Letter Responding to Editorial About Central Arizona Project and Pacific Southwest Water Plan

Letter: From Marvin S.Cohen, to Tucson Daily Citizen, January 17, 1964 (photocopy), page 1January 17, 1964 Tucson Daily Citizen 208 North Stone Avenue Tucson, Arizona Dear Sir: In your editorial of January 16, 1964, concerning the Central Arizona Project and Pacific Southwest Water Plan, you state that Arizona "can't wait and neither can Arizona afford to have its project submerged completely in the bigger Udall program." Roy Elson, in the accompanying column, expresses a fear that the "Secretary's complicated and controversial multi-billion dollar program will become bogged down in Congress." Both comments are out of perspective. The over-all Central Arizona Project (CAP) would cost 1.1 billion dollars. The regional plan would cost approximately 1.7 billion dollars and would include all the features of the Central Arizona Project plus other water projects for Southern California, Utah and Nevada. Since CAP comprises two-thirds of the entire regional plan, it can hardly be claimed that Arizona's project is being submerged in the Udall program. As Roy Elson pointed out, CAP would directly benefit 75% of Arizona's 1.6 million people. However, for just one-third more money the regional plan would benefit nearly 12 million people! If Arizona tries to put CAP through Congress by itself, it will face strong California opposition and run a great risk of defeat in the House of Representatives. If Arizona goes it alone, and is defeated, it would seriously jeopardize any future enactment of a regional plan. Since the regional plan is primarily (2/3) the Central Arizona Project, the same opposition which defeated CAP would be solidified and could probably defeat the larger plan. If, however, Arizona goes along with the regional plan initially, the states of the Pacific Southwest, including California, will present a solid front to Congress and chances of passage will be greatly enhanced. Governor Brown of California has already submitted a report to Secretary Udall which raises no objection to CAP as part of the regional plan. It is painfullyEpson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 2,556,033 byte