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~'Gn l: J.. J "Thp f':nlorado River Board endorses rhe De- part~;~~t - of the Interjor reporr and urges the commencement of construction as soon a~ possi- ble." Re~ollltion of Colorado River Board of California "The CuiuraJfJ Rivu BOJid's rcsponsibi!itv .... those dependent upon rhe Colorado River. for their supplies of water for agricultural, munici- pal, and industrial use, and the fact that Califor- nia's share of Color.l<.io Ri\'cr Water is alread\- full\- commirted ro rhe:-,:e long-esrabljshrd lIses (and will in part he inadequate to supply them) makes it imperative that this Board support all reasonable and feasible means for consen':]rion of the water of the main stream, including river chan~ nelizarion and the elimination of phrearophyres, "Potential conflicts with other uses of the stream should he reconciled as rapidly as possi- hle so that the Ret:lamation Bureau's channeliza- tion and c..:onsen"ation program as previously au- thorized bv Congress shall not be delayed." During fiscal year 1966 the Bureau of Rec- lamation .~ccomplished some bank stabili.L3tion and constructed the bridge in Scction I of thc Parker Division. In November, 1965 the Board staff reviewed the California Department of Fish and Game Report "California Fish and \Vildlife Plan." The report is critical of the channelization pro- gram on the ColoT;ido River and proposes a reappraisal by the Federal Government of the Bureau uf Reclamation channelization and phreatophyte control progtam to conserve water. On June 7, 1966, Secretary of the Interior Udall, following an earlier suggestion of Guv- ernor Brown, announced the establishment of a Colorado River Management Program Advison. Group, composed of representatives from the Department of the Interior, the states of Ari- zona and California, and water user organiza- tions in each state. The purpose of the group as stated by Secretary Udall was "the task of pro- posing some basic principles, guidelines, objec- tives and possible procedures for broadening the present concepts and objectives of the water salvage and channelization programs on the Lower Colorado River." Governor Brown had previuusly designated as the California state representatives thc Chief Engineer of the Colo- rado River Board, the Administrator of thc Re- sources Agency, and the Dircctor of the De- 36 partment of Fish and Game. The first meeting of the Advisory Group was scheduled for July 13-14,1966 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The reports on the T opock Gorge Division and the Yuma Division were submitted to the State by the Bureau of Reclamation in April, 1966. The Topock Gorge Division is the 14- mile section of the river extending downstream from the town of T opock to the upper reach of Lake Havasu, Purposes of the proposed program are to stabilize water surface levels in Lower Mohave Valley, salvage water and provide in- creased opportunities for recreation, fuhing and hunting. Proposed work consists of channel dredging and phreatophyte clearance at a total estimated cost of $4,520,000 of which $917,000 would be for fish, wildlife, and recreation. The Yuma Division consists of the 21-mile section of the river from Laguna Dam down- stream to Morelos Dam, Prime river management item proposed in the Yuma Division is reduc- tion of nonbeneficial consumptive use of water. The report proposes the construction of a low flow channel of 5,000 cubic feet per second capacity by dredging and bank stabilization and phreatophyte removal. Total cost for the Vuma Division is estimated at $4,421,000 of which $1,604,000 is for fish, wildlife and recreation. On June 1, 1966, the Board submitted the following comments to the Department of \Vater Resources for inclusion in the report that would constitUte Californi:i's comments on the proposed work for the three divisions: "The reports rcviewed are fur the Parker, To- pock Gorge and Yuma Divisions which are three of the sevcral river sections defined bv the Bu- reau of Reclamation in its continuing program for the Colorado River Front \Vork and Levee Svstem. Major purposes of the program are to illlprove channel stability, salvage water, provide sediment control, conset\'e and rehabilitate fish and wildlife resources, and enhance river-oriented recreational opportunities. "The Colorado Ri,'er Board is in accord with the objectives of the Bureau of Reclamation's river management program for the Lower Colo- rado River. AgricuJtural, municipal and indus- trial w'ter users in California have long depended upon Colorado Ri\et for their water supply. Even so, these users face the prospect of a reduction in their supply from the river. This prospect prompts the Board to support all reasonable and feasihle means for conservation of the water of