BOARD00632

• Board Meeting Date: 8/16/1972
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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federal, and local entities.

The local people are quite disturbed about this long delay in getting
construction started. As I mentioned, thirteen years ago the inves-
tigation was completed, the project was authorized in 1964, and still
nothing has happened. The people in northwestern Colorado, as you
know, are quite unhappy about this situation.

Mr. Berthelson: Robie, could I ask a question?

Mr. Robins: Yes.

Mr. Berthelson: How come the Office of Budget and Management has
asked for review of a project that has been authorized by Congress?

Mr. Robins: I can't answer that directly, not being in that field.
The Bureau of the Budget, as you know, is the President's advisor on
these things. If Congress appropriates money for llS to spend, the
Bureau of Reclamation works under the direction of the President. If
the Bureau of the Budget holds this money up and doesn't give it to
the Bureau of Reclamation, there is nothing we can do.

Mr. Berthelson: Can the Office of Budget say, "\~ell, let's use this
report and not the one that Congress used." Is it possible that will
happen?

!1r.. Robins: It could be.

Mr, Kuiper: Robie, what is the benefit-cost ratio using seven percent
interest?

Mr. Robins: We haven't got that figured out yet.

Mr. Berthelsen: It is no use to write that report.

!1r. Robins: The next project now we want to talk about is the West
Divide project. The West Divide project was authorized in 1968 by
Public Law 90-537, along with the other four projects in Colorado and
the Central Arizona project.

The West Divide project would develop water for irrigation, municipal
and industrial uses. The project will also provide benefits to recrea-
tion, fish and wildlife, and flood control.

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