Imperial Valley press., 1921-05-02
BOULDER DAM
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Water Conservation Project
VIII Insure Future of I'M
perial Valley and Bring
Electricity to Vast Empire

In 1900, the most unfriendly part
of the Great American Desert-today
In' oerial Valley, the agricultural mar
vel of the ages. From territory not
considered worthy of placing IN the
assessment roll, to a property vaiaa-
zion of S73 1877 ,G93; from vast waste
crossed only by the hardy prospcctor,
to a garden spot supporting $4,000
persons, and from sage brush and cacti
to $65 GOO 900 of agricultural products
yearly-this is the history CT Imperial
Valley in two short decades, says Vim
field Barkley, manager Of the Imperial
and San Diego county Development
BGreau eff the Southern Trust and
Commerce bank. in an article in the
Sunday issue of the San Diego Union.
Water, flowing down immense irri-
cation bitches for hundreds of miles
incarnation of the Garden OF Eden. We
must needs pause and marvel at the
ma ster minds which vsioncd, amid
desert sands, the empire of TODAY. and
having visioned, had the pluck, energy
and engineering skill 30 make it a re-
atty
These men, who formed the Imper-
ial irrigation d!strictfi dug the i'm
mense canals, built the huge retain
ing levees. wrestled with the erratic
Colorado river and brought hundreds
of thousands of acres under cultiva-
tion, have performed Herculean tasks
and have won the admiration and res
pect of Us all. Nevertheless. they have
reached the limit of private endeaNo",
The problems involved have reached
such huge proportions, involving such
large property interests and affecting
the welfare of such large population,
that RECOGNITION has been Toa .ro".
the federal government
Under the provisions of the Kincaid
bill, passed May 20, 1920, the {. S.
reclamation service has been conduct
irg series Of Investigations as to the
feasibility of damming the Colorado
river back in the canyon. Such a pro-
iect will call for the expenditure of
5lOG 900, 900, or more, and will be the
greatest irrigation undertaking ever
attempted.
Boulder canyon is the site of the
proposed dam and engineers now re-
port that bedrock and practical foun-
dation has been found. Particular
stress is laid upon the fact that The
IHeepest point at which bedrock was
found was only $50 feet. 1t is consid-
eied IL remarkably good foundation.
The cliffs of The canyon at this point
are onlv 32O feet in width, while they
tower 100 feet above the stream level.
1t is proposed to build dam 100 feet
in height which would have an i'm
pounding capacity of 26,70O,O00 acre
feet of water. To arrive at an approx
innate estimate of the amount OF land
this tremendous volume will irrigate
we turn to Imperial Valley records,
which show that the annual consump-
ton of water there is less than three
acre feet an acre.
The Boulder canyon project will
practically solve lmperlal Valleys
water problems. 1t has three espe-
cially beneficent features in that it
will control the flood of the Colorado
river, impound water for distribution
in the summer months and develop an
almost unbelievable amount of hydro
electric energy.
me IiHpelldi llIlgdIlOll VlStIict mas
spent millions of dollars, mostly be.
low the international boundary line
in keeping the river within bounds
immense levees extend for miles anC
are surmounted by railroad tracks
Engines, dump cars, complete railway
equipment, quarries, dredges and {
huge amount of expensive materia
have been assembled in handling thi!
control work. The Boulder canyol
dam would solve river control for al
time, and do away with much cause fol
friction between the American ant
) Mexican ranchers.
II The impouAding water for distribu
ton in the summer months not only