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000220 the Navajo River column of Table 6, actually it was not contemplated that the water designated "available for Dulce Project", in an aver- age amount of 35,000 acre feet, would be released to the Navajo River in the event that the Dulce Project would be eventually constructed, ~, } << t In that case it would be stored in a proposed reservoir and released through a canal to Dulce Project lands, Under this operation study, for the period 1928-1951, an average of about 23,000 acre feet annually of Navajo River water would be available for diversion to the Rio Grande. The Bureau of Reclamation operation study for the 1957 supplemental report indicates that the Dulce Project was no longer considered. The potential diversion from the Navajo River was esti.- mated,to average about 57,000 acre feet. This would leave average flows in the Navajo River amounting to only the prior right by-passes as shown above, The monthly releases are somewhat less than the recommended minimums of Table 11. However, these minimums are in some cases higher than historic flows. It should be noted that water by-passed for prior irrigation rights is subject to diversion and re-diversion which could result in stream flows at critical points considerably below the recommended minimums for retaining the fishery values of the stream. This situation would tend to discount statements made by the Fish and Wildlife Service as to the general adequacy of the aver- age by-passes to meet recommended minimums. This conflict of reported data raises a serious question concerning the intent of the operation of the project after construction.' ~15-