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~ 019~ . , -2- substantially all the water supply that will be available to California from the river on a permanent basis. These agencies, and the Board and the Depart- ment, endorse the objectives and the program of the federal agencies and urge implementation of the program including the salvage of water incidental thereto. At the same time, they recognize the desirability of a fair balance among the various water needs along the river as nearly as balance can be achieved within the available water supply, including the needs of fish, wildlife and recreation. They credit the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife with considerable achievement and perspective in this regard. "No such recognition or credit is given in the official conclusions and recommendations of the state. They give the impression, contrary to reality, that the use of water for fish, wildlife and recreation is superior legally and morally to its use for irrigation, municipal and industrial purposes, and that the preservation and enhancement of fish and wildlife resources takes precedence over the need for efficient control and management of the river and its sediment load. Surely this position does not truly reflect the philosophy of the state as a whole, and certainly it is contrary to the position of the Colorado River Board, the Department of Water Resources, and the Water Con- tractors. II Copies of the letter were sent to Arleigh West, Regional Director for the Bureau of Reclamation at Boulder City, Nev., and to william Warne, Director of the State Dept. of Water Resources, as well as to executives of the public agencies holding contracts with the U.S. to take water from the Colorado River for beneficial use by 10,000,000 Southern Californians in their homes, factories and farms. -hbr-