mileage, general character of topography, and construction conditions throughout the proposed canal line, the probable cost of construction, the tillable acreage and character of tillable lands under the canal. and other material conditions referred to in the report of the spec board of engineers, we are forced to conclude that the board wer not fully enough supplied with the material facts to formulate a comprehensive report which could state the facts substantially they are, and deal anything like a fair measure of justice both to the people of Arizona and California, who are mightily and vitaly interested in the full and complete utilization of all available waters of the Colorado River.

It is most surprising that a board of reputable and experienc engineers holding positions of trust and responsibility under t United States Government would attach or even lend their nam in any way to a report for the condemnation of a project the costruction of which as proposed will result in the creation of taxable values far exceeding a billion dollars within a decade from the beg ning of construction, by the reclamation of lands and development industries under, and resulting from construction of the Arizer high-line irrigation canal, without complete first-hand informat respecting all physical conditions upon which their report is based

The Colorado River system of available resources or that port thereof known as the "lower basin," with all its vast possibilities f good both to the people of the Southwest and to the entire Nat should not be so lightly relegated to the grab basket and scrap he of corporate, intersectional, and personal greed, as may result fr giving any credence to the ill-considered and misleading report the special board of engineers or to any other report the authors which have not made personal inspection of every construc condition as well as the economic value of the proposed project wi completed.

After a very careful research survey and inspection of more tha 90 per cent of the entire mileage of the Arizona high-line irrig and power canal project, including the running of over 80 mile exact levels along portions of the route, and from reports of prac and reliable men who are thoroughly familiar with and who ta reported on all the remaining mileage of the project, it is our opi that the reasons given by the special board of engineers for t adverse finding in the matter of the Arizona high-line canal pr are based largely upon erroneous assumptions and upon and belief" which even the most casual and superficial inspectiet = the ground will entirely dissipate and destroy.

"informa

It has never been assumed or asserted by adherents of the prop Arizona high-line irrigation and power canal project that the struction of such a canal from a point on the Colorado River Spencer Canyon to the irrigable valleys of the western central p

the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the engineering profession tion of the State will not present some engineering problems to t would be strange, indeed, if no such problem were encountered.

One of the surprising conditions disclosed by recent occur in connection with the official, or it may be only semiofficial

primary, study of "Colorado River development problems," a 2

closed by report of the special board of engineers and others sibly due in part to inexperience in the solution or careful stud

A

ich major problems and to other causes-is the seeming incapacity disinclination of some of those responsible for the determination id solution of interstate problems from a national viewpoint to entally coordinate all the physical and constructive features inolved, together with the "empire building" value and innumerable conomic benefits which will result from such construction.

A hasty and "single-track" opinion or partial report upon a ngle phase of problems of such magnitude may result in very eat injustice to those whom we desire to aid.

Based on the tested depth to bedrock at Diamond Creek and ear Pierce Ferry, in similar bedrock formations to that at and ear Spencer Canyon, the depth to bedrock at the latter site is sumed to be less than 40 feet. The canyon section of this site is enerally most favorable both in cross-section and formation to the onstruction of a high dam. There is no warrant for the condemation of the Arizona high-line canal project because of any physical ondition or of the geographical location of the proposed dam site. Diversion of water from a storage reservoir formed by a Colorado iver dam at or near Spencer Canyon into a high-line canal at a urface elevation of 1,960 feet, plus a drawdown of about 60 feet, ill require a dam 820 to 850 feet in height above river bed at this

am site.

Referring to the "Supplemental report of the special board of gineers" submitted to Secretary of the Interior on March 22, 24, we would call attention to the following:

That a more careful traverse of the proposed Arizona high-line anal by the special board of engineers will disclose the fact of an rror of over 100 miles excessive distance reported by them from roposed canal head gates to the Santa Maria River crossing, also at the distance of water travel will not exceed 544 miles instead f 700 to 800 miles, as erroneously stated in the supplementary eport.

