The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-13
Kansas Officials Seek Solution
of Colorado Water Question.
Numerous Lawsuits Fail to
Clear Irrigations Controversy.
CONFER WITH STATE OFFICERS
River Commission viii Make
Study in Engineering.
George S. Knapp Plans to At
tend Meetings in Near Future.

Since numerous lawsuits nave
failed so far to solve the Colorado
Kansas irrigation watet controversy,
Kansas officials will seek a solution in
personal conferences with Colorado Of
ficials. This state, in effect, will Of
fer to treat with Colorado for a cessa-
ton of court hostilities.
Recently there has been organized
the Colorado river commission when
is to make an engineering study of ir-
rigatioa and power rejects and to
work out a plan for the best develop
mept ofainterstate streams. This COM
mission. which consists of representa-
tiVes from Colorado and six states to
the south and west, is now function
ing altho- it is not an authorized or
sanitation. Legislative action will be
sought providing for an official rep
kresentaitRe from each of, the seven
states.
knapp Will Attend.
GeorgesS. Knapp, state Irrigation
commissioned for Kansas. is in COM
muntcation with f. L. Weymouth of
the United States reclamation service,
who. is Secretary of the newly formed
commission. Knapp plans to attend
meetings of the commission in the
| near future in an unofficial capacity
for the purpose of arriving at a mu-
tual agreement. The irrigation COM
missioner has an appropriation of
$2,500 yearly for expenses incurred
in cases against Colorado bitches to
prevent @the diversion of waters from
the Arkansas river" Richard J. Hop
| kins, attorney general, may also at
tend the meetings. Whatever plan of
| solution is worked out might later be
| ratified by an interstate treaty.
A resolution was introduced in the
| 1921 legislature providing for a COM
mittee to be appointed by the gov
ernor to try to reach a satisfactory
| agreement with Colorado authorities
] for an equitable apportionment of the
waters of the Arkansas river between
the water users of the two states. The
| resolution contained the thinly yelled
threat that unless such an agreement
were reached, immediate steps should
| be taken to join with other states in
drastic legal action against Colorado.
At the suggestion of Commissioner
| Knapp this resolution was withdrawn,
| as he believes a solution of the whole
matter may be brought about thru the
newly created Colorado river commits
sion.
Approximately $4,000 acres of land
in Hamilton, Kearny and Finney
counties in Kansas are irrigated with
water derived from the Arkansas
river. This supply has never been sat
| isfactoryi according to Knapp. About
| 100000 acres of land is irrigated in
Colorado and practically the entire
flow of the river is diverted to irriga-
/ ton bitches in that state Only in
flood times has there been an ade-
quate supply in the Kansas bitches,
and then it comes in such large vot2
| une that it cannot be controlled.
| To Build Reservoirs.
The engineering solution, Commits
sioner Knapp believes, is in the con-
struction of reservoirs in Colorado for
retention of flood waters which would
insure steady supply thruout the ir-
rigation season. Arthur Powell Da-
Wis, director of the United States recIa-
nation service, is authority for the
| statement that there is plenty of water
to irrigate all lands tributary to the
Arkansas river and leave a surplus to
spare.
Under the present laws of Colorado
outside interests are prohibited from
coming into the state and building
reservoirs. Modification of these laws
will be sought by Kansas. By con-
struct!on Of a dam across the Purga-
tory river, a / ain tributary of the Ar
Kansas, it is believed that not only
would the interests of Kansas water
users be protected but enough electri-
cal power would be developed to more
than pay for the project.
The state of Colorado. has long
maintained constitutional right to
the exclusive use of waters in streams
crossing her borders. Numerous and
costly lawsuits have resulted. Not vet
mas there been a decision of the ITnifed
states supreme court on the main is
sue involved ~
The attitude of the Colorado Off
ctats IN meeting representatives of
states ToI Lne western slope leads the
KANSAS OFFICIALS to hope for an early
and amicable settlement of the long,
standing controversy.
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