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<br />present time and indeed in the very legislation which authorized the <br />Animas-La Plata project and the other participating projects is a <br />part of the law that says that the northern Utes, the Uintah and <br />Ouray Utes, or as the Southern Utes are fond of referring to them, <br />the Yankee Utes, have a contract with the Central Utah Water Con- <br />servancy District in regard to their Winters' water rights. We have <br />a history of cooperation of the Ute tribes with the water conservancy <br />districts dating back long before the five projects were authorized <br />in the 1968 legislation. It presents this board and indeed the state <br />of Colorado a truly unique opportunity to solve problems which <br />obviously concern the entire state of Colorado. <br /> <br />Before ending the presentation by the La Plata Water Conservancy <br />District, I would call your attention to the resolution which was <br />adopted by the Southwest Water Board at a meeting on March 15, 1973. <br />That resolution, together with the earlier resolution which was <br />presented by Mr. Raley, expresses the concern of the Southwestern <br />Colorado Water Conservation District in connection with the 501 (b) <br />requirement of the 1968 legislation that the Secretary of the Interior <br />be directed to proceed as nearly as practicable with the construction <br />of the Dolores, the San Miguel, the West Divide, the Animas-La Plata <br />and Dallas Creek projects. That is in the law, although while we <br />were in Washington not too many weeks ago it seemed as though some <br />people gave that provision about concurrent construction little notice. <br />This language is still in the law. I am sure the Southwest Board <br />thinks, and I know that all of the individual projects involved think, <br />that this is extremely important language and that the state of Colo- <br />rado should insist that the moral obligation, if not the legal obli- <br />gation of the United States Congress which was incurred in 1968, be <br />carried out to the letter of the law. <br /> <br />That concludes the presentation of the La Plata Water Conservancy <br />District and I would like to thank you gentlemen for your time and <br />attention. <br /> <br />Mr. Stapleton: Thank you, Mr. Maynes. Senator McCormick, do you have <br />anything you would like to say to this meeting? <br /> <br />Senator McCormick: I am here to learn. <br /> <br />Mr. Stapleton: How about Representative Wells? Would you like to say <br />something at this time? We would be delighted to hear from you. <br /> <br />Representative Wells: Yes, thank you. Mr. Chairman and committee, <br /> <br />-13- <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br />