Williams news., 1920-12-24
MILLIONS OF ACRES TO
 BE GIVEN WATER

ing two and one-halfs million
 horsepower of electric energy
 from the waters of the Colorado
 River, which is equivalent of
 the present total hydro-e1ectric
 development in the States of
 California, Oregon, Washing
 ton, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho,
 Montana, Nevada, New Mex
 ico, Utah and Wyoming at the
 beginning of 1920, the South
 ern CaI1fo1 mia Edison Company has applied to U. Fed,-ral
 Fnve' Commission at Washing
 ton for a preliminary permit to
 proceed with this gigantic
 undertakin
 The application contem-
 plates the development of pow
 CT at the Marble Canyon and
 Diamond Creek on the Colo
 rado River above the Boulder
 Canyon project, and the per
 init would allow the Edison
 Company time for surveys, in vestigations and perfecting of
 financial plans for the con- struction of the dams, conduits and power houses at Marble Canyon and Diamond Creek, not including the possible pow CT development in the Grand Canyon and other sites along the National Park.
 The total possible hydro electric development of the Colorado River is over four mil lion horsepower, which is equal to one half the total hydro electric power now generated in the entire United States.
 President John B. Miller has received telegraphic advices that the company's application has been accepted by the Fed era1 Power Commission and the 1 matter will proceed in accord l ance with the provisions of the general water power law which | provides for a period of adver- Using and the giving of notices to States, municipalities and others likely to be interested in such development.
 Incident, and of great inn | portance to the project, is the esta blishment of a uniform flow of the Colorado River, which would practically eliminate the destructive floods each season. 1t also creates possibilities for irrigation with subseQuent col onization and the maintenance of large populations in the low CT Colorado territory, which is Dne of the most important ad- of the project.
 }, 3,OOO,OOO Acres Increase
 The present irrigable capac- ty without storage is 75O,OOO acres. Full control under stor-. age regulation would allow an increase to 3.OOO,OOO acres. whih indicates that under pres ent conditions only twenty-five per cent of the potential irri- yating capacity of the stream is oeIng used.
 The storage basin will be ,ver two hundred miles in ength, impounding more than 0,0OO,OOO acre feet of water.
 A study of the area over which he power proposed to be ] developed from the .orado River could be distributed. is nore than three-four.he or the { State of California, thhe entire l tates of Utah, Arizona and Ne ada, one-half of Colorado and New Mexico, and perhaps one I fifth each of Idaho and Wyom- | ng. Should international bou- ( ldries be crossed by the line of l development, the large agricul- [ ural and mining districts of [ Northern Mexico would be with ( n reach. [ Would Operate Railroads [
 By the complete development I f the hydro-electric resources f the Colorado River which s rains a watershed of 25O,OOO [ Quare miles, and has an annu- I l run-of of 16, 6,OOO,OOO acre it. lectric energy could be furn- shed for the operation of trains n Is ,OOO miles of railroad con- r isting of six existing and two c FnnncoI r