Laserfiche WebLink
<br />---~~-- <br />, <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />.J <br /> <br />\ <br />( <br /> <br />i <br />1 <br /> <br />STATEMENT OF THE CHAIRMAN <br /> <br />MARCH 1960. <br /> <br />To the Members of the House Oommittee on Int<Jrior and Insular <br />Affair.,: <br />Subse~uent to the hearings before the Irrigation nne! necla~lation <br />Subr.omlllittN~ last. .JlIly uud Augnst. 011 the nllm~I"OUS bills IIlvoh'. <br />ing Federal,State relations in tho field of w"ter nghts, 1 asked our <br />committee cOllllsel, .Mr. T. Richard 'Vitll1cr, to make u. background <br />study of t.he problems involved in this Ie.gislat.ion nnfl to de-termille, <br />jf possible, how far the Congress could go in pro\.idill~ for adminis- <br />trn.t.ioll by the States of ollr Nation's water resources wit.hout en- <br />dangering OUI" national needs with respect to such reSOlll'CeS, In <br />other words, it, is deal' that our problems arise principally because we <br />have n. system of dual l.:ontrol of the Nflt.ion's sir-eHIllS and I wanted <br />. to know"jf there was some way we could c1e\'e-lop fI. reasonable- ar:com- <br />modation of Olll' tli\'cl'gent. State filld Nat.iollul needs with respect to <br />the administ.,'atioll of ollr streams. <br />Mr. Witmer devoted much time during t,he adjournment period to <br />t.his assignment ami has IH'e-pnred the report. ftlld the suggested legis- <br />lat.ion which m"l' included herein. Ilis discussion of t.he uackgl"Ound <br />Bnd the proulcl1Is involved in currenj. water rig-hts legislation is the <br />most understandable treatment of this subject I have seen and I be- <br />lieve his report will be helpful to members of the committee. I be- <br />lieve also that the sug-gested langufige for inclusion in a bill merits <br />the st.udied consideration of the l.:ommittee alonA" wit,h its cOJlsidera- <br />tion of the bills presently before. it together with the testimony on <br />these bills heard lastyca.)' and printed as Serial No.9. <br />In addition to :Mr. '\Vitlllcr"s report, t.here are also included in this <br />document two carefnlly prcpared papers on the snbject of Fcdernl- <br />State relations 011 water rights which were pl'esentp.d fit the lf1rl!) nn- <br />nUll) meeting' of tho Nntionfll Reclflma.t.ion A~sociation. On(\ is by <br />Hon. Perry 'V. Morton, Assistant. Attorney General of the United <br />States, and tbe. other is by Federal District. ,lndge lIat.ficld Cl,',lson, <br />former Umh,,' SecretaI'}' of the Interior. These t.wo papers weTe pre- <br />pared for the, speciHc plll'pose of sctt.ing out two dilTerellt points of <br />view on t.he :;tdministration of our wah~I.I-esoUrGes. <br />As you kllOW, the Irrigation and Reclamation Subl'ommittee bas <br />completed hen-rings on the water l"ghts \egis\ntion. The ~mbcommit- <br />tee is now in " position to c{)nsider and develop language for inclu- <br />sion in n. bill. The mateTial in t,his document IS furnished you with <br />the thought that you will wn.nt t{) study it, along with the printed <br />,hen.Tings, prior to the time the subcommittee, and subsequently the <br />full committee, schedules action on the legisln.tion. <br /> <br />WAYNE N, AsPINALL, <br />OluJirman, H0U8e Oommittee on Interior and Ifl8'Ular Affair.. <br /> <br />\' <br /> <br />.. <br />, <br />