Imperial Valley press., 1921-12-10
AERR|N TELLS AIMS Of VALLEY
IN COLORADO RIVER DEVELOPMENT

Pvitany interested in our progress along
these lines.
1t is apparent, therefore, that the
Imperial Irrigation District must
speedily provide for connection of
its canal system with Laguna dam in
order TO increase the efficiency of its
own service. TO provide means by which
water. when available, may be divert
ed for new lands, and. by no means of
least Importance, to protect the values
created under the Yuma project, and
relieve the people Of that section of
the natural apprehension which will
evist. so long as the present methods
of diversion are maintained.
Therefore, under date of October %
1918 the Imperial Irrigation District
entered into contract with the gov
ernment of the United states, Secre-
tary of the Interior Franklin X. Lane
acting on behalf of the government.
under the terms of which the district
obligated itself to pay to the govern
ment for the privilege of making such
a connection with its Laguna dam. the
sum of 81, ,600,o goo. The district. in that
contract obligated itself soon it
could secure the sanction of its people
and the authority of the State Engi-
neer and Bond Commission, to provide
funds with which to construct 4 cana!
connecting its system with such dam
since that time the district has paid to
the government the annual install
ments on the purchase price stipulated
in the contract
These preliminary Investigations anG
bax nj 4,
through the instrumentality of the
Board Of Directors of the Imperial 1r-
igation District. a bill was introduced
in Congress in 1919, and again in 1920
which sought to enlist the cooperation
and financial assistance of the govern
ment in the performance of the terms
of the contract for the construction of,
an All-American canal to connect with
Laguna dam. and in the construction
IF sufficient storage and flood con-
troll dam as would overcome the objec-
tions interposed by state authorities
and make possible the Undertaking OF,
the project.
I This bill. after its introduction. was
-eferred to the house committee or
arid lands, and exhaustive hearings
were had and voluminous data and in
formation were presented to the com
inittee in support of the proposal, with
the result that the hopes of the people
IF the Valley were raised to the point
where they thought that success would
attend their efforts and the bill be
passed In the end. however, leaders
Of Congress pointed out that no defin-
tie information or data was available
from which ii could be determined
whether a feasible site could be founo
in the lower basin Of the Colorado river
whereon storage dam could be erect
ed which would serve to impound the
flood waters of the Colorado river to
an extent which would solve the FLOOD
control problem and provide suffi-
eient amount of water for irrigation
of all lands below that point suscept-
ible of irrigation from the Colorado
river II was suggested that before
the government could proberly become
a party. by preparation or otherwise,
to our plan for development, that II
would be necessary to have such def
mite information, with an estimate OF
the cost of the proposed work.
In order, then. 10 meet this situation,
a bill was introduced by Hon. Moses
P. Kinkaid, chairman Of the arid lands
committee of the house, which largely
his efforts was passed by Con-
gress Under the terms of this act the
Secretary of the Interior was author
lied to have an investigation made OF
the Imperial Valley, to determine the
area and location of public and private
owned land swhich can be irrigated at
a reasonable cost from Laguna dam,
by enlarge ement and extension OF the
present canal system-as well as the
location, character, and cost OF ade-
uuate storage dams, also to what eX-
tent and in what manner the United