Notes on Conferences in Los Angeles

Document: Notes on Conferences in Los Angeles with California Water Leaders, December 1964 (thermofax), page 1NOTES ON CONFERENCES IN LOS ANGELES WITH CALIFORNIA WATER LEADERS A series of meetings was held in Los Angeles on Tuesday, December 15, 1964, by Secretary Udall and various California officials and water policy groups: Meeting with Governor Brown's people -- Hugo Fisher, William Warne, Abbott Goldberg and Wes Steiner. They reported the attitude throughout the Pacific Southwest was favorable to cooperation on a major Regional Water Plan -- one which would bring enough additional water in from the Colorado River or elsewhere outside the Basin that the 4.4 million acre feet per year guarantee insisted on by Senator Kuchel and Northcutt Ely would be relatively meaningless. None of the four appeared to favor clamping down at this time on Imperial Irrigation District's expansion or use of water which might be salvaged by lining the All American and Coachella Canals. They believe that even though the water could be used to make up shortages anticipated by the Metropolitan Water District, this would be a blow at unity in California and might disrupt efforts aimed at Congressional authorization of a Regional Plan. Meeting with the Colorado River Board -- Mr. Ely participated in this meeting and acted as spokesman for the Board. Secretary Udall stated that he was prepared to consult either personally or through representatives of the Department on a continuing and timely basis with all entities concerned in the Colorado River water supply problem. This assurance was welcomed by the Board. Mr. Ely stated that the Colorado River Board saw the Colorado River water crisis as involving three problems: (1) the need of filling the upper basin reservoirs, (2) the need of the Central Arizona Project for water, and (3) the need for protection of the existing California projects. Mr. Ely stated that the Board felt the practicable solution to be the large-scale augmentation of Colorado River water. By large-scale, they mean water not only to supply deficiencies in the basic 7.5 m.a.f. allotment, but also water to meet growth needs in addition thereto. It may be that Ely was, as some of us seemed to think, simply pushing for the same sort of agreement he sought from Arizona earlier this year as the price of any California support. It seemed fairly clear, however, that even though all the others present allowed Ely to do most of the talking for them, they were enthusiastically for the large Western water project, and in the face of it the 4.4 million acre feet guarantee has little meaning or importance.Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 24 bit, 1,843,711 byte