BOARD02425

• Board Meeting Date: 10/31/1957
• Description: Minutes
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

805

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down to essentially two plans--one involving three dams
and powerplants utilizing the Blue Mesa, Morrow Point,
and Crystal damsites and the other involving two higher
da~s and powerplants in the same reach of the river at the
Crystal and Narrow Gauge sites. Each of these. four sites
lends itself to construction of either an earth or a con-
crete dam.

While our comparative studies now being made will
indicate the relative feasibility of these two plans, the
size and importance of the structures involved require analy-
sis based on more detailed field examinations and more defin-
ite designs and estimates before certifying to the Congress
as to the feasibility of the Curecanti Unit. In particular
we need more detailed topography and additional diamond drill
exploration; likewise the availability of earth embankment
material and concrete aggregates in quantity and quality
must be proven; relocation of U. S. Highway 50 also requires
special consideration.

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A field survey, sufficient for the purpose of the
report, for a suggested relocation of U. S. Highway 50, will
be finished by November 15, 1957, but present funds are in-
sufficient to complete the office work connected with survey
in F. Y. 1958. Some of our F. Y. 1958 funds are being ex-
pended for aerial surveys and topography sufficient for de-
tailed designs and estimates by the Chief Engineer's office
for the Narrow Gauge and Morrow Point sites. Even though
topography for these two sites is to be available in January
1958, the Chief Engineer's Office will be unable to start on
detailed designs and estimates for dams at these two sites
until the additional diamond drilling and field explorations
of embankment materials and concrete aggregates are complete.
Funds for F. Y. 1958 are insufficient to accomplish this ex-
ploration work.

In the event your Board should decide to contribute
the sum of $35,000, it would be used as follows: office work
involved in the relocation of U. S. Highway 50 would be com-
pleted in F. Y. 1958; equipment would be sent into the borrow
areas about May 1958, or sooner if weather conditions permit,
for exploration of embankment materials and concrete aggre-
gates; a diamond drill crew would also be moved to the Crystal
site and to the Narrow Gauge site or the Morrow Point site in
May 1958; and, if our comparative studies of alternative plans
indicate that the two-dam plan is preferable, we would obtain
additional topography at the Crystal site. These work items,
if advanced in F. Y. 1958 rather than awaiting the availability
of F. Y. 1959 funds, would expedite considerably the design