REMARKS PREPARED FOR LIEUTENANT COLONEL ROGER C. HIGBEE DEPUTY DISTRICT COMMANDER U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS LOS ANGELES DISTRICT TESTIMONY FOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS ON COLORADO RIVER FLOODING OF 1983 7-8 SEPTEMBER 1983 GOOD AFTERNOON MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IN ATTENDANCE. I AM PLEASED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT YOU WITH A REPORT ON HOW THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAS DEALT WITH THE COLORADO RIVER FLOOD SITUATION. COMMISSIONER BROADBENT HAS ALREADY PROVIDED YOU WITH SPECIFICS ON MUCH OF THE COLORADO RIVER SYSTEM. I PLAN TO PRESENT MAINLY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, THEREBY MINIMIZING REDUNDANCY. THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAS TAKEN ACTION IN TWO RESERVOIR REGULATION AND EMERGENCY OPERATIONS. AREAS: THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS RESERVOIR RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE PRESCRIBING THE FLOOD CONTROL PLANS FOR THREE PROJECTS PROTECTING THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER. THESE PROJECTS ARE THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION'S LAKE MEAD ON THE MAIN STEM OF THE COLORADO RIVER PLUS THE CORPS OF ENGINEER'S ALAMO LAKE AND PAINTED ROCK RESERVOIR BOTH ON ARIZONA TRIBUTARIES. LET ME TAKE A MOMENT TO POINT OUT THE RESERVOIRS ON THE CHART I HAVE BROUGHT WITH ME TO HELP CLARIFY THEIR RESPECTIVE LOCATIONS. WATER CONTROL AT THE THREE RESERVOIRS IS WELL COORDINATED TO MINIMIZE SIMULTANEOUS DAMAGING RELEASES. FOR INSTANCE, DURING THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS THE CORPS HAS PROGRESSIVELY LOWERED ALAMO LAKE ON THE BILL WILLIAMS RIVER. THIS ACTION--ALTHOUGH CONTROVERSIAL WITH RECREATIONAL INTERESTS-HAS REDUCED THE RISK OF CONCURRENT FLOOD CONTROL RELEASES FROM HOOVER DAM AND ALAMO DAM SHOULD A VIOLENT ARIZONA RAIN FLOOD OCCUR. FOR EXAMPLE THIS MARCH A FLOOD PEAK OF 69,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND WAS REDUCED TO AN OUTFLOW OF ABOUT 1600 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND; A FLOW RATE THAT WAS READILY INTEGRATED INTO THE COLORADO RIVER WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. AT PRESENT, ALAMO LAKE IS NOT CONTRIBUTING ANY FLOW TO THE COLORADO RIVER. LAST WINTER'S CENTRAL ARIZONA FLOODING DEVELOPED A LARGE IMPOUNDMENT BEHIND OUR PAINTED ROCK DAM ON THE GILA RIVER. A PEAK INFLOW OF ABOUT 29,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND WAS EXPERIENCED DURING FEBRUARY 1983. SUBSEQUENT FLOOD CONTROL RELEASES FROM PAINTED ROCK WERE REDUCED APPRECIABLY FROM 4,500 TO 500 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND THIS JUNE TO MINIMIZE HIGH COLORADO RIVER LEVELS IN YUMA AS WELL AS IN MEXICO. THIS WAS AN ACTION OF TRADE-OFFS WITH BENEFITS PROVIDED TO COMMUNITIES ON THE COLORADO RIVER AND BENEFITS REDUCED TO COMMUNITIES ALONG THE GILA RIVER. PAINTED ROCK DAM RELEASES ARE PRESENTLY 1,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND. HOWEVER, DUE TO INTENSE DESERT EVAPORATION, A NEGLIBLE FLOW OF SEVERAL HUNDRED CUBIC FEET PER SECOND IS NOW REACHING THE COLORADO RIVER. THE 1944 FLOOD CONTROL ACT ASSIGNED THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FLOOD CONTROL OPERATION OF ALL FEDERAL RESERVOIRS HAVING FLOOD CONTROL AS A PROJECT PURPOSE. THIS INCLUDES LAKE MEAD FORMED BY HOOVER DAM. IN 1977 THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION AND THE CORPS OF PROMPTED BY TWO CONDITIONS LEADING TO AN INEVITABLE SECOND, LAKE POWELL WAS EXPECTED TO REACH A FULL CONDITION WHICH WOULD RESULT IN THE RESUMPTION OF FREQUENT HOOVER DAM FLOOD CONTROL RELEASES. THE STUDY AND RESULTS, PRESENTED IN OUR JULY 1982 REPORT ENTITLED, "COLORADO RIVER BASIN HOOVER DAM REVIEW OF FLOOD CONTROL REGULATION," FORM THE CRITERIA GUIDING THIS THE STUDY WAS EXHAUSTIVE TAKING 5 YEARS TO COMPLETE. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO TAKE SOME TIME TO DESCRIBE THE SUPPLY, OR POWER PRODUCTION OVER THE OTHERS OR WAS DESIGNED TO REPRESENT A BALANCE AMONG THE THREE PURPOSES. ALTHOUGH THE PLANS DIFFER IN THE PURPOSES THEY FAVOR, EACH HAS EIGHT ELEMENTS IN COMMON WITH THE OTHER. AVAILABLE ON THE FIRST DAY OF AUGUST OF EACH YEAR FOR THE CONTROL OF RAINFLOODS. Two, A 1 JANUARY MINIMUM STORAGE SPACE IS REQUIRED EACH YEAR FOR THE CONTROL OF SNOWMELT FLOODS DURING THE SPRING AND SUMMER. THE AMOUNT OF STORAGE SPACE VARIES FROM PLAN TO PLAN. IF NECESSARY, WATER WOULD BE RELEASED FROM THE DAM PRIOR TO JANUARY TO PROVIDE THIS SPACE. THREE, EACH PLAN SPECIFIED A MAXIMUM CONTROLLED RELEASE. FOUR, SPACE BUILDING RELEASES NEEDED TO INSURE 1 JANUARY STORAGE BEGIN ON 1 AUGUST OF EACH YEAR FOR UNDER THE PREVIOUS PLAN, SPACE BUILDING ALL PLANS. BEGINS ON 1 OCTOBER. FIVE, THESE SPACE BUILDING RELEASES BETWEEN AUGUST TO DECEMBER, WOULD BE LIMITED TO THE GREATER OF EITHER 28,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND OR THE HIGHEST FLOOD RELEASE ACHIEVED SHOULD LAKE MEAD ENTER A SPILLWAY SURCHARGE CONDITION AS IT DID THIS JULY. UNDER THE PREVIOUS PLAN, SPACE BUILDING RELEASES WERE LIMITED TO 40,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND. SIX, EACH PLAN HAS A SET OF STEPPED RELEASES TO CONTROL SNOWMELT FLOODS. THE 28,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND STEP REPRESENTS THE APPROXIMATE NON-DAMAGING HOOVER DAM RELEASE TODAY. THE RELEASE STEP OF 40,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND WAS USED IN THE 1930, 1957, AND |