Published by the Upper Colorado River Grass Roots, lnc.-A citizens' group supporting the Colorado NEW EVIDENCE PROVES ECHO PARK LEGALLY RESERVED FOR DAM SITE Sena tor Watkins produced documents showing that eleven power and reclama­ ECHO PAR K NOT A PARK; tion withdrawals specifically including the Echo Park and Split Mountain dam sites, MERELY DEEP CANYON were made from 1904 to 1925. These filings are in full force and effect today. Many Americans not familiar with Echo Park and Split Mountain dam sites 8,FQ~ TFQ!il@ily ,a&~\I.RIQ that • Eeh are now-an a w·ays nave een-legally Park is just that-a park. But it isn't. reserved for power and reclamation pur­ It's merely a deep-walled bare canyon. poses, new documentary evidence pre­ The area got its name from an old sented to Congress shows. custom in the West of designating small The new evidence was presented by basin areas on streams, in canyons and Sen. Arthur V. Watkins during recent in the national forests as "parks." hearings on the Colorado River S'torage Project of which Echo Park is the key unit. Grazing Still Allowed "Construction of Echo Park thus could not possibly serve as a precedent for In Echo Park; More invading national monuments," Sen. Wat­ kins said. "In fact, these documents actu­ Proof Damsite Exempted ally prove the reverse-that this reserved Release of new documentary evidence reclamation area has been invaded illeg­ supporting legal withdrawal of the Echo ally by a national monument. Park area for reclamation purposes is cor­ "I declare without fear of successful roborated by continued grazing of the challenge that the opponents of Echo Park area. and Split Mountain reservoirs are attempt­ This point is emphasized by David H. ing to invade areas which were withdrawn Madsen, the acting superintendent of This is a rtist's d ra wi ng of from the public domain and set aside for Dinosaur National Monument at the time p roposed Echo Park Dam. the specific purpose of water and power it was enlarged. Structure wi ll cover only development and conservation, by duly "I was authorized to state and did o ne-sixth of canyo n walls. constituted agencies of the United States state as a representative of the National many years before the extension of the Park Service, that grazing on the area ECHO PARK KEY UNIT Dinosaur National Monument was ever would not be discontinued and that in the thought of. event it became necessary to construct a OF Vil Al COLORADO "And these withdrawn areas enjoy the project or projects for power or irrigation same status now as they did the day they in order to develop that part of the RIVER STORAGE PROJECT were withdrawn," the Senator declared. states of Colorado and Utah, that the Echo Park Dam is unreservedly recom­ Senator Watkins, who won widespread establishment of the Monument would not mended by all residents of the Mountain commendation for his successful conduct interfere with sue. development " Mr. West beca'.!Se_ it is th key un· cLt of the Senatct:.. McCru:thy censure case, pro­ adsen says. Colorado River Storage Project. duced his new evidence after an extensive Mr. Madsen promised the people of Utah It is the "work horse" of the project. search of government records. and Colorado that grazing and r eclam ation It can produce more power and produce Following study of the records, he said rights would be preserved. In the 17 it more efficiently t h an any other site, he could categorically state that the Echo intervening years, grazing has continued according to reclamation officials. Park and Split Mountain dam sites "are in the Dinosaur area-and power and "The Echo Dam is the key unit in the not now an d never have been under the irrigation rights are just as valid. Upper Colorado development because it exclusive possession and jurisdiction of the makes feasible the other dams in t he gen­ National Park Administration. 11 POWER WITHDRAWALS eral area. No other dam in the Upper "In ·fact," the Senator told his col­ system can stand alone as a power pro­ leagues, "it is extremely doubtful that the IN EFFECT NOW, FPC SAYS ducer," says Iva! Goslin of t he Upper National Park Service has now, or ever Eleven power site withdrawals in the Colorado River Commission. has had, jurisdiction over said areas, Echo Park area are as effective today as "No other substitute site is available except in subservient capacity, the day they were filed. which can provide stream regulation on "These conclusions furthermore are sus­ So ruled Jerome K. Kuykendall, chair­ the upper reaches of the river system; tained by irrefutable documentary evi­ man of the Federal Power Commission, in which can provide