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fJGU7U5 . . I!,/~X,...,I (::(1~:~v::~_.. .(// , , :It .,;;., /./ I March 22, 1968 REPORT OF BVREA.U OF RECLAMATION, RillION 4, TO COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD Construction On September 13, 1967, the first of the two 30,000. kilowatt hydro- electric generating units at Blue Mesa Powerplant became available for production of commercial power and the second on November 11, 1967. ~e lake formed by Blue Mesa Dam has a capacity of 940,800 acre-feet and when filled will cover 13.4 square miles with a shoreline of 96 miles. It will be the largest lake in the State of Colorado. At present it has 347,000 acre-feet in storage with a water surface at elevation 7,435 feet. During both 1966 and 1967, Coloradoans and visitors to the area found the new reservoir outstanding for fishing, camping, boating, and water skiing. This past winter skimobile enthusiasts found the snow- covered frozen surface of the lake an excellent place for this new and rapidly growing sport. Ice fishing on the lake has also been very popular and productive. Morrow Point Dam is now substantially completed. The last bucket of concrete was placed for the dam structure September 14, 1967, and on the afternoon of January 24, 1968, the inlet to the diversion tunnel was blocked and water storage initiated in the reservoir behind the dam. The water is now about 175 feet deep in Morrow Point Reservoir and about 1,000 c.f.s. is being released for downstream uses. The turbines, gen- erators, and much of the other electrical equipment for the powerplant are being fabricated and will be stored until needed either at the manu- facturers' plants or on the project. Construction of Crystal Dam and Powerplant has been deferred due to bUdget restrictions. During the past fall, work was completed on aCCesS roads needed for maintaining the Curecanti-Shiprock 230-kv. transmission line. About 40 percent of the work has been finished under a contract for operation and maintenance roads for the Curecanti-Rifle section of the Curecanti-llayden 230-kv. transmission line. Construction of operating roads to serve the Rifle-Hayden section of this line has now been programed for FY 1970. Construction work has been substantially completed on the 230,000- volt transmission line from Salida to Midway, and the Rifle and Midway substations are expected to be finished early this summer. Work is continuing at Navajo Dam on the modification of the outlet works and stilling basin, The contractor has not achieved the desired rate of p.-ogress and completion of the work may be delayed up to 30 days.