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<br />has been met, to some degree at lenst, at the exppJ1se of irrigators
<br />along th(~ Rio Grande, Pllrticulnrly those using Wllt('T from the Ele-
<br />phunt Butte Rt'sPTvoir of our Rio GrandcJ>Toject in ;\('w ~l('xico und
<br />rt'XllS, from which wat('f re)ruses UTe mu e to HWf't. our obligntions
<br />under tll(> trent-y_
<br />In rl~~pt'l't to the construction cost (SI:.l,492,OOO) llnd tht' operutioll,
<br />mnintpIH1Il<'f', nn,l replll('('nH'Jlt cost:; ($257,000) nllm'utf'd to the water
<br />~Hh"tlge function, both tlw Stall'S of Colorado und :\('w ~Iexi('o have
<br />strongly Pllrlorsed the position thnt. the wuter sulvllge Ccut-uTes should
<br />be ('onstrueted, operated, llnd mnintllilwd III Fl'd.'rnl t'X[WllSP, find tlwy
<br />cite the 1906 treaty with ~Iexico tlnd tll(> Rio GJ'llnde eompllet of 1929
<br />as authority for thi~ po~ition.
<br />\Ve fl'collul1end, however, thut whenen>r Colorado llehie\'cs debit-
<br />free status under the compact und use of :-;nlnlged wnt('r surplus to
<br />rNPtirenwnts of such waters for mnintl'll11nl'e of snrh df'hit-free status
<br />b(>(,ollH's npproprintp through exehangt' or dirt'ct din>rsiolls, contnlct
<br />urrallgt'IlH.'lIts be entered irito hetwl't>n the identifinbh' IlSPI"S of such
<br />surplus wuter llnd the Sf'l'fetllry of tlw Int.erior for pnVI1Wllt of IIp-
<br />proptinte portions of the construction, opt.rut.ion, Hlld niaintclltllH.'C of
<br />the wntH suh'ugc fncilities.
<br />Of the $1,439,000 construction eost allocated to rpcl'ration Hnd fish
<br />Hnd wildlife enhtllll't'IIlt'nt, $266,00o--which ft'presellts one-Iullf of
<br />th(' scpuraulp cost..,-plus $7,000 interest dllfill~ cOllstruction llnd nil
<br />of the ~;t'IHlfable ltnnuul operntion, muintenUl1l't>, nud replncement
<br />costs ($44,000) allocllted to those functions would he II Ilon-Ft'derlll
<br />cost.. As required b.... section 2(a) of the r'pderlll ""utt>r Projeet. Re('-
<br />I'l'iltion Act, the Stllte of Colorlldo hilS indicntt'd by It'tter dllted
<br />~Iuy 19, 1966. its intent to H.g'ree to udminist.er tilt' lund und water
<br />nreHS of the division for recrention !lnd fish Hlld wildlife pnhuncclllent
<br />llnd to IWllr one-half of the sl.~Jlllrnble costs of tht' division Illlocilted
<br />to thos(' two functions nnd llll of the cost of oJH'rution, maintenance,
<br />and replacement incurred therefor. A copy of the Gon'rnor's letter
<br />is enclosed,
<br />The n>muining' construct.ion (,08t8 ($1,173,000) !\Ill I operation,
<br />mnintennnce, and rt'plucement costs ($17,000) ullocated to n'cl'{'lltion
<br />Ilnd fish 11lld wildlife enhancement \\"CHlld be nonrl'lmbursllble ns pro-
<br />"video b," In\\'.
<br />As re'qllired by section 102(2)(C) of the Xntiollnl Environmentnl
<br />Qllulity Act of 1969, u stat{'ment. on thl' impuct of d('n'loJlin~ thl'
<br />proposed Closed Husill Division on the environmellt llnd its relntioll
<br />to mun follows,
<br />The propos('d plnn of wuter snh'nge without the mitigation nH'nSUr(>s
<br />would hnn' n net IHIH'r~t' dTrct. on tIll' wildlift' ('0\"('1' nnd wuterfowl of
<br />the wllt('r ~nlnlg(' nn'll. About 100.000 Heft"s of s(~nsonully f1ood('(1 wet-
<br />luuds would bt> tlrllined by the project, with 11 consequenllos~ of Wllt{'f-
<br />fowl huhitllt. How('n'r, thi:" unnaturul condition was ('featet! in part
<br />by improper fllfminK methods Hud luck of drllillug'e. In tIll' past, somf'
<br />or ull of tht'~(' lunds in tlw projt'ct urea W('ft~ ut olle time lI~l'd for crops
<br />or pastllfl~. TIlt' risE' of grollnd water ill thi:-, lll'('a hu:" f('slilt('d iUll-hllndon-
<br />lIlent of tht' b\lld for these lHlrpO:-;t~s, Lt)\\"{'ring' tIlt' ll'rollnd-wllt(>r
<br />table would tend to l'liminall' suIt Knls...., rahhit bfush, and ollH'r lll11rsh
<br />grtlwth nnd restort' the Uft'll to its orig'inul('on'r of uuti\"{> !!nlS:,{'S.
<br />D('n~lopll1f'nt of th(' ~Iishak ~ationnl \\'ildlift~ Hl'fug't' wllllllitig'lltt'
<br />the wildlife llnd WHlt'rfowllosst's !lud pro\-idl' lldditiollall)(,llcfih. Tht,
<br />net (>ffect of tilt' Closet! Basin Division will be onl:' uf enhanc(,llll'nt fur
<br />wildlile and wa terlo wI.
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