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Show DAWS PRAISES RIVER OOHMCT Long, Costly Litigation Is Avoided, Declares Reclamation Rec-lamation Chief SANTA KE, N. M.. Nov. 2 7. "The unanimous agreement by the L'olorado river commission upon the details of la compact for the division of the uses and protection of rights to the uses 'of the. waters of the Colorado river and its tributaries Is a signal victory for those qualities and Impulses which distinguish the civilized from tho sa -age." declared Arthur )'. La.is. dire, i-or i-or of the LTnttcd States reclamation service, commenting upon the Inter- l state pact regarding the use of the Colorado basin waters. Signed by rep-reseniaUves rep-reseniaUves Of seven states at Santu Fe. N. M.. November 24. Ills Stati -ment continues: ' It will obvlato the delay and acrimonious acri-monious litigations which a year ago seemed Imminent and has cleared too way lor the provision of flood control and Irrigation storage urgently needed need-ed and Indispensable to further development devel-opment in the Colorado river basin "The original contentions Ot tho sev- en statos were bo far apart that an agreement seemed hopeless. But a discussion of the various needs led to a closer acquaintance with the facts and the various points of view, and the conc lusions may be said to award each claimant moro than h- expected in view of the original i ontentions. LONG FIGHT AVOIDED "Tho satisfactory' settlement of all these disputes at small expense within a year after the organization of the commission is in strong contrast to the alternative of litigation. Th. recent decision of the supreme court uf Wyoming Wyo-ming in tho Colorado case was rendered ren-dered about 11 years nrter Its lncep- jtlon and dealt only with a single controversy con-troversy in ;i small stream basin Th Colorado basin lies in seven states in which thousands of users are diverting It.s waters. Us development involved some of the largest and most difficult engineering problems ever attempted, and a multitude of complicated Interests, Inter-ests, and possible disputes which have been settled within 11 months instead of eleven years. "All good citizens should rejoico In this substitution of reason and progress prog-ress for conflict and stagnation. "This happy result is duo largely to the broad minded attitude of the mem- i ben of the commission, and especially especial-ly to the patience tact aud diplomatic ability of the chairman of the com- mission, Hon Herbert Hoover. "Tho natural flo wof the Colorado 1 river averages ncarlr 20.00u.000 aero feet per annum. Of this, about one-third one-third is now being used, and this In-Cludea In-Cludea the low water flow In tho low- er basin, which cannot further develop devel-op safely without Storage. 'i ho present users In the lower basin take about 3,700,000 acre feet. The com- . pact awards this portion of the basin a total annual flow of 8.60Q.000 acre feet ; oi more than doubio its present needs and sufficient to develop all feasible projects and some of doubtful Ccasabil-ily. Ccasabil-ily. The upper basin Is awarded ?.- BOOrQOO ucro feet, which Is also more than double lLs present needs and sufficient suf-ficient to erv nearly 3,000.000 acres additional, which will be sufficient for all feasible projects and some of doubtful feasibility SGML PI IT nVPK "If this water Is not COUHUfped la irrigation, ir-rigation, it will run down through tho canyons for use below. There remains an unapportloned quantity oi more than 4.000,000 acre feet for future division di-vision us unfore.se. , needs may appear. ap-pear. Such a further division is provided pro-vided for in the compact. Thus both basins are fully provided lor. their present development proteated ana their future development unhampered by water disputes.'' |