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Show HcGd IPcwh godbd PcQyecG Construction of the Echo Park-Split Park-Split Mountian dam in the Dinosaur Dino-saur national monument area of eastern Utah and western Colorado Colo-rado was approved Tuesday by Oscar L. Chapman, secretary of the interior. Secretary Chapman informed United States Senators Elbert D. Thomas and Arthur V. Watkins of his decision declaring: "In view of the demonstrated need for water, construction of the dam was the only action I can approve. He ordered the bureau of rec-clamation rec-clamation to draft recommendations recommendat-ions for the dams which were bitterly bit-terly fought by the national park service. Some outdoor organizations organizat-ions and sporting groups over the nation also joined in the fight to stop the proposed construction. Senator Watkins stated that Secretary Champan's action "will permit the reclamation bureau to build the dams as provided for in the Central Utah project." Without the dams, he said, the project would not be feasible in its ultimate development. He said the next step would bo for the bureau of reclamation to go ahead with its planning report. re-port. The report, when completed will go to the governors of the states involved Utah. Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico Mex-ico after which 'legislation could be considered in congress. "I am extremely happy over the decision," Senator Watkins said. "I think it is fully justified. This action now means that the bureau of reclamation can complete com-plete its planning and report. It means that Utah's development of the Colorado river can proceed, and it -gives assurance- that-tho-complete and ultimate development develop-ment of the river system can be achieved. "Mr. Chapman's decision further means that legislation authroiz-ing authroiz-ing the project, which I now have before congress but which has lain dormant because of the lack of a final report and approval by the states, can be presented to congress con-gress in 1951. I shall do everything every-thing within my power to see that legislation authorizing the project not only is introduced but that it is favorably considered," Senator Watkins concluded. According to a United Press dispatch, dis-patch, Secretary Chapman told Senator Thomas in a letter that his decision was made after reviews re-views of transcrpits of the all-day all-day meeting in the interior department de-partment auditorium which was attended by hundreds of interested interest-ed persons. The entiie Utah-Colorado Congrcssion delagations appeared ap-peared at the meeting early in April to support the proposed dam. The remainder of the UP dispatch follows: Chapman said the decision is not meant to establish a precedent prece-dent in tampering with the inviolability inviol-ability of our national parks and monuments. He said he had asked the national nat-ional parks service to work with the reclamation bureau in drawing draw-ing up plans for the most feasible way of augmenting the recreational recreat-ional facilities in the Dinosaur monument area. Chapman said the decision was taken after "careful analysis" of hundreds of pages of testimony taken at the April 3 hearings in Washington. Chapman was joined join-ed by his assistant secretary William Will-iam E. Warne, in considering the testimony before the final decision was made. At the healings. Utah's congressional con-gressional delegation members said construction of the dam was the only method by which Utah could get ample supplies of irrigation irri-gation water to augment crop growing in the: stale. They said construction of the dam was essential es-sential to future agricultural and industrial growth of the slate. |