The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-07-25
lg it in the phase of storage.

sing 1t IN the phase OF storage.
The commission is endeavoring
to develop an adjustment of the
interstate rights to the water, and
will probably offer some recon-
mendations as to a long-view pro-
gram for the development of the
river.
On the legal side it is proposed
that an agreement should be en-
tered into between the seven
states and the federal government
establishing the rights Of the seven
states to their participation in the
water, and that that agreement,
if it meets the approval of the
legislatures of the seven states and
the federal government, will be-
come statutory law with respect to
the basin.
There are no agreements yet
reached in that phase of the matter.
The commission reassembles to con-
slider it further on the 1st of Aug
ust at Santa Fe. In the mean
time the recen decision of the
United States Supreme Court has
considerably advanced the whole
conception of interstate water
rights.
Mr.. Sinnott. You speak of the
Wyoming Colorado case?
Secretary Hoover. Yes; the Wy
omingC case. That deci-
sion, perhaps, simplifies the issues,
because it fairly definitely estab-
fishes interstate rights to the water
by priority of beneficial use.
In the considerations by the COM
mission of this question, which has
lasted over some months and has
involved public hearings at various
points in the basin, the engineer
ing problems, of course, have been
constantly in the minds of the COM
mission and the public generally
who have appeared before the COM
mission.
The most pressing of these prob
lens is the control of the annual
freshets on the river, not only
from the point of view of storage
but from the point of view of
safety to the people of the lower
river. The Imperial Valley and the
Arizona districts are in great dam
ger at the present time, and it be-
comes vital that control of the
freshets shall be established. Almost
at any moment in one of these
freshets the Imperial Valley may be
drowned out by the breaking of
the river into the Salton Sea. So
imminent has the danger become
to the valley that the people in that
area are now having difficulty in
obtaining mortgages and other
loans to carry on their business.
The banks throughout the south
ern part of California have be-
come fearful that action may not
be taken by the government in
time to assure the safety of the
large investments already made,
and the people are finding a great
deal of difficulty to finance them
selves.
mention this as an indication
OF the pressing emergency of the
situation and the necessity for early
action.
In the various discussions before
and in the commission, considera-
ton has been given to the question
of at what particular point storage
should first be established, so as
to fall into any plan of long view
program that might extend over
two centuries for whatever is done
in this situation should be done in
the long view. We have in this
river the advantage of practically
virgin situation that can be con-
sidered from the point of view of
broad national development with a
definite, well-considered program.
Although there may be many
views as to secondary steps in de-
velopment, they can be neglected
at the present time, However,
without the cemmission having gone
on to any particular record in the
matter, think all of the members
of the commission are in agree
ment that the first step is the
construction of large storage dam
somewhere in the neighborhood of
Boulder Canyon. There may be
some questions of foundations that
may shift the site of the dam Is
or 20 miles. believe the great
majority of engineering and public
view does not question that this
IL the first step.