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<br />.' . <br /> <br />The U. S. Senate has adopted a bill authored by Colorado Senator <br />Floyd Haskell (5.268) which would establish a Wilderness area of <br /> <br />130,400 acres, compared to the original Forest Se~v~ce recommendation <br /> <br />~ of 87,000 acres. Although these boundaries allow for development <br />of a portion of the two projects (East Gore and Eagle-Piney Collection <br />Systems), they would prevent the Board from capturing all water <br />(170,000 acre feet) by gravitr flow and would necessitate the const-~ct: <br />and operation of costly pumping plants. <br /> <br />Pending before the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs <br /> <br />of the Congress is a bill authored by Colorado Congressman James <br /> <br /> <br />Johnson (H.R. 3863) which would create a Wilderness area of 129,600 <br /> <br />acres, also much larger than the Forest Service Bill, but one that <br /> <br />would have an even more disastrous financial affect on Met--opolita.."l <br /> <br /> <br />Denver water users. Mr. Johnson, in his statement before the subco~tt <br /> <br />on Public Lands on September ).9, 1974, said, in part, "My reason <br />for proposing the larger area! incorporated in H.R. 3863 was and <br />still is at least temporarI suspension of a proposed transmountain <br />I <br />diversion of water from the Western Slope of the Contina~tal Divide <br /> <br />to the Eastern Slope." <br /> <br /> <br />It is important to understand Colorado history and water develOp- <br /> <br /> <br />ment to comprehend the importance of this matter to all Colorado <br /> <br /> <br />citizens. Colorado is geographically separated into Eastern and <br /> <br />Western watersheds by the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains. <br /> <br /> <br />,Nature has provided Colorado with a more abundant water supply on <br /> <br /> <br />the Western Slope which is ~~e headwaters of major river systems, <br /> <br /> <br />including the Colorado River, that supplies not only Colorado but <br /> <br /> <br />several Western States and the independent nation of Mexico wi~~ <br /> <br />00739 <br />