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<br />,DGGS <br />Appropriations Subcommittee Members <br />Washington, D.C. <br /> <br />~, <br /> <br />RE: Narrows Dam Unit of the Pick-Sloan <br />Missouri Basin Program <br /> <br />". .;.,. <br /> <br />Construction 6f"this unit was challenged in the United <br />States District Court for Colorado, Civil Action 76-A-608. <br />The suit was dismissed March 2, 1979 on the basis of a Stipu- <br />lation among the parties based on ~hanged conditions, par- <br />ticularly a decision of the Secretary of Interior not tc <br />seek funding for the project. The dismissal was without <br />prejudice. <br /> <br /> <br />On learning that funding is again being sought for <br />the project, Regional Landowners Group, Inc., (RLG) Plaintiff <br />in the said law suit, sent preliminary testimony to this <br />Subcommittee on April 2, 1981. <br /> <br />The Subcommittee's files will reveal an extensive <br />history of this project covering past years. RLG supple- <br />ments its brief ~resentation of April 2, 1981, and its <br />former evidence, in this communication. <br /> <br />Because of Colorado's desire to utilize all the water <br />of the South Platte River allocated to the State by Compact <br />and because there is great need for its efficient and com- <br />plete use, Senators Hart and Armstrong secured appropriation <br />of $200,000 to be used in a study of the water needs and <br />potential alternatives for meeting those needs. The study <br />does not include analysis of "the dam safety aspects of <br />the Narrows Dam as proposed by the U.S. Water and Power <br />Resources Service." (South Platte River Basin Assessment, <br />Plan of Study, March, 1981, page 9.) <br /> <br />The Study will, however, consider plans for water <br />development in the South Platte River Basin proposed by <br />various federal and state agencies to develop the best <br />alternatives, not excluding consideration of Narrows (if <br />it can be made to hold water). The Study is not scheduled <br />to be completed until September 30, 1981 after which the <br />Plan of Study states that "public input will be extremely <br />valuable * * *." It appears to RLG that the Congress should <br />not appropriate money for or further consider the Narrows <br />unit until it has the advantage of the completed study of <br />what is currently. needed in the So~th Platte River yalley. <br /> <br />~ -., ~~,..-- <br /> <br />...---- <br />