takes off that much fishing pressure
from the public waters. So, it is still
very valuable to the fishermen."

"I think we should hear from the gentleman
from Amarillo if he has anything to add."

I

"I can answer that, on the river itself,
about one-half is open to public fishing.
On the other.tributaries there 'are areas that
are open. On the extreme upper end most
is closed. I would say one-half is open.'

We are quite disturbed about shutting of
future reservoirs. As to now much duration
the dam flows would have, they would vary.
Some five months there would be no flow
through the dam and the only flow between the
dam and South F~rk, a distance of fifteen miles,
would be from Goose Creek. That {s, as far
as we know, thirteen second feet flow. It is
a low flow. That is practically the only
water that comes into the Rio Grande and
we are very much afraid we are going to have
ice conditions which would stop fish life.
There would be plenty of water in summe~ and
no water in winter. We wonder if there cannot
be some way worked out so that there would be
a winter flow. You have to release water in
accordance with the compact. Possibly there
could be some ways. of releasing water. It is
so important to the State, I feel we could work
something out. Additional studies may be the
answer as to exactly how much water is needed.:
We set up this minimum flow of 60 feet based I
on"tables in the Bureau's present plan or
operation and would like to see some additional .
studies made. Maybe 60 feet is too much. Some
flows can be safely reduced and we have cut :
down on some former recommendations and the
same may be true here."

"Wouldn't you have quite a bit of water
from the South Fork on down?"