BOARD02283

• Board Meeting Date: 12/6/1946
• Description: Table of Contents and Minutes
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

38

10. The report allows for increased future depletion~ by
projects heretofore constructed and authorized, as follows:

(Quotes figureS' here)

Note: When all projects heretofore authorized are c~pleted.
and all existing projects are expanded to their ulti~Ate limits.
the existing depletionS' will be increased 556,000 acre feet per
year. in the Upper Basin and 3.583,000 acre feet per year in the
Lower Basin.

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Note: The allowance of 3.58},000 acre feet annually for
future inoreased depletions by existing and authorized projects
in the Lower Basin appears excessive, if not largely unjustified.
partioul~rly with respect to the item of 2.798.000 aore feet
allowed by the Bureau for increased exportations in California.
Which allowance appears to be related to and an attempt to justify
the contracts heretofore made by the Secretary of the Interior
with California and agencies of that state.

11. Reported present depletions: Sum of existing plUff
allowances for futuro increased:

(Here Mr. Patterson quotes totals by states, reservoir
evaporation loss, totals by basine and export diversions.)

Hence: Development in Upper Basin can proceed for many years
or several decades without fear that thereby the allocation per
compact will be exceeded, - whereaff in the Lower Basin any further
development. in addition to allowanoes for expansion. will further
exceed compact allocations and further complicate the problems of
interstate relations in the Lower Basin;

And; May adversely affect the rights of the Upper Basin to
share in the surplus water supplies of the Colorado River when. after
196}, such surpluff water .is further all~cated as provided in the
Colorado River Compact.

12. Possible projects: Depletions of potentral projects
listed are estimated in the report to agg.regate 6,j81,000 acre feet
in Upper Basin, and 2.559,000 acre feet in Lower Basin, a total of
8.9Lo,000 acre feet. Colorado says estL~ted depletions are excessive
because:

(a) List includes some possibilities which, upon
detailed investigation will be found to be economioally
unjustifisd, or infeasible, or undesirable by reason of
excessive repayment obligations;

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(b) Depletions of projeots construoted will be less
than estimated because they are planned to ultimate limits.
but will be designed with consideration of economics.