The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-10-19
Reclamation
Continued from Page one)


ter that falls" in its two great cen
trail valleys.
R. S. Calland, acting director of
region II of the Bureau of Reclama-
ton, addressed the farmer-lavor-con-
sumner conference held in San Fran
CISCO
The initial features of the vast prof
ect, he said including the major dams
and canals, stand just about half fin
ished. These initial features will cost
$360,000, 000 of which almost S160,000,-
600 has been spent. The bureau now
has authority to built about $200,000,-
600 worth of canals, power houses,
transmission lines, pumping plants,
and water distribution works.
FIR. Calland did not mention the
army engineer corps by name, but
pleaded that "every structure be
planned, built and operated in co-ordi-
nation with other structures in
given BASIN Haphazard development
and operation cannot be tolerated in
region where water is that hegion's
very life blood The need for unified
operation and administration of all
the developments in the two valleys
Sacramento and San Joaquin) cannot
be over-emphasiZed."
Army Has Plan
The army corps Of engineers has
superimposed a plan of its own, call
ing it also multipurpose, on the plan
already under construction by the
Bureau of Reclamation. Mr. Calland
quoted United States Senator John H.
Overton of Louisiana as saying during
debate on passage of the bill granting
funds for flood control projects to the
army engineers: "No project in this
bill which may include irrigation fea-
lures is exempted from the reclama-
ton laws"
ut is upon these principles that the
Bureau of Reclamation firmly stands,
what agency builds these conservation
works, the Bureau of Reclamation
must and will oppose any deviation
from these principles"
Colonel Rhodes asserted that the
purpose of his organization, the army
corps of engineers, with respect to
electric power development, is not
as well understood as it should be. He
pointed out that the corps built Bon
neville dam on the lower Columbia
river and operates its extensive cleo
trio facilities.
Delivery of Energy
1.-THE electric energy is delivered
to an agency of the Department OF
the Interior (parent of the Bureau of
Reclamation) at the power plant for
distribution and marketing" he ex-
planned.
Sitting somewhat as a referee in
the case, while the two friendly but
competitive engineers were present
ing their views and plans for the
states huge Central Valley, Robert
B. Read, engaged as consultant to
the Central Valley Project Conference,
found that:
"The wide discrepancies in sta
tistics between the army corps OF
engineers plans and the Bureau of
Reclamation plans for irrigation and
power generation do not represent a
but are indicative of very real diff
ference in conception of development
of water resources and one which
would operate to the detriment of our
security were the army to construct
and administer projects in the Cen
trail Valley Project.
"Isolated Projects
at is clear" he wrote, that the
army corps of engineers thinks in
terms of isolated projects providing
flood control for single streams and
consequently in its ALLEGATIONS for
irrigation and power generation, must
necessarily deal with a static quantity.
ut is equally clear that the Bureau
of Reclamation, thinking in terms of
overall water use, through a highly
integrated but complex system of
Features, is dealing with dynamic
qualities which alone are capable of
providing maximum benefits from
each drop of water available to Cali
fornia"
Action of the Conference in bring
ing its findings to the attention of
President Truman indicates a deter
mination to compel, if possible, a
of the army from its en-
upon the functions of the
Bureau of Reclamation-the twin field
of irrigation and power development
for the direct benefit of the farms
and communities adjacent to the
rivers.