Imperial Valley press., 1914-12-15
State Project That Fails
To Meet the Requirements

satisfactory progress is being made
without undertaking the project and it
could not be carried out without jeop-
ardizing the rights of others, it might
seem that all has been said that is
necessary.
But there is still one thing left un-
said. That is that constant effort is
being made to get from Congress an
appropriation of $5,000,000 year for
ten years to control the flood water
of the Colorado, with the incidental
benefit of reclaiming several millions
of additional acres in California and
Arizona. That appropriation has not
I heen made, but it still is possibility,
and it is the only movement that takes
g comprehensive view of the situation
or furnishes a possibility of ultimate
development of full potentiality.
Should the state now take supervision,
it would frighten the national govern
ment off and nothing would be done.
These are the reasons why the Press
regrets that the proposal has been
made, and why it hopes that Governor
johnson, Lieutenant Governor elect
Eshleman and the legislature will see
to it that no further steps be taken on
this line.
Mr.. Eshlelan's Views.
! Lieutenant Governor Eshleman
was asked regarding the telegram re-
/ ferred to above and he stated that it
was the first information he had that
the water commissioners had made
such recommendation, and he pre-
sumed it was included in their annual
report to Governor Johnson. He,
thought the report must be in error
when it stated that Governor john
son had endorsed the recommended
ton.
Mr.. Eshleman said: "You may quote
me as emphatically as you like to the
effect that my attitude now is the
same as it was four years ago--that
no more water should be appropriated
+ II Oiil lilc SOlOl IlNcT ullJll III Is
definitely ascertained that the dis
| charge of the river is more than am
pie for these already having made APP
propriatiops.
"The greg t danger is that an at
tempt will lmade to irrigate more
land than the rivers capacity with
it's normal flow"
1t was evident that the man who
is to preside over the state senate dur
ing the next four years will use his
influence to prevent the state under
taking work inimical to the property
interests already built up along the
Colorado and which would of necessity
prove disastrous to the state project
itself.
Engineer ROckwoOd's Views.
Chief Engineer c. R. lockwood of
the irrigation district was asked re-
garding the outlook for the project.
He said
81 cannot see where they will get
g million acres of land for the pro-
iected plan. Several years ago l es-
| timated that there were 250,O00 acres
I between the Grand Canyon and Yuma
that were subject to irrigation by di-
version from the river, including the
land now under irrigation projects.
Engineer j. B. Lippincott once told me
the reclamation service estimated 50O,-
600 acres available in that territory
by building high dams in the river.
These figures include land in both
Arizona and California. There are
about $4,000 acres east of the irri-
cation district, in this valley, and
about as much in Coachela valley,
but, taken altogether, there is nothing
like million acres available. in nv
opinion.
There is about 100000 acre-feet
Of water passing Yuma a year, or
enough to give four acrefeet a year
to 100000 acres, and there are
! 100000 acres available for irrigation
below Yuma, including all the Mexi-
can land, but to take full advantage
of this it will be necessary to inn
pound the flood water.
"Mr Newell once told me that the
reclamation service has reserved from
filings reservoir sites to hold the en-
tire flood water of the Colorado, or
enough for more than 100000 acres
of land, while | estimate the available
land for irrigation in the entire Colo
rado River watershed, exclusive of the
Gila river, at 100000 acres.
81 do not share in the fear of over
use of the water of the river, but the
use should not grow too rapidly, as
the provisions for storage should be
locked after"
Regarding the specific project for
ctata uorlfs Mr. DooIxu,ooJ Lad ~