Analysis of Colorado share of Colorado River June 1950

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ANALYSIS OF

COLORADO' SH. ~E OF COLORLDO ~r:ER AND ITS CO TSU-lPTIVE USE, PRESENT ND ?OTENTIAL

NOTE

1 Theoretical Water for Upper Basin States 7,500,000 AF 2 Allotted to J.rizona

Col rado, Ne-r1 exico, 1Jte.h Wyomin 7,450,000 AF

3 Colorado Share of 51. 75!{: 3,855,375

A:F

4 Colo. Sh re of ·exicen Treaty Shortage 106,475 l:F 5 Colo. Sh~re Ho dover Reservoir Evapora

-tion 414..Loo~. 1.~ _ _ _ _ s_~~._475_J.F 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Total for Colorado Use 3,334,900

L

F

""'festern Colorado .?resent Use 1, 12 9, 000 A F Eastern oloraJo iTese t Use

Renaining for Colorado Use

544' ~~0 I.~ _ _ _ _ l _ _J)_73, 000 J.F 1,661,900 AF Potential Irrira t ion - ··re stern Colo.

Gunnison Hiver Shed 192,000 AF Colo.(above Gunnison River) Shed 150,000 AF San Juan-Dolores in olorado 294,305 AF

Yampa-· ihi te Shed 187,620 JS·

Little Snake Shed 72,635 .h.F

Remaining after ·.iestern Colo. Irrigation

Western Col o. Pete t ial ~llnici· al ConswJution Re inin for Industrial Use

& Ev

aporati on

Pulp

&

Paper all, Colorado River 3,000 i..F Oil Shale

&

Related Industry 300,000 iS Evaporation from Use Reservoirs 50,000 J.,.F

~96 _, 560 !.F

765,340 J,F _23,000 AF 742,340 !.F

To care for all errors in irrig~tion estire.tes, & coal synthetic fuel, J.to · c Energy Ldmin., and all other

future industry in ··:estern Coloredo 389,340 F _ _ _ _ 7_4_2,340 AF Balance remaining for Diversion

Colorado Share possible Salvage Inf1ou-Outf1ow asure on Historic Use Basis Diversion Plans ith no e.ter f.vailable: 1st Phase Gunnison-/rkansas

Blue-River-South Platte

Gunnison-.rlronsas Gravity Diversions Gunnison-Rio Gracde Diversion

Diversion Reservoir Evaporation

68,000 F 430,000 I•F 590,000 LF 20,000 LF 30,_000 .. ,_F Total 1,138,000 J.F -0-37,933 AF

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•

.LYc-OF COLOn DO 1 _S _S_!_L~_-. _CO~O!LuO_~_-_._I_V

IT'S

co:·

:.iPTIVE SE, PRES~1 T .. POTE Til. L

ate l.Colorndo River Compact 1922 ·rticle III (c).

rote 2. Upper Colorado River Basin Con act ·.rticle III(&) (1). Note 3. Upper Colorado Rive · Basin Co ">act , t icle I I (a; ( 2).

ate 4. 'verage 1914-1945 Virgin Flow Lee Fer

Inf1o ·: Lee Ferry to Hoover iam

Inflo-. Hoover • m to Gila atur&l cha_rnel loss oover

( -i~al ~e_ort ~dvis

-15, 638, 5 0 .. · F ( ory Co~...rrni ttee to er ( olo. er Basir o nis

-(sio .:o • 29,19 8 ?are 3.

1, 060 ,, 0 :.F ( 3ur. of Rec lam. 1946 Re -(port on Co a. River, (House ocu::ent 419, 80th (Co gress 1st Session, (Page 282.

