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<br />:..;:}<.-:....'. <br />;(....:~ ':'.'". . -. " . <br />::,;;: <'002265 <br /> <br />:: ~ '-. -~. '. . <br />;~~<:" <br />;. <br /> <br />-3- <br /> <br />varsies, to pranote interstate oomity, to reoognize that the most ef- <br />fioient utilization 'of waters within a basin in the arid and semi- <br />arid West is for benefioial oonsumptive use, to preserve the integrity <br />of state water laws, and to promote joint aotion by the states and <br />the United Statea for the utilization of the water resouroes and the <br />oontrol of destruotive floods, atudies be made in various basins to <br />determine the desirability of interstate oompaots and enoourage the <br />making of suoh oompacts. <br /> <br />. . . *' . <br /> <br />"10. That While insisting upon the preservation of the in- <br />tegrity of state water laws, the states reoognize the legitimate <br />applioation of federal jurisdiotion and endeavor to ooordinate it <br />with the state jurisdiotions over the appropriation and use of water <br />far benefioial purpose; and that the states of the West resist a <br />polioy, reoently evidenoed by the aotivities of aome federal agenoies, <br />bureaus and departmema. apparently designed to seoure an UIIIlssail- <br />able federal oontrol of a limited and vital \~stern resouroe in dis- <br />regard of state laws and the established eoonomy of a great region <br />both through a ola 1m of ownerahip of unappropriated water of non-na.vi- <br />gable streams and ala 0 thr ough an applioation of the Commeroe Clause, <br />of the federal' oonstitution to obtain suoh 0 antrol and not in the sub- <br />stantial interest of ocnuneroe. The statea of the West have support,ed <br />and shall oont inue to support and urge federal partioipation in <br />Western water development as being in the nati0I1ll.1 and regional inter- <br />ests, but it is believed that this program was neither initiated, nor <br />is its oontinuanoe dependent. upon a surrender by the states of the <br />oontrol of the appropriation, use and distribution of waters of the <br />arid and semi-arid regions heretofore exeroised by them." <br /> <br />These reoommendations were adopted and approved by seventeen Western <br />reolamation states interested in the development of water reSOuroes in a region <br />where water is needed to sustain and advanoe agrioulture. The polioy establish- <br />ed by the proposed Bill is in direot opposition to these reooImlendations of <br />the oommittee hereinabove oited. The effeot would be to olose the opportunity, <br />through appropriate planning and ooordination of water uses, to proteot present <br />and fut ure irrigati on devel opme nt. <br /> <br />2. Seotion 3. Seotion 3 is a specifio direotion that all dams and other <br />works inoluded in the general oomprehensive plans for navi~ation, oontrol of <br />destruotive floods and for all other purposes in the basins of the Arkansas <br />and White Rivers "HERETOFORE OR HEREAFTER authorized by various flood oontrol <br />and river and harbor Acts shall be oonstruoted, maintained, and operated under <br />the direotion of the Seoretary of War and the supervision of the Chief of Engi- <br />:neers." <br /> <br />Sub-seotion (b) of Seotion 3 mentions projeots for reclamation and irri- <br />gation purposes, but it provides speoifically that reolamation and irrigation <br />projeot oonstruotion shall be oonsistent with the insuranoe of oontemplated <br />navigation and flood-oontrol benefits. Th91'efore. by the speoifio~tenna of the <br />Bill. no reolamation or irrigation projeot oould be oonetruoted unless suoh <br />