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IVAL GOSL' IN' Excerpts of Keynote Speech at Colorado ,; . Water Storage Projects Overview, June 13, lils/) , ' , One of the fathers of this great nation, a philosopher, 'politician. financial wizard, am- bassador, inventor. author, progressive developer, and, guardian of natural resources, ,Benjamin Franklin, has been credited with many noteworthy quotations, You all know about, "A penny saved is a penny earned". But did you know that Benjamin Franklin was also well-versed in the value of the conservation of water? Over 200 years ago he said, "You never know the worth of water until the well is dry". Coloradans are way ahead of Ben Franklin. We know weare facing a water crisis, We know the worth of water, and we are Dot going to let Colorado's wen go dry. . . . . . The White House brainless trust. the Water Resources Council. and the'Department of the Interior hi~chy have proved time and again their inahility ,to realize that the storage of water in reservoirs is the, conservation, of water for subse- quent use when it is needed '- instead of alloWing it to go to waste' when it is available. Inability on the part of these Federal entities to grasp this fundamental concept - or perhaps I should say intentional refusal to recognize that in Colorado and the West conservation of water by reservoir storage is necessary for survival, is the principal reason for our difficulties today in getting proper recognition for water storage projects. Inept incompetence at the Federal level has led to the adoption of a policy of delaying, hamstri~ging, and outright preventing of the development of water resuurce projects that involve irrigated agriculture. This obstructionism was effectively accomplished by the publication in the Federal Register by the Water Resources Council of its "Principles and Standards and Procedures for Planning Water and Related Land Resources". . . . . . Under the administratibn's new Principles and Standards it is going to be virtually impossible for a Colorado Reclamation project with a preponderance of irrigated agriculture to' have a benefit-cost ratio exceeding 1:1, , , _. . There are many opportunities in Colorado to develop small hydroelectric generating stations, some with small amounts of water but high heads in connection with water collection systems for ex- isting and proposed irrigation projects, Can this hydro-generation be accomplished? It could be, if we could get those in government to realize that we are in need of electric energy and that in evaluating the benefits of the b/c ratio is only one tool. andonly one item that should be evaluated so far as human social welfare is concerned, When we need energy so badly, why don't we adopt the policy of doing something instead of permitting the b/c ratio to be the ultimate obstacle that says in frustrating terms, "You don't do it"? How about producing energy under a cost-effectiveness policy, if we, in fact, need it? If you really need a house to keep your family warm. you do not let your family freeze to death while you spend a year or two trying to figure a favorable b/cjratio.you get to work and build the best house you can for the least money. 'You suddenly beoome cost-effective conscious instead of haloney/crazy-for blc ratio. We need another change in policy at the national level. . . . '., . . . Both the Congress and the Carter Administra- tion are belatedly starting to make noises as if they intended for energy development in Colorado to become something more than Ii dream. If so, water is going to be needed, and reservoirs are going to be necessary to conserve spring run-offAor year- around use. A weak link in the water-energy picture seems to be tbe element of timing. No one associated . with. energy development - especially frOmoi.l sbale - appearstc1 say anything aboutwantfug water at a specific time - except to say that it will be needed in the future. No one wants to be pinned down to 1985, 1990. 1995. or any other date. And I don't blame the energy companies. What else can they say with a Tower of Babel energy non-policy facing them? Therefore. why not Initiate construc- tion of conservation reservoirs for water now for irrigation, municipal. domestic, industrial, fish and wildlife, and recreational purposes witb additional space for future energy development? In a national crisis such as the one relating to energy, the Federal government could defer the repayment 'of those costs allocated to energy development until the water is actually needed. There are precedents for such procedures, ' ,The Boy Scouts have a motto, "BE PREPARED". In the interest of national defense alone. witb its insatiable appetite for energy. that motto is ex- cellent. Again - perhaps we can influence and secure a cbange of policy at the nationBllevel. if we go about the political process in an effective manner. . . . , , . , It appears obvious tbat in tbe future Colorado is going to bave to do more than ever, botb to protect the rigbt to use its water resources in tbe State and to construct conservation storage for water. The 1980's may be the most crucial decade in Colorado's history 80 far as water Is concerned. '- r I . I , IvaI co.lIa Ival Goslin was Exec. Director of lh. Upper Colorado lIiv~ Commission fOT 25 years. He's now Q consultant to Western Engfneers in Grand Junction_ 20 Moat. r-- Monte Pascoe is Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.