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<br />-23- <br /> <br />an immediate adverse affect on the amoqnts of water avail- <br /> <br />able to the project. <br /> <br />Insuring the uninterrupted continuance of the proposed <br /> <br />salvage project by an annual or long-term application of <br /> <br />Colorado's priority system would virtually eliminate new <br /> <br />appropriations until actual experience demonstrated that the <br /> <br />water supply on the long-term basis would permit new uses <br /> <br />within Compact limitations. This control would have to <br /> <br />apply not only to the Closed Basin, but to the entire Rio <br /> <br />Grande Basin in Colorado since the entire Basin contributes <br /> <br />to the water supply on which the salvage project is depen- <br /> <br />dent. <br /> <br />INFLUENCING FACTORS NOT CONSIDERED <br /> <br />No specific provisions were, outlined in the U.S.B.R. <br /> <br />report to limit appropriations or control new uses of water. <br /> <br />Although this may require better administration by the <br />Colorado Water officials, adequate enforcement of the law <br /> <br />of priority is essential to success of the project. <br /> <br />The U.S.B.R. report did not mention the effect of in- <br /> <br />creasing salinization of the land in the Closed Basin and <br /> <br />adjacent areas if some plan is not developed for lowering <br /> <br />the water table so as to create a percolation zone for the <br /> <br />flushing of salt. It is our opinion that without a lowering <br /> <br />of the water table, or provision for a fresh water flow <br /> <br />through, many thousand acres of land in the Closed Basin <br /> <br />will become useless within a few years because of salt <br /> <br />.f., ;', , ,'" ,., <br />,_: \,/ \,.... "'- , <br />