| Show J Commissioner R r Page Reports ports ADVERSE ADVERSE report o of John C. C Page f federal eral A L commissioner of reclamation on the proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed Colorado River Great Basin diversion project Is a blow to Utah's hopes for using the waters of the Colorado river to bring thousands of af acres cres of new l lands under cultivation and thus greatly expand Utah's population and wealth Commissioner Commissioner Page said quite frankly As we e visualize it now It is not a feasible project t His His His' comments were elaborated by E. E B. B Debler ff of oZ Denver chief hydraulics engineer for lor the bureau of reclamation He said The project is not feasible now or in the Immediate future although it has possibilities In the distant fu fu- ture lure He explained that future hope by saying and it be bee that he was an optimist might feasible e sible in 30 or 40 years This decision by the bureau of reclamation is ls based on a careful survey of the project made b by the bureau during the last year and a half A full report on that survey will be ready before be be- ft fore tore the end of the year but the final conclusion r sion that sion-that that the project Is not at present feasible has has now been officially revealed Utah must accept that conclusion We must and do believe that th the bureau of ot reclamations reclamation's survey was carefully made and that the conclusion conclusion conclusion con con- reached Is sound It would be useless i to continue to advocate the project as an Immediate immediate immediate im Im- im- im mediate development That doesn't mean that we should forget It entirely Thirty or forty years Is a long time in Jn the life of a t man man but but It is a brief span in inthe inthe inthe the life of a state a split second In the life of the Colorado river Some day the Colorado River Great Basin project may be feasible says the bureau of reclamation reclamation and and some day Utah and the nation may need the project Meanwhile Utah can can turn its attention to the important business of making every fe feasible sIbie Immediate use of the waters of the Colorado that it it itcan can In addition we should do everything everything every every- every thing in our o power as a state to protect our rights to a fair share of the waters of the Colo- Colo x rado so that In the distant future when the Colorado River-Great River Basin project may become become become be be- come feasible we will have the water avail avail- able I c |
