Evening star., 1923-03-03
Seuen States Sign Treaty ..
Ending Quarrel Ouer Riuer

victory for those qualities which dis
tingush the civilized man from the
savage, Arthur +. Davis, director Of the
United States reclamation service, de-
clarcs. ut will obyiate the delay and
the acrimonious litigation which a year
ago seemed imminent. and has cleared
,, the way for provisions of flood control
and irrigation storage urgently needed
and Indispensable to further develop
ment in the Colorado river basin.
DeVelopment Of the basin involves
some OF the largest and most difficult
engineering problems ever attempted.
ana a multitude OF complicated inter-
ests and possible disputes which have
oeen settled in eleven months instead
OF years. All good citizens should re-
Joice In this substitution OF reason and
progress for conflict and starnatioI..
This happy result is due largely TO the
broad-minded attitude OF the members
OF the commission and especially 20 the
patience, tact and diplomatic ability of
the chairman of the commission Sec
retary Hoover"
Plenty of Water for All.
Natural flow of the Colorado river.
Mr.. Davis adds. averages nearly 10000
600 acre feet yearly. or this about one
third is now used, and this includes the
which cannot further develop safely
without storage. The present uses in
the lower basin are about 3.700, 900 acre
feet. The compact awards this portion
OF the basin a total annual flow Of $500
900 acre feet. or more than double is
present needs and sufficient to de-
velop all feasible projects and some
iof doubtful feasibility. The upper
basin is awarded 100000 acre feet,
which Is also moro than double tts
present needs and sufficient to serve
100000 acres additional. II this
water is not consumed in irrigation
1t will run down through the canyons
for use below. There remains an
apportioned quantity OF more than
100000 acre feet for future division
as unforeseen needs may appear. Nr.
Davis concludes.
Hoover says. has two main phases
legal and ergineering--in addition to
the task of getting seven great
states together IN a compact. The
seven states involved in the compact,
all of which are expected to ratify
within three months, are Wyoming.
Colorado, Utah. New Mexico, Nevada,
Arizona and California. II is ma
volved are OF great magnitude, and
the river itself is interstate, inter
national and nayigable both In law
and in fact. In addition. the United
states government has peculiar In
terest in the development, as large
areas OF public lands, now desert. can
be brought under irrigation and made
to yield a profitable return.
Tho basin lies mostly. in American
territory. where il embraces $4,000
square miles, but 1000 square miles
lie in Mexican territory.
Bill Now In Congress.
A bill was recently introduced in
Congress for construction of the
worlds largest dam at or near Bould-
er Canyon along the Colorado, or its
extension, Black Canyon, in the
northwestern corner of Arizona on
the Arizona Nevada border. This dam.
| If built to its full height OF 500 feet
above present low water level, would
store some $4,000 900 square feet OF
water and develop 100000 primary
horsepower. while if built to a height
of $50 feet above present low water
level it would store 26,500,o0o acre fct
and develop 100000 primary horse
power, after due allowance had been
made for irrigation. requirements.
Probably the most urgent OF the
engineering aspects Of the problems
involved in the Colorado river basin
lection OF the Imperial, Coachella and
Palo Verde valleys in southern Cal
ifornia from the spring floods Of the
main river and winter flash floods OF
the Gila river. Representative Swing
of California is the author OF bill
now in Congress asking for authori
cation of an appropriation of $4,000.
600 for the dam construction work.
for which s60,0o0,000 is to be spent
and the balance to be expended
toward construction of an all-Ameri-
can canal which would divert the
water at Laguna dam and lead il to
the Imperial valley entirely through
already been held on this bill, with
Secretary Hoover and delegations
from California appearing.