Priorities for Water Attacked

Abstract

Document: Republic Washington Bureau, "Priorities For Water Attacked," 4/16/64Priorities For Water Attacked 4/16/64 Republic Washington Bureau WASHINGTON--Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, R-Ariz., warned yesterday that establishing statutory priorities on Colorado River water would open a Pandora's box of troubles. "The solution is the Southwest Water Plan, in my opinion," Goldwater said. "You guarantee water to everyone, and where is it going to come from if nature doesn't provide it?" Goldwater demanded of Dallas E. Cole, engineer of California's Colorado River Commission, during a Senate hearing. "I'm not a lawyer," Cole responded. "You don't have to be to answer that question. This is one of those days when I'm glad I'm not a lawyer," Goldwater rejoined. Goldwater demanded to know what would happen if Arizona insisted on a statutory guarantee of 2.8 million acre-feet of water from the lower river, matching Sen. Thomas Kuchel's, R-Calif., proposal that his state be guaranted 4.4 million acre-feet. "You're not getting 2.8 million acre-feet," Kuchel bellowed. "No, but we're going to," Goldwater informed him. The figures mentioned represent the amounts of water the U. S. Supreme Court said eachof the states is entitled to in years when the normal flow of the river into the lower Colorado Basin totals as much as 7.5 million acre-feet. Chairman Frank Moss, Dutah, cautioned the senators they were induiging in argument that provided the Interior subcommittee hearing with no helpful information. Cole had testified that his commission recommended approval by California of the basin plan for solving Southwest water shortages. But he said the commission has not approved specific details of such a plan. Kuchel demanded to know if Cole's commission recommended that measures authorizing the $1.1 billion Central Arizona Project, either separately or as part of a water plan, should contain a guarantee of California's 4.4 million acre-feet a year. Cole answered that this would be his commission's recommendation. However, Hugo Fisher, California resources agency chairman, told the committee earlier this kind of amendment would be neither neighborly nor would it solve the water problem. The hearing will continue today. Sessions are limited to an hour by the civil rights filibuster.Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 24 bit, 2,005,956 byte