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<br />- 12 - <br /> <br />particular significance to Colorado because it is desirous of determining <br /> <br /> <br />at as early a date as possible the potential uses of water in the <br /> <br /> <br />natural river basin in Colorado. At the present time the only money <br /> <br /> <br />available for this purpose comes from the Colorado River Development <br /> <br /> <br />Fund and the Upper Colorado River share of general investigation Dlnds. <br /> <br /> <br />These funds have proven inadequate to accomplish the desired purpose. <br /> <br /> <br />If a well conceived program for the developnent of the Colorado River <br /> <br /> <br />is to be realized in accordance with the reco~:~ndations of the report, <br /> <br /> <br />then increased annual appropriations of money must be made to expedite <br /> <br /> <br />investigations in the Upper Colorado niver Basin. Colorado urges that <br /> <br /> <br />the report be revised so as to include a recommendation that the Congress <br /> <br /> <br />authorize the creation of a special fund as a basis for future appropriaUon~: <br /> <br /> <br />to carry on investigations in the Upper Colorado River Basin in that <br /> <br /> <br />period prior to the time when money will become available under the <br /> <br /> <br />above mentioned paragraph (j) and trat the funds so appropriated shall <br /> <br /> <br />be nonreimbursable. <br /> <br /> <br />Ac'reage Limitations <br /> <br /> <br />Much of the area of the Upper Colorado River Basin is devoted to <br /> <br /> <br />the raising of live stock at high altitude. Additional irrigated pas- <br /> <br /> <br />ture and meado,'! land is needed by the ranchers if the basic meat supply <br /> <br /> <br />of our country is to be maintained at adequate levels. In such ranching <br /> <br /> <br />operations the 160 acre limitation of the Federal reclamation laws is <br /> <br /> <br />unrealistic. The practical development of the Upper Colorado River Basin <br /> <br /> <br />will require water supplies for these live stock ranches. Consideration <br /> <br /> <br />should be r;iven to a revision of the present law relative to excess <br /> <br /> <br />lands so that the principle of family operation may be retained in the <br /> <br /> <br />mountain area. <br />