[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 29, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E766]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO WATER 
                          CONSERVANCY DISTRICT

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                          HON. JOHN T. SALAZAR

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 29, 2008

  Mr. SALAZAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the occasion of the 
50th Anniversary of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy 
District. All of us have in our districts special places and special 
people. The Arkansas Valley is very near to me because of the grit of 
its people and its genuine effort to sustain its culture and rural 
economy.
  More than half a century ago, this region was optimistic about its 
future. The Valley knew that if it worked hard, it could prosper. But 
the people in the Valley also knew that they needed more water in order 
to do so. It was then that they envisioned a project which would bring 
them supplemental water for farms and ranches and small businesses and 
industry like the steel mill.
  The people came together to push such a project, which came to be 
known as the Fryingpan-Arkansas because it moved water from the 
Fryingpan River watershed to the Arkansas River basin. In fact, the 
people needed to lobby Washington on behalf of the project, and they 
sold small golden fryingpans to raise money to send citizen lobbyists 
to Washington to tell the story of their need and their dream.
  The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District was eventually 
formed by these local activists, if you will. It was created under 
Colorado statute and designated by the Pueblo, Colorado district court. 
Its mission was to develop, in partnership with the Bureau of 
Reclamation, the multi-purpose project we now know.
  I want to congratulate the District on its 50 years of dedicated 
work. Not only does it manage this complex project with its many 
diversion, conveyance and storage features; it promotes conservation 
programs, administers a valuable winter water storage program, and 
manages return flows for augmentation purposes.
  The District and its many distinguished board members who have served 
the District and the Valley over 50 years are to be commended for their 
important efforts as they celebrate their golden anniversary today.

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