WSP07068

• File Number: 8141
• Description: Fryingpan-Arkansas Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 5/15/1961
• Author: US House of Represen
• Title: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs House of Representatives on H R 2206 H R 2207 H R 2208 and H R 2209
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Legislation

~3G7

FRYlNGPAN-ARKANSAS PROJECT, COLORADO

25

STATEMENT OF Ho~. JOHN A. CARROLL, A UNITED SLUES SENATOR FROM
TH E STATE OF COLORADO
:\11'. Chairman, I regret tbat Sennte cnmlllittee busines.s prevents my u(lj)l"aring
before rou in perSUll today and te~tifyil1g in behalf of the Fryillgpull.Ark8Dsas
projPct.
I have read ll111ch of the testimony presented by the witnesses from the
Arkansas Valley of Colorado anti the witlle~ses of the Interior Department.
They 1m\'e dearly 11m] a<:ClImtel~' degcrilJed the need fill' the project.
As the witneS!:ies have pOinted out the project is Dot only in nn area with a
3() percent water cleric-iency, it is also in au area ll('\\" ~'ollomi<:alJy depressec!.
Iu addition to the long-range regional Ileeds of low-cost power find the need
fur water for cities., industry, null Ilon::;urplus crops, the prnjeet will provicle
cOllstruction employment over a 300-mile stretch from Leadville to the Kansas
burder.
This i!'l not an inC"onsequential factor in cleterminillg the urgency of this
projeet.
The Fryingpau-Arkansas prl()ject's Heed hus long been establi~hed and has been
firmly jllstifit'd this week by the witness.es you have alrendY heard.
They have told ~'OU bow -the eight cnunties alIected are principally livestock
prodncin,g' areas with a critic-al need for feed, which is now largely imported
from other areas BIllI other States,
They lli!\'e toIll yCllI how with sUPIllementaI water farmers will be able to
concent.rate Oil fruit find vegetable crops llud lliscontinue certain cereal crops
DO;"" in surpllls,
In other wortl~, t.he ghost of the snrplus-crop argument is laid to rest.
Tllis i:; water for people, wllter to generate €'lectrkit~1 f.JI' homes BntI factorie~.
It is water to <lccuffilllollate the 3H percent gruwth in population in the project
nrea iu the Ill::;t 10 \-ears.
Growth needs \vD'ter; growth needs power: growth needs jobs.
The Fryingpnn.Arkans.ns project i.<; a joh producer. It means construction
jobs now; it meaus industry jcbs later.
In a regiou burdened with chronic lInemplo:rmcnt the project will pOllr in
$170 million of COllstructil)Jl work. This meaDS thnus.unds of jobs for Re\'cral
yenrs. This is not a mutter to be ignorC'd in determining whethcr or not. this
Ilrujeet ~hould be stnrtell this year. In fuct, it is powl:'rful Ill'gllJllent for im-
mediate initiatioll of the prt,ject. All nlnng the ArkullSlls Yalley lllell are out
of work. In the city of Pueblo lUf-it month, the unemployment l'nte was 8 Iler-
cent; in Lrmtl'\'ille, unemployment WlIS 11.4 fler~ellt; in Canon City, unemploy-
meut was 7.3 pcrcent; in Rocky Ford, UlH:'mlll(lyment \\'118 12_3 perceut.
On the ground that the proj~ct is clC'rrrly feasible hy n r:l tio of ViU to 1 llnd
i.<; supported b;y the President of the United States flntl the State of Colorado,
I call for prompt authorization of the }4~ryingpan project lllld initiation of work
as quickly as possible as a meaSllre to help alleviate the depressed eeonomic
conditions of the region.
I want to assure the chslrman of the House Interior Committet', Congressman
A8.pinnll, tllat :IS quickly as this hill clears the House it will denr the Sennte.
There wtlS speeulntillll bllt:k iu Fehrllal';Y in :;(lme ill-informed quarters that
the Senllt€' Illig-ht WIt net swiftly fill this. hill. This !'pf'cllllltion is groundless.
The Senate hilS passed this bilI by UDBnlmous yote in the years 1954, Ifl:l6,
ami Hl57. I h:\'\'e no reason to believe tbere will be one dissenting Yote this
year. The Senate will pllSg this bill }lrompt.ly following lIolls€' acti(;n.
This. proje(.t i.-; nuw in a criti(:ul phllse. It is entirely IlOssible thnt it is
'Ii, making its last illlpearllnee bt'ffJl'e the C(lngres:-;. It hu:,; a llJug hbtnry aud
f" callnnt fnrenT snT\'i\-e the huffeting it has rccein'd frl)l]! political winLls.
.-Tbi~, thNefore, is R time for nonpartisan action. It is [l time for sheathing
the pnlitic::!l sword Hnd in a bi(larti~an !"llirit nutllnrizing' a prcljed that mny.
be('al1se of IHllitical ill-fortune, bt' wf'ftring Ollt it:": welcome.
The chairman of the House Intel"ior Cl-,mmittee, :\11'. A~pinll11, llft~ iJI'\l\'illed
hrilliant and inspired guidance fflr this project :lgainst a!lll()st insnperable
otlfls_ Hl' hn~ l~t;n patient. tlnd at the .-;aI1Jp. time exacting in his clf'nwfHls thut
eyer).' t.(>('hni(,ll~nture of the projec't. tlt! llerfected ill order to Ille-~,t the objections
of its. O!)!lO!lent'p':'. : .
No trIbute to Congressman Aspinall cun do proper justice to the skill with
which he hns kellt this project in the conscIousness of the Congress,