BOARD01352

• Board Meeting Date: 2/1/1966
• Description: Minutes
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

the winter was extremely remote, and that the
water now being released is causing some incon-
venience downstream in repairing the flood
damages and also constitutes a total waste
of water since it cannot be used by anybody in
either Colorado or Kansas. The Compact Admin- I
istration requested that the Corps terminate
those releases until March 1st and then
evacuate the flood control capacity at a rate
which would effect the complete evacuation
of the flood control storage by May 15th of
this year.

The District Engineer at Albuquerque has
taken the position that this is not within
his authority and the matter has been referred
to Washington for a decision by the Chief of
Engineers. l1e think this is an extremely
important matter because perhaps as much as
50,000 to 100,000 acre-feet of water could be
retained in John Martin Reservoir which would
be used for beneficial purposes later on in
the year. Since the Arkansas is usually an
area of chronic drouth, we think it is a crime
to now waste water. There is, in our opinion,
more than ample space remaining in the reser-
voir to take care of any projected flood.

Our congressional delegation, particularly
Senators Dominick and Allott, have been working
very hard on this problem; and in the House,
Congressman Evans. They are all now conferring
with the Chief of Engineers to the end that
those releases be stopped until a time when
they can be used downstream.

l'le will have a coordinating meeting with
the Albuquerque office on the flood control
studies now being done in the Arkansas Valley. I
This meeting will take place later this month
in the offices of the Southeastern Colorado
vlater Conservancy District in Pueblo. We are
using that district as the focal point to
coordinate the flood control and other water
studies being made in the Arkansas Valley. We