Imperial Valley press., 1913-06-23
COL. HOlAB|RO FIRES FACTS
At SECRETARY OF INTERIOR


Los Angeles Times: Contemplated
irrigation projects threaten the ade-
Guacy of the wafer supply for The
hundreds Of thousands of acres OF I'M
perial valley land now sustaining
population Of $4,000 people. Further,
they threaten tu injure even more Sc
rlously the water supply of the great
1I1ma project Of the reclamation ser
vice. They are a menace and create
conditions that imperatively demand
immediate action by officials of The
United States government, according TO
Col. W. II. Holabird, receiver Of The
California Development Company, who
yesterday sent "a Secretary Of the IN
terror Lane brief and explanations
giving exact conditions a they exist
today, and pointing out the dangers
in allowing these matters TO be held
longer in allegiance.
Colonel IIolabird has created an in
tensely interesting document, brlStlInS
with facts and figures which should
20 long WY in helping 10 decide
the Justice nf disputes a. TO rights
Of water from the Colorado. lie first
calls attention to the physical situa-
ton, showing that the Colorado has
its principal sources in Western Colo
RADIO. Southwestern Wyoming and East
ern Utah, and Is formed by confluence
Of the Green and the Grand rivers.
at is on these rivers that the flood
impOunding systeas which have been
suggested as a solution to the great
water problem by the reclamation ser,
vice should be built" he said IN eX-
planning the manner in which real con-
servation can he carried out in very
vital matter. ITO hold back the flood
waters Of the Colorado itself is an
impracticablity on account of the silt
which it carries and which will fill
any great artificial reservoir that man
can build in year or two, as proven
by the Laguna dam, and also on The
canals in the Imperial valley"
Continuing with the brief, Colonel
Holabird shows that the Imperial val
ley project was the first to utilize
the waters Of the Colorado in an eX-
tensive way for irrigation and was fol
lowed by the Laguna dam project.
Now there are as many as a dozen
projects, mostly private. which con
template the irrigation Of vast areas
of land along the river. The brief
then outlines the actual work accom-
plished in building canals and the facts
pertaining to the use Of these canals
| in Mexican territory.
About 400 900 acres in the valley i
to be regarded as under irrigation from
the system. although this entire area
has not yet all been brought under
water. In addition TO these are 244,-
600 acres now being placed under sys1
lens in Lower California. Mexico,
which territory has the same prior
right as Imperial valley according to
the agreements made between the
Mexican government and The promOt-
ers Of the irrigation scheme.
At the present time the maximum
diversion j. 5000 second feet. BY the
| time all the extensions are completed
| the average diversion will reach 5i15
| second feet and the maximum will run
up to 1000 feet. The Laguna dam di-
version to lands Of Yuma valley, Gila
valley and mesa lands will aggregate
5000 second feet.
/ The Colorado river during its lowest
period, which happens to be at the
season when the most water is needed
| and used, even at the present time
carries scarcely sufficient water. The
| brief shows by actual charts of the
/ nsp6 1,1pin hn Iol .
! a shortage is possible in the supply
| for Imperial valley when the river does
not carry more water than last January.
| Photographs further substantiate this
and prove that the river is practically
drained by the diversion to Imperial
valley channels.
Because Of these things Colonel
| Holabird argues that there is grave
| danger Of serious shortage in the wa
ter supply for Imperial valley and the
Yuma country if the threatened diver
sions for new projects are allowed
Should they be permitted, litigation in
vOlving interests of such magnitude
that it would impose an enormous bur-
| den on all affected would inevitably
enSue.
After reciting all Of the possible
troubles arising from use of the waller
by new projects, such as deprivation
of the water from thousands Of settlers
already in Imperial valley, international
dispute with Mexico on account of
using all of the water and others. he
asks that Secretary Lane should cause
i complete and comprehensive invesli-
cation and report concerning all of these
projects, determine the rights of the
present users and follow a broad mol
icy regarding all interests involved in
the final settlement of the question.