WSP03813

• File Number: 8103
• Description: Arkansas River Basin
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 3/1/1941
• Author: Unknown
• Title: Data Relating to the Proposed Arkansas Valley Authority Act of 1941
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

001086

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WHEREAS, oampr~hensive development of the water and other
natural resources of river basins requires recognition of the diver-
sified resources and dissimilar needs of different seotions of eaoh
basin, including in many instances but not necessarily restricted to
irrigation, power, flood oontrol, and navigation; and inasmuoh as the
states lying wholly or partly within any basin should reoognize the
national interest as well as state and local interests;

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AND ~lfEREAS, federal agenoies have been oreated and are
funotioning in the fields of investication, oonstruotion, and oper-
ation of projeots for the purpose of developing the water resources
of the river basins of the oountry, and have performed in their
several funotional fields, in oooperation with the states, oonstruot-
ive and desirable work, whioh requires nevertheless in inoreasing
degree more effeotive coordination of planning, construotion and
operation of projeots for the purpose of acoomplishing the most
benefioial regulation and utilization of the waters of suoh river
basins I

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AND ':.1lEREAS, Senate Bill No. 280 and House Bill No. 1823,
known and oi ted as the "Arkansas Valley Authority Aot of 194.1", have
been introduoed recently in the Congress of the United States, and
the introduotion of similar bills relating to other river basins of
the United States is oontemplated;

AND \""HEREAS, the Bill to oreate the proposed Arkansas Valley
Authority is objeotionable for the following MAJOR reasons.

1. It provides for exclusive federal oontrol, within the
disoretion of the Authority, of the planning, oonstruoting and operat-
ing of projeots designed to provide for navigation, flood oontrol,
power development, reolamation of public lands, and other purposes.

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2. It prevents the states whose interests are involved
from entering into oompaots ~ithout the oonsent of the Authority, in
oontravention of the oonstitutional right of sovereign states to make
treaties, or compacts, among themselves. subjeot only to the oonsent
af the Congress.

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3. It appears to subject judioial oontroversies involving
the right to appropriate and use water for irrigation or other bene-
fioial purposes to the jurisdiotion of the Federal Court in the
distriot where the principal office of the proposed Authority may be
looated.

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