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Show Congress candidate stresses need to control water rights Howard Nielson, Republican candidate for Congress in Utah's third district, said last Thursday that if the people in this state want to control their destinies it is imperative that they control their precious water resources. Nielson made the statement as an expansion of a talk given before the Kiwanis Club in American Fork last week, where he spoke of the controversial water delivery system being considered through north Utah County and south Salt Lake County. At the time he urged careful consideration of a single covered channel instead of the three channel plan presently being supported by the Central Utah Project (CUP). 'The interests of north Utah County and south Salt Lake County must be major factors in any decision made on this issue," Nielson said. "Also, due consideration must be given to costs of the project, and the amount of land required for the project along with safety factors and flexibility." Nielson said that he has heard serious concern being voiced around the new third district especially where the third district overlaps the Central Utah Water Conservancy District that the CUP is no longer serving the people nor meeting its primary purpose. He explained that the CUP was given the task of bringing Utah's share (23 percent) of Colorado River water across the state to. the Wasatch Front areas where population is concentrated. He said that while the CUP is a federal agency and acts as a part of the Bureau of Reclamation, the Central Utah Water Conservance District is a Utah operator and that under law has the right to levy taxes in order to function. "Because they have that right," Nielson said, "I am very concerned that the water conservancy district be more responsive to the needs and desires of the taxpayers." "We must insist that the CUP and the Conservance District approach their assignment of bringing the Colorado River water across the state with a minimal disruption of local water rights and local water devd, Nielson emphasized. weu,- He observed that while the rim officially federal and the district was officially a stai that there often was i-SP. distinguishing between tfc agencies. ne He said that the CUP Conservancy District JL concentrate on water transmit primary storage rather than onZf and ownership of water . storage, treatment and distribS water. "Wmj "These need to be under contm . . supervision of local gover authorities as they have bL 100 years," Nielson said. "Did you know that Utah k among all the western state required to give full title to the hi 1 Government for all water m federal water projects?" S 1 asked. tLi; "If the people of this state wantt,, in control of their destinies then must be in control of their pretV water resources. Federal ow of Utah's water must end," ul affirmed. He stressed that his position, tont, water and water rights back under control of local government, is riK line with President Reagan's U Federalism policies which call fa' k ( return to state and local govermtm ' much of the power and many g. responsibilities that federal agte have held for so long. "I have always said that mam j these kind of responsibilities are accomplished by local governmail it I firmly hold that as fcj responsibilities are passed on to li states that the programs mustbecuij the federal level or else we villi paying twice for the services," Nfe said. He pledged to do everything he cc to change existing federal laws a practices so that Utah's water rigtoi the Colorado River program ami i other federal water projects may) returned to the people of this state |