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20 RELEASE OF COLORADO RIVER WATER So there was emphasis made in announcing the availability of this water for river regulation purposes as to its correlative value in improving the salinity situation during this next winter's critical period. Senator ANDERSON. But the answer to Senator Moss is that this water is solely for flushing and not for dilution. Mr. DOMINY. Exactly. The other is only a corollary, and ancillary, matter incident to our river regulation functions. Senator ANDERSON. It just happens to exist because you cannot stop the water once you use it for flushing. Mr. DOMINY. That is right. Senator MOSS. I wanted to ask another question. Senator CARROLL. Will the Senator yield before he goes further? Senator MOSS. Certainly. Senator CARROLL. This flushing operation you have described certainly will not injure our relations with Mexico; would it? Mr. DOMINY. Certainly not. Senator CARROLL. They would be halpful? Mr. DOMINY. Certainly. I would like to point out that the only thing the panel of experts were coming up with was a construction program which could not possibly, even though instituted immediately, could not possibly have given any relief by the winter of 1962-63. So the availability of this water for river regulation purposes and the ancillary dilution that would result from the extra water being in the river, made it very helpful in our relations with Mexico to make this announcement. Senator CARROLL. Is it safe to say, or is it correct to say, that with respect to this dredging operation, if you do remove the silt you also improve, do you not, the quality of the water? Mr. DOMINY. Well, that does not necessarily follow because the quality of the water problem results from the return flow drainage in the winter months into the river at a time when the greater portion of the water in the river is of the return flow character. You see, Mexico is only required, under the treaty, during the winter months, to accept a 900-cubic-foot-per-second flow of water and there is about that much return flow. Senator CARROLL. I am sorry I could not be with you this morning. I was where they are giving the Dooley Medal to Mrs. Dooley. But I am very much interested in this matter of Colorado River water. Our Government has been negotiating with the Mexican Government on this very operation you are talking about? Mr. DOMINY. Yes. This has been quite a serious problem between the two Governments and the State Department, the International Boundary Commission, and the Mexican Government. They agreed to have a panel of experts from the United States and Mexico review the problem. Without any determination in advance as to what would be possible, and with full recognition that the United States intended to preserve the rights of the United States under the treaty, nevertheless we want to do anything we can within practical limits, as a good neighbor, to help alleviate the problem of the water. The experts from Mexico and from the United States have met, they have drafted a report, and I understand that the U.S. panel will report very shortly as to some long-range proposals that they think might improve the situation.Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 24 bit, 6,865,920 byte