|
<br />xxx
<br />
<br />LETTER OF TRANSMIT'fAC '
<br />
<br />1806 ond 1897, The wnter supply would 11I1Ve heen short, in 1902
<br />and 1904. The rescrToir tIler] would }lD:VC filled in 1905 und \\'O/lId
<br />Illlye spilled flwluently from 1905 to 1924, It. would hn"e spilled
<br />again in 1942. During those years or periods when the Elephant.
<br />n"uUc RCf'eryoir ot.hr-l'wisc wuuld spill, \Vagon 'Wheel Gup Rrsl'l'\'uir
<br />can be opl'rut-co fr('ely ullder the com pllet"
<br />A delail",! st"dv of the operntion of Wogon Wlwel Gnp Hesen'oir,
<br />coordinuted with t1w operation of Elephant. Butte Rescn"oir \',:it-hout
<br />tl1(> interference of any ot.hel' stnl'lIg(~ OIl tlw strl'uIn, indiciLt.es that hnd
<br />the op~rlltion cOInnwlleed in 1890 t,here \\Tould have been supplied the
<br />full irrigation reql1il'cmf:'_nt except for tbe YCUl'S 1896 find IS90 to
<br />1D04, inelusiye, (tnd Ul<'. yellrs 19:35, 1~:lG, 19:\9, nnd 1940, From
<br />1\10:) to 19;W the reservoir would have heen pruct.icnlly full every year.
<br />The ollly reason t.hnt. the reservoir could !iO opel'l1t.e is on Lhe busis of
<br />wutet' which otherwise would spill from Elephant, Butte Reservoir.
<br />A part of the wuteI' supply for \Yugon 'Wheel Gnp Heservoir fot' this
<br />period is approximately l,10S,OOO acre-feet of wllt.er wllieh ''v.mIld
<br />re\"cl'L to (,he ownct'~hip of C%rauo under tlle terIIlS of the compact
<br />beCllUS(~ if sLlt'h woter uud not been stored in the rescrvoil'S of the San
<br />Luis Vnlley project, it would have spillet! from Elcpho.nt Butte and
<br />CalMllo Reservoirs.
<br />The .San Luis projf'ef, would h(' dep1'i'"ctl of t.his t.oll1l nmount. of
<br />wut,(~r Or nn U\.erflg<, of abollt :!2,OOO uC're-feet per yenr Over u 5:2-
<br />yt'lU period if t.he project under discussion were opcrall'd in accord-
<br />ancc with t.he pln,ns suggest.ed by the Corps of Engineers.
<br />Thl~ flood-control benefit.s cstimnted by Ule Corps of Enginet'rs
<br />\!"'nre bn-sed Oil ClllTPnt propt~rty vuluC's and crop values. The pre-
<br />vf'Tltl1lJle Hood dUJllugt',S as estimu(.ed hy l,hc Corps of Engineers is in
<br />t,eT'I11S (If gross prop~rt.y find crop "\'ulucs. If the \"nlue of the :!2,OOO
<br />flcl'e-fe(.t of witter pt~r annum t,hat would be h)st t.o the San Luis
<br />Valley project hy t.he proposed opera tion of the Corps of Engineers
<br />\""e.re cn.lcuIn ted on t,he :"aIne bnsis, the monctary loss would l.'xect'd
<br />the C'stimntecl preventahle dumnges from inundation nne! scour in
<br />New ~{exieo, This would be the minimum effect. on the opC'rntioll
<br />of the Sun Luis Volley project hy the operntion of the middle Rio
<br />Gr~lldc project, fiS proposed by the Corps of Engineers.
<br />On mnnv occusions the operat.ion proposed by l,he Corps of Engi-
<br />neers would cnuse the water supply ill Elephant Butte Rest~rYoir to
<br />drop below 400,000 acre-feet, whidl would prevcnt the reservoirs of
<br />t.he Snn Luis Vulley project fronl storing any \\'tltt~.r. The {',tied of
<br />this would be in nddiLion to the one out.lined nbove.
<br />The operution of t.he rrservoirs of the proposed middle Rio Grande
<br />projC'et ns suggt'sted hy thc Corps of Engineers also would mnke more
<br />frequf'TIt. those ocr,nsions when it would be ncces~nry to r('}cIls(' debit,
<br />wat.er after .January 1, because of the contents of ,.he Elephnnt Butft'
<br />Rpscrvoil' dropping below 600,000 acre-feet.. This is bl'cfluse the
<br />proposed ope-rnt-ion would withhold wat.er from t1w Elcphunt Butte
<br />Resen.oir. The reICH.Sf' of this debit. wnt.er from thp, San Luis Valle\"
<br />project rescn.oirs would have an addit.ionol effect upon the water sllr~
<br />ply for lhos~ reservoirs [,eeHuse at son\(' suhsequent. t,imc some of the
<br />wfit,eI" might, rev(>rt to Colorado by t.llt~ tl<:trlltll of t'l'edits.
<br />While both reports stote that the efl'ects of the operntioll of the Slln
<br />Luis Vnlley project for flood control were taken int.o consideration in
<br />estima ting the alllouut. of flood-control eapoeity required for the middle
<br />Rio Gl'onde project, yet certain of the eoudusion. would indicate that
<br />
|