BOARD01106

• Board Meeting Date: 2/3/1962
• Description: Minutes
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

I

The only method that we feel is at
all worth considering is to salvage water
which is now going to waste without inter-
fering with any of the present irrigation
practices in the San Luis Valley. That
is not an easy order to fill. However,
we have been working along that line and
have allocated people, time and money to
endeavor to answer some of the questions
which have arisen from time to time
relative to the effects a salvage program
in the Closed Basin might have upon the
present and perhaps future irrigation
practices in the San Luis Valley.

We find from the words of the experts
who are here today -- some of those people
are here -- who will be able to give you
a little more detailed information in
regard to the project. They feel that they
will be able to recover approximately
100,000 acre-feet of water annually with-
out detriment to the existing irrigation
practices and to, perhaps, provide water,
eventually, for further development once
Colorado escapes the debit status from
our commitment.

I

The compact commissioners from both
Texas and New Mexico have been very lenient,
in fact, I personally feel they have perhaps
leaned over backwards a bit in endeavoring
to give Colorado time and latitude to work
out this problem, but this not seeming to
be forthcoming, they have definitely
stiffened their policy and we are now
approaching the time when it appears Colorado
must move. It must show good faith with
these other sister states in endeavoring
to carry out our part of this compact.

Conditions have changed over the past
twenty-five years since that compact was
written. It is our move now to endeavor
to meet those changes.

The drainage from the Closed Basin
was envisioned even before the compact was