maximum flow in this area, there would be an estimated 80% less damage and seepage largely eliminated. The second recommendation I respectfully make to this Committee is to secure authorization and make available funds for emergency dredging to rebuild a channel for the River just above Lake Havasu. The magnitude of the silt plug deposited by the flood there is unbelievable, and a Bureau team is down there at this time trying to measure it. The amount of silt deposited there, basically in two months' time, is now presently estimated at 10,000,000yds, and growing. By comparison, the Bureau dredge which has been maintaining the River channel for a number of years, can nominally pump about 1,000,000 yards per year. Not only does this deposit keep building upstream, but in the process will create an ever increasing danger of diminishing the flood carrying capacity on upstream towards Needles. In addition, when the River flows decrease, it will be essentially impossible to navigate between the River and the Lake, further depressing recreational use. As an emergency measure of environmental restoration, it should be well supported. My third and final recommendation is that the people on the River have representation in the water management process, just as the hydro-power and water-users have had so prominently in the past. We would represent flood control, the first of the three major objectives of the Colorado River system, and would be essential to the proper balance of representation. This committee, or whatever type of body you would care to appoint, would be serving at your pleasure, whose chairman or other appointed person would be the firm contact for River. management bodies to deal with, and who in turn could disseminate up-to-the minute information to River communities and groups, aswell as public releases for the thousands of visitors, especially from the population centers of Arizona and Southern California. We feel we are part of a very large econòmic entity in the Colorado River system and very much in need of proportionate representation in the balanced use of our River. Again, we appreciate your being with us, and we ask for your positive support. Thank you. This bronze plague is still today prominently mounted Photo taken 7/10/83 STATEMENT OF ROBERT A. CLARK NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION before the COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS September 8, 1983 Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: I appreciate the opportunity to testify today on the River and Flood Forecasting Program of the National Weather Service. As you are aware, this past year has been very active - hydrologically speaking. Floods, many severe, have occurred in every state since January. I will provide some historical background on our program, briefly discuss our forecast methodology and review the 1982-1983 season. Background The hydrologic program of the National Weather Service (NWS) has its historical roots in the early development of Federal weather services. The Organic Act of October 1, 1890, assigned to the Weather Service the duties of "... the forecasting of weather, the issue of storm warnings, the display of weather and flood signals for the benefit of agriculture, commerce, and navigation, the gauging and reporting of rivers ..." Today the National Weather Service provides flood warnings for approximately 3000 designated points. At 760 points seasonal volume forecasts also are issued to predict streamflow volumes resulting from mountain snowmelt. These forecasts of runoff volume are issued jointly with the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) usually for the April through July or April through September periods. Forecasts are normally issued once a month from January 1 through May 1. In general, National Weather Service forecasts are issued for the main rivers and streams where flooding may be critical and information is needed for flood control, irrigation, navigation, recreation, fish and wildlife management, hydro-power generation, industry, pollution control and water supply. The SCS program is limited to smaller headwater streams where irrigation demands for agriculture are important. The NWS makes the Lake Powell inflow forecast on the Colorado River and incorporates forecasts made by the SCS for the small headwater areas above the Lake. The Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (CBRFC), located in Salt Lake City, Utah, is responsible for producing this forecast, including daily streamflow, extended streamflow prediction (ESP), water supply, recreation and lake elevation forecasts for Utah Lake and the Great Salt Lake. The CBRFC was formally established in 1968 and presently operates with a staff of five. An Inter-Agency Technical Committee on Streamflow Forecasting for the Colorado River system was established in November 1979. By Memorandum of Understanding, the Committee formed a joint streamflow forecasting group designated the Colorado River Forecasting Service (CRFS). The |