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<br />waferftt:state aides
<br />I ' ",', -.iy ROBERT T$EIJi:EI,D' , Orande Compacf wifh New Mexico and Texas
<br />" -- RockjiMounta;n NewsW.,hliigton C""..p~ni1ent > "with the assumption that the Closed BaSIn
<br />'I 'WASHINGTON'..."VnlessColorado' Project would be constructed at federal ex.
<br />~ gets federal money/ora ~(lter,.ect!1ma-perrse."' , ,
<br />~tion projeCt the San' Lilii;; VaUeywlll be' He pOinted out that hoth New MexICO and
<br />'I. - ".,._1.":"' - .' :.:1..: - t" - .."./ tai 'of~ :r.exas have receIved subs~a.ntial federal aSSlst"
<br />I~<;ed WI"," economlc,:,IS~,~,;, s.",e,, ance for water projects In order to meet the
<br />' flclajswarne<:ihere l\!I9n~a,;Y;;,;,'J:," ,',' 1906 treaty obligations with Mexico,
<br />' The dire predictioh:Was madebef6fj'!a"Sen" "On the other hand, the state of Colorado,
<br />ate Intedorsubco,?n1ittee h,earillgoh a'bill to upon which, the principal burden of the 19~?i
<br />aU!bol'1ze conslructlOn \>f!1>e,proposed $lTlllil-, treaty falls, has received no ass1stance"',1
<br />lion Closed Sasin Project" ,.." ,,' ,',,',', ,,' Sparks said'I,)
<br />T"eproj'-ct---,-firstp~?pO~~?;,soin~JQ)~ars WATER USERS '1:1
<br />ago.sitniolves"al~agipg ground, 'W~ter, m ,'!be' ,However, Reclamation __ Commissioner Ellis;!
<br />basin ncrthwest,of.AlanI,osa anp,dehvetl!lg It to, Armstrong said Colorado should meet Its RIO
<br />the Rio Orande ,through, pump, stations and Grande Compact obligations "through limita-
<br />chann~ls."' . - ..' ,., '_, ~",_.,'...,. ,. . _, _ , _: tions on its internal water uses."
<br />," The project, according to-Its b~.c.trer~. W?tild :,,:;,_, - '-,.tIe said the Reclamation Bureau would build
<br />help meet the United States' 1906;.treaty. ~blIga- the Close Basin Project if Colorado would agree
<br />tions with Mexico Jor Rio 9-ran(]e Water ~l1d to repay the costs. This could be done, he sug-
<br />Colorado's oblig~tiQn to Texas and, New,1\1;exlco gested, by assessment of an ad-valorem tax in
<br />urlder the ~938..RIO Gra~de Com:pact. the, San Luis Valley,
<br />OFFICIALS ,CONTE'ND, .: ,.....--',j'.," ;.::~' ",;'>_ "We do not feel that it is proper for the fed-
<br />State officials: and. .Golor",~o, _~ept1b~~can era] government, as a general premise, to as-
<br />Sens. PeterDominickand90r4~nAJlo1t.w40 sume the obligation cf a state deriving from its
<br />introduced:. t~e bilI, .cO.l)ten.~.,.t9~:'J~9~F.a!~:~q~~r,tI_ voluntary participation in an interstate com-
<br />ment should pay for th~,:.J?r~~ect...:>,. ;- ::..- :,.,'.{'/;,.-:,-_!-, .' pact," Armstrong declared.
<br />' "Inasmuch as theU~Itep,Sl-atf~,J~}l?,W'In,ar_ C. J, Kuiper, executive directcr of the Cola--
<br />,rears to ,MexlCo (In the;al'll?!'!1t.o,t,wat~r:prom~ rado Division of Water Resources, labeled the
<br />i~ed~; th~- Closed Ba~m'PffiJ~~(1~.~fPu:gt'~~~'Ran: ,Intedor Department's position on the project a~,
<br />tialIy aSSist o~rco~l1trY"l,l1n1~e mg'I,~:y" ,ga,~ "callous and unconscionable."' 'I
<br />tions"Dominic)< sa1d; !",::, . "':"'''. ' , " . "if
<br />. ''Ac'cordingly .tl~e'. prqje.ot. '~hoMld: be;~)jd~d .He "saId th~t ":'Ithout ,~he project the vaHey,."
<br />by. the feder,al governrrie~~;!~, ,,/:':':': _.. '".;.:".",_,;:: ,: ~faces economIC dIsaster.
<br />Felix L:Sparks. directorot>,theColorado Wa- MEET TREATY , "
<br />ter 'Conservation' Bosrd.,'fpld !be 's~bcommittee" Applications for welIs for industrial develop! :i
<br />that attempts by Colo);'ado: to D1e,et the treaty<",. ment have had to be denied, KUiper said, be~
<br />and compact obligations haye '~'created serious csuse ,t)ley might impair Colorado's ability to;'
<br />economic, hardships" in the San L~is ValIey." meet the treaty and compact commitments..,
<br />Sparks said Colorado entered into !be Rio "If they (the Interior Department) deem
<br />w~lfare payments at less than a subsistence
<br />level to be more practical than providing an op-
<br />portunity for- people_ to support themselves, then
<br />the - department's view of practicality is a far. ;
<br />cry from mine," Kuiper said.
<br />, "It makes me wonder whether the Depart_'
<br />merit' of Interior is even aware of the fact that:
<br />this area. has, been declared a part of the pover~. :
<br />tY area within the Four Corners region."
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