<br />v"':tuv
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<br />LETTER OF TRAN::3!\'UTTAL
<br />
<br />XXVII
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<br />entering the Np.\\" ~T~xi('o at. 1.o1.l1t.os would lll~ rt'dllel~d 1,1n7,~WO
<br />ncrc-fC'ct dUl"Illg the study pl'liod. It. concludl's lhnt. this mdt_Iet,ion in
<br />flow cOlll1.incd with the rcgulat.ion of t.he Olll,-How from Colorado
<br />\".'ould n'duc(~ New 1\Jexico's oblignt.ioll for delivering wnter at Sail
<br />J\Jnrcinl by 1,51:3,400 ot'Tc-f':'f.,t, during the same p('~riod,
<br />TlH~ Bureau's t'.oncluslon with l"c~pect to 01)(,l'ation :3-RR, in pnTt,
<br />is as follows:
<br />The operatioll of I.he Middle Hio Grande project. (I) would permit the irrigat.ion
<br />of n8,3-11 acres in New :\Texil'o abo\'e San .l\lurein! with fill irrigat.ioll :,hortu~e ill
<br />1 ycar during tlte 21-yenr periud; (2) \\'ould callse n Ilegligible decrease in t.he iot.a!
<br />Colorario deplet.ion; (3) \\ollld, tIJrl)IJ~h t.he rcdbtriblltioll of :-itream flrm and debit.
<br />rclE'a~(';o, rcduce the irri,l!;fLtioll :-iIJOrtugcs ill Colorado; (4) would pre\'ellt t.he lo.<:s
<br />uf water from t.lle ba::-i11 !Jcca.u:-,;p t,f spill fWIlI CaiJaJ]o ne~en'oir; (,')) wotlltl increase
<br />t.he r('."idual Rtomge of tIll-: Rio Cnmtle Ilrujet't; (0) wonkl ille!'ca"12 t.he I'e:-;idual
<br />~t()rDge of New l\le:dc'l\ (es defilled by t.ile Hio Gnwde l'OIJlIJflct.) Dlld (7) wuuld
<br />rerlllC'(, the re::;idufil ~torllge t>f Colorudo by pre\'elllioll of ~Jlill from eabullo
<br />ILescr\'oir rei'ult,ing in the t'llIlcellatioll uf Colorado':,: Hccrued tl.~biL.
<br />'" * * * * * *
<br />No ~,'ilJ occurred from CahllJlo n(':,;~r\'oir dnring the periud uf study. Thi:i
<br />l'()llditinll had a dURi effect. Firsr, }97,000 llcre-feet. of wut.er lo..:;t. under operat.ion
<br />2 cOllditiom; Were retailled in the bn.-;jll. SceondJy, t.here Wfi" IlO cancelinr; or
<br />redllC"liOlI of at'crlll.'d debits alld ('n.di!.:-: LIS occllrred in oper:ltioll I .ann 2, thus
<br />permittillg New l\.Jpxico 10 retain 166,700 acre-feet. of {'rN!it. water in project
<br />:-;tora~(' !Iud preventing Colorado from acquiring 203,500 acre-feet for itl:; llse
<br />t.hrough redlll'tiolJ ill debits.
<br />The tot.nI irrigation shortages in Colorado would IJe 1,993,200
<br />ncre-fct,t fol' operation :!-R, and ],876,000 nere-feet. for opl~ration
<br />3-HR. These represent. about 13 percent of the total depletion, This
<br />moy be compared wit.h the N ew 1\I(~xico situation, where uIlder opera-
<br />tion 2-R t.he deficiency fol' t.Jw. IWl'iod is about. 1.4 percent of the total
<br />irrigation depIction, find for ;{-RR it is less t.hnll 1 percent. It should
<br />be pointed out t.ltnt period of study, 1925 to 194.5. inelusive, includes
<br />one of the worst drought periods since at IC'ost 1850. The. only ol.her
<br />drought period nppronching t.he one which occurred during t,he period
<br />of study for the post 100 yC'urs was olle which commenced in mid-1890
<br />and clllminat,ed in ]904.
<br />The cOllcJusion rcached by the Bureuu of Rcchunation concerning
<br />the permitting of New 1'vIt'xico to retain 166,700 acre-feet of credit
<br />''''"Etter in projpct storagl' Rnd prevent.ing Colorndo from ncquiring
<br />203,,500 acre-feet for itg use through rcrluction in debits, may be in
<br />error,
<br />A lletailc,] study of operntion 3-RR indieates thfit the opemt.ion
<br />doC's not conform with the provisions of the Rio Grande eompuct. in
<br />the following respects:
<br />1. In the year 19:3.5, R totfil eredit, of 284,200 aere-feet is allowed to
<br />ficerlle to New I\1exieo. The accrued credit in this vear should be
<br />limit.ed to 150,000 Rcre-fect in llceordRllce wit.h t.he t.ermg of the
<br />rompRe!., whieh wOllld reduee New l\Iexieo's indicated credit for that
<br />year hy 1:\4,280 ficre-feet.
<br />'2. ^'linor e-rrors in fulling to charge New 1\'lexico with increase in
<br />storage during the months of .July, Augllst, and September would
<br />further reduce New Mexico's indieat.ed acerued eredit at the end of
<br />the study period.
<br />;l, The relativel~ small releases from EI Vado Reservoir RS eompared
<br />with hist.oric releases find the releases that were assLlll1ed by the
<br />engineering odyiscrs to t.be Rio Grande Compact. Commission as 'heing
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