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<br />~ <br />~ <br />~ <br />~ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />(bl <br /> <br />The salinity of the return water which may come in the <br />Colorado River depends on the use that Arizona makes of <br />the waters of the Colorado River that belong to it. If <br />it constructs an irrigation project with a value of about <br />$l,OOO,OOO,OOO to carry the water to the center of Ari- <br />zona, then a certain volume of return water with a high <br />percentage of salinity might reach the bed of the Gila <br />River, but even this volume could not reach the Colorado <br />River as it would be absorbed, as happens at present, by <br />the great dry bed of the Gila River, which for some years <br />has not brought a drop of water to the Colorado River. <br />If Arizona employs these waters to irrigate its southwest <br />corner, which would cost it at least the tenth part, <br />($70,000,000), then the return waters would be of good <br />quality. Whatever the project that is selected, it would <br />not be totally developed for many years, probably at the <br />end of the present century. The most pessimistic techni- <br />cal calculations show that even considering that Arizona <br />would employ its water in its central region and that the <br />return water with a high percentage of salinity would <br />reach the Colorado River without being lost in the bed <br />of the Gila River, those returns, mixed with the rest <br />of the assignment to our country of waters with very <br />small percentage of salinit~would give a mixture that <br />our country would probably accept in accordance with <br />what was said above relative to its undeniable right to <br />receive waters of good quality. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />3. It is objected that it is of no use to obtain water for <br />Mexicali Valley because the lands of that valley are in <br />the hands of foreigners. <br /> <br />Also in this case the reality is entirely opposite <br />to that asseverated by the opponent. <br /> <br />4. That in a year of drought the Treaty permits the volume <br />guaranteed to Mexico to be reduced and that the Treaty <br />only promises to reduce the American volumes in an equal <br />proportion, which would be very difficult to carry out in <br />practice. A reading of the final paragraph of transitory <br />article lO shows that the objection is completely unjust <br />since the case is entirely the contrary. The amount <br />guaranteed to Mexico can only be reduced in cases of ex- <br />treme drought and only if that extraordinary drought should <br />bring about the reduction of all consumptions in the united <br />states. <br /> <br />Information Bulletin #l8 <br /> <br />-l7- <br /> <br />January l2, 1962 <br /> <br />~ <br />~ <br />