Arizona republican., 1922-04-06
BY <. c. LeRue, Hydraulic Engineer,
U. S. @. S.


The following concerning the Colo
| rado river basin was presented as
part of a lecture before the Utah Sec
! tion of the American Society of Civil
Engineers at Salt Lake City, Utah,
on April 4:
''The Colorado river basin, which
comprises an area of $4,000 square
miles, affects the states of Wyoming,
| Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada,
California, New Mexico and Old Mex
leo. The Colorado river proper,
which has it's source on the western
slope Of the continental divide in the
state of Colorado, flows in south
westerly direction passing into Utah,
where it receives it's most important
tributary, Green river. The Green
has its source in the Wind River
mountains in southwestern Wyoming.
Including the Green. the Colorado
river is 100 miles long and has a
total fall from source to mouth of
about $4,000 feet Below the mouth
of Green river the Colorado contin-
ues in a southwesterly direction.
passing from Utah 1t crosses the
northwest corner of Arizona, and pro-
ceeding south forms the state boun-
Diary with Nevada and California on
the west side and Arizona on the east.
The Colorado discharges into the
Gulf Of California 120 miles below
Yuma, Ariz.
with complete development Of the
water resources of the Colorado river
basin, about 5000, 900 acres of land
will be reclaimed, 1000 600 acres of
which are now irrigated, and in adj
dition, more than 5,000,000 horse
power may be developed of which
less than 100000 horsepower are now
being utilized.
There are a number of important
irrigation, storage and water power
projects in the upper basin in Wyo-
ming, Utah and Colorado. In that
part of the basin above the Utah
Arizona boundary which contributes
passes Yuma, AriZ.. approximately
S.500.000 acres may be irrigated, ulti-
mately. while below this point about
2,500,000 acres may be irrigated.
During the past year considerable
publicity has been given to a plan
which calls for the prevention of
floods on the lower river, the regu
lation of the flow to conform to the
demand for irrigation, and the de-
veiopment OF large amount of pow
err. This plan of development calls
for the utilization of storage reser-
voir site below the Grand Canyon, to
cost $55.000000, and the construc-
ton of additional irrigation works in
Imperial valley. California, at cost
of S30,000.000. / believe that practic-
ally all factions in both the upper
and lower basins of the Colorado
agree that the irrigation interests on
the lower river should receive relief
from the flood menace at the earliest
possible date. There is also general
agreement to the effect that irriga-
tion development on the lower river
should not be increased appreciably
until the low water flow has been in
creased by storage. The cost Of stor-
age works which will provide protec-
tion from floods on the lower Colo
rado has been variously estimated at
$4,000, 900 to $55, 5000. 900. The irri-
CATION interests on the lower river
cannot, nor should they be expected
to. pay the full cost OF flood con-
troll works.
ut seems reasonable to believe that
the cost OF the storage works may be
developed in connection with the
storage dam. In fact, it has been
recommended that the entire cost of
the storage dam be charged to the
power consumers.
There are many factions inter
ested in the development OF the we
ter recourses of the Colorado river
basin. Unfortunately no plan for the
development of the lower river has
as yet been presented which meets
with the approval of all interested
parties. The Utah Arizona boundary
may be taken as the dividing line be-
tween the upper and lower basins of
the Colorado. In planning the devel-
opnlent on the lower river which calls
for the expenditure OF millions of
dollars, all projects below the Utah
Arizona boundary should be consid-
cred. Section OF the federal water
power act of June 10, 1920. contains
the following statement: The COM
mission may give preference to the
applicant, the plans of which it finds
and determines are best adapted to
develop. conserve, and utilize in the
public interest, the navigation and
water resources OF the region.
Considering the Colorado river
proper below the Utah Arizona boun-
dary the water resources of the re-
gion may be expressed in terms of