The Parker post., 1913-09-06
WILL FIGHT
FOR WATER
IMPERIAL VALLEY AROUSED BY
REPORTS OF PROJECT TO ROB
COLORADO RIVER OF PORTION
OF ITS WATERSHED.

Stirred to action by the prospect
that the Henrylyn tunnel and two
other tentative water diversion pro
jects will steal from the Colorado
river a considerable portion of the
life giving fluid on which the contin-
ial valley is dependent, the advisory
board OF the Arizona and California
River Regulation Commission met in
Los Angeles Thursday at the Chamber
OF Commerce and deputizedi Attorney
H. w. O'Melveney to look into the
legality of these diversion schemes
preparatory to calling Oh the govern
ment for an accurate survey of the
watershed of the great river.
I'VE want to know how much
water in acre feet is pouring into the
Colorado from it's tributaries said
Capt. Osborne, member of the board
Until We know this accurately We
will not know whether the Henrylyn
tunnel and the two projects will rob
the Imperial valley OF the water
it so much needs On the other han
legal there would be no good ground
work on which to base an appeal for
watershed surveys"
The meeting OF the board was the
first held since March, owing to a
combination OF circumstances, chief
OF which was the death of the chair
man, G. B. BoOthe, the moving spirit
in much of the work. Nevertheless
the board, under it's new chairman,
Willis H. Both, got right down to
business and announced itself as not
only behind the NeWlands bill, which
has been introduced into Congress
with appropriations Of $4,000 900 a
year for ten years to build reservoirs
along the headWaters OF the Colorado
but for a back to- the wall fight agains
any schemes which will divert need
ed water from the Imperial valley.
The board also reitrated it's policy
nf \uit
ley River Regulation Commission to
secure government action to con
struct storm reservoirs at the head
waters of the important rivers and to
definitely determine water rights.
The Henrylyn tunnel and the two
other diversion projects under discus
sion Thursday are schemes to rob
tributaries of the Colorado of water
for conveyance to the Atlantic side
Interior Lane has been quoted as in
favor OF a right of way for the Henry
lyn tunnel, with the stipulation that
primary rights should be reserved to
the western slope during the months
of August and September, should
present western slope filings be in
need.
The filings of the Henrylyn district
on Williams Fork, tributary Of the
Colorado, call for 5000 acre feet
for the season, or 10000 acre feet
more than is estimated to be going
day Members of the advisory board
here point out, however, that the
Imperial valley will shortly be prepaI-
ed to absorb this 10000 feet Of vast
age within a short time and even
much more.
The iienrylyn tunnel will provide
water for 119, 900 acres OF land in
the Denver territory, and will cost
about $I,250,00O. About 100000 of
work has already been done on the
bore 1t is understood that the Henry
lyn interests have further filings on
the headWaters of the western water
shed which will extend the irrigated
acreage toward the Atlantic to 300,
600 acres.
| Chairman Booth stated that an
early meeting of the board will be
called to consider O'Melvey's report
on the legality of these diversion
schemes. Meanwhile the extent of
the two others, both of which are
shrOuded in considerable mystery,
will be looked into.