Imperial Valley press., 1924-03-21

,
statement is hereby published
as a paid communication, in Or
der that the people of the val
ley may know the reasons un-
derlying our attitude toward
Colorado River development.
March 10, 1924.
To the Honorable Addison r. Smith,
Chairman, and to the Members of
the Committee on Irrigation of
Arid Lands:
House Of Representatives of the
United States:-
In response to the invitation of
your Chairman, The Southern Sier-
ras Power Company respectfully
submits for the consideration of the
Committee its views with reference
to the problem of Storage on the
the Colorado River.
The Company is deeply interested
in any legislation designed for the
protection or effecting the future
development of the lower Colorado
River basin by reason of the fact
| that
1. Practically the entire basin,
intAlding Imperial and Coachella
Valleys, the Yuma District, and
Palo Verde Valley, is dependent up
on the Company's service for their
supply of electric power, light and
Neat; ..-
2. That The Southern Sierras
Power Company and its associated
company, The Imperial Ice and De-
velopment Company, have probably
the second largest financial interest
at stake in the basin, their proper
ties in Imperial Valley alone repre-
senting some $5,000,0O0 of invested
| money.
1t follows that the future of the
Company and its affiliated inter
ests are irrevocablv tied-up with
development of the Colorado River
Basin.
Storage on the Lower Colorado
Basin
! vt is our belief that storage reser-
| voirs on the Colorado River and its
tributaries are, of paramount i'm
portance in connection with the
| safeguarding and ultimate develop
| ment of the. lower Colorado River
Basin. Such storage reservoirs will
reSSlt ia;-T Tia Z.
l. lO Protection against flood wa
| ter menace to the Lower Basin. t.,
(b) The desilting in considerable
measure of Colorado River water,
thus simplifying the problem of the
Rivers control and materially re-
| ducing the cost of operating and
maintaining the irrigation systems
| below.
| (c( The impounding of fL,od wa
ter which can be released TO meet
shortages in supply for irrigation
demand in the Lower Basin that
are today threatened during per
! lods of exceptionally low stream
;flow, and so as to make possible in
] the fuNnre, as market and other con
ditions warrant, the reclamation of
| large areas of now arid lands in
| both upper and lower basins.
| (d) The development of large
blocks of hydroelectric power at
| reasonable costs, which will later
be needed to meet the rapidly in
creasing demand of the Southwest.
Position of Company
For reasons stated, we favor the
building of one or more large res
! ervoirs for the storing of water on
| the Colorado River at as early a
date as is consistent with a com
plete engineering study of the prob
lem, SO that a co-ordinated plan for
| the development of the entire river
F.; may be adopted by the Govern
ment, which will result in an ulti-
nate maximum development of
'enefits at a minimum cost.
While recognizing in view of the
i~great benefits to be gained as above
| outlined the Importance of the early
construction of storage reservoirs
the Colorado River, we deplore the
exaggerated and misleading state
| ments that have been broadcasted
over the country as to the immin-
ent danger in which Imperial Valley
stands of being inundated by the
| flood waters from the Colorado RiS-
er, with great loss of life and pro-
perty values. These statements,
rhich we believe are wholly unsun-
ported by the facts, are working III
calcuable injury to the credit and
standing of the Valley, and may
take years to live down.
The construction of the Pescadero
Gut, together with the protective
works now installed, with the orga-
nization and equipment available
for flood defense, has practically
| removed the flood menace until
such time as the new region into
| which the river now empties below
the Cut shall silt up to an eleva-
tion higher than the territory lying
to the west and north intervening
between the river and Imperial Val
ley, period variously estimated at
from ten to twenty-five years.
With the sitting up of the Pescad-
ero region it will be practical by
ut to divert the river still farthor
to the east, thereby again deferring
the reoccurence of serious flood
menace to Imperial Valley.
These relief measures against