Arizona's story has been similar, and fortunately it has had the same happy ending. Since 1963, when the Supreme Court

But finally victory did come, and it came through the efforts of hundreds of Arizonans working together in a common cause. On September 30, I had a moment I'd long awaited--standing at the White House while President Johnson wrote his name on a piece of paper. At that moment, CAP was no longer a dream--it was now certain to become a reality. The Central Arizona Project will be built! Water will flow from Lake Havasu to Phoenix, on to the fertile lands of Pinal County, and thence to Tucson.
 

Since 1963, I've written five newsletters on the CAP. For this final report in an hour of triumph I just want to comment and explain four major effects of its passage:
 

First, the action by Congress removes a major barrier to sound, orderly economic growth in our state. It is a hard fact, one which many of us have been reluctant to discuss, that hard-headed industrial leaders have had misgivings about location or expansion in Central and Southern Arizona when a permanent, long-range water supply was in doubt. These doubts are now removed, and I believe we will begin to see an impact in management decisions about payrolls, industries and jobs. Industry always looks for a sound economic base of markets, labor availability, electricity and fuel, community facilities, etc. Water is a crucial part of that base, and until now Arizona could not always give satisfactory assurances.

Industry looks, too, for an environment which will help it attract employees. The Central Arizona Project will bring Arizona more recreational facilities with new lakes at Orme, Buttes and Charleston dams and new possibilities for recreation development in the northland through CAP's water exchange provisions.

Second, during the next 10 years a gigantic federal construction program will pour $465 million into our state, providing a tremendous stimulus for Arizona business. This

Even after construction, the Central Arizona Project will be a major industry. Every year an estimated $9 million will be spent for operation and maintenance.

Third, it should be noted that the bill as passed not only does not authorize construction of the controversial Grand Canyon dams, but construction of any dam in the canyon is specifically prohibited until and unless a future Congress removes the moratorium imposed by the new law. This was a bitterly argued question, both in Arizona and throughout the nation. Personally, I'm happy that Arizona can "have its cake and eat it too"--build CAP and have the Grand Canyon left as it is.

Finally, for the 11 states of the Far West and especially for the seven Colorado River states, passage of CAP means peace on the river and the end of a bitter water war which threatened to stalemate the development of an entire region. We began in 1963 seeking a simple CAP bill. We soon found that any proposal to take a big, new chunk of water out of a river in the nation's driest and fastest growing section raised serious questions in other states. In fact, the shock waves extended not just to Los Angeles but to Boise, Portland and Seattle. It soon became apparent that there would be no CAP unless there was a broad, regional settlement looking at least as far ahead as the year 2000. With this great settlement, the western states have laid a foundation of water statesmanship and cooperation which I believe will serve us and the nation well.

Many authorities agree that by the year 2000 the Colorado River is likely to be short of meeting all its demands and commitments. By then, Arizona's population of 2 million and California's 20 million will have doubled. Much of the congressional debate centered on the kind of program which ought to be pursured to meet this shortage.

Our sister states insisted, and we agreed, that a vital feature of our bill should be a broad, comprehensive program of studies looking into every conceivable method of augmenting the water supply of our water-short region. One source of water considered is the Columbia River, which pours some 185 million acre-feet a year into the ocean. But the Columbia Basin states protested vehemently against even preliminary

My days and nights (and many Sundays and holidays) for the past five years--the busiest and most satisfying time of my life--have been filled with the problems of the big, muddy, Colorado River. In the months ahead, it will be a relief and a joy to have more time for other things. I've accumulated over these years many file drawers of correspondence, reports, statements, pictures, editorials, and countless other documents. I now plan to turn this material over to the University of Arizona Library in the hope that it might be of interest to future students and writers of this era in Arizona history. For myself, I'll keep a lot of memories. In the "flashbacks" of my mind, I'll see a lot of highlights like: