Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-27
Disputes Over Boulder DAM
Go On With No End in Sight

In fact, the Colorado River, year upon
year, carries more water than man can
now or may ever be able to use"
X X X
Fresh obstacles" are pointed out by
the Syracuse Herald as arising from
bitter sectional rivalry in California
in the demands for ALLEGATIONS of the
water" and that paper argues: when
the Boulder Dam bill was under consid-
Grafton by Congress, California, as a
whole, insisted upon 4,600 900 acre feet
of water as her legitimate share. Ari-
IONA sought to reduce the California
allowance to 100000 acre feet. The
Senate offered a compromise of 4,400-
900 acre feet. But now, ridiculous as
it may seem, three sections of Southern
California-the Imperial Valley the
Coachella Valley and the Palo Verde
Valley-are demanding for themselves
exactly 100000 acre feet, as much as
the Senate was then willing to assign
to all California. In addition, the Los
Angeles Metropolitan Water District
sets its own ultimate requirements at
100000 acre feet. The result is an
acrimonious interstate conflict, with
the Los Angeles press charging that the
valley regions are grossly exaggerating
the better of the argument, inasmuch
as it shows that the Imperial Valley,
instead of being eager and ready to
put additional arid land under cultiva-
ton. Is not even irrigating all the land
which has been prepared for the
purpose.
California proposes" according to
the Oakland Tribune, that it and
Arizona share equally in the water, con-
twill %,
OF other States. Under that plan Cali
fornia would be able to use its entire
allotment by the time the full yield is
attained; Arizona could not use even
one-half of that which the main stream
alone would yield Arizona and Nevada
each demand third of all profits from
power, and the former also asks Spe-
cial privileges in exercising options on
| power developed, a demand which the
South calls 'rake-off, no more or less.
So many and so complicated are the
| many demands and arguments that no
one dareS say Arizona is all wrong and
California all right. But it does appear
that Arizona is asking more of the
early water yield than California would
get and is withholding its consent for
the highest possible price"
In the matter of contracts for power,
the Flint Daily Journal remarks that
| 1t docs not envy Secretary Wilbur's
! position" recording that the total cost
of the contract is to be approximately
$l65 1000, 900, and that before conStruc-
ton Secretary Wilbur must apportion
the power among the bidders"
The Milwaukee Journal sees further
difficulties in the proposal to award
so per cent of the power to the Metro
politan Water District of Southern
California "a group of municipalities
% per cent to the City of Los Angeles
and Is per cent to the Southern Cali
fornia Edison Co The Journal con-
| tends: How Secretary Wilbur can
allot power to a private company so
long as States and municipalities are
willing to take that power, we do not
see. Nevada wants 33 per cent as
against the possible 18 per cent. that
is to be given her. Even though the
SO per cent be more than her natural
allotment, 1t would seem that If SD
Is willing to handle 1t as a State
project her request should have prefer
ence over a private request from an
other State"