Show State Engineer Engin er Sums Up Case For or Reservoir The Colorado river commission has has aas b been en called for what is expected to be the final session of or the presen body in Santa Fe N. N rL tL immediate immediate- y following the November elections The commission has for Its main abject the the drafting or some or some home platy plaIr to which all the seven states in the Colorado river basin and the federal government might subscribe and which would eliminate differences which might delay materially if not the development of all the latent resources of that river Such a plan Involves almost almost as a corollary some consideration of the best method of development of the entire stream so that ultimately the full efficient use of the river may be obtained by the states through which or along the borders of which it runs This being so it is b practically Inevitable in inevitable inevitable In- In evitable that discussion will turn at Santa Fe as It has turned at other meetings of the commission at least In part to the immediate prospector prospect for or power and storage development on the Colorado This Involves the I matter of the proper location for he the Initial large reservoir on the stream tream and on this point it has developed developed developed de de- of late that there Is a decided decided de de- difference of opinion among experts and students of the Colorado river liver problem Views R R. R E. E Cald Caldwell well state engineer and Utah member of the Colorado river commission has been en devoting sometime some sometime sometime time to a study of the question of location for the large storage reservoir reservoir reservoir reser reser- voir which seems to be a necessity If 1 the Colorado Is to be developed much beyond its present efficiency That necessity arises from the fact that the direct flow of the river at low water seasons has already proved proved I ed in one or or two seasons insufficient Mr Caldwell Is not yet ready to announce annOunce an announce an- an his own personal views on the question as to the best location for a main st storage rage reservoir or reservoirs reservoirs reservoirs res res- for irrigation flood control and aud power purposes but he has summarIzed summarized summarized sum sum- some of the con conflicting views that have llave already been express ex- ex press l on this subject Arthur Powell Davis director of the United States reclamation service service service ser ser- vice Mr Caldwell notes is already I on record as holding the view that the demand for fOl a large reservoir on the lower Colorado Js' Js Is urgent and Im im- Imperative for the regulation of floods the provision of storage water for Irrigation and for tor development of or I hydroelectric power Mr Davis strongly favors the location of this storage reservoir at Boulder canyon or at Black canyon which is a con eon continuation continuation of Boulder canyon canon His plan involves placing the burden of the cost of construction of such a reservoir ultimately on the power to be bo developed d. d The Black canyon site is the lowest est point on the Colorado river where a large capacity reservoir reservoir reservoir reser reser- voir can be found which will at the same mme time develop power in sufficient quantity to cover this cost of con con- Glen Canyon non Largest On the other hand the largest possible single st storage development on the Colorado river is at the Glen G en canyon reservoir site Here lere with a adam adam dam of around feet In height a storage a capacity in in the neighborhood neighbor neighbor- hood of feet acre may be obtained The Glen canyon reservoir reservoir reservoir reser- reser reser reser- voir would be mostly in Utah though the dam If built would be just south of oC the Utan line In Arizona Arizona Arizona Ari Ari- zona probably about five mU miles s above Lees Lee's Ferry Differences of opinion nave grown grownup up in at least three government agencies the agencies the United States geological cal survey the reclamation service and the federal power commission One agency holds that In all probability probability proba proba- the Glen canyon development with certain minor variations would be decidedly preferable at this time Another agency holds probably a combination development Including includIng including ing Boulder canyon creek Which is essentially a power development development development devel devel- and Glen canyon might be bethe bethe bethe the most desirable Mr Caldwell has summarized the th-e arguments that are advanced by the proponents of the Glen canyon development development de de- de- de as a necessary part of any beginning to be made on a connected connected connected con con- and definite plan for the development development development devel devel- of the resources of the Colorado Colorado Colorado Colo Colo- rado as a whole Would Curtail Floods I Advocates of Glen canyon says Mr Caldwell argue that hat If this site is developed it will control nearly 90 per cent of or the flow of the Colorado river Thus they say it mill provide the necessary flood protection protection protection pro pro- for the Imperial valley It would also they point out provide protection for the building of any I development for power storage or other purposes that may be necessary n necessary ces- ces sary or desirable on tho the Colorado river below this point Such a control control control con con- of the river it is rS pointed out would save very many millions of dollars which would otherwise have to jo be spent to take care of the flood floodwater floodwater floodwater water situation w while lle any power or reservoir works are under tion It Is held for tor the tho Glen canyon development that it will provide storage for all Irrigation development develop develop- development ment from the tho Colorado river proper below it and not only storage but also regulation for Irrigation that would be for all practical purposes as good a regulation as any any ani- that would be provided by Boulder canyon can can- yon Unless prevented by government agencies it appears to bo be reasonably reasonably reasonably reason reason- ably certain aln that the Diamond Creek power ver development development will be built by private enterprise This site is between between between be be- tween Glen canyon and ana Boulder can- can Continued to page 8 |