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Show Moss Introduces Bill to Protect-West Protect-West Water Rights A water rights law designed "to do the complete job of protecting pro-tecting the state and individual water rights from federal preemption" pre-emption" was introduced in the U. S. Senate by Senator Frank E. Moss. The new Senate bill acknowledges acknowl-edges the authority of all states relating to control, appropriation and use of water within their boundaries, whether on federal public lands or not. In seeking to acquire and use water, it puts the federal government in the same position as any individual. The bill specifically prohibits federal departments and officers and employees thereof, from interfering in-terfering with the exercise of any water rights acquired under state laws or recognized by the decisions of state courts. The federal state controversy over water rights arises chiefly when lands are withdrawn by the government for federal projects. proj-ects. It has been greatly accele- rated the past few years, as more federal projects have been built in the west, and as court decisions deci-sions have failed to recognize in full the traditional western doctrine doc-trine of state authority and vested vest-ed use water rights. In introducing the measure the Senator said: Mr. President, during the 84th and 85th Congresses efforts were made to enact legislation designed de-signed to end the controversy between the states and certain agencies of the federal government govern-ment with respect to the protection pro-tection of established water rights in the western states. Hearings were held, but noth-thing noth-thing beyond that was accomplished accom-plished toward ending this controversy. con-troversy. Several of the federal agencies that weal with western public lands agreed on a bill of their own which was presented pre-sented to the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs in May of 1958. That bill, with several amendments, was introduced intro-duced under the sponsorship of Sen. O'Mahoney of Wyoming. I was one of fifteen co-sponsors of S. 851. At the time of introduction it was understood that S. 851 did not go as far as many advocates of western water rights wanted to go, and that its language did not give complete protection from federal pre-emption. It was necessary, however, that a legislative legis-lative proposal be presented to Congress that moved in the right direction. And S. 851, though limited, accomplishes that objective. ob-jective. Many individuals and organizations organi-zations over the, entire nation nation are interested in legislation legisla-tion to do the complete job of protecting state and individual water rights from federal preemption. pre-emption. It is my belief that the interests should be heard and that the entire wtaer rights problem prob-lem should have full consideration considera-tion by the Congress. Mr. President, I introduce for appropriate reference, a bill to provide for recognition of the authority of all States relative to the control, appropriation, use or distribution of water and ask that it be held at the desk until the end of the day, Friday, Mar. 20, to accept additional sponsors. Total construction in Utah for the first two months of 1959 was off 23.8 per cent from levels of last year, it was reported this week by the Utah Construction Report of the Bureau of Economic Eco-nomic and Business Research of the University of Utah. |