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OOJ188 -7- none of that water being what we term "original water." or that year's flow from the mountains. "', The reason for that is very simples There are over a million acres nON irrigated on that drainagel that has been under irrigation. some of it. over 60 years; a large part of it over 40 years; and gradually the great land sponge has been filled, so that now there is a steady return of the stream; and so great and so constant and reliable is tmt return that upwards of 300.000 acres of land have been reclaimed, or nearly reclaimed - in too main reclaimed - during the past 10 years as the result of works built diverting water from part of the stream which was originally dry sand. ., MR. BOLES, In what State is that? MR. CJ.RPENTER. Colorado, between t he town of La. Salle and the town of Ju1esberg an the South Platte River. I have digressed to mention that, in order to bring out this phase of the matter; That the upper Ststes knew those conditions full well. or their executives and t hose in charge of their State governments do; and they realize that when the water is used at the sources not only is the use beneficial and the crop production great. and not only is arid and almost worthless land converted into highly produotive land. support- ing families and helping to support the Government by taxatimn but in addition there is a constant storage of water taking place in the voids of the earth that costs nothing to the lower river. And it is an incidental storage. And the water so used. in large part, according to the soil conditions. will return for reuse. and going out to the lr,nd will again, in part. return for further reuse, etc. down to the mouth of the stream, So much for this brief sketch of the physical facts. ~' To return again to the conference of too governors, in August, 1920, the governors of those seven States, and other accredited representatives, met at the city of Denver, and to that conference came Arthur P. Davis, Director of the United States Reolemation Servioe, and otrers connected with thPt bureau. The de1iverations of that body extended over some three days, the body being knCJWn as the League of the South'lest, and being presided over by Governor Thamas E. Campbell 0 f Arizona. # At that meeting the Director of the United Ste.tes Reclamation Ser- vice, the matter having been pretty thoroughly discussed, made the state- ment that t rere wa s ample water wit hin t re drainage area of the Colo- rado River to permit development in that quarter, or on any part of that stream, without any interf'erence with future development in any other part of the drainage area, and resolutions were then adopted, unanimously, oalling upon tre seven States of the drainage area to legislate for the purpose of permitting negotiations, and finally of drafting and signing