Imperial Valley press., 1936-10-27

f the benefits OF Boulder
Eare Of two major problems for
Imperial Valley, the engineer con-
tinued. The menace of flood is
eliminated by the dam and the
assurance of water is provided by
the vast storage in the reservoir
behind the dam.
During the past few weeks,
farmers of Imperial Valley have
had further reasons to be thank
full for the construction of Boulder
Dam. No one has forgotten the
great loss of crops caused by the
severe water shortage of 1884, dur
ing the year before storage was
started at Boulder dam. While
the flow of the river was consider
ably higher this year than in 1884,
without a supply being available
behind the dam at this time, I'M
perial Valley would be short at
least several thousand second feet"
Dowd said.
Last sprir1g, because of the
much greater than normal snow
pack in the Rocky mountains, it
appeared as though the total dis
charge of the Colorado river this
year would be above normal, which
is about 100000 acre feet. In
fact, government engineers esti-
mated runoff of over 100000
Acre feet, and it was expected the
+ leak of the flood in June would
be over 100000 second feet.
1.-THE flow has not come up to
expectations. The peak of the
flood at Grand Canyon occurred
May "a, amounting to about $4,000
second feet. Usually, the peak
comes in June, but his year the
maximum flow in June did not
reach that quantity. Total dis
charge of the Colorado river at
Grand Canyon for the year, to
and including September, equalled
11,350,000 acre feet. Although
somewhat larger than for the same
period last year, it was not up to
normal and considerably less than
had been estimated. Tt now ap-
pears that the total flow for the
entire year will not exceed 49,
100000 acre feet, or about 100000
acre feet less than anticipated.
During the flood season this
year the height of water in Mead
lake behind Boulder dam rose very
rapidly from an elevation of 905
feet in the middle of April to an
elevation of 984 feet by the end of
May and 1915 feet by the end OF
June. AS the elevation of the
river before the dam was COM
pleted was GAS feet. This means
the depth of water at the end of
June in the reservoir at the tdam
was 370 feet, amounting to total
of practically 100000 acre feet
. storage. This is the equivalent
\ nearly three years use in I'M
perial Valley.
During July the water eleva-
ton behind the dam rose slowly
a distance of about 5 feet. BY
the end of July, the inflow into
the reservoir about equalled the
outflow, the water level increasing
very slowly thereafter during Aug
ust and most of September. 1t
reached a maximum elevation for
the year on September 10, with
height of 1926 feet, representing
a storage of 100000 acre feet.
Since September IS, the height
of the water has gradually receded
and on October was 1024.50 feet,
representing a storage of about
9,5O0,OOO acre feet. On Tuesday of
last week, October 20, the eleva-
ton was 1923 feet, and it is ex-
pected that this will continue to
gradually decrease until the spring
runoff next year.
with such a large amount OF
water in storage, the farmers of
Imperial Valley no longer have
any concern with the flow of the
liver above Boulder dam, as they
e amply protected for all of their
leeds for period of several years,
even though there should be no
inflow whatsoever into the reser-
voir. But to show the tremendous
benefit which the dam is to I'M
perial Valley, the past two weeks
can be taken as an example.
During this period the inflow
into the reservoir has been about
$500 second feet, while the amount
released below the dam for irriga-
ton has been about $500 second
feet. In other words, the water
in storage behind the dam has
been drawn on to the extent of
5000 second feet a day. 1t is not
necessary to point out the tremen-