<br />XXVI
<br />
<br />LETTER OF TRANSIHITTAL
<br />
<br />of waleI' released thl'refrom for cnlc-lllnting t,imcs, whell t.he reservoirs,
<br />making up project storngc, would ~pill. .. .
<br />Ot.}1l'1' urtides of the eornpaet Itnvo l1. dln'c.t bon,rIng on trIll' I'nllltlon
<br />between the operation of the San Luis Valley project and t.lw operntion
<br />uf the proposed Middle Rio Grunde projcd,
<br />Art-ielL> VII of trllc compnd prohihits illcn~nsc in stol'Hge of wt'~tcr in
<br />rcs('('\'oirs in COIOl'llclo and Now ::\'lexico cO.'lst.rnetcA nft.or ] 929 \\'11f'n-
<br />evr.1' t.here is less t.hfl.ll 400,000 nert~-feL~t of t.he usable wfik~r in storage
<br />in Elephll'-ll:, Butte J{esl'IToir.
<br />Art.ide VIII of till: cOIII}Jflet provides for the reh:ase of Wllt.er from
<br />stol'nge n~sl'rvoirs in Colol'll,do find Nt~W ~:Icxic-o C0.1lst.l'uctpd uftf'1'
<br />H129 up to the extll.1lt. of accrued debits against. those Stutl~S Hl the
<br />rrrcatest ratf' priLct,j{~H.l under cOll<.lit,iollS then previLiling' in sufficit:'.nt,
<br />~mount,s to hring tIw quant.it,y of usable water ill Elt~phnnt But.t;;>.
<br />storugtl to OOO,UOO ncn-,.-fuet by i'vfnrch 1, and t.o ohtnin l.hiLt qunnt.it.y
<br />in stt1rllge unlil April 30.
<br />A study of t.he operntiQ.llS of the project, ns miule by t,he agencies,
<br />together \\"ith t.he discussion of t.hose opernLiolls, indicate t.hat it full
<br />rrllllzation of t.he t.erms of the compaet ns t.hey apply to t.he operation
<br />of tl.u San Luis Vlllll~Y project wns not. hn.d hy eith(~r of the llg(~ncics.
<br />The I:,wo agen(:ies mil-de IIUIlL::lrOUS reseryoir operation st,udies.
<br />The gross rrrors Illude in various nssumpt.ioIlS of sonw of tlw eurl.y
<br />st.udies l'f'sult,cd in C'st.imnt.ing 11 water supply for tJH' projed of 1,600,000
<br />a('rC'~fpt't during t.he pcriod 1925 to UJ42, which did 110t exist. After
<br />a sllceessiye series of refinements t.o mnk(~ t.lH~ studies eo.nform mOfP.
<br />Benrly \\"ith thc provisions of l.hc Rio Grande eomptwt, antI mol'c neurly
<br />with conditio.ns os UH\Y can he expr:H:tl'd t.o be 0.1l the rivl'I', there 1'('-
<br />suIted threo opp.rntions: No. I, intended to represent prcscnt, d~v210p-
<br />menl ilL Colorado find New I\:Ioxieo nhovt' San 2\Illrcilll; operation
<br />No. 2-R, t.O feprcscllt. condit.ions as t.hey would be with t.he aut.horized
<br />San Luis Vollt~y projl~ct superimposed o'n pl'p.scnt conditions; opm'ution
<br />No. :l-RR, to show eomlit,ions if the !...Iiddlo Rio Gmnde projeet as
<br />proposcd were opnruted for Aood-eont.rol purposf's alone. Opcru.tioll~
<br />2-R und :J-RR app'"ar in appendix C, Hydrology of the Corps of
<br />Engineers. Opcrnt.iOJls 1, 2-R, and ;3-RR 11ppl'lLr in appendi..... C of
<br />tJH--' r(~pm.t hy t.hn United St,tttrPs Bm'3tHl of RnclllIllntioll. Both
<br />ageJlcitls disellss the results of the operittions.
<br />The Bureau of Rrclnmn.tion indicates that under present conditions
<br />the Burmal demand Oll st.oragd hy the .i\Jitldle Rio Grande Conservuncy
<br />Dist.riet could be nH~t in n.Il years from EJ Vado Reservoir during the
<br />period of study, 19~5 to ]945, exccpt, for the ycars 19:38, 19:19, 1934,
<br />and 1945. The total deficiency would be 347,000 acre-fe,'!.. This
<br />defieieney may be compared wit.h 11 tout! deph,t,ion by irrigation for
<br />the pcriod of [],06:3,300 aere-feet, The stud V indicated thnt, 737,500
<br />acre-feel, of wat.er would be spilled frolll Cab'lllo Roservoir in 1942,
<br />It. was found by operat.ion 2-R t.ha.t if t.he SaIl Luis Valley proj(~ct
<br />is constl'uctt'd, its operation \,,""ill materinlly relieve the water supply
<br />problem of t.he middle Rio Grandt: eonservanc.y project. find it will
<br />reduce the amount, of wat.er lost to t.he basin beclluse of spill from
<br />CulmlJo Rcservoir. The dcticienev in t.he mitldlf' Rio Grande wat.er
<br />supply would be limited to tbe 2.'yc"rs, 1928 and 19:H, with a total
<br />deficiency of 157,000 n('.r(~-fc('.t. out of n totol irrigation depletion for
<br />tbe period of 11,10,5,200 acre-feet, The Bureau of Rec.lalllatio4
<br />conc.ludcs that under this op,',ratioll the flow of the Rio GrandQ
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