BOARD02144

• Board Meeting Date: 8/14/1947
• Description: Minutes and Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

71

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The Director emphasized that the Engineering Corrmittee was doing
a splendid job. The rnembers are considering phases of Colorado River
water utilization in the Upper Basin which had not been covered by the
Bureau of Reclamation's Colorado River report, and they are finding
that some vi tal data contained in that report is either not accurate in
every detail or red been inadequately analysed. This statement, he said,
was not intanded as a criticism of the valuable 1/JOrk done by the Bureau
of Reclamation in making its report, but was indica'tive of the necessity
for the Engineering Conrni ttee comple ting its work.

The lJirector explained that he had obtained, in Washington, D. a;.,
a photostatic copy of the Minutes of the Comnission which negotiated
the ori ginal Colorado River COmpact. These ~rinutes Bre being repro.-
duc ed by hi s of fic e and co pi e s will be made available to those
in the States who are interested in and working on the Upp3r Basin
Compa ct.

The Director also reported on the hearings held during the spring
of 1947 on the proposed Central Arizona Project before the Irriga tion
and Reclamation Subcommi ttee of the Senate, Re stated that he had made
a statement at those hearings in order to contradict positions which
had been taken by the State of Califb rnia on the interpretation so f the
Colorado River Comp,ct. He explained thet if such interpretetions were
sustained, they would be derogatory to the interests of the state of
Colorado. He al so pointed out thBt R. J. Tipton, Consulti ng Engineer
of the Board, had appeared at those hearings and analysed certain engin-
eering data discussed by California which, if accepted by the Comnittee
hearing the Central Arizona Project Authorization Bill, would interfere
With the rights and interests of the state of Colorado and other Upper
Basin States.

At this point the Director called attention to a resolution (s.145)
introduced by Senator IlcCarran of Neva.da and Smtors from California
in the United States Senate. Companion resolutions had likewise been
introduced by Congressmen from California in the House of Representatives.
The resolution read s as folIO'll s I

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"WHEREAS the development of projects for the use of water in
the Lower Colorado River Basin is being hampered by reason of long
standing controversies among the States in said Basin as to the
meaning and effect of the Colorado River Compact, the Boulder Canyon
Project Act, the Boulder Canyon Project Adjlistmant Act, the Cali-
fornia Limitation Act (StHs. Cal. 1929, Chap.16), the various
contracts executed by the Secretary of the I"terior wi fu States,
]:Ublic agenci es and others in the Lower Ba sin of the Colorado
River, and other docurnent$ and as to veriou s engineering, economic
end d;her facts; Now there fore be it

"RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
UI'ited States of America in Congress assembled, Trot, for the
purpose of avoiding a mul tiplici ty' of acti ons am expedi ting
the development of the Colorado River Basin, the Attorney-