WSP10526

• File Number: 8210.110.60
• Description: Colorado River Water Users Association
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 12/6/1962
• Author: CRWUA
• Title: Proceedings of the 19th Annual Conference
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

.'

Now, where do we go from here in the Lower Basin? It is obvious that
the future population and economic growth of ~he sun country of the Pacific
Southwest, and by that I include Arizona, sou~hern Nevada, southwestern New
Mexico and southern California, will be govetned by the water that is available.

I

Ii

A Supreme Court decision may be anticipated in some months or a year's
time on the long dispute between California and Arizona. Without prejudice as
to the outcome of that suit, it may be fairly s,tated that a decision will c1earthe
way for a vast resource development underta\dng in the Lower Basin of the
Colorado, Regardless of the Court determinittion, it is obvious that all of the
participating states must concentrate on a pr6gram to squeeze the utmost
value and use out of every drop of water that ipasses Lee Ferry,

I

Take Nevada for example, Here, State', County, and Las Vegas city
leaders are working with the Bureau of Reclamation in completion of a plan
for delivery of additional Colorado River water into the area's ever-extending
pipelines to new homes and industries, Southern Nevadans are not waiting
until their wells run dry before they go looking for more water.

I,
Ii

I

Our Bureau of Reclamation Boulder City Development Office, a field
unit of the Region 3 headquarters, is working at top speed to develop plans
for the Southern Nevada Water Supply Project. Current investigations of back-
bone aqueduct system to pump water uphill oyer 1,000 feet from Lake Mead and
deliver it to the cities and military bases and to the potential industrial area in
Elorado Valley have been under way a little over a year.

I

Ii

Legislation expected to be introduced in the Nevada Legislature next year
would enable formation of a master water agency to contract with the Federal
Government to repay the project's cost, and to wholesale water to existing
agencies for distribution to the customers, '

I

In Utah, the proposed $45 million Dixie Project is under consideration.
The Dixie Project would store water behind two dams--Virgin City Dam on the
Virgin River with a reservoir capacity of, 246, 000 acre-feet, and Lower Gun-
lock Dam on the Santa Clara River with a reservoir capacity of 24,000 acre-
feet. This potential project would enable Utah to use its allotted share of Lower
Basin water,

Ii

At the request of the State of Arizona ",~d with the approval of the Con-
gress, the Bureau of Reclamation is continui:ng studies of the central Arizona
area. These studies are without prejudice tel the Supreme Court action but are
being made because they involve the gathering of information which is needed
to formulate plans for distribution and use of any quantity of water that may be
available to Arizona.

I
I

I
I

The studies take into account the centr~l Arizona area to which direct
deliveries of Colorado River water can be m~de, as well as the higher areas
of the State, The Department believes addit~onal water can be made available
to the area through exchange agreements ambng the local basins,

-
I

It 1's worthy to note that the original Bureau of Reclamation report on
the Central Arizona Project in 1947 considered the project as simply a devel-
opment to provide supplemental irrigation water to agricultural lands. More
recent studies reflect the clear recognition that in light of the post-war growth,

- 8 -

I
I