WORLD AWAKENING

Until recent times water resources were rarely recognized a a critical factor in world politics. Nevertheless serious water problems have existed for centuries.

Water is as important as the air we breathe. Without adequate supplies, all human activities would be hindered and ultimately, grind to a halt. Civilizations have faltered because of failure to protect and wisely use their water supplies and other natural resources. Even in this enlightened age, of the one and a half billion people who live in the developing portions of the free world, nearly a billion are dependent upon crude and unsanitary sources for water. Thousands die from water borne diseases.

I have found, however, on my review of water resource developments and their potential around the world in recent years, that quite suddenly a large number of countries have begur seriously thinking and talking "Water." A great awakening and some hope has been triggered. This was evident again in my travels this fall. People in Nations large and small alike are realizing they lack adequate storage and distribution systems to utilize their water supplies effectively. The International Water for Peace Conference last May, in which 99 Nations participated, contributed to the awareness. Sixty-one Nations met at this year's conference of the International Commission on Large Dams at Istanbul, as compared to only 44 countries six years ago.

In actual results, 757 dams have been built by 60 countries in only a recent 3-year period. Though this country built more than a third of the total, Japan was second with 91 dams. The Republic of South Africa built 32 dams in the 1963-65 period as did India, where the resources problems today are matter of life or death. Mexico built 23 and Canada 17.

The Bureau of Reclamation is proud to have an expanded role in this vital movement which offers hope for the future. And since such efforts are really only beginning, we invite the greatest possible interest of people everywhere in continuing research, planning and building to help put water where it can best be used and is so positively needed.

I was somewhat overwhelmed by a tribute to the Bureau of Reclamation while at the Istanbul meeting. A preface to a report on large dams constructed in Turkey had this to say:

"In the list of foreign engineering organizations which played a great part in the technical development in this country, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will undoubtedly take the foremost place. The present activity in dam design and construction in Turkey will not have been possible had DSI, as well as other governmental agencies, lacked the cordial and the first quality training and assistance afforded by this engineering institution."

COVER PHOTO. An early spring scene showing snow-melt below Mt. Timpanogas a large supplier of water for the Provo River project, Utah, mentioned in article: "Green, Clean and Fully Grown."

(Photo by Mel Davis)

FLOYD E. DOMINY Reclamation Commissioner

Big Impact

at

Glen Canyon Dam

W

HEN construction men moved in their equipment to build Glen Canyon Dam-one of the highest concrete dams in the world-a manyphased project was begun which would bring longneeded water resource developments to the Colorado River Basin and a large part of the West.

To do the work, the builders purchased and shipped to the northern Arizona damsite more than 1.1 million tons of materials and equipment from throughout the Nation-a weight equivalent to about half a million automobiles. This does not include the preponderant weight of the dam, which was sand, aggregates, and water, available at or near the site.

Then it required 25,000 man-years of direct onsite and indirect off-site employment, or the equivalent of 5,000 men working 5 years each, to complete the job.

Started in 1957 and completed in 1966, the construction cost of the 710-foot-high Glen Canyon Dam added up to $243 million, as of Dec. 31, 1966. Its water storage capacity is greater than all other storage features of the Colorado River Storage Project combined.

The dam is viewed with other major distinctions: It's powerhouse contains 900,000 kilowatts of commercial power capacity, which will pay for the costs of building the dam with interest over the years. It caused the impoundment of Lake Powell which already is world famous for its varied sport pleasantries. The dam also is responsible for irrigation, flood control and silt retention.

The construction information herein has been newly collected by the Bureau of Reclamation as an important guide in establishing, on selected projects, scheduling and purchasing efficiencies for its varied program, and to reflect how much and where industrial impact occurs.

It cost $110 million for the permanent materials and equipment noted above.

Cost of shipping the materials and equipment by train, truck, and airplane from all off-site locations was an additional $10 million.

Regional Suppliers

Since the dam is located in the Southwest, that large region supplied 41 percent of the shipping.

Almost the same percentage and dollar value of shipments came from the Far West region of California, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada.

Industry in the Rocky Mountain region supplied 13 percent, amounting to $16.2 million.

Shipments of materials and equipment from the Great Lakes area achieved a total value of $6.3 million. Two-percent regions were the Southeast, with $2.5 million, and the Plains, with $2.04 million in shipments.

Hence, nearly 60 percent of the supplies for this great construction project originated beyond the borders of the geographic region in which the dam was built. This bears out a claim long made by Bureau of Reclamation officials that Reclamation construction benefits all parts of the Nation.

