Imperial Valley press., 1921-04-15
MEXICO HAS
NOT SPENT
A SINGLE
DOLLAR
Boulder Creek Dam Will Be
Saving Factor in Problem
of Control of Flood Wat
ers of Colorado
CRY WINFIELD BARKLEY)


We have on the desk before US the
budget Of the Imperial Irrigation Dis
trict, August l, 1920, to December 81,
1921, 18 months. In studying this
budget one item hits us in the face. 1t
is an estimate of $644, ,037.s0 to pro-
tect the Imperial Valley, including the
Mexican lands, from the flood waters
of the Colorado river. st
Colorado river protective work as
done by the irrigation district, is not
Of permanent nature, but yearly
calls for huge outlays, similar to the
sum just mentioned. We askedJ. s.
Nickerson, president, Imperial Irriga-
tion District, as to the total amount
expended in Mexico in building levees
to protect the land,
.Qh, l can't tell exactly, but it is
about seven or eight million dollars,
possibly nine millions with what the
government has spent" said NicKer-
son. .sMfxico has not Clipped in a
single dollar; every cent has come
from the ranchers on the American
The first line Of defense, is the l2
lowed by the Saiz Levee, is miles long,
while the third line is 16 mile pro-
teetive work wnown as the Volcano
Lake Levee. All up and down these
leyees run lines Of railway, long trains
Of dump cars and huge engines are en-
gagged in hauling rock, often distance
q M miles to further augment the
br1 FORKS. 9zs""'.4 ~
TIE hope Of Imperial Valley
that o federal government will step
II ~ dam the Colorado river in the
0r064 Canyon, thus controlling the
flood waters 20 that they can be dis
tributed equally throughout the year.
This il known as the Boulder Canyon
project. '-~
Working under the direction Of the
arid lands committee Of congress, en-
gineers have made soundings and
borings as to the feasibility OF TIN
dam, and their findings will be
shortly taken up for possible legisla-
ton. nts ~ r.
The width of the river at the base
of the cliffs at the proposed Boulder
Canyon site is only 800 feet, while
the cliffs tower l700 feet above the
level of the present stream. The dam
at this site would be 500 or more feet
in height, and Of l8,000,000 acre feet
capacity. A maximum of 100000
horsepower would be produced with .
minimum unit of 100000 horsepower
at low water level. Sufficient elec-
,tricity would be generated to supply
all adjacent towns and manufacturing
plants and also sufficient to electric
ize all trans-continental railroads en-
tering Southern California. Enormous
quantities of fuel oil would thus be
released to be used in other industries
and also as further aid to greater
merchant marine.
Hundreds Of thousands Of additional
acres eligible for irrigation, flood con-
troll OF the erratic Colorado river and
the generation Of electrical energy
are the beneficent features Of the pro-
posed project. Anyone OF these angles
in itslf, is sufficient to warrant, the
building Of such dam, while the COM
bination maeks demand to which con-
gress will be more than glad to give
an attentive ear .n,si .@
Imperial Valley will need every
friend she can muster to back her in
securing favorable legislation tor this
project. That she can count on San
Diego ia . foyesone conclusion, but let
us do this 50 intellectually that there
can never .be any doubt in the minds
Of the valley people that Sen Diego
is the best friend that lnnperial has.
(This is the conclusion pf Mr.: Bark.
ley's article which will be published
with maps and drawings in the San
DIEGO Union of'next Sunday Editor