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iI 2 (~ It took several months for the reports to pass through channels in Washington. In July 1939, the President sug- gested to the three major agencies interested in water development - the Army, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Department of Agriculture - that they should cooperate in the preparation of reports on multiple-purpose water pro- jects, such as the San Luis Valley project, where there was an overlapping interest. In view of this the Bureau of . Reclamation then, upon request, reported on the San Luis Valley Project in a relativoly short time. In accordance with the President's suggestion engineers of the Army and . Bureau of Reclamation conferred and reconciledc.onclus.iOllS._ III .The reports of the two agencies were submitted .to .congress.' on April 10, of this year, loss than two months ago. Im- mediately efforts were made to .amend the pending Interior. -Department appropriation bill to include an item for the projeot. I will explain. in a moment why it was the Inte- . rier Department bill th~.t we.s sought to boamended rather than the Flood Control bill. After a great '.OD~ of diffi- cult. work tho amendment was finally reported on favorably by the Senro.te Sub-committee on Interior Department Appro- ... .~riations, The Senate passed it and it ~s reported favor~ ably by the- Conference Committee. Two or-three .d"Ws ago the bill was passed by the House. The amendment provides for the appropri,"..tion of $150,000 to the Interior Depart- ment for prelimi~~ry work on the projeot necessary to be done before aotual construction can be initiated. The bill now must be reconsidered by the Se~~te because it con- tains a relatively unimportant amendment adopted by the House. It is p~ticipated the bill will pass the Senate as amended in the House. 1781 Thus, two yoars after the Rio Grnnde COnlplJ.ct was ratified the project has been reportcd upon favor~bly by two major government~l agencies and an appropriation has been onde to prepare the project for construction. This remarkable /1.chievenent was possible only becl'-use of the greo.t OJ!lOU1'lt of energy directed toward its accomplishment by the water users, the Colorado Water Conserv~tion Bo~rd. the Corps of Engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation and because of the cooperRtion of those interests ,qnd agencies. .. For the inforn~tien of those who are not fruniliar with it, the 1939 Rocla~ation Repayment Act provides thnt the Sec- retary of the Interior can authorize construction of a project if he finds it feasible. Under the terms of that Act the Secretary authorized the construction of this project. 'I ,