That with especial reference to irrigable acreage under the proosed high-line canal, examination of available official Government, State, and county maps, with available records of State land spection, classification, and appraisal, will tend to remove the grave doubts" of the board of engineers and will disclose evidence f more than 3,500,000 acres of tillable land under the canal, exclusive f all land now under cultivation east of the Agua Fria River and uth of the Salt River, and to which it was planned to supply acre-foot of water per acre per year from the high-line canal, then needed, to enable the Salt River district to maintain a subantial reservoir reserve against drought period depletions.

That from all available records of loss from seepage in surface nished, concrete-lined canals there is no warrant for the assumpon by the board of engineers that seepage losses in the high-line anal will ever exceed 5 to 8 per cent, or that losses by evaporation ill exceed 70,000 acre-feet per year, or but slightly more than onealf of 1 per cent of the water transmitted.

That with secondary storage at Williams River, and at the Sentinel Dam and Reservoir site on the Gila River, a very substantial abilization of canal flow may be effected, and to the extent that a inal capacity of 18,000 to 19,000 second-feet will meet all needs or a 100 per cent service to over 3,000,000 acres of land.

That only about 19 miles of canal will be along or near the bank of Colorado River, and then only where the foundation for catal is in material as safe as any mesa construction.

That after leaving the Colorado River section there is compars tively little mileage, except the tunnel sections throughout the entire traverse of the canal, that even approaches the character of the "steep irregular slopes" described in the report of the special board of engineers, or which will in any way adversely affect the feasibility of the high-line canal.

That the number and character of gullies, ravines, and other watercourses along the line of the canal is entirely overdrawn in the report of the board of engineers, and that the cost of caring for all storawater drainage which could in any way threaten the stability of any portion of the canal will be unusually low considering the magnitudand value of the enterprise.

That the total length of tunnels along the entire line of the proposed high-line canal, with an assumed water level of 1,960 feet at Lead gates, will be 32 miles, and not "over 80 miles," as estimated by the board of engineers.

That an exact survey will be necessary to determine whether not any tunnel construction will be required through the low div between the Sacramento and Williams River Valleys. If required the length of such tunnel will not exceed 1.5 miles.

That it is well known to all who have given the Arizona high-brcanal project any serious study from a mass of first-hand information, that practical secondary storage reservoir sites on the Williams River, at the Gillespie Dam and Sentinel sites on the Gila River, and at the Granite Reef site on the Salt River, will afford a combine storage capacity equal to a full year's use of water to over 3.000.0 acres of land, and that the "bogy man" set up by the special b of engineers in the form of an imaginary break in a long transmissi canal may be accounted for as having been already drowned in th reserve secondary storage ever available to lands under the proposed Arizona high-line canal.

Another error which seems to have possessed the special board! engineers in their supplemental report is the frequent reference the Sturtevant-Stam report of September 18, 1923, to Govers Hunt, and the information contained therein, as information fr nished by "the promoters."

Messrs. Sturtevant and Stam made the research survey and rep thereon for the State of Arizona, and as consulting field enginee They were not engaged in a private promotion of any Colac River project. The work done by them was only a part of the wa done and being done by State officials and many citizens of Arts working together and as a unit for and in the interest of Arizona secure at least a fair measure of the benefits which should acera the credit of the State from a comprehensive development of Co

rado River resources.

To any practical student of engineering and economies wts fully acquainted with all the physical conditions along the prope Arizona high-line irrigation and power canal from the pr location of diversion dam and head gates at the Colorado R there can be no ground for a reasonable doubt of the entire pra ticability and feasibility of the high-line canal project.

It is admittedly beyond controversy that practically the entire uthwest must eventually depend very largely upon the great ater resources of the Colorado River for the major portion of all e power used within that domain.

The Southwest can never attain to its greatest development of pulation and industrial activity until practically every kilowatt power and all the facilities and utilities for producing the power -ed within that domain are owned by the States, or by municipal stricts, and the power is supplied to all power users at cost.

Any thought or suggestion of complete and comprehensive delopment of Colorado River resources by the construction of a am for flood control, stabilization of flow, and power development any available dam and reservoir site along the lower river sectionch as the Boulder or Mohave Canyon (Topock) sites-is unsuportable by any except the most superficial and selfish analytical udy of the entire Colorado River development problems as a whole. If adopted, such a plan of development will be subversive of any ossibility of a proper, orderly, and comprehensive solution of all olorado River development problems within the lower basin istrict.

