BOARD01352

• Board Meeting Date: 2/1/1966
• Description: Minutes
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

Council will meet in Phoenix on February 19th.
There is a preliminary meeting in Tucson on
the 18th with the Research Centers of the Land
Grant Institutions of the eleven western states.
The office of the Council \"ill be at the Port- I
land International Airport. I feel that this
is the only existing forum in which the repre-
sentatives of the northwest states can discuss,
\'li th relative calmness, the question of e:c-
portation of water. The success or failure
of our dreams for importation must result in
education of the people of the northwest,
satisfying their legitimate needs, assuring
them they have and will retain a prior call
on any water in their area which they need .
for their legitimate development. Through
the council, we hope to establish a common
meeting ground, a place where these problems
can be discussed in a friendly atmosphere and
a reasonable approach taken to importation.
It doesn't matter h~'l successful we are in
getting our projects developed. All of the
states of the Upper Basin need importation
and they must create a climate where importa-
tion can be discussed without the antagonistic
attitude that currently exists.

I think we have a similar situation, in
some respects, that we had in the state of
Colorado fifteen years ago on east slope-west
slope relationship. You've got to recognize
the legitimate, necessary requirements of the
basins of origin; you've got to make provi-
sions for their protection before you can hope
to develop a plan for importation.

The other thing I want to comment about
is that next \'leek \"e go to the annual meeting I
of the Rio Grande Compact. Colorado went in
debt again something in excess of 125,000
acre-feet in 1965. I can't over-emphasize
the seriousness of our situation there. Last
year you will recall there was a threat by
the Texas representative on the Commission
that suit would be brought in the United States