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. '. ,', lJ';vfCl }n(rl{~~ W),]ijJr:l(}??;J ,f AI],! "'1 m cUJ.-CO;" , .z D /98/ fill i' 1':' ,~(.:.~"".....r' '~}! " J) u "';r. "~''''''' .....f") ,: ~;--" . . Appropriations Subcommittee Members Washington, D.C. RE: Narrows Dam unit of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program Con~truction of this unit was challenged in the United States District Court for Colorado, Civil Action 76-A-608. The suit was dismissed March 2, 1979 on the basis of a Stipu- lation among the parties based on changedcondit.ions, par- ticularly a decision of the Secretary of Interior not to seek funding for the project. The dismissal was without prejudice. On learning that funding is again being sought for . the project, Regional Landowners Group, Inc., (RLG) Plaintiff in the said law suit, sent preliminary testimony to this Subcommittee on April 2, 1981. The Subcommittee's files will reveal an extensive history of this project covering past years. RLG supple-. ". ments its brief presentation of April 2, 1981, and its . former. evidence, in this communication. Because of Colorado's desire to utilize all the water of the South Platte River allocated to the State by Compact and because there is great need for its efficient and com- plete use, Senators Hart and Armstrong secured appropriation of $200,000 to be used in a study of the water needs and potential alternatives for meeting those needs. The study does not include analysis of "the dam safety aspects of the Narrows Dam as proposed by the U.S. Water and Power Resources Service." (South Platte River Basin Assessment, Plan of Study, March, 1981, page 9.) The Study will, however, consider plans for water development in the South Platte River Basin proposed by various federal and state agencies to develop the best alternatives, not excluding consideration of Narrows (if it can be made to hold water). The Study is not scheduled to be completed until September 30, 1981 after which the Plan of Study states that "public input will be extremely valuable * * *." It appears to RLG that the Congress should not appropriate money for or further consider the Narrows unit until it has the advantage of the completed study of what is currently needed in the South Platte River yalley.