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<br />Mr. Steve Reynolds the State Engineer from New Mexico, has written the <br />State Engineer in Colorado, Mr. Kuiper, and said, "If we' can establish <br />even a small amount of damage to the'users in the State of New Mexico <br />below the Lobatos gauge as a result of the water development in the <br />San Marcos project, we're going to sue you." So, naturally, we are <br />concerned about that aspect as well. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />The state is also taking the position. at the present time that the use <br />of coal slurry pipelines and the exportation of water is in violation <br />of Colorado law. The law requires the Attorney General to appear and <br />oppose any such exportation of water. That, obviously, is a legal <br />judgment that should be made by the court as to whether it is or whether <br />it is not within the terms of the statute that Mr. Sparks described. <br />We are working very closely with Mr. Eddy's counsel, Senator Robert <br />Wham, and counsel for various. other water users are coordinating our <br />efforts in an effort to save expenses for the people down in the valley. <br />On behalf of the Attorney General, we certainly support the Water <br />Board's proposal to do the study. <br /> <br />MR. KROEGER: Thank you, Dave. Are there any questions of him? <br /> <br />All right, Larry, do you have some other matters in your report? <br /> <br />MR. SPARKS: I will go briefly to two other matters, Mr. Chairman. <br /> <br />One is to remind the board and the audience that our next board meeting <br />is scheduled for March 15. If that date is satisfactory to, the board, <br />that would be the date that we discuss the funding requirements for <br />reclamation projects in Colorado. We consider that one of our most <br />critical and important meetings each year. We will invite the various <br />water conservancy districts to appear before the board to explain their <br />funding requirements for the coming fiscal year in order to further <br />the status of their various projects. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />The President~s budget will be released, as we understand it, next <br />week. After that ,budget is released, we will immediately inform the <br />board as to. the requests made for Colorado. Based upon that, we can <br />make some intelligent decisions as to what additional funding we may <br />wish to pursue. We have already been told by Mr. Andrus, Secretary of <br />the Interior, ,that.there will be no funds in the budget for either the <br />Savery-Pot;,Hook or the Fruitland Mesa projects. As a matter of fact, <br />if you have read some of the statements made by Mr. Andrus, he has <br />stated that he considers those projects to be a.dead issue. , We have <br />a surprise for him. We don't think that those projects are a dead <br />issue. How can we think that an existing law of this country is a <br />dead issue? Can some new Secretary of the Interior or a new President, <br />come in and say, "I don't like the laws of the United States. We're <br /> <br />.-49- <br />