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<br />. <br /> <br />nainly because the stroRn is entirely unregulated and be- <br />cause extensive areas are frequently covered by flood <br />waters. By the eemplote elininatien of the flooding of <br />large areas of bot too lands and by the elioinD~ion of the <br />"wild" flooding methods of irrigation, we believe that <br />water consumption in the area will actually be reduced <br />when storage becomes operative, if the irrigated area is <br />not incrensed. If this proves to be true no difficulty <br />will arise in operating the Conejos project in such a <br />way as to conform with the terms of the Compact. <br /> <br />In the Rio Grande area the WD~on ~rhecl Gap operation is <br />based on long-time hold-over. In the late '80's and <br />early '90's the water supply was good. ~le reservoir <br />would have been full at tho beginning of such a period <br />but it would have been empty in 1902. The water supply <br />in 1903 was nople but the reservoir again would have been <br />empty in 1904. The reservoir contents would have increased <br />materially in 1905 and fl'equent spills would have occurred <br />thereafter until 1930. From that year to ~~te there would <br />have boon a material drawdown. This illustrates what I <br />mean by long-time hold-~ver. <br /> <br />.' <br /> <br />As Mr. Stevens ~~s outlined, the Compact provides that. <br />the State of Colorado must mako a certain delivery of <br />water at the State line in accordance with the lnflow, <br />but that the deliveries do not lk~ve to be made on an an- <br />nunl basis - debits and crodits can nccuoulate subject <br />to certain restrictions. A debit neans there is held in <br />San Luis Valley Project storage, water which belongs to <br />Rio Grande Project storage, (Elcphnnt Butte, D..'1d Cab 0.11 0 <br />Reservoirs). A credit me~s that thero is stored in Rio <br />Grande Project resenoirs, wr,tor which belongs to Colorado <br />and which can be withdrr.~m by exchFmge, though credits are <br />reduced by the naount of spill fron Elophant Butte. Under <br />these provisions there were only two periods in the last <br />50 yenrs when Wr.gOll l'1:l1eel GI'::? Reservoir could not have <br />operated freely under the terns of the Compact. Elephant <br />Butte Roservoir would have spilled in 1896 u-~d 1897 and <br />frequently between 1907 and 1924,which Ul,der the Compact <br />provisions would lUlve kept the slnte clenr of debits or <br />credits. The nost critical period is froo 1924 to date, <br />si~ce 1924 was the last yenr when Eleplk~nt Butte would <br />have spilled uncler the operntion defined by the Conpact. <br /> <br />Drawing SLv-44 (Revised) includes a series of graphs which <br />show the operntion of Wagon \~leel Gnp Reservoir under <br />various assUI"ed conditions, and the result of such op- <br />orations on Elephant Butte Roservoir during the critical <br /> <br />t: <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />10 <br /> <br />1761 <br />