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<br />"l <br />.~. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />;~. <br /> <br />20 <br /> <br />'I; <br />,..f <br />.. <br /> <br />In the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact Commission (UCRBCC) Breitenstein <br /> <br />clearly demonstrated the depth of his knowledge and expertise in the field of <br /> <br />interstate water law, as he provided many insights and cleared up many cornpli- <br /> <br />cated legal issues which led to the passage of several motions by tIle Commission. <br /> <br />Working with Colorado's Commissioner, Clifford Stone, he effectively represented <br /> <br />Colorado's special interests in the negotiations in an assertive and logical <br /> <br />manner. <br /> <br />Stone, described by one historian as "shre,~d", "tenaciousu, and "highly <br /> <br />. t I' 71 <br />ln el 1gent" <br /> <br />had an impressive history in the realm of western \~ter negoti- <br /> <br />ations. He was at one time chairman of the Committee of Fourteen which was <br /> <br />created in 1938. This committee consisted of a group of two delegates from <br /> <br />each of the seven Colorado basin States, and ~s formed to protect the interests <br /> <br />and promote the development of the United States' Colorado River Basin in light <br />7~ <br />of the perceived threat of dangerous increases in Mexican use of the Colorado. ~ <br /> <br />In addition to chairing the Committee of Fourteen, Stone had been a county judge, <br /> <br />am~r of Colorado's General Assembly, and the Director of the Colorado Water <br />Conservation Board.73 <br /> <br />Breitenstein and Stone, then, had a great deal of high-level eA~erience as <br /> <br />leaders and policy-makers both in Colorado and the Colorado River Basin as a <br /> <br />whole. Their respected status in the West allowed them a good deal of influence <br /> <br />in the UCRBCC of 1946-1948, much as Colorado's Delph Carpenter enjoyed in 1922. <br /> <br />Along with Chairman Bashore, Breitenstein and Stone frequently introduced measures <br /> <br />to be discussed, set the boundaries to these discussions, and took the responsi- <br /> <br />bility of formulating the wording of many of the motions passed by the Commission <br /> <br />and later included as provisions in the actual compact. <br /> <br />Colorado was physically the most influential state in the Upper Basin, in that <br /> <br />~'.','Jt;;" <br />