OCR Text |
Show The Situation An apparent gap exists between the water facili- ties program of the Department of Agriculture and the limit below which the Bureau of Reclamation finds it difficult to operate. The construction costs and size of projects in this gap range from a minimum of possibly $50,000 and serving at least two or more farm units under separate ownership to a maximum of about 1 million dollars and an area of not more than 5,000 acres. Examples are the Uinta Basin, Duquesne, Price, and Escalante Projects, all located within the basin. A question arises as to Federal responsibility in these smaller enterprises and the extent to which local interests or States should participate. It has been suggested that small projects be planned, constructed, and operated at the lowest possible governmental level through the creation of State organizations or corporations to handle such projects and that the program be financed on a fully reimbursable basis, except for such Federal benefits as are, or may be, extended to Federal projects. Organizations in some States, like the Utah Water and Power Board, are undertaking projects of this type. In general, however, there is a substantial need for Federal participation in properly designing and financing the small project program. Conclusions The Federal Government has a definite respon- sibility for encouraging small irrigation projects in the Colorado Basin. If the program is to succeed, responsibility in sponsorship and financing should be shared by local and State interests, as suggested in the general recommendations of this Commission. 6. Water for Indian Lands The Problem The integration of Indian irrigation and power developments with the comprehensive river basin development program. The Situation Within the Colorado River Basin are 29 Indian reservations, all interested in irrigation and con- taining alnxost 27 million acres. The Indian popu- lation of th.e area aggregates about 100,000. The largest single group is the Navajo Tribe in Arizona and New Mexico, which totals more than 60,000. The Indian population is increasing at a rate of 1J/2 to 2 percent annually. These Indians and their resources in land and water are the special concern of the Federal Govern- ment. The Federal responsibility is set out in vari- ous treaties, statutes, and agreements under which definite rights are vested in individuals and tribes. The Indian rights and the Federal Government's responsibility were recognized by the Colorado River Compact Commission: "Nothing in this com- pact shall be construed as affecting the obligations of the United States of America to Indian tribes." M One of the Government's objectives in the de- velopment of the basin must be not only the pro- tection of the Indians' purely legal rights, but also the discharge of its moral obligations to the Indians as well. This demands consideration of basic eco- nomics in determining need and desirability or jus- tification of projects and consideration of compara- tive costs and efficiencies of alternate possibilities for meeting these responsibilities. Indian needs may and sometimes have justified developments higher in unit cost than normal for the region. The present area of Indian irrigation projects within the basin is about 262,000 acres and, based upon incomplete surveys, the ultimate potential area of these projects is about 610,000 acres, of which about 85,000 acres are in non-Indian owner- ship. The present average annual diversion of water amounts to a little over 1 million acre-feet and the ultimate average annual diversion requirement is estimated at over 3 million acre-feet. The areas and diversion requirements by States are shown in the following summary: 64 Colorado River Compact, art. VII. 436 Irrigable area Annual diversions State UM Present £^ Present Ultimate Acres Acres Acre-feet Acre-feet Arizona..........148, 070 291, 055 610, 470 1, 671,342 California........ 7, 975 22, 350 47, 718 134, 218 Colorado......... 8, 600 20, 350 43, 000 72, 750 Nevada.......... 325 600 1,950 3,600 New Mexico...... 19, 000 176, 900 95, 000 885, 000 Utah............ 78, 320 99, 085 236,170 298, 510 Total.......262, 290 610, 340 1, 034, 308 3, 065, 420 |