BOARD01372

• Board Meeting Date: 11/17/1976
• Description: Agenda, Minutes, Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

funds that a priority doesn't mean anything. But in the event it dQes,
then I think we ought to, if we can, accept the staff's recommendations
as to these priorities. Mr. 'Sherman.

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MR. SHERMAN: I think it's going to be extremely important with resvect
to the legislature to attempt to set some priorities. I think they re
going to look towards some priorities just as the Governor asked Mr.
Sparks during his presentation to him with reference to the Governor's
budget for an indication of priorities.

I also think that in some way it's going
available revenues which wou1d:be placed
Board's revolving fund.

.
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to have to be tied to possible
in the Water Conservation

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MR. STAPLETON: I don't want to set priorities when we~~'have only heard
one and are going to hear~the rest. My thought is we ought;to approve
all the projects as they come along or disapprove them, and then at the,
end of the presentation, see, if we can't adopt the staff's recommenda~;~~:
!=ioris as to priority.

MR. SHERMAN: Okay.
MR. STAPLETON: All right. Trinchera.

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MR. SPARKS: Mr. Chairman and members of the Boa~d, this project was
covered in some detail last year. It was before the Boar~ last year.
and was approved last year, but was not funded.

This is a multi-purpose project in a very depressed area of the state.
The per capita income is extremely low. Federal funds are now avai1-:-
able to carry out a major part of this project. As we set forth in the
project summary, a substantial amount of the project would come from
federal funds, from P.L. 566, administered by the Soil Conservation
Service.

I understand that those funds, or at least part of them, are now avail-
able and are being used to construct the federal part of this project.
There was a state part of the project, as we covered in the summary,.
that is a vital part of the project. This is: an irrigation project,
a~ong with the enhancement of wildlife values in Costilla County. The
irrigation efficiency under the Trinchera system is quite low and a
lot of water is 'being unnecessarily lost. With, this program; the
efficiency of the irrigation system: can be vastly improved. Because
of the fact that many people are on welfare in that county, and because
of the depressed economy of the area,.we accorded this project a high I
priority, 'particularly in view of the fact that the federal government
has already indicated its.wi11ingness to participate in the project
and has made funds available.

I do not believe that there is anyone here from the Trinchera project.
I did receive two telephone calls and a letter from them. Mr. Eschman,
who was here last year, is in Montana today and could not be here. But
they expressed their strong and continuing support for Board'funding
of the state portion of the project. Is there anyone here from the

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