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<br />The other diversion rated at 42,000 a~re-fep-t annually has a compact c011ec-
<br />~i~n ~yste~ and is quite well built. It lacks storage in ':astern Colo~ado but has
<br />':-,.yexchllnge stored mu~h of the wa.t~!" divert"'<l. In fact, maxir.tum direct use by the
<br />owner is lirndted to 24,000 acre-feet yearly. This municip~l pro~ect diverted dur-
<br />i.ng 9 years onl;.' 75% of the v.:at~r available or 6% of the predicted long-time
<br />average. During one year, out of 46,000 acre-feet divertible it took only 11,000
<br />acre-feet, in another year 19,CX>O acre-feet was lost, due, in both cases to in-
<br />ability to use all the ~ater actually divertible.
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<br />These examples of practic"] difficu1t:l.es, added to the limitations a strict
<br />internretatiQo of th~ Comp~ct wil1'en~orce~ show th~t the cstin~t~d yielm for di-
<br />'10!'" -'.c Cher. in the :':').sin :"3port tlr'_'! f.r more th"'rt will consistently be real1-
<br />i9d: '~e seve~31 f"ct~ons promotin~ one of the 13rcer proposed diversions, decid-
<br />ed at a recent meeting to divert 400,000 acre-feet yearly. In the basin report
<br />this project is rAted ~t 500,000 acre-feet And a yc~r ago these people were talk-
<br />ing of diverting 639,000 ncr~-feet. Even 400,000 ncre-feet appear quite liberal,
<br />fc'r district studip~ indic~te a safe yield rneasur-",bly less.
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<br />Sufficient positjve inform~tion to permit R sowld discussion of the salvage
<br />of pnst river losses that will follow decr~Rses in flood flow, as upper basin uses
<br />take this W1ter fo:, stor~ge, is lacking. Studies by the district illustrate, how-
<br />ever, the principle involved. The apparent Rnnl1~l inflow to Color,'ldo river between
<br />st:ttions llt If'~ Fl:-"'V rnd Br.l.6ht Angel is a positive au~ntity, althoug."t it is
<br />only R few acre-feet per squa~e mile from the 26,330 square miles drained between
<br />those stations. ~.e apparent monthly inflow is Rlso a positive amount except in
<br />those ~onths, ~'rch or April through July, when Colorado river is in flood. Dur-
<br />ing such months, when flow is the bre~test of the year, river losses so increase
<br />that ~pparent inflow often becomes negative - that is, rivp.r losses actually ex-
<br />ceed inflow and flow at Brig~~ An e~, below, is less than nt lc~ Ferry.
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<br />Since i.t 1"11 -'th...' t.ima:;; ot year, rivp.r loss~s ~re less th~n local inflow, it
<br />seems obvious th~t as river floqds are reduced by incrensinR upper basin uses,
<br />river losses will also be less. How much ..... such app.<lr'~nt loss is recovered, is
<br />problematic~l, but some oart of it, obviously b3nk stor"p,~ of t~e deeper river,
<br />probably returns later. T~~c gre.:ter \14etted volume llnd snrf'1ce du~in~ flood do in-
<br />di.cAte the re3son for the i nc:,,(!;!.se of loss - b~c'l.llse of ~re:lt"r cvaoor!1tion. Ob-
<br />viously 3 s~lv~~e effect should result from incre~ses in ur.p~r ~~sin use.
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<br />In the light of the for~go:n~ it seems f~ir to s~y th..t the Color~do BAsin
<br />report, while nct intention~lly misle~dine, dop.s in sever,l ~nys f'1i1 to present
<br />essenti~l facts t~~t greatl] ~di!y its L~plic~ticns of shortaC~vof w3t~r, Insist-
<br />ence upon 3 quick division of n~ter noong the up~r b~s;n st~t~;i1\a ~llow^nce for
<br />Color1do reluctance to recognize no~ uses fnr in the distant future thnt may never
<br />~ter:~lize, nor for its unwillingness to bind itself now, for ~ll time, to be
<br />solely res~nsible for deliveries under the Color~do Riv"r Como'Jct. If other up-
<br />per b~sin st1tes w:ll not 3id in such deliveries, ve~y re~l considdr~tions must
<br />be presented to 6olor~do to justify it in such nn undert~kin~.
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<br />There being no restriction upon uses out of surplus of Color"do river wnter,
<br />such develprment would t!Ll{e plnc'~ in th~ upper basin if the b!lsin Tarort were car-
<br />ried out in its entirety. tnether or ~men like use 01 surplus t"kes pl~ce in the
<br />lowe~ b:\sin wi 11 dctermi,~e ....hich has the rrior clai.':l.
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<br />F. C. :!erricll, Secretr:ry
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