The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-02-15

| western slope may md that It's fu-
ture development is at standstill
so far as irrigation is concerned. l
might say of those who oppose this
compact claim that the people of the
Southwest will not dare construct
these dams as long as there is any
question about their getting sufi-
cient water for them. However, this
point Of view is rather the exception
than the rule.
There is an estimated flow at Lees
Ferry of around 100000 acre feet
of water per year. The upper states
which include as have stated Col
orado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mex.
leo, guarantee 75,0OO,OOO acre feet for
ten years, or an average of seven and
half million acre feet year. 1t is
permissible under the compact that
if we have more water than we need
one year, that we may cut down on
the amount passing Lees Ferry an
other year. just so that $4,000, 900
acre feet will pass during the ten
year period. W
The men who have studied this
question maintain that it is physical
ly impossible for the four upper
states to use the water which they
have reserved for themselves. At
the present time it is estimated that
two and. one half million acre feet is
fused by these states. AS we all know
| approximately one-third of the water
fused for irrigation returns by seep-
age, waste ETC., back into the
streams, SO that if these figures are
correct Western Colorado and the
parts of these other three states
which can use this water can develor
four times as much as it is today and
still have plenty of water for irriga.
tion and other purposes. There are
several other details of the bill such
for instance, as a guarantee Of mil
lion acre feet per year to the people
along the Gila river, who would not
enter into the compact unless they
were guaranteed this amount, which
will not take time to discuss.
Friday afternoon Judge w. N
Searcy of Durango, with other Attor-
neys, appeared before the joint meet
ing of the House and Senate commit
tees that were interested in this sub
ject, and stated their fears regarding
certain features of the compact.
Judge Searcy was very fair and stat
ed both sides of every question at
issue, and there is no question but
some of his points needed to be TAX
en- care of. His position as repre-
senting the San Juan Basin and in
fact Western Colorado, was that they
were very desirous of having the
compact ratified on account of the
facts / have mentioned above, but
they wished that certain antiquities
which occurred in two or three SEN
fences in the compact should be clar-
lified. As the result of his conference
with Commissioner DELPHI Carpenter
and the committee, believe that
these points will be clarified. In
fact, the points he called attention
to had already been discussed and the
the Colorado Commissioners stated
that there was no misunderstanding
among the commissioners themselves,
and that the compact was meant to
read exactly as Judge Searcy and the
people of the San Juan Basin felt It
should read. I believe the ambigui-
ties mentioned by Judge Searcy will
be clarified by the committee and so
amended that the compact bill will
pass the legislature.
Such Treaty as this Colorado
river Compact is one which is of VII
tai Importance to the welfare of
Western Colorado. Five years ago,
it would have been a grave question
whether Colorado could afford to en-
ter into any such compact, for we
felt at that time that Colorado con-
trolled the waters within its own
state. However, as the result of this
last decision of the U. S. Supreme
Court, and knowing as we do the
probable : almost certain : building
of the Boulder Dam to protect and
save the Imperial Valley, together
with the other proposed power plants
further down the river, it seems that
something must be done and that i'm
medately.
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