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Show CLASSIFIEDS FEATURES PAUL HARVEY WEEKS TV GUIDE -- THURSDAY, APRIL 22, -- 1976 -- GREAT BASIN Woodru ff Dam Proposal In Wyoming Spurs Action On I proposal is to increase the height of the Woodruff Nar-- . rows Dam in Wyoming, expanding capacity from the present 28,000 acre feet to 53.000 acre feet. Gov. Cecil Andrus of Idaho a telephone news conference last Friday, told editors of the Citizen, Caribou in County Sun. Idaho Enterr, prise and that Idaho is attempting to get changes in the Bear River Compact. Andrus explained that he had met in Salt Lake City last week with Gov. Calvin Rampton of Utah and Gov. Ed Herschler of Wyoming to discuss the compact. Andrus explained that the catalyst that is bringing the compact, into the open once again is the proposal of Utah and Wyoming farmers to enlarge the Woodruff Narrows Reservoir in Southwestern Wyoming. Backers want 25,000 acre feet of water allocated for the reservoir, nearly ' doubling its size. News-Examine- THE BEAR River snakes across Utah, Wyo. and Utah before emptying into the Great Salt Lake. estimated 900,00 acre feet of water flows into the An Great Salt Lake. Utah and Woming each want 100,000 acre feet each for storage while Idaho wants 200,000 acre feet for consumption. Officials, ever, agreed that these fi- gures might have to be reduced. One official at the meeting said that if all the proposed allocations were approved the Bear River would end up a mud flat. The compact was originally signed in 1958 and was to interbe. revised at vals. Idahos present studies are in preparation for that revision. ( "SUCH AN increase, Andrus said, could affect Idaho's rights to water stored further downstream, in Bear Lake. Andrus says he has asked the Water Resources Dept, to have recommendations ready within GO days and the. governors expect to meet again in June to hear progress reports. I've recommended that Idaho get 200,000 acre feet per year above what we have now. The water experts in Utah are against it. They say the water is not available.." Andrus said the additional 200.00 acre feet would be used for agricultural purposes and for additional filings. He said that iq lower water years, additional storage above Bear Lake would affect filings downstream ( Idaho ) and that this was one of his major concerns. Andrus says he is also concerned with additional filings on the river in Utah and that according to the compact they would not have the right to keep taking water without Idaho getting a proportionate share. use of under the laws of Idaho," he continued. ' Andrus said the compact was undated in 1968 and that it has only been eight years since then but the Woodruff issue has brought the Idaho allocation measure to a head ' once again because it has never been completely resolved. I don't want to be a bad neighbor but I do want to get our allocation, Andrus said. KEITH HIGGINSON, Idaho water administrator, told the three governors in the SLC meeting that the matter comes down to how much of the water Idaho adds to Bear River should be allowed to flow into Utah. He said that any increased or who will be appointed . . cant give up anything. storage above Bear Lake could affect agreements for use of Bear Lake water, including those of Utah Power and Light Co. THE WOODRUFF project is expected to be started in late July and the group hopes to have it finished this year. Most of the ground to be innun da ted has been purchased, with financing awaiting approval. The enlarged dam at Woodruff would be used about 83 per cent by Utah ranchers. The Woodruff holds back 28,240 acre feet of water in Wyoming. About 75 per cent of the water, primarily for irrigation, goes to Utah and 25 per cent to Wyoming, said Simeon Weston, president of the Woodruff Narrows Reservoir Co. Rampton said in the meetthat he- doubted that ' Idaho would sue if Woodruff backers were allowed to build their dam. Now, govenor, you and I have a very strong personal ing said Andrus, friendship, "But I cant go along with that statement." Andrus later told Rampton, If you had announced you would run for I would have been willing to agree tb some of the iffys but I dont know who will succeed you ... ' .. ' - ' " ", The proposal is to add seven feet of fill atop the dam. Idaho has been frustrated and sometimes confused, but if an allocation for us, directly to our use, can be reached, then this will resolve our need," Andrus said. . we , I, 't 'V- - - . V Andrus said Idaho did not want to be an obstrictionist to the Woodruff project but the state would decline to sign any agreement to increase storage above the Bear until a broader agreement is reached. Theres nothing wrong in the theory that we allocate a bloc of water to Idaho, said Rampton, - .':5 ? JV y. r- Idaho's primary tive," Andrus said, objecis to gain a firm commitment to a specific quantity of water in the river below Bear Lake. In that way the state could better plan future water developments." He explained that Utah and Wyoming arc principally concerned with storage rights above Bear Lake. One IIE SAID Jr will be uuuu s pro- there posal of 200,000 acre feet but that the Woodruff proposal has acted as a catalyst to bring the matter into the open. As governor I would not concur to additional water there (Woodruff) until Idaho's allocation has been resolved. He termed the enlargement of Woodruff as Idaho's "ace in the hole" and said Idaho would not be in a position to stop construction at Woodruff but could de-- . mand through the compact certain stream w.t V flow. Maylic it won't be 200,000 hut at least we'll have our allocation for Idaho to make ,k i . resistance iu but he asked whether Utah shouldn't get certain guarantees in return. A few dueks are seen on the river bottoms of the Bear River, one of the most developed rivers in thr country and a source of water to three different states. |