OCR Text |
Show budget recommendation brought the total request to Congress for funds for the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund to $67,475,000; although no monies were recommended for starting new projects. At hearings held in Washington, D. C. before the Appropriations Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives much evidence and strong arguments were presented by the Governors and Members of Congress of the four Upper Division States, Members of the Upper Colorado River Commission, and project sponsors in support of the amended budget request and for additional funds with which to start the construction of the Paonia Project and Vernal Unit of the Central Utah Project. On June 9, 1958 the House Appropriations Committee reported a bill recommending $66,173,585 for the Colorado River Storage Projects and participating projects, but with no funds for "new start" projects. The House of Representatives passed this bill after adding $1,000,000 to initiate building of the Paonia Project. The appropriations bill reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations on June 2, 1958 contained $68,033,335 for the Colorado River Storage Project and participating projects and included $1,000,000 for the Vernal Unit of the Central Utah Project as well as the $1,000,000 for the Paonia Project previously added by the House of Representatives. Due to the differences between the appropriations bill passed by the House and Senate the bills were sent to a Conference Committee for reconciliation. After many sessions the Conference Committee finally agreed to a bill that was subsequently approved by both Houses of Congress on August 20, 1958, only a few days before the adjournment of the 85th Congress. The final amounts appropriated for fiscal 1959 were the same as those in the Senate-passed bill, and were as follows: Glen Canyon Storage Unit ............................................$47,960,000 Flaming Gorge Storage Unit ........................................ 10,098,335 Navajo Storage Unit........................................................ 7,000,000 Paonia participating project .......................................... 1,000,000 Vernal Unit of Central Utah Participating Project.... 1,000,000 Transmission Lines .......................................................... 205,000 Advanced Planning........................................................ 770,000 Total Appropriations to Upper Colorado River Basin Fund....................................$68,033,335 Due to the fact that appropriations of funds by the U. S. Congress have adequately kept pace with the progress of the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation and its contractors on projects on which work is underway, and there have been no major unforeseen emergencies, construction of 26 |