OCR Text |
Show the conditions on the two stretches 181 of river last mentioned are essentially the ( same sarne ) . Wimmer says ( R . 4858 , Vol . 27 ) that with his boat ( "Marguerite" Marguerite ) there would be no difference in ( navigating1 navigating ) up and down that stretch of the Colorado ( be- be ) tween the foot of Cataract Canyon and the ( Utah-Arizona UtahArizona ) line and the Green River between its mouth and , the mouth of the San . Rafael . Frank Bennett and Louis M . Chaffin did more boating and rafting of freight on the lower Colorado River than any other of ( Complainant's Complainants ) witnesses . Bennett , who ( navi- navi ) gated the river throughout an aggregate period of more than twenty years , told of a very few isolated instances when he met with difficulty . Chaffin also testified concerning a few occasions when he met with some mishap or delay . The ( testi- testi ) mony of these two men concerning bars and channel on the lower Colorado is quite significant . With reference to the ( shifting1 shifting ) of the bed or changing of channel in the Colorado River , Frank Bennett says : ( "After After ) the river had settled down to low water or normal water , there is very little change , ( un- un ) less something in the ( way -way way ) of some obstruction would come , might have a tendency to throw it on the other side . " He then adds that such an obstruction would be an . unusual ( occur occur- occur ) rence , ( R . 3235 , Vol . 17 . ) Mr . Chaffin says that ( "after after ) the river raised a foot or so , the effect on . the bars ( didn't didnt ) bother you , only to know where to go . There was room after the river raised , there was always room to get through these places if you knowed where to find them . After the spring raise ( commenced corhmenced ) . , always a channel . " ( R . 3305-6 , Vol . 18 . ) In recent years the channel of the San Juan River has been wide in the section between Bluff and the mouth of Chinle Creek ; also at Piute Farms and in a lesser degree this is also true for a short stretch at Clay ( Hill Rill ) Crossing and ( Zahn's Zahns ) Camp . Several of ( Complainant's Complainants ) ( vitnesses witnesses ) ( ( princi princi- princi ) ¬ pally members of survey parties ) have testified as to shallow depths and bars at those points where the river has spread out and its channel become braided . We recall no substantial evidence rebutting the testimony of witnesses for Defendant with reference to absence of sand bars and ample channel depths at points within the canyons even at low water . In considering the testimony of those witnesses for ( Complain Complain- Complain ) ¬ ant - ( who vho ) say that they passed some point where , as the water flowed over a bar , there was a very shallow depth along the channel selected by them , it must be kept in mind |