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<br /> <br />USDr Secretary Babbitt on Colorado River Issues <br /> <br />Page 6 of6 <br /> <br />I am distressed that we have still not been able to effect a settlement of water rights claims <br />with the five bands of Indians in San Diego County, and I intend to continue to search out <br />means, with the cooperation and participation of California stakeholders in the Colorado <br />River, to effectuate a settlement consistent with the law enacted by Congress in 1988. <br />Securing such a settlement is in my view key to advancing Colorado River issues of interest <br />to the State of California, <br /> <br />Conclusion <br /> <br />Before closing, I want to emphasize that I have been addressing only Lower Basin matters, <br />and only water supply problems, not environmental issues, which are being addressed in <br />separate forums. I also want to reiterate my commitment to working within the Law of the <br />River, and to assuring that the entitlement of each contractor and of each Basin State is <br />unimpaired. Nor, despite the disappointments of the past year, is there any diminution in my <br />desire to continue searching for consensus on river management issues. <br /> <br />I want to conclude by reiterating the essence of what I said last year. I believe that we have <br />the management tools to make it possible to assure every Basin State that it will be able to <br />meet the needs of all its citizens. But that can only be the case if we work together to put <br />those tools to use. We must insist on prudent, non-wasteful use. We must be imaginative in <br />utilizing marketing, and in encouraging voluntary, willing-buyer/willing-seller markets. We <br />must be creative in seeking out mutually advantageous arrangements both within and among <br />states. With those commitments, we can, step by step, provide assurance that every need will <br />be addressed and that no entitlement holder, or state, will be disadvantaged. <br /> <br />http://www.sci.sdsu.edulsaltonlsecr_babbitt_CoR_issues.htm <br /> <br />9/1212006 <br />