Imperial Valley press., 1920-11-24
REPORT.
APPROVED BY
BOARD IN
LETTER
Imperial Irrigation District
Replies to Questions of
Reclamation Director; the
Position of District Is
Made Very Plain.

The Imperial Irrigation District
today complied with the request OF
Arthur p. Davis, u. S. reclamation
director, for an expression of Opin-
ion to be included in his report
which will go before congress.
The stand of the board on all vital
points is made very clear and in
letter to Mr.. Davis, now in his hands,
the situation is reviewed.
The letter is as follows:
Nov. 20, 1920.
Mr.. A. p. Davis,
Director u. S. Reclamation Service,
~ Washington, D. c.
Dear Sir:
We have your favor Of Nov. II,
1920, advising that the secretary OF
the interior will. in accordance with
the terms of the Kinkaid act, report to
congress on Dec. next the result Of
the Investigations required by the act
and will recommend a definite plan
of construction procedure adequate, to
meet the needs of Imperial Valley.
We are gratified indeed by. the
progress made by your department in
the prosecution Of necessary surveys
and Investigations required to be made
In order that congress may be fully
advised as to the scope, feasibility and
immediate necessity for the construc-
ton Of works on the lower Colorado
river outlined in the bill introduced at
the last session Of congress, known as
H. r. 1853, and We have the greatest
confidence that the effect of your
work in this connection and your re-
port on existing conditions will result
IN the present formulation Of a feas-
ible plan for the safeguarding and
proper development of the Imperial
Valley and adjacent lands, which will
be authorized by necessary congress
sional action.> fs} ~ &t@s
You state that, sfsFg.l
I'm general the character of report
which | expect to make, and which l
hope the secretary and congress will
approve, is that We should undertake
to irrigate all of the American lands
that can be feasibly irrigated by grav-
ity and reasonable pumping lifts, and
that this should be the primary use Of
the waters of the Colorado Second
arily, we should develop as much pow
er as can be done without seriously in
water above stated"
With this general statement OF
plan to be advocated, We heartily con-
cur.
Your letter points out that the re-
port to congress must disclose:
What assurances he (the secretary
of the interior) has been able to Sc
cure as to the approval Of, participa-
tion in, and contribution to the plan or
plans proposed, by the various con-
tributing agencies
We feel that the general plan COW
cred in the report and recommenda-
tions soon to be submitted by you to
the secretary of the interior and by
him to congress, very largely results
from the long continued efforts of the
people Of Imperial Valley, acting
through the Imperial Irrigation Dis
trict, to safeguard our property and
improve and stabilize conditions af-
fecting the right of our people to the
continued and sufficient use of the
waters of the Colorado for irrigation
purposes. We therefore state unre-
servedly, that we approve Of the plan
of work and policy to be adopted, as
oeoeeo III PdIasldpn lHfce VI yOur ISL
ter, and will, when lawfully author
lied to do so, participate rotably and
eouitably in the cost thereof, as the
same may be hereafter properly deter
mined.
At the meeing held in San Diego,
CAL, Aug. 2 last, which was called pri-
marily for the purpose Of securing an
expression of views of owners of lands
tributary to the flow of the Colorado
river, in order to determine how large
an area would participate in the in
vestigations contemplated, and in the
cost of works found to bqe feasible, q
discussion of "power development"