OCR Text |
Show A letter was disclosed last week that set forth modifications the Ute Indian Tribe desired to receive as its fair share of the Colorado River project water. The letter outlined Indian resource benefits that appear to be lessening because of delays and possible deletions dele-tions of reclamation projects important to the development of Indian water. The letter was addressed to Governor Scott Matheson; Regional Director of the Bureau of Reclamation, Clifford I. Bartett; and Central Utah Water Conservancy Con-servancy District Manager, Lynn Ludlow. It was signed by Homey Secakuku, Business Committee Chairman, Chair-man, Ute Indian Tribe. The Tribe is concerned that the principle prin-ciple benefit component for them in the Uintah Unit of the CUP may likely never be built. In return for this loss the Tribe has listed other benefits it wishes to negotiate to compensate for its resource loss. Some of the mitigation benefits suggested sug-gested by the Tribe include payment for the Rock Creek water rights given to CUP, modification of the Upalco Unit to provide additional Indian water that had been designed to be served by the Uintah Unit, develop an Indian only smaller project on the Uintah and Whiterocks Rivers, the rehabilitation of existing canal systems, creation of a fund to permit consolidation of Indian-owned Indian-owned water rights, give a permanent water allocation out of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir to the Tribe and to develop Indian water interests in the White River. The Ute Tribe has authorized its consultant con-sultant and attorneys to commence negotiations with the United States, the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, and the state of Utah in hopes the benefit alternatives can be agreed upon. It is going to be very difficult to change the already troubled Central Utah Project to give the Indian claims a quicker settlement for their water rights. It would appear from the claims made in their informational letter to the heads of government and water officials of-ficials that the Ute Tribe wants more from the agreement they made over seventeen years ago. This kind of an ar-! ar-! rangement would be very convenient. As the little red hen goes about developing develop-ing her water resources she is expected to share her increases with those who are unwilling to invest in the future development of their resources. If the Ute Tribe wants all the benefits from its water rights it should be willing will-ing to carry its proportionate share of the expense to develop these water projects. pro-jects. As cost sharing is phased into future water development projects the Ute Tribe should be willing to invest its own resources in developing its own water rights. The White River Dam and Reservoir is a project the Ute Tribe could start with and share expenses with the State of Utah to develop its water resource. To implement the 1965 Deferral Agreement by taking water from other projects or changing already planned and proposed projects seems to be unrealistic. The agreement was made in the first place so the project could be planned out and made cost-effective. To change all the water allocations in this stage of the developments would probably pro-bably make them unfeasible. We would hope that the Ute Tribe is not serious in changing the agreement they made for water distribution in 1965. If the 1965 Deferral Agreement is not valid, any future agreement would probably likewise not be worth much as far as future water development is concerned. con-cerned. The Ute Tribe should make future plans to invest in its water resources if it wants direct benefits from this resource and not expect benefits to come from others who are willing to build and invest in water projects. Up and until now it appears that most water projects have worked around Indian In-dian water rights, but the time has come for active participation in sharing the costs of such projects and become joint participants. We don't expect the Ute Tribe leaders to accept the concept of mutual resource development at the present, but somewhere down the line they must assume the responsibility of cooperation coopera-tion for the joint development of natural resources. We hope the water situation between the Ute Tribe and the United States, the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, and the State of Utah can be worked out to the satisfaction of all, but we don't look for any overnight settlement settle-ment to take place. |