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Mr. Calvin If. Cory Pag* 5 Jan* 9, 1963. X do not think there eon be any question raised by any of the legislators with respect to the serious eater prob­lems in las Vegas but in case tore is, X sight state, for your Information, that In the same Investigation, Hr* Thomas V. Robinson, District Engineer, U.s. Geological Survey for the Ground Water Division, testified that at t o present tine there was a recharge of the las Vegas underground eater basin of from SO,000 to 56.000 acre ft. annually and a withdrawal ranging from 39,000 to 42,000 acre ft. a year, so It should be obvious to anyone that at t o present time t o withdrawals from the underground basin far exceed the recharge and some method must be agreed upon to conserve water. Along the same line, Hr. Harry Jameson. Veil Super­visor In the state Engineer’s office, testified that he had been continually waking a study of the water level datum in t o las Vegas basin; that in 1941 the water level was at a point of 27.0 and in I960, it was 14.fi. It is quite possible you may develop some additional information from the "Wehe report" and the transcript X believe you secured from Kr. Jameson, but X think you can get any additional information you may desire, from talking with Mr. Smith, the State Engineer, and Hr. Shamberger. both of whom have continually advocated the use of meters in t o las Vegas basin for the purpose of conserving water. E. S. Bennett MR. FToHOrM AySo;ur information, Mr. Corry attended a meeting of t o las Vegas Valley Water District directors recently to see if they would get behind the repeal of the meter lav but unfor­tunately they are proposing a bond election sometime early in the spring and they are fearful that the repeal of the law might jeopardise the ohanoes of the bonds carrying. Although we had heretofore secured a great deal of "lip-servloe" from t o direc­tors, all of whom are in favor of t o repeal of t o meter lav, some of them stating t oy would help put it over, X am inclined to think we will not get a great deal of active help from them and X suggest that your best bet in handling the matter with the legislature would be to secure the help of Mr. Smith, State Engineer, or Mr. Shamberger, and possibly Mr. Allard* The Water Company is very anxious to have this meter lav repealed and X hope you will be able to persuade the Reno delegation not to amend it as was done in the 1947 session so it would have been of little use, if passed. E.E.B. EEBjAF