WSPC04528 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

.' 002687 . . o .~ R rt6B328 ,-, Russell Springs D:l.strict Water Users A.ssociation SlIgUache, Colorado February 12, 1963 Hon. J. Edgar Chenoweth House of Repreeent-at!'!"es Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. Chenoweth: We the undersiglllld, President and Secretary resp8ctivel,y of the Russell Springs District Water Users A.ssociation, repre8ent.ing twenty-six (26) vater \1!Iers located in the Closed Basin Area of the San Luis Valle,' take this _Uts to call your attention to the following pertinent facts in regard to the plana of the Colorado state Water Conservation Board and the U. S. &.reau of Reel_tion in regard to opening the Closed Basin by meana of lllat they refer to as a SW1lp drain am thereby' making us a tributary to the Rio Grame. 1. The Compact between the three statee (Colomdo, New MeXico and Texae) very plainly declares that the Closed Basin or the San Luis Valley is an area unto itself with no drain into the Rio Grande and thereror is not subject to the Compact. - Thereror we feel that no one outside the Closed Basin has a legal cla1.a on lIhat little water we have in the Basin. 2. Should the Buin be opened and made a tributary to the Rio Grande &lI is now contemplated by the Colorado Water Conservat:l.on Board am the U. S. Bureau or Reclalllation the states of Hew MeXico and Texas could then step in 1llIder the terms of the COIIIpact and force us to help pay on a vater debt that those of us living in the Closed Basin do not feel we owe arty part thereof. 3. Should the Bureau or Reclamation go ahead 1I1th its plana to pwnp out our underground vater supply and thereby reduce our water table upon which we iN dependent we 11111 .oon have a dust bowl in this area as bad as the dust bOlll of eqtern Colorado in the '30's. 4. Why ill our own state Water Conservat.ion Board sel!lll1ngly so 1I1lling to sell us (the residents ot the Closed Basin) "down the river" to appease the denlands or Texas and Nev Mex1c01 It seems to us here that the State Water Conservation Board instead of trying to help us protect our ri!ll1ts and conserve our water is deliberately trying to give our water to Hew Mexico and Texas. - How COlIl8? 5. The openiJIg of the so called ftSlllllp drain" was never in the past or 1& not now tavored by the landowners of the Closed Basin. IbOiit 5 or 6 1eara ago representatives of 19 water associations here in the San Luis Valley aweared before the state Water Conservation Board in Denvsr protesting the opening ot the Closed Basin. So tar our protests have gone unheeded.