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Show Bear Lake Water Rights Disputed litigation between the states as 'to rtior rights of water users on 'information was contained in a ietter from S. C. Harper, clue engineer of the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, a copy of wh!c h was received Monday by Utah State Engineer T. H. Huinpher.-ys. The chief engineer's letter was in answer to a request from Mr. Spot rord in which he stated: The dah'o water users have threatened to bring action in the federal court, due to the fact they have not been recognized by the Wyoming water users' committee at several meetings meet-ings that were attended by the water users' committee of each of the three states." I believe the report of the bureau's bu-reau's general investigation will be more or less the controlling factor in curbing ill feelings among me water users of the respective states," Mr. Spofford wp-ote. The chief engineer suggested that the states of Utah and Idaho arrange to furnish funds for services ser-vices with a value of ?20,000, and that Wyoming contribute $10,000, such funds to be matched by the bureau in, making the study. "In making this suggestion it should be understood that we of course cannot commit congress to any program. The availability of bureau funds will be dependent upon up-on appropriations," Mr. Harper wrote. For the past six years, during drouth seasons, Utah and Wyoming Wyo-ming water users have worked out a cooperative agreement through , river commissioners appointed by the state engineers of the two stater;, in handling distribution problems of the river. A committee from Idaho was admitted to the organization for the first time at a tv,qHho- in Phpvpnnp Wvomin? last July. In spite of this some ill feeling appears to exist. The Bear river investigation was curtailed in recent months to rush investigations of small reservoirs to be considered under the Case-Wheeler Case-Wheeler act. Mr. Humpherys said Monday he would bring the matter to the attention at-tention of Utah Water Storage commission. "I am confident the commission will cooperate in the investigation if the other states act favorably," he raid. "That investigation is one of the most important in the state from the standpoint of needed supplemental water supply for lands already under cultivation." "We in Utah feel that any move made or any work done that will benefit the farmers of Southern Idaho cannot help but benefit the water users of Utah also," Mr. Humpherys said. o o |