Show Progress Made on Termination Of Illegal River Diversions WASHINGTON The Department Department De De- of ot Interior today Informed Senator Wallace F F. n Bennett It Utah Il-Utah Utah that it is making milking progress toward terminating terminating ter ter- ter- ter the illegal and Improper improper Im proper roper diversions of ot Colorado River water by squatters and trespassers in the Lower Basin Dasin naI Ba na- sin States I Senator Bennett had urged the Justice Department and the Interior Department to take immediate action and f intensify efforts at ending the illegal water piracy inmany Inmany in inmany many Lower Basin areas The Utahn declared that I squatters and trespassers have been arbitrarily respond ible for lor diverting upwards of ot feet acre of water per year An acre foot loot is gallons of water The Upper and Low t Ba lla Basins sins of the Colorado River Basin states h have V been trying to fill till both m Den Canyon and Hoover Dams sufficiently to generate power at the earliest possible time he said The past two years have been critical critical cri crl on the Colorado River because of 01 drought conditions Therefore every drop of water water water wa wa- wa- wa ter has been important to the planners and hydrologists faced laced with the problem of ling Jing the dams The Interior Department has assigned a group of rIver river riv rIv- river er experts and attorneys to the task of compiling the necessary information to proceed proceed pro prod coed with litigation against illegal diverters of water and trespassers trespass em on Government property along the Lower Colorado Senator Bennett reported The Utahn said 11 cases Involving trespassers who are illegal diverters of water have been submitted to the United States Attorneys Attorneys in Los Angeles and Phoenix Phoenix Phoenix Phoe Phoe- nix for lor court action In addition of at som some 1000 trespassers along the Lower tower Colorado River almost have moved off the land More I than have signed notices conceding the l land nd they o occupy occupy cupy cu- cu py belongs to the tha United States About 50 have havo claimed ownership Of th the lands due to homestead filings prior to 1902 1002 and the status statu of th their lr i Is under current ex amI nation Another r group of IH around Is within an ar area 11 I Ito to be leased to the California I Division of ot Beach and Parks I which has agreed to deal with I Ithem them the Interior Department Department Depart ment told Senator Bennett Dennett This leaves about active active ac ac- tive cases who have not signed signed sign sign- ed permits from the Land Use Office The Interior and Justice Justice Justice Jus Jus- tice Department emphasis Isnow is isnow isnow now focused particularly on this group who have declined to sign permits Senator Bennett said |