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..>/U..J I been stated in previous discussions of this subject. I wish to make it clear at this time, however, that the subject before the Board is not the establishment of a permanent pool per se in John Martin Reservoir. This we have tried to make clear over the years during which we have been grappling with this problem. The only item before this Board is proposed legislation to authorize the United states Corps of Army Engineers to invade the flood control space of the John Martin Reservoir for the purpose of establishing a permanent pool for game, fish and recreational purposes. This Board, by the legislation, has reserved the final right to actually approve the estab- lishment of a permanent pool. So the only thing before this Board, at this time, is the question of whether or not to approve the legislation to authorize a permanent pool. By the legislation, four agencies reserve the final right to determine whether or not a permanent pool shall be established; namely, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the State Engineer of the State of Colorado, the Arkansas River Compact Administration, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. I There has been much argument concerning operating principles for the permanent pool. We, of course, cannot formulate operating prin- ciples until we have determined a source of water supply. We cannot formulate operating principles for any project in the State of Colorado until first that project has been authorized by the Congress. If we had to wait until we formulate our operating principles for the Fryingpan-Arkansas, the Narrows or the CUrecanti Projects they would never be constructed in all probability, because we cannot spend money - neither the Corps, nor us, nor the Game, Fish and Parks Department - on an expensive operation study without having the authority to do so. And that authority in this case must come from the Congress. We are concerned now only with that first step