Construction of Boulder Canyon Dam to a proper height will ford flood control to the lower basin; will stabilize the flow of the ver; will make possible the development of several hundred thouand horsepower of hydroelectric power; and may incidentally issolve the extensive salt deposits along the Colorado and lower retches of the Virgin River within the proposed reservoir area, to he utter pollution of the river waters for irrigation purposes. Most angerous and ruinous of all possible and probable effects of the onstruction of a dam at this location for the purpose contemplated: The stored waters when used for power development at this site will e returned to the river bed at too low an elevation ever to be used or the irrigation of any more than 280,000 acres of land in Arizona nd 840,000 acres in the Imperial and adjoining valleys in California—nd all the surplus water of the river, amounting to more than 1,000,000 acre-feet annually, will go to irrigate lands in the "Sister epublic," or be wasted into the Gulf of California.

Construction of a flood control and stabilizing dam at Mohave Canyon (Topock) will afford efficient flood control at a moderate ost, but with limited possibilities of power development. This am will afford no additional facilities for irrigation water over hat of the ill-advised construction of the proposed Boulder Canyon

am.

By neither of the foregoing plans can the waters of the Colorado iver, properly due to the so-called lower basin States, ever be used conomically and to the greatest advantage to these States.

No equitable or economically feasible or practical plan has yet een formulated and voiced or published for flood control, irrigation, nd power development throughout the entire Colorado River Basin, hich promises even a fair measure of service and protection to all

ae States of the basin.

Such a feasible and entirely equitable plan can be devised which hould and will afford to every State and community within the asin a measure of justice to which all fair-minded citizens will give oth their approval and support.

The upper basin States of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico are not concerned with flood control problems along the lower

Colorado River.

When these States shall have completed the irrigation systems of all approved acreage of irrigable lands within their borders, amounti to about 3,400,000 acres, it will be found that the available hy electric power practical of development as a most valuable asset those States, will exceed 600,000 electric horsepower.

It is with the lower basin States of Arizona, California, and Neraca and the flood control, irrigation, and power problems of those St we are most concerned at this time.

Arizona needs water delivered by gravity to the 3,500,000 acres more of tillable desert lands lying to the south of Williams River. u. in the Gila River Valley between the Salt River project and Colorado River.

To meet the present and future needs of the State, Arizona w require more than 100,000 horsepower of hydroelectric power population and industrial development increases—and this over a above all available power from proposed Gila, Salt, and Verde Ri developments.

California needs water for the irrigation of about 840,000 acre land in the Imperial and adjoining valleys and mesa lands in along the Lower Colorado River district, and 1,000,000 to 2.000 acre-feet per year to supplement present available municipal wa supplies, to meet the needs of a rapidly increasing population large number of municipalities and interurban districts-and for s plemental irrigation uses as far as possible throughout southern Cfornia. The State also needs a large amount of available hy electric power, subject to early development to meet the incres power needs of the entire southern portion of the State for all the and purposes to which electric power is economically adapted.

To meet these needs of Arizona and California in a practical → effective manner, water must be diverted to a high-line canals elevation of about 1,960 feet at the diversion head gates.

Diverted at this elevation the water intended for use by Califor west of the "divide" can be transmitted by steel or bed-rock sipher the west side of the Colorado, and thence by gravity canal to pot use in southern California, probably without pump lift.

Construction of a flood control and stabilizing dam at Glen Can will afford a full measure of flood control to the lower basin St and will make possible the development of 500,000 to 1,000.000LN power of hydroelectric power at that location when and as the ma conditions require power from that source.

Construction of a diversion and secondary storage and stable. dam at or near Spencer Canyon to divert water to a high-line can add to the measure of flood control for the lower basin afforded by Glen Canyon dam; will produce 300,000 to 500.000 hydroc horsepower from the stabilized flow of the river water returte the river channel at this dam site for the irrigation of 280,000 2of lands along the Colorado River in Arizona, 840,000 acres Imperial and adjoining valleys in California, and 190,000 acre Mexico; will divert water to the high-line canal for the full or st mental irrigation of over 3,500,000 acres of desert lands in Arra and by comparatively inexpensive secondary storage reserved