The Winslow mail., 1922-03-10
FLOW OF THE COLORADO RIVER

The development of the agricult-
ural, water power, and other re-
sources and the construction of
works to prevent floods in the drain
age basin of the Colorado river Of
fers problems of national and inter
national as we'll as local and state
interest, for the basin has an area
of 244,000 square miles and includes
parts of seven States and of Mexico.
AS all such development in the bas-
in is primarily limited by the quaint
lty Of water available, reliable
stream-tiow data showing total an
nual discharge of the river and it's
distribution through the year and
through the drainage basin are
needed for the proper consideration
of the problems involved among
which are the effect of the use of
the water on the interests of the
several states or of the United
States, the location and design of
hydraulic structures. and the admin
istration and operation of hydraulic
works.
A study of the information now on
hand indicates that the principal
ords of the flow of the river taken
at twelve base gaging stations, six
on tbs main river and six on the
principal tributaries. In addition tc
these base stations secondary sta
| tions will doubtless be needed for
| the solution of special problems
| The base stations on the main
stream are Yuma. Topock, Boulder
Canyon, Bright Angel Lees, Ferry
and Cisco The stations on the trib-
utary streams are on the Green, San
Juan, Little Colorado, Virgin, Will
liams and Gila
For the purpose Of coordinating
stream gaging in the Colorado river
| basin and obtaining data required
| the United States Geological Survey
proposes to cooperate with all those
! who are interested in the develop
ment of the basin in establishing
and maintaining these base stations
according standards that will yield
records of the highest type. These
| standards will require that the sta
tions be equipped with waterstage
| recorders and measurement cables.
| In studying the water resources
of the United States the Geological
Survey maintains Offices in twenty
| two districts and three ub-districts
Four of these districts lie in part
within the Colorado river drainage
! basin, as follows:
ARIZONA: Roger c. Rice, district
engineer, t04 Agricultural Building
University of Arizona, Tucson, Ari-
| zona.
COLORADO, WYOMING and NEW
! MEXICO: Robert Follansbee, dis
ttrie.t engineer, 403 Post Office Build
/ ing, Denver, Colorado.
UTAH and NEVADA: A. B. Pur-
ton, district engineer, 313 Federal
| CALIFORNIA: fl. n. McGlashen
district engineer, 30S Custom House
fee, COZ Federal Building, Los Ang-
eles, California;.
The larger part Of the work re-
uuired in connection with the base
stations mentioned above will be
done in the Arizona district
! The principal users of stream-fo
records at present are the United
States government represented by
the Reclamation Service. the FEEDER
| al Power Commission, the Weather
Bureau, the National Park Service
the Geological Survey. and the Col
orado River Commission).t he States
in which the drainage area lies, the
| local water users, and the permit
tees, and applicants for permits or
licensesl under the Federal Power
| Commission.
The Geological Survey can furn-
ish, in addition to records of stream
| flow, many topographic maps, geo
| logical reports, and other data that
have a direct bearing upon the So
| luton of the problems of the Col
orado river drainage basin. These
data may be obtained from the Di-
rector. U. S. Geological Survey
Washington, D. c., or from the dis
trict engineers in the basin. named
| above