UNITED STATES DEPAR'.IMENT OF THE IN'IERIOR BUREAU OF RECLAMATION Regional Office, Region 4 Salt Lake City J.O, Utah

RE.MARKS BY REGIONAL DIRECTOR E. O. LARSON BEFORE THE UPFER COLORADO RIVER COMMISSION AT CHEYENNE, WYOMING, MONDAY, SEPl'EMBER 2l, 1959

The F.t. 1960 appropriations by the Congress for the Upper

Colorado River Basin are adequate to continue the construction activities now underway and include about $2-k million for 3 new participating project starts--the Hammond Project in New Mexico, Seedskadee Project in Wyoming, and Smith Fork Project in Colorado. The total. obligation program for construction on storage units and participating projects is $78,o80,032.

In addition, $961,013 is available for advance planning and $915,654 for general. investigations. By comparison, the F.Y. 1959 obligation program was about 68 million dollars for construction.

The authorized obl.igation program for continuing construction is as follows: $46.8 million for Glen Canyon, $12.9 million for Flaming

Gorge, $10.l million for Navajo, $3.l million for Paonia Project, and

$2.0 million for the Vernal Unit of the Central. Utah Project. Amounts included for the new participating projects are $487,000 for the

Hammond Project, $1.3 million for the Seedskadee Project, and $487,000 for the Smith Fork Project. About $.764,ooo is available tor pre- construction work on the Transmission Division. STATUS OF CONSTRUCTION

Generally speaking, construction of the storage units and participating projects has proceeded on schedule in F.Y. 1959. Contracts were awarded to begin construction on the Paonia Project and Vernal Unit, Central Utah Project, which were new starts in F.Y. 1959. Glen Canyon Unit Construction on the Glen Canyon Unit progressed well until the general strike which stopped all work on July 6, 1959. Since that date there has been no construction work on the prime contract for Glen

Canyon Dam. The strike is now in its third month and we have no knowledge of any imminent settlement. The dispute, which resulted in the calling of the strike, is between the Merritt-Chapman and Scott Corporation and the 15 cra:fts of the Phoenix Building and Construction Trades Council and centers on the payment of $6 per day subsistence to the workers. At the time the strike was call.ed, about 30 percent o:f the prime contract work had been completed in 31 percent of the contract time. The diversion tunnels had been completed, the upstream diversion dam placed, and diversion o:f the river accomplished on February 11. Work was progress­ ing rapidly on construction of the large aggregate plant, the concrete batching plant, the refrigeration plant, the cableways strung from movable towers, and other facilities required to begin the placement of concrete in the dam. Excavation of the huge keyways was completed; drilling and lining of the spillway tunnels was underway; and rock excavation had begun on portions of the powerhouse foundation area. All work ceased with the calling o:f' the strike. At the present time the temporary diesel powerplant is operated to meet continuing needs for electrical energy, and the pumps are being operated to keep the foundation area of the dam from being flooded.

In a dedication ceremoDY held on February 20, the Glen Canyon bridge was opened for public use. The l,200-foot gap between the canyon walls at the damsite has been eliminated as an obstacle in the

2 construction work at the dam, and the new bridge forms the final link in a new highway route between Utah and Arizona.

The Federally-constructed facilities in the town of Page are essentially completed, and the details are now being worked out on plans for the sale of residential and commercial property to private individuals.

Flaming Gorge Unit.

Construction has advanced steadily at the Flaming Gorge Damsite so that by the end of August the Arch Dam Constructors had established their field facilities and had completed 13% of the prime contract construction work. The difficult road construction from Dutch John to the damsite at the crest of the dam and to the powerplant location on the canyon floor is completed and the roads are in use. The single diversion tunnel is completed, and it is anticipated that the Green River will be diverted through the tunnel about October l. The construction of the town of Dutch John is essentially

completed. Work continues on the largest clearing contract awarded in

Region 4--a $2.3 million job. The State of Utah bas completed and opened to public use a temporary highway bridge across the Green River above t,he damsite so that access is now provided from Vernal, Utah, on the south to Dutch John, Utah, and the Flaming Gorge Damsite.

