WSP02999

• File Number: 8111.600
• Description: ARCA Annual Reports
• Basin: Arkansas
• Date: 12/11/1956
• Author: ARCA
• Title: Eighth Annual Report Arkansas River Compact Administration for the Year 1956
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

of Reclamatiun ;lf1U the Chief of Engineers, UI1Itcd States Army.
to colhbnr:lte with the Administration and with appropriate
St;tt~ OtTICldls in sueh dctermin;ltion ;tncl wrrelation of strc;lm
flow <lnd rdated clata. The Glrrying our of these cooperative
stuclic:s amI activities is ;\ssIgned, under the By'Laws of the
Administr.ltion, to the Engin~ering Committee.

(b) During the period covered by this report, the Administration
has h:~J the benefit of excellent cooperation from all agencies
referred tn in the ahCl\'e prov!sinlls of the Compact. The Corps
of Engincer5 h,lS contlnueu to operate John Martin Reservnir 111
accordance with the provisions of fhl' Compact. The United
States Geulogic;d Survey h;15 also ..:untmucd with the opcr;ltion
of th~ Cnlllpact gaging stations and the compilation of hydro'
logi..:: d;Hd prl'scnted in this report ;llld utilized in the ;1dminis-
tration nf the Compact. To assist that agency in dcfri\ying the
costs of operating the r,ldio st:lge reportlllg g;lgCS and perform-
ing utlwr non'routine work required for the administration of
the Comp;lct, the Administration entered into cooperative agree~
Incnt., with the Geological Survey for th~ fiscal ye;lrs ending
June 30, 1956. anJ Tune 30. 1957. Under the terms of these
~gref:mcnts, $ :ion w;s. pruvided hy the Administri'.tion ;md iln
equal amount hy the Geological Survey for thl' ahove descrihed .
purposes, in eaeh of these fiscal years.

7. J-Yarer Suppl)l, Reservoir Operation and R)ldrologic Data
The gates cClntrolling John M;utin Reservoir outlet were closed fit
midnight Octoher ~ i, 1955 with 47.413 acre.feet in storage according
to the reservoir ctpitcity trtble then in use. A revised capacity tar.k
dated DecC'lllher 1. 1956. r.ased on sedimentation from the: nood of M;\y
1955 reclucl"d this 5tor;lge amount to 3S.21~ acre-feet. Water continued
to he stored in the reservoir until 8:30 A.M., April 2, 1956 when the
peak volume re;\chrJ 4Fi)fl3 acre-teet. All reservoir volumes In this
report are basecl on the carrtcity t.lble of December 1. 1956.
Since the l;~st rest?rvoir resurvey in 19.11, the storage capacity of
the reservoir is estim;1tcd to hdve becn depleted by about l7,000 !Iere.
fcet of whil:h about 14,000 (tcre.fect o..::currecl durin~ ,the LItter half of
May 1955. Since the storage of water .began in 1943, a total of <1bout
55,000 acrc.ket nf sediment hits accumulated in the n::scrvo!r. Ot thi:=;
~u;lIltity 96 percent ()r 53.000 :1cre-feet h;\s been deposited in the irrig!l-
tion pool. ScJimcnt h;ls been ;lccumu!ating at ;\11 avaagc rate of about
4,000 Clerc-feet pef year.
Releases from the rl.'scrvnir for the 1956 watLr year were ;\5
follows;
(1) From R::.O A.M. April 2nd, an !Imount of 450 c.f.s. to
April 3rcI i1.t 3: 30 P.M., when the release was increased to 750 c.f.s.
;mJ which continueJ to 9; 30 A.M. on April 5th, when it was increased
to 850 c.f.s. This rate was maintained until April 11th at 10:00 A.M.
when it was increased to 950 c.f.s. A further increase to 975 c.f.s. came
at 10:20 A.M. April 15th. This now was maintained until 4:45 A.M.
on the morning of April 30th at which time the reservoir was declared

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