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Show 22 BOULDER CANYON PROJECT the creation of an all-American canal board, to consist of one member named by the Reclamation Service, one by the district, and one by the University of California, such board to investigate the feasibility of an all-American canal. The engineers selected were Dr. Elwood Mead, now Commissioner of Reclamation; W. W. Schlecht; and C. E. Grunsky. This board, after full investigation, determined upon the canal proposed and recommended the construction. The all-American canal, as to its feasibility, cost, and economic necessity was discussed by the special advisers to the Secretary of the Interior in their recent reports as follows: Mr. Dtjrand. From the above it seems a fair conclusion that while the blow and drift sand will present a problem in connection with the maintenance of the canal, there seems no ground whatever for counting this problem as one of serious, or of controlling importance, and in no case as likely to involve an item of expense of any serious import in connection with the operation of the canal. Passing now to the question of the engineering or economic feasibility of the canal under (a) and (b) above, it should be noted that the entire question reduces to one of cost. There is no question whatever of the engineering possibility of the undertaking. The operations required are well known and are all within the domain of present well established and approved engineering practice. The section of the canal through the so-called sand dune district is the only part of the construction regarding which any serious question under this score has been raised. Referring to cost estimates, after discussing the basis of his conclusions, Mr. Durand said: The statement therefore seems justified that the downward trend in many of the unit prices since 1919 combined with definite improvements in the mechanical equipment required for work of this character have created a new situation with regard to the costs of such work and with the same margin for contingencies as assumed in the report of 1919, would justify a downward revision of the costs as presented in that report. Or otherwise if the estimate of cost be held the same, it would imply a very considerably increased margin for contingencies or unforeseen factors in the undertaking. Such a reestimate has indeed been made by a consulting engineer of Los Angeles, Mr. C. G. Frisbie, a consulting engineer with wide experience in work of this character and with large personal experience in and familiarity with the conditions in the Imperial Valley through which the canal is to pass. These estimates show a probable cost of about $20,000,000 as against the $30,000,000 of the report of 1919. The undersigned has gone over these estimates carefully with Mr. Frisbie %nd 'has become convinced broadly that the improvements made during the past eight years in the mechanical equipment for excavating and handling materials as well as other collateral economic conditions are such as to justify the expectation of reduced unit prices and of the construction of the canal at an over-all cost somewhat below the figures originally estimated. Governor Emerson. The best solution of the situation would be the construction of the ail-American canal. Governor Scrtjgham. Economically this canal will be an advantage in that it will permit the irrigation of an additional 200,000 acres by gravity and keep the sources of water supply and transmission entirely in the United States. Under present conditions, the fact that the main canal to the Imperial Valley is partly in Mexican territory is a continuous source of irritation. The proposed canal itself is undoubtedly feasible from an engineering point of view. All operations necessary for construction are of common practice and offer no special difficulties. Opponents of the project have represented that a section of the line known as the sand dunes would require prohibitive costs for construction and that drifting Band would quickly fill the canal. These fears do not seem to be well founded. The Suez Canal traverses similar sand dunes and no special construction or maintenance difficulties were encountered. Canals through sand hills were examined in certain localities in the United States and no serious troubles were reported. There has been a marked improvement in excavating machinery in very recent years which will tend to cut the unit costs of moving yardage to figures less than estimated in the report of 1919 made on the subject. There |
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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. |