150,000 .F (Same aut Hority, Page 283

Da.m to Gila -1,030,000 LF (Same aut.ori y, ?a.[e 283

Vir in Flav of Gila

R

i

er Total

Upper & Lover :&sin Balance available for

e ico

Compacted to ·exico

Shortage to be made up

equally b Lo-7er & pper Divisions

Upper Division Share

Colorado 51. 75~~ Share

1,270, .F (Sa.T;je au .ori , _ g-e 284

_ . . . : . __...::.._

__

1 , 88,5

(Col . ... iver Con'Jact, .rt

-0 LF ( icles III (a) &: III (b) 1,088,500

.F

1 J 500 ,, 000 -- ( T ea" 1944, 78t. Co ( essio~, ( .,. --~ve .. I r t• ~c e xico Feb. £Tess, 2Pd III Colo. 10 {a}

411,500 LF (Colo. River Conmact (~· rticle III (c) 205,750 LF (Colo. • iver Compact

( '.rtic1e III (c)

106,475 F (Up~er Colo~ iver Basin ( CoiJP& c t •. rt icl e IV

Incidentally, the 11

furt}'l.er equitable apportionate" of the Colo do River _in 1963, as referred to in rtic1e III (f), C•lorado iver Compect,

will not take place because there is none to apportion. It s ould also be noted that this shortage results from the virgin flo r over t .. e lo

r

flow period and if the aver~(e flo7 of the more recent period had been used, the shortage would e some 151o rre ter.

Note 5. Report of Regio~al Director Larse~ iegion IV subnitted ~rch 1949, reports at p~ge 12, Colorado iver Stor&re ~~oject, .ine reservoirs in

Upper Bc.sin with c to~l ct:.pccity of 48,06 ,000 acre feet necesse.ry to iron out wet end dry cycles &~d provide necess2ry silt basins in order to fUlfill the Upper Division obligation not to deplete the river flo below an aggregate of 75,000,000 acre feet for e:y :?Sriod of ten consecutive year• (Lrtiole III (d) ) i:~d his studies show an &nnu&cl eVL_Joration 1·Ette

on these reservoirs rc.nging f'rom 1.5,, to 3.2" with t. e ri.te of 2.6% on the Glen Canyon Reservoir Site, t~ construction of ~hich he ur~s. The

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presently estirnc.ted a.nnur l e"(~-norrtion on th~se holding reservoirs i~ 800,000 acre feet of "hich Colorado must bear 51.75~, to-wit~ 414,000 ncr.e feet • .'ny ch~nre of reservoir sites will decrecse or increase t his tl-~r~.

Note 6. Pnge 186, Bureau of Reclam&tion 1946 Report, House Document 419, 80th Congress 1st Session.

Note 7. Page 186, sc.me author-ity; showir g existing and presently author-ized projects. These tro.snbasin uses consist of the following: Grand River Ditch, r.'of'fat Tunnel, ··.il lic..ms River Div-ersion, Twin

I.al~es Diversion, Colorado-Big Thompson Diversion, and other exist-ing srnnll div rsions~ In this computation, Colorado-Big Thompson hns been schedul~d at 310,000 F.

Note 8. Report of .rea Engin ering Office Rugion

rv.

This is an increase of 44,400 acre feet over the amount presented to the Color~do

.. io.tor Conservat ion Board by its eng-i ering st£..ff in Decem'l:>er 1948. ote 9. Present estimate on unco!ilnleted study in pro ress by .~.rea En

-rinot:rin Offic

,

Region IV. T~ is is an increase of 52,160 acre foet ov r th amount pres_; ted to the Colore do ·ya ter Conservation Board by its engineering steff il~ _De_c_embe_{r 1948.}

ate 10. This is t he est imate furnished to the Colorado Wat r Conservation

Board by its nfine~ring steff in D~c mber 1948 > nding the

com-pl tion of the survey by Region IV,. and besed upon thb error

ronde by this engineering staff in its roport on th~ Colorado River

and the Gunnison River is nore thnn 39% too lo¥. Pending the com-ph,tion of tho Bur~:::::.u Survey in ·'restern Colorado there is no

bat-t r figur :::.v~ilable.

ote ll. This is the estimr.. te of Colorado -rater Board staff in December

1948, and although it is th best firure avail&ble until Region IV

of t' e Bureau has cempleted:its study, this figure may be

consider-ed 39% too low for t ~ r eason above set out •

..

ate 12. This is t he vstilllD.to of Colorado 7!r.tt:r Board Eng·in ering Staff in

December 1948 and so.me observ,.tions apply as above.

