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<br />'CJ~::;7' rlA','r~ES;8F:A['FCFP u..9-HWP~ _~~ ~~.~._7~._!,!!,(".,~Umll v811ey JOUfn.,
<br />
<br />.:>oh/ing California:Colorado
<br />water differences not easy
<br />
<br />~.
<br />
<br />BY v,s, REP. BEN
<br />HICHTHORSE CAMl'BELL
<br />Interior Secretary Manuel
<br />Lujan caused quite a .Ur In Col.
<br />orado recenlly when he prop-
<br />osed that our atate could help
<br />out drought..trtcken ClIlJtornla
<br />by donating our unu..d por-
<br />Uons of Colorado RIver water to
<br />alleviate the downslream
<br />emergency,
<br />Sec, Lujan hit a now nerve
<br />among Coloradana. who for
<br />yeara have chafed under ths
<br />knowledge that California la aJ.
<br />ready gulping a large mea.ure
<br />of Colorado'. allotted water for
<br />freo,
<br />The Idea struck a sore nerve
<br />with me. too, and I an.w.red
<br />Mr, Lujan With a proposal of my
<br />own: If Ca!Jfomla 10 to r.c.lve
<br />more water from upstream
<br />atatea n which I. of eourso.
<br />would automatically oppose __
<br />Colorado ahould get pald for It,
<br />. One way to do that I. to 00tI-
<br />.Ider Illat y.ars ago Congre..
<br />authortzed four .to...ge projects
<br />In Colorado n the San Mlgu.l,
<br />FrulUand Me.., Savory Pot-
<br />hood and We.t Divide -- that
<br />have not been bUIlt. La.t year. I.
<br />d.reated an .1T0rt Io deauthor-
<br />tze the.. projects 00 that we
<br />could preeerve whatever op-
<br />tion. w. might hav..
<br />The pro.p.ct of Colorado get-
<br />Ung red.ral approprtattons for
<br />the&< unbullt p!'OJects 1. remote
<br />at this point anyway. due to n..
<br />cal reaHue. and enY1!'OtlmentaJ
<br />constralnts, Sut neverthele&a
<br />we are enUlI.d to money mad.
<br />by federal power eal.. from hy_
<br />dro.lectrle proJ.ct. already
<br />buJItdown.trearn, Whatlfwaler
<br />promlaed to Colorado proJeets
<br />Was I.mporar\ly utilized by Ca-
<br />lifornia and In exchang... Color-
<br />ado wu abl. to UBO Colorado
<br />, RIvet' Storage Project Act money"
<br />'Do b'l!!.d 8mAU~r II'!AII tnU:UIII~,;
<br />"roJecta that would meet Our fu.
<br />Ute needa bett.r than the ma.-
<br />.lve f.deral proJecUl th..t we are
<br />'reasonably certain won.t be
<br />built, This propoaal would not
<br />
<br />
<br />reault In any permanent reallo-
<br />caUo" of Colorado RIver water,
<br />Under thla acenar1o. I &rlI
<br />wU~n( to entertain the poaalbU.
<br />llyof'le"lng"water. provtded It
<br />doea,,'t ~come a beckcloor way
<br />to deprive Colorado and other
<br />.latoo of their nghta.1n fact, the
<br />wat.r being dtocua..d Ja un-
<br />used water, wdter allocated to
<br />Colorado thlt nowa out of our
<br />atate because we ate unablo to
<br />.tOI'O (I. I ..m almply ttylng to
<br />dJ.cu.. how to get compenaated
<br />for Wilt.r w. do not PO_IIII but
<br />to Which w. are In falmeaa en.
<br />ulled, I am not talkln( about
<br />Iea.lng Water curr.ntly being
<br />uaed In Colorado, Nor aml talk.
<br />Ing about the .loat. I..alng the
<br />WIIer of prtvat. cllJ%ena of Col-
<br />orado, Thla I. Important to
<br />undentand. because BOrne peo-
<br />ple have become confukd that I
<br />P'lladvocaUng l.a.ln( their wa-
<br />t.r, Thl. I. not the Intent, and
<br />that would not be the e/Tect,
<br />A ahort.Ierm, temporary
<br />I..... of our water to California
<br />would ben.nt u. In a couple of
<br />Important way., It would give u.
