Arizona republican., 1922-06-24
.T0CUT BENDS
Of COLORADO
RELIEF
FROM FLOODS
Gov. Campbell Of Arizona
And Gov. Stephens Of
California Withhold OBJ
jections To Work

All objections to the people OF the
Palo Verde valley in California cut
ting through the Raab. Conner and
Casad bends on the Arizona side to
straighten the Colorado river as an
emergency measure to relieve the
present serious flood situation in that
valleys have been withheld by Cover
nor Thomas Z. Campbell according
to an announcement made yesterday.
The decision of the governor con-
ours with the recommendations made
to himself and to Governor William
d. Stephens of California by the Joint,
commission appointed by themselves
to investigate the situation and make
report. This report was trans
mitted to Governors Campbell and
Stephens on Thursday.
The report in addition to recon-.
mending that both states withhold
their objections to the proposed plan
of the Palo Verde people to straigh-
ten the river, also recommends that
joint commission be created by the
states of Arizona and California for
the purpose Of making studies and
presenting recommendations for the
future protection of the lands and
property in these two states from the
flood hazard. They also recommend
that a definite boundary between the
two states be surveyed and located.
Gov Stephens Agrees
The governors decision in the
matter was telegraphed to Governor
Stephens and the latter answered
stating the Recommendation of the
commission We're satisfactory. and
L, L. IT, 49, ~ 11os tn
California may have had to such
procedure. A copy of the report
and the governors decision was for
warded to Ed. f. Williams, presi-
dent of the Palo Verde Joint Leyee
district at Blythe and it is expected
the work of making the cut-offs will
be started at once and will be fin
ished before the crest of the second
rise of the river which is scheduled
to reach the Palo Verde valley early
in July. The estimated cost of the
work is approximately $4,000.
The decision of Governor Campbell
as sent to Governor Stephens is as
follows: referring to report of joint
commission named to investigate
flood condition in the Palo Verde
valley in California. you are hereby
advised that / concur in the recon-
nlendations made relative to emer-
gency measures and that the state of
Arizona withholds any objections to
the carrying out OF the emergency
relief as outlined in the report.
I 1t has been mutually agreed be-
tween California and Arizona and the
officials of the Palo Verde Joint
Levee district that the proposed plan
of Strengthening the river will in no
way violate the provisions of the in
junction which is still in effect in
the Cibola valley on the Arizona side
of the river, and which enjoins all
persons from changing or attempting
to change the course of the river
along this valley.
To Straiehten Channel
The. four bends across which the
Palo Verde people plan to make their
cuts in an effort to straighten the
channel of the river and divert the
water from their levee are all above
the Cibola valley. The main OBJ
lection Arizona had to the pro-
posed plan to straighten the river
was that such course might en-
danger the Arizona settlers in the
Cibola valley. 1t is believed now,
however, that the plan will in no way
jeopardize this valley, or cause the
river to cut into the valley.
The four bends across which the
Palo Verde people wish to cut are
all on the Arizona side Of the river
and all indicate that at some past
date the channel of the river ran
across them. There is a we'll defined
slough running across each of the
bends in which the water stands
from five to six feet deep. The plan
proposed for the relief of the flood
situation is to blast out a cut at
the north end of each of these
sloughs so that the current of the
river will force itself through and
scour a new channel.
Along the Arizona side of the
river there is a high mesa bench wall
extending almost to Yuma while the
California side is low ground on a
level with the river or lower The
Palo Verde people believe by cutting
the new channel across these bends
close to this wall on the Arizona side,
the channel OF the river will be kent
against the wall and away from their
levees which are built several hun
dred feet back of the main channel
of the river.
First Break May Il
The first break in the levee oc-
CURED on May L. opposite Hauser
Bend and the waters of the river
pouring through this break inun-
dated approximately $4,000 acres of
land in the Palo Verde valley and
the town of Ripley, Calf. seven
miles south of Blythe. Since then
the water has stood from two or
three inches to eight feet deep all
over the entire section, and the resi-
dents of the valley and Ripley have
been forced to seek refuge in Blythe
and elsewhere.
Recently the levee opposite Raab
Bend which is about three miles up
the river from the Hauser Bend
broke flooding about 1000 more acres
of the valley. 1t is expected the
levee opposite the Casad Bend, sew
eral miles below Hauser Bend will
break at any moment flooding ap-
proximately 1000 more acres of the
valley. The damage to the district
is estimated at approximately ST.
900, 900.
The joint commission, consisting
of W. j. Galbraith, attorney gem
eral: w. S. Norviel, state water
commissioner; and f. n. Holmquist.
assistant state engineer, appointed by
Governor Campbell, and Melville
Dozier, Jr., manager of the CALI
fornia reclamation board; and Paul
Bailey, deputy state engineer ap-
pointed by Governor Stephens of
California, met last Sunday in Blythe
and after spending three DAYS in
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