BOARD00508

• Board Meeting Date: 2/17/1958
• Description: Minutes
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

868

Mr. Moses mentioned that the Closed Basin Drain-
age survey being undertaken in the San Luis Valley is under
way and asked Mr. McLaughlin to report on this. Mr. Mclaugh-
lin told of the original plan to test five wells; that while
they had planned to start the first part of December, due to
delays they didn't start until the latter part of January
which will mean a delay on the final report of from 30 to 60
days. Discussion followed on this subject and questions by
members of the Board were answered by Mr. Mclaughlin.

I

MR. MOSES:

"Dean Crawford has suggested that
we have read a letter written by Gover-
nor McNichols to Governor Mechem of New
Mexico, and Governor Mechem's telegram
in reply, regarding the San Juan-Chama
Project."

Mr. Barnard, Jr. read the following:

Governor's Office
Denver, Colorado

February 13, 1958

Honorable Edwin Mechem
Governor of New Mexico
State Capitol
Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Dear Governor Mechem:

I'm writing in connection with comments to be made by
the State of Colorado on the Project Report of the proposed
San Juan-Chama and Navajo Projects. As you know, our Water
Board is meeting to consider these comments on Monday, Febru-
ary 17, 1958. We are advised that some of our citizens in
southwestern Colorado will present proposed comments which
would be considered by you to be adverse to the San Juan- .
Chama Project. These proposed objections are based on the
grounds of inadequate water supply within the share of Colo-
rado River water allocated to New Mexico under the compact,
and the feeling of the inadequate supply and the inadequate
power credits after construction of the San Juan-Chama Proj-
ect will preclude New Mexican participation in the Animas-
La Plata Project, in which we are greatly interested. It
appears that the basis of the most serious fears of our
citizens are water supply estimates which disagree with
those being used as the basis for your proposal.

I