water for consumptive dence from the records of the Federal a recent opinion- for Sen. Arthur V. Wat­ use in the Uintah Basin; which can provide Power Commission-an independent fed­ kins. a tie between Glen Canyon and the Upper eral agency set up by Congress-and the "You asked to be advised as to: What Basin power outlets," Mr. Goslin said. Department of the Interior," the Senator was the status of the power withdrawals Echo Park is what reclamation engineers said. on July 14, 1938, and what is their status fondly term a high-altitude deep-walled IN SUPPORT OF HIS STAND at this time?" Mr. Kuykendall wrote. dam site, thus providing the least possible The Sen ator produced a recent letter "In answer to that inquiry, the follow­ evaporation losses. The best possible from Jerome K. Kuykendall, chairman ing power site withdrawals were in effect alternate would involve •the added loss of the Federal Power Commission, which July 14, 1938, as to lands now within the through evaporation of 100,000 acre feet stated that the "power site with drawals monument boundaries and no appreciable of water a year. This is enough water to were in effect July 14, 1938, as to lands change has been m ade in them since that supply a city the size of Denver..:..and in now within the monument boundaries date" (eleven power site withdrawals the water-short West, that loss is pro­ and no appreciable change has been made listed). hibitive. in them since that date." See Documents on Page 4 Lands Withdrawn for Power Purposes Within Dinosaur National Monument Legend Power Site Withdrawals Date of Approval Still in Effect PSR Reserve No. 5 May 26, 1909 Yes Power Site Reserve Reserve No. 42 Aug.27, 1909 Yes Reserve No. 121 March 10, 1910 Yes PSC Reserve No. 721 July 11, 1919 Yes Power Site Classification Reserve No. 732 Dec. 27, 1919 Yes Classification No. 3 May 17, 1921 Yes Red Area Classification No. 60 Feb.21,1924 Yes Dinosaur National Monument Classification No. 87 Feb.14, 1925 Yes Classification No. 93 April 16, 1925 Yes Black Area (Echo Dam) Lands withdrawn for power purposes FPC Project No. 524 Aug.4, 1924 Yes I Echo Park Dam Site I Originc,I Monument Area (80 ACRES) I n DOCUMENTS SHOW ECHO PARK AREA RESERVED FOR POWER USE Shown in black on the accompanying quested release of these power and map are the 11 power and reclamation reclamation reservations but that both site withdrawals made from 1904 to requests were rejected by the Federal 1925 in what is now Dinosaur National Power Commission. Monument. These land reservations Following is the direct quotation of -specifically including the Echo Park the FPC on this matter at that time: dam site--were made ·by the Secretary " ... Giving due consideration to the of the Interior or by the Federal Power prospect that some time may elapse Commission for the purpose of water before this power is needed, the Com­ and power development in the public mission believes that the public inter­ interest. These reservations are still est in this major power resource is too in full force and effect today, according reat to permit its impairment by to the chairman of the ederal ower vo untary re mqms ment of two units Commission and government authori­ [Echo Park and Blue Mountain dam ties who have checked the documents sites] in the center of the scheme. The in the case. Commission will not object, however, Thus, there is no question of the to the creation of the monument if the dam site invading the national monu­ proclamation contains a specific pro­ ment-in fact it is the other way vision that power development under around actually. The reclamation site the provisions of the Federal Water has first and prior rights legally. Power act will be permitted." This Documents accepted recently by the specific provision was included in the House and Senate Committee hearings presidential proclamation of 1938 on the Colorado River Storage Project which expanded Dinosaur National show that the National Parks Service Monument from 80 to 203,965 acres and the Secretary of the Interior twice and took in the above-mentioned dam -once in 1934 and once in 1935-re- sites. DOCUMENTS Continued from Page 1 Also introduced into the Senate record were letters from the Federal Power Com­ HISTORY OF Pleas to Release Echo Site mission of Dec. 13, 1934 and again of Jan. 6, 1936, in which Frank R. McNinch, ECHO PARK DAM SITE Twice Reiected by chairman of the Federal Power Commis­ sion, rejected requests of the National 1904 to 1925: Eleven withdrawals or Federal Power Chief Park s •~rvice and the Interior Department reservations of large tracts within the that the power sites be relinquished.