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<br />OU123G <br />. <br /> <br />Attachment No. 10 <br /> <br />WESTERN STATES WATER COU,-lCIL <br /> <br />Fhoenix, Arizona <br />February 19, 1966 <br /> <br />MONTANA I S PATER CONSERVATION MEASURES <br /> <br />Montana has for the past third of a century taken important <br /> <br />steps to conserve and \.,i sely use its ,,'ater resources. In 1934, <br /> <br />the State !Vater Conservation Board ...,as created ",ith a declaration <br /> <br />that the public interest, ,.relfare, convenience and necessity re- <br /> <br />qui red the construction of a system of ..rorks for the conservation, <br /> <br />development, storage, distribution and utilization of ,"ater. The <br /> <br />Board ..ras declared to be performing a governmental function in <br /> <br />carrying out the provisions of the Act and ,.rater conservation ,,'as <br /> <br />declared to be a State purpose. Broad pO','ers "'ere given to the <br /> <br />Board allOt,'ing it to investigate, survey, construct, operate, <br /> <br />maintain, and finance the construction of project3. <br /> <br />Since the State Nater Conservation Board '.'as created, 181 <br /> <br />projects have been constructed of ....hich 141 "'ere dams and reser- <br /> <br />voirs built to store 438,000 acre-feet of ','ater. Some of these <br /> <br />storage projects also have diversion structures and canals and, <br /> <br />including these, 45 projects ,.,ith 815 miles of canals Here built <br /> <br />permitting the use of 260,000 acre-feet of direct stream flo','. <br /> <br />These projects have furnished a "'ater supply for 405,000 acres of <br /> <br />land in Montana. Throughout the years, the Board has made better- <br /> <br />ments and improvements to its projects and has operated them with <br /> <br />notable success. Entire valleys and areas of the State have been <br /> <br />economically stabilized due to the construction and operation of <br /> <br />this program. <br />