(1) ALL ALTERNATIVES REQUIRE 1.5 MAF STORAGE SPACE ON 1 AUG.

19,28,35,50,73

STATEMENT OF ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
TO THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS
AT HEARING ON COLORADO RIVER FLOODING

YUMA, ARIZONA
SEPTEMBER 7, 1983

MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, MY NAME IS WES STEINER, I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES. AMONG THE DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSIBILITIES THAT RELATE TO THE SUBJECT OF THIS HEARING ARE FURTHERANCE OF THE STATE'S INTERESTS IN THE COLORADO RIVER, WATER SUPPLY PLANNING AND ALLOCATION, FLOOD CONTROL PLANNING, ADMINISTRATION OF STATE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS, FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION OF THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM.

DEPARTMENT STAFF WITH EXPERTISE IN FLOOD CONTROL OPERATIONS AND THE "LAW OF THE RIVER" HAVE REVIEWED STORM AND RUNOFF DATA FOR THE CURRENT WATER YEAR, THE CRITERIA THAT GOVERN OPERATIONS OF THE MAJOR DAMS ON THE COLORADO RIVER AND THEIR ACTUAL OPERATION AND HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE BUREAU'S PERFORMANCE WAS EXEMPLARY AND DESERVING OF HIGH PRAISE, ESPECIALLY FROM THOSE WHO RESIDE OR DO BUSINESS IN THE FLOODWAY DOWNSTREAM FROM THESE STRUCTURES.

PRESENTED BY:

WESLEY E. STEINER, DIRECTOR

ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES

STATEMENT

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SEPTEMBER 7, 1983

THE RELEASE PATTERN FROM HOOVER DAM. AND THE STRUCTURES DOWNSTREAM COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SEVERE. AS WE INTERPRET THE CORPS' MANUAL, THE FLOOD CONTROL CRITERIA ESTABLISHED FOR HOOVER DAM CALLED FOR A RELEASE OF 73,000 CFS UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT PREVAILED. THE BUREAU THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF CONSIDERABLE INGENUITY IN INSTALLING FLASHBOARDS ON THE GATES AT GLEN CANYON AND THROUGH ITS WILLINGNESS TO ASSUME THE RISK THAT HIGH PRECIPITATION FROM SUMMER STORMS WOULD NOT OCCUR AS THE SNOW MELT WAS BEING CAREFULLY ROUTED THROUGH THE SYSTEM, WAS ABLE TO KEEP MAXIMUM RELEASES TO 44,000 CFS.

WE ARE ALSO CONVINCED THAT HAD THE BUREAU INITIATED

HIGHER RELEASES EARLIER - AND WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE INITIATION
OF EXCESS RELEASES COULD HAVE BEEN ADVANCED JUSTIFIABLY MORE THAN
A WEEK OR TWO - THE MAXIMUM RELEASE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAME AND
THE SAME PROPERTY WOULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED TO THE SAME EXTENT.
WHILE THE CURRENT FLOOD JUSTIFIES A REVIEW OF FLOOD
CONTROL CRITERIA FOR THE COLORADO RIVER RESERVOIR SYSTEM, OVER-
REACTION MUST BE GUARDED AGAINST. THE STORAGE CAPACITY RESERVED
FOR FLOOD CONTROL CAN BE INCREASED ONLY AT THE EXPENSE OF WATER
SUPPLY. THE VALUE OF A MILLION ACRE-FEET RELEASED IN THE INTEREST
OF FLOOD CONTROL AND NOT RECOVERED FROM ANTICIPATED FLOWS AND
AVAILABLE TO MEET WATER NEEDS EXCEEDS THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DAMAGES
ASCRIBED TO DATE TO THE CURRENT FLOOD. THE CRITERIA SELECTED MUST
PROVIDE THE APPROPRIATE BALANCE BETWEEN THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH
THEY WERE CONSTRUCTED ASSUMING EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE FLOOD-

STATEMENT

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SEPTEMBER 7, 1983

PLAIN SO THAT NECESSARY RELEASES DO NOT RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT
DAMAGES.

GENERAL TANGUY, THE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF
EMERGENCY SERVICES WILL FOLLOW ME WITH A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE
DIRECT DAMAGES THAT RESULTED IN ARIZONA FROM THE HIGH FLOWS.
BY AND LARGE THE DAMAGES THAT GENERAL TANGUY WILL DESCRIBE ARE
DAMAGES THAT OCCURRED IN THE FLOODWAY OF THE RIVER - MUCH OCCURRING
INSIDE THE LEVEES IN THE SECTION DESIGNED TO CARRY CONTROLLED

RELEASES FOUND NECESSARY IN THE INTEREST OF FLOOD CONTROL.

HERE, I BELIEVE THAT WE MUST DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN

TO REMOVE ALL DEVELOPMENT FROM THE DESIGN FLOODWAY THAT IS SUBJECT
TO DAMAGE FROM CONTROLLED RELEASES FROM UPSTREAM RESERVOIRS.
THIS PROGRAM WILL BE EXPENSIVE AND AS WE PUT IT TOGETHER, WE WILL
UNDOUBTEDLY FIND THAT WE NEED FEDERAL HELP AND WILL BE COMING TO
THIS COMMITTEE FOR ASSISTANCE.

EFFECTIVE FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM ARE ESSENTIAL TO CONTROL OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE FLOODPLAIN AND ARE HIGH PRIORITY ISSUES IN ARIZONA. OUT OF 85 COMMUNITIES IN ARIZONA IDENTIFIED AS HAVING AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING, ONLY ONE IS CURRENTLY NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM AND THAT COMMUNITY IS NOT LOCATED ON THE COLORADO RIVER. WE FEEL THAT COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY COLORADO RIVER FLOODING HAVE INDICATED A WILLINGNESS TO CONTROL UNWISE DEVELOPMENT IN THE FLOODPLAIN. HOWEVER, ADEQUATE FLOODPLAIN MAPS OF THE COLORADO RIVER ARE GENERALLY NOT AVAILABLE.