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<br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />cannot afford to risk loss of this water. <br /> <br />While local opposition still exists, its intensity has diminished and <br />numbers decreased as educational programs have been carried out by the <br />Rio Grande Water Conservation District, personnel of the Colorado Water <br />Conservation Board, and the Division of Water Resources. <br /> <br />This is a true conservation and salvage project, one that is tailored <br />to the policies and philosophy of the Bureau of Reclamation. It is our <br />feeling that the waste of this precious resource can no longer be <br />tolerated. This project will have an environmental impact that is all <br />positive. It is my understanding that groups concerned with indiscrimi- <br />nate and harmful changes to the environment, which have resulted from <br />so many projects in the past, have no fear of such harmful consequences <br />resulting from this project. <br /> <br />Important, but secondary benefit, that will result is partial to complete <br />restoration of lands rendered useless over the years as a result of <br />uncontrolled accumulation of salts because of a lack of drainage. <br /> <br />Finally, a lessening of tensions between water groups which have resulted <br />to some extent from administrative restrictions which have necessarily <br />been imposed to assure compliance by Colorado with terms of the Rio <br />Grande Compact. <br /> <br />For those whom I represent I urge you gentlemen of the Colorado Water <br />Conservation Board and our representatives in Congress to endorse and <br />support funding'for this worthwhile project in every way possible. <br /> <br />Thank you, gentlemen. <br /> <br />Mr. Stapleton: Thank you. <br /> <br />Mr. Cornelius: Thank you, Paul. Rather than submit questions, I would <br />rather go ahead with all four statements. Don Myers from the Rio Grande <br />Water Conservation District. <br /> <br />Mr. Myers: Thank you, Quincy. <br /> <br />Mr. Chairman, members of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Senators, <br />staff members, and all other important water people, I have no prepared <br />statement. I come here thanking this Board for its cooperation, the <br />work that it has done for us in the past in passing this enabling <br />legislation for this project. <br /> <br />I represent the Board, and we have also changed our minds on this, and <br />realized that it was probably our fault when Senator Haskell mentioned <br />the opposition we have had. We realized that if we had an educational <br />program extensive enough, we could get enough information out to the <br />people. And when Mr. Sparks informed us not long ago that some appro- <br />priation money might be available for an environmental impact statement, <br />my Board went to work and put on an extensive educational campaign on <br />the radio, in newspapers, and extensive meetings were held practically <br /> <br />-61- <br />