STATEMENT

-4

SEPTEMBER 7, 1983

THESE MAPS ARE NEEDED SO THE COMMUNITIES CAN. IDENTIFY THE FLOOD HAZARD AREAS AND CAN APPLY APPROPRIATE FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS. THE MAPS FOR THE COLORADO RIVER SYSTEM ARE CURRENTLY UNDER PREPARATION AS A PART OF FEMA'S PROGRAM. WE URGE THAT THIS PROCESS BE EXPEDITED AND THAT THESE MAPS BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE COLORADO RIVER COMMUNITIES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THE COMMUNITIES ALONG THE RIVER MUST HAVE THEM IN HAND BEFORE THEY CAN BE EXPECTED TO EFFECTIVELY CONTROL DEVELOPMENT AND ELIMINATE FUTURE FLOOD INUNDATION DAMAGES.

IN MANY WAYS FLOODING ON THE COLORADO RIVER HAS BEEN UNIQUE AND HAS CAUSED SPECIAL PROBLEMS NOT NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH FLOODING. THE DURATION OF FLOW IS MUCH LONGER THAN NORMAL AND IS EXPECTED TO EXTEND AT LEAST THROUGH DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR. IN PREVENTING THE FLOOD VICTIMS FROM UNDERTAKING CLEANUP OPERATIONS AND COMPLETING THE PROCESS OF RETURNING THEIR LIVES TO NORMAL, THESE EXTENDED FLOWS ARE CAUSING SERIOUS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. SIGNIFICANT BANK EROSION CAN ALSO BE ANTICIPATED THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE FLOW.

THERE IS ANOTHER PROBLEM, A MUCH MORE INSIDIOUS PROBLEM, THAT IS DEVELOPING FROM THE HIGH FLOWS AND THE FACT THAT THEY

WILL CONTINUE FOR A PROTRACTED PERIOD. WHEN THE FULL IMPACT OF

THIS PROBLEM IS REALIZED WE FEAR THAT ASSOCIATED DAMAGES MAY
DWARF THOSE EXPERIENCED DIRECTLY FROM SURFACE FLOWS.

THE HIGH STAGES IN THE RIVER THAT HAVE ACCOMPANIED THE HIGH FLOWS HAVE INDUCED INCREASED MOVEMENT OF RIVER WATER THROUGH THE POROUS SOILS AND HAVE PRODUCED HIGH WATER TABLE CONDITIONS

STATEMENT

-5

SEPTEMBER 7, 1983

IN LOW LYING AREAS ALL ALONG THE RIVER. THE GREATEST IMPACT IS
PROJECTED TO OCCUR IN THE YUMA AREA.

MOST OF THE YUMA AREA IS PROTECTED BY BUREAU OF RECLA-
MATION LEVEES AND HAS GENERALLY BEEN SPARED FROM DIRECT FLOOD
INUNDATION DAMAGES. HOWEVER, LARGE QUANTITIES OF RIVER WATER
ARE SEEPING INTO THE GROUNDWATER SYSTEM THAT UNDERLIES MUCH OF

THE YUMA AREA. STATE AND COUNTY ROADS ARE BEING UNDERMINED AND
THEIR COLLAPSE MAY BE IMMINENT. BURIED UTILITIES, INCLUDING
SEWER AND WATER PIPES, HAVE SHOWN SIGNS OF SETTLEMENT AND ARE
IN SERIOUS DANGER OF COLLAPSING. As FLOOD WATERS AND RISING
GROUNDWATER ENTERED LOWER ELEVATION STORM DRAINS, THE FLOW
PATTERN REVERSED, CAUSING WATER TO FLOW ONTO THE STREETS. IN
ORDER TO PREVENT FLOODING, YUMA OFFICIALS WERE FORCED TO PLUG DRAIN
OUTFALLS AND MANHOLE COVERS WITH CONCRETE. THIS HAS LEFT MUCH OF YUMA
WITHOUT THE SERVICES OF STORM DRAINS AND VULNERABLE TO FLOODING
FROM LOCAL STORMS.

AS GROUNDWATER INUNDATES SEPTIC TANKS AND CESSPOOLS,
THEY BECOME INOPERATIVE AND THE SEWAGE MIXES WITH THE GROUNDWATER
CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR POLLUTION OF NEIGHBORING DOMESTIC
WATER WELLS. THIS SITUATION COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS AND WIDE-
SPREAD HEALTH PROBLEM AS IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 37,000 PEOPLE RESIDE
IN THE AREA WHERE SEPTIC TANKS MAY FAIL AND DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLIES
MAY BECOME CONTAMINATED. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THERE ARE AT
LEAST 4,400 SEPTIC TANKS AND CESSPOOLS AND 1,300 DOMESTIC WELLS
LOCATED IN THE AREA THAT COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY SEEPAGE
FROM THE HIGH STAGES IN THE RIVER.

