The 1983 Flooding of the Lower Colorado River

GAO testified before a congressional committee on its review of the actions taken by the Bureau of Reclamation in the summer of 1983 in response to flooding of the Lower Colorado River. GAO found that some of the flooding could not have been prevented given the levels of the reservoirs in the river system in January 1983 even if the late spring snowfall, melt, and rain runoff could have been anticipated. High flow levels will continue through November 1983 but increases in the rate of water releases are not expected barring above-normal precipitation. Damaging flood control releases can be expected once every 10 to 15 years, given current property development along the river and flood control storage space criteria. Fundamental questions which need to be answered are whether Congress and the States affected should reconsider: (1) the longstanding operating criteria for managing the river's reservoirs; (2) flood control plans for the coming year; and (3) the need for closer monitoring of rain runoff.