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Show 94 WAR FOR THE COLORADO RIVER The importance of the controversy, Ely declared, could not be overestimated. Over two million acre-feet of water were involved. California had at stake enor- mous investments serving millions of people. Arizona had at stake only her hopes in the construction of the Central Arizona Project.75 Ely told the committee how responsible government officers had advocated an early settlement of the old controversy. On July 17, 1947, the Commissioner of Reclamation had said: 75 ". . . further development . . .is seriously handicapped, if not barred, by lack of de- termination of the rights of the individual states. . ." On July 23, 1947, the director of the Bureau of the Budget had written the Secretary of the Interior: 76 ". . . the authorization of any of the projects in- ventoried in your report [on the Colorado River] should not be considered to be in accord with the program of the President until a determination is made of the rights of the individual states . . ." On July 24, 1947, the Secretary of the Interior had written the Speaker of the House: 76 " . . . exist- ing circumstances tend to preclude the formation of a comprehensive plan of development of the water re- sources of che Colorado River Basin at this time." On July 14, 1947, the House Committee on Public Lands had reported: 76 "The Committee feels the dis- pute between these two states . . . should be determined and settled by agreements between the two states or by court decision because . . . the dispute jeopardizes and will delay the prompt development of any further projects . . ." On January 26, 1947, the Commissioner of Recla- |
