AZ vs. CA:24 California Exhibits, Vol. XXIV; Miscellaneous

page 88

88 PROBLEMS OF IMPERIAL VALLEY AND VICINITY.- PARTICIPATION BY CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES. In order to comply with section 4 of the act, the following letter was addressed to the Imperial irrigation district and similar letters to the. other interests involved. (For act, see p. 196.) Washington, D. C, November 11, 1920. Imperial Irrigation District, • ' > ¦ ¦ El Centro, Calif. Gentlemen: In connection with the investigations required by the Kinkaid Act we have now under way the making of the necessary surveys, borings, examinations, and studies required for the report, and so far as these are available they will be reported to Congress in accordance with the above act on the 6th of December. The one question that has not yet been covered is required by section 4, as follows: "What assurances he (the Secretary of the Interior) has been able to secure as to the approval of, participation in, and contribution to the plan or plans proposed by the various contributing agencies." In general, the character of report which I expect to make and which I hope the Secretary and Congress will approve is that we should undertake to irrigate all of the American lands that can be feasibly irrigated by gravity and reasonable pumping lifts, and that this should be the primary use of the waters of the Colorado. Secondarily, we should develop as much power as can be done without seriously interfering with the primary use of the water above stated. The principles to be followed in the distribution of the power are as I take it, that each shall have preference in the following order: First, the pumping of Colorado River water for irrigation; second, the local needs of the municipalities irrigated from Colorado River water; third, use by other municipalities; and fourth, disposal to private interests forpumping or other uses. This means that the various irrigation districts should have first preference for such power as they need for pumping and municipal use; second, that municipalities like the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, or any other towns that can be reached by the lines of the system should be served ,to the extent that they desire, and anything that is left over after this should be disposed of to railroads or any other customer that can bs reached. Th& general principle I doubt not will be that all interests will contribute in proportion to benefits as nearly as these can be determined, the United States standing the proper proportion for the public lands served and each of the districts standing the requisite assessment in proportion to benefits rendered it. This will involve some difficult determinations of relative benefits, such as the relative values of water for power and for irrigation and the benefits of flood control, and these problems will not be easy to solve. The general discussion of the subject held in San Diego, I believe you will recall, was to the effect that the Secretary of the Interior was to be designated as the arbiter concerning such matters, and his opinion as to the proportion the United States should bear is required by the Kinkaid Act. The general application of this principle is not insisted upon and should not be, if any better method can be suggested. On these points we would like to have the opinion of your district and eventually have something in writing which I can quote in my report expressing the desire of your district for participation in the power development, if you have such desire, of course, accompanied by the expression of your willingness tot participate in the expense of construction. I am starting West and will spend some weeks in the study of the Colorado River problem, preparing the report required by Congress on the 6th of December. My address will be Yuma; Ariz., and I shduld like to hear from you at that point as to whether the above principles are satisfactory and whether or not your district will contribute its proportion on this basis. Very truly, yours, A. P. Davis, Director. Several replies to the above have been received, as follows: Imperial Irrigation District, (El Centro, Calif., November SS, 1920. Mr* Arthur P. Davis, Director United States Reclamation Service, Washington, D. C. Dear Sir: We have your favor of November 11, 1920, advising that the Secretary of the Interior will, in accordance with the terms of the Kinkaid Act, report to Congress on December 6 next the result of the investigations required by that act and will