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<br />3720 <br /> <br />irrigators, accumulated to 1961, indicates a <br />value of $13,361,400. The total of flood <br />benefits at that time, in terms of damages <br />prevented, is estimated to be $18,800,000; <br />and of the flood benefits estimated to have <br />accrued from the dam, $11,000,000 of it is <br />estimated to have accrued in 1955 when there <br />was considerable flood condition on the river. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Practically all of this water would have <br />been lost to the irrigator without this facil- <br />ity. All of this water has been provided to <br />the irrigator without direct cost to him. The <br />downstream users are the principal benefici~ <br />aries. However, upstream users may benefit by <br />reason of the availability of river flow past <br />their gates, by reason of the fact that down- <br />stream senior appropriators demands are <br />satisfied by the releases from the dam. In <br />view of the fact that this facility was paid <br />for by the taxpayer in general and is being <br />maintained and operated by the taxpayer in <br />general, it does seem extremely ungracious on <br />the part of the irrigator to say to the general <br />public that you shall not have this minimal <br />benefit or enjoyment from this facility. In <br />terms of fairness, it is hard to understand <br />the opposition of the downstream users. <br /> <br />By way of further review, may we point <br />out that, according to the terms of the Arkan- <br />sas River Compact, which has been ratified by <br />the Legislatures of Colorado and Kansas and <br />approved by Congress, this space above the <br />dam is divided into two parts. These two pools <br />are divided by an elevation figure of 3851, I <br />believe. It is a little space on top of this <br />elevation 3851 that we now seek the assurance <br />of having so that any water that we acquire <br />for the benefit of the fisheries, at the ex- <br />pense of the sportsmen, will not be lost. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />John Martin Dam is approximately three <br />hours from the mountains with their outdoor <br />recreational attractions. The area around <br />John Martin, and for that matter, the great <br />