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Reavley, general counsel, Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc., Austin,
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Letters, statements, and memorandums-Continued

Mexico-Texas Bridge Owners Association, resolution by, submitted by
Hon. O. C. Fisher, on behalf of Aubrey Rowland..

Daniel, Gov. Price, of Texas, telegram from, to Hon. O. C. Fisher.
Uvalde, Tex., telegram from prominent citizens of, to Hon. O. C. Fisher--
Texas Water Conservation Association, statement of J. E. Sturrock,
general manager, submitted by Hon. O. C. Fisher-

Arroyo Colorado Navigation District of Cameron and Willacy Counties,

Harlingen, Tex., letter of February 3, 1960, from Clifford H. Purdy,

chairman, to Hon. Thomas E. Morgan, chairman, Committee on Foreign

Affairs

Green, Edward H., Harlingen, Tex., letter of February 4, 1960, to Hon.

Thomas E. Morgan, chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs

Concho Valley Electric Cooperative, San Angelo, Tex., letter of February 5,

1960, from Carroll Land, manager, to Hon. O. C. Fisher__

Federal Power Commission, letter of February 16, 1960, from Hon. Jerome

K. Kuykendall, Chairman, to Hon. Armistead I. Selden, Jr., chairman,

Subcommittee on Inter-American Affairs, relative to power values.-

International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mex-

ico, letter of February 26, 1960, from L. H. Hewitt, Commissioner, to

Hon. Armistead I. Selden, Jr., chairman, Subcommittee on Inter-

American Affairs, concerning benefit-cost ratio for Falcon Dam...

Office of the Chief of Engineers, Headquarters, Department of the Army,

letter of February 5, 1960, from Maj. Gen. William F. Cassidy, U.S.

Army, to Hon. Armistead I. Selden, Jr., chairman, Subcommittee on

Inter-American Affairs_

Department of Agriculture, letter of February 9, 1960, from Hon. True D.

Morse, Under Secretary, to Hon. Armistead I. Selden, Jr., chairman,

Subcommittee on Inter-American Affairs.

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, letter of February 10,

1960, from Hon. Robert A. Forsythe, Assistant Secretary, to Hon.

Armistead I. Selden, Jr., chairman, Subcommittee on Inter-American

Affairs

Department of Commerce, letter of February 12, 1960, from Hon. Philip

A. Ray, Acting Secretary of Commerce, to Hon. Thomas E. Morgan,

chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs

Bureau of the Budget, letter of March 4, 1960, from Phillip S. Hughes,

Assistant Director for Legislative Reference, to Hon. Thomas E. Morgan,

chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, concerning repayment of

water supply and irrigation costs_

Statements of:

Becker, Gerald D., city attorney of and for the city of Eagle Pass,

Tex....

Haven, C. I., Edinburg, Tex., manager and engineer of Hidalgo

County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1...

Wiesehan, Richard, McAllen, Tex., president, board of directors of

Hidalgo County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1

Key, Elton, Mission, Tex., a director of Hidalgo County Water Con-

trol and Improvement District No. 7.-

Flanagan, Rex, Edinburg, Tex., president of board of directors,

Hidalgo County Water Control and Improvement District No. 15.-

Gibson, E. E., Edinburg, Tex., manager, Hidalgo County Water Con-

trol and Improvement District No. 15.

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261

E. Letter, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, January 8,
1959

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AMISTAD DAM AND RESERVOIR

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1960

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTER-AMERICAN AFFAIRS,

Washington, D.C.

The Subcommittee on Inter-American Affairs met pursuant to call in room 1310, House Office Building, at 10:30 a.m., Hon. Armistead I. Selden, Jr. (chairman of the subcommittee), presiding.

Also present were Hon. O. C. Fisher, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas and Hon. Joe M. Kilgore, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas.

Mr. SELDEN. The subcommittee will come to order, please.

Today we are beginning a series of hearings on the Amistad Dam project, with specific reference to H.R. 8080 introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Texas, Mr. Fisher.

This bill (H.R. 8080), will authorize the conclusion of an agreement with Mexico for the joint construction of an international storage dam. The dam as now planned will include features for hydroelectric power.

