Imperial Valley press., 1920-06-30
.DAv|SiAPPROVES !.
A.A. CANAL; ASKS
COACHELLA TOAD
Reclamation Director Outlines
Stand on Various Questions
TO Chairman p. l.. HedricE
of Ynter-POSt Council.

eStS Will come to the alu Oh Ine gov
ernn:ent and the district in furnishing
par of the $4,000 or 100000 whl.ch
he believes is necessary for the pre-
liminary surveys, Arthur +. DAVIS, the
most recent benedict of the Washing
ton office of the U. S. reclamation
service and director therein, writes
to Perry L. Hedrick, chairman of the
lnter-Post council of the American le-
gion Of the valley as follows:
Washington, June Is, 1920.
Mr.. Perry l.. Hedrick, Chairman,
Inter-Post Council, American Legion
BraWey, Calf.
NY Dear Sir: | have just received
your favor of June 10, which l find on
my desk after returning from an alb
sence from the city. | am very glad
to learn of your approval OF the Kim
kaid bill. This was proposed by the
floor leader of the house, Mr.. Mondell.
and sponsored by Mr.. Knkaid, the
chairman of the committee on irrga-
ton. These gentlemen are both good
friends of Imperial Valley, and finding
it impossible to secure any more favor
able legislation, proposed this IN order
to keep the enterprise in progress and
be in better shape to ask for final leg
slation at the winter session OF con-
gress.
PROGRAM EXCELLENT
The program which you outline
strikes me as excellent. The High
Line canal heading at Laguna dam and
covering as much land by gravity as
the topography will permit, is the thing
to pull for Whether this runs through
Mexico or the United States is a detail
to be determined by the possibilities
Of making proper arrangements and
by comparative cost AS you know,
there have been no surveys OF this
high line through Mexico, and | have
been told that it will probably not
make very great difference in cost,
probably not more than 10 per cent
or Is per cent. This, however, is
worth saving of course, but when we
consider possible complications with
the Mexican government and delays
which these complications are likely
/ to inject, think we should concentrate
our efforts in favor Of the All-Amerl-
can canal, with the understanding that
if subsequent developments justify
any change in alignment or policy,
those responsible for the enterprise
can make the charge at the proper
time before construction has gone too
far. Personally / think there is little
prospect Of satisfactory agreement
with Mexico, and think the All-Amer-
lean canal is the solution of the prob
lem. However, your comments on this
point are exactly in point, and | agree
with you.
ANSWERS QUESTIONS
Answering your questions in order,
| will say that the reclamation serv-
ice would favor large project in the
valley embracing both the lands with
in and the nrigable lands without the
boundaries of the Imperial Irrigation
district. The first step to accomplish
this is to organize the private lands
into district. This has partially been
done, l believe, by the Imperial Irri-
cation district and the Coachella Val
ley, but there are other lands which
should be included, either in the dis
tricts now existing or new ones. When
this is accomplished, official requests
for the work can be made. | should
favor national appropriations to cover
the proportion properly chargeable to
the public lands. The district would
of course include the incorporated
cities within their boundaries.
FIRST STEP
The first and most immediate step
is to complete the Investigations so
that definite data will be available for
congress to act upon in connection with
the legislation necessary for the pur-
pose of taking up this project.
Very little is known of the cost of
canal system to cover any of the lands
outside of the Imperial Irrigation dis
trict. Merely fly traverse has been
run to show what lands might be in
cluded, but as far as know, no lateral
Systems have been laid out, nor even
any detail surveys of the main canal
made. OF course these should be
made. Also it would be necessary to
have Il broad soil survey made to in
dictate what lands are and what are
not suitable for classification as il
rigable under this project. In addi-
tion to the above it will be necessary
to determine the feasibility and the
cost of storage reservoirs for storing
the water necessary to furnish an
adequate supply to the lands to be IL
rigated.
NICK ERSON'S TELEGRAM
have just received a telegram from
Mr.. j. S. NickersOn, president of the
Imperial Irrigation district as fol-
lows:
District will appropriate 500 900
for purposes Kinkaid bill Suggest
further money requirements be allot-
ted among those interests whoch are
benefited. Will wire our views con-
cerning proposed conference when
board meets next week."
1t would be we'll for the Coachella
valley and the various other interests
to subscribe the necessary money for
carrying out these surveys. We ought
/ to have at least $4,000 or $60,OO0 for
expenditure during the coming year
for this purpose. Is there any way
you can get this matter started so that
the spirit Of he Kinkaid bill can be
carried ou promptly and congress
will see that the valley is in earnest?
Very truly yours,
A. 2. DAVIS. Director