Show GOVERNOR DERN OUTLINES s S STAND ON COLORADO RIVER PROBLEM IN AD DRESS AT SALT LAKE if the colorado river Is deemed navigable and for years supplies have been transported to the moah district scene of oil activity via the stream then the state of utah has an inherent right to the ownership of the bed and its contents within the borders of the state declared governor george H dern after summing up the colorado river problem before members of the exchange club friday at salt lake city and he added if utah owns such a portion of the river bed and its contents a great source of revenue might be derived with the development of power and consequently lessen the tax burden of the state the theme of governor dems address was the adoption of a policy advocating vo full protection of state sov and protection of the upper states share of the water allotment the failure of senator hiram johnson of california to stand tor recognition of the state rights principle in the fight for boulder dam legislation has slowed the process of solution the speaker said governor dem said in part th colorado river which Is 1700 miles long from the source of the green river in wyoming to its outlet in the gulf of california divides what L called the colorado river basin inac two parts an upper basin consisting of parts of wyoming colorado new mexico and utah and a lower basin consisting 0 parts of nevada arizona and california the colorado river basin covers an area equal t one thirteenth the size of the united states and 77 per cent of the water of the colorado river rises in the upper basin territory the great river discharges annually from to acre feet of water and has a range of from to second feet it is very muddy and yearly deposits alt which amounts to acres on foot deep the silt is depositing a the mouth of the river and has ralsey the bed until it is now about feet above the imperial valley near by e dan gering the lives of peoli and threatening destruction to abour acres of productive farms however the danger to the imperial valley people and their farms has been exaggerated for if the colorado river did break its bank it would run into the salton sea and li bould take many months before th salton sea would rise and flood the farms of the district in its course the river flows through sixty miles of mexico ana farm owners of the district derive irrigation means from it the people of the imperial valley have into agreement with the mexica government to give one halt of anc water flow to the mexican farmers 11 exchange for the right of way of tm river the contract is a private on the imperial valley Is in need a dri to regulate the flow of river and to control the silt deposit sace the colorado nver runs through seven states of the western that are vitally interested in the pro bem the seven states drew up a compact which briefly provides for dam somewhere on the colorado anve and an adjustment of water between the upper and lower basin states r the compact the upper states were b allotted an average of acre feet of water annually and the lower states an average of acre feet of water annually all states with the exception of arizona signed it although california signed it conditionally arizona wanted subsidiary contract with california tor she felt that california might become too greedy and justly so the swing johnson bill provides in brief for the erection of the boul der dam by the federal government at a point on the river near las vegas nevada and the construction of what will be termed on all canal the latter canal would dive the river from running through mec ico california favors the bill for th following reasons 1 it will ellmin ate the flood menace to the imperial alley 2 it will eliminate the sll deposit menace to the imperial val ley 3 it will stabilize the supply to that section 4 it hii bring relief from the mexican wat situation 5 it will make the irrigation of additional land it will make possible cheaper hydro electric power and 7 it will provide water to los angeles for domestic T do not oppose the wishes of t state of california in so tar as the state of utah is protected but I 1 think that it is a poor time for california reclamation pro additional to press the ratification of t state compact which will lea seven construction of th to the ultimate boulder dam without endangering the several states R W gibson tool pusher on the utah canyon no 1 well on river spent several san juan ds the to moab this week here buick mas a purchased gibson mr sport coupe from the moab garage company N knight was down from hi coal mine in thompsons Thomp sons canyon week mr kenighi nie of days this resy leased some coal land arom se government and has been devel the property the past two or ahree months he has opened up coal nav nane and is now producing ing sold a considerable quantity me P few |