Letter to Secretary Krug Upon Signing Bill Relating to the Completion of the Provo River Reclamation Project

My dear Mr. Secretary:

I have today, based on your recommendations and because of the need of meeting a situation which has developed in the Provo River Reclamation Project, approved S. 1990, a bill "To provide a means for the orderly continuation and completion of the Deer Creek and aqueduct divisions of the Provo River project, Utah".

It has been my understanding that Reclamation projects, historically, have been based on the principle that the construction costs to the Federal Government would be repaid, without interest, in 40 years, plus, in some cases, a 10-year development period. My attention has been directed to the increasing number of legislative proposals in the last several sessions of Congress which would serve to extend the periods of repayment for certain Reclamation projects. While I can understand that instances may occasionally occur which might justify the Federal Government providing for additional subsidies on Reclamation projects either through waiver of interest charges over longer periods of time or possibly, in some cases, through extensions of repayment periods beyond what might eventually turn out to be the useful life of a project, I do not wish my action in approving S. 1990 to be construed as endorsing the principle of extending generally the basic 40-year repayment period for Reclamation projects.

Sincerely yours,

HARRY S. TRUMAN

[The Honorable, The Secretary of the Interior]