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<br />front to Congress in our several requests for legislation intended to solve or
<br />clarify this problem, With this in mind, the F;RPA appointed a Special Federal-
<br />State Water Problems Committee, under the c)1.airmanship of Hal Kennedy,
<br />county counsel of Los Angeles County, The otj1er members of the Committee,
<br />all identified with large water users in Califorp.ia, are - Ralph Brody, George
<br />Henderson, Robert Durbow and myself. The qbjectives of the committee are
<br />not only to study the problem but to cooperate Il.ndwork with others to the end
<br />that by joint effort we may present to Congres$ a united front at its next session.
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<br />We in the Western States are not alone in our concern in respect to this
<br />problem. The Senate Select Committee found that even the well-watered East-
<br />ern and Southern States are beginning to share: the same concern over water and
<br />water rights,
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<br />For example, there has been organized ~n the South, in recent years, the
<br />National Water Rights Conference embracing t}te States of Mississippi, Ken-
<br />tucky, Flordia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama and Texas, These States
<br />of the South, although not "public domain" States are concerned as to what the
<br />true rule of law is respecting the ownership of, and jurisdiction over, water
<br />and water rights, Sam A. Thompson, Chairman of the Board of Water Commis-
<br />sioners for the State of Mississippi, in his capacity as Chairman of the Southern
<br />States Water Conference, testified before the Subcommittee on. Irrigation and
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<br />Reclamation of the Committee on Interior and lnsular Affairs, 86th Congres s,
<br />th~; .
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<br />" * * * ~, The Federal Governmerj,t owns and operates
<br />through the U, S, Forest Service, the Park Service, the Corps of
<br />Engineers, and other Federal agencies, over 1, 512, 000 acres out
<br />of a total of 30 million acres in our State. These holdings are
<br />strategically located along many of the streams comprising the
<br />surface water resources of our State. If Federal rights to the use
<br />of water, similar to the Federal rights recognized in the Pelton
<br />Dam case, are ever established on thesEjlands, a major part of
<br />the total surface water resources of the !State of Mississippi would
<br />be impaired or destroyed.
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<br />"The Federal Government policy would not permit irriga-
<br />tion loans to farmers in Mississippi und~r the Water Facilities
<br />Act in 1954 because of the uncertainty ofi a water right and water
<br />supply, The uncertainty of U.S. Govern~ent action on Federal
<br />lands now provides insecurity of investrrtent for water resource
<br />development and could make worthless ~any bonds sold to create
<br />water under present State water laws." i
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<br />This statement is most encouraging.
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<br />In a renewal of legislation such as is now being considered to solve this
<br />water rights problem, representatives of other States will stand with us ~in ask-
<br />ing the Congress to clarify the legal rights an~ boundaries of jurisdiction.
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<br />The FRPA's Special Committee, in studting.1egis1ation to solve this prob-
<br />lem, started with S, 2636, a bill introduced in; Congress September 25, 1961 by
<br />Senator Kuche1 of California. This bill is an amended version of the so-called
<br />Agency Bill, and has been referred to as Northcutt E1y's version of that bill,
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