The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1950-03-10

lIluCu SI0dC0I eva pOIdIlO Cal
be expected. Crux of the en-
tire matter goes back to the
oft-repeated assertion of MVA
the Hoover Commission, and others
that the navigation channel proposed
by the Engineers will require so much
water that little will be left for irri-
cation and other uses in areas above
Yankton.
Governor Bonner's letter to Divi-
ision Engineer S. D. Sturgis, Jr., of
the Army Engineers, asking clarifi-
cation of the latter's assertions con-
corning annual flow of the Missouri,
follows:
Brig. Gen. S. D. Sturgis, Jr.
Div. Eng, US. Corps of Engineers
Omaha, Nebraska
My Dear General Sturgis:
At the last meeting of Missouri
Interagency Committee l inquired
as to the probably future average
annual flow of Missouri river at
Yankton, or Sioux City. You replied
verbally "about 23,50O,000 acre
feet. l now note by recent AP dis
patches that Governor Val Peterson
of Nebraska appears to defend your
statement while Ex-Governor Leslie
A. Miller of Wyoming has been point
ing out that USGS run-off records
for Yankton show: 1931-44 (below
normal precipitation 16,500,000
acre feet and 1884 (above normal
precipitation 17,350,000 acre feet.
Because of the vital interest Mon
tana has in the matter of Missouri
river water supply, | requested a com
petent engineer here to furnish me
with reliable data for Yankton (key
point and Sioux City navigation
head. Attached is his tabulation of
the official USGS run-off records,
the years 1947 and 1913
which have not yet been published.
Also included is the water that has
accumulated in storage at Fl. Peck
reservoir.
This tabulation gives average an
1ual flow past Yankton, for II con-
'ecutive years ending September 80,
1913 as 17,940,000 acre feet. His
'eport shows that during the same
period average precipitation, over
he drainage area above, was within
per cent of 50-year mean for four
7ears, more than 5 per cent below
'0-year mean for eight years and
more than per cent above a So
7ear mean for five years.
Complete records are available for
Sioux City for the periods 1929-31
md 1939-48 a total of 13 years. /
These records bracket 7-year per-
cd of sub-normal precipitation. For
he periods shown average annual
low was 20,392,1 100 acre feet. Pre-
ipitation was near normal during |
hree years, more than five per cent |
'elow normal for years, and more
han five per cent above normal for |
i've years.
Since the flow past Sioux City
GEMS to be about 1,422,0O0 acre
eet per year larger than at Yankton
will appreciate advice as to which
tation you had reference when you
old me 23,500,00O acre feet. Also
ecause of my inability to understand
he reason for difference between
our estimate and the showing in
ttached tabulation l will appreciate
dvice as to how the Corps of Engi-
GERS arrived at its conclusion.
You advised me that operation of
ne navigation channel will require
5,364,000 acre feet of water an
ually. This is fairly close to an
stimate of 15,773,OOO acre feet
FINISHED by the Commission of Nine
tate Engineers in 1914 and even
oser to an estimate of $685. 300
ere feet compiled from data contain /
/ in the Corps of Engineers report l
{ 1888 blouse Doc. 236, 73d Con- 6
ress). However the last two esti-
ates apply to flow at Yankton and, I
) l understand, the navigation chan 7
FL will require a constantly increaS- (