OCR Text |
Show VIII. Colorado River Storage Project and Participating Projects A. APPROPRIATIONS OF FUNDS BY THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS On January 18, 1960 the President in his Annual Budget Message to the Second Session of the 86th Congress recommended that Congress appropriate $71,600,000 to the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund for fiscal year 1961. The money was requested for construction and advance planning of the Colorado River Storage Project and participating projects. Two new construction starts were included in the Budget Request; Curecanti Storage Unit and Florida participating project, both in the State of Colorado. Because the strike at Glen Canyon had delayed progress of construction and resulted in a substantial carry-over from the preceding fiscal year, the President in March recommended that the previously requested amount for Glen Canyon be reduced by $8,500,000. On May 20, 1960 the House Appropriations Committee reported its bill to the United States House of Representatives. The bill included an amount of $61,400,000 for the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund. The Committee's recommendation reduced the budget amount for Glen Canyon by $3,500,000, for Seedskadee by $3,000,000 and increased the amount for the Transmission Division by $4,800,000. The wording of the House Committee on these recommendations is of interest: "REDUCTIONS IN BUDGET ESTIMATES "Glen Canyon Unit.-An appropriation of $23,535,000 is recommended, a reduction of $3,500,000 in the budget estimate of $27,035,000. This action deletes the funds programmed for protection of the Rainbow Bridge National Monument. It has been estimated that the total cost of protecting this Bridge would be in the vicinity of $20,000,000. Access to this national monument will not be affected by the construction of Glen Canyon dam and reservoir, in fact it will be improved to some extent. The geological examination report on the problem indicates clearly that there will be no structural damage to Rainbow Bridge by the reservoir waters beneath it. The Committee sees no purpose in undertaking an additional expenditure in the vicinity of $20,000,000 in order to build the complicated structures necessary to provide the protection contemplated. 36 |