BOARD00469

• Board Meeting Date: 5/12/1976
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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to vote ,the same way I have. I told you over in Grand Junction that I
was going to vote that way until the legality is tested in the courts
and I'm going to vote no on them.

MR. STAPLETON: Clarence, I don't think anybody has ever been able to
intimidate you. That's one of your good qualities.

MR. SPARKS: Clarence, I want to make an observation here. Should you
not be reappointed, don't worry about it, because we're going to give
you a party anyway.

(laughter) .

MR. STAPLETON: Now, we'll go to another less controversial matter, the
minimum stream flows. (Laughter).

Again, I think we ought to take it up by comments or questions by
members of the Board first.

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MR. FORD: On the Cimarron Riverfrom the Silver Jack outlet to the
confluence of the Gunnison River. This is not an objection, but I do
know that there are places between those two points where the river is
dried up or brought down much below this. Coal Creek the same way, and
the Little Cimarron has dried up four or five times from the Gunnison
and Hinsdale County lines to the confluence of the Cimarron River by
irrigators. Spring Creek just naturally goes dry. Those people run out
of water. They have priorities which take up all of the water in Spring
Creek. They run out about the first of July, sometimes June or the
first of July of each year.

Now, those are just comments. I thought in the filing of these appro-
priations that there should be some water in those rivers. It's true
there is some return flow from irrigators below those points, but they
do dry up. I think the Fish and Wildlife should consider that in making
their recommendations. That's all I have to say.

MR. STAPLETON: Any further comments? Mr. Jackson.

MR. JACKSON: Mr. Chairman, on the final item on the sheet, which is
Ricardo Creek, I think.we discussed it at the meeting in Denver. There
is litigation between the holder of the rights on Ricardo and the
property owner in the area and the State of New Mexico trying to arrive
at some sort of a compact, if you want to call it that. I would ask
that this particular item hold its place on the agenda and await some
results. I think we have extended that courtesy tQ others when their
counsel have requested it. I don't think their counsel is here today to
request it. But I believe it would be a courtesy that we should extend
and simply defer it until we hear a little more on it.

MR. SHERMAN: Bob, when do you anticipate there will be some sort of
decision by the'court on that?

MR. JACKSON: Harris, I don't know precisely. I assume it will be like
most legal proceedings, a long one, and we may be looking at it in the

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