Colorado's Involvement in Westwide Water Planning

Document: Remarks of Honorable Wayne N. Aspinall before the annual meeting of the Colorado State Grange, October 1, 1966, page 12influential publications as Life magazine, the New York Times, and the Readers Digest, has been effective among the Members of the House. The thrid major reason for failure was the opposition that developed in the Pacific Northwest. Ordinarily, reclamation projects can count on support of all of the reclamation states and their representatives in the Congress. In this case, the Members from the Northwest were in violent opposition to the study provisions in this legislation, reflecting the concern and fear throughout the Northwest that the Columbia River was the target of the study and that authorization of a study would constitute a first step in the exportation of Columbia Basin water to the Southwest. The Northwest, of course, has every right to be jealous and careful of its water supply just as we have; however, in my opinion, their fears were unwarrented. First, the legislation involved only a study and the language provided protection for the states and areas of origin in about as sweeping terms as could be devise. Second, the study provisions were intended to cover all possible means of augmentation, including not only all possible areas of surplus but also other means such as for water conservation and salvage programs, desalination, weather nodification, et cetera. The Northwest visualized itself as "target" because of its abundant supplies. -12-Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 1,983,297 byte