Without objection, the bill (H.R. 8080), will appear in the record at this point.

(H.R. 8080 is as follows:)

[H.R. 8080, 86th Cong., 1st sess.]

A BILL To authorize the conclusion of an agreement for the joint construction by the United States and Mexico of a major international storage dam on the Rio Grande in accordance with the provisions of the treaty of February 3, 1944, with Mexico, and for other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of State, acting through the United States Commissioner, International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, is hereby authorized to conclude with the appropriate official or officials of the Government of Mexico an agreement for the joint construction, operation, and maintenance by the United States and Mexico, in accordance with the provisions of the treaty of February 3, 1944, with Mexico, of a major international storage dam on the Rio Grande at the site and having substantially the characteristics described in minute numbered 207 adopted June 19, 1958, by the said Commission, and in the "Rio Grande International Storage Dams Project-Report on Proposed Dam and Reservoir" prepared by the United States Section of the said Commission and dated Septem. ber 1958.

SEC. 2. If agreement is concluded pursuant to section 1 of this Act for the construction of a major international storage dam the Secretary of State, acting through the United States Commissioner, International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, is authorized to conclude with the appropriate official or officials of Mexico an agreement in accordance with article 7 of the Treaty of February 3, 1944, for the construction, operation, and maintenance, on a self-liquidating basis for the United States share, of facilities for generating hydroelectric energy at said dam.

1

If such an agreement is concluded, the United States portion of the power potential may be developed by the lease of the power privilege, if it should be found to be in the interest of the United States to do so: Provided, That if such development is undertaken preference shall be given to a public body or cooperative as the lessee: Provided further, That if such power privilege is leased, a report shall be made, including the terms of a proposed agreement, if any, that may be reached, together with the recommendations of the Commissioner, International Boundary and Water Commission, which agreement, if any, shall not become effective until approved by the Foreign Relations Committee of the United States Senate and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 3. If a dam is constructed pursuant to section 1 of this Act its operation for conservation and release of United States waters shall be integrated with other United States water conservation activities on the Rio Grande below Fort Quitman, Texas, in such manner that the amount of water allocated to the United States and now available for use by existing lawful users of the United States below Falcon Dam shall not be impaired or diminished. The release of United States water for the production of hydroelectric energy shall be such as not to interfere with United States vested rights, to the use of water for municipal, domestic, irrigation, and industrial purposes or with storage of water for these purposes.

SEC. 4. The cost of the project allocated to power and conservation of water shall be the difference between the entire cost of the project and the cost of the project if constructed for flood control alone. Any construction cost allocated to the conservation of water shall be reduced by whatever amount can be reasonably expected to be returned from net commercial revenues over a period of fifty years which are not needed to amortize the power allocation with interest.

SEC. 5. Where under section 4 of this Act, interest is required to be charged, the rate thereof shall be equal to the average rate (as certified by the Secretary of the Treasury) paid by the United States on its marketable long-term loans outstanding at the time the first appropriation for construction of the works authorized by sections 1 and 2 of this Act is made.

SEC. 6. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Department of State for the use of the United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, such sums as may be necessary to defray such costs as may accrue to the United States arising out of the agree ment herein authorized.

Mr. SELDEN. We are very glad to have a distinguished group of Texans here this morning. I need not tell you there is no delegation in Congress more highly regarded than the Texas delegation. The leadership of both the Senate and the House rests in the hands of Texans, and the other members of the Texas delegation also have the esteem of their colleagues. We are always very pleased to welcome their constituents here in Washington.

This bill, H.R. 8080, was introduced by the Honorable O. C. Fisher of Texas, who is with us today and who will make a statement in connection with this bill.

We will hear Mr. Fisher first this morning. We will then hear Colonel Hewitt, Commissioner of the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico. The subcommittee will recess at 12:30 and will reconvene at 2:30. Mr. Fisher, you may proceed.

STATEMENT OF HON. O. C. FISHER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN

CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS

Mr. FISHER. Mr. Chairman, we very much appreciate this opportunity to appear before your subcommittee in support of H.R. 8080. This bill, as you have just stated, would grant the necessary authority for additional negotiations with the Republic of Mexico that would

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