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OtJ0388 -.".~, ~Yc:.':. Wi\.'T~''$'Gl':Ptly~ F\\)'i!lf11'~.IilAl~Y1fUA"N:;emMA:PROJE'CT 13 Mnt annually, shortages in Kirtland M.&L demands averaging 16 percent, and shortages in' Hogback irrigation averaging 8 percent. The position of the Southwestern ,'Water Qonservation District The position of theSouthwestemWater Conservation District of Colorado was presented to thecomrnittee by Mr. William S. Eakes, attorney representing the district." ''l,'heproblem which is giving the district concern involves tb,e ')Tater requirements to meet existing rights at and below Farmington and the call upon Animas Riv!,\r water to meet these requirements. Mr,. Eakes indicated that the district wants to make sure that Navajo Reservoir will be operated to regulate the How of the riveraild to supply downstream uses which, unless furnished by releases from Navajo Reservoir, might constitute a legal demand against the State of ,Colorado for release from natural streamflows. In order to assure the operation of Navajo Reservoir in a manner to meet these downstream rights, Mr. Eakes requested, in behalf of the district board, the following amendment be added at the end of section 8 of the bill: ' ". (cL The Secretary of the Interior is hereby directed to so operate Navajo Reservoir that downstream water requirements on the San Juan River in the State of New Mexico, that may otherwise conflict with uses from the Animas River or its tributaries or from the La Plata River, snaIl be satisfied by releases from Navajo Reservoir. . Mr. Eakes stated that he was in full accord with the statement made by Mr. Felix Sparks in behalf of the Oolorado Water Oonserva- tion Board and with the assumptions upon which Mr. Sparks' con- ,elusions were based, He stated that the amendment would as&ure that assumptions upon which Oolorado has given its support to the project are fully followed by the Secretary of the Interior. He stated that the district would not wish to share excessive shortages which are caused by the overburdening of the supply of water in the Navajo Eeservoir. He pointed out the importance, from Colorado's stand- point, of the place of use of the water within the basin. He expressed particular concern with respect to future municipal and industrial /-. llses in, New Mexico at places where the return flows were so far down- stream that they would not be usable. To illustrate his concern, Mr. Eakes furnished a study prepared by Mr. Reynolds, New Mexico State engineer, setting out the bypass demands of rights below the mouth of the Animas River in New Mexico which are senior to the Navajo, San Juan-Ohama, and Animas- La Plata projects. The basic study assumes the water supply of the 1928-54 period. It assumes irrigation senior rights covering 18,950 acres and municipal and industrial senior rights amounting to 60,000 acre-feet a year. It assumes development of the Navajo, San Juan- Chama, and Animas-La Plata projects and a future municipal and industrial demand of 224,000 acre-feet a year. It assumes return flows from existing and authorized works and from the Navajo, San Juan-Ohama, and Animas-La Plata projects with return flows from Navajo Reservoir M. & L demand meeting channel losses only. It also assumes all flows of the Animas River, with the exception of return flows from the Animas~La Plata project, depleted in Oolorado. Under these basic assumptions bypass demands are indicated to be 41,800 acre-feet a year: ' . , If the basic assumptions are modified by assuming new develop- ment in Colorado limited to the Animas-La Plata and Florida projects