Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1922-06-28

predicting the exact require
ments a month or more ahead"
Meaningless, vapid utterances.
Storage in either the Glen Canyon or
the Boulder Canyon reservoirs could
be accomplished only after Colorado
had diverted so much as it could
economically divert. There is not
one single point where water could
be diverted for irrigation purposes
between these two sites, nor one
single acre which could be irrigated.
1t does not require a month for the
water to flow from the Glen Canyon
dam to the irrigated areas. Just what
he means by a large percentage of
the water being lost owing\ to the
great distance" 1 is not clear. The
same amount, or greater, evaporation
would probably take place in the tor
rental discharge as in the regulated
flow and its evaporation as stored in
the Boulder Canyon dam. He fur
Their says:
In order to provide against
embarrassing shortage it viii be
necessary to turn out at all times
sufficient water to provide for
the most extreme conditions. that
may occur, but seldom do occur,
and this will mean that nearly
all the time a large amount of
water will be flowing to waste"
Then he further says:
"a large part of this waste can
be obviated by an adequate res
ervoir on the lower river"
This is the only sentence the di-
rector has incorporated in his dis
cussion of Upper versus Lower res
ervoirs that really deserves the at
tention of the reader. Adequate" is
the word.
Wants Adequate Reservoir
1t is my purpose>to show that an
/ adequate" reservoir is the proper
kind to construct at Boulder Canyon,
not the gigantic impounding dam ad-
vocated by the director and some Of
his misguided adherents.
1t is admitted that the San Juan
/ is the great silt-bearing contributor
of the Colorado river. and this enters
| the Glen Canyon dam. His argument
concerning the water supply appro
priated above for use in the lower
valley is not worthy of consideration.
Admitted that the two dams are of
equal capacity and cost-althOugh
do not grant this. The. director of
the reclamation Service says: For
tunately the Investigations at Boulder
| Canyon have shown the feasibility of
/ a high dam at that point, and i'm
mediately thereafter states, results
of the behring's indicate a maximum
depth to bedrock of 135 feet below
4 water level" so feasible that they
have moved down the river some Il
Z. miles into Black Canyon with their
Il diamond drills in order to determine
y if it is not possible to find bedrock
at an economic depth. Seating a col
ossal dam on bedrock at 1875 feet, il
river carrying the volume of water
this one does, or any other river fo
that matter, would be taxing the
limit of present day construction
methods. But admitting the equalit!
stated, the elevation of the Glel
Canyon dam site is some 5000 fee
above the Boulder Canyon site.
is we'll known that the great volume
of water is discharged during tn
months of May, June and July. Thi
water is its u1regulated, turbulen
flow, rushing through this dee
gorge, carrying silt and destruction
would flow into the Boulder Canyo
reservoir with it's millions of laten
horse power lost. What then?
perchance the reservoir should fill
we must begin Immediately to di:
charge the contents of the upper 10
feet in order TO conform to the d
rector's recommendation that the to
five million acre feet be reserve
for flood control. This must b
turned out regardless of the necessit
for it's use on the lands below. Blu
you say, would this not also be tru
of the Glen Canyon? Yes, but her
is the great difference:
Big Reservoir Not Needed
All the water turned out of tn
Boulder Canyon dam, in order that
might operate as flood control dan
except that used for irrigation pul
poses, would be lost; there is n
power possibility of great feasibilit
below the Boulder Canyon dam site
all the water turned out of the Gle
Canyon dam, in order that it Nigh
operate as a flood control dam, coul
and would be utilized in developin
the four million horse power whic
the executive secretary of the fedora
power commission says can be deve
oped between these two dams. tn
excess over irrigation requirement
would find Judgment in an adequat
reservoir, built where a feasible an
economical point could be found o
the lower reaches of the river an
above possible diversion points. Til
would mean that the lower reservoi
must have sufficient capacity to in
pound 100000 acre feet plus tp
run-off from the Virgin, Little Col
RADIO and Paria rivers.
The Little Colorado discharges a.
proximately 100000 acre feet pc
year; the Virgin, of which no rui
off records are available, can haTdl
discharge as much; the Paria nj
half as much, so that 100000 acI
feet from these down streams woul
be an outside figure, and add to TIL
the necessary silt capacity, whic
would be greatly reduced on accouI
Of the San Juna being stopped fro