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vulnerable position and I think some people here may recall the times when, because of litigation among the states, the courts have imposed a master who presides over the distribution of the water and if we think we are in trouble now, I shudder I to think what would happen to the water users in this valley if there should be a suit filed and a master would preside over ' the distribution of the water to the water users. Because masters can make what amounts to almost arbitrary decisions as to the percentages of water that are to be allowed in order to respect our obligations under the compact and I can't think of a more disastrous thing happening to us than to be involved in litigation and lose that litigation and have a master imposed to preside over the head gates and distribute the water to the users in this valley. We all know, it is a matter of law, that the Closed Basin is not a part of the Rio Grande Compact. It is precisely and un- equivocally excluded from the Basin and any opportunities, probably, that were made -- no delivery of surface water would meet the requirements as set up in the compact as to the saline contents -- and I don't come to you as an expert on water matters -- especially as far as technical and engineering matters are concerned and in making water evaluations and I don't want to fly under any flase colors because I certainly have no proficiency in this field. It's like hiring a doctor, you have got to rely on the fact that he knows what he is doing and we have to rely on the fact that these engineers and technical people have competency in their field and know what they are do ing be cause that is the I only way in which we have to base our judgments. We all know that this water is of vital concern to a great many people in the upper part of this Basin and we know that some of the water in the Basin is made up of waters that come from the Rio Grande that did not return to the Rio Grande and water from other