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Show •CHE AU>AMERI0A3Sr CAXAL. 15 showing that about $4,925,000, of which $1,000,000 was made available by congressional appropriation, had been expended on protection work in Mexico. This sum includes $2,300,000, the approximated cost of turning the river in 1906 and 1907 from its erratic course inland back into the original channel to the Gulf of California. It does not include the work being done with funds being provided by the bond issue of 1917. The irrigation district can not, when protection works are involved, wait for international action looking to a control of the Colorado River on a proper course to the Gulf of California. Being the only organization so Circumstanced that it can construct levees and otherwise afford protection to the lands of Imperial Valley, both in the United States and in Mexico, it finds itself compelled to act and to build whatever works are found to be necessary, though without any legal way of recovering &ny part of the outlay for flood control thus occasioned from other parties who are benefited. The owners of Mexican lands which are protected, 200,000 to 250,000 acres, on the Imperial Valley slope of the delta cone, of which more than 100,000 acres are irrigated with water from main canals constructed by the Imperial Irrigation District and its predecessors, contribute nothing to the cost of the protection works, except possibly some rights of way. The Coachella Valley and other interests accept protection afforded by the works of the Imperial Irrigation District as a matter of course. The Imperial Irrigation District, as above explained, is by force of circumstances compelled to direct large operations relating to the construction and maintenance of canals and levees and other protection works in Mexico. This must be done in compliance with Mexican laws. An independent organization, with an independent board of directors, is required, and this organization is expected to carry out the requests of the district. The freest possible intercourse across the boundary is desirable, but can not be or at least has not thus far been obtained. There should be but one centralized management. The district has endeavored to obviate inconvenience as much as possible by having the same persons on both boards of directors. But at its best the arrangement is cumbersome, inconvenient, and inefficient, and results in much waste of energy and money. This is entirely apart from the other more serious interference with the progress of the work, due to delays and added costs which result from the restrictions imposed on passing men, machinery, and materials across the boundary line. Duty must be paid. The regulations of customs officials must be complied with. Approval of plans is required, not alone by the laws of California, but this has to be followed by authorization on the Mexican side. The possibility of a conflict of the two authorities is always present. All this is cited to show the urgency of early relief from a situation which is fast becoming intolerable. |
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Original book: [State of Arizona, complainant v. State of California, Palo Verde Irrigation District, Coachella Valley County Water District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, City of Los Angeles, California, City of San Diego, California, and County of San Diego, California, defendants, United States of America, State of Nevada, State of New Mexico, State of Utah, interveners] : California exhibits. |