Statement of Lloyd Allen, Director Imperial Irrigation District Regarding 1983 Colorado River Operations I am pleased to submit this statement on the Bureau of Reclamation's operation of Colorado River reservoirs during the 1982-1983 water year. Imperial Irrigation District serves water to municipal and industrial users and to over 500,000 acres of irrigated land in Imperial Valley. It is the largest single user of Colorado River water in the Basin. Water reaches the Imperial Valley by diversion from Imperial Dam through the AllAmerican Canal. The District also operates and receives hydroelectric power from the Pilot Knob Power Plant and other low-head hydroelectric power plants on the Canal and the District's irrigation distribution system. The Colorado River is Imperial Valley's lifeline. The Imperial Valley's concern for Colorado River control extends back to the early years of its development. In 1905, as a result of unusual winter floods, the Colorado River broke through the diversion and control works and the entire River flowed into Imperial Valley for about two-years creating the Salton Sea. The District and Valley's citizens were in the forefront of efforts to regu late the river flows both for use and flood control through the construction of Hoover Dam. The Bureau of Reclamation has operated the river, including this year's operations, in a responsible manner. We believe that the present river operation and flood control procedures are consistent with the applicable acts and that there is no necessity for any major change. Other than the removal of larger than normal amounts of debris from the trash racks of Imperial Dam, the District did not suffer any damages as a result of this year's high river flows. The District has and continues to favor increased efforts in river channel maintenance and river bank stabilization to reduce the river's debris and silt which are detrimental and costly to the District's operations. Such efforts would also serve to increase the river's channel capability to accommodate high flows. The District understands that proposals may be made to mandate an increased flood control storage allocation at Hoover Dam. We do not believe that this is the answer. In an arid area where water is so scarce, we can not afford to make releases from reservoir storage solely for the purpose of creating empty flood control storage space, especially in light of the river's adverse long-term water use and supply outlook. Instead, the District believes that primary efforts should be directed towards river channel improvements and towards ensuring that the flood plain is capable of accommodating a 40,000 cubic feet per second flow with minimal damage as originally contemplated in 1968. With respect to further aspects relative to the 1983 river operations, the District would like to refer to a statement by the Colorado River Board of California. The District is represented on the Board and supports its statement. The District would also like to thank you for the opportunity to appear before the Committee. STATEMENT SOUTHWEST ARIZONA FLOOD CONTROL ASSOCIATION, Dear Mr. Chairman and Members of the Interior & Insular Affairs Committee: My name is Tom Choules and I appear before you, together with Don Riley, President, Vonne Nicklaus, Vice President, Wayne Benesch, Secretary, Bill Esmeier, Treasurer, and Walt Kammann, Jim Cuming and Harold Elliott, Board Members, together with Tom C. Cole, attorney, on behalf of the Southwest Arizona Flood Control Association, (SWAFCA) a non-profit corporation, formed by residents of the City and County of Yuma, Arizona. This group of community leaders has established a big objective for itself. It is "dedicated to the preservation of the life, health and safety of the City and County of Yuma through the development and implementation of flood control measures for the lower Colorado level would substantially alleviate the high groundwater now experienced outside the levees. (2) Demonstrate to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that the local levee systems protect the community. Much of the north end of Yuma has been designated as a potential flood area, which increases development costs. (3) ESTABLISH an ongoing maintenance program to ensure that the riverbed remains clear of obstructions and silt. levee. (4) Implement a groundwater interceptor system along the SWAFCA feels these measures will "protect the environment for wildlife, foster the development of the Yuma Crossing Park and permit continued use of land outside the levees for farming and development, without unnecessary restrictions." Leaders of the group say the Colorado River flooding and subsequent groundwater damage is the most serious problem faced by Yuma in modern times. The flood conditions could be with us for many months and the groundwater problem with its damage to valuable property and potential health problems for years. Serious economic problems could result for our community. These goals when accomplished will combat the effects of the high flows in the Colorado River and necessitate a revision of the flood insurance rate map prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and mandated for adoption which was reluctantly accomplished by the City of Yuma on July 5, 1983, in order not to have the flood insurance program withdrawn from the residents of the City. Mr. Benesch, Mr. Cole and myself, together with the Board Members, have jointly prepared this statement. Initially, in preparing for this statement, we had occasion to review a number of recent documents, reports, records of public hearings and drafts of testimony to be presented at this hearing. Almost all of these dealt with or reviewed flood regulations along the Colorado River. We became impressed with what we believed was a conspicuous absence of attention to the adverse economic impact attributable to non-floodway subsurface groundwater problems associated with sustained high flows of river water within the levee system of the floodway. In our opinion these groundwater problems represent 80-90% of the problems currently being experienced along the Yuma reach of the Colorado River between Laguna Dam and the Southern International Boundary. Some of the comments, particularly by the City of Yuma and the Arizona Department of Water Resources, have also addressed these problems. The present authority for the operation of the Colorado River Front Work and Levee System is the Act of June 28, 1946, (60 Stat.338) Public Law 79-469, which authorizes the Secretary of the Interior "...to defray the cost of (a) operating and main- |