Address by Mike Young, presented at the annual meeting of the San Miguel basin Soil and Water Conservation District, March 8, 1958

An .&!nee

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l'..ike Young, µ-eeeted at the AmmJ Mntinc

ot

the San Miguel Baein Soll CouerYation 01-triot, March 8, 19S8

All )'OU . . ,, r...aber, laet TMr at thie t i • ve Nd• quite a bit of noiN recarcUnr the San JIJ.guel Project. ClUtord Ja spoke to ue

n-ca.rdlile

tb• Upper Colorado River Project and our OWi Project in r,arti-oolar. A8 a reeult, w .tol'lled a c-1ttee here, llidch vae to further look into the Water C.,,elopaent queeUon, decide on a courN

ot

action, and te.lte whatever po81Uve eteJ;e vere nec•8N.1'7•

tw J:l'Obl-. beoue uaed1atel7 apparait to thia omm.ttn. 1'1ret, ve had no central il'OQP or orcan1aat1on Ir.ON pimu'J' aha wa to P'OIIC>te \later Dnelop1111t. Secoad, ve II.a no - • , other. than voluntar,,, of f1.nanc1ftl auoh a J:l'mOtional llilllCIT• At the suaeation of Kr. Ja and Lev w:IU1ama, ve Wldwtoolt to fol'II a Water Conaenanq Diatr1ot. In Sei;t her, the San Jliguel l.'atw ConHl"Y&nOT Diatrict • • t o ~

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the D1ntr1ct Court in telluride.

Nov, llbat can a t111trict do? In the firet place, the Diatrict 1a p-,p&red and equi~

to

r9Preeent 7ou wbeaever, it • - • nec••a&rT• In acHition, the IJ:lnrict ie publlcl7 finazlced, and ao baa -.onq with which to vortc. It ia l'Wl

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local i:eorle, rancher• and buain••-, Milo ltnov our J:l'Obl-. and an able to

areak

for thla are. •• a whole.

\liat baa our particular District done? liell, to becln wit.h, w have filed, through an mclnear retained b7 the Diatrlct, on the wter in the San )'~el river. fflia filing inoludea IIU.ff1c1eat water to IIIIJ:P].7 the need ot thia area, •• ve1l •• locaUona of variCMlS i:roJeot etructurea.

llext, the D1atrict baa greatl.7 advanced the C&UN in rep.rd to our i:roJect. 'Ihe Board

ot

Director• hae aet with -bera of the State Water Board, t.h• Southwst Water Board, and our Congree_, •• wll •• with the Burean

ot

Recl-tion peofle th-.elvea. 'DI• reeult haa bwu an in-creased aw.rneee

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theN important peo;:-le ••

to

our apec1!1c 81taatioe

and

pn,bl-.

'Dli• 1• e_..w, m 1-J:ro•ement o•er the paat, and baa alread)' paid

otr

tor u,. Ia ttacal 1959, the Bw--.u ot lieo.J oration baa 1.Dol'llded oar s;roJeot. hi their lladgd. Thi•

aon.,.

ll1ll be uaed

to

continue

.tudi••

in

r.-8l)Nt.

to

t.lse proJeot. thta 11 the t1rat aon.,- •pent here on oar project 8inClle 1~2, and I e1aoeNly 'beline th.at, without the local int.ereat we

ha••

~ . it oow.d

ha••

Wea 1962 before t.hq'd

ha••

mpct sore.

111 ilddition, let• look on m UDOttiohl priority rating that va• . . de

la.t Ootob«'. The San Mipal Project va• liated ncond over-all in Soutb-watvu Colorado. EYwi non, it waa li•tcd 4th

oat

ot

25 proJecta in Veat-- Colorado. I r..,_t, thi• 1• u UDO!t1.oial priorit7, ,et it ca.rrtea a

food deal ot w!pt. It c1(ht be wll to add here that the San Miaual Project va• rated 23rd out

ot

24 project.a in 1956. Perhapa that will

it••

7w - •

iiMU.oaUae

ot

bow

tar

ve•ve coae.

!llit'a Juat abOllt it, a:ircept tor a few aclmowlq-ta. 1hi•

P"Oll'•••

could llffer

bi••

beell p,•dblo without the Norwood aa.ber

or

Comeree, 1be

YoUDC raner, and Ra.-.lc•a, 'fh1• Iiiatrl~, and a lot ot ontbu.t.atto

tn-cli't'1.tilal•. Tho Cbawber ot Camcoroo rat1od over

1500

to help ua got atart-ed and ffC')'ODe vaa coat oooporati•• in ca.rr;vin( oar petitiona. To all

ttinao orpniMtto11a and illllirldual• we ow a creat deal.

B.r'ore I olo•e, let ae •q one sore thin(. Thi• Project VOll1t be built

tcnorrov,

or nan the nut clq. '!hia tine l q cannot be ollowd to cliocour-qe ua. Iaatead, ve 8boald be ancourajred

b7

the prop-eaa

we'••

•d• in the

a n

mpaee

or

one :,oo.r. 1'111• 1• oar lut chanc tor NOl. dnelo~- t here in the Ba•in. Let• not l d it 81.ip throaah oar ttn,era.