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CO '.0 '';'''; ...-.I 3. There must be incorporated into the project plans a control system of observation wells which must be designed to provide positive identification of any fluctuations in the water table of the area surrounding the project attributable to the operation of the project or any part thereof. 4. The project facilities must be operated in a manner that will not cause the water table available for any irrigation or domestic wells in existence prior to the construction of the project to drop more than two feet, and in a manner that will not cause reduction of artesian flows in existence prior to the construction of the project. 5. construction of the project may not be started until the state of Colorado agrees that it will convey to the United states ease- ments and rights-of-way over lands owned by the state that are needed for project purposes and wildlife refuge areas. Acquisition of pri- vately owned lands, where possible and consistent with the development of the project, shall be restricted to easements and rights-of-way in order to minimize the removal of land frOm local tax rolls. ,'-, -..'" c;:, 6. The authorizing act establishes an operating committee consisting of one member appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, one member appointed by the Colorado Water Conservation Board and one member appointed by the Rio Grande Water Conservation District. This committee is authorized to determine from time to time whether the requirements of the act are being complied with. In the event that the committee finds that there is any violation of the safeguards contained in the act, the Secretary of the Interior must modify the operation to the extent necessary to eliminate any adverse effect. In addition to the many safeguards contained in the authorizing legislation, the board staff proposes that the Colorado Water Conser- vation Board appoint an advisory committee to monitor and make recom- mendations concerning the project construction and subsequent operation. As a minimum, the advisory committee should consist of representatives from the Rio Grande Water conservation District, the conejos Water Conservancy District, the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District, the Rio Grande Water Users Associ~tion, the San Luis Valley Irrigation Well Owners, Inc., and the Colorado Water Conservation Board. Conclusions and Recommendations At the ~resent time, an excess of 600,000 acre-feet of water is being lost in the Closed Basin. Much of this water is being diverted from the Rio Grande. This is a staggering waste of water which should not be tolerated in a state which is constantly struggling to match its available water supplies with an ever increasing demand. The Closed Basin project is an example of reclamation in its truest sense. As the result of demands on the Rio Grande River under the Mexican Treaty and the Rio Grande Compact, and more specifically as -4-