Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1922-02-10

CCto OupCllO " liOoC VI OthCi
states and should be watched anu
guarded by the state is the opinion OF
A. G. McGregor, president of the Bis
bee Chamber of Commerce and a
member of Their tSate Resources Com
mission. McGregor has just returned
from Washington, where he partici-
pated in the organization of the Colo
RADIO River Commission, formed un-
der the provisions of the Mondel bill.
Before the Bisbee Luncheon Club, yes
terday, the Bisbee man explained
some of the features of the problem
which confronts Arizona and its peo-
pie around the development of the
Colorado river
McGregor said, in part:
The rich irrigated district of the
Imperial Valley in California and the
irrigated distinct en- the Arizona side
of the Colorado river below Yuma are
familiar to many people of Arizona,
and many realize the grave danger OF
the Imperial Valley from being floou-
ed by the Colorado river.
without going into lot CT figures,
tie average flow of the river is about
seven times the minimum flow, -
lhC llOM Is dDOul ScNeu
times the average flow. The mininu
flow largely determines the limit CT
the amount of land that can be irri-
gated from the waters of the river,
and the cultivated land is up to |
limit now.
Valley People Seek Aid.
"The people of the Imperial VALLEY
have been pointing out for some tina
how dam can be built in the canyon
above, that will store a whole year
flow of the river, or more, and how
such dam would put the river unde'
control and prevent any flood diss
ter to them and, at the same time, due
to the storage, the flow in the lower
river, when it is most needed. c.
be brought up above the average flow
and water would then be available
for many times as much land as can
be irrigated at present.
The people Of the Imperial Valley
have realized that the carrying out
their scheme is too big for Inem
undertake by themselves and that
outside help will be required; they
have sought aid from the federal
through the reclamation
service YYThe Reclamation service has
been without funds of it's own tor
carrying on the investigation of the
project for them, but the people of the
Imperial Valley have not allowed the
work of investigation TO be halted en-
this account. 0They have raised $40
900 themselves for the use of the re-
clamation engineers in studying their
project, and have been instrumental
m getting money from other inter-
ested California districts and also OBJ
tanned $4,000 from the State of Ar
iona for this purpose.
The reclamation service engineers
have been diligently studying the Col
orado river problem for some years.
and the director and chief engineer,
Mr.. a. p. Davis, has become este
cially interested in the problem. His
report to the secretary of the interior
is practically completed and will prob
ably be published in the near future
Davis Estimates Cost.
Il had an interview CT several hours
with Director Davis in Washington re-
Gently, in which he reiterated tn,
statements he recently made at River
side, and gave his reasons for them.
Briefly, he says dam that will prop
erly control the Colorado river is en-
tirely feasible from an engineering
standpoint, and will cost about $50
100000, and the amount of new land
below, that can be irrigated, will not
alone justify this expenditure. be
says, however, that the new land tnat
can be irrigated, together with TN;
market for hydro-electric power avail
able from such dam, will readily
justify it. He estimated power
plant of 100000 horse power capac-
ity will cost S2Z 100000 and the cleo
trio transmission lines to the power
markets $1S,000,000.
The more intensive study of the
dam sites has been confined to the vi
cinity of Boulder Canyon. MIR. DAVIS
has given consideration to the Lees
Ferry site in the upper end of the
canyon, but recommends the Boulder
Canyon site in the lower end Of the
canyon. There are only two dam sites
on the river having sufficient storage
capacity back OF them to control the
river flow. One is tht Boulder Can
yon site at the lower end of the can
yon, the other is the Lees Ferry site
at the upper end of the canyon. AS
the protection of the Imperial Valley
and the reclamation of many thou
sands of valuable acres by irrigation
are of foremost consideration, the de-
partment of interior, of course, could
only consider developing one OF these
two sites. There are a number of
good dam sites for power projects be-
tween the two first mentioned sites.
Eventually all of the resources of TN,
river will be developed and dams will
be built at all OF these sites The flow
from the upper storage area VIII
regulated to suit the demand for pow
er and flow from the lower storage
will be regulated to suit the demand
for water for irrigation.
FaVors Lower Site.
Mr.. Davis gives the following rca-
sons for favoring the lower Site
While it has not the available storage
of the upper site, it will hold about
one years flow which he considers
for the river cOntrol. il lS