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<br />0') <br />) <br />00 <br />C\J <br />,~ <br />(;) <br /> <br />WATER RIGHTS THREATENED <br /> <br />California's rightful share of Colorado River water is seriously threatened by a number ot <br />so-called "reclamation" bills introduced in Congress over the past several years. First of these <br />were bills seeking to authorize the fantastic Central Arizona Project. <br /> <br />There also are bills proposing the building of multi-billion dollar dam and irrigation <br />projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and <br />Wyoming. These bills endanger California's share of Colorado River water both as to quantity <br />and quality, This is true because they involve interpretations of the Colorado River Compact <br />(page 7) which would result in reducing the amount of Colorado River water released for <br />use in California and the other Lower Basin states. In addition, these projects would saddle a <br />heavy and unwarranted new tax burden upon the people in all the states, These bills are: <br /> <br />1. Upper Colorado River Basin Project bills would authorize the building of some six <br />huge dams and some 14 to 32 irrigation systems. Furthermore, the project would irrigate <br />land for the production of crops already in surplus. This project, it is estimated, would cost <br />the taxpayers of the United States $4,000,000,000 in hidden subsidies. <br /> <br />2. The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project bill, which would take the highest quality water <br />out of the Upper Colorado River System, and divert it to the eastern slope of the Rocky <br />Mountains for the benefit of landowners in southeastern Colorado. It is estimated that this <br />project would cost the Nation's taxpayers $500,000,000 as a "starter" and would be the <br />opening unit of the huge Gunnison-Arkansas project, which would divert ten times as much <br />water out of the Colorado River Basin and would increase taxpayers' burden accordingly. <br /> <br />CENTRAL ARIZONA PROJECT <br /> <br />During several sessions of Congress California's rightful share of Colorado River water was <br />threatened by bills seeking to authorize the so-called Central Arizona Project. It would require <br />more than $700,000,000 in public funds to build the project, and it would cost the nation's <br />taxpayers more than $2,000,000,000 in interest charges alone on the construction cost. <br /> <br />The Central Arizona Project is a so-called reclamation project to take Colorado River <br />water to 226,000 acres of land in the central part of the state. The land to be served is <br />privately owned, and the project does not make new irrigated land available for war veterans <br />and other citizens. <br /> <br />Principal features of the proposed project are: (1) Bridge Canyon Dam and Power <br />Plant, about 120 miles above Hoover Dam on the Colorado River; (2) Parker Pump Lift, <br />to raise Colorado River water a total height of 985 feet for irrigation uses; (3) Aqueducts <br />and canals to transport water 300 miles to grow ordinary field crops, such as hay, potatoes <br />and cotton, <br /> <br />Sponsors of the Central Arizona Project bill temporarily have put this proposal on the <br />shelf pending the outcome of the Arizona-California suit now pending in the U. S, Supreme <br />Court. <br /> <br />[21 ] <br />