Note 13. This figur does not include municiple use in connection with synth tic fuel dev~lopment. No suffici~nt study has been-made

end it is believed to be. too siMll.

ote 14. This is the Jr~vs~ntly contempleted consumptive u.s of w ter of

tho pc.p r c.nd p lp mill ~roj ct to b .... loce. ted on thu Colorado Rivor 'Jest of Glenwood Sppings.

ot 15. ? • Boyd Guthrie in che.r€e of the Unitod St tes Shale c~perimcnte.l plant in J .... nuu.ry 1949 at Gn nd J'U~·ction, Colorado, to ·the Colorado

River Steering Committee, gcv~ it ~s his o ~inion that the consump•

tiv us of m:.ter for processirg· shale at the rat0 of o~ million b~rrols per day, and for th incident municipal use would be

268,000 acre feet of wat r per ye~r. ~sud upon his findings at

tht. ex urim~;;ntr..l lent-, it wc.s his o:.>inion t:U-t such ~n. o:pt::re.tion :(OUld be in cffvct within n d .... c~ dtJ, &nd thz-.t in thb ~v-vnt of vror thu pec.cc time o?er..-.ti<m "IO ld b\:: doublt:Jd or tr-vbled. It will be romemberud that the xnorimertc.l PlLnt is locotod on the

u. s.

Navel Shale Fuel Re~erve, (any f~llurc to prorycrly repqrt. i~. Guthrie is the f~ult of ths compiler and not

Ur

.

Guthrie).

ur.

Guthri nnde no ffort to estimate the requir d consumotion of

wnt r by incidental activities which would normnlly accomonny such a development and tho figure of 32,000 acre f~ot has been

added to his estimat~d minimum 9~UCt:;; ti~ o~cration to oovor that f'o.ctor, nnking c.n even 300,000 acre foot esti.m'.tu.

Note 16. Thoro Vlill b of necessity resorvoirs serving thb presently

authorized diversion projects and also rosc:rvoirs in ';lostorn

Colorado for usc of Irrigation and Industry in addition to tho

m:.in stom impounding resC:~rvoirs and from nll of these there will

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impossible to definitely arri? et this amount nr.d th·s firure has boen o.rbitrc.rily e.daptdd e.s. c. ro.inimum.

Note

17.

Thor~ rernnir.s i_ th ... Colorado River for cor.s mptive U8e by Colo

-Fade, 389,340 c..cro f ..,t of wat r. R~ferring back to items 10, 11

and 12 1h r no sufficient study hr.s en ~de, it is rec.sone.blt3 to assume that t nr 39 o too s~ll and if it shall lc..t~:r be deturmL_ed the t such is a ft.ct, as ~s alr .. ady b t...n dett3ri:lir d

on the Gunnison c.~d Color&do (~bov\: Gr~.nd Ju _ction). t n th\)l'e

will be ruq ir~d to complete th~ irri tion ?-o~r&m i ~ st rn

Colorado 216,278 ccr · fe t of watl:;r whic must b subtrc..ct d froo thu 389,340 cere f\: ·t. lcl~Vinl 1 3,062 acr~ f · t for a_l ot. er purposes, r __ d unl-:3 ... thu flo 1 of t h · Colorrdo Ri er gets up to t e lon tern ._ ve:rf , t is Hi 1 ~ fur ... r reduced b an

.... dditionc.l llixic~n Tr ... aty burd n. tev ·r amount rrr..y rerein,

~hetb r it b 389,34 or 173, 62 ~ere feet must cover nll

in-dustricl uses, includin metel n1ng, recove of atomic nt3rgy strategic natcrials, hydrogu c.t ion of coal, c::::td a i .creas in

the oil shale r~covery program hich "ght e su~ in the vnt of

~r. Th e~ct re~uir~m·nts for L vs purpos~s are, of course,

at this timv not possibl of exc.ct deter i c..t ion.

