The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-07-01
Harvesting Colorado River
Is Planned .
COST NEARLY BILLION
Development BY Southern Cali.
fornia Company; Electricity
~ On Huge Scale
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatchl


Los Angeles, June 28-The world
greatest electrical project" is the
phrase used by some engineers in
describing the plans of the South
ern California Edison company for
impounding the waters OF the Colo
RADIO river and developing hydro
electric power on a huge scale for
distribution ovtr a wide area of the
southwest. Edwin o. Edgerton.
special counsel for the corporation
and formerly president Of the Cali
fornia State Railroad Commission.
stated the project ultimately would
involve possibly $500, 900. or twice
as much as was spent on the
Panama canal.
Application for permission to i'm
pound the waters of the river have
been accepted for filing from the
company by the Federal Commission
and the Arizona Water Commission.
1t is expected similar applications
will be filed with corresponding
commissions in other southwestern
states. e.
Generation of a pax load OF A.
average load of 100000 horsepower
from four developments projects
along the river will be possible, it
is stated, If the stream how is con-
trolled by the first of the four-a
500 foot dam planned for the head OF
Glen Canyon, Ariz.
LAKE 200 MILES LONG
At that point, it is stated, the main
dam would create a lake almost 200
miles long, extending backward from
the dam, up the nearly level basin
of the Colorado to the mouth Of the
Fremont river. From this point, the
$500 feet above sea level to 500 feet
above sea level, fala of 2809 feet
to this $500 feet of the dam itself,
giving a gross head of $500 feet for
power development.
At the Glen canyon dam, accord
ing to plans, a uniform flow of 49,
900 second feet would pass through
turbines and thence through pow
er canal for fly miles, to the mouth
of the Little Colorado. This would
give q net head Of 500 feet and
would generate 1,240,000 horsepow-
or. From the Little Colorado to
feet could be secured in eighty FIVE
miles, which would generate $780,
600 horsepower.
In the 145- mile stretch between
Kanab creek and the Arizona boun-
dairy line, at Diamond, a net head
of 500 feet could be secured by the
use of two high dams. The river
would deliver to switchboards about
1,248,0O0 additional horsepower, ac-
cording Southern California Edison
engineers.
Some Results of Project
The fourth development would
cover the 120-mile stretch between
. the Arizona boundary and the Cotton
wood valley. This would afford a
500 foot head and deliver 100000
horsepower. 1t Is contended that
among the results of the project
when completed, would be:
Absolute food control. -
Provisions for irrigation of 1885,
900 acres, of which 100000 would
be above the canyons.
Three hundred miles of the river
would be made navigable.
The area which could be served
with power includes the entire states
of Arizona, Nevada and Utah, more
than one half of Colorado and New
Mexico, one fifth of Idaho and
Wyoming and three quarters of
California, with possibly large areas
in northern Mexico.
Power would be used for the cleo
IRRIGATION of steam railroads, as we'll
as for commercial, agricultural, min =
ing and municipal uses, thus saving
sc, 00o, 900 barrels of fuel oil q year.