WSP09196

• File Number: 1000
• Description: CWCB General Files
• State: CO
• Date: 1/1/1952
• Title: Clifford H Stone Death 10/22/52-In Memoriam
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

OU1951

AS SWAIN SEES IT
UNDER THE CAPITOL DOME

By Alva A. Swain

The Complications Caused by the Death of Judge stone

Colorado offici~ls are still stunned over the death in New Orleans of
Judge Clifford Stone, Just how to go about filling the many positions he
held with efficiency is a problem. He was the director of the Colorado
Water Conservation Board. This position is filled by the board itself. The
position is under civil service but the commission has never held an examina-
tion and it would be difficult for it to hold one that could be used to
select a successor to Mr. Stone. He was a member of the Upper Colorado
River Commission. This place is filled by the governor.

Mr. Stone was a director of the National Reclamation Association. This
position is filled by the Colorado delegates to the meeting of the Association.
He was a member of the Arkansas River Commission. This position is filled
by the commission itself. Mr. Stone was a member of the Missouri River Basin
Commission. This position is filled by the governor. He was a member of
the commission that is making a atudy of the water and other natural resources
of the fnute, Red and .~kansas rivers. This position is filled by the
(Jovernor.

For his work on al~ of these various commissions he was paid the sum of
$8400 a year and expenses. He traveled over one half of his time and his
expenses far exceeded his salary. It was his determination to protect the
water rights of this state that kept him on the job so long.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board

Naturally his greatest work was as director of the Colorado Water
Conservation Board. This board has final say so as to the policy of the
state on all interstate water matters. . Generally speaking the board followed
his recommendations. Not once did he ever lead them astray and not once has
the state, under his direction, lost one gallon of water that belonged to it.
That board is composed of five state officials and nine members. Each of
the nine must represent a different watershed. That scattered then over the
state as fairly as could be desired. The members are: the governor,
attorney general, state engineer, director of the planning commission, and
director of the Water Conservation board. The last one is Stone himself.
The nine members are: C. J. McConnick, George A.Pughe, fonner governor
Teller Ammons, Dan B. Hunter, John TI. Beaty, A. E. Headlee, George J. Bailey,
J. M. Dille and Ed L. Dutcher.