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

page 89

PROBLEMS OF IMPERIAL VALLEY AND VICINITY. 89 recommend a definite plan of construction procedure adequate to meet the needs of Imperial Valley. We are gratified, indeed, by the progress made by your department in the prosecution of necessary surveys and investigations required to be made in order that Congress may be fully advised as to the scope, feasibility, and immediate necessity for the construction of works on the lower Colorado 'River outlined in the bill introduced at the last session of Congress as H. R. 11553, and we have the greatest confidence that the effect of your work in this connection and your report on existing conditions will result in the present formulation of a feasible plan for the safeguarding and proper development of the Imperial Valley and adjacent lands, which will be authorized by necessary congressional action. you state: ' '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." With this general statement of plan to be advocated we heartily concur. Your letter points out that the report to Congress must disclose "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. " We feel taat the general plan covered in the report and recommendations soon to be submitted by you to the Secretary of the Interior and by him to Congress very largely results from the long-continued efforts of the people of Imperial Valley, acting through the Imperial irrigation district, to safeguard our property and improve ana stabilize conditions affecting the right of our people to continued and sufficient use of the waters of the Colorado for irrigation purposes. We therefore state unreservedly that we approve of the plan of work and policy to be adopted, as stated in paragraph 3 of your letter, and will, when lawfully authorized so to do, participate ratably and equitably in the cost thereof, as the same may be hereafter properly determined. At the meeting held in San Diego, Calif., August 2 last, which was called primarily for the purpose of securing ? n expression of views of owners of lands tributary to the flow of the Colorado River in order to determine how large an area would participate in the investigations contemplated and in the cost of works found to be feasible, a discussion of "power development" and an offer of "participation in cost and interest in proportion to benefits received" was developed, by some of those present who were not landowners adjacent to the Colorado River, along lines in which we do not concur. We hold that it is necessary to build a storage dam at Boulder Canyon site for the purpose, fundamentally* of impounding and controlling a sufficient amount of water to permanently and adequately irrigate all lands below that point, both public and private, which are susceptible of economic reclamation by the use of such waters. The storage of Bttch waters and their daily discharge under control will very largely decrease the element of danger of loss to lands resulting from flood and overflow waters of the Colorado River, and hence is to be reckoned as an additional benefit accruing to lands irrigated from storage. Some lands, by reason of location with respect to the channel of the Colorado River, will be benefited more than others by the lessening of the danger of flood and overflow, just as other lands which are not now irrigated may be more greatly benefited by storage and the development of a supply of water for irrigation purposes. These and similar questions which should determine the cost per acre to be paid by lands benefiting by. works to be undertaken on the lower Colorado River should be arbitrated and acreage charges.fixed by the 13ecre£ary of the Interior. The Government of the United States should contribute in proportion to benefits so derived to the extent of its public lands served by such works. If it is found to Hbe possible and expedient to develop hydroelectric power at the atorage^dam site without seriously interfering with the primary use of the structure for storage and fldod-control purposes, such power should be regarded as a by-product belonging to the lands which pay for the construction of the works, and the proceeds derived from, the sale of such by-product should be applied to the reduction of cost charges to be paid by the owners 6f the lands contributing thereto. We believe that all matters relative to the sale and disposition of power may under this theory be properly left for determination to the Secretary of the Interior or other governmental department or agency which shall have the administrative charge of the property. However^, since the investigation of the Boulder Canyon storage-dam site has not yet been complete^, and it can not now be determined whether such site will be found