Dixie Project legislation, 1963-1964

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The Salt Lake Tribune, Thursday, October 17, 1963 Dixie Project Bill Passes, Goes to Floor of Senate By Frank Hewlett Tribune Washington Bureau WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 - The long-sought 45-millk)n-dollar irrigation project for southern Utah was approved •Wednesday by the Senate In­terior Committee. THIS CLEARS the legisla­tion for Senate floor action and Sen. Frank E. Moss CD-Utah) expressed confidence the bill would be considered at an early date, possibly with­in the next few days. The action, at an executive session of the committee, was without a dissenting vote. This was a surprise since the meas­ure came out of the irrigation and reclamation subcommittee July 30, by a narrow 4-3 mar­gin. THERE WERE four amend­ments to the bill but a com­mittee spokesman said they were all of minor nature and that the measure still was "pretty much along the lines of the Moss bill." "There was considerable dis­cussion of a proposed amend­ment to strike language allow­ing some 3 million dollars to be taken from the project's cost from electric power rev-venues from lower basin proj­ects, and particularly Hoover wn after its payout in 1987," sen. Moss said. "HOWEVER, this amend­ment was not passed but a clarifying amendment was which indicated the desire of the committee that such an amount should come from any lower basin fund which may be established." "I have also discussed the Dixie bill with the Senate ma­jority leadership," Sen. Moss added, "and I have been as­sured it will be brought to the floor for a vote within the next few days. SEN. WALLACE F. Bennett (R-Utah) issued a statement saying he was "delighted" to hear the Dixie project had c l e a r e d another legislative hurdle. "I was also.happy to learn the committee approved my Cedar City amendment which is designed to protect fully the interests of the citizens of that area by reserving 8,000 acre-feet of water annually for them for culinary purposes." THE DIXIE bill, despite its administration support* still appears to have a tough fight ahead, particularly in the House where only field hear­ings have been held by the Irrigation and Reclamation Subcommittee.