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Show Bureau Of Reclamation Expected To Push Giant Project; Funds Jot Anticipated Until 1957 Wednesday, April 11, will be .recorded into the history books as one "of the great days for the Upper Colorado River states.. It was early yesterday morning when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill authorizing a 760 million dollar system of dams and irrigation projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin, largest reclamation recla-mation authorization ever granted in a single piece of legislation. The President signed the bill at Augusta, Ga., in his office near a golf course where he is spending a brief vacation. "You are coming in to see one I am glad to sign, anyway," the smiling President told newsmen crowding around his desk to watch him affix his signature. "This bill represents what I believe be-lieve in tre?ting a whole river valley as a unit," he continued. "It recognizes that water is getting to be our most valuable resource." President Eisenhower used several sev-eral pens to sign the bill. Presumably, Pre-sumably, they will be presented to congressional sponsors of the measure. Congressional approval of the bill encompassed years of controversy contro-versy in which southern California ' interests raised opposition on the grounds that their area would be deprived of needed water and conservation con-servation groups fought, successfully, success-fully, for the elimination of the Echo Park Dam in Dinosaur National Na-tional Monument. Funds Not Given The authorization measure does not include funds for the actual construction work. They must be provided in separate legislation. In his January budget message, the President said that if the project were authorized, he would ask for eight million dollars to begin the work. In Washington, Sen. Joseph O'Mahoney (D-Wyo.) said he has been "reliably informed" that the Bureau of the Budget plans to submit requests for the initial funds during the present session of Congress. Sen. O'Mahoney said it was unlikely un-likely that any substantial appropriations appro-priations can be cleared through the bureau and Congress before 1957. Ho added that he has urged priority for the - Flaming Gorge dam as well as Glen Canyon dam. Ready To Start Reclamation Commissioner Wilbur Wil-bur A. Dexheimer issued a statement state-ment says the Reclamation Bureau is ready to start immediately on final designs for the project units, (Continued on Page 2) PRESIDENT SIGNS BILL . . . (Continued trom page one) on construction of access roads to the dam sites and on erection of a construction camp at Glen Canyon. The principal structure's to be built are Glen Canyon Dam in northern .Arizona estimated at $421,270,000; Flaming Gorge Dam on the Green River in north-eastern Utah, estimated at $82,942,000, and Navajo Dam on the San Juan River in northwest New Mexico, estimated at $36,592,000. |
