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<br />to put to the Senators? <br /> <br />Senator Haskell: The information I received on Closed Basin prior to <br />this time is that the people are monolithically opposed to it in the <br />Valley; that point interests me. <br /> <br />Mr. Stapleton: With that in mind, I yield to Mr. Cornelius. <br /> <br />Mr. Cornelius: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator Haskell, I certainly <br />hope to convince you otherwise. <br /> <br />The first speaker on the Closed Basin Project is Paul Davis, from the <br />Davis Engineering Company. Paul, wou1dyou give your testimony? <br /> <br />I might also say, we have four people from the San Luis Valley, the <br />four larger counties who are going to testify for the project. <br /> <br />Mr. Davis: Mr. Chairman, gentlemen, I am Paul Davis, a consulting <br />engineer for the Rio Grande Water Conservation District. I have lived <br />and worked as an engineer in the San Luis Valley for almost all of the <br />-past 36 years. Therefore, I feel I understand the problems of the area. <br /> <br />Intensive study of the Closed Basin Project has convinced me that this <br />project holds the greatest promise for the solution of the intricate <br />and inter-related problems of our area. Our legislators and state <br />officials have represented us well. The authorizing legislation has <br />included safeguards for the protection of senior water rights. It has <br />made possible local control, and insured the quality of water to be <br />produced. <br /> <br />The non-reimbursable nature of the authorizing legislation implies the <br />willingness of the federal government to assume responsibility to fulfill <br />the obligations spelled out in the Treaty of 1906 with Mexico. The <br />terms of that treaty, more often than not, have been largely ignored by <br />our government. As local interests were not consulted regarding the <br />draft that was put on the Rio Grande as a result of that treaty, it <br />seems proper the federal government should construct and start operation <br />of this project as rapidly as possible. Only in this way can the <br />obligations of the treaty be met without water users of the Rio Grande <br />and its tributaries suffering severe economic penalties. <br /> <br />It is my understanding that water in the unconfined.aquifer of the Closed <br />Basin is open for appropriation. To my knowledge in the past two yeaJ:s <br />two industrial concerns have seriously studied the availability and use <br />of water from this source, and their interest continues. There may be I <br />others, unknown to me, who have interest in this source of water. The <br />water should remain in the San Luis Valley for the Closed Basin Project. <br />It should be used for the benefit of the water users of the Rio Grande, <br />and to satisfy commitments made on that river. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />The possibility of trans-mountain diversions and of out-of-state use of <br />this water is a matter of great concern to local interests. These <br />possibilities may very well be the alternatives to the,project. We <br /> <br />-60- <br />