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<br />MONTE 'p" A' S....C' O'E". Exeerpts'ofLuncheon Speech at Colorado
<br />. Water Storage Projects .overview. lune 13, 1980
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<br />The Colo~cio Ri;'~~ Basin Project Act of 196~'"
<br />contains very specific language. "The Secretary is '
<br />directed to proceed as nearly as practicable with the
<br />construction of. ,the, Animas-La Plata" Dolores.
<br />Dallas Creek. West Divide. and San Miguel par-
<br />ticipating federal reclamation projects concurrent-
<br />ly with the construction of the Central Arizona .
<br />Project, to the end that such projects shall be
<br />completed not later than the ~ate of the first,
<br />delivery of water of said Centr8I Arizona Project.
<br />. . . This language is unambiguous, The Secretary
<br />has not proceeded as nearly as practicable with the
<br />construction of Animas-La Plata. West Divide, and
<br />San Miguel. The Secretary ~as not done this in part
<br />because the President has refused to permit the
<br />Secretary to proceed with these projects,
<br />It is my understanding that in five or six years the
<br />Central Arizona Project will be in a position to
<br />deliver water. If nothing changes. at 'that time. '
<br />important decisions will be made about legal steps,
<br />the State must take. If there are changes, if new
<br />agreements are made, they must be made now. They
<br />must be precise agreements. they must be in
<br />legislation and they must preserve Colorado's
<br />water resources, Only then should the Central
<br />Arizona Project be permitted to divert.
<br />I raise this issue, at this time, several years before
<br />the magic day of delivery of Central Arizona Project
<br />water. so that we can begin discussing a strategy,
<br />and perhaps even begin work on a solution to the
<br />impasse. '
<br />The Secretary of the Interior has agreed to review
<br />the status of federal water projects in Colorado, In
<br />part he has agreed to this review because he
<br />realizes, rllJ Sllre. an obligation under the section
<br />that I just read and also be.cause of the tremendous
<br />energy demands that are being placed on western
<br />Colorado and the impact that this has on western
<br />Colorado water. '
<br />I hope. however. that we do not permit a study of
<br />every possible water storage, site location in
<br />western Colorado. Twenty-five or thirty ye81'S ago
<br />we went through such a study, We know a great deal
<br />aboutthese sites in western Colorado and we must
<br />use the information available to us, If there are
<br />other specific sites that need special study. they
<br />should be brought to the attention of Water and
<br />Power Resources and the State of Colorado as
<br />promptly as possible. , .
<br />, , . We are at an impasse on several projects the
<br />United States is obligated to build. The obligation
<br />exists without regard to new financing plans.
<br />studies. or what have you. It is very important that
<br />we tie down loose ends. if there is to be any
<br />compromise at all. with legislation and that we
<br />make tough, hard decisions based on the
<br />voluminous information we have collected over
<br />many years. . .
<br />. , . The temptation for the federal government to
<br />modify the 1968 law to construct storage for energy
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<br />"arid to then say its 1968 obligation is complete will
<br />be great indeed, We must insist that any sub-
<br />stitutions be truly multi-pUrpose. :,for energy.
<br />agriculture. municipal. recreation,' wildlife. and
<br />other purposes. . ., .
<br />, . . At the present time. we receivepl8Iuung funds
<br />from the Water Resources Council if we submit a
<br />plan which provides for comprebensive planning ,
<br />with respect to intrastate, .01' ,intetstate water
<br />resources. provides for full coordination between '
<br />'comprehensive water resoUrces planning and other
<br />statewide planning programs. designates a state
<br />agency to administer, ,the program. provides for
<br />reports ,to the Council. sets forth procedures 'for
<br />carrying out the plan. and' provides for mis-
<br />cellaneous other procedures. The proposed legisla-
<br />tion expands this role by saying that we, now have
<br />to provide information, data. andilxpertise to the
<br />public and private sector, we must coordinate the
<br />state program witb local units of government and
<br />federally recognized Indian tribes. we ,must coor-
<br />dinate state programs with related technical
<br />assistance programs of federal as weUas otber state
<br />and local agencies, and we must provide for par-
<br />ticipation of the public in tbe development and
<br />modification and implementation of .theprogram
<br />. . , In addition. , . we must provide fOJ,' public par- '
<br />ticipation or public hearings and a number of other
<br />procedures to go forward with tbe plan. All of these
<br />may be followed in our state's planning process. but
<br />at some point meeting all the criteria may eat up all
<br />of the.funds that are allocated under this program.
<br />We simply have reached the point where we plan
<br />and plan and plan, but still do not have action on
<br />very vital water concerns. I want you to know that
<br />we are examining very carefully the pending
<br />legislation-in the Congress. . , We are very concerned
<br />a bout the impact of all of this federal activity on the
<br />. control ultimately of state water rights and water
<br />development in tbe state. . .
<br />. . . I do not want to underestimate the encroach-
<br />ment tbat these continuous changes in legislation
<br />suggest for the traditional control of water rigbts by
<br />II state, They are significant. they are expanding,
<br />and what the state must do for these funds is to
<br />dance even faster tban it bas in the past. We do not
<br />want our water resources planning and manage-'
<br />ment to be federally funded and vulnerable as is
<br />water quality. air pollution control. and other
<br />programs. '
<br />I am hopeful that tbe State of Colorado will
<br />continue and strengthen state funding of all aspects
<br />of the management of our water resources. If there
<br />is going to be proper development of Colorado's
<br />water resources without giving away too mucb to
<br />other states and to the federal government, we will
<br />have to appropriate from Colorado the money spent
<br />on waier resources planning and management
<br />necessary to maintain a sound water resources
<br />planning program.
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