It is appcrent from the S~ry

R

e

ort to the United States Bur<.:cu of ·int..s by the Corps of En ineurs, Un't d S ~tes : rmy,

submitted in ~y 1949, t~t thu recovery f synthe ic fuel

vc lues in ·:;ost ... rn Colorado from s!'lc.le and coal ' ill e :oea sured

by thJ ;mt~r c. , ilablc for true. ment end not b th~ amount of

s~lc and co~l . ich will not be cxhaustvd ·n suvvral hu~dred

ycc.rs.

On ~g 10 of t~e Bureau's 1946 Ruport o the Colorcdo iver

House Docu .. I:h.; t 419, app ... n s t~e follo·;ing; "3 .. or o s eds of bituminous end subbituminous coc.l ' ith· t o basin (of Colorado

Ri vor) in & st rn U nh, So t £:rn ··. o · ng c~d :est.:ra Colorado

ere usti~tcd to co tcin n..,crly ore-fourth of all thv coal ru

-s.:rves in t h· Unitud tc...tes. !:.:5 in t~ se crec.s no':: supply

most of thu coal r ... _uiru!Il0nts in -~· Rocky . untc ir. r .. d Pa J ific

Coast ·.rec..s".

On Pc.ge 71 of' he s me Hous~.- ocum-~nt 419 pr ... "Jr rc.;d t .. ~.- Burec..u

of Reclapa tio _ in 1946 ap' ~..a-s the. fo lo· inl?' lc ngur g.:: "Thu

Colo-rado Riv .... r &sin is ::. pert of 'nt}r ica's fronti ... r. I s, ,r_ s

as littlv duv..:lo_!> d as any co:om rc.' lc ar ir the.; it..:d S "'tes.

Y t it is known thct hc.;ro lie buri~d ont...-sixth of th ~..ntirc

"Torld1_s _co_~_l _e_s _r_v _s, _bil_li_o:'_s _{of 'ar}_r_e _s _{of il}_in _{shel end} s .nd ·(~qui~lont ~o

meny ti

• s

t

-

known

pv rol~un ros~r

e

s

·

all thv oil fields of t h ... U~it ... d Stat s) ~nd ~st tr~es rus of other min rc.ls including p trol~um~ ~tu-~1 fCS, CO?~er, luad, zinc, gold, silv r, rcr~ hydrocarbons, voncdium, molybdenum, phosphlltcs, a_d Jmny oth~rs. For only a f w of thes can it be

s£.id that dcvvlopmcnt h&s ·-d ev<-tl a good beginning. Dcvv

lop-mcnt ~f thu BLsin's land and ~t<-r resources is little beyond

thL hal:f-m:.y u..rk to-~rd ult:ilmtc pot~ntialiti s".

On P.:gc 80 of thu sam<:: Hous Docu t 419 e. pears th follo ing

lc.nguag : "Coal:-- Th ... u_ "'r b~sin cont& · s ... normous res rv s

of coal, mostly of bituminous c.rd subbitumiLous gr~de. R s~rvos here nre much lerg~r than thosu in any othor section of comparable size in thv ~orld and amount to approx~tely on -third of all

th cor-1 deryosits in the Unit d Stetes c.nd on ... -sixth of those ·n

tho vntirc world. So~ of this coel is below ~r~s~nt cin~e.ble

depths, but mineabl~ rosorves elo~ ere nvcrly onc-:fourth of the

Nction's to~l de~osits. Coal res 'rv s ithin the u~ovr basin ~r~ rou~ly cstirn&t d at 400 billion tons. Bituminous coals

from tho upper besin arc consid~r~d th~ hi(~St quality bituminous coc.ls on tb.... Wt. st~..rn mr.rket. They art;; lo-:1 in c.sh ~ -.d moisture • extremely low in sulphur and highly volt.til\. "ith a high h nt

vc.luc".

