Laserfiche WebLink
<br />229 <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />'There ensued a discussion of the amounts of money which had'been ex- <br />pended in investigations in Western Colorado and the prosr;ects of expediting <br />the investigational program through additional funds which might be secured. <br />The Director explained in a general wa:y, the status of the matter of avail- <br />able' funds and the present unfavorahle prospect of securing a greatly in- <br />creased amount of money for such investigations. He mentioned the special <br />fund of $500,000 which Colorado was largely instrumental in securing for <br />investigations in the Upper'Colorado River development funds had been used in <br />the past. He expressed the view that Colorado had fared' reasonably well in <br />the past in securing investigations in Western Colorado in the light of <br />available funds appropriated by the Congress for this purpose. The Director <br />expressed his belief that if the Colorado Hiver Storage Project were author- <br />ized, such authorization would insure greatly increased amounts of money for <br />Western Slope investigations. Reference was made by Mr. Breitenstein to the <br />suggestion that the state of Colorado might make available State funds to <br />expedite 1;hese investigations, but explained that there was no assurance that <br />such money would be appropriated at this time. Whereupon Judge Hughes warned <br />that delay in completion of such surveys might result in delay of the economic <br />development of the entire State. <br /> <br />There then came on for consideration the report of Region 4, Bureau of <br />Reclamation, on the proposed Colorado River Storage Froject. Attention was <br />called to the report of the Director, under a memorandum dated December 6, <br />1950, which advised the Board relative to the status of the report. Reference <br />was made to the informal state conunents on this project, dated December 17, 1;149. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Attention was called to the fact that a revised report, dated September <br />1950, was issued by Region 4 of the fureau. It was explained by the Director <br />that when this revised report was received, he advised E. O. Larson, Director <br />of Region 4, Bureau of Reclamation, that Colorado had no comments at that time <br />to make thereon and Colorado would reserve all further comments until the final <br />report on the project was released by the Secretary of Interior; and it was ex- <br />plained that such action was necessary because public hearings in Western Colo- <br />rado to obtain the views of local interests and further studies of the report, <br />particularly with reference to holdover storage on the Gunnison River, were <br />necessary before further comments by the State could be submitted to the Bureau <br />of Reclamation or to the Secretary of Interior. In this connection, the <br />Director acknOlVledged the receipt of three resolutions on the subject of <br />Gunnison River development, under the Colorado lliver Storage Project. The <br />contents of these resolutions were called to the attention of the Board. They <br />were sutmitted to the Board by the Delta Chamber of Commerce, fuontrose County <br />Farmers Union, and the Delta-Montrose Rural Power Lines A.ssociation. The <br />Director explained that he had written to the groups. which adopted these resolu- <br />tions, explaining the action of the Board and pointing out that the position of <br />the Board with respect to Gunnison River development had not been changed from <br />that which appears in the informal State comments of December 17, 1949. <br /> <br />There ensued discussion of the recommendation of the Director that a <br />series of Public hearings on the report of the proposed Oolorado River Storage <br />Project be held in Western Colorado; and that the Board authorize such hearings <br />and fix the places where they would be held, it being understood that dates for <br />the hearings could not be fixed until the final report on the proposed project <br />has been released by the Secretary of Interior and Region 4, Bureau of Reclama- <br />tion had made available a draft of its proposed report on Gunnison River <br />