<br />the ....h w. need In Colorado to
<br />build wat.r .torage proJ.cta. so
<br />we can put our &hare of Color.
<br />ado Rlverwaler to ben.nclaI use
<br />at home, At th.oameUme.anlr-
<br />onclacll.... would "rve to reo
<br />emphaalz. who the water be-
<br />Ionga to In the n....t place. ~
<br />all, you can't Ieaae what you
<br />dOn~ own ancl a ..... arranp_ '
<br />~t, con~ to r.ar. that It
<br />d sl' non.ownetahlp.
<br />utd ..tabUsh our own.....htp.
<br />'Now others have joIned thll
<br />dJ!lCus.lon. a. to wheth.r we
<br />might glvc CalJfomla our ahare
<br />of Wlter currently .tored In
<br />large clownstream dams or
<br />pu",uo"a 1.... arrangem.nt. t
<br />w.lconl. the d.bate and the at.
<br />lenUon th.lo.uela getung, but I
<br />aUIl tn.lst that If Callrornla I.
<br />(olng to get Colorado water
<br />land. Indeed that .tat. already
<br />use. more than It. .hare under
<br />th. comp.et). they ought to be
<br />compell.d to pay for It In .ome
<br />
<br />w"y, .
<br />OnelulIe that.eema to brtng
<br />agreement f!'Om all lid.. I. that
<br />CalJfomla hu to be w.aned
<br />from u.lng more than its .har.
<br />or Colorado RIver Wat.r, Callfor.
<br />nI.. haa to come to terms with a
<br />burgeoning populaUon and 11m.
<br />lted waler relOur.eo, I should
<br />point out that the Oavemor and
<br />I a~ In prlnclpl. With reapect
<br />to our WIlter and Callfornla'l
<br />use of It. Th. goal of Coy,
<br />Romer'a letter to eallfomt....
<br />governor.... to make California
<br />admlt that It to receiVIng wat.r
<br />b.yond Ita enUtl.m.nt and
<br />agree to d.crea" Ita water con.
<br />lumpllon, CloY, Romer'. l.tter
<br />also relter..t.s the boll.r I hold.
<br />that the .tate h.. primacy I"
<br />water mattera,
<br />1 have been m..Ung and talk.
<br />IngWlth Color..dowateromelal.
<br />aboutlhla Id.a, No on. bellevea
<br />It wiD b. ...y 10 Impl'ment, but
<br />no one la dlomlaalng It out o(
<br />hand elth.r, At till. point, .tat.
<br />and fecl.raJ laWll don't allow for
<br />I.aalng, A ca.t of thousand.
<br />would be in on n.goUaUon.. In.
<br />eluding all se;ven or the rtV.r
<br />compact .tat.., the IndIan
<br />tribes (who have c1almo to a
<br />large portion of ...ter them-
<br />s.Iv..) and ag.ncle. or th. f.d-
<br />eral goy.minent.
<br />
<br />p.e....::::
<br />
<br />Naturally. the proc.aa la
<br />compUc..ted. There I. nothing
<br />.Imp.e about wat.r In the Weat
<br />and we rI.k mI.undera~cIJn(
<br />and conruslon wh.n the IlIIIue Is
<br />oyer.lmpUned, I'DUUcaJIy, It la
<br />Important to preaen>e the doll'
<br />cate logal balanco that make.o
<br />up tho 1awoCthe rivet' and thst
<br />protec18 alat.. like Colorado
<br />C!'Om the pol1ucal .upremacy 01
<br />the .con.to.be lI2 member Call.
<br />fomla congres.lonal d.lega'
<br />Uon, I certainly have not .pent
<br />tho put rour years prolecung
<br />the water reacurc.. of Color.
<br />ado'. 1blrd Congresalonal 01...
<br />trlct.lmply to 'give them away'
<br />to Callfornta,
<br />flut Ifw, can UBO Callromla's
<br />dollar. Io pay for Colorado pro.
<br />Jects that woulcl ator. wat.r Cor
<br />I Colorado', u.e .. why not?
<br />
<br />, / l'
<br />jIJI"t.!l/,--
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<br />pA_~,1
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<br />.1/-
<br />0'1"
<br />.
<br />
<br />Cv;tt:11
<br />f;/jAR 1 I 1931
<br />
<br />ttpce
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<br />1..
<br />. lS!91
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