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<br />/ <br />"- 3 - <br /> <br />The purpose, therefore, of this agreement <br />was to restore the quality of the water, guarantee <br />that for tne future and settle this irritating dispute <br />between the two nations~ And it will mean that from <br />now on, they will have usable water for the irrigation <br />of the crops in that whole valley. <br /> <br />tv <br />o <br />-.l <br />-.l <br /> <br />Q Mr. Ambassador, if I understand you <br />corre~tly, this agreement cannot really go into practical <br />. effe.ct until Congress approves these projects' 'appropriations <br />and the desalting plant is built. ' <br />, <br /> <br />AMBASSADOR BROWNELL: That is correct. Until <br />they authorize the three public works that I mentioned. <br /> <br />Q <br />public ,.orks? <br /> <br />How long will it take to complete those <br /> <br />. AMBASSADOR BROlVNELL: The public works, themselves, <br />the desalting plant will not ba finished until 1978 <br />even if the ~ongress acts, as we anticipate, this year. <br /> <br />Meanwhile, however, we would give them the <br />better quality of water. As soon as the authorization <br />bill is passed, the agreement provides that the quality <br />will immediately improve and we estimate that would <br />be ,sometime during the first six months of 1974. <br /> <br />Q How could that be achieved? <br /> <br />AMBASSADOR BROWNELL: That will be done <br />bY borrowing water from storage and that will be repaid <br />back out of the water saved from the relining of the <br />Coachella Canal. <br /> <br />Q <br />in damages have <br />to the ,l~exicali <br /> <br />How much damage, how many million dollars <br />the Mexican farmers asked for the damage <br />Valley croplands? <br /> <br />A,11BASSADOR BROI'INELL: <br />never been adjudicated, but the <br />to about $150 million. <br /> <br />Of course, that has <br />claims have been up <br /> <br />Q Now,'is the drainage ditch that is going <br />to be lined to the Gulf of California, is that going <br />to be in lieu of the damages that the Mexican farmers <br />have asked? <br /> <br />ANBASSADOR BR01~LL: There is no provision <br />" ' ------ <br />for damages in this agreement whatsoev~r~ <br /> <br />Q I know it is an "in lieu of". President <br />Alvarez said last month that the drainage ditch, <br />the lined canal which will protect their wells in the <br />!lexicali Valley would be in lieu of, or part of, the <br />damage claims that the Mexican farmers have made. Is <br />this true? <br /> <br />110RE <br /> <br />-", <br /> <br />'>'-;;'h.>'"L_ <br /> <br />