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IJIR. MOSES: I I MR. HEADLEE: -4BB 67'1 . "This matter was discussed in very general language and briefly with the Board of Directors of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District at Albuquerque, the Elephant Butte at Las Cruces, and the El Paso Water Improvement District at El Paso. It was point~d out that at the time that Elephant Butte Project was built, the government contributed one and one-half million dollars toward that cost because of the fact that in the Rio Grande Compact, 60.000 acre feet of water per year was allocated to Mexico. It was suggested by those people that perhaps the Federal Government would be interested in financing this because of the cont.ribution of approximately the same amount of water to the river. Second possibility, and one of the reasons behind the suggestion, if the plan is feasible, is that the water from this drain would ao a long way toward cancelling c6mpact indebtedness. After that was done, this amount of water produced by the drain would be available for diversion upstream where it is not now presently available. You would buy it back and you could take that much more out upstream. The irrigators in the valley would be interested in 60,000 acre feet of water per year. Those are some of the possibilities that have been discussed as far as financing are concerned. The question of financing may be answered after we find out if the plan will work. But I think if 60,000 acre feet of water per year can be developed, financing will be found somehow." "Mr. Sweet, what would happen if this arrangement would affect the domestic water supply of the cities and towns, ranches, and farms which depend on the artesian water for livestock, etc.? What would happen?"