On Pc.~ 82 of tho sc.D'W3 House Docunant 41• t:.ppeLrs t h ... follo

inr

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duposits of oil shc.l in thu United Stc.tus. The res0rves of

this pot~ntially import~nt mineral fUel ~ccount for

approxi-m;.tely 82% of the 75 billion bu.rrels of rccovcrc.ble oil in

shc.l in the Unitvd Stc.tes, 'lhich is equc.l to four or five times

the known reserves of :>otrol um i c.ll thu oil fields of the

Nr.tion. The extr ctions of thu oil from shale will require the

est~blishm ... nt of plc.nts ne~r the deoosits. -nether oil slw.le or

coc.l or both c.re utilized to mo0t future needs for oil o.nd

gaso-1 inu, thu so minur~ 1 fue 1 s are of fro;;~. t potunt ic.l importc.nce" •

On i~g~ 83 of the s~mo HousJ Document 419 npoe~rs th~ foll~ting

lo.ngut...go: "This c..rro.y of minurc:.l fuels c.nd c~rbono.ceous mat erials

is not o.p~rot chud by cny r~gion in c.ny othur p~rt of the world~

The \..Xtent to uhich thosu mc.tcric.ls rmy provide th0 bc.sis for

future r.1ir in£ <.. _d minorcl procussin[ within t:1u be. sin t.nd in

con-tiruous c..rec.s c~nnot bu foretold defi_itely, but it is certuin

thc..t tht-ir effect on futuro ind strir l d vvlory_,ont .ill be

impor-tLnt.

oto 18. By thu R port of tho EnginoeriPg Ldvisory Cor;Jnittee to Unper

Colorndo Riv r Basin Compcct Commission, Povomber 29, 1948, nt

Pc.go 6, it is ostimn.tod thl:.t by using thu 11

in&lov.r-outflov.r11

roocsuromont of \fC.. tvr USE.;, thor 1: ill bo sc.lvr...ged to the U )ThJr

&sin 73₁300 cere fuet of -.:n:. tt-r of ,Jhich Colorr.do' s shere would

bo 37,933 cere f~..;vt. This figure is based on the historic flow,

c.nd doos not purport to show tho tote 1 s ... lvv.go under rraximum usc

rnd thu total sc..lvc..go is unlmorm to the compilur, nor r;o;;.y i t bo

t.ssumed thll t t his r.1vthod of nee. suromont -:-Till CV..Jl!tur..lly bo

adopt-ed by c.l l intcrusts.

Note 19, Suo Buroc.u of Reclamation ?rojuct Rupert Gunnison-•-rke.nse.s

Pro-ject o. 7-8c. 49-0 end Blue River-South ?lc.tt0 Rupert No. 7-8 o.

to 1-0; both dc..ted Junv 1948.

