Statement of John W. Keys, III on H.R. 3881

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http: / /resourcescommittee.house.gov/ 107cong /water /2002mar 19/keyes.htm ° Y Statement of John W. Keys, III Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation U.S. Department of the Interior on H.R. 3881 Subcommittee on Water and Power Committee on Resources U.S. House of Representatives March 19, 2002 My name is John Keys, and I am Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). I am pleased to provide the Administration's views on H.R. 3881, which would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to engage in studies relating to enlarging Pueblo Dam and Reservoir and Sugar Loaf Dam and Turquoise Lake of the Fryingpan- Arkansas Project in Colorado. While the Administration supports the efforts of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District to plan for future water needs, we cannot support H.R. 3881 as written. Congress authorized the Fryingpan Arkansas Project (Project) in 1962 as a multi - purpose, transmountain, trans -basin water diversion and delivery project in Colorado. It makes possible an average annual diversion of 69,200 acre -feet of surplus water from the Fryingpan River and other Colorado River tributaries on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains to the Arkansas River basin on the eastern slope. Water diverted from the western slope, together with available water supplies in the Arkansas River Basin, provides an average annual water supply of 80,400 acre -feet for both municipal/domestic use and supplemental irrigation in the Arkansas Valley. The Project includes a hydroelectric power plant with a generating capacity of 200 megawatts. Additional authorized Project purposes include flood control, recreation, conservation of scenery, natural, historic and archeologic objects on Project lands, and conservation and development of fish and wildlife resources. Further, under the 1962 Act, the use of Project water is subject to numerous inter -state compacts. This includes the Colorado - Kansas compact. The Project has been operated and maintained by Reclamation since its completion. The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District (District) represents the irrigation and municipal and industrial water users served by the Project water supply. The District is responsible for repaying the United States for the cost of Project works associated with the irrigation and municipal and industrial functions of the Project, plus applicable interest. The District also pays a proportionate share of annual operation and maintenance (O &M) of the Project. H.R. 3881 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), through the Bureau of Reclamation, to conduct studies for the enlargement of Pueblo Dam and Reservoir, Sugar Loaf Dam and Turquoise Lake. The legislation also authorizes the Secretary to enter into contracts for the use of excess storage and conveyance capacity in east slope facilities of the Fryingpan- Arkansas Project, Colorado. Reclamation supports the concept expressed in H.R. 3881 of using the excess capacity in Reclamation facilities, within legal and policy parameters, to optimize the benefits provided by the projects. Use of excess capacity may offer lower costs and more environmentally friendly solutions to water users than building completely new facilities. However, our concerns with H.R. 3881 are numerous. My testimony today highlights a few of these concerns. Feasibility Studies 1 of 3 3/20/02 10:17 AN1