The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-04-07
RECLAMATION MAN
TALKS ON SUBJECT
COLORADO RIVER QUESTION Is
DISCUSSED BY PROMINENT
SPEAKER
Director Davis FIes Record to Show
Relation of Use and Return Flow
OF Water as Applied
To Irrigation

raQO River commission, at the Salt
Lake Meeting, as follows:
''The proposed treaty should recog-
nize as fundamental considerations:
al. That for the purpose of beat
development the Clorado basin Is an
economic unit.
"2 That no other use should pre-
cede the use of water for irrigation. In
Guiding flood control and domestic
needs.
49, That there Is ample water In
the Colorado river for all economical
iy irrigable lands.
"A. That beenfcal use merging In
to economical use, alone should con-
tribute water rights ON the river.
The compact might then include:
i. The free and unrestricted de-
velopment of the river, under the laws
of the states interested, for a period
say, of fifty years, after which another
commission may consider the future.
so. The precedence of irrigation, in
Guiding Its concomitants, the control
of flood waters and domestic use, over
power development.
"3. The united attempt OF the sey-
en- states interested to secure immed-
late and continuous development of the
river, beginning with a dam to serve
flood control and storage purposes,
and, If possible, to place the major
structures, affecting several states,
under federal control.
~. Erection of a continuing Colo
RADIO river commission, without judi
cial or administrative power, to act as
a bureau to encourage the continuous
study of the Colorado; to assemble in
an easily accessible form all available
facts concerning the river. and TO make
reports and recommendations to the
respective states and to the govern
ment."
1.-THE power possibilities Of the COL
orado river are of little concern In
comparison with the irrigation and
home possibilities, for In the Colorado
basin we must have water to reclaim
our barren lands and to establish
homes as the foundation of all devel-
opment. Fortunately, however, on the
Colorado river tremendous power pro-
duction Is assured without interior
encs with the irrigation possibilities.
1.-THE application of broad and gen.
eral principles, such as are desirable |
In the considerations of the great prob
lem Of the Colorado river basin, varies
with the quantity of irrigation water
available and the ease of winning It
70 agricultural use. Therefore the
fundamental physical fact concerning
the Colorado river Is that, as q result
of eighteen years of measurements,
under governmental auspices and ac-
cording to the best methods OF the
times, an average Of 100000 acre
feet OF water run past the Yuma sta
tion annually-15,0O0.0O0 acre-feet Of
which are wasted into the Gulf Of Cali
fornia.
This quantity of water, IL properly
conserved; that is, made available by
dams and canals, has been estimated
by the reclamation service to be suffi-
Gent to irrigate all the economically
irrigable lands of the basin. including
a large acreage In Mexico.
There can be no doubt about the
accuracy of either OF those
statements; consequently. the labor of
formulating a Colorado river agree
ment La greatly diminished; for many ,
Of the petty. but annoying, questions ,
Of irrigation rights and practices, not ,
ably those relating to prior1ties, may I
be, and should be, ignored, In view of :
the plentiful supply of water for the
Irrigable lands of the basin.
The Colorado river commission. nc
cording TO law, shall negotiate and >
enter into a compact or agreement =
providing for an equitable division b
md apportionment among said states :.
If the water supply OF the Colorado r
liver and the streams tributary there
o.
THE division that first suggests It.
elf is naturally the assignment of a .
ertain proportion of the river flow !,
o each of the states Interested In pro G
'ortion 10 the probable irrigable land. -
However, such a mechanical partition :,
5 wholly at variance with our best \,
irrigation experience. First, because ,,
practically forces each state to claim n
maximum quantity OF water, to sat !,
'fy the popular demand, as well as
} protect the interests Of the state ma
fore detailed information is secured
oncerning irrigation possibilities. in
"A dam in the lower reaches Of the W
yer would effectively furnish the rs
God control so sadly needed by the o.
Istricts below Yuma. The recon- az
endation that this dam be undertak. tie
, first, might very properly be made ST
= this commission as a part of the oh
impact Itself. In any case II would hi
-sm the part Of wisdom 10 retain full In
'deral control over the major struc. or
re IN the river. ! io