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<br />') <br /> <br />Let'us turn now to leadership and the need for united action. <br /> <br />This Valley is a physiographic unit in every sense. '!he available water, <br />whether it comes from Falcon and additional ,storage above Falcon, from water sav- <br />ings, or bY 1mPOr't frome1senhere in Texas, will be delivered to, an area that can <br />only utilize it with the desired efficiency and profit if it operates as a unit. <br /> <br />To date there is no one group or organization with singleness of purpose <br />toward the end that a common solution might be reached to a comnion problem. <br /> <br />, , <br />, , , <br />An authority was fashioned a decade ago to represent a large ,part of' the area. <br />It withered,on the vine, ror reasons known to you. Perhaps"through the present, <br />approach of a VOluntary compact, there will ,evolve the leadership required to <br />apportion water ,",nd to deliver it with the equity desired by all. I hope this <br />occurs. <br /> <br />I don't tllink, ho\;ever, that your i\1il.damental problem, of watersupply--and on <br />this your real fUture hinges--will be solved until you create a single, ~nformed, <br />and responsible voice that can ,speak for the area:as a whole. <br /> <br />We iearnedthe necessity rot' this in the court of 'experience. We have' <br />developed'facilities to provide water to over six' million acres for successful <br />irrigation. '!his was accomplished under a wide variety oi:circumstancesc. llut our <br />first quest in such ventures has always been for responsible local leadership. <br />Our help ,can be effective only if an area knows what' 'it wants by common agreement. <br /> <br />'You have other problems,' of course, but they-are $ubordinate to the ftihda- <br />mental ones ,before us. I reiterate, for it bearsrepi:lt:i.tion,that the Valley's <br />future hinges on water supply, clarification'of w,ater rights, and leadership. lIJith l <br />these fundementalssquared away, all else will fall into place~ as it always ha$ in3 <br />the other large western irrigated areas. <br /> <br />Let me assure you I have no, wish to be unduly pess1mistie. No.t, one, of the <br />problems that I have d;iscua-sed appeatsto be insurmpuntable. "Each hasbe,en ' <br />encoUntered andsucoessfuJ.ly dealt with in years past in ,every irriga,tion 'distriot <br />in the Hest.Eaoh is a manifestation of Ugrowingpainsuinexpanding :a,reas ,of <br />production. ' ' <br /> <br />I have been a,skedalsQ"to discuss with you the; possibilities ofwherEj, when, <br />and how the Bureau of Reclamation might help you s<>lve' your problem's,shoUld j'Du <br />feel our skills could be justifiably applied to your advantage. '!he answer to. <br />these questions lies t . " <br /> <br />First, in' opera.ticns of the Bureau of Reclaciation as diotated by . <br />national policies prescribed by the Adminbtration'and 'the ,Congress; and' <br /> <br />SecondJin the degree ofresponsibilitythat'you yourselves are <br />willing to assume ona'partnership basis. ' <br /> <br />Let me quote some pertinent naticnal policy, "relating to resources deV'elopnent, <br />as stated by ,President Eisenhower in his recent bUdget message: ' <br /> <br />, ~ -'- , <br /> <br />4 <br /> <br />r. ~ ~ ~ ., <br />\.,. J. t; '. i" <br />