There have been individuals who have been stating that the AWSA projects will not be feasible while they are still undergoing the appraisal study level. The sole purpose of this level of study is to determine if a project can proceed to the feasible level. Then the feasibility of a project will be determined once that level of study is finished. This might mean that the project has passed all the necessary criteria to then go on to the construction phase.

I will agree that there are those individuals who have a very large amount of planning experience that they can use the "back of an envelope" approach to determine if a project is feasible. While I respect these individuals for their extra skill and vision, I also respect and prefer the established method of conducting these two levels of study since then, and only then, conclusiveness will have been achieved. This erases any doubt that could be the basis for any future challenge if conclusiveness was determined solely from the "back of an envelope". If, in such a situation, any challenge would reach the level of a Court of Law, then even more court ordered studying might be necessary.

I would say to those who want to have diversions on the Gila River as well as those who desire to leave the water in the river to allow the two level of studies to continue on to the final finish which will be far into the future. The act of informing the Secretary of Interior at the end of this year that particular projects have been selected for continued study is only an interim step in the total projected time line (process). There has been an inordinate amount of rhetorical and written activity which creates the appearance that the final end is in December of 2014.

As I stated before, it is best not to get overly excited and to allow the natural process to continue. Everyone, in the meantime, can have a "watchdog" status to ensure the process continues without any glitches.

Gerald Schultz
Tyrone, NM