23. ,"fith roforonco to thuse itvms n short discussim: of tho Colorado

lc. r is nppropricto. Colorc..do from th~ b0ginni g hns ospous d tho

doctrino of prior o.pproprin tion of /T&. t .-r. The Colorado River

Compr.ct 1·~s uxocutod on thu thuory of equit::..ble division of the

\ c. t~.-r end i _ order to ?rotoct th0 slovrcr devuloping· interior -;vhere

tho v,r ... tor originr. tvs, from thv fc.stvr dev..Jlo ing Puc ific Coast

roc.., (•-rhich furnishes no ~IT'.tor to this River) c.nd to protect thv

interior from t:1'"' doctrine of prior ... p?ropri;:: t ier.. Th Colorado

Rivur Compr.ct contumplc.tcd usu of soL1v of t1u vre.tvr from tho Rivur

in Colort.do outside th.. Rivvr Br sir.. Trc.rsmount( in diversions

hc.vc bo n nr.dv from tho bc.sin to :CC..stcrn Colon do by £..f(r0cmu:nt

c.nd on th~ theory thc.t such ·r~tor 'v'ICS surplus ovvr t u needs of

.. lcstorn Color.:. do c..nd --ould ot_1ornise bu forfu i ted to the Lo r10r

Bo.sin users.

Thoro hc.s c.hrc..ys bvcn doubt c.s to how r!lUch, if any, of

Colo-rado' s shore -..vc..s not nuudud for th~.. dcvulopmunt of tho na:turnl

br.s in. The Burvc.u of Ruclr..mo. tion hcs undertc..kun this stu-dy., c.nd

tho puoplo hc.v'-l r lied upon the Burvau to complvte the study.

The work of tho Buroo.u has been of inusti:rnc.blo vc..luc to the o.rid

-·;ost, but its 10rk is fer from complete. ·•estern Colorado hne

urgvd tho cc..rly conplvtion of tho study in Colorado in order thc.t

the dovulopm\..nt Di[ht proceed in en ordt)rly I!r..nncr. For nero thnh

t n yt.r::.rs lnst pc.st, hoHovur, tho Buruc.u hns expended more thc.n

n1ico c.s truch of tht. public monuy in s ... eking to discover projects

to div rt th-.. -:1::-.tcr out of tho nc.turc..l bc.sin than it ha.s ... xponded

to discovur how much, if e~y, ~tur is e~ilc..blu for ux~ort

lith-out dnnng to thv ne.turc..l ba.sin. .Testorn Colorc..do lu_s vigorously

and ·1ithout much effect protested t"h.is pro#!'ra.m. -!e have urrod

tho complution of tho in ba.sin study. Some yvc..rs ago tho ~rid

1ost \Its dividud into regions for study nnd devolopra.Jnt.

Colo-rado 'IT'.s plocod in tvro r gions; Rug ion IV nnd Region VII. The

c.rua.s divido r.t the cruEtt of the c antinunte.l divide. The

Colo-r~.do /c..tur Consvrva.tion Bonrd cdvisod against tho division of

th... Stc. tu buto.7~..vn two rugions. Thu rusul ts hnvo bovn '.rorso than

vv foc.r~:.;d. .fc hc-vv comp~..;tition inst\3t..d of co-o}Ur£.tion. ·;;u h.c.vo

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In

an effort to correct tlis situr..tion thu Colorcdo Lcgislcturo

in 1943 cncctcd c.n t:Dvrdmcnt to the ·. at<;r C ns~rvr..tion District .. ct nnd on p ... g .... 636, Chc.ptcr 192 of th...: 1943 Colorc.do Session

Ln"r s app c.rs this k..n uc.gc : 11_Provid _d_, _{ho·tc L}_r, _t_{hr t} _r_. _{y ·}_.10_r_ks

or fc.cilitit..s plann d c.nd dcsignt..d _or t1"' xportc.t·on of mtur

from th~ ~tural besin of th Colorado Ri ~r c. .d its tri utcrios in Colorado, b c.n district cr'"'c.t ... d un .... r is •. ct, shell be

subj ·ct to h~ pro isio .s of _. Colorc.do ·vvr Co.pc.ct c.nd tho

Boulder Cr..nyon Proj'-c .. ct, as ar.1vndcd; that c. y such works or

f ciliti s she 1 b dcsi 'd, constructed c.nd operated in such c.

