of Utah. At this time I would like to comment briefly on the proposed North Sanpete watershed project report that the Soil Conservation Service has prepared and is now before the subcommittee for consideration. "I should like to advise you at this time, that I am in full and complete agreement with the findings and recommendations of the Utah Water and Power Board with regard to this proposed project. "I have been closely associated with the North Sanpete water project for more than 40 years-in fact my first professional assignment was on this project. My present endorsement of the position taken by the Utah Water and Power Board is based on my personal knowledge of the project and its background, as well as on a careful review of the water and power board report. "The State of Utah is concerned with the most beneficial development of our limited water resource. While I give full endorsement to the North Sanpete watershed project, I wish to make it abundantly clear that I also will wholeheartedly support any project that will more fully develop the waters of the Price River system for the Carbon County interests. I am pleased with your personal efforts to bring about this development and I wish to assure the subcommittee and the Carbon County residents that the State of Utah will do all within its power to make full development of this river system and obtain the most beneficial use from this system to make full utilization a reality. "Sincerely yours, "GEORGE D. CLYDE, Governor.” Senator Moss. Mr. Bingham, you made some reference to the development of underground water in Sanpete County. Could you give me a little more on that. Is there a possibility of developing any major amount of water from underground sources there? Mr. BINGHAM. Senator, I think I could respond to that by stating that Sanpete Valley would, in many ways, be typical to other valleys in the State where we have underlain aquifers of porous material which, as a result of erosion, have been laid down and, as our mountain stream flow into these valleys, these porous, gravel layers are exposed near the mouths of the canyon where the water enters. In some areas, and in this area, you have flowing, which results not only in water being underground, but underground under pressure. This same situation creates some of the swamp areas in many of our valleys. So we have regarded, and the State does, this as a part of the total water supply of the area. The board's interest in this particular matter came about from its consultant on the geological underground matters, Dr. Ray E. Marsell, and his report, which is incorporated in the biennial report of the board, is certainly available to your committee, and he points out the potential water development. This report was referred to by the Soil Conservation Service during their planning of the project, and Dr. Marsell, I am sure, did consult with them. As I recall from memory, his report concluded that it would be possible to develop in the entire area some 8,000 acre-feet of water from undergound sources. Within the project area proposed here this was something slightly in excess of 4,000 acre-feet, which I think is a part of the overall development program. Senator Moss. Have you used that in computing, then, the amount of water that would become available to the Sanpete water users? In other words, have you contemplated that that would be developed? Mr. BINGHAM. That is correct. That, in addition to a program of improving the conveyance systems in the area to make available from more efficient use water in the project area. Senator Moss. That is how you get up to the 12,000 acre-feet with only some eight being diverted? Mr. BINGHAM. That is correct. Senator Moss. I understand now. All right. I think that con cludes Mr. Bingham, then. Thank you very much, Jay. We appre ciate your testimony. Mr. BINGHAM. Thank you, Senator. Mr. NIELSEN. I would now like to call Mr. Harold Wallace, president of the Utah Water Users Association in the State of Utah and an attorney practicing in Salt Lake City, who will speak. Senator Moss. All right, Mr. Wallace, Harold Wallace, who is president of the Utah Water Users Association. Glad to have you, Mr. Wallace. Mr. WALLACE. Thank you, Senator. STATEMENT OF HAROLD WALLACE, ATTORNEY AND PRESIDENT OF UTAH WATER USERS ASSOCIATION Mr. WALLACE. Utah water users feel highly honored in having yourself as chairman of the important Subcommittee on Irrigation of the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, your honor. We feel it is a wonderful compliment to the State. For the record, my name is Harold Wallace. I reside in Salt Lake City, Utah, and admitted to the practice of law before the courts of the State of Utah and before the U.S. Supreme Court. I am president of the Utah Water Users Association, which is an organization of the water users within the State of Utah. All counties, with one possible exception, are members of the Utah Water Users Association. The counties have organizations of water users within the counties, and those organizations are subsidiaries of the Utah State Water Users Association. The Utah State Water Users Association have gone on record as supporting the Gooseberry project, as has been outlined here and as has been outlined to the board of directors of our association. The board of directors of the Utah Water Users Association has approved a statement, a copy of which I have here in duplicate and will file with you for record, and that merely states that we feel that the Gooseberry project is advisable and essential to the best interests of the people of the State of Utah, and particularly with the people of Sanpete County, and that we feel that this project is justifiable in the interest of the economy of the State and the economy of Sanpete County, and that it is one that has long been contemplated by the water