Scope of Lower Colorado River Basin Plan

Document: Attachment 1, Scope of Lower Colorado River Basin Plan, March 1965, page 14While the cost protection to areas of origin is important in principle, it may well be an academic provision. If desalted water proves to be the most economic means of developing new water for the Pacific Southwest, the protection would have no application. If the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam were selected as the source of import waters, the magnitude of surplus flows available makes it extremely improbable that application of the cost protection would ever be required. Only if the coastal streams of northern California were selected as the areas of origin of export waters would the cost protection appear to have meaning. Based on present knowledge, surplus waters in the quantities required for the Pacific Southwest do not appear available from this source. III. Bridge Canyon and Marble Canyon Dams How does the proposal to build Bridge and Marble Canyon Dams square with the Administration's commitment to preserve natural beauty? The Administration's commitment to preserve natural beauty obviously is not a commitment to preserve all geographic features in their natural state, regardless of the cost or consequences. Rather, it is a commitment to foster a reasonable balance between preservation of natural conditions and devotion of natural resources to other ends. The proposals for Bridge Canyon and Marble Canyon Dams would not upset nor preclude such a balance along the Colorado River; they would be consistent with such a balance. 14Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 1,652,129 byte