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<br />.' <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />be satisfied only by efficiency and reallocation. At bottom, the <br />Bureau's regulations, once adopted, will be a test of one set of <br />methods for balancing urban and agricultural demand in the Lower <br />Basin. <br /> <br />B. Colorado River Crunch <br /> <br />The Bureau' s draft regulations are not an isolated <br />event. They are another chapter in what I have called the <br />"Colorado River Crunch". This "Colorado River Crunch" is not a <br />new dance step, nor is it a new candy bar. It is the inescapable <br />condition of worsening scarcity. The uncomfortable fact is that <br />more claimants and multiple purposes are trying to squeeze into <br />the fluctuating pool called the Colorado River. The Bureau's <br />draft regulations reflect deepening scarcity, rising vigilance, <br />and greater governance. They reflect a need to integrate new <br />promises and old promises. <br /> <br />The Bureau is to be commended for seeking improvements <br />in efficiency for the management and use of the River. When the <br />regulations are finally proposed, published, and adopted, they <br />may prove to be not only a ratchet. not only a tOlling bell, but <br />also a lightening rod in a dry electrical storm. The ensuing <br />booms and flashes will attract some and send others running for <br />cover. The sights and sounds may even be visible as far away as <br />the Upper Basin. <br /> <br />In the end, the regulations will be regarded as a cost <br />of enjoying the benefits of the River. And, as someone (Kathleen <br />Norris) once observed, "In spite of the cost of living , it is <br />still popular." In spite of the regulation of its use, Colorado <br />River water will still be popular. Of that we can be sure. <br /> <br />S880 <br /> <br />- 13 - <br />