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<br />Ou15JS <br /> <br />-19-- <br /> <br />Engineering Data <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />1, Discrepa~cies in basic data. Data concerning the flow. of the <br />Colorado River at Lee Ferry are presented in Appendix 1 by year~ for the <br />period 1897~1943. These consist of estimate~ by the Bureau of Reclamation <br />for the period l897~1921, and of records by the U. S. Geological Survey <br />for subsequent years. Colorado notes that the U. S. Geological Survey has <br />also published ectimates for the period l897~l92l whioh differ in most <br />years; and in some by substantial amounts, fro" the Bureau of Reclamation <br />estimates present;ld in the Report. Such discrel'onoies in the basic data <br />reported by cooperating agenc~es are confusing, nod h~ve required the <br />Engineering Conunittee of the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact COllllllission <br />to undertake correlation studies and make its own estimations. <br /> <br />., <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />2, Natural Conveyanoe Losses above Lee Ferry. The s~called virgin <br />flow. of the Colorado River at Lee Ferry was calculated in Appendix I, for <br />each year of the 189701943 period, as the sum of: (1) the actual flow as <br />estimated or recorded, plus (2) the quantity of water estimated to have <br />been consumed by the lands, irrigated within the natural basin and to have <br />been diverted from the natural basin for use outs ids. Expressed as an <br />average for the period 1897u1943, tt~ virgin flow of the Colorado River at <br />Lee Ferry, thus caloulated, is reported at 16.270,000 acre feet annunJJ.yo <br />With respect to the quantities of water estimated to have been utilizea <br />upstream from Lee Ferry, attention has previously been dir~cted to the fact <br />that the quantities employed in Appendix I (See Paragraph 5, "Detailed Views <br />s:l.d Recommendations" above) to calculate virgin flows differ from the <br />estimates of existing uses reported in the substantiating material. In <br />both estimates the evaluations were made as of project sites, _ the quantities <br />of water consumed by the irrigation of lands within the natural basin abnve <br />Lee Ferry being calculated by multiplying the number of acres irrigated by a <br />unit rate of consumptive use considered to be applicable in accordance with <br />prevailing temperaturesl and the quantities diverted from tho natural ba"i~ <br />being measured at project sites. <br /> <br />.' <br /> <br />Colorado notes, however, that the Report, disrege.rding the natural <br />channel losses incident to the conveyan~e of w8ter downstream to Lee Ferry, <br />applieff ths full amount of the estimated upstreem uses, or the straa~ <br />depletions at project sites, to the flow at Lee F8~~Yo This erroneous <br />aRsumption of the Report, that water, if not used and consumed ~pstrgam. <br />wculd arrive in full amount at Lee Ferry, has requirod the Engineeri~g <br />Committee of the Upper ColoradO River Basi.n Compac.:; Conunission to ul!dertaJ:e <br />studies and make estimations of natural conveyance losses along the Colorado, <br />Green and San Juan rivers and certain of their tributaries above Lee Ferry, <br />particularly in the States of Utah and New Mexico. <br /> <br />3. Sourceff by States o.f Stream Flow, . The Report presents no <br />information cvnoerning the sources by State~ of the flow' of the Colorado <br />River at Lee Ferry. Thi~ omission of data, essential to determinations of., <br />