OCR Text |
Show in the Lower Colorado River Basin to the end that diversions from the mainstream of the Colorado River below Lee Ferry shall be limited when necessary so as not to prejudice, impair, or preclude the future federal authorization or other development of projects which will be required for the annual consumptive use of water in the Upper Division states of 7,500,000 acre-feet, or such part thereof as may be physically available, after delivery of 75 maf at Lee Ferry in any period of ten consecutive years. This draft of H. R. 4671 dated September 20, 1965 does provide for: (a) authorization of investigations and plans for a water importation project; (b) authorization of the Animas-LaPlata, Dolores, and Dallas Creek projects and authorization of the San Miguel, West Divide, Yellow Jacket, Battlement Mesa, Bluestone, Grand Mesa, Basalt, Juniper, Middle Park, Upper Gunnison and Sub-lette projects subject to certification by the Secretary of their economic justification and financial feasibility; (c) promulgation by the Secretary of equitable criteria for operation of reservoirs on the Colorado River system, after consultation with representatives of the seven Basin states and parties to contracts with the United States; (d) a non-implemented statement that "Rights of the upper basin to consumptive use of water of the Colorado River System pursuant to the Colorado River Compact shall not be prejudiced by any temporary use thereof in the lower basin;" (e) reimbursement to the Upper Basin Fund for all expenditures made from that fund for meeting deficiencies in generation at Hoover Dam during the filling period of Colorado River Storage Project reservoirs by using the Colorado River Development Fund as far as it will go, and then using the Lower Colorado Development Fund after it is established to make up any balance remaining unpaid after 1987; (f) representation on the Colorado-Pacific Regional Water Commission from all seven basin states. (g) the study and planning for the ultimate importation of as much as 8,500,000 acre-feet of water annually from sources outside the Colorado River Basin. At the date of this report the September 20, 1965 draft-version 53 |