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Show The Chairman called attention to a proposed Department of Natural Resources for Utah proposed by the Utah Board of Forestry, which provided for one organization for all natural resources, including water. The members concluded that such proposed legislation was far too broad and needed to be reviewed by all of the departments of government affected, and further considered by the Committee. The reports of the two Committees were discussed. Views of the members were considered. It was decided to continue the meeting, for further discussion, at a luncheon meeting, June 26, 1956, at 12: 00 o'clock noon, at the Ambassador Athletic Club. Minutes of the Meeting Held June 26, 1956 Minutes of the meeting of the Water Administration Committee, a subcommittee of the Legislative Council, called for Tuesday, June 26, 1956 in the Ambassador Athletic Club at 12 o'clock noon, pursuant to notice given to the members June 15, 1956. Present were Reuel Christensen, Ephraim, Utah; Tom Jensen, Salt Lake City, Utah; Carl Frischknecht, U. S. A. C, Logan, Utah; and Gerald Irvine, Salt Lake City, Utah. Minutes of the meetings of May 29 and January 21, 1956 were read and approved. The Committee discussed at length the reports of the two subcommittees and the proposal for a Department of Natural Resources made by the Utah Board of Forestry. On motion duly made and seconded, and unanimously adopted, it was ordered that a tentative report should be adopted as follows: 1. That a new Utah State Archives Department should be created, into which all of the files, other than current files, of the State Engineer and the Utah Water and Power Board should be kept for public inspection and use. 2. That the studies of the Water Administration Committee do not justify consolidating the office of the State Engineer of Utah with the Utah Water and Power Board for the reason that the State Engineer and Utah Water and Power Board perform entirely different functions, viz: The State Engineer has general administration and supervision of the waters of Utah, including the measurement, appropriation, apportionment and distribution thereof with power to make and publish rules and regulations to secure the equitable and fair apportionment and distribution of water according to the respective rights of appropriators and has authority to bring suit to enjoin unlawful appropriation, diversion and use of both surface and underground water and to prevent waste or loss thereof. The appropriation, regulation and use of water is made by the State Engineer in accordance with Utah Statutes in Chapters 3, 4 and 5, Title 73, Utah Code Annotated 1953. The Utah Water and Power Board has the power to make plans for the development and utilization of the water resources and to contract for and finance the construction of conservation projects. To accomplish these objectives, it has the power to make applications to the State Engineer for the appropriation and use of water in the name of the Utah Water and Power Board in the same manner and with the same effect as any inhabitant of Utah and has the power to take all action necessary to acquire or perfect water rights for projects sponsored or financed by the Board. These powers are exercised in accordance with Section 73- 10- 4, Utah Code Annotated 1953. - 39- |