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<br />000331 <br />, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />for an exhaustive survey of the ground water resources of the area <br /> <br />and the construction of an electric analog model. We believe that <br /> <br />we can now accurately predict the future operation of the projected <br /> <br />Closed Basin Project and that such operation will not affect exist- <br /> <br />ing water rights, except to improve upon them. However, to eliminate <br /> <br />any suspected adverse effect, special safeguards have been written <br /> <br />into the pending legislation which are vital to the residents of <br /> <br />the valley and which we urge be retained as now set forth. <br /> <br />Previous witnesses from the Department of the Interior <br /> <br />have indicated that Colorado is in a debit status under the terms <br /> <br />of the Rio Grande River Compact. The project report indicates that <br /> <br />it would take a substantial period of years after the project be- <br /> <br />comes operational for Colorado to achieve a debit-free status. <br /> <br />However, the project report did not contemplate the limitation set <br /> <br />forth in Section 4(b) (1) of the pending legislation. This section <br /> <br />places a limitation upon Colorado's use of project water which will <br /> <br />result in a more rapid retirement of the accumulated debit. An <br /> <br />engineering study completed by our staff, based upon the project <br /> <br />report and the limitation contained in the pending legislation, <br /> <br />indicates that the accumulated debit could be retired within a <br /> <br />period of seventeen years after the project becomes fully operational. <br /> <br />This study does not take into account the stage development. On the <br /> <br />other hand, neither does it reflect what we believe will be a much <br /> <br />-9- <br />