BOARD02298

• Board Meeting Date: 5/19/1938
• Description: Minutes
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Minutes

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Mr. stone oalled attention to. the Board Memoors of 'the oCl11'erenee
held iImre<iiately prior to the eeting of the Board between the Governors
and their advisors of the Colorado River Four Upper Basin States, and
he explained that the meeting was held to oonsider the proposed_modif'i_
oation of the Boulder Cllllyon Proj eot Aot end he suggested that the
protest wOuld be later read for cmsideratian of the Board. He furtber
explained that a Faot-finding Committee of the Four Upper Basin States
was developing, with the aid of the Reolamation Bureau, a plan of'
oomprehensive development in the Colorado River Basin, and he suggested
that Mr. Debler who was present be oalled upon te outline the plan of
developent for the Colorado River Basin whioh Mr. Debler has under
oonsideration. ~ .

Thereupon. Mr. Debler briefly outlined the plan and gave other
pertinent information oonoerning the seme, He ref'erredto the prov:l,sions
of Seotion 13 of the Boulder Canyon Projeot Aot whioh provides 'that by
1941 the Seoretary of' the lnterlor must subJa1't a oomprehensive plan of
developnent on the Colorado River Basin. He stated that thus tar a
great deal had no't yet been aooampl1shed in developing suoh a plan, that
tbeJre was no money _de available by Congress for the past 'two or three
years but that Mr. Preston was in oharge ot the land olassitioation work
had spent some years in getting the looaticn of' the irrigated and arable
lands. He stated that this work of' land olassifioation was nearly
finished and for SOlIS of the states had been oompleted, that a set ot
maps whioh would showo the irrigated and arable areas will be m.ade
available tothese states and that a report :!ad been already delivered to
eerte.1;o. or the states within the basin. The work whioh yet remained to be
done was the determinatiano of surveys and estimates for oana.+llnes and
reservoirs that would irrigate these arable lands and provide supplemental
water for the present irrigated ls.nds and indioate the possibili-ty ot
develGping pasture lsnds with What might be oalled the remaining available
waters. He stated also that the power possibilities must be put into the
plan. He said that it was for the purpose of finding out What each state
had in mind as to the possibility of these addiUonalusesand there are
some projects whiohshould be 'given early oonsideration. A.letter,
aooording to Mr. Debler, had been addressed to representatives o~ eaoh of
the states asking that they submit a program whioh lVOuld shOll' the projeots
whioh they would like to have given early oattention.

A full statement of Mr. Debler's remarksa;:>pear in the stenographio
report of the meeting.

Mr. neb ler was asked by Mr. 8tOl1e for a statelllel?:t of' the amoUllt
of money whioh tlhould 00 nade avaUe.blll fort.b.itlllOrk, e:xpliLining that the
Governors or the Four Upper Basin.. States. at the la s.t meeting requested
$1,000,000 for that purpose. In answer to this questi.on Mr. Debler explained
that the ReoiamatiOl1 Bureau had available approximately $175,000 to be
spent be~en the time of.' the meeting' and June 30, 1939; that this mount
is almost as much as could be effioil!lll'tly used. in the .present year lUId that
more lIIOney oould not be used beoause of.' the dit't'ioul-ty in seouring trained
engineers to do the work; and the original sum made available was tllOO,ooo
all of whioh had been spent.