Statement of Floyd E. Dominy, Commissioner of Reclamation, Before the Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, U.S. Senate on S. 1658

Document: Statement of Floyd E. Dominy, Commissioner of Reclamation, Before the Subcommittee on Irrigation & Reclamation, Committee on Interior & Insular Affairs, U.S. Senate on S. 1658, page 15for all irrigation canals and distribution systems, the improvement of farm practices under which available water supplies can be extended to a greater irrigated acreage, the conservation of water by the clearing of phreatophytes and other nonbeneficial vegetation along streambeds, the improvement of watershed management practices to increase the yields of the local watersheds, and the adoption of new techniques for the reduction of evaporation on the numerous reservoirs in this area. In summary, the basic need of the area is for an import water supply to augment the local supplies and an intensive program of fully implemented water management to conserve and extend the supplies that are available from whatever source. It should be emphasized that the project proposed for authorization by S. 1658 would provide supplemental water to sustain the economy that now exists in Central Arizona and to provide for future growth of this area. In other words, the proposed Central Arizona Project is vital and essential to preserve the economy that is now established--it is not a proposal to bring any new lands under irrigation. The Plan of Development As I previously pointed out, the Central Arizona Project plan of development is described in the Bureau's 1947 report and its appendices. In our updating studies, we have made only such changes in the plan as were required; (1) to eliminate some 15Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 902,767 byte