Arizona republican., 1922-03-29
SAYS but TWO SITES
FOR STORAGE DAMS
IN BOULDER CANYON

BISBEE Mar. 2s.-rn discussirg
me features in detail of the nronosad
colorado river DEVELOPMENT before
.ne engineers OF this district tonight
=. ~ McGregor, noted engineer. took
important issue with the reclamation
engineers in their recommendations
80 ~ the location and design OF the
lifst dam in the river.
Probably no other engineer IN the
country today has had more exneri-
ence than McGregor in balancing the
advantages against the disadvan-
tases and IN giving proper weight to
tne many factors governing the loca-
uon and plans for large engineering
works. He took part in the early
hydro electric developments in Mon
tana and now has an international
reputation as a designer OF mining
and metallurgical plants.
There are only two sites for dams
In the canyon which win afford stor-
"One is at Boulder Canyon I'M the
lower end of the main canyon. the
other is 1t Lees Ferry at the upper
end Of the canyon. There are a num-
Der Of good sites for power dams.
having little storage back OF them.
between Lees Ferry and Boulder
Canyon. There is no site for a high
power dam below Boulder Canyon.
Boulder Canyon is on the boun-
dary between Nevada and Arizona.
II tho program of the reclamation
engineers Is carried out, the railroad
to the dam and the town would be
An Nevada and the power plant they
propose would be constructed and
operated by private capital and would
be In Nevada, adding greatly to Ne
vacas taxable wealth. The Lees
FERRY dam and power plant would be
entirely in Arizona This situation
alone demands the attention OF Ari-
xolia's taxpayers. There are, how
ever, economic and engineering con-
siderations far more vital to ALL
"a dam for either OF the proposed
storage reservoirs would have no
value as a diversion dam for irriga-
tion, as the cost OF a canal in the
canyon from either dam would be en-
tirely out Of proportion to the pros-
pective value Of the land that could
be irrigated by it.
Owing to the wide variation In
the flow of the river from year to
year, no storage reservoir can have
too great a storage capacity either
for flood control, for irrigation or for
power-the more storage the better
for all Of these needs
The Lees Ferry site for flood con-
troll has decided advantages over the
Boulder Canyon site. While it will
not intercept the floods of several
small streams below that would be
intercepted by q dam at Boulder
Canyon. st has 8 feasible storage ca
pacity three times greater for con-
trolling the extraordinary floods OF
the main river, making it safer and
more dependable for this purpose. It
hn " ~ NJ ftsu rsdf
nary flood OF the main river that con-
gtitutes the real menace to the Im-
perial valley, not the floods of the
several very small streams flowing
in between Lees Ferry and Boulder
Canyon. On account of the wide va
riations In the total flow OF the river
from year to year, the Lees Ferry
reservoir site. with its capacity to
store three years flow, or more. will
best serve the needs for irrigation
and power.
s'As the interest charge for capital
will constitute nearly the whole cost
of power from a river development
power delivered from Lees Ferry viii
cost less, with tho dam / advocate
than It will cost from Boulder Cam
Won with a dam as recommended by
the reclamation engineers. The
longer transmission distance to Cali
fornia win be OF small consequence
ia comparison. When the second
power dam Is built, and from then
on, Lees Ferry win have a still fur
Their advantage as regards cost of
power. Al power dam In the canyon
win cost less to construct and will
have four times the capacity is the
river control and storage are above 1t.
Nature has been extremely kind in
locating by far the largest reservoir
site on the river just at the head of
the canyon at Lees Ferry, where il
can be utilized to the greatest pos
sible advantage. Nature has also
been kind in another way; the wind
ings Of the river in the narrow CAM