[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 130 (Saturday, August 5, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1678-E1679]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 TO DIRECT THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO MAKE CERTAIN MODIFICATIONS 
      WITH RESPECT TO A WATER CONTRACT FOR THE CITY OF KINGMAN, AZ

                                 ______


                             HON. BOB STUMP

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 4, 1995
  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my House colleagues from 
Arizona, I am today introducing a bill to provide for a timely 
resolution to a water problem in the third congressional district which 
affects more than 120,000 people in Mohave County, AZ.
  For some time, the city of Kingman, AZ, has worked diligently to 
address the present and future water needs of its citizens. The city's 
hard work and tenacity has brought together their neighbors in Mohave 
County, the Arizona Department of Water Resources, and the Department 
of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, among others, to craft a 
regional response to the region's continued growth and its management 
and conservation of Colorado River water and groundwater, all along 
meeting State and Federal technical and substantive concerns. Their 
work was based on a comprehensive needs assessment and has resulted in 
an innovative and responsible plan, regarded as a unique achievement 
for Mohave County and a major step forward in water management in 
Arizona, and is supported by the local governments, Mohave County, the 
State of Arizona, the congressional delegation and, we believed, the 
Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of the Interior.
  Unfortunately, as the final steps were being taken to make the plan a 
reality and confirm years of hard work, the Bureau of Reclamation was 
instructed by the Department in March of this year to temporarily 
suspend any further discussions. After most 2 months of no explanation 
for the cancellation of the discussions, we learned that the Department 
was assessing the water needs of Mohave County and attempting to 
determine how much water may be needed to settle remaining Indian water 
claims in Arizona. The action by the Department is contrary to all 
previous representations and commitments regarding the Kingman water, 
and without a reasonable solution in sight and facing a December 31, 
1995 deadline, legislation is unfortunately needed to resolve this 
matter.
  By way of background, the city of Kingman has had a valid water 
contract since 1968 with the United States for the delivery of 18,500 
acre feet of Colorado River water annually. Under Kingman's contract, 
the United States reserved the right to terminate the contract if 
Kingman did not ``order, divert, transport and apply water for use by 
the city'' by November 13, 1993. The water to be delivered under the 
contract was intended to be used directly by Kingman in providing 
municipal and industrial water service to its customers.
  Beginning in the 1970's, the city studied various alternatives for 
directly delivering Colorado River water to the Kingman area. Although 
Kingman diligently attempted to develop a plan that would facilitate 
the city's direct use of its entitlement, the studies indicated that 
the capital expenditures required for water transportation and 
treatment made direct use of the water prohibitively expensive.
  In May 1993, the city adopted a water adequacy study, which developed 
a long-term water resource management plan for Kingman. While the study 
confirmed that direct use of the city's Colorado River allocation was 
simply not feasible, it also represented several alternatives for use 
of the city's Colorado River entitlement. Most notably, the study 
recommended that the city's entitlement be exchanged for the funding of 
other water resource development, effluent reuse, and water 
conservation projects. In addition, the study included a hydrological 
analysis of the Hualupai basin, which is Kingman's primary groundwater 
source. The hydrological analysis concluded that 4.2 million acre-feet 
of groundwater in the basin were available to the city, an amount which 
exceeds the city's needs for the next century. Based on the study's 
findings and recommendations, Kingman officials sought the development 
of a plan which would enable the city to transfer its Colorado River 
entitlement in exchange for either water from other sources or for 
resources which could be used to develop available groundwater 
supplies, conserve water, or reuse effluent.
  After the completion of the study, Kingman solicited statements of 
interest from various organizations in an effort to identify entities 
which would be interested in an exchange of the city's Colorado River 
entitlement. As a result of the solicitation process, seven entities 
expressed an interest in obtaining more than 45,000 acre-feet per year 
of Colorado River water.
  During the time that Kingman solicited interest regarding an exchange 
of the city's Colorado River entitlement, the city realized that it 
would be unable to finalize a plan which would put its entitlement to 
beneficial use by the November, 1993, deadline required in its water 
delivery contract. In August, 1993, the entire Arizona congressional 
delegation worked with the city to obtain an extension of time from the 
Bureau of Reclamation to enable Kingman to formulate a plan to put its 
entitlement to beneficial use. The request was also supported by the 
Arizona Department of Water Resources.
  In September 1993, the Bureau of Reclamation agreed that it was in 
the best interests of all parties for the contract to be extended. The 
Bureau deferred the termination date of the contract to December 31, 
1994, requiring that the city submit a plan for the beneficial use of 
water outside Kingman on or before October 31, 1994. The Bureau further 
indicated that it would give any Kingman proposal full consideration, 
but would look to the Arizona Department of Water Resources to provide 
a recommendation before any final decision would be made.
  Once Kingman received the necessary extension, Kingman and other 
Mohave County communities and organizations began serious discussions 
which focused on the development of a regional approach for putting 
Kingman's entitlement to beneficial use. The Colorado River Ad Hoc 
Water Users Group/Mohave Ad Hoc Committee was formed, and among other 
included Kingman, Bullhead City,
 Lake Havasu City, Golden Shores Water Conservation District, the 
Mohave Valley Irrigation and Drainage District, and the Mohave Water 
Conservation District. Through a series of public meetings and 
discussions, the concept of creating a county water authority was 
adopted.

