Arizona republican., 1922-01-06
PACIFIC COAST
PLAN To CHECK
FLOW Of BLACK
RIVER OPPOSED
Strenuous Objection to Pro-
posal Interjected by Ari-
zona Interests in Import
ant Hearing

Hearing on a petition OF Frank G..
Baum, electrical engineer of Califor-
MIA, for permit to harness the wat
ers Of Black river, on the Roosevelt
lake watershed, for the development
of hydro electric power, was con-
Quoted by e. C. LaRue, hydraulic
engineer with the United States geo.
logical survey, at the Water Users
building yesterday. Scores of wit
nesses were heard before adjourn
ment was taken until this morning.
All evidence and exhibits introduced
at the hearing here will eventually be
placed before the federal power COM
mission, which will finally act on the
application of the petitioner.
Scores Of objections were lodged
with the examiner to the granting of
any permit that would tend to de-
plete the water supply at Roosevelt
or that would interfere in any way
with development of power projects
on the Salt between the Roosevelt
and Granite Reef dams. They OBJ
jected strenuously to the granting Of
this particular permit because, they
said, it would establish a precedent
that would in time rob the people of
the great agricultural empire of the
Salt Of their heritage, as represented
in the unobstructed flow of waters
from the watershed above the Roose-
welt dam.
Many Objections
Many of the civic organizations of
city and county were represented at
the hearing and interposed objections
to the granting Of a permit to Petit
toner Baum. They were based on
the belief that any Harvesting Of the
waters above the dam would result
detrimentaIly to the Salt River
valley
The morning session was given
over largely to presentation OF the
plans OF Engineer Baum. Construc-
tion OF three reservoirs are proposed
on the headwaters Of the Black
river, he told the examiner. Water
impounded by these reservoirs would
be utilized in the development OF
hydro electric power at three sta
tions and would then be released into
the river channel to continue its way
into Roosevelt lake. Approximately
$4,000 acre feet would be stored in
these reservoirs, practically all of
which would be flood waters.
1t is the contention of the petition
er that BY releasing these waters
gradually into the river channel dur
ing May, June, July, August and
September that the Salt River valley
project would actually benefit
through the savings of several hum
dred miners inches of water, which
would be lost through seepage and
evaporation If the water were per-
mitted to flow through the channel
during flood periods in November
December, January, February and
March.
The cost Of the proposed construc-
tion would be something more than
$4,000, 900, the petitioner said, adding
that he had already expended more
than $4,000 in making preliminary
surveys, maps, etc. Much benefit
would accrue to the state as result
of the development of this hydro
electric power, he stated.
Examiner LaRue told the petition
er and the opposing interests that
the questions of evaporation and
seepage were pertinent in the dis
cussion; that they would be given
great weight by the federal power
commission in a final determination
of the merits or demerits Of the APP
plication and objections filed to it.
AS a result of this declaration OF
principles, there followed a lengthy
discussion in the afternoon on the
question Of whether the Roosevelt
reservoir would lose or gain through
construction of these reservoirs.
1t was the opinion of G. G. Cragin,
chief engineer of the Salt River VAL
lev Water Users association, that the
project would lose a considerable
amount Of water through the release
OF waters during the five-month
period proposed by Baum rather than
during it's natural flow in the flood
periods. The flow during Novem-
Der, December, January, February
and March, he said, was at period
of low evaporation while in May
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