Show OFFER SOLUTION OF OFA COLORADO RIVER PROBLEM A guarantee by Colorado Wyoming Wyoming Wyo Wyo- ming Utah and New Mexico that their use of water shall never de deplete de- de the Colorado river flow at the Grand canyon below belo an amount sufficient sufficient suf suf- to make one half the average annual natural flow of the the stream at Yuma will bo be suggested by Delph E E. E Carpenter of Colo water compact commissioner as the basis for an amicable settlement of the controversy between the states The proposal will be De offered to representatives of all ail states interested interest interest- ed in the waters of the Colorado when they meet meat with Secretary Herbert Herbert Herbert Her Her- bert Hoover at Santa Fe next month I Ito to draw up a compact Carpenter has been at work upon i t draft of the compact ever since the Ithe Colorado river commission finished its series of hearings in Phoenix Salt Lake City Grand Junction Denver and Cheyenne Engineers agree that such a plan would assure to the lower river country sufficient water to take care of its needs and Sive lve ive Colorado Wyoming Utah and New lew Mexico the Mexico the so-called so upper ita states states-ia e a supply of water sufficient to make male certain their complete de de- de- de The average annual flow now of or the Colorado river at Boulder canyon where the river forms th the boundary line between Arizona and Nevada has been been ascertained to be in excess of acre feet If Carpenters Carpenter's Carpenters Carpenter's Carpenters Carpenter's Carpen Carpen- ter's plan is adopted more than 8 acre feet would be available in the upper states for development purposes Just how I the he four upper states will wUl arrange the divisions of this amount of water among themselves themselves them them- selves Is a detail which will be worked work work- ed out if the general principle is adopted I believe In view of the llie enormous enormous enormous enor enor- water supply of the Colorado river and the comparatively limited acreage which will need that water In the states where it rises that a aplan aplan aplan plan such as I will suggest at the Santa Fe meeting is he a sensible and simple solution of the whole problem problem lem said Carpenter Tuesday Alt Aft first glance It may appear his plan would give too much water to the lower country which produces very little of the water supply and annually wastes immense quantities in the Salton sea by direct waste and seepage return yet It would seem to amply protect future futura development development development devel devel- in the upper country and that is all the upper states are ask ask- ing Construction of the dam before sufficient protection is given n the upper upper upper up up- per states it is pointed out would naturally result in the claim by the United States and the users of the impounding waters that they had appropriated appropriated appropriated ap ap- the remaining flow of the Colorado river and to shut off ofT future development within the entire entire entire en en- en- en tire upper part art of the Colorado river basin in the same manner that the construction of or the Elephant Butte dam has prevented any new development in the Rio Grande Valley Valley Valley Val Val- ley in Colorado and New Mexico the building of the ItlIe Pathfinder damIn dam damIn damin In Wyoming for irrigation of lauds in ill Nebraska and some little in W Wyoming Wyo- Wyo 0 ming has bias been used as an excuse lo to prevent any ny further r Irrigation devel deve- ev of ment In Wyoming and in Norh Park in Colorado above the dam Prior to Ith the time when Wyoming persuaded the supreme court t to declare declare declare de de- clare that prior appropriations in lower states have a preferred right to the use of the waters of an Interstate interstate interstate Inter inter- state stream In iii the recent lecent case of Wyoming vs Colorado the upper states were protected by their lines against any such assertion said Carpenter but now the doors are thrown wide open and Wyoming Colorado Utah and N New w Mexico are facing lacing the situation that the they must use e every ery means menns within their power pow pow- er to prevent the construction of nt any enormous works upon the lower lower low low- er Colorado river until the right of or ortho the tho lie upper states to use such as they need in the future has been beon assured to them by interstate treat treaty look to tunnel di di- di Denver must versions 1 by y width Colorado river water may bo be brought to the city and Its surrounding territory While the amount which may be so diverted divert divert- ed is very smal when compared with the acre feet which annually annually annually an an- flow from the state of Colorado Colorado Colorado Colo Colo- rado to the Gulf of California nevertheless nevertheless nevertheless never never- when Denver gets ready to build It t must not be stopped by reason reason rea rea- son of any so-called so appropriation tion of the waters by some reservoir reservoir reservoir reser reser- voir In tho the lower canyon There are several million acres of land which may yet be Irrigated in the idle four upper states bj by usa ui of the Colorado river waters wl wI Ich Ieh rise within their territory While there is water enough to irrigate tilts this acreage acreage acreage acre acre- age and leave plenty to spare spat for the lower river fiver beneficial uses it gill will require require re require re- re quire from fifty fitly to years for this development and such interstate arrangements arrangements arrangements ar ar- ar- ar must be bo ma made e that when we do get ready to develop we shall not be Interfered with by bythe bythe the lower states stales acting either eUller through the government or th through ugh r some seine inter state commission commission |