BOARD01858

• Board Meeting Date: 1/12/1967
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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MR. GEISSINGER:

MR. MOSES:

MR. STAPLETON:

MR. ONENS:

submit it toc6ngress for approval. We are
doing it the reverse, we are asking congress
to approve it first. It is rather unique
because we don't want to bother with this
compact unless Congress actually authorizes
the Animas-La Plata project."

I

"Actually what this does, this is legis-
lation whereby the Congress in this last
paragraph consents that the States of Colo-
rado and New Mexico can enter into this
compact which will then follow the normal
procedures of being ratified by the legisla-
tures of the two states and ultimately
approved by the congress. So the normal
process, as Larry says, is for Congress to
enact enabling legislation, the states to
appoint commissioners, and the commissioners
to submit it to their respective legislatures
and then it goes back to Congress. But we
don't need this compact if the project does-
n' t go through."

"Mr. Chairman, I might add one other
thing. I call Mr. Goodwin's attention to
the first paragraph of the proposed amendment,
Section 503(a), before it even starts talk-
ing about the compact, it says 'Project con-
struction of the Animas-La plata Federal
Reclamation Project shall not be undertaken
until and unless the states of Colorado and
New Mexico shall have ratified the Animas-
La Plata Project compact as set forth. . .'.
So they can't even turn any earth until this
is done which I think gives us adequate pro-
tection."

"Any further discussion?"

1

"At the present time there is a compact
between Colorado and New Mexico on the par-
tition of the waters of the La plata and
this is merely an enabling act, as I see it,
to permit Larry to negotiate a compact on
the Animas-La Plata in which he will have to