WSP05309

• File Number: 8042.A
• Description: Section D General Studies - Other States - Arizona
• State: AZ
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 7/1/1967
• Author: Arizona Interstate S
• Title: 21 st Annual Report of the Arizona Interstate Stream Commission
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

002551

'Parochial,' Says MWD

By way of making southern California's opposition official,
the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District for-
mally dissapproved the bill as passed out by the Senate Interior
Committee as "essentially a parochial rather than regional
approach."

Colorado and the Upper Basin states didn't like the CAP
bill as it now stood, either. Rep. Wayne N. Aspinall (D-Colo.),
chairman of the House Interior Committee, said the action of
the Senate committee was "the death knell for any Colorado
River legislation this year." U. S. Sen. Gordon Allott (R-Colo.)
thought the lack of Hualapai Dam and a water import fore-
closed any future development in the entire Colorado River
Basin.

Amidst all this antagonism there came a refreshing and
unexpected note of friendliness in the editorial columns of the
Washington Post amounting to an endorsement of CAP. "Even
with all the water it has a right to claim from the Colorado
River, Arizona will still face critical shortages," said the Post.
"In these circumstances there should be no controversy over
the granting of federal aid for what is essentially a rescue
operation. . . .We think Congress would be well advised to end
the long controversy over water for parched Arizona by accepting
the Senate committee bill with possibly additional refinements."

Would the bill now pass the Senate? If so, could it get
through the House? In a talk before the Young Democrats of
Greater Tucson, Evo DeConcini, Vice Chairman of the Arizona
Interstate Stream Commission, answered the two questions re-
spectively: probably so and quite possibly not. "We're in better
shape this year than we have ever been in the past," said Mr.
DeConcini. "First, it is only July and the bill is nearly ready
for Senate action. . . . I predict it will pass within a month."
He also noted that it was not an election year. Congressmen
weren't in a hurry to get home. Finally, if CAP didn't pass that
year, it could be brought back the following year without having
to go through lengthy committee hearings again.

Northwest Stands Firm

The big hurdle was in the House. And powerful opposition
still was forthcoming from California and the Northwest. The
rigidity of Northwestern opinion was demonstrated during a
hearing by the Senate Interior Committee on the appointment
of David S. Black as Undersecretary of the Interior. The sub-
ject of surplus water came up during a discussion about surplus
power, and Sen. Mark O. Hatfield (R-Ore.) made the point
that any apparent excess of water in the Northwest was a
"surface illusion." "There is no data, statistics or evidence to
define a water surplus," he said. "Unless we move on the basis
of water statesmanship rather than political muscle, we're not
going to solve the (water) question." Senator Hatfield added

-6-

~2"<:.::

.....'-. .:..-:r
,'. ~-. .t.; -....;"..; "'.
. A -': - :..:~-~:.;"_~:.:I"
-.'

.,.,-.
. '.

'. ".; ,: '. '~'-

. <:;....:. . "
.. -'.

. . ,'".:':: '-..-' ,.......,.
,",.; .;.;'. ':. ".- ."

i~;;jt~~~~~

'.

.-,-' .

-"," .-..'." '"

., . ..
......-.. ..........:::...:...-'.'.;;:,..:...:.::.
. -.': "-';":,: .... ,:;;~'. ~:' ..:; -.' ;". ::.

',- .'...... '.' ..'
. ; . ,'. ';:.' ~.'. . '" .~. - '."
.:,.'."::.',
,". '.
.;. ':'. ,...,,:: - ;. :..~ ". ::"-~'-:" . "':".: .:

';;h.'\';;:;~18~'

'/.; .:.::.:\.':..f::',l;:,:;.:))....:.
~:.:::::':::~: :,~,,:,,~".< .-': ".=.:-' ..,:~..
'.'. .

~'.' ... .;.;.
, :"':':"~

..- .
....- .

:;'.:. ..:'. ...... :.' "';;.~ ~:.~ . .... - - '.:- . :':-
: - ':;:, ,,';".~ .:. ,-..:..' ,-.' '. '.. :.' :.. ':; .:....'
'.':'

...~..

.: '.. .:~ '-'

,.:'

'. ."'....

..... .
~~ :';. '.",
'. ,',: ,;.: ..:'.:.~~'.' .... '.

..... -.:.

. ' ....