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<br />). a/)03{9 <br /> <br />-9~ <br /> <br />of either or both ef the reservoirs above mentioned would be of invaluable benefit <br />to the area. <br /> <br />jated at uurango, Colorado, ~hi5 5th day of April, 1951. <br /> <br />Victor A. Paulek <br />President, La Plata Conservancy District <br /> <br />**~~***********,.?~w* <br /> <br />COMMENTS OF THE FLORIDA YiAT1':R CONSERVANCY DISTRICT UPON THE <br />PROPOSED REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF P.ECLAl!hTION Fon D':VELOPMENT <br />OF THE UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIlr <br /> <br />--------.------------------.-------------------------------- <br /> <br />It seems to the Board of Directors, by whom the undersigned is authorized <br />to make these comments, that the plan of the Bureau of Reclamation for the develop- <br />ment of the Upper Colorado Basin is sound and economically feasible. The placement <br />of a dividing point between the Upper and the Lower Basin at Lee's Ferry has <br />probably created some spirit of animosity between the Upper and Lower Basin States. <br />As a representative of the Bureau of Reclamation aptly pointed out, the Lower Basin <br />States receive a smooth flow of seven and one half million acre feet per year <br />aye rage at Lees Ferry, whereas the Upper Basin States are forced by the very nature <br />vf the Colorado River Compact to accept as theirs, the uneven cyclic flow of water <br />in the Colorado River. <br /> <br />It appears to us without question, that there must be some form of hold- .' " <br />over storage on the upper reaches of the Colorado River in order best to utilize <br />all of the water in the river, not only for the benefit of the Upper Basin States <br />but also of the Lower Basin States. <br /> <br />An undertaking of this magnitude is. as the project report points out, very <br />expensive. We believe that the Bureau of Reclamation has proposed the best possible <br />method for the financing of the project. Vie feel that the Bureau had considered <br />the problems of silt, proximity of power markets and what irrigation may be aided <br />by "main stem projects"; but, we also feel that if any precedence is to be given to <br />any of the projects, the Echo Park and Navajo projects should be considered first, <br />since it appears to us that the construction of either of these would in some <br />manner facilitate irrigation in the Upper Basin States, <br /> <br />It occurs to us, that, in these days of large governmental expenditures, <br />such a project as this, with automatic repayment provisions, would be highly de- <br />sirable, and we do therefore, endorse the Bureau of Reclamation report on the <br />Upper Colorado River Basin. <br /> <br />Since our interest in the development of the Upper Colorado River Basin is <br />primarily in the participating project known as The Florida Project, we take the <br />liberty of making our comments upon that part of the report separately. <br />