STATEMENT

-6

SEPTEMBER 7, 1983

IT IS ALSO ESTIMATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 14,000 ACRES OF VALUABLE FARMLAND ARE PRESENTLY BEING ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY FLOOD

INDUCED HIGH GROUNDWATER LEVELS IN THE YUMA AREA. APPROXIMATELY
60,000 ACRES OF PRIME FARMLAND ARE LOCATED IN THE VALLEY LANDS
AROUND YUMA. THIS ENTIRE ACREAGE COULD BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED
BY RISING GROUNDWATER LEVELS. RESULTING AGRICULTURAL LOSSES
WOULD BE STAGGERING AS WOULD THE IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY OF WESTERN
ARIZONA.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE RISING GROUNDWATER
PHENOMENON IS JUST BEGINNING AND WILL CONTINUE TO BECOME MORE
AGGRAVATED WITH TIME, WITH THE MOST SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES PROJECTED
TO OCCUR IN THE FUTURE. EVEN IF FLOWS IN THE COLORADO RIVER
RETURN TO NORMAL LEVELS AFTER JANUARY 1, 1984, GROUNDWATER LEVELS
ALONG THE RIVER WILL NOT DECREASE AT THE SAME RATE THAT THEY
UNDER NATURAL CONDITIONS, IT COULD TAKE SEVERAL YEARS

INCREASED.

FOR AFFECTED AREAS TO RETURN TO PRE-FLOOD CONDITIONS.

WE ARE FACING LONG TERM IMPACTS THAT WILL SERIOUSLY DISRUPT THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN WESTERN ARIZONA AND THE ECONOMY OF OUR STATE. YUMA COUNTY, THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE FORMED A TASK FORCE UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF DON FORTNEY, YUMA COUNTY ENGINEER, TO EVALUATE THE PROBLEMS IN THE YUMA AREA AND TO RECOMMEND SOLUTIONS TO BOTH THE SHORT AND LONG TERM PROBLEMS. MY OFFICE AND THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION ARE COOPERATIVELY DEVELOPING A COMPUTER MODEL OF THE GROUNDWATER AQUIFERS IN THE YUMA AREA FOR PURPOSES OF PREDICTING THE RISE

STATEMENT

-7

SEPTEMBER 7, 1983

IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY UNITS, FORECASTING
THE TIME THAT IT WILL TAKE FOR GROUNDWATER LEVELS TO RETURN TO
NORMAL UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS OF FLOW IN THE RIVER AFTER
JANUARY 1, 1984 AND TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VARIOUS
SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING DREDGING OF THE RIVER AND THE INSTALLATION
OF A DRAINAGE/PUMPING SYSTEM.

THE TASK FORCE IS ACTIVELY INVESTIGATING SOLUTIONS TO

BOTH THE SHORT TERM AND LONG RANGE ASPECTS OF THE SEEPAGE PROBLEM. WE HOPE TO COMPLETE THESE STUDIES SOON AND WILL BE SEEKING FEDERAL ASSISTANCE IN THEIR FINANCING AND IMPLEMENTATION.

IN CLOSING, LET ME POINT OUT THAT ARIZONA RESIDENTS PURCHASED FLOOD INSURANCE ASSUMING THAT ALL DAMAGES ASSOCIATED WITH FLOOD DISASTERS WOULD BE COVERED BY INSURANCE. WE WERE ALL SHOCKED AND DISAPPOINTED TO FIND THAT FEMA HAS TAKEN THE POSITION THAT DAMAGES RESULTING FROM INCREASED GROUNDWATER ELEVATIONS ARE NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE. THE EVIDENCE THAT THE RISE IN GROUNDWATER ELEVATIONS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE 1983 FLOOD ON THE COLORADO RIVER IS OVERWHELMING. DAMAGES PRIOR TO THE FLOOD. NOW THAT THESE AREAS ARE EXPERIENCING OR FACING SERIOUS DAMAGES WE ARE TOLD THAT SUCH DAMAGES ARE NOT CONSIDERED FLOOD RELATED. WE FIND THIS POSITION IRRATIONAL AND UNFAIR AND URGE THE COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE IT AND TO RECOMMEND TO FEMA FULL COVERAGE OF DAMAGES TO STRUCTURES AND CONTENTS RESULTING FROM FLOOD INDUCED GROUNDWATER SEEPAGE.

AFFECTED AREAS WERE NOT EXPERIENCING

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT.

STATEMENT OF J. WILLIAM MCDONALD, DIRECTOR
COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

CONCERNING THE OPERATION OF COLORADO RIVER RESERVOIRS

September 7, 1983
Yuma, Arizona

Introduction

I am J. William McDonald, Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. I am also Colorado's alternate commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission and Governor Richard D. Lamm's appointee to the seven state work group which will be discussing recent and future operations of the Colorado River reservoirs.

As a signatory to the Colorado River and Upper Colorado River Compacts, Colorado is vitally interested in the operation of the Colorado River reservoir system. I therefore appreciate this opportunity to appear before you.

Summary of Statement

During the past few months, the Bureau of Reclamation was called upon to operate the Colorado River reservoirs amidst extraordinary and unpredictable runoff conditions while the reservoirs filled to a capacity never before reached. The information available to us indicates that the Bureau of Reclamation's operations have been reasonable and consistent with our understanding of the applicable laws, operating criteria, and flood control plan.

Based upon the information available at this time, I see no need to modify the "Criteria for Coordinated, Long-Range Operation of the Colorado River Reservoirs" (operating criteria). The experience of the last few months leads me to conclude that future reservoir operations can be accommodated within the framework of the existing operating criteria and flood control plan.

This is not to say, however, that future operation of the reservoirs should not be the subject of discussion between the seven Colorado River basin states and the Bureau of Reclamation. To the contrary, it is desirable that the seven states and the Bureau of Reclamation jointly address the reservoir operation issues which have arisen.

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