HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON IRRIGATION AND RECLAMATION UNITED STATES SENATE SIXTY-NINTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION PURSUANT TO S. Res. 320 (68th Congress, 2d Session) DIRECTING THE COMMITTEE ON IRRIGATION AND LAS VEGAS, NEV. PART 4 Printed for the use of the Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation COLORADO RIVER BASIN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1925 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON IRRIGATION AND RECLAMATION, Las Vegas, Nev. The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 2 o'clock p. m., in the Elks Hall, Senator Charles L. McNary presiding. Present: Senators McNary (chairman), Jones of Washington, Phipps, Kendrick, Pittman, Oddie, Shortridge, Dill, Johnson, and Ashurst. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will begin their hearing in Las Vegas. Governor Scrugham, according to the list that the chairman has received, you appear as the first witness. STATEMENT BY GOV. JAMES G. SCRUGHAM, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEVADA Governor SCRUGHAM. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee: On behalf of the State of Nevada I wish to emphasize at the outset that we favor any fair and equitable plan for the development of the river. The Colorado River is an asset of all the interested States and any successful plan for its development must have due regard for the equities and rights of all the States in question. We take the position that the most economic and most feasible site for the commencement of this development is the Boulder Canyon or Black Canyon site, which you witnessed this morning. The reason for this position is primarily a structural one. Nowhere on the entire river, according to the best engineering authority, can the unit costs per unit of power generated per unit of water stored be brought to such favorable conclusions as at that site. This is a monolithic structure, due to the lava flows; that is, we do not have the broken and fractured rock and we have a most substantial foundation and at the closest distance to bedrock of any of the practicable sites which have been investigated. The second reason for advocating the adoption of the site is its contiguity to the markets for what will be produced by the dam. There will primarily be stored a very large quantity of water and holding back for the flood control of the Imperial Valley, making an additional amount available for irrigation purposes. Thirdly, and perhaps even more important, is the fact that the power generated at this point is comparatively close to the available markets. It is not only close but very much closer to the available markets, therefore giving a very much better chance of amortization of the investment in a reasonable time. I want to call your attention at this time to the fallacy of the claimants of certain sites up the river that the |