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SUMMARY OF STATUS OF CLOSED BASIN INVESTIGATION SAN LUIS VALIEY PROJECT, COLORADO The attached General Map, Drawing 253-504-1759, pictorially portrays the Closed Basin of the San Luis Valley, Colorado, existing developments therein, and proposals which have been advanced far salvaging waters non-beneficially consumed in the Closed Basin. House Document 693, 76th Congress, 3rd SesSion, which was the basis of authorization of the San Luis Valley Project, recommended that expenditure of $500,000 for construction of a Closed Basin drain be authorized with construction to be contingent upon (1) a conclusive finding of justification for the drain on the basis of costs and the quality and q1,1antity of water to be secured, and (2) achieVement of adequate provision of maintenance of the drain. The Rio Grande Compact provides with respect to construction of a Closed Basin drain as follows: Article III If In event cmy works are constructed after 1937 for the purpose of delivering water into the Rio Grcmde from the Closed Basin, Colorado shaJ,l not be credited with the amo1U1t of such water delivered, unless the proportion, of sodium ions shall be less than forty-five percent of the total positive ions in that water when the total dissolved solids in such water exceeds three hundred fifty parts per million.1f Article XI "New Mexioo and Texas agree that upon the effective date of this Compact all controversies between said States relative to the quantity or quality of the water Of the Rio Grande are composed and settled; however, nothing herein shall be inter- preted to prevent reoourse by a signatory state to the Supreme Court of the United states for redress should the character or quality of the water, at the point of delivery, be ohanged hereafter, by one signatory State to the injury of another. Nothing herein shall be construed as an admission by any signa- tory state that the use of water for irrigation causes increases of salinity for which the user is responsible in law. If r ~";' ,. S~ 'J .... ..., :1 i 'lJJ The plan on which the authorization of construotion of the Closed Basin drain was recommended contemplated primarily salvaging of surface flows into the basin in the average amo1U1t of 60,000 acre-feet annually. Subsequent to authorization of the San Luis Valley Project, there has been a protracted drought period which has been reflected in decreased r1U1-off within the Closed Basin. Also, increased requirements for surface flows within the basin have resulted in essentially full diversion of all surface flows for irrigation. Consequently, though the average annual amount of 1