Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-12-10
Black Canyon Recommended

Ih- blscl Canyon site for the proposed dam on th.
Colorado river has been recommended BY the Colorado
River Board. established by conEre,s. IN preference 10
IN. Boulder Canyon site. advocated BY N. Cslifcrnis
Interests. Hcr California gill react t. this recon
r%srdsticn hss rot been definitely sscsrtainsd. b..
judging from previous comments q. the leader, the
Recommendation pill not prov. satisfactory 70 .ha,
stats.
Ii. report 81 n. beard - snrin..r. appointed by
the sscrsiarg Of The interior. With I'll. approval Of IN.
president, has been sent to the president Of the senate
end tn. speaker Of the house. A thorough examination
Of the two sites vas made BY tn. board. which in it,
report outlined the engineering feasibility Of the t~o
structure. their adequacy, the water supply Of the
Colorado. the amount snd use OF the power to be de-
yeloped and the economic feasibility Of the project.
The board found that geological conditions a. Black
Canyon as in general superior TO those Of Boulder
Canyon, ard that the site is more accessible. Danger
from local earthquakes Is also almost negligible At thst
sits, the report stated.
The repcrt indicates that the cost Of building ths
Colorado dam -ill Re greater than that contemplated
ins the SvinE-Johnson bill, passed by the house. They
estimate the total cost OF ell items called for in Oh.
resolution At tl6,0o0,o0O, and that seven years would
be required TO complete the structure. These are new
phases for the senate to consider, and doubtless will
have considerable effect in connection with It's de-
cision.
The proposed dam would he the highest ever con
structed and would impound 2~s.D00,oO0 acre feet Of
water. II II should fail. the report states, the flood
created would destroy the towns If Needles, Topock.
Parker. Blythe and Yuma end would permanently
destroy the levecs Of The Imperial Valley irrigation
district. creating . channel into the sslton Sea, which
would probably he 81 deep that II would be impractical
I'll. 10 re-estsblish the Colorado in its normal course.
The board did not commit itself 10 say whether the
proposed hydrc-electric plant would he adequst. q
penetrate sufficient power tc make the project a self
supporting and financially solvent undertaking. II y
impossible ~ estimate closely the average annual out
nut n power that would be obtained during a fifty
year period, the board finds. because Of the rapid irri-
cation development that would follow the building Of
tn. dam. Under present conditions it is believed that
. continuous output Of 5So,Ooo horsepower could be
maintained even through = year II normal low flow.
The board is cr the opinion that IL the dam project is
completed and nut in operation, carrying as IL does the
ccsts OF flood protection works and the all
carsl n the Imperial Valley. II will he impossible q
meet operation and maintenance cost, and interest and
provide > sufficient sinking fund 70 retire the cost of
the project within . ~fifty-year period.
On this feature the report says: III is obvious the
power which ran be generated is a valuable rescuce.
and I'll. capital Investment reduced by the cost Of tn
or rsrt 81 ~. cost %rrorsrlv charEsshl. r. flocd pro-
tsetoin. Il rculd =. possible e srortir, tbs remaining
cc,t With r.. income frcr rr--r'