Statement of the Irrigation Districts Association of California on the Pacific Southwest Water Plan Presented to the California Water Commission

Document: Statement of the Irrigation Districts Association of California on the Pacific Southwest Water Plan Presented to the California Water Commission, November 1, 1963, page 1STATEMENT OF THE IRRIGATION DISTRICTS ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA ON THE PACIFIC SOUTHWEST WATER PLAN PRESENTED TO THE CALIFORNIA WATER COMMISSION BY PRESIDENT HANS H. DOE November 1, 1963 The Irrigation Districts Association of California is a statewide organization of water agencies whose members together handle an estimated three-quarters of all water used in California, both for irrigation and municipal and industrial uses, and serve an estimated seventy-five per cent of all the people in California. The Pacific Southwest Water Plan admittedly is a report which was prepared in haste. The necessity for haste is not apparent. We suggest that ample time be taken to perfect any plan so that mistakes may be avoided and best results obtained at minimum possible cost. The Irrigation Districts Association of California is unable to approve the Pacific Southwest Water Plan as presented and recommends against its intro-duction in Congres in its present form. The Irrigation Districts Association of California does favor planning for sound regional water development, through cooperation of all agencies, Federal State and local, to make maximum use of our water resources, within economic limits, with adequate safeguards and by interstate compact. In an effort to aid in the development of a better plan, we offer the following suggestions: 1. That priority be given to conservation of water. 2. That the investigation of the desalting of saline water be accelerated. -1-Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 24 bit, 1,312,395 byte