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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Discussion of possible shortages of water for the <br /> <br /> <br />existing and proposed uses invites consideration of Section <br /> <br /> <br />ll(a) of PL 87-483. This section requires a pro rata sharing <br /> <br /> <br />of shortages by the San Juan-Chama Project, the Navajo Indian <br /> <br /> <br />Irrigation Project, the Hammond Project and all contracts <br /> <br /> <br />'._ for water for any other purposes involving waters of the San <br /> <br /> <br />Juan River and its tributaries originating above Navajo Reservoir <br /> <br /> <br />t~,the,use of which the United States is entitled. This section <br /> <br />,. <br /> <br />was written and enacted upon the initiative of representatives <br /> <br /> <br />of the Na~ajo ~ribe including the Tribal Chairman. The expressed <br /> <br /> <br />objective of these representatives was to maximize the amount <br /> <br />of the waters of the San Juan River that could be used for <br /> <br />industrial projects. Water supply studies made in 1958 during <br /> <br />the formulation of the authorizing legislation indicated that, <br /> <br /> <br />if industrial contracts entered after authorization of the <br /> <br />San Juan-Chama and Navajo projects were assigned a priority <br /> <br />later than those of the two projects, the amount of water that <br /> <br />would be available for industrial use with reasonable shortages <br /> <br />would be much reduced. By 1958 the Navajo Tribe had clearly <br /> <br /> <br />recognized the need for large scale industrial development to <br /> <br />raise the standard of living of the Navajo Indians to an equal <br /> <br />plane with that of the majority of other Americans. <br /> <br />It is <br /> <br />interesting that in making the case for pro rata sharing of <br /> <br />shortages the Chairman of the Navajo Tribe in 1958 made specific <br /> <br />reference to the development of a coal gasification complex on <br /> <br />the Navajo Reservation by the El Paso l~atural Gas COffipany. <br /> <br />While the representatives of the ~avajo Tribe showed <br />-21- <br />