Show Senate Group r To 0 Study Water Rights The Department of Interior has approved a proposed contract contract con con- tract for repayment of a Small Reclamation Projects Act loan ot of by the Hooper Irrigation Ir Co in Weber and Davis Counties Sen Wallace F. F Bennett Utah fl-Utah said re- re STOCKHOLDERS of the company now will vote on an nt to their charter providing for perpetual exis exis- of the company which otherwise would cease to exist before the end of the repayment repayment repay repay- ment period Sen Bennett ex ex- Following this action the contract will be executed by bythe bythe the Bureau of Regional Director in Salt Lake City and the company then can receive its loan and proceed proceed pro pro- with rehabilitation and improvement work on its present pres pres- eat ent irrigation system TIlE THE LOAN is to be used to finance the lining of 30 miles ot of canal and for construction con con- or repair of associated associated structures s u c h has a s checks turnouts and farm crossings to achieve more ef ef- fi use of water e project lands are among the eastern shore of the Great Salt Sali Lake near Ogden REPAYMENT of the 1163 loan woud be over a 50 year period with annual payments pay pay- meats ments starting at the first year Thereafter payments payments pay pay- ments will be increased annu annu- aly until they reach in the sixth year The Defense n t thas thas I has asked Congress for 2232 I for military construction at air force base for flea fical year 1965 Sen Wallace F F. F Bennett Utah R-Utah said recent recent- ly TIlE lULL HILL request was in the Military Con totaling 18 billion which was sent to the House and Senate by Defense Secretary Robert S. S McNamara Sen Bennett said the Utah portion of the Military Construction Con Con- Bill was the lowest in years Last year Utah's total in the bill was Hill air force base was listed with 27 million Dugway Proving Grounds with 1 million mil ml- lion and Utah Army Depot with a year ago TilE THE AIR Force would not reveal any specific details ot of what its fiscal year 1965 request request re- re quest would be used for for but it broke the request down into Operational Maintenance Administrative Ad- Ad and Community facilities The Senate Interior I r Sub Sub- committee on Irrigation and Reclamation will hold hearings hear hear- Ings In Washington on Mar 10 and 11 on S. S 1275 a bill to clarify the state federal relationship rela rela- on water rights Sen Frank E Moss D DUt Ut a h chairman ot of the tee announced recently TillS legisla legislation is designed de de- signed to put an end to a longstanding long long- standing controversy o 0 v e r ownership of water and to confirm both the rights ot of the states to the waters within their borders and individual water rights perfected under understate understate state law Moss said As we in the West put to beneficial use an larger ever percentage ot of our water supplies sup sup- plies it becomes more import ant that we reduce the area ot of legal controversy over these he said SENATOR Moss said om I Utah Water and Power hoard 3 ard and other per per- sons s and organizations interested inter inter- ested in Utah water development develop develop- ment wIll be invited to testify at the March public hearings lie He is sponsoring the bill with Senators Thomas Kuchel R fl Frank Church D D- D Idaho and Len B. B Jordan R- R Idaho MOSS I recently wrote Secretary Secretary Secre- Secre tary of the Interior Udall and Attorney General Kenne Kennedy d y I urging that departmental comments corn com ments on S. S 1275 be submitted to the Irrigation and Reclamation tion Subcommittee forthwith Senator Moss said that the legislation has the expressed support of the American Farm Bureau Federation an organIzation organization organ organ- which has studied the water rights question for several sev sev- eral years AND TilE TIIE Attorney General of Utah A Pratt Kesler has urged passage of the bill Moss said the bill has these principal objectives to repeal the definition ot of public lands used by the Supreme Court Inthe in inthe the 1955 Pelton Dam case to establish undeniable prefer once ence for consumptive use ot of water in western states to require reo re- quire the federal government to comply with procedure of state laws whenever it seeks to establish water rights and to require federal lion tion for taking of water rights possessed under state law TilE TIIE SENATOR noted that for many years western members memo mem- bers of Congress have sought to limit by law the jurisdiction of the federal government over wat water r. r Many bills have been introduced on the ques ques- tion But divergent views of Congressional sponsors and federal agencies have prevented prevent prevent- ed enactment And Moss said I am hopeful that this bill billbe billbe be passed It is admittedly a compromise between the position position tion agreed to in 1958 by the Departments ot of Interior Justice Justice Jus Jus- tice Agriculture Defense and the Bureau of the Budget and the position taken by western interests over the years IT WILL not solve all the problems in this field but it itis itIs is a step in the right direction and a law which both Congress Congress Con Con- gress gress and the federal agencies should be willing to accept The report of the Senate Select Committee on Nati National nal Water Resources on which I 1 served strongly recommended recommend recommend- ed that action be taken to clarify clarIfy clar- clar the rights to water The Administration has been firm firmin firmin in support ot of many of the committees committee's committees committee's com com- I ion o n s s. s and al d should give us support on this one |