re.n1~.;r thc.t t. pr s ... nt a_ '?roprie.tions of ·:mt .... r, r.. d in c.ddition

t 'ruto, prosycctivu us s of · t ·r for irrir tion ~r.d oth"'r bc .~

ficic.l consumptivo- so p rpos6s, iLcluding consumptive uses for

domustic, mi .ing [nd industric.l pur;>os~s, ;fit · thu natural bc.s in of the Colore. do Riv~.;r in ho... ,.. e of Colore. do, frort ·:; · ch

,-r.:'. tcr is xportt..d, -~ill not b in air d nor b - ro...as d in cost e. t

t .._x_J ... nSv of thv r::r. or US"rS 7ithin t sci nr..turc.l ' sin; e.r.d

thc.t tl~.; -c'l i tio...s c.nd ot~r ~a~s f r t .... c.cco ~ is~v .t of sc.id purpos sh 1 be. i cor_ore. vd ·n, ·nd ne.d... rt f , "J..

project plans for the ~xp rte.t'o _ of 'n"t r from sr.id nc.tura. ~sin

in Colore.do". This lenpuc.g-u incoq>orc. ... es th~ polic of h~ Stcte of Colorc.do in tht.. uso of thv rotc s of t. e Colors.do i

th S~tc. It is bindir.g upon a y d · ~ o men op rc.tin

a ·:r.:tcr cons rvation di strict. Th"'orctic:::. ly at cc.st, of R clc.ur.tion l!2S rucogniz d t~ · s policy c.s binding uoon

do clop t of Colorcdo1_s _Tre_t _r _u_s_"_•

The figures appot.ring hor ·in ere s de loo d c.luost tircly

by th Burc'-'u. .c arc .... vc. ilc.b e to en one ·· ho s c.rch s. N"o ,

in good faith in th..: fc.cc of thu J}·.cts, can h'- Bur au continu

to ·xp nd nillions of doll rs of public mont..ys on pl:::.ns to divvrt

IilOr tlr.n o. Dillion cere f' ·vt of' · . " r, TI"t ion it ki10-·1s docs ot exist? ~ ' tckc prid in t · splc~did acco plishm ... nts of t,

Bu

-rccu of R·clrnctivn, r d only r c ·n ly th Bur~:::.u ro~ ~ 1 r~ cords in :::. c •r .... c r "'1t.ir of c. fE:.il··d proj .... ct 1;ur: .~1 ·"Thich

oth nrisc 7ould he. .... most S\..riousl dc.Il£gvd th cconony of ~·rest rn

Colorado; e.nd . v c.ru lad of this op!Jor u ity to xpruss our

gratitude.

It is not th" purposo of thu nriter to cr ititu 11 of t e pe r-sonn 1 of

tru

Our ·c.u of Rvcl' .rx. t.:.on. It is lnrgu and fe.r-f ung

orgr. izc.tion. T ... rc "r some Tho recognize the fc.cts £..s t h cr ,

butt ·so seen po orlvss to corr.:ct th s"tuc.tio •

p-.ople of r.t.s ;.;rr. olorodo do not .. ·sh or · -- .d o es ro

• s vrn Colorc..do. :!:-1-.. Eos ur . o_>-.; p op v t.r~.. b"'ing to d h 11_t_ho_wc.t _r _-~~ _s_...._~k_to_d_iv_..._rt_E:.r:d _':_ic_h _ou

C( n USIJ in &stvrn

Colorc.do, is surplus c. _d cc.nnot be used in estern Colorc.do and unless div rtod to ~sturn Colorcdo, it ~ill be lost to Californi c..nd .rizonc. 11

• Tho me. . ho te 1 this to thu Ec.st rn Slo o puoplo should knoll it is not truo. ·-;.:::, of -.est -rn Colorado, l'fherc orig

-ina tu s IilOr than 70/~ of e.ll th · t r which flo IS to Lc F0rry (the dividing point bvtrlvvn th ... Upp r .&.sir c.nd Low r &sin) o.nd 65% of' all tho ~~tcr 7 ich flous in th .... ntiro ColorE:.do iver Bcsin (including t. Giln Riv~r) dvplore tht.. failure of th ro~ro

scntl:.tivcs of th-.. Bureau of Ruclc..mntio to sp o.k up a.nd t 11 tho

fc.cts to the p opl of Colorado.

