WSP00306

• File Number: 8220.101.03
• Description: Glen Canyon Dam/Lake Powell
• State: AZ
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 12/5/1957
• Author: USDOI - Bureau of Re
• Title: Hydrologic Bases for FinancialStudies - Colorado River Storage Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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~ydrolog~c Bases for Financial Studies

Colorado iliver storage Project

Public Law 485, Section 6, requires that certain financial
date relative to the Colorado River storage Project be reported to
Congress on Januar1 1 of each fear cOllllll8nc1Dg in 1958. Bailie to such a
report is the relationship of anticipated power revenues to the flnandal
requ1r9lllents .of the Act. In turn, the anticipation of f.Xlwer revenues
involves assumptions and premises as to future hydrologic condd.tions and
as to water passing the storage dams to downstream uses. This statement
deals with the development of a working hypothesis employing those assumpo.
tions and premises for short term apolication.

Four main storage reservoirs are authori~ed by Public Law 485:
Glen CanfOn, Flaming Gorge, Curecanti, and Navajo. For simplification,
atorage at the latter three may be recognized by reflecting the effect ot
their operations upon stream flows at Glen Canyon, the last point of
storage control in the Upper Colorado River Basin.

Under the assumption of average streamflow conditions, the
premiaes of river reculation set forth !wnin would, if ultimately employed,
result in obtaining b1l970 initial IItorage and power head in the storage
reservoirs, to be followed b1 long-time cyclical operation.

The basic premises to be used in connection with devlIlopment of
the January 1, 1958, report to Congress follow:

(1) Water to be passed by the Glen Canyon Dam sufficient to
meet downstream uses, ezcluslve of power, with Lake Mead used
only for the purpose of providing ssasonal regulation for these
. uses.

(2) Net flow differences between Glen Oanyon Dam site and
Hoover Dam should account for channel losses and inflows based
on the period 193B-1956 inclusive, for present and future uses
on tributaries, Lake Mead evaporation, am present and future
uses by Dumping out of Lake Mead.

(3) Water uses below Hoover Dam.. exclusive of 1)ower, should be
those est.1I1lated to occur in the inter1l1l between 195B and 1970.
B1 1970 they are 8sSlDlled to consist of and be the SUjl" of the
following I

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

Arizo na
California
Nevada
Mexico
Unaccounted

1,225,000
5,362,000
L6,000
1,762,000
508,000

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