Imperial Valley press., 1928-02-10
PART ,
Tanning the Water Giant


After the Colorado River, in 1906,
lad broken through flood protection
works, inundated large and fertile
area in Southern California, destroy
ed $4,000 acres of rich agricultural
land and formed the Salton Sea, the
attention of the Fedreal Govern
ment forcefully wa1 called to the
necessary to tanning this wild river
Of the Southwest.
Various plans were submitted and
considered; but nothing definite i'll
the way of constructive river con-
troll works was inaugurated or auth
orized. In the meantime the ranch
ers Of Imperial Valley continued to
expend huge sums of money in build
ing levees.
In 1920, however, Congress enact
ed what is knowlj as the Kincaid
Act, and thereby authorized de-
tailed survey and study of the lower
Colorado river, with the view of find
ing a permanent solution of its flood
problem. Then followed two years of
expert study and investigation by
the U. S. Reclamation Service, under
the supervision of Arthur p. Davis,
at that time director Of the service.
In 1922 Mr.. Dayis presented his
findings and recommendations to
the Department of the Interior and
these recommendations, approved by
the Secretary of the Interior, were
submitted to Congress for action.
This report officially is designated
as Senate Document No. 142.
In brief this report of the De-
partment of the Interior urged the
construction by the Federal Govern
ment of two major works on the
Colorado.
1T was recommended that the
Government construct, entirely with
in the United States, a canal system
from the Colorado River into Imper-
ial Valley. In this connection, it
was pointed out, the ranchers of I'M
perial Valley were then, and they
still are, forced to secure their wat
er for irrigation and domestic use
by way of canal which travels
for more than 60 miles through the
Republic of Mexico, situation
fraught with difficulties and danger
Gus possibilities.
lit was recommended that the
Government construct a dam $50
feet high in Boulder Canyon on the
! Colorado River. Such q structure
il was shown, would completely and
permanently eliminate the Colorado
River flood menace and at the same
time provide many other benefits
Among these other benefits were
hsted (A) Creation of a huge res
ervoir capable of storing enough
water to stabilize irrigation in Ariz-
ona, Nevada and California. (B)
Creation of a power site capable of
developing 100000 horsepower of
by droelectric energy.
Is Ideal Site
Situated along that portion of the
Colorado River which forms the
boundary line between Nevada on
the north, and Arizona, on the south,
Boulder Canyon is approximately
40 miles below the Grand Canyon
and just above the big bend where
the river swings from a westerly
to southerly direction in its course
to the sea.
Boulder Canyon, it was stated in
the Interior Department report, is
an ideal location for the erection
of high dam. Two locations were
availablA in the canyon, engineer
ing studies disclosed, either one of
which would serve as perfect dam
sites. These sites are referred to by
the Reclamation Service as the Up
per and Lower dam sites in Boulder
Canyon. The lower da msite, is sit
uated in a portion of the Boulder
Canyon series. commonly called Black
Canyon, and is approximately 20
miles below the upper dam site.
There are several narrow, deep
canyons on the Colorado River which
lend themselves to the construction
of dams. it was explained None of
these otheS sites however. possess