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'. ~ "r<o "N C\I . forcing the river channel over to tho east bank of the flood plain. Above this point, the low-flow river channel is still defined; below it, prior to 1949, all surface water which entered McMillan Reservoir had to flow through some 7 milos of salt cedar thicket in small mcandering rivulets to reuch the impoundment basin. In 1949, the Carlsbad Irrigation District, with the help of the Bureau of Reclamation, completed the Kaiser Lake Channel, a tE'mporary low-flow channel of 1,400 cubic feet per second capacity, from the head of the reservoir to the Kaiser Lakes, Flows entering this channel from the lakes are well confined. However, the residual flow reaching the Kaiser Lakes in excess of the combined impoundment and Kaiser L'lke Channel capacity escape into an old river channel near the west edge of the salt cedars and then spread throughout the delta area. In 1952, the irrigation district constructed an additional 4,500 feet of channel opposite the mouth of the Rio Penasco t~ facilitate the flow of water into Kaiser Lake, Salt cedars had encroached on the normal ohannel in this sect~on, partially blocking it and diverting much of the low flows. In 1953, the district completed the temporary oha:mel work by 101/ering the outlet of the Kaiser Lakes to the point that all low flows no,,- pass through ~Ii the'ut being retarded. The Kaiser Lake Channel is recognized as a stop-gap measure. It provides only f~r conserving residual low river flows reaching the lakes. It extends through only ths 10.'8;" po:rtion of the delta area. The la~ge losses, cauHed by evapo.ati~n from open water and wetted ground surfaces and transpiration from salt cedars which are provided with an abundant water supply froffi flood flows and from the high water table, continue. PLAN FOR WATER SALVAGE CHANNEL Gen~~ 'l'he plan advanced by the Pecos River Commission is the culmi- nation of intensive studies of the dsHa area that have extended over several years, including a progr.am of basic data collection and an analysis of a by-pass channel along the west side of the McMillan Delta. The by-pass channel, in addition to conveying the low flows, would have picked up inflowing ground water in the reach between Artesia and the P~o Fenasco. It would have diverted flows greater than 1,500 cubic feet per second into the delta where they would be subject to evaporation and transpiration losses. Because of screening effect of vegetative growth in the delta area, the plan would have resulted in a minimum of sediment deposition in McMillan Reservoir. The Fecos River Commission concluded that a plan embOdying a flordway to expedite flo~d flows through the delta would be of greater benefit in spite of the increased eed:!.lnentation it would ~auee in McMillan Reservoir, The details of the plan are outlined on Drawing 542-512-25 and described below, 3