users of the State and one which has, on many occasions, been endorsed by the Utah Water Users Association, and that our appearance, as represented in this statement, has been authorized by the board of directors of the Utah Water Users Association. I think that is all I have. Senator Moss. Thank you, Mr. Wallace. This statement will be incorporated in full in the record at this point. We appreciate your appearance. (The prepared statement submitted by Mr. Wallace is as follows:) The Utah Water Users Association is a nonprofit corporation of the State of Utah. Its membership consists of over 1,100 water companies in the State, including most of the agricultural users and some of the largest industrial users of water in Utah. It maintains a local organization in each county, which are subsidiaries to our State association. It was incorporated August 17, 1944, as a successor to the Utah Water Storage Commission for the express and declared purpose of helping to develop and utilize the water resources of the State for the beneficial use of our water users, consistent with the welfare of the people of the State and rights of those who have appropriated or may appropriate such waters under applicable laws. From the beginning of our organization, we have been aware of the plans and efforts of the Sanpete people to prove up on their application to construct a reservoir and tunnel to bring additional water from the upper watershed of Gooseberry Creek (in Sanpete County) into the upper Sanpete Valley to supplement early spring runoff in the later season so that present and future potential users will have a more uniform and sustained flow of water during the summer months. We recognize that the need for supplemental water in Sanpete County is a must to mature their crops in the latter part of the growing season. Although in previous planning of the Gooseberry project, by the Bureau of Reclamation, it was proposed to construct a larger reservoir and divert more water into Sanpete County than is now proposed by the Soil Conservation Service as a component part of its North Sanpete watershed work plan, we feel that the present project should be approved by the Federal Government and participating funds made available under Public Law 566. We express our appreciation to the Director of the Soil Conservation Service for the thorough and detailed analysis that has been made and the overall water development and water conservation measures which have been proposed. The construction of the contemplated works and putting into effect of the land-treatment measures called for will do much to bolster the sagging economy of Sanpete County and help to stop the migration of the people to other areas for employment. We are not unmindful of the opposition to the project advanced by certain groups in Carbon County. However, the record discloses that when the water users in Carbon County were seeking to obtain Federal assistance to rebuild the Scofield Reservoir, ahead of the Gooseberry Reservoir, Carbon County agreed to support the building of the Gooseberry Seservoir if Sanpete County would approve the rebuilding of the Scofield Reservoir. Sanpete County lived up to this agreement and kept their promise. We now hope that Carbon County will live up to and keep their agreement. We feel that the oral and written commitments which were made to Sanpete water users and to the Federal Government by Carbon County should now be honored and upheld. Furthermore, the proposed project will divert less water from the Gooseberry watershed into Sanpete Valley than was previously contemplated by the Bureau of Reclamation. We, as water users, think the North Sanpete watershed plan to be very fair and equitable. It will furnish a supplemental water supply to approximately 17,000 acres of No. 1 farmland, together with supplying indirectly additional water to another 13,000 to 14,000 acres of land. It will provide facilities for recreational activities to attract tourists, and will otherwise indirectly benefit the economy of the county-all without adversely affecting any vested water rights in Carbon County. Senator Moss. The Utah Water Users is a voluntary citizens' organization, is that correct? Mr. WALLACE. That's right. It is made up of over 1,100 companies within the State, and is supported by, not only the principal irrigation companies, but also by the larger industrial users of water within the State. Senator Moss. I see. Thank you very much. Mr. WALLACE. The entire object of the organization is to promote the maximum use of water within the State for commercial, irrigation, and municipal purposes. Senator Moss. Thank you, sir. Mr. NIELSEN. Thank you very much, Mr. Wallace. We would now like to call on Mr. Kendrick Harward of Richfield, Utah, who is chairman of the Sevier County Commission and also chairman of the six-county organization. Mr. Harward, would you come forward? Senator Moss. We are glad to have you, Mr. Harward. You may proceed. SEVIER STATEMENT OF KENDRICK HARWARD, CHAIRMAN, Mr. HARWARD. Mr. Chairman, it is a pleasure for me to be here today. I have a prepared statement here, which I will not read, but will submit as part of the record of this hearing today. Senator Moss. You may do that, and then you may go ahead and highlight any part of this that you would like to speak about. Mr. HARWARD. My name, for the record, is Kendrick Harward. I reside at Richfield, Utah, and am presently chairman of the Sevier County Board of Commissioners and am at present also chairman of the six-county organization, which includes Piute, Wayne, Sevier, Millard, Sanpete, and Juab Counties. Our purpose in this organization is to promote the well-being, economically and socially, of the people in our counties and try to work out together the problems which are common to us. This problem has been presented to us some time