Imperial Valley press., 1922-06-23
ENGINEER POINTS
OUT NECESSITY OF
BOULDER PROJECT

canyon dam on the lower Colorado riv-
! err should be constructed, but 1t is not |
generally realized that there is urgent
need for commencing work at the earl-
f, est possible date, according to G.. IL.
Crunsky, of San Francisco, engineering
expert here to deliver an important ad
| dress before the convention of the Pa
cific division of the American Associ
alton for the Advancement Of Science.
| Aside from The wonderful stimulus
which the availability of water for
irrigating what is now desert land
would give to the southwest, a matter
of equal Importance is the guarantee of
flood control which the dam would give
Imperial valley, and other districts
along the river, Grunsky declares. Nor
is the great supply of hydro electric
power which would be developed to
| be ignored.
Grunsky believed that the develop
ment of the lower Colorado is an inter
state and international matter.
! " Development should be undertaken
by the United States government" he
declared. "The control of such a rescr
voir as that which is proposed at Boul
der canyon site, for example, should
never be relinquished to private inter
ests, whatever the agency by which the
| project is carried out.
! Location OF Dam Site
Boulder canyon damsite is located
| just above the point where the river
makes its abrupt turn from westerly
| to a southerly course. 1t is 90 miles
in an air line above the point where
| California s east boundary strikes the
river, and a few miles below the mouth
of the Virgin river. The Colorado river
at this point forms the boundary be
| tween the Nevada on the north and
Arizona ON the south.
The canyon is narrow, being gener-
| ally reported as about 90 feet in width
! for distance of one half mile The
sides of the gorge are steep The rock
is granite. The project for storage at
| this site as now favored by the United
States reclamation service involves the
| construction of a, dam about $50 feet
| above the water surface of the river
] " a reservoir at Boulder canyon
would control the flow of the Color
ado river except the contributions by
the ella river, and the storage could
be so manipulated that it would elm
mate the lower river flood menace. to
|
up-river high stages The reservoir
would also regulate the flow of the
! river for irrigation purposes, thereby
/, permitting the extension of irrigated
area, and would generate upward of
100000 horse power for electrical trans
mission. The feasibility of the dam Of
! these dimensions is generally accepted
now by engineers who have investigated
the damste.
Valley Protection Project
p" All of Imperial valley and Of Coach
ella valley are menaced by breaks in
the levees. Not that all of these val
leys would be flood swept. The water
would simply flow into the Salton Sea,
! and it would be turned back into the
| gulf again before it could make any
great headway in the basin.
'T The interesting fact is that the
leVees which thus prevent the river
from turning north, and the great UNI
dertakings in 1906 and 1907 of turning
the river from an erratic course back
to its old bed, had to be done on for
eign territory, and moreover, without
| permission or sanction to do the work
| by any treaty arrangements.
When it is considered that the con
troll of the floods of the lower Color
ado will benefit about 100000 acres of
delta lands in Mexico and somewhat
larger area in California, the fact will
be realized that there should be friend
| ~ consultation and cooperation be
tween the United States and Mexico in
order that control of the lower river
| which must be put on Il direct course
| to the Gulf and kept there, may be
| placed in the hands of competent
| agency, preferably the U. S. govern
| ment, and that arrangements may be
| made for reducing the flood menace bg
storing the waters of the Colorado at
some point such as Boulder canyon, An
| understanding must also be reached as
to the quantity of water which will be
allowed to flow into Mexico. Under
proper regulation, there will be more
than enough water for both countries.
About 10000 people live in the
area which is to be protected by flood
! control. Property values of 100000 |
600 to $200,000,000 are involved There
are several hundred miles of railroads
which must be protected against dam
age by flood.
In the matter of developing and
putting to beneficial use the water re |
sources of the Colorado river. it seems
seif-ev1dent that the greatest ultimate
good should be the main consideration.
State lines cut but little figure in this
matter Opportunity by any state to
divert and deprive downstream users Of |
the water can, carry no right to do so
unless this be plainly in the public in
tefest and with due compensation for
the property values destroyed.
ut is wise, therefore, that steps
have been taken for n discussion of |
the river s problem as it effects the |
seven states within which the waters of |
the river originate. The Colorado river
commission, headed by Secretary IIoov
er, is the medium for bringing these
states into conference. What the out |
come of this conference will be re
mains to be seen. Fortunately the pro- |
duction of water in the Watershed of |
me river is so great that, despite all |
that can be done ON its headwaters to |
mold back and use the water locally,
there will still