Sinco the Colorado River CoD!>C-Ct W&s o--ooutcd in 192Z. it hns bcun

found there is c.nd 7ms less wato...r in th River the.n it re.s forl!lC

r-ly nssuncd. -.-:1 en th ... trocty i7ith ·xico \'IC.S ex cut ... d thor wns

grant d to ~xioo about twice th · amount of ~t~r ~o could spcrc

without loss to th.. &.sin in th- Unit ... d St t s. ·fh n th Uo_ ~r Colorado River ~sin Coopcct wcs UX\..Cut ... d, CQlorc.do c.eccptud lues

~tor than sho ~ew sho nucd"'d• This ~s upon th<; tho...ory thnt the

rcsultin~ shortcgo would bo suffered by tho... propon~nts of t r s-mountain diversion. In spite of c.ll tiwsc fecta, the ong-in" re

in c~rgc of Buro~u Diversion Proj~cts proce~d o.s though thoy bed

novcr hoard of th~n~ith possibly ~or oxce~tions; for eX&cplu:

-=-To don't hunr Dl.lCh said about E. proposvd third ~isor-LrkarKs

(7)

feet nhich has not e n been 1 isted among the diversion plans on

the first sheet.

The people of · .. est r Colors.do de not ;rent n Ri er .uthority. ~Ia

do not unnt such an cuthority for th~ sa re~son that re prefer an inefficient bunglin repros ntctive or d rnocrctic for~ of

govcrillllent to a strcn. ined off" cicnt dictc. tor ship.

·."Ie realize t e need of sone co-ordinc. tion betw en Regions IV

c.nd VII; b ~~con th~ urenu of Reclamation and th~ BUr au of

lli:P- s; b two n t e Bureau of Reckmc.tion and those persons ho

think God put -.-~at r in l o ly mountc. in strenms for sore purpose

other t~n building tunnels, d~ c.nd ditches; be ~n t e ourenu

of Rocl~mntion c. _d the people 1 o liv~ in t: e cr c. ~hie furnish

-d th..; · ... t'-' r.

If th~; figures on thu foregoing analysis re not correct, there

are many abl nri eers : o ill be glad to corr ct th n, includ

-ing those .7ho n:..d · t · figures. If the l"!!!:ed diversions, for

1, 138,000 ~cr f ct of surplus ·"-t r --hich does not exist, pro -c ed to construction, just VI ich t..~ • -:-;he t -;~ ter ·fill b taken

from - cstt:rn Colorr.do-' s d ·Vlilopra13nt? -:-i_l t' y stop all irriga -tion de lopmv .t · t · natural bt:..sin, 7Tl:ic· t. c~ c · t is 'bout one-half co:mplvted, i. ordli to r is mo sut-r buets o. the

&.stern lop p c.· ius? Or ill t ey tLKli he n:..t~r -rhich -..:·ri 1

be required to dev lop t e ·P-ited t~ es il le Reserve end th .. orld's grectest co 1 resourc s? ·.e think these 'q\.H:stions should be c.nsv;or d. e trust this Co:rnmi.ssion ill c.nswer theiJ.

~nd report th c._~ rs to the _ esidenu of the r-itcd Stc.tes from ··hom you ... e your authority •

. ith appr •ciction for th~ oppor .ity to pr·s nt the vienpoint

of th p opl at the "grc.ss roots", t.is is

Dc.t d: June 27, 1950.

R

spoctfully submittedJ

(S'gned) SILUO S~ •

.'.ppec.ring· for thu Gr .... nd Junction Cl->..c.nber of Co!Jl:'lt:rcu.