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<br />STATEMENT OF JOHN CARLSON, ATTORNEY FOR <br />RIO GRANDE WATER USERS ASSOCIATION <br /> <br />May 5, 1981 <br /> <br />The people on the Rio Grande see a real threat to their <br />ability to meet their Rio Grande Compact obligations unless <br />the Board makes a special effort to tailor any minimum stream <br />flow claims to the unique administrative system that has grown <br />up in the past 10 years for compact administration. <br /> <br />The system may well be modified and improved on in the <br />future. A key feature of the system is the use of the high <br />mountain reservoirs for storage of waters which would otherwise <br />be delivered to downstream states. This is done not by decree <br />but by cooperative arrangement with the State Engineer and the <br />water users. The practice is evolving, and in good water years <br />has increased the water availability to Rio Grande users as <br />much as 30,000 a.f. <br /> <br />I am hopeful that the Rio Grande water users will be able to <br />work out with your Board's staff adequate protection to preserve <br />this practice. But the principle and the volume of water are <br />so important to the Rio Grande people that they want to call it <br />to the Board's attention now. We solicit your aid in preserving <br />one of the few tools available to alleviate the hardships caused <br />by rigorous compact administration. <br />