BOARD02069

• Board Meeting Date: 11/13/1968
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

V4.0.JV

any of these tentativ~ proposals or any addi-
tions or modifications thereof are going to
solve the problems. The query is - are there
areas of improvement where we can, by modifi-
cation of our existing statutes, improve the I
administration and control and also develop
projects within the state? The basis of this
is pretty much like the small projects which
Mr. Sparks was talking about. It may be that
in certain areas that could fit into this
picture very well and very nicely. One of
the bills specifically provides for this and
that will be commented on later. Neverthe-
less, the engineers have attempted to point
the way and they believe they know enough
about the-alluvium of our principal rivers
and its interconnection with the surface
stream to start some of these programs. It
would be hoped that some pilot programs
could be started at an early date.

Draft Bill No. I establishes a water
section of the district court in each river
basin which will be an adjudicating court for
the basin. This court shall have jurisdic-
tion over all adjudication matters, includ-
ing determination of water rights, all
transfer proceedings, the approval of ex-
changes and substitutions of water, abandon-
ment and all other matters arising out of
any of the above.

For administration purposes, the present
irrigation divisions will be retained but
henceforth will be known as water divisions.

A division engineer will be in charge
of each division. The office of water com-
missioner as now constituted will be elimi-
nated and his functions will be performed by
the staff of the division engineer's office.
Of course, there will still be water commis-
sioners and the division engineer will have
field offices but the water district concept
in the future, the water districts would be

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