Imperial Valley press., 1944-07-10
MexicaIi Valley
Faces Crop Loss
CONTINUED from Page u

QulISultIllS OI Tile MeSlCdll valley r.
CAUSE OF CONFUSION
Lawrence NJ. Lawson, inteIna-
tional boundary commissioner of
the United States and Mexico
American section-ano' officials of
the Department of Interior, in
formed the National Irrigation
Commission of Mexico that they
have no objections to Imperial Irri-
cation District placing a dam in
the river to raise the water level
high enough to divert more water.
Mr.. Lawson states that the De-
partment of State offers to procure
facilities for passing Mexican work.
men, equipment and materials in
to the United States to construct
this dam. This further adds to the
confusion = unless the facts are
known. Mr.. Lawson and his state
department, and the secretary of
the interior. have no jurisdiction
of the secretary of war.
In order ito place a dam in the
river, Imperial Irrigation District
would first have to have perma-
nent injunction lifted that is now
in force and effect, restraining the
District from placing any obStruc-
ton in the river, which was OBJ
tanned by the Water Users AsSo-
citation of Yuma and certain in
diviCualS.
Imperial Irrigation District also
would have to secure a permit from
the secretary of war who would be
obliged to hold a hearing and listen
to objectors. before granting a per-
NIT for construction of the dam.
In view of the almost certainty Of
objections by the Indian Reserva-
ton, the Bard irrigation district
and the city of Yuma-becallse of
the inevitable damage to those
communities which would result
from raising the water level of the
river. it is unlikely that the Impe-
rial Irrigation District could either
have the injunction dismissed, or
obtain a permit from the secretary
of war to construct the dam. How
ever, assuming that authorization
w OuLld lllt ddlll WOulu DC
so much time WOULD elapse before
it coulc be constructed that MeXi-
cali valley farmers would not re-
ceive the required water in time to
save their crops this year.
STEPS TAKEN TO
PREVENT SITUATION
I'm April of this year. Imperial
Irrigation District foreSaW poSSibili-
ty Of the condition now existing in
the Mexicali valley and through the
general manager of the Compania
de Terrenos y Aguas, took the situ-
alton up with the National Irri-
cation Commission of Mexico-ad-
vising that in our opinion the only
way that the farmers of the Mexi-
cali valley could be sure of suffi-
cient water to make their crops.
would be delivery of water through
the All American canal to the Ala
mo canal at Pilot Knob
THE manager of the Colorado
River Irrigation District of the
Mexicali valley. made application
through the general manager of the
Compania de Terrenos y Aguas, to
the Imperial Irrigation District for
this service by letters, dated April
26 and April 81.
Under the terms of the All
American Canal contract with the
United States government, it is
that it is necessary for
the District to have the consent of
the secretary of the interior to use
the canal for this purpose, although
the people of Imperial Valley had
constructed capacity anc4 guaran-
teed the payment for 3.000-second
feet capacity at Imperial Dam and
in the All American canal-to di-
vert water to Mexico. Therefore
after receiving the request of the
National Irrigation Commission in
April, the Imperial Irrigation Dis
trict on May T. 1914, by letter and
by personal representative. filed a
request with the secretary of the
interior requesting permission to Use
the All American canal for the
purposes stated.