Navajo Unit

The prime contractor has completed more than one-third of the work in buil.ding Navajo Dam in less than one-fourth of the scheduled contract time. A total of 6,840,000 cubic yards of earth materials

.bas -)een placed in the dam; this is about 25% of the total volume of earth and rock to be placed in building Navajo Dam.

3 The lining and finishing of the outlet tunnel is nearing

completion, and diversion of the San Juan River is planned for sometime in October.

Paonia. Project Work under the prime contract :for Paonia Dam was started in February 1959 and is now about 28 percent complete. The difficult excavation for the relocation of Colorado State Highway 133 is completed. Excavation of the spillway area and of the diversion tunnel is also finished. The foundation area for the earth dam is being prepared for the placement of embankment materials, which rill probably not be

started until next spring.

Invitations for bids were issued September 18 for placing compacted earth lining and installing tile underdrains in various

reaches of the Fire Mountain Canal. About six months will be required

to complete this particular job.

Vernal Unit, Central Utah Project

Following the ground-breaking ceremony held on May 14, the

contractor moved in immediately on the construction of Stanaker Dam. Foundation stripping, placing of some embankment material, and excavation of outlet tunnel are underway. The relocation of the existing Rockpoint Canal and Utah State Highway 44 has been accomplished.

Eden Project Construction of the many :features of the Eden Project is

practically completed; a little final work on two contracts is all

that remains to be done. All of the farm units on the new lands have been purchased by settlers, and next year a total of about 17,500 acres of suppl.emental and neu lands will be in production. Minimum basic

4 public use facilities were constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation at the

Big Sandy Reservoir this year. Included a.re picnicking and sanitary facilities, a boa.tramp, and the access road and parking area. Maintenance and administration of the recreational aspects of the project have been ta.ken over by .the Wyoming State Parks Commission.

Collbran Project

Vega Dam and Reservoir, including the necessary road relocations and minimum recreational :facilities, a.re essentiaJ.ly compJ..eted. The

Southside tunnel, which will carry water to the Southside Canal to serve the project area, has been drilled, and pl.acing of the concrete lining started early in June. Contracts were awarded and construction started this year on the first section of the Southside Canal, the Upper and

Lower Molina powerplants, and the Bonham and Cottonwood pipeline, which will. carry water to these powerplants.

NEW PARTICIPATING PROJECTS Hammond Project, New Mexico

The Hammond Project will serve 3,900 acres of new lands to be subdivided into from 20 to 30 full-time family-sized farms. The estimated construction cost of the Hammond Project is $3,280,000 and the benefit-cost ratio is 2.l to 1.

The Ha.nnnond Project repayment contract was approved as to form in May by the Secretary of the Interior and forwarded to the Hammond

Conservancy District early in June. Some questions have been raised by the District concerning water rights and the provisions for handling water shortages. Steps are being taken to resolve these matters so that acceptance and execution of the contract is anticipated soon.

5 Award of the prime contract and start of construction on the

Main Canal are scheduled for F.Y. 1960; also scheduled is the completion of field engineering data for the Hammond Diversion dam and pumping plant with the issuance of specifications and award of contracts in

Fiscal Year 1961.

Seedskadee Project, Wyoming

The Seedskadee Project will provide a full water supply to 58,775 acres of new lands. 1lhe water supply will be obtained from the Fontenelle Dam and Reservoir to be constructed on the Green River. About

100 miles o~ canals and 160 miles of laterals will be constructed in the distribution system which will convey water from the reservoir to the farm units. The estimated construction cost of the Seedskadee Project is $38,519,000 and the ratio of benefits to cost is 1.4 to 1.