Materials shipped in for the vast construction job were 60 times greater than the equipment. tonnage. The largest item, by far, was concrete products, totaling 807,200 tons. Rubber, petroleum, and repair products were next, with 125,100 tons. Metal products came to 60,700 tons. Other major shipment tonnages: chemicals and explosives, 24,200; building materials, 20,300; and miscellaneous materials, 60,500 tons.

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Shipments of equipment used in construction of the dam totaled 17,800 tons. Most of this was made of electrical equipment, 6,300 tons, and motorized equipment, 5,900 tons. Next in descending order were concrete equipment, construction tools, housing equipment, office and engineering equipment, asphalt, and miscellaneous equipment.

Employment Requirements

A majority of the construction men and their families, whose livelihood came from their work at the dam resided in the modern town of Page, which was built at the site.

The total direct employment requirements for designing and constructing the entire Glen Canyon

feature was over 25 million man-hours. Except for Government planning, design, and administrative activities at the Bureau of Reclamation's Regional Office in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the Chief Engineer's office in Denver, Colo., the labor requirements were all at the construction site. On-site construction contract forces were both skilled and unskilled. About one-third of the workers with special skills or experience came from States other than Arizona where the work was going on.

Nineteen percent, or 5 million man-hours, were performed by nonskilled laborers. The amount of work by machine operators and carpenters was about equal, at between 2.8 million and 2.6 million man-hours. The remaining work was by truckdrivers, iron workers, electricians, plumbers and cement masons, and others.

It also is significant that 24 million man-hours— an equivalent of 12,000 man-years-of employment benefits resulted at locations other than the dam. These were in mining, manufacturing, transportation, wholesale and retail trade, agriculture, and such fields. This included 13 million manhours of primary employment in the final stages of the direct material and equipment requirements, and 11 million man-hours of secondary interindustry employment in processing materials and delivering them to the manufacturer.

It so happened that on-site and off-site efforts were quite near being equal. There were 56 manyears of direct on-site labor and 48 man-years of indirect off-site labor for each $1 million of total construction cost.

Estimates have not been made of the multiplier benefits wherein employees and businesses respend their wages and profits for other goods and services. However, it may be concluded with certainty that Federal construction of such projects as Glen Canyon Dam have been economically worthwhile to the region and the Nation.

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Dippy Duck is popular in Imperial Valley as spokesman for canal safety. He says...

STAY OUT

STAY ALIVE!

DIPPY

HILDREN in elementary schools and many

are becoming well acquainted with a cartoon character named Dippy Duck-and what he stands for.

Dippy Duck's motto warns: "Don't go near the water in canals. Stay out-Stay Alive!" With such helpful advice, this "juvenile sheriff-type" duck, drawn with badge and uniform, is the popular spokesman for canal safety efforts of the irrigation district in southern California.

Some youngsters even foretell a visit. A districtowned car with the shield of the IID painted on the side, one time parked at a school in view of the children and was quickly announced with the exclamation: "Oh boy, here comes Dippy Duck!"

During last May, 108 Dippy Duck programs were presented to children in all public and private elementary schools in Imperial County. This was accomplished with full-time services of two men in an effort to prevent drownings in the district's 3,100 miles of open canals and drains. The water system is highly beneficial to this arid valley. And the IID is one of the largest and most productive irrigation districts in the Western Hemisphere.

However, like most canal systems, they have had a problem of canal drownings which goes back to the early years of development. Although the water flowed slowly enough for the pioneers to learn to swim in it, lives were lost then, too. When the All-American Canal was completed, bringing additional supplies from the Colorado River, the swimming hazard increased because of faster flows and sudden changes in depth.

Some thought that fences installed along the

canals might provide the protection needed. But since this would involve a prohibitive investment of many millions (also be long enough to extend from San Diego to New York City and back) a plan was developed to build a "psychological fence." This would consist of an intense public education program with probably even more effectiveness and other desirable aspects.

7 to 10 Fatalities

Research showed that an average of 7 to 10 persons a year lost their lives in the canals. Causes of death were analyzed and defensive measures developed.

The resulting safety program had two purposes: (1) to prevent canal accidents, and (2) to teach proper defensive measures should a person get in a canal.

In the first year, a brochure on canal safety was distributed to schools. The next year, the program was expanded to include presentations and a film on mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. "Rescue Annies" were acquired for actual rescue practice. The program was further enlarged to include first aid instruction by such groups as the police and fire departments.

The mouth-to-mouth resuscitation training of both young people and adults had results in 1 year of saving the lives of at least 10 persons who had stopped breathing.

The idea for Dippy Duck to be a spokesman for canal safety was introduced in 1966 at the Annual Canal Safety Program. Inspiration for the idea came from an occasion when a real duck, which was taking a swim on the All-American Canal,