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<br />for the town of Hotchkiss. <br /> <br />MR. VANDEMOER: I realize that, but is the Ditch Company able or in a <br />position to make a division between the water and land? <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />MR. CONNELLY: Are they? <br /> <br />MR. VANDEMOER: Yes. <br /> <br />MR. CONNELLY: I would think so. <br /> <br />MR. VANDEMOER: In other words, eventually they could take two or three <br />thousand shares of water and:sell it off to a company separate from <br />their farmland? That's what I'm getting at. .', <br /> <br />MR. CONNELLY: I don't think this has even come up. I don't' know what <br />the authority or what the legal basis is. <br /> <br />. <br />MR. VANDEMOER: Money would do it, I would think. If the water. was <br />worth more than the land, I would assume they could sell it off. <br /> <br />MR. CONNELLY:. I think this is reaching kind of a balance, because the <br />land values have been escalating. I think the land values have been <br />escalating more than water, if you can use that criteria. <br /> <br />, , <br />MR. SHERMAN: ,Is seven thousand acre-feet of water:supplemental use? <br /> <br />MR. SCHUSTER: That is to provide full water service for the acres that <br />are presently being irrigated. 'There are seven thousand irrigatable <br />acres up there of which just about fifty percent is being irrigated. One <br />of the main reasons for the Overland project is the danger of the <br />failure of the existing reservoir. We could have four thousand acre- <br />feet of water descend on Hotchkiss if this dam failed. This is one ~ <br />reason the State Engineer has had such tight reins on it. <br /> <br />. <br />MR. LEINSDORF: In the midst of all the coal development taking place <br />in Delta County, it would be unfortunate if we were to ignore the need <br />for agricultural water. Is there a procedure ,for having this Board <br />review again any subsequent proposal that mayor may not arise to <br />substantially change the purposes for which this water is ,being used? <br />, , <br /> <br />MR. SPARKS: We are bound by the laws of this state that permit these <br />changes. Unless those laws are changed with respect to change of use, <br />then I think this Board is obligated to carry out the laws that are now <br />in effect. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />We could advocate some change in those laws, but that's as far as we <br />could go. <br /> <br />MR. JACKSON:' Mr.' Chairman, as a sugiestion to do that, I hear what <br />you're saying on the law, but couldn,t we have a clause that would' <br />accelerate the payment of the loan we are making? Actually that's our <br />only control. I would hate to see us make a loan for an agricultural <br />project to find out five years from now it's changed, and we have made <br /> <br />-37- <br />