The Seedsk.adee Definite Plan Report has been completed and was forwarded to the Secretary of the Interior on May 21, 1959. The repay- ment contract for the Seedslra.dee Project is not required prior to construc­ tion. In this connection, Section 4 of Public Law 485 states that "prior to construction of irrigation distribution facilities, repa:yment contracts shall be made with an 'organization' ••• , exeept where a substantial proportion of the lands to be served are owned by the United States." At the present time, about 65 percent of the irrigable project lands is

Federally-owned public domain and it is proposed that nearly all of the remaining project acreage will be obtained for the project by a land exchang

We propose to award the ].Jrime contract f'or Fontenelle Dam so that construction can be started in the Fiscal Year 196o. Issuance of specifications and award of construction contract for the West Side Canal is planned for Fiscal Year 1961. 6 Emith Fork Project, Colorado

The 13,650 acre-foot Crawford Reservoir will provide a full water supply for 1,320 acres of new land and a supplemental supply for 6,920 acres. Total estimated cost of the Smith Fork Project is

$4,420,000 and the benefit-cost ratio is 1.09 to 1.

The Definite Plan Report for the Smith Fork Project was submitted to the President on August 6, 1959. A repayment contract will be negotiated with the Crawford Water Conservancy District prior to initiation of project construction.

In Fiscal Year 1960, designs and specifications will be completed and the prime contract awarded for construction of Crawford

Dam. Also, field engineering data will be obtained in preparation for construction of the Smith Fork feeder canal and diversion dam and the '

Aspen canal.

ADVANCE PLANNING

Curecanti Unit

As called for in Public Law 485, the special feasibility report for the Blue Mesa and Morrow Point dams and powerplants was completec. submitted to Washington, approved there, and forwarded to the Congress.

Construction of these two features is considered economically justified.

In Fiscal Year 1960, detai1.ed surveys and studies will be made on the Crystal dam and powerplant to determine the feasibility of including these features in the Curecanti Unit plan. Core drilling of the Crystal Demsite will be undertaken soon, and a contract has been

7 awarded for photogra.mmetric mapping of the damsite and the possible borrow

areas. A supplemental report on the addition of Crystal Dam to the

Curecanti Unit plan will be prepared in F.Y. 1961.

Central Utah P,,:-o,ie~t

The Def"in:i.te ? l sn Report investigations in Fiscal Year 1960 will focus on utilizing refined basic data to evaluate the alternative

development plans for the initial phase of the project. We refer to

these studies as the plan formulation analysis, and we propose to make the selection of the plan of development by the end of this Fiscal Year.

The Definite Plan Report for the initial phase of the Central Utah Project

is scheduled for completion in Fiscal Year 1963. However, if certain units of the project are found to be separable for construction purposes, we may undertake preparation of Definite Plan Reports for each such

separable unit.

Silt P-.coject.

Plans are now under consideration for the importation of water from Elk Creek in order to adequately serve the area proposed

for inclusion in the Silt Project. Recent water supply studies indicate

that the project acreage may necessarily have to be reduced if Elk

Creek water cannot be imported to increase the available water supply.

The completion of designs and estimates, the financial analys is,

and the Definite Plan Report for the Silt Project are scheduled for

Fiscal Year 1961.

Other Participating Projects

The currently proposed advance planning activities on Definite

Plan Reports for the remaining participating projects are as follows:

8 Emery County: Complete the economic and engineering studies.

Florida: Complete the Definite Plan Report in the next few

months.

LaBarge: Continue the studies which were started in Fiscal

Year 1958 lli'ld which are r.ow well underway.

Lyman: Continue detailed land classification and engineering

studies and complete the plan formulation study with

the Definite Plan Report scheduled for Fiscal Year 1962. GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS--FEASIBILITY REPORTS

Feasibility studies will be carried on nine Upper Basin participating projects in Fiscal Year 1960. Two proposed feasibility reports will be completed for State and Federal agency review; the

Fruitland Mesa report is scheduled for February 1960 and the Bostwick

Park for March 1960. Feasibility investigations will continue on the Animas-LaPlata,

Dallas Creek, Dolores, San Miguel, Sublette, and West Divide projects.

