BOARD01955

• Board Meeting Date: 3/21/1973
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

to. and in this point in time to just jerk the rug out from under
them and tell them. "Well. okay we will give up on some of these."
Not necessarily in that way. b~t the inference is that we are not
going to get them. I read a little bit in one of Larry's letters.
if I could kind of refer to this accurately. "that it seems polit- I
ically impossible and impractical to try to get construction ini-
tiated on all these projects immediately." Well. it is not my
understanding that there are very many of the projects that are
ready to be constructed immediately. And here we have a project
that is sitting there that is as ready as there is any way to ever
get. I am going to submit to you. gentlemen. that if this project
isn't ready to be built now. and if it doesn't have the support of
this board now. when will it ever have the support of this board?
I really can't imagine a situation that will ever improve if you take
this project and the status that it is in now and start indicating
that there are other projects that really have more merit and are'
really more entitled to consideration at this time. And we know
very well that there are not enough people in the Fruitland Mesa
district to make one bit of difference about what goes on in the
United States. but I think you gentlemen here at this table possibly
could have a little impact on what goes on up there. and you are our
only chance. And we didn't come over to beg. but we did come over
here to submit ourselves to any questions that you may have and if
there is anything that has been lacking in the efforts out there on
behalf of the people of Fruitland Mesa. we don't know what they are.

Mr. Stapleton: May I inquire as to the resolution itself?

Mr. Goldsmith: Yes. sir.

Mr. Stapleton: It says here that the state of Colorado take no action
through the Governor or the Colorado Water Conservation Board which
would assign a lesser priority to any Colorado project than that to
which it is entitled under legislation enacted by the Congress of
the United States. Would you amplify that. particularly in terms of
your project and what priority you think it is entitled to under
congressional legislation?

Mr. Goldsmith: Yes. sir. I would be glad to. The Congress autho- I
rized this project in 1964 for construction and this is nine years'
later. Why would we expect our representatives on the state water.
board to indicate that some other project. whatever it might be.
should take a priority to this project? I would like to call your
attention that Fruitland Mesa is not saying. "We recommend that this

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