ago. Our group has gone on record as supporting Sanpete County in the development of this project, and in July of 1962 adopted a resolution which has been made part of the record in the hearing in Washington, and also as part of my statement here today. We have not changed our position in this, and we do earnestly solicit your support and early consideration and adoption of this great program. Thank you very much. Senator Moss. Thank you. Your statement includes a resolution that your organization has adopted? Mr. HARWARD. Yes, sir. This resolution was signed and approved by all of the commissioners present at that meeting last year. Senator Moss. All right. Thank you, Mr. Harward. Glad to have you come and testify. (The prepared statement submitted by Mr. Harward is as follows:) My name is Kendrick Harward. I live in Richfield, Utah, and am chairman of the Board of County Commissioners of Sevier County. I am also present chairman of the six-county organization, consisting of the counties of Juab, Sevier, Sanpete, Piute, Millard, and Wayne. In this organization we have followed with interest the program for the development of more water for the Sanpete area. We are acutely conscious of the need of this area for an increased water supply and of the efforts in the past of Sanpete County to construct facilities for water storage in the Gooseberry area. The North Sanpete watershed work plan is the type of water and soil conservation program which we have encouraged throughout our area, and will obviously result in substantial economic benefits to a very depressed area. Many of our farmrs work with marginally productive lands because of an inadequate water supply. The proposed plan encompasses not only a water storage facility but many improvements in respect to water transmission and on-thefarm practices. We of the six-county organization feel that Federal funds and assistance should not be limited to just a small segment of our State. We realize that Carbon County has had its problems in maintaining its economic stability; but it has also received large sums of money from the Federal Government not only for water development but for other purposes. We are happy to see this County receive such assistance; but we also believe other counties such as Sanpete should be treated with equal consideration. Last summer our organization met and unanimously adopted a resolution favoring approval of the north Sanpete watershed work plan. This resolution has never been altered or rescinded; and I am authorized to submit it again in hopes that it will assist you in reaching a favorable conclusion on the proposed plan. It reads as follows: "Whereas the counties of central and southern Utah have for many years been and are now organized as a six-county organization for the purpose of promoting and furthering the economic and social development of the areas encompassed by said counties, and particularly to work together to promote those activities in which said counties have a common interest and purpose; and "Whereas said counties are familiar with the north Sanpete watershed project, which has been planned under the auspices of the Soil Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, working in cooperation with Sanpete County and the various local organizations therein, with the approval and support of the State of Utah, acting through the agricultural department and the Utah Water and Power Board; and "Whereas said project is now before the Public Works Committees of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate for approval, after having been endorsed by the State of Utah, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other governmental agencies involved; and "Whereas it appears that said project is economically feasible; that sufficient water is available to justify the proposed development; and that the people of Sanpete County are legally and morally entitled to have said project fully completed: Now, therefore, be it "Resolved, That the counties comprising said six-county organization execute this resolution, by and through their respective commissioners, and copies of the same be mailed to the chairman of the respective committees concerned with the approval thereof, and the members of the subcommittees designated to hear the matter. "Dated this 27th day of July 1962." The resolution is signed by all 18 county commissioners from the 6 counties involved. We earnestly solicit your support and approval of the north Sanpete watershed work plan. Mr. NIELSEN. I think the record will show at the House committee hearings, Mr. Chairman, that all 18 of the commissioners representing both political parties signed that resolution. Senator Moss. Thank you. Mr. NIELSEN. Mr. Clifford S. Blackham, will you please come forward? Mr. Blackham is a resident of Moroni, Utah, and a member of the Sanpete County Commission. Senator Moss. Mr. Blackham, we are glad to have you come today to testify, and you may proceed. Mr. BLACKHAM. Thank you. STATEMENT OF CLIFFORD S. BLACKMAN, SANPETE COUNTY COMMISSION Mr. BLACKHAM. Mr. Chairman, I am Clifford S. Blackham, residing at Moroni, Utah, and I am a member of the Board of County Commissioners of Sanpete County. I appear here today as a proponent of his project, and, in the interest of time, I will submit a prepared written statement which outlines in our county the need for additional water and the vital importance of this need in our county. Senator Moss. Thank you. That will be made part of the record. you have any comments you want to make about it, you may do that. If you just want to let it stand as written, that is fine. If Mr. BLACKHAM. I think the statement Senator Moss. Is complete in itself? Mr. BLACKHAM. Yes. Thank you. Senator Moss. All right. And this is favoring the project. (The prepared statement submitted by Mr. Blackham is as follows:) |