Armstrong Noncommittal on Allot Query to Move Colorado Projects

(1)

sh.

Colorado River project

ARMST!lCIIQ CITC<Hln"l'AL ALLOl'T QOBllY JKMI COLORADO ~ WI'l'H

I

From the Daily Sentinel washington Bureau

CAP

I

washington Reolamation

CCllllliaaioner

Ellis L. Armatrong

s

noa-canmitta.1 ~en

sen.

GOrdon All.ott.

a-COlo ••

reminded him recently

that

water projects authoriaed

in

Colo1:- o

in 1968

ar to

be

oonstruotGd

at

the same

tim

aa

th

Central Arizona Project.

Colo

is finiahed ab d of the Co ondo

Projecta--all

1n

the U per Colorado

Basin projeeta. the Upper _ ain roj ta

authorised

in 1968 were the Anima..s-LaPlata (also partially in Hew Jlexioo) • Dolores, San HigU$l,

iationa SUbaammittee hearings

Allott: aaked Armstrong. 4fJloW doe• i t come about that the ~11\lett.o Bend

f

project {in Tex s) is already ready for construatJ.on and project:e 1n

Colorado which pred

ted i t

in authorization

by

a month are only ready

for advanced planning money1•

Armstrong id Palmetto Bend h d been • •• • p\Ulhecl • ahead because

"there 1 a critical need for

.municipal

water•

in its

serYioe area

"where they ha11e a 1 t intruai<m in th ir well.a. "

Allott

continued, *Then %

aak

you

this queattoru ther

i

no

quea-Uan

in

your mind

about th

legielative record

and the intent that the

Colorado projects ( :thorifled in 1968) shall be develQped contempor·an•

eously

with

the

C

ntral Ariaon Projso .•

(2)

2..Colorado water projects waabn x

K

x Projecat

Armstrong

replied,

'Tea• We are

well

aware of

that

rovis.ton. •

mad no promises to try to keep the

Colorado

projeota' oonstruot.ion

achedule moving along with that of CAP. CAP ta :ready to fly a •00!:l aa

the new CAP water iatriat an the tnter.ior I>epart:D\ent work out a water

repayment conu

at.

Ro on here

oubta

CAP will aoon

outdistance

the

Ccil.orado oj•

on•t.ruefbn sohed.ule juat as the

San "'1an-chaml

struat~on schedule in

On apecifio pr jects. this

i•

thei

testimony befoi:e

the

Animaa ....

Pl ta1

"Jt

1•

now anticipated•

that $22!5,000

currently

in budgetary r aerve

tor

tbi rojaot.~Ul be r$1.eaaed for

::ff-/1n

fi l 1972," Arnl9trong told Al.Iott. on inquiry. .._ additional funds could be effectively , , liaed in fiscal year .1972, • Ai'matrong said. Be I

ReXieo Upper Basin project, Armstrong said

tt

would prov¥e water for

irx-igation, water supply for municipal and induetrial n$8da and for

fish, wildlife and

recreation

benefits in Jlonteaum

Colo.,

and San Juan ty, .M.

•ttroduation of v

getable, fruit and

uots•

tntensiv

fuming expected in the area 1

when the Animas

La.Plat.a

ie

built,

it now

growa alfalfa, clover, pastur

and small grains, Armstrong atated. Repayment will be by water uaers

(3)

3-Coloraclo water projeota

ahn x • x aaid

Dolorui Concp:es has rovided $160,000 for this ~ojeat. in fiacal

1972. of whioh $90,000 waa in bu. gatary t:eserve in 1971. Rost of th

for

to

'91ilifll-.•Colorad Stat Universi~

told the Sous Cammitt

t, whidh Yill _, affeat

pri.nc:ipa.lly

~---

---uld use $250,000

in

1972 fiscal

year,

if

i t

were a il.able.

•:tt

would

enable

"'8

to ac!vance the la.nned report

by about nine months," trong told Allott.

'l'he

1

••c

was provided

by Congress for f ca 1972, b ever. l>allas Credi

rado p:rojeat for fiSCJal 1972. Thi• project affeota

principally

IIOntrose

J>

lta

and OQray Coun -

es. '!'her• 1tas

$100~000 in 1911 budget

reserve

fOli

Dallas Cr118lt, and i t aould hav used 250~000 in fieo 1 1972. aooording

to Armstrong. 1th the $150,000 11.able, he said it woul.d be used to

I •oontinu, and expand the efinite 1an report studi•. This would allow

j

th

completed evaluation of

foundation condition of

the

dgsway

Dam

ite and pei:,ni t btaining detailed topography f th dam and NSarvoir ar e with would be used in futur d a1gn data for specifications," Arm--₁

strong told Allott.

San

Niguel

projeot1

Congrus allowed 100,000

for

which

the

state of

Colorado h

said i t

ould

dont.t:ibu

th:l•

projeot, ot

l

}

fl0,000 for

in fiscal

year

1972. Thia

project

woula

affect

San i t contains wat.er development for

(4)

4..Colorado water ojeot for

bo1:h irr

-

gation and

watc

supply for industrial

nd

urtiaipal use. If

flso.ooo

-the project's aapability

for

fiscal 1972--were allowed.

Arm-strong said the Bureau lJOuld complete advanc:ta lanning on i t ai.X ~tbs

I

early, "by the end 0£ calendar r 197S~ Of ooura • it did not get

that

amount,

but it

will

uae

the

$100,000

rovided for the same pu,;poeeei

'Ibis project h •

an unfavorable

benefit-coat

ratio,

and Jlep.

36a

L.

ins, D-'fennu as'k about irrigato repayin - • less than lO · er cent

I

of the cost.• Armstrong said the r st of the repaymait 'Wuld be by paw er uaera and uaera of munioi

1

an indua~lal water supply. "A br d

e$gl08nt of the regional opul tion benefitaa froin th projeot. " Armstrong ery oi:her item ha• ... I

c:alated

iri

at:s, *'net

in

ome to farmers has

not ••• •

farmer••

ability

to

pay

remained relatively constant or hae deoreaeed while t-oject ooa are aontinually rising," Armatrong said. '.l'he San Jliguel project

is notr estJ.JQElted to oost about

Weat

Divide Project,

th

mainatem of tho Colo

ivar y n

' 1 t h ~ hare. There is no funding

for

it. but

advanae

planning money '

will

be

requeeted

in

1973 fisoal

year,

accordin t.o the

~ u • a

sched ..

ule, Armstrong told

Allott.

11_:rt_{ie a $100 million job" which would}

take

about igbt

years

to build.