OCR Text |
Show WHEREAS, the Colorado River Storage Project Act in 1956 reaffirmed the use of power revenues for repayment assistance of the Eden participating project over and above the water users repayment required in the Eden Project Reauthorization Act; and WHEREAS, acute water shortages during the settlement of the new lands, over estimation of the reliable water supply during and since development, inadequate capacities and excessive seepage of water from canals, laterals, ditches, and irrigation structures insufficient in number and size have contributed to a serious reduction in project irrigable acreage and extremely low irrigation efficiencies; and WHEREAS, due to the limitations of the project facilities its settlers have found it impossible to cope with all of the problems associated with changing economic conditions and are now in dire financial distress; and WHEREAS, careful studies by the Wyoming Natural Resource Board, University of Wyoming, Farm Home Administration, Department of Agriculture, and the Department of the Interior have revealed that the economic problems of the Eden Project can be resolved by developing an adequate water supply for presently irrigated lands and additional lands to bring the acreage to its authorized area of 20,200 acres through completion and improvement of project facilities that will improve delivery and application efficiencies and by the importation of water from outside sources; and WHEREAS, it is the official expressed policy and desire of the State of Wyoming to utilize a portion of Wyoming's share of the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund in order to have the Eden participating project of the Colorado River Storage Project completed with an adequate water supply by the appropriate agencies of the Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, and Farm Home Administration in cooperation with the State in order to preserve and enhance the economy of the project area, the State of Wyoming, the Upper Colorado* River Basin, and the national interest: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Upper Colorado River Commission in recognition of the emergency nature of the problem endorses and supports the efforts of the State of Wyoming to have the Eden participating project completed and established upon a sound economic and financial basis through the use of net power revenues of Wyoming's share of the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund, and in implementing the purpose of the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact "to secure the expeditious agri- 43 |