The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-11-27
Republican Congressman Backs Federal Project
OF FOOD, babies And HELLS CANYON
From WENATCHEE DAILY WORLD

In listing reasons why he is In favO
of Hells Canyon multiple purpos,
dam, Congressman Walt Koran Of
fers an argument which is sound ant
irrefutable.
AS Koran says: "The purpose
which Hells Canyon Dam serves are
the same as those which made Crane
Coulee one of the worlds creates
projects.
AT the rate babies are being bor1
in the United States today, our popu
lation will reach 200 million by 1875
which isn't far away. Today we farm
462 million acres. about 40 million
more than is necessary without eX-
ports. BY 1875 we will need SIT mil.
lion acres.
And Horan adds: 1--WE don't
have them. We will be 80 million
acres short-and this is conserva-
tive As we develop this river for
power, let's not overlook single
acre"
Congressman Koran was on solid
ground when he emphasized the simil-
arity in purposes of HeIls Canyon
and Grand CouIee dams. Both have
characteristics which provide vast
benefits in power production and
flood control But, from the stand
point of long-term gains, perhaps the
greatest contribution to the Nation
is the relationship of the two prof.
ects to the land. Both are outstand-
i
through the partnership of hydroelec-
trio power and irrigation. And, as
Congressman Koran says, we can not
afford to over look the irrigation of
one acre of land as we develop our
rivers for power.
The relationship of Hells Can
yon TO irrigation development has
largely been ignored in the present
controversy over Idaho Power
dams. Possibly this is because Ida
10 Power dams contribute moth
ing to reclamation, and, realizing
this shortening, the company
strategy has been to emphasize pow
or aspects of the projects alone.
To be complete, study of the Hells
Canyon project must avoid the COM
pany's attempt to divert attention.
History of reclamation in the West
shows that it has come about as the
result of joint development of water
for irrigation and for hydro-electric |
power. The major role of power in
the development of arid Western land |
has been in the revenue which pro-
vides to assist in paying the cost of
irrigation projects.
Use of power revenues to aid ir- (
rigation goes back to the earliest
projects of the federal reclamation
Hoover dam was one of the
first from which power revenues were
lsed to help defray costs normally
charged against irrigation. Today
irand Coulee is repaying 72 per cent
If the costs allocated to irrigation on
he Columbia Basin project, power
'evenues repay 70 per cent of irri-
cation costs; on the Colorado Big
Thompson project power pays about
IS per cent; on the Missouri Basin
project, rs per cent. The Importance
u pOWSE " mig dClOII QSNS4O JIil6nL
an not be over emphasized.
Similar aid to irrigation is in
in the bills which have
one to Congress for authorization of
Iells Canyon dam. The bills have
methods by which Congress
an authorize projects in the Snake {
liver basin so as to share in revenues
rom sale of Hells Canyon power.
True, no land will be irrigated
from Hells Canyon Dam by gravity
flow. But then, no land is watered
by gravity flow from Grand Coulee i!
nor Hungry Horse dams, either.
But = and this is the important
is the money from sale
of Grand Coulee power which
makes possible pumping of water
onto the Columbia Basin project.
AS thousands of irrigators know,
money is as necessary as water in