Proposed Hayden Letter

Letter: Proposed Hayden letter, 1/24/64 (carbon copy), page 11/24/64 My attention has been called to proposals emanating from various sources in California that legislation dealing with the Central Arizona Project, whether independently or as a part of a regional plan, guarantee California an annual supply of 4.4 million acre feet from the Colorado River ahead of water for use in Arizona or Nevada. The obvious effect intended by such proposals is to subordinate Arizona's hard won entitlement to Colorado River water to uses in California in the event of a shortage in Colorado River water. These proposals represent nothing more than an attempt to secure a legislative reversal of the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Arizona v. California, a decision 10 years in the making and a decision which clears the way at long last for the Central Arizona development for which the State of Arizona has fought for 10 years. It must be obvious to the proponents of such a one-sided guarantee that neither Arizona nor the Congress of the United States can accept it. Therefore, it is plain that this proposal is not intended as a constructive contribution toward the solution of lower basin water problem. It represents yet another attempt to continue the campaign of delay and harrassment which certain elements in California, regrettably, have carried on in order to maintain and increase their use of the Colorado River at the expense of all other users in the Basin. 1Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 2,926,793 byte