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<br />lEGISLATION
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<br />During 1965-6(, llIany proposcd legislative
<br />measures were reviewed and analvzed by the
<br />Board staff and cnunscl and broug6t before the
<br />Board for poliC\' decision. The more significant
<br />legislative proposals arc discussed below.
<br />
<br />Colorado River Basin Project
<br />
<br />A most important acti\'ity of the Board dur-
<br />ing fiscal 1966 was its work in connection with
<br />rhe Colorado River Basin Project Bill (l-I.R.
<br />4671 and S. 1019, Eighty Ninth Congress). The
<br />bill agreed rc> b~. the Lower Basin Stares, orgi-
<br />nallv called rhe Lower Colorado River Basin
<br />Prolect bill was described in dera'll in the Bnard"s
<br />1964--65 annual report.
<br />During July and Augusr 1965, nUlllcrous
<br />meetings were held among Californi'lIls and
<br />among representarives of all sevcn Colorado
<br />Rivcr Basin Statcs, to discuss the proposed legis-
<br />lation and to artempr ro resolve some of rhe
<br />remaining issoes, particularly rhose between the
<br />Upper and Lower Basins. On August 20, 1965,
<br />representatives of the seven states reached rhe
<br />following significant "consensus" on principles
<br />relating to rhe respective rights, ohligations and
<br />requirements of each basin:
<br />
<br />"I. The UpptT Basin'.... right [0 the lI~C of water
<br />of the Colorado Ri\"er, pur:-;u:1nt to the Colnrado
<br />River Comp:1cr, sh;111 not he jeop<lrdizcd h...' the
<br />teilll,)oI":1f,\' lIse of unused Upper fl:1~in \V;1fer hy
<br />any' LO\\'cr H;]sin projects, .
<br />.,~. The importation of ~uhsL1l1ti<l( I\uamirics ot
<br />w;lter into the Colorado River Basin is csscnti.ll
<br />ro the :ldequatc de\'cloplllent of hoth rhe Upper
<br />ana Lower Colorado Basins. It is recognized that
<br />this importation must be acc.nmpEshcd \mc\er
<br />refillS which :HC fair ro rhe ;lre,lS of origin of the
<br />water so imported.
<br />The pending legislation should ,Iuthorize th('
<br />Secret:lry to consrruct impon:1tion works which
<br />will JclivCf nOt le~s than 2,500,000 acre-fect al1-
<br />nually, upon the President's :lpprll\"JI of the Sec-
<br />reran"s finding of fcasihilit\'.
<br />I<,f Such importation w(-)rks should he plmmed
<br />and Imilt sO as to lll:1ke the imponed water ;t\'ail-
<br />,ble, if possible, not btet than 1980. \Voter sup-
<br />ply prospects on [he Co\nrado R 1\" cr, D::lSeQ In
<br />pan upon the tempor;H~' use of w,lter <lllocated
<br />to the Upper Basin. appear adcqu:lte to furnish
<br />
<br />" full supply to rhe Cenrr,,1 Arizo"" Project ac-
<br />companie.d hy the safeguards for cXI.':ltmg proJ-
<br />ects agreed to by Arizona and Cdifornia, until
<br />sometime during rhe last decade of the present
<br />ccntun'. Thereafter, the Central Arizona Project
<br />supply' would d'lITlinish unless supplemented h~'
<br />importation.
<br />"-+, S<ltisfaction of the I\-Iexican Trent\.' burden
<br />:-.Jwuld he the fir~t priority to be served by the
<br />importeu water. The costs of importation alloca-
<br />ble to the saris faction of that hurdell, which is :1
<br />n:ltinnal (lllligation. ShClllld lIe 110n-fcimhursnl)le."
<br />
<br />Hearings on H.R. 4671 and similar bills (here-
<br />inafter referred to as H.R. 4671) were held
<br />from August 23 through September 1, 1965, be-
<br />fore the House Subcommittee on Irrigation and
<br />Reclamation. Testimony was presented by wit-
<br />nesses from the seven Colorado River Basin
<br />States, four northwestern states, the Department
<br />of the Interior, and numerons conservation and
<br />preservarlon groups.
<br />California Attorne\' General Thomas C.
<br />Lvnch stated thar Go'vernor Brown, the Colo-
<br />r,{do River Board and a California consensus sup-
<br />ported the proposed legislation. Northcutt Ely,
<br />Special Counsel to the Board, presented a state-
<br />ment on behalf of the Board and the six major
<br />California agencies with rights to Colorado River
<br />water. He discussed features of the bjll, but dealt
<br />primarily with changes that had heen suggested
<br />before and during the hearings.
<br />A sr;ltemenr on behalf of the Colorado River
<br />Board was filed by the Chief Engineer, urging
<br />passage of the legislation, as did statements filed
<br />by the agencies represented on the Board. A
<br />joint statement on future water supply of the
<br />ColofOldo River System, which was presented by
<br />represenrarives of the Lower Basin States, is dis-
<br />cussed in the section hereof entitled ""'larer
<br />Supply and Requirements."
<br />During the hearings, Subcommittee Chairman
<br />\Valter Rogers asked several questions of Attor-
<br />ney General Lynch. A proposed reply by rhe
<br />Attornev General was considered and COI1-
<br />cmred i;l bv the Board at its September 8, 1965,
<br />meeting. Slibstance of the letter mailed to Chair-
<br />man Rogers on September 10, 1965, was:
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