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<br />lroP'41li. '
<br />DEe 24 1969
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<br />'Sparks Tries, But Compact Group' ~~~~
<br />W on'lI: Even Talk of Permanent Pool 1;;;/2j6?
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<br />Some 30 interested water
<br />users were on hand at the
<br />Stagecoach Motor Hotel in
<br />Lamar for the <Innual meeti.ng
<br />of the Colorado-Kansas
<br />Arkansas River Compact
<br />Administration Dec. 9 and
<br />watched in silence as the
<br />board declined to commit
<br />itself on any permanent pool
<br />actiofl at the lohn Martin
<br />Dam.
<br />Felix Sparks, chief of the
<br />Colorado Water Conservation
<br />BOilrd of Denver. made a
<br />motion that a resolution
<br />dealing with permanent pool
<br />consideration be adopted but
<br />his move died for the lack of a
<br />:--second. .
<br />Colorado members of the
<br />board, other than' Sparks,
<br />.~ -include Erne:'.t Hofmeister of
<br />.- L.:lmar and George Reyher of
<br />. McClave. Kan~as members
<br />include Carl E. Bentrap,
<br />Logan N. Green and Robert
<br />V. Smrha, chairman of the
<br />Kansas Water Conservation
<br />Commission.
<br />The proposed resolution
<br />dealing with a permanent pool
<br />of 10,000 acre feet behind t'he
<br />John Martin Darn read:
<br />"Be it rcsol...ed that it is t'he
<br />intent of this Compact
<br />Administration to assure the
<br />Colorado Game, Fish and
<br />Parks Division of the right to
<br />establis'h said permanent pool
<br />subje~t to the acceptance of
<br />operating criteria.
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<br />"Be it further resolved thQt
<br />upon. proof present~d to t'his
<br />Compact Administration by
<br />the Colorado Game, Fish and
<br />Parks Division of ownership
<br />or control of sufficient good
<br />and valid water rights to
<br />establish the permanent pool
<br />and maintain evaporation
<br />losses, it is the intention of
<br />HUs administration, with the
<br />concurrence of the Chief of
<br />Engineers of the Army Corps
<br />of Engineers, Colorado State
<br />Engineer and Colorado Water
<br />. Conservation Board, to review
<br />and establish such speciflc'
<br />. operating criteria as may then ~
<br />be warr:mted ilnd needed."
<br />Sparks explained that all he -
<br />was asking was that he be
<br />given llssurance that the
<br />compact board would agre.e to .
<br />tliscuss the permanent pool
<br />is~ue providing a cflleria for
<br />establishing the pool was
<br />presented by the state Game,
<br />Fish and Parks Department.
<br />He explained this would
<br />include ownership of water
<br />rights and a means of
<br />replacing evaporation and
<br />seepage losses. .
<br />Srnrha, who as in the past,
<br />did most of the taling {or th~ .
<br />Kansans on the board, said:
<br />"As far as I'm concerned, I
<br />see no reason for the Compact
<br />to make any committments
<br />before the Colorado Game,
<br />Fish and Parks Departn1ent
<br />submits a proposal for
<br />acceptance."
<br />Sparks then said that all the
<br />resolution asked was that the
<br />compact commission agree to
<br />review the proposal when
<br />presented.
<br />"The department would
<br />. like to have your assurance
<br />that their plan will be
<br />considered before exper.ding a
<br />lot of money needlessly."
<br />Smrha-lhen said, "I'm sure
<br />there's an obligation on the
<br />part. of the Commission to
<br />consider it but I think we
<br />need the whole picture first."
<br />Hofmeister then wanted to
<br />known why they couldn't
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<br />present a plan after having
<br />a~uired the water rights.
<br />Sparks then concluded by
<br />saying, "1 think they can
<br />come up wjth a theoretical
<br />phn whid. could 'be followed
<br />after acquisition of the water
<br />rights.
<br />He then made his motion
<br />thlll the resolution be adopted
<br />but received no second. .
<br />The Lamar Tn-State Daily
<br />News won a bid to print the
<br />
<br />annual report. The bid was for
<br />$452.50. In other action, the
<br />board, re-elected all officers
<br />and voted that a study be
<br />made of the Rules- and
<br />Regulations regarding
<br />possibility of revising them.
<br />The Legal Committee was
<br />designated to make the study.
<br />The meeting was presided'
<br />'over by Wilbur L Heckler
<br />representing. the federal
<br />government. .~. ._..... .
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<br />cPer'manent Pool Jc,,'(~:
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<br />Outlook is Bleak ,,,,/,BI"
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<br />Felix Sparks made the effort, but he couldn't even
<br />get a second to a r~solution which he proposed to put
<br />the Arkansas River Compact Administration or
<br />record as being willing to at least listen to a
<br />permanent pool proposal from the Colorado Game
<br />Fish and Parks Department. '
<br />Thi~ is one of. those situations where the question
<br />of which comes fIrst, the chicken or the egg' has to be
<br />answered before we have either of them. I
<br />The GF&P Commission is in no position to go out
<br />~d acquire .water rights for a permanent pool
<br />wlthout knowmg how much water will be required to
<br />offset evaporation and seepage losses of a permanent..
<br />pooL
<br />Sen. Gordon AUott foresaw this impasse and tried
<br />to. get. Congress to develop the operating principles, or
<br />cnterJa, for a p~rmanent pool, but he got no support
<br />at. ho.me for thl.S aI?proach, and as a result operating . ~
<br />pnnclples, or cnterla have never even been discussed
<br />And you will never have a permanent pool untii . .
<br />they are agreed on. ~
<br />The, sad part is that when the Compact !
<br />Admmls'b;abon .wil.1 take no part m developing criteria ~
<br />or op~ratrng pnnClples .there really isn't anybody else'
<br />to do lt, .
<br />The GF&P boys can't, since their problem will be' "
<br />to supply, the w.ater the operating principles call for,
<br />and they d be In the soup if they tried to develop
<br />cntena for theIr own guidance.
<br />We sure missed the boat when the whole Valley"
<br />didn't get back of Sen, Allott's efforts to get the -I
<br />pperating principles written at the Washington level. ,
<br />,-It looks now like no one else will do it, ,- ' - ,,- ~
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