| Show ARIZONA OFFERS NEW BASIN PACT Upper tipper St States tes Would Have Acre Feet but Gila River Not Mentioned By Dy OTTIS orris PETERSON I I Meeting one of oC the two major objections objections objections ob ob- ob- ob to the original contract t for tor water from Crom the Colorado river Anzona Arizona Ari i zona Monday Ion ay presented to the six remaining states in the Colorado river basin a new proposed contract contract contract con con con- tract between Arizona Arizona and a and d the federal federal fed led eral government The new contract assures assures' the four upper basin states an annual allotment allotment allot allot- our ment meat of oC acre feet teet lack of which resul resulted ed In in the upper tipper basin states states prot protesting sting the original con eon 1 tract The new agreement however fails falls to mention the Gila river a ap p principal bone of oC contention between be- be tween Arizona and California The contract asks 2800 oo acre feet of ot water annually from the Colorado river and Boulder dam It does not mention the Gila river ex except except ex- ex c pt to provide that it shall not be subject to any diminution re resulting from fram rom treaty between the tue United States and Mexico The contract was formally presented presented pre- pre and changes explained at a Ii meeting Monday morning in the governors governor's board room A. A H. H Favour Favour Fa Fa- your spokesman hn an for the Arizona delegation at first presented the contract as as s ns gathered gather d by Charles Charles- A. A Carson counsel for tor the Arizona Colorado rad river commission Continued on Two Page ARIZONA OFFERS NEW BASIN PACT Continued from P Pate Part One In n a swing swing- through the upper basin states Pressed by delegates from other oth r states he added that the contra t twill will be supported by the Colorado river commission Immediately following the opening opening open open- ing meeting meeting- at which W. W R. R Vallace Wailace Wallace Val Wai lace chairman of the Utah water wate storage commission was returned o the chairmanship p by unanimous vote ote the upper basin state Utah states Utah Wyoming Colorado and New Mex- Mex ico went ico-went went into separate session t to discuss the proposals as did Nevada and California lower basin states The entire group was to recon vene late in the afternoon Probability Proba Proba- Is that the upper basin states their objections 9 largely met by assurance as as- of ot acre feet teet of ot water wa vatar va- va ter tar will approve the contract bu but California is expected to hold ou out for tor some understanding on water waters wa wit- ter of at the Gila GlIa river Another expected development o othe ot of the afternoon meeting meeting- will be presentation pres pres- of a proposed contract between be be- tween the Nevada Colorado river rive commission and the federal government govern govern- ment for lor acre feet teet of ot water The proposal will be presented by George W. W Malone Nevada state stat engineer Seven Se Major aJor Changes Change Seven major changes and additions additions addi- addi are made in the amended contract contract contract con con- tract given the basin states b by Anzona Arl An- Ari zona They are 1 Inclusion of ot all rights in Anzona Arl An- zona on the main stream of ot th the Colorado river in the acre feet allocation proposed 2 Giving Giving- the United States government government gov gov- authority temporarily to discontinue or reduce the amount o ot of water allocated for tor maintenance o othe ot of the Boulder dam darn 3 Prior rights right are given the Colorado river Indian reservation and the Yuma project 4 No charge to be made for wa vater va- va ter delivered to Colorado Indian reservation or Yuma project but bu other Arizona users user shall b be charged according to agreement with other states not to exceed 2 25 cents per acre foot 5 Water Vater delivered In Arizona shall be measured at ator or below Boulder Boul Boul- der dam as as de designated by users o of at water 6 Assures upper basin states o or of a acre rc f feet et allocation annually annual annual- ly Iy under terms of at the Colorado river compact 7 7 Waters Vaters of Colorado river shall b be subject to proportionate reduction reduction tion in event of ot recognition of ot an any rights of ot Old Mexico except that tha Gila river and tributaries shall be completely exempted Crux of Conference The Thelast last two clauses are arc interpreted interpret interpret- ed ed by delegates delegate at the meeting as being the crux of the conference The first assures Utah and other upper basin states stales of ot all rights under un un- un der del the Colorado river compact signed by all alist ll st states tes except Arizona It t provides that t the secretary of the interior in return shall enforce provisions of ot the compact insuring benefits provided for Arizona un under un- un der derit it The last clause exempting the Gila river from irom any reduction that may be made in Colorado river allocations allocations allo allo- In event of a treat treaty with old Mexico implies that Arizona is re remaining remaining remaining re- re firm in its contention that the Gila river is exclusively the property of that state California contends that the Gila river is a tributary of the Colorado and hence is subject to appropriation and allocation allocation allocation allo allo- cation under terms of any contract affecting the Colorado river I Tension from froni Start 1 Tension was noticed almost as soon as s the meeting got under way when U. U S. S Webb attorney genera general of ot California and spokesman for that hat delegation took exception to Mr Favours Favour's addressing the upper basin states rather than the conference conference conference confer confer- ence as a whole in presenting the amended contract California had only been mentioned mentioned men men- in a a casual way ay b by Mr Favour Favour Fa Fit- your up to that time Mr Carson r. r he said has prepared pre pre- pared jared some somo suggestions of ot changes In n the contract after a series of or informal in in- formal ormal meetings The question is up to th the upper basin states Do the changes meet their objections I dont don't know the position of ot California Califor Califor- nia nio on the tho changes i He urged speedy action declaring I If If you OU dont don't want the tho contract say so and lets let's quit meeting Mr Webb and Phil D. D Swing former former former for for- mer congressman from California asked If Arizona was supporting the proposed changes and drew an admission ad- ad mission from Mr Favour that they had lad his states state's support although again claiming they were only sug lions The me meeting was called to order b by Governor Henry H. H Blood who presided only until Mr Wallace Vallace was named chairman and T. T H. H Humpherys Humpherys Hum Hum- I state engineer of ot Utah was elected secretary He expressed con con- that the delegations would meet success in solving their I hope your our deliberations will be pleasant and profitable in a n solution lion ion of difficulties and problems he le said The contract scheduled to be In Introduced In In- by Mr Malone calls for acre feet of ot water from the Colorado river to reclaim an estimated estimated esti estl- mated acres of ot land on the Muddy and Virgin rivers riven below Las Vegas This contract Is In line with the presidents president's proposal of subsistence homesteads Mr Malone said in explaining ex cx- the tile proposal before the meeting It rounds out certain areas on a R supporting self basis and provides pro a decentralization of in In iii- He continued to outline a plan r of industrial development planned in connection n with power developed at tho the Boulder dam |
