Statement of Stewart L. Udall, Secretary of the Interior

Document: Statement of Stewart Udall before the subcommittee on Irrigation & Reclamation, March 14, 1967, page 2As you have requested, Mr. Chairman, I am confining my testimony essentially to new matters not dealt with in our report of last year on H.R. 4671 or covered in the testimony which the Department presented at that time. In August of 1965, when I appeared before this Committee at the initial hearings on Colorado River Basin Project legislation, hopes were high that a program to alleviate the most urgent water deficiencies and to initiate a long-range, comprehensive solution to the Basin's water problems would be enacted by the 89th Congress. Unfortunately, the issues involved proved to be so complex that time ran out before they could be fully resolved. Although certain issues still remain in question a great deal of progress has been made. Widespread agreement now has been reached on the proper disposition of a number of key issues. On the foundation of agreement already achieved I am optimistic that, in this session, the Congress can mold and enact legislation that will be an acceptable, as well as an adequate, basis for meeting both the short- and long-term water needs of the Colorado River Basin. H.R. 3300 and related bills follow, to a considerable degree, H.R. 4671 as reported by this Committee last August. We propose 2Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 761,608 byte