The border vidette., 1930-07-12
WORK STARTS ON BOULDER
OAM-WiLL COST $685.
100000

constructor OF GQo @lOC, ,OUU,UUU
Boulder Canyon dam project,
Secretary Wilbur characterized
the work as signalizing our ma
tional conquest over the great
American desert"
The interior secretary said
Walker R. Young, the engineer
in charge, was waiting on the
ground for telegraphic instruc.
tions when President Hoover
signed the deficiency bill. con.
tanning an item of $40, $50. 600 for
this work.
with dollars, men and engi
neering brains," Secretary Will
bur said, I'VE will build a great
natural resource. We will make
new geography. and start new
era in the south western part of
the United States"
DR.. Elwood Mead. commits
sioner of reclamation, received a
telegram from Young today,s say
ing the first construction was
underway.
Secret tary Wilbur said the first
days work would be the stalking
out of a railroad and a construc
ton road, surveys of which have
been completed, and the laying
out of streets for a permanent
townsite.
Work also will be continued,
be said, on surveys for the water
supply system.
Plans and specifications, Will
bur said, are being rushed to
completion, 80 the advertising
of bids and the awarding of con
struction contracts may be made
at the earliest possible date.
After completion of work on
the railroad, construction road,
townsite and water works, the
money appropriated will be used
to commence construction of the
Golfer dams and diversion tun,
nels. Wilbur said 50, 500, 900 will
be used to build the railroad and
$525, 900 will be expended for
the water works, town planning,
sewers and other work.
"Five million dollars of the
initial estimate" be said, us to
be used in construction of tun-
nels which eventually will cost
$18, 100000"
In a long statement describing
the monumental work, Secretary
Wilbur said: with the Im
perial Valley no longer menaced
by foods, new hope and new
financial credit will be given to
one of the largest irrigation dis
tricts in the west. By increas
Ling the water supply of Los
Angeles and surrounding cities,
homes and industries are made
possible for many millions of
people. A great new source of
power forecasts the opening of
new mines and the creation of
new industries in Arizona, Ne
vada and California"
Wilbur said water works to be
constructed would be similar in
character to those built at Yuma,
Arizona, where conditions of
climate and water are similar to
those at Boulder dam.
1t would be necessary for
construction of tunnels to di
vert the river to await com
pletion of the town. Much of
the equipment needed for tun
mel construction, be said, can be
hauled in and work begun from
temporary construction camps
located on the river.
Building of the road, railroad, {,
tunnels and Golfer dams all will
precede the beginning of the
great wedge over 700 feet high.
| Only engineers. Wilbur said +,
who have considerable famili
arity with dams and power de.
velopments can fully appreciate
all that is involved in these
plans. Boulder dam will not
only be monumental engineer.
ing work but laws authorizing it
inaugurated the greatest scheme
of rural planning yet undertaken
in the west.
That this scheme shall prove
of greatest possible value to the
nation, it necessitates now a
study of all irrigation and power
possibilities of the whole basin
and of different states. Five
hundred thousand dollars has
been provided this year fol
studies of secondary projects il
the Colorado basin. Wilbur said
and thousands of men will bt