, 1922-11-14

river at the meeting now undo
Gated today. The commission
sion last Saturday, already ha:
suggestions as TO the form the com
pact should take and members be
Iieve hat before tho conference here
breaks up an agreement viii be writ
ten. The sessions OF the commission
are executive.
II the commission reaches m
agreement and a compact is made,
n new page iE the history OF irriga-
ton IN the United States win 10 writ
ten. Tho proposed document IS in
every degree analogous TO n treaty be-
tween nations. members have point
ed out. After st has been written.
these compacts win be ssned by
Herbert Hoover, chairman OF the
commission. as representative OF the
president of the United States ard
by each OF the state members on be
half Of the seven states within the
rivers basin-Coiorado. Wyoming.
New Mexico. Arizona. Nevada. Utah
and California. When approved by
and by the eve state legis-
Injuries involved the compact VIII dis
pose forever of all controversy over
the equitable apporttonment OF the
water supply OF the Colombo river.
The treaty making powers OF the
states frequently have been awaited
OF in matters respecting Interstate
Boundaries. fisheries and other like
subjects, but this Is the first instance
IN American history where several
states are attempting to make an
equitable apportionment OF the bene-
dG to b derived from the uses of
the waters of an interstate stream
PRIOR to the development OF conflict
respecting established uses. and be-
fore the construction of large enter
prises which might give rise TO inter
state conflict.
The Colorado river II the third
largest river in America Il also is
oso OF the youngest rivers in the
United States. Its average discharge
annually for the last 20 years has
been about 1900. 900 acre feet. That
Is enough water to cover ! 1900. 900
sores one DOT deep. or the annual
discharge. about $4,000. 900 acre feet
now goes TO waste. as II flows into
the Gulf OF California unused. Tho
water has its origin mostly in Colo
RADIO. wyoming and Utah. Some
rtrcs in New Mexico and Arizona, q
very small percentaEe-less thnn one
per cent r'ses in Nevada and prac-
dcaliy none rises in California
within the pss:n of the great river
millions of acres OF waste land now
ere idle. awaiting the coming Of tho
magic desert transformer-water.
Government experts ngree that
large areas Of public lands can be
converted by irrigation into farming
lands. Proper development of stor.
age dams also would create millions
Of horsepower now dormant in the
waters of the stream, and also would
remove the peril OF floods In the I'm
periai, Coacheila and Paio Verde val
leys of southern California
The basin of the river includes
$4,000 square miles in the United
States and 1000 square mfles in Mex
leo.
Tho commission has before II the
great task of ~foreseeing and prepar-
ing for the needs Of the millions OF
persons of future generations who
win make their homes within the
basin of the river. Much OF the ter.
ritory. of course Is n yet u~ndeveloped.
Its proper development. according to
experts. eventually will cost ~hur.dreds
of millions of doIas and Will open
more than 200. 900 square miles Of
land &c settlement.
It Is agreed that there is enough
water in the river to meet the irriga-
ton needs OF all the states as well as
to develop vast amounts OF horse
pouer n proner ra-ervoirn for ator.
eye are built.