Reconnaissance study of the Juniper Project will be advanced in Fiscal

Year 1960 with the reconnaissance report scheduled for Fiscal Year 1961.

The final feasibility report for the Savory-Pot Hook Project was submitted to the Commissioner in July, and the reconnaissance report on Fontenelle Project was completed in June.

PLANNING ACTIVITIES BY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Al\iD FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

From time-to-time, your Secretary has inquired informally regarding the National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service planning activities on the Upper Basin storage units and participating projects.

Here is some in:fo:rmation on the planning activites.

9 A spectacular increase in recreational use of Reclamation reservoir areas has been experienced since World Har II. Recreation has certainly become the outstanding secondary use on western reservoirs.

In Region 4, more than 800,000 visits were made in 1958 to 16 Reclamation reservoir areas. By comparison, the National Park Service estimates that future annual visits to Glen Cunyon will be about 1,000,000; the

Curecanti reservoirs, 500,000; Flaming Gorge, 300,000; and Navajo,

330,000. In addition, heavy use is expected at the participating project storage reservoirs, such as the Paonia and Stanaker reservoirs. Conse­ quently, careful and adequate investigation and planning of needed recreational developments has become a necessary pa.rt of water resource utilization studies.

Sound recreational studies requires the skill and insight of professional recreational planners and the close cooperation of

Federal, State, and local recreational agencies. To achieve proper planning, the Bureau of Reclamation relies on the National Park

Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service. Inve$tigations by the

National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service on Reclamation Projects are coordinated and carried out in close conjunction with the ~ureau of

Reclamation engineering and economic studies.

Last yea:r, the National. Park Service completed preliminary recreation plans and issued reports on 10 projects and storage units, including the Glen Canyon, Fla.ming Gorge, Navajo, and Curecanti Units and the Vernal Unit of the Central Utah, Seedskadee, Smith Fork, Pack Creek, Fruitland Mesa, and Florida Participating Projects. In F.Y. 1960, and 1961, National. Park Service reports will be completed for at }east 4 additional participating projects. The Fish and Wildlife Service has issued reports on 10 participating projects and storage units--

10 the Glen Canyon and Flaming Gorge Units and the Paonia, Florida,

Smith Fork, Hammond, Seedskadee, Bostwick Park and Pack Creek Upper Basin projects. Reports a.re eXpected to be completed soon on the Navajo Unit and the Fruitland Mesa Project. Fish and Wildlife studies are now underway on at least 4 additional Upper Basin projects.

In summary, the recreation and fish and wildlife planning is necessary, is being done, and is now keeping pre:tty well in step with the planning on Reclamation projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin.

Funds for National Park Service planning in the Upper Basin are obtained by the Park Service as direct National. Park Service appropriations.

For the Fish and Wildlife Service, and prior to F.Y. 1959, funds have been advanced by the Bureau of Reclamation to the Fish and Wildlife Service on a project-by-project basis. This year sees a major change in the handling of such funds in accordance with the Fish and Wildlife

Coordination Act of 1958. This year $195,000 of the Bureau of Reclamation

General Investigations appropriation is transferred to the Fish and Wildlife

Service by the Public Works Appropriation Act for 11 studies, investigations, and reports thereon ••• to provide that wild.life conservation shall receive equal. consideration and be coordinated with other features of water-resource development programs of' the Bureau of Reclamation. n

Tb.is $195,000 appropriation is Bureau-wide, and we do not, at this time, lmow what amounts will be available f'or Fish and Wildlife studies in the Upper Colorado River Basin.

11 TRANSMISSION SYSTEM STUDIES

Another subject of interest to your Commission is the status of our studies of transmission syst.ems for the Storage Project.

