BOARD02250

• Board Meeting Date: 8/6/1951
• Description: Minutes and Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

24

. Basic Assumption

31. Several plans for the development and operation of" the Glendo Unit were
studied in detail during the course of investigations. As a requisite to the
proposed plan it vms necessary to make certain assQ~ptions. The basic assumption
is that the operation of the Glendo Unit would not change the regimen of the river
as it now exists below Guernsey Reservoir. Therefore, the Glendo Unit would pro-
vide for no additional consumptive use of water and would cause a minimum change
in distribution of streamfloVl below Guernsey. -l/o. * * lit

.

I

Paragraph 65e of the recommendations reads thus:

"The Glenda Unit be operated in a manner that will not affect the use of
waters of the North Platte River as it now exists below Guernsey Reservoir,
unless and until the states of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming, and the
Secretary of the Interior acting. in behalf of the Federal Goverrunent agree upon
a modified plan of operation to permit additional consumptive use of water."

The following is from the section of the project report dealing with the subject
of water rights:

"Glendo Water !i.ip;hts Assumed in Operation Studies

In operation studies, it is necessary to make assumptions regarding the
method of operation. The basic operating criteria are as follovffi:

(aO Glenda Unit would operate Without changing present conditions on the
river below Guernsey Reservoir. Under this assumption Glenda could gain title
to vmter only when all other reservoirs in the system were spilling.

(b) No replacement for-capacity lost to sediment at other reservoirs was
assumed.

(c) The water being used by irrigated lands that WOllJJd be inundated by
the Glenda Reservoir was assumed to be used elsewhere.

.

(d) All reservoirs in the system, including Glenda, were assumed to be
full at the beginning of the period selected for study.'

Operations under these basic assumptions would not in any way infringe on the.
. water rights of Colorado, Wyoming, or Nebraska. The studies showed that there
would have been no loss to the system due to increased evaporation brought about
by the construction of Glendo Reservoir. During the period of study the evapora-
tion losses due to Glendo were offset by carryover storage resulting from con- I
current Alcova-McConaughy Reservoir spills. No additional consumptive use was
assumed to be caused by increased irrigation or replacement of capacity lost
through sedimentation of other reservoirs, and the state of Wyoming was given
credit only for water now being consumed by those irrigated acres that would
be inundated by the Glendo Heservoir. An analysis was made of vmter supply
conditions prior to the period selected for detailed study. It supported the
assumption that all reservoirs would be full at the end of June 1, 1929."