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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Narrows. <br /> <br />Now, new efforts designed to develop and receive mutually <br /> <br />beneficial use from Colorado resources enter into the picture. For example, <br /> <br />a program designed to take agricultural water, place it in municipal use, <br /> <br />then treat that water and return it to agricultural systems, is facing public <br /> <br />opposition. You may ask why such a farsighted program would be opposed. We <br /> <br />submit that the lack of storage facility such as the Narrows makes this type <br /> <br />of program almost impossible. Agricultural water users must be assured of <br /> <br />storage facilities. <br /> <br />At this point we raise the question of the contract as it represents <br /> <br />the honor and word of the united States Government. As earlier mentioned, <br /> <br />this sponsoring District executed a repayment contract with the Secretary of <br /> <br />the Interior, on July 27, 1976. Since the initiation of the most recent <br /> <br />activities on the Narrows in 1958, the people of the South Platte Valley have <br /> <br />held this engagement with the Department of Interior to be one of honor and <br /> <br />good faith. The contract representing the good faith of the United States to <br /> <br />pursue the completion of the Narrows Unit. <br /> <br />Throughout the intervening 24 <br /> <br />years we have complied with the laws of this honorable Congress and every <br /> <br />mandate of successive Presidents from John F. Kennedy. We have consented to <br /> <br />demands for changes by federal agencies. Many of which did not benefit the <br /> <br />water user but which increased the project cost for the water users. There <br /> <br />have been no major changes in reclamation law to date. Yet, we are kept from <br /> <br />achieving this valid goal. The people have spent years of time, hundreds of <br /> <br />thousands of dollars, and have made the contractual commitments. We submit <br /> <br />that the actions of the current administration suggests that this contract, <br /> <br />the word of the United States, is meaningless. <br />