BOARD02203

• Board Meeting Date: 3/20/1975
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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they have any difficulty in finding a buyer.

Mr. Weaver: To answer Mr. Sherman's question about the change in the
actual water supplies for irrigation service area, I have a few figures.
As authorized, the project would provide 15,000 acre-feet of water for
municipal and industrial use. Now, as the project is planned, there
would be 57,000 acre-feet of water for municipal and industrial use.

As originally authorized for irrigation, there was 60,300 acre-feet,
and now there are 5,900 acre-feet, and that would be 1ncreased to 8,900
acre-feet.

It is interesting to note also that the project, as originally authorized,
it was estimated that the depletion of the Colorado River would be
37,000 acre-feet; and as the project is now planned the dep~etion of
the Colorado River would be 46,000 acre-feet.

Now, as far as the acreage goes, the full service area as authorized
was 14,900 acres. The suppleme~tal service area, 8,720,acres for
a total of 23,620. Now the proJect has 3,870 acres of full service
area; 3,470 acres of supplemental service land for a total of 7,350
acres; it would be reduced further after 50 years.

I don't think we have the same project as originally authorized, and I
think that is true of some other projects that are going to be under
discussion later on. Thank you.

Mr. Stapleton: Are there any further questions?

Mr. Sherman: Congressman Aspinall, for my edification, can you explain,
when a project like this changes rather substantially in terms of the
use, at what point is congressional authorization required for modifica-
tion and changes, and at what stage would that come?

Mr. Aspinall: The projects are authorized from the beginning until the
end of the project, keeping in mind that as far as we are concerned,
the moneys that are given by Uncle Sam for municipal purposes, or
industrial purposes, that the interest is repaid.

As far as the question of whether or not there is as much irrigation at
the end as there was in the beginning, this is a continual problem.
They are taking land out of cultivation all the time, but take approxi-
mately the same amount of water for industrial purposes and municipal
purposes as for irrigation purposes, simply the pay-out is enhanced
that much sooner. There is no way in the world to go through with this
matter unless you follow through with the change. I can hardly recognize
Grand Valley from what it was in 1917, when the water was first delivered.
So, whether there is more or less irrigation is simply a matter of
change of times, and need.

Mr. Sherman: Thank you.

Mr. Stapleton: Mr. Brooks, thank you for your attendance.

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