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Show mm Fmii m fcfe MropowaQ - . tfJ J Li Proposed Project Mailed As Utah's Greatest Opportunity Supporters of the vast Upper' Colorado River Storage project received a real Christmas present pres-ent last Saturday when Douglas McKay, Secretary of the Interior, Inter-ior, recommended to the White House that the initial phase of the controversial $176 . million Echo Park Dam and the $231 million Central Utah Reclamation Reclama-tion Project, be built. The initial phase of the fed eral project would cost an estimated es-timated $1,134,643,000. Besides Echo Park Dam and the Central Utah Propect it would include the huge Glen Canyon storage and power dam reservoir and 12 other participating irrigation projects including the proposed $10 million Emery County project pro-ject for Utah. Total Utah expenditure expen-diture would be about $438 million. mil-lion. Secy. McKay's report threw the administraton solidly behind the Echo Park Dam, which has been bitterly fought by conser- fvation interests because its re-" servoir would flood a portion of Dinosaur National Monument. Backers Applaud Decision The following statement made by State Senator B. H. String- ham, former Vernal mayor, chairman of the 21-county committee, com-mittee, and the man who must be credited as the most ardent supporter of the project for many years, is typical of the attitude of many Utahns who received the message with unrestrained unre-strained glee: "This is the greatest thing that has come to Utah in a century. cen-tury. It signals the end of a five-year fight against the 'nature 'na-ture groups.' It means Utah's future growth and prosperity are assured." Study Both Sides of Controversy The secretary said he had reported re-ported to President Dwight D. Eisenhower that he was recommending recom-mending Echo Park only after a personal investigation had been conducted by Undersecretary Undersecre-tary Ralph Tudor of the pros and cons of its location within Dinosaur National Monument. The same study, he said, included includ-ed the proposed Split Mountain dam, a regulating reservoir and power plant downstream from Eacho Park and ' also within Dinosaur National Monument, which he also recommended as an "ultimate development" but that it not be authorized at this time. "The opposition to the two dams in question," Mr. Tudor reported to the secretary, "arises from persons and organizations interested in the national parks and their desire to preserve the Dinosaur National Monument in its present natural state. 'The Echo Park dam, in particular, will create a large Teservoir within this monument and will certainly alter its appearance and existing conditions - : Beauty Will Stay "It is a matter of personal opinion as to the extent of harm that may be created by this resevroir. . My own feeling is that the alteration will be substantial sub-stantial and if confliction interests inter-ests did not exist, I would prefer-to prefer-to see the monument remain in its natural state. However, I do feel that if the dam is built, the beauty of the park will by no means be, destroyed and it will remain an area of great attraction to' many people, "It should be noted that neith-(Continued neith-(Continued on back oage) Echo Park . . . (Continued from page 1) er of these proposed reservoirs will inundate any portion of the quarry where the dinosaur skeletons have been found." The estimated cost of the Echo Park dam is $176.4 million. mil-lion. The dam would be 525 feet high, store 6,460,000 acre feet of water and would have 200,000 kilowatts of installed power capacity. The report also recommended the expenditure of $21 million by the National Park Service for the development of the recreational rec-reational potentialities of Dinosaur Dino-saur National Monument and for archeological, wildlife and geological programs. Largest Single Job The largest single project of the first phase of the program is the Glen Canyon storage and power dam on the Colo-ado, 13 miles upstream from Lee's Ferry. This dam, which would cost an estimated $421 million, would be 580 feet high, would store 26 million acre feet of water and would have a power plant which would generate .800,000 kilowatts of electricity. J. Harold Eldredge. Roosevelt Hospital superintendent spent three days this week in Salt Lake City. While there he attended at-tended a State Hospital Association Associa-tion meeting and also the funeral funer-al services of Apostle Matthew Cowley. Buddy Kimball, son of Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Kimball, who is filling an LDS mission, has beeni transferred to Vancouver, Wash. Elder Kimball has been assigned as District Supervisor of the Oregon district. Mr. and Mrs. Theron Leavitt were Salt Lake City visitors this week. i |