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<br />~., " 5 <br />UC..J I <br /> <br />HISTORICAL D:VElOnt.:iT OF T:G COl:EJOS A.q:'.A <br /> <br />SottlBmont of tho Conejos area was bOblln by ~lO ~xicans about IB50. <br /> <br />The town of Co~jos was founded in 1355. Tho old wator rights on tho Co~ojos <br /> <br />rivGr bear priorit1 dates i~ tho 1650$. ~~ricans bog an to ~OVQ iata tho aro~ <br /> <br />nbout 1370. The town of ManassR waS founded Qy the Mormons about 1878. During <br /> <br />the 16705 and 1880s the arable land waS patented by the settlers. There is now <br /> <br />no federal public land within the Co~ejos Distriot. <br /> <br />T~e fluctuating ohar~otar of the strea~ flows made it apparent that the <br /> <br />developnent of storege facilities was advisable. A series of eve~~s have thus <br /> <br />far prevo::J.ted the construction of storage reservoirs. In the early 10905 the <br /> <br />United states became involved in a cO::J.troversy with Nexico over the use of tho <br /> <br />waters of the Rio Gra:l.de. Mexico claimed that its uses in the Juarez vicinity <br /> <br />were dama$ed ~J o~e3sive diversion of water upstr~am in New Mexico and <br /> <br />Colorado. The result of this controversy was tho imposition of an embargo <br /> <br />upo~ reservoir construction in the upper Rio Grande area. This was effeotuated <br /> <br />by the action of the United states in withdrawi~& fro~ entry public la~ds which <br /> <br />might be used for dam or reservoir sitos. The controversy with Mexico was ter- <br /> <br />minated by the Convention of 1906 whereqy the United states agreed to deliver a <br /> <br />fixed amount of water a..-mually for use in tlex1co 1:.1 the vioinity of Juarez. <br /> <br />In order to carry out this agreement tl1e United states oonstruoted the <br /> <br />Elephant-Butte dam in southern l~w Mexioo to store Rio Grande water. <br /> <br />The settlement of ~~e Mexicaa oontroversy did not result in the lifting <br /> <br />of ~ho embargo a~ainst reservoir o~struction in the upper Rio Gra~de. This <br /> <br />was cO:l.tinued until 1925 upon the theory th~t it was neoessary in order to <br /> <br />assure a water supply for the Elephe.nt-fiutte reservoir. When the emba:-go was <br /> <br />finally lifted, i~terstatG c~ntroversies over the use of the water of the Rio <br /> <br />Grande :lad arise:.l between the states of rexas, iiew t1oxico and Colorado. This <br /> <br />- 6 - <br />