BOARD01741

• Board Meeting Date: 6/20/1955
• Description: Minutes and Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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~83

I

If the Board does that, it protects itself as
far as Tipton's report is concerned.

/

"I do not want to make the motion as I
am in the peculiar position of representing both
the local district board and the State Board, but
I would certainly like to urge that this report
be approved subject to these conditions and with
the understanding that actual construction would
not start until these two matters have been taken
care of. I will be glad to answer any questions.

"There are two things in connection with
Mr. Tipton's report I would like to mention. He
says on Page 5--'Without the use of any of the
10,000 acre-feet of annual "cushion" provided for
Colorado in the Compact, the operation of Wagon
Wheel Gap as contemplated in the report would
cause an accrued debit of 97,000 acre-feet at the
end of the 27-year period.' That is what that
cushion is for and would be used wherever necessary
to keep Colorado from going in debt.

I

"The second item, also on Page 5, is that
'Unless a credit were built up prior to the time
the reservoir started to operate, or unless the
operation commenced at a time when Elephant Butte
were spilling, the assumption of this amount of
water in storage at the beginning of the operation
of the reservoir would be fallacious.' From a
practical matter, there will be no consent agree-
ments signed by the local people unless Colorado
gets back on the credit side of the ledger. As
a practical matter, we can assume that the reser-
voir operation won't start until we are on the
credit side of the ledger. The land owners won't
sign up unless they know the water stored will be
for their use. Something is going to.have to be
done about our debt on the Rio Grande. Whether it
will be done in the next year or so, I don't know.
The local people want to get things started as soon
as they can."

MR. BAILEY: ~~at is the situation down there on the older water
right owners?"