The people's voice., 1948-10-08

after suggested, these evaporation losses may in
crease by as much as 100000 acre feet annually.
: 90 In making calculations under which the
Pick-Sloan plan is appraised and measuring rod
for future development, we have assumed that con-
sumptive use of water for irrigation on new land
will average 15 feet per acre; that water con-
sumed when supplemental supply is furnished will
average 0.75 acre feet per acre. These are aver
ages for the whole valley and will vary considerably
from locality to locality.
i The Pick-Sloan Plan
21 Pick-Sloan plan grew out of two separately
drawn and unco-ordinated plans for post war work.
Each of these had limited objective far short of
full valley development In the all important mat
ter of water use, there large of conflict
from the beginning There still is. Irrigation de-
velopment in Platte and Kansas river basins has
some, but not a controlling, effect navigation
channel water supply. Irrigation from the main
stream and tributaries above Yankton constitutes a
direct depletion of navigation water. Either the
Army Engineer proposals for 9-foot navigation
channel must give way to Bureau of Reclamation
plans for upper valley irrigation, visa
There is an insufficient water supply for both.
%. The composite Pick-Soan plan has been
modified in many respects since it was first launched
and much of it is still officially labeled tentative
This has not solved eased the conflict in pro-
posed water 1t does furnish evidence of a
determination the part of each, Army Engineers
and Bureau of Reclamation, to carry out to the
fullest possible extent the original plan designed
by such agency. In effect the conflict is being per-
petuated towards chaos, not towards solution
%. Exclusive of about 10000 acres to be bene-
fitted by drainage, Pck-Sloan plan now tentatively
contemplates 6228,00 acres of irrigation in
crease OF about $50 600 acres above original figures
This appears to be decrease of about 205 900 acres
in Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota
which states furnish most of the water for the nav
cation channel and 11220 900 acre increase for
Flatte River basin, which IS not of primary import
ance in supply of navigation water. Other minor
changes made elsewhere. Possibly additional
changes will yet be made.
"a The Sloan segment of the plan originally
listed II power plants with 758 500 kowatts of
capacity capable of producing $780,
100000 kiloWatt hours of firm power annually
This does not include 908 500 900 kilowatt hours of
seasonal power. The original Pick plan was silent
on power Now the composite plan appears TO call
for 1,593,500 kilowatts of generating capacity.
which should produce about 900, 900 900 kowatt
hours of current ESTIMATED production is not pub
shed). AS hereafter explained, some of the g.
OOO,OOO,00O kiowatt hours can only be doubtfully
rated as flrm power. Eight other reservoirs are
listed potential power sites.
70 The composite plan provides for ap-
oroximately III 900 900 acre feet of storage of
which about 25,OO0000 feet is dead or for silt
;atchment purposes. Garrison Oahe Fl Randall
and Gavins Point reservoirs along the main stem in
he two Dakotas with about 81, 100000 acre feet of
storage are primarily to provide carry over water
supply for the 9-foot navigation channel These
our reservoirs act like gigantic tunnels the purpose
II which is to gather upper valley flow and pour it.
When wanted, into the navigation channel below
26 From Sioux City, Iowa 600 miles below
ankton), to mouth of the Missouri distance of
o9 miles, slx-foot navigation channel has been
uthorlzed since 1918 By the Flood Control Act of
944 navigation depth increased to nine feet
Up to l945 last traffic figures available the sixfoot
hannel carried only fifteen or twenty per cent of
ne traffc previously predicted for it and had not
egun to Justify the expenditures that had been
nade This is not to say, however, that large scale
nd active valley development would not increase
he traffic volume many times and make it a paving
lstallation
~ Despite widely circulated statements to the
ontrary there is little doubt as to +bo ,on+i+ of