BOARD02144 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

61 J. Il. Dille nominated Cli fford H. Stone as SecretAry of the Board. Thi s nomination was seconded by Chris Wallrich, On JlX)tion duly Ill!lde, unanimously carried and declared adopted, Cliffbrd H. Stone was elected s s Secretary to serve until the fir st meeting of the Boa rd fo 1 lowing May 12, 1948. I On motion duly made, seconded, ullBnimously carried and declared adopted, L. Ward Banni ster, E. L. Dutcher, and Silmon Smith were appointed by the Governor as a Comni. ttee to draw up and prepare a memorial for the late Judge John B. O'Rourke, who for many years had served a s a member of the Board. Thl Uemorial pr epared by this ComrJ. ttee a nd adopted by the B08rd for irelusion in the Minutes is as follows. MEMORIAL AND RESOllJTION "Prior to his elevation to the District Judgeship of the Sixth Judicial District, Judge O'Rourke took considerable interest in water conservation matters. After hi s appointment"_to the Judgeship he devoted a great deal of time and personal money to the development of the water resources of the San Juan Basin. In 1935 Judge O'Rourke made the first of a series of trip. to Washington, D.C. on behalf of the Pine River Project (Valleci to) and largely through hi s efforts Congress eppropria.ted $1,000,000 in June of 1936 fo:- the construction of the Pine River Project. In 1957 Judge 0' Rourke was appointed a member of the Water Conservation Board of Colorado and served in this capacity until his death. "The Judge made nurerous trips to Washing-tPn in cor.nection .dth the L.. PIa ta ?:-oject and al so .78S instrumental in forming the water conservancy distric t for the promotion of thet project. The Judge also 8U pported the Flori ta investigations for the construction 0 f the dam to serve this area. At the same time the Judge devoted a great deal of effort on behalf of the lI,ancos Project. It was through Judge O'Rourke's efforts that the potentialities of a water supply from Mesa Verde Park v.'ere coupled with the Irrigation requirements of the Mancos Valley and by cooperation of Congressman Taylor thi s project was one of the first Wheeler-Case Projects authorized for construction. other projects which received his attention were the Pine River Canal exten- sion, the enlarged La Plata projsct end the Dolores Projects. I "Judgs O'Rourke kept abreast of the developments in si ster statss and in other ba sins wi thin the State, and repr esented Western Slope interests at many National ani State meetings. The development of the San Juan Basin resources is due in large measure to the efforts 0 f Judge O'Rourke and potential projects are largely ths result of too momentum which he imparted to them. The Judge was instrumental in form- ing the Southwestern Colorado Water Conservancy District and aided the Board of Directors of that orgenization after its formation.