The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1922-05-20
COL. SCRUGHAM TALKS
ABOUT BOULDER CANYON

Af,er State Engineer J. @. Scrug-
s.m had completed his official busi-
naas in Eureka Saturday evening, he
was present at an informal meeting
- the directors of the Eureka Coun-
~ chamber of Commerce and gave an
Interesting talk upon the resources
and opportunities now before Ne
yoda and ways of developing them.
The main portion of his address con-
carned the building of the Boulder
Canyon dam, and Colonel Scrugham.
as Neyada's representative on the
Colorado River power project, is
,horoughly familiar with all the ad-
vantages that will accrue to the State
of Nevada when this great undertake
ing is completed. In part he said:
water is the same as money in
this State, SO where would business
get off IL 1t permitted its finances to
he wasted in like manner?" He
called attention to the fact that only
$4,000 acres were being irrigated
from the Truckee river, while over
million acre feet of water were going
IN waste. The Colonel opened his
audiences eyes when he told them
that Nevada had the greatest power
site In the whole world-the Boulder
canyon site on the Colorado river,
which would store thirty million acre
feet of water; and he added this site
ia only few miles from Las Vegas.
He then dwelt at considerable
length on the thousands OF acres Of
fertile land in the valleys which are
underlain at shallow depth with al
most inexhaustible supplies of water,
which can be pumped upon the land
for irrigation purposes.
Colonel Scrugham also dwelt upon
the immense amount of electrial pow
or that would be generated from the
impounded water of the Boulder Can
yon dam before 1t was turned into ir-
rigation bitches. The large mining
camps Of Eastern Nevada especially
would be benefited by cheap power
from this source. and stated that Eu-
reka could be supplied with power at
q cost of about $50 per horsepower
year--less than half of what IL now
costs. He further stated that Ne
vada has an abundance OF lime, salt.
iron and other minerals used In the
manufacture of cyanide, which with
cheap power can be made an import
ant industry of the State. said Col.
Scrugham. He said Nevada and Cal
ifornia each were paying out about
two and half millions year for cy-
anide, to eastern manufacturers,
while with the Colorado river project
in operation 1t could be manufac-
tured right here in this State at a
very much less cost.
Col. Scrugham said the engineer
Ing phase of the problem has been
solved, and that now comes the po-
litical aspect of 1t, calling attention
to the fact that any one of the inter-
ested States was in position to block
for years any basis Of agreement. He
urges the chambers of commerce of
the various counties to cooperate In
data giving facts and fig
ures on resources that can be aug
mented by the use OF power and the
extent Of each. In other words, find
out how much power can be used in |
each county advantageously. He said |
that every State, county or commun-
ty got Just what 1t was entitled to,
and that individual effort counted for
Tery little as compared with COM
nunity effort. He urged activity and |
cooperation with a view to taking
advantage of the great opportunities
hat lie within reach.
Colonel Scrugham stated that he
the development of water
or irrigation purposes in Diamond
'alley, adjacent to Eureka, as one of
he best assets of this county, and in
rider to further this work and lessen
he expense of individuals engaged in
earching for water there. the State
ingineer's office would loan an ample
nd complete pumping plant to test
he wells drilled in this section.
President w. H. Bremen thanked
'olonel Scrugham at the conclusion
I his talk for the enlightening in
ormation 1t contained and for his
indness in offering to assist In the
evelopment Of Eureka County's un-
erground waters by supplying a
umping plant to test various wells
ow being drilled and others for