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<br />the area. We know very well that if an oil shale industry isn't <br />developed in the near future, Garfield County will probably be the <br />leading county with the people on the welfare roll. So we do more or <br />less ask for your support and advice on these things. We have the <br />support I think of the people in the West Divide, the water users, Colo- <br />rado River District, and the towns and municipalities up and down the <br />Colorado River valley. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />The Bureau of Reclamation is doing its best to come up with the pre- <br />construction planning of this project. The West Divide has also contri- <br />buted money by hiring a private engineering firm to assist the Bureau, <br />and the River District is also lending us moral support, and that sort <br />of thing. We plan to go into the hearings in Washington to present our <br />problems to them, and letting them know that this project is badly <br />needed in that area. <br /> <br />Another thing that I would like to bring out is that the West Divide <br />project was authorized by the Congress for the purpose of meeting the <br />oil shale needs in western Colorado, plus the municipal and industrial <br />needs in connection with the oil shale industry. And I think that is <br />our greatest problem at this point in time. The towns, such as Grand <br />Valley which I had the opportunity to meet with last week, are very <br />much concerned at this time. They have enough water for their domestic <br />use only at this time. If the oil shale industry develops, they don't <br />know what they are going to do. They have applied to the West Divide <br />District for 5,000 acre-feet of water, and at this time we are not able <br />to supply it. The Bureau of Reclamation, I think, has the timetable <br />of ten years in time conception from start to completion. We are in a <br />dilemma over there as to what we are going to do and how fast we can <br />accomplish this. So we feel it is time now that any project that has <br />energy in it should be pushed right up the line, and hopefully that you <br />people will bear with us to try to get this project on the road. I <br />think this is about all I have. <br /> <br />Mr. Stapleton: I don't want to correct you, but I understand from <br />listening to the radio last night, that there is no longer an energy <br />crisis, and that there is only an energy problem. <br /> <br />Mr. Bernklau: Okay, I will accept that. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Mr. Stapleton: If I can interpret the table on page 2 correctly, we <br />have been getting complete response on the funding request for the West <br />Divide project. Is that correct, Larry? <br /> <br />Mr. Sparks: It is a year ahead of schedule. <br /> <br />-20- <br />