  In late January, 1994, the six Arizona legislators who represent the 
two State legislative districts in Mohave County introduced the county 
water authority bill in the Arizona Legislature. Throughout the 
legislative process, the prospective authority members, the Mohave Ad 
Hoc Committee, sought comments on the bill's technical and substantive 
elements from Reclamation, the Arizona Department of Water Resources, 
the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, the Arizona Municipal 
Water Users Association, and numerous other organizations. In an effort 
to build consensus for the formation of a county water authority, the 
bill was amended to meet the needs and concerns of all entities who 
commented on it.
  The bill was signed into law by Governor Fife Symington on April 8, 
1994, and the Arizona Department of Water Resources favorably 
recommended Kingman's plan to the Bureau of Reclamation and recommended 
that the Bureau initiate the process to effect the transfer of 
Kingman's water to the authority. To provide the time needed to review 
and complete the plan, the Bureau again extended the contract to 
December 31, 1995.
  The creation of the Mohave County Water Authority reflects not only 
the ability of a diverse group of water users in one of the country's 
fastest growing areas to work together to formulate a plan to meet the 
water needs of a region, but it also favorably accomplishes an 
expressed interest of the Bureau of Reclamation that they have a single 
entity to work with in the coordination of the needs of water 
contractors in Mohave County.
  We will continue to attempt to resolve this matter by signing those 
documents which were to have been finalized in March. However, lacking 
any real assurance that this matter can be resolved in a timely manner 
to meet the December 31, 1995, deadline and having been unsuccessful in 
obtaining an extension of time for meaningful negotiations, at this 
time we have no alternative but to seek a legislative direction to the 
Secretary of the Interior that the Department maintain its agreement 
and finalize the creation of the Mohave County Water Authority through 
the transfer of Kingman's water contract.
  Those who have committed their time and energy to this endeavor are 
to be highly commended, and I urge my colleagues favorable 
consideration
 for Military History. These transcripts become key resource documents 
for future researchers. Additionally, LTC McCallum just recently 
completed a Senior Officer Oral History Interview with retired Maj. 
Gen. Charles M. Kiefner. This interview documents General Kiefner's 16 
years as the adjutant general of Missouri and 45 years as a soldier.

  This spring, LTC McCallum helped design and teach a pilot class on 
Critical Thinking for Senior Military Leaders. This is a new course 
within the War College's curriculum. Additionally, LTC McCallum served 
as an active member on the planning committee for the 1995 Jim Thorpe 
sports days. This is a 2-day athletic contest, sponsored by the U.S. 
Army War College, which brings teams from six of our Nation's senior 
service schools together for athletic competition in 12 different 
events. As a member of this planning committee, he also served as the 
chairman of the subcommittee 

[[Page E1679]]

responsible for the development of the information booklet and the 
advanced publicity for Jim Thorpe days.
  Earlier this year, LTC McCallum was selected by the commandant to 
participate as one of the eight members who served on the War College's 
Current Affairs Panel. This panel is a special program that was 
established by the War College in 1969 as an academic outreach effort. 
As a member of this panel, LTC McCallum's regional specialty was the 
Middle East. During the past 6 months, this panel traveled to several 
universities and conducted formal presentations on topics which 
addressed national security and current political events.
  On June 10, 1995, LTC McCallum graduated from the War College 
curriculum with special honors. He became the first student in the 
history of the Army War College to receive three writing awards. 
Specifically, his paper on the United Nations received the Army War 
College's Foundation Writing Award. His monograph on Operation Desert 
Shield/Desert Storm received the Army War College's Best Personal 
Experience Monograph Award and his Senior Officer Oral History 
Interview with retired General Franks, received the Bristol Oral 
History Award.


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