WSPC03208 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

^, "/. '1'J l\ud ,JC ~,' i:' t. . 1, (". \ -9- needed, (2) are within each state's equitable but as yet unestablished share of water, (3) are desired by local beneficiaries after their repay- ment obligations are known, alrl (4) entail construction costs which may be financed by Congressional appropriations or otherwise. . Experience teaohes that the neoessary investigational program will require many years to complete; that the oonstruction of some projects may be carried on while investigations of others are underway; that neither the needs of future generations or the diotates of financail policies can be anticipated too far in advanoe. Hence the view of Colorado is that any plan for the comprehensive and ultimate development of the Colorado River Basin, which might now be formulated by the Department of Interior, will be modified from time to time. Further, Colorado points out that the Report itself recognizes that a comprehensive plan is contingent in a major way upon the ultimate determination of the apportioriffient of water to the individual states. It can be reasonably expected that upon the determination of such allocations, each affeoted state will exert an im- portant influenoe in shaping the development within its borders and within its share of Colorado River water, consistent with common operational features on the river and the provisions of the Colorado River Compact. , 8. Joint action of all seven states is ~~~ssary to an allo- cation of water. The Report recommends, "that the states of the Colorado River Basin determine their respective ri~hts to deplete the flow of the Colorado River consistent with the Colorado River Compact." This proposal implies that all controversies concerning the waters of the Colorado River Dan and should be resolved promptly by the oollective aotion of all seven affected states. As previously pointed out, the first necessary step toward oarrying out this proposal involves the apportionments' heretofore made by the Colorado River Compact to the Upper Basin and to the Lower Basin, reoogni.ing that further apportionments between the two basins, over and above those heretofore made, oannot be undertaken under the Com- pact until after 1963. ~', I ~. k ;\ Colorado reoognizes the necessity and desirability of the states of the Colorado River Basin determining their respective rights to deplete the flow of the Colorado River consistent with the Colorado River Compact. That all of the states of the Upper Basin accept this reoommendation of the Report and assume that respollsibility is evidenced by the faot that since the Report was issued these states have initiated compaot negoti- ations for two prinoipal purposes, namely, (1) to determine relative rights of the respeotive states of the Upper Basin in the beneficial consumptive use of the 7,500,000 aore feet of water per annum heretofore apportioned in perpetuity from the Colorado River to the Upper Basin by Article III (a) of the Colorado River Compaot; and (2) to determine the relative ob- ligations of the states of the Upper Division imposed by Article III (d) of the Colorado River Compact, not to cause the flow of the Colorado River at Lee Ferry to be depleted below an aggregate of 75,000,000 aore feet for