BOARD00935

• Board Meeting Date: 9/5/1968
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

O.J..V.J..

I

I think it is a safe statement to make that
all of our projects, in Colorado and else-
where, are being stretched out as far as
completion is concerned. I know that none
of our projects within the state are pro-
ceeding on the construction schedule that
was originally planned when the projects
were authorized. This is a nation-wide
problem. Each project, of any magnitude,
will be delayed from two to three years be-
cause of lack of funds. For some of our
projects that are ready to start, such as
the Fruitland Mesa and the Crystal, we have
no funds for construction starts this year.

It is quite obvious that we are facing
an alarming situation with the backlog of
construction work. At the present time the
projects under construction, together with
those authorized for construction will cost
in excess of $800 million. This means that
even if we completed them within the next
eight years we would need appropriations
annually in the magnitude of $100 million.
The backlog right now is greater than all
of the projects that we have ever had con-
structed in the total history of colorado.
We have been quite successful in getting
authorizations and now our future problem
will be to get funds.

I

Another significant item in the Omaha
District report is the authorization of
the Mount Carbon project. As the Board
knows, Mount Carbon has always posed a
tremendous flood threat to the city of
Denver and the metropolitan area, particu-
larly so now in view of the extensive devel-
opment along Bear Creek itself. Historically
Bear Creek has caused the loss of many lives
in the Denver metropolitan area. We were
extremely anxious to get that project auth-
orized and under way. In this year when it
was very difficult to obtain new authoriza-
tions, our congressional delegation was