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,. .' 5 emerged from the idea or planning stage and need to be translated into brick and mortar, or public policy, as the case may be. Time is so short that we simply cannot seek solutions that will be univer- sally popular. Hopefully, this 1981-82 Action Agenda will lead to accommodations among historically-antagonistic interests, and will give elected officials and other policy-makers courage to act, instead of merely debating and studying. The Agenda is not a complete list of Colorado's water-related needs. But it is Water for Colorado's position on some of the most pressing problems. Other items are under study and may be added later. 21'17 II. 1981-82 COLORAro WATER ACTION AGENDA ITEMS (Not Prioritized) 1. Build All Colorado River Storage Projects Currently Authorized In 1968, after years of contention, the Colorado River Basin States' delegations in Congress got together a legislative package which was supposed to complete most of the development of both the Lower Basin and Upper Basin entitlements under the Colorado River Compact of 1922. The delegations of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, plus part of the California delegation, worked as a team to acquire the votes necessary to assure passage of amendments to the Colorado River Basin Act by both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Principal architects of the package were Sen. Carl Hayden of Arizona and Sen. Gordon Allott of COlorado, and Congressman Wayne Aspinall of Colorado. The Act specified that the massive Central Arizona Project, several projects in Utah and five Colorado projects would be built more or less simultaneously. In subsequent years, Arizona has received preferential treatment. The Central Arizona Project is moving toward completion, despite the Carter Hit List and Reagan Administration cutbacks. Two of the five Colorado projects - Dallas Creek and Dolores - are moving forward. But the other three - West Divide, Animas-La Plata and San Miguel - are stalled, and there is no sign yet that the Reagan Administra- tion is ready to move forward with construction starts. Meanwhile, two projects which had been authorized in the same time frame - but not as part of the Colorado River Basin Act - were caught up in the Hit List. They are Fruitland Mesa and Savery-Pot Hook. They are important in the overall goal of putting Colorado water entitlements into storage. Action Agenda Recommendations: Seek commitments from the entire COlorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona delegations in Congress to pursue construction starts of the three shelved projects no later than Fiscal 1983. Seek com- mitments from the U.S. Interior Department to support those appropriations.