BOARD02333

• Board Meeting Date: 1/8/1945
• Description: Table of Contents and Minutes
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Minutes

As- Governor John C. Vivian, Chairman of the Board, waS 'not present,
the meeting was called to order ~y Vice-Chairman Chris Wallrich at 10~20 a. m.
January 8, 1945.
The Director stated that the principal purpose of the meeting
was to give further consideration to the proposed report of the Bureau of
Reclamation enti tIed, "The Comprehensive Report of the Control, Improvement
and Utilization of the Water Resources of the Colcrado River Basin in Arizona,
California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming;" that this report
had been considered by theComroittee of Sixteen, Colorado River Basin, and the
states were asked by the Bureau of Reclamation to submit their several comments;
that Colorado had been allowed until February 11, 1945 to complete its com-
ments; that any Colorado statement must be approved by the Colorado Water Con-
servation Board and authorized by it for submis;lion tc the Bureau of Recla-
mation; that efforts had been made to obtain comments.fromvarious sections of
the State which might be affected by any plan of development of the Colorado
River Basin; that various representatives from" these sections were present.
to participate in this matter and make written and oral submissions; and that
obviously the Board at this meeting should hear these statements; determine,
if possible at this time, general, overall policies, and request the Director
and the Chief Engineer of the Board tc prepare for further consideration of
this Board a statement which would be considered at a future meeting of the
Board.

Thereupon C. L. Patterson, Chief Engineer of the BOard,'was asked to
present the conclusions which he had prepared with respect to the report of
the Bureau of Reclamation for ccnsideration of the members.of the Board.
These written conclusions are here referred to and by reference made a part
of the re cords of the Board.

Following the statement of Mr. Patterson, Mr. Tipton, Consulting
Engineer of the Board, made an oral" statement conourring generally in the
conclusions of Mr. Patterson. He emphasized three specific points, namely,
(1) that the Upper Basin and the Lower Basin of the Colorap'o River should be
treated on the same basis and there should be oonsistenoy in. the report re-
speoting potentialities of development; (2) that the ~eport should oontain
all projeots whioh may appear sometime in the future to be feasible; and (3)
that reoommendations for development of the Colorado. River Basin by the Bureau
of Reolamation should in all respeots oonform to. the Colorado River Compaot
and no development should be suggested which oannot be aooomplishep. by striot
adherence to the provisions of that oompact.

Frank C. Merriell, Engineer-Secretary of the Coloradp River Water
Conservation District, presented his oral comments on the Bureau report. He
emphasized that in devising a plan of develcpment for the Colprado River
Basin we must keep in mind the water users who wO].lld be oallep. upon to pay
project costs. He deprecated any report of the Bureau which would amount to
"a raoe to claim water." Ile referred to the fact that at the present time
there are approximately 9,000,000 acre feet of water annually flowing out of
the United States into Mexioo.

The presentation of the statements and conclusions by Mr. Patterson,
Mr. Tipton and Mr. Merriell continued until the ,noon recess.

The meeting recessed at 12110 p. m. to reoonvene at 2,00 p. m.