WSP06898

• File Number: 8507
• Description: Rio Grande and Tributaries NM
• State: NM
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Date: 4/5/1948
• Author: Secretary of t Army
• Title: Letter from Chief of Engineers Submitting a Report on a Preliminary Examination and Survey of Rio Grande and Tributaries, NM, Authorized by Flood Control Act Approved Aug 18, 1941
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

XII

LETTER OF TRANSMITTTAL

t. \.- ~ ~ ,
l'

of the Department of the Interior, copies of your proposed report on a
preliminary "xamination and survey of thc Rio Grande and tributaries,
New Mexico, together with reports of the Board of Enginccrs for
Rivers and Harbors and of the district and division engineers,
Concurrent with the transmittal of your report. the proposed report
of the Secretary of the Int"rior on the middle Rio Grande project,
New Mexico, was transmittcd to the Secretary of the Army, to the
members of the Fcderal Inter-Agency River Basin Committee, and
to the affected States, including the State conservation officials of
New :M exico, for their views and recommendations.
The t.wo reoorts appear to be well coordinated on a comprehensive
plan of development for the middl" Rio Grande Basin and reflect
the high degr"e of coopern tion tho t obtained betweeTl the Department
of the Army, the Dcpnrtmcnt of tllC Intcrior, the Middlc Rio Grande
Conseryallcy District, the Rio Grande Compact Commission, the
affectcd Stutes. liBel other FC'dcl"nl find local interest.s in t.he. inycstigfl.-
tions and negotiations leading up to tbe formullltion of tbc plnn Oint
is set forth.
An analysis of your proposcd report indic"tes thnt the rcscrvoir
system, if opera ted Us proposed, would complement the irrigation and
sediment control nspccts with wllich the Blll'CHlI of Ret'huIllll.ion i~
conc{lrned. However, because the protpetion and stnbilizntion of
agriculture find {'.conomic development in the middle Rio Grande
Valley require comprehensive treatment and cannot be achieved
by either the flood control or the reclamotion phase olone. it is eESCIl-
tia! that this point he made emincntly clenr in tIll, linn I reports of
both the Sccretary of the Army nne! the Sccretnry of the In tcrior,
The t.wo report.s. together cover an entire comprehensive plan which
should be undertn.kon in uccordunce \\'ith "joint agreement hetwp.en
the Secretary of the Interior find the Secretary of the Army on a
unifi(~d plan for control of floods, irrigntion, and use of water in the
middle Rio Grande Bl1sin in New !vIexico." dllicd July 25.19.17.
The reservoir capacities for flood control at Chiflo, Chamit.fi, nnd
Jemez, together with the design maximmn flow to bp, nllo\\'ed to poss
down the main chnnncl, were determined hy tbe Corps of Engineers.
In rpcognit,ion of the responsihility of the Corps of Engineer's for the
flood-control function to which thes" determinntions primarily relnte
in the reports ns prepared, the Bureau of Reclamation accepted the
decision of the Corps of Engineers in t,hcse matters.
No recolnnlendation is made for fluthorizution of power projects in
the proposed report,s of either agency, Howcver, powel' dcvelopment
at the Chiflo nnd Chamita sitcs mny ultimately become feasihle
through savings of wutel' or t,hrough importation of Colorndo River
water to the Rio Chllma,
It is esscntial, ns provided in the agrcement above referred to, t.hat
coor,dinnted reservoir operations be agreed upon by the Corps of
Englllccrs, Bureau of Reclamation, and the States of Colorado, New
I\t1exico, and Texas, to assure flood control and deliveries of woter in
full complinnce with the provisions of the Rio Grnnde compnct,
As "grced by the Sccretnl'Y of t./JC. Interior and the Secretnry of the
Army, the Burenu of Redamation should construct the channel
rectification works. The establishment of t.he linnl pllln would
properly he accomplished hy the Bureau of Reclamntion in coopera-
tion with the Corps of Engineers and wit.h such modification "s would