During the past years, attention in the way of planning has been given to the matter of the transmission system, This study is actually in reconnaissance scope of the estimates of loads and load growths, as a reasonable approach to the problem. We have felt that feasibility studies of this nature were necessary in order that we be prepared to talk with potential power users. At the end of June, we felt that we had reached the point where we could discuss some of the technical problems involved and get the thinking of others. Accordingly, during the first part of

July letters were sent to one representative of the preference users and to one representative of the power companies in each of the Upper Basin States inviting them to attend a meeting at Salt Lake City on July

10. In order that all parties whose systems could be affected might be advised of our studies, we also notified representat1ves of the Los Angeles

Department of Water and Power, the Southern California Edison Company, and the Colorado Power Commission of Nevada that they would be welcome to attend as observers.

This initial meeting, which was limited to exploring technical problems, was attended by all representatives of potential power customers to whom invitations had been sent. There was a general discussion of the technical problems involved, following a presentation by the Bureau of Rec- la.mation showing four existing major transmission systems in a five- state area and their relationship and interconnection with a possible backbone transmission system for the Colorado Storage Project. The representatives were advised that the Bureau was now pre­ pared to discuss problems in more detail with the potential power customers,

12 either individually or as groups, as soon as they were ready. Since the

July 10 meeting, we have had considerable discussion with the preference users in the states of the Upper Division regarding load estimates and other planning.

In addition two·more meetings have been scheduled. Representa­ tives of the Bureau of Reclamation will attend the annual meeting of the

Colorado Rural Electric Association at Steamboat Springs on September

23-25 for further review of load estimates and other technical problems.

A meeting among the representatives of the Bureau of Reclamation and the major private power companies of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and

Wyoming will be held in the Regional Office at Salt Lake City October land 2 for technical discussions. Other meetings will be held as desired by interested parties.

We realize that preference customers and private utilities will need to know the Bureau's plan well in advance of the availability of power

from the Glen Canyon, Flaming Gorge, and other storage project plants.

We are, therefore, pushing our studies as fast as we can. When our

studies have progressed sufficiently to establish voltages and solve other technical problems, the matter of receiving the applications for and the allocations of power will be given detailed consideration.

It will be several months before the final location of the backbone transmission facilities will be decided upon. It is anticipated, of course, that existing transmission facilities, where feasible, will be utilized to the extent practicable by the Bureau and/or its customers in delivering power to the various load centers to be served. F. Y. 196o Program 1/ for Projects in Upper Colorado River Basin

Total Cost obligation program progr811 CONSTRUCTION AND REHABILITATION <- Collbran $5,468,646 $4,453,965 Ed.en 295,445 166,121 Grand Valley 27,001 0 Subtotal 5,791,095 UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN FUND Construction Flaming Gorge 13,552,425 12,897,673 Glen Canyon 1.i.5,973,965 46,818,016 Navajo 10, l.:-69, 4o3 10 ,1ta,91~4 Paonia 3,132,666 3,146,845 Transmissi on Division 735, 767 764,267 Vernal 2.,354,011 2,015,337 Hammond 420,000 487,500 Seedskadee 672,000 1,320,150 Smith Fork 437, 500 487 ,500 Subtotal $77,747,742 $78,080,032 Advance Planning Curecanti 75,098 Central Utah 435,560 Emery County 75,342 Florida 26,903 La. Barge 84,816 Lyman 229,457 Seedskadee 3,921 Silt 20,788 QuaUty of ~-later 33,149 Subtotal 985,034 961,013

GENERAL HJVESTIGATIONS 674, 757 915,654 Reconnaissance Fontenelle 1,311 Juni:per 20 ,595 Subtotal 21,906

Basin Surveys Upper Colorado River 7,828

..1J Source of data -- FY 61 budget estimate " ... GENERAL INV:ESTIGATIOIJS (Cont'd)

Pro,ject Investigat:i. ons Animas-La Plata 143,038 Bostwick Park 33,300 Dallas Creek 91,516 Dolores 104,011 Fruitland Mesa 22,921} San Migu.el 57 ,035 Sublette, Buckskin Divi sion 28.,025 West Divide 161,374 645,023

Invest:i.gations of Existing Projects Uncompahgre

15