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~p. - ,,- ~} n (},hJ j I C. . . CALIFORNIA: An appropriatioh Dt ,$677 ,056 in the next fillcal year for further studies and explorations of the Feather River Project was proposed in the 195h-55 state budget submitted to the ways and means committee of the California Assembly. The new appropriation would follow a $750,000 appropriation last year and $800,000 granted in 1952 for studies Df the cDntemplated billiDn-dDllar water, flDod cDntrol and hydrD-e1ectric works project which, amDng other things, would mDve northern CalifDrnia water almost to the Maxican bDrder. The studies will be sufficiently completed by June 30, 1955, to "determine the economic feasibility Df the prDject," it was pre- dicted by the State Department Df Finance. GovernDr Knight proposed in an address early this year that Cali- ,fDrnia state general Dbligation bonds might be the quiCkest way to finance portions of the project. The financing prDpDsal was the first frDm a high state official in connectiDn with the project, the largest system ever conceived for the state. Noting that general obligation bDnds must be approved by the state's voters and authoriza.tiDn "might be difficult to get," Knight, however, pointed out that lower interest rates can be Dbtained on this type of bDnds than Dn revenue bonds. He emphasiZed that inter- est rates Dn the huge project assume great impDrtance "because the more interest we have to pay, the more we will have tD charge for the water and power furnished by the project." Authorized by the 1951 CalifDrnia legislature, the project calls for a 710-fDDt dam near OrDville to store 3,500,000 acre feet of water and a canal system to take several million acre feet Df water tD Southern CalifDrnia. Engineers have estimated that it wDuld re- quire 368 miles of concrete lined canal, 65 miles Df cDncrete cDvered cDnduit and 111 miles Df tunnels to deliver the water as far south as San DiegD County. The gDvernor said that "when our final studies are cDmpleted, I be- lieve we will be in a pDsition to plan ultimate repayment of all. reimbursable costs Df cDnstructiDn, maintenance and DperatiDn en- tirely from the project's water and power revenues. "Because Df the tremerxlous CDSt Df the total prDject, we may find it necessary to construct the majDr revenue producing portions first, building the rest as revenues accumulate." Knight said he wDuld discuss with state legislators a plan tD use state f1.U1ds for purChasing sites, rights of way and relocating utilities, preliminary to the start Df construction. He decla~ed that the project would nDt infringe upon any established IDcal water rights or uses, adding that the state water plan requires local needs tD be satisfied before any water may be expDrted to deficient areas.