Hon. HIRAM W. JOHNSON,

PHILADELPHIA, December 11, 1925.

Senate Office Building, Washington, D: C.

MY DEAR SENATOR: You will doubtless recall that Mr. O. C. Merrill, execu tive secretary of the Federal Power Commission, testifying before the Senate committee in Washington a few days ago, took the position that the economic height of the dam in the Colorado River was 350 feet. Mr. Merrill stated: "I think a record of Colonel Kelly's testimony and his report to the Federal Power Commission contained those figures."

I have not been able to secure any such estimates and I doubt greatly if there was much basis for any such statement. I think if any such estimates have been made and are in the files of the Federal Power Commission that these estimates will be incomplete, unconvincing, and worthless, but in order to prove whether they are or not and whether there were any actual estimates made I wish to suggest for your consideration that you ask Mr. Merrill to place in the records of the Senate hearings the estimates Colonel Kelly referred to in his testimony.

You will find references to these matters on pages 20, 21, 22, and 23 of the stenographer's report of Mr. Merrill's testimony on December 8.

Very truly yours,

F. E. WEYMOUTH.

DECEMBER 12, 1925.

Hon. CHARLES L. MCNARY,

Chairman Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation,

United States Senate.

MY DEAR SENATOR: During the testimony of Mr. Merrill before the committee recently he said in substance: "I think a record of Colonel Kelly's testimony and his report to the Federal Power Commission contained those figures."

The matter referred to by Mr. Merrill was the economic height of the dam in the Colorado River and the figure given by him was 350 feet. On pages 20, 21, 22, and 23 of the stenographer's report of Mr. Merrill's testimony the references will be found.

I should like Mr. Merrill to insert in the record any such estimates that he may have, either from anything that Colonel Kelly has said or reported or from any records or files of the Federal Power Commission. I do not care to recall Mr. Merrill but I am sending you this note so that, if you deem it proper, you may transmit it to Mr. Merrill with the request that Mr. Merrill place in the record the estimates of Colonel Kelly or any other he may have of the character indicated with a statement of the estimate, or report, or file from which he derives such estimate.

MY DEAR SENATOR MCNARY: I have your letter of December 17, with a copy of the transcript of my testimony before the committee and inclosing a letter from Senator Johnson, requesting references to Colonel Kelly's testimony on several features of power dams in the Colorado River.

The proposals made by Colonel Kelly concerning a scheme of development on the Colorado River are contained in his report to the commission of July 26, 1922, published at page 177 of the second annual report of the Federal Power Commission, copy of which is inclosed, and in his testimony before the House Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation, given on April 15, 1924, and printed in the transcript of the records of that hearing, beginning at page 1226. Particular reference is made to the testimony of Colonel Kelly on pages 1240 to 1247. In the last two lines on the bottom of page 1246 Colonel Kelly states: "But I am satisfied the economical height for power dams lies somewhere between 250 and 400 feet for the entire canyon section."

On the following page he states that in his opinion the economical height of a dam in the vicinity of Boulder Canyon would be about 300 feet.

On page 832 of the same volume is a statement of Colonel Kelly's proposals concerning developments desirable in the immediate future on the Colorado River.

I am returning the transcript with a few minor corrections and with the insertions requested. Senator Johnson's letter is also returned.

Sincerely yours,

O. C. MERRILL, Executive Secretary.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee is greatly obliged to you, Mr. Merrill. We will stand adjourned until 10.30 o'clock to-morrow, when Mr. La Rue will appear before the committee.

(Thereupon, at 12 o'clock m., the committee adjourned, to meet at 10.30 o'clock a. m. tomorrow, Wednesday, December 9, 1925.)

COLORADO RIVER BASIN

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1925

UNITED STATES SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON IRRIGATION AND RECLAMATION,

Washington, D. C.

The committee met, pursuant to adjournment on yesterday, at 10.30 o'clock a. m. in the committee room of the Committee on Commerce, Senator Charles L. McNary (chairman), presiding.

Present: Senators McNary (chairman), Jones of Washington, Phipps, Gooding, Cameron, Oddie, Shortridge, Johnson, Kendrick, Pittman, Simmons, and Ashurst.

Present also: Representative Swing, of California.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee has assembled this morning to hear a statement by Mr. E. C. La Rue. He is the author of a report the committee has had before it, entitled "Water Power and Flood Control of Colorado River below Green River, Utah." I have found portions of it very interesting and illuminating.

Mr. La Rue, you will please occupy the chair at the head of the table and make such statement as you think would be of interest and benefit to the committee. I do not want to ply questions, thereby encumbering the record unnecessarily. And if you have a statement prepared you may read it, or do you desire to make an oral statement?

Mr. LA RUE. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I have prepared a brief statement which I should like to read.

The CHAIRMAN. Very well. But before doing so, will you give your full name, occupation, and experience.

Mr. LA RUE. My full name is E. C. La Rue, hydraulic engineer, United States Geological Survey, Interior Department, and my office address is Pasadena, Calif.

The CHAIRMAN. How long have you been with the department? Mr. LA RUE. A little more than 21 years.

The CHAIRMAN. Have you had any experience as a civil engineer? Mr. LA RUE. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. To what extent?

Mr. LA RUE. About 21 years' experience.

The CHAIRMAN. As civil engineer?

Mr. LA RUE. As civil and hydraulic engineer.

The CHAIRMAN. Have you ever superintended any construction work in the way of developing systems for power use?

Mr. LA RUE. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. How extensive has been your experience along that line?

Mr. LA RUE. During the time I was with the Reclamation Service, some 15 or 20 years ago.

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The CHAIRMAN. What development work did you directly have in charge?

Mr. LA RUE. I did not have charge, except at times, under the construction engineer in the building of the diversion dam on the Boise River.

The CHAIRMAN. Very well; you may go forward with your statement in your own way.

STATEMENT OF E. C. LA RUE, HYDRAULIC ENGINEER, UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, PASADENA, CALIF.

Mr. LA RUE. As engineer for the United States Geological Survey, I have during the past 15 years made extensive field examinations and prepared reports on projects in the Colorado River Basin from Wyoming to Mexico. While engaged in this work, I have traveled by boat more than 2,000 miles through the canyons of Colorado River and its tributaries.

During the years 1913-1915 I was assigned the pioneer work of assembling the facts relating to the Colorado River Basin. The results of these studies are compiled in a report entitled, " Colorado River and Its Utilization," which was published in 1916 by the United States Geological Survey as Water Supply Paper 395. Since the preparation of this report, I have worked almost continuously on projects in the Colorado River Basin.

The engineers of the United States Geological Survey have surveyed 1,800 miles of the Colorado River and tributaries. The Colorado River below Green River, Utah, is no longer a mystery. The recent surveys have made it possible to record for the first time the true course of the river, its fall, its rapids, the topography of its canyons, the geologic structure of the regions through which it flows, and the location and physical characteristics of the possible dam sites and to formulate a plan for the utilization of its water

resources.

Having completed a trip through the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in 1923 and a second trip through Lower Grand Canyon in 1924, I assembled the data collected since 1915 and prepared a report which was published by the United States Geological Survey and released to the public October 19, 1925. That is the report you gentlemen have before you. This report is entitled, "Water Power and Flood Control of Colorado River Below Green River, Utah," and was published as Water Supply Paper 556. In this report you will find a detailed description of every known dam site on Colorado River below the mouth of Green River. The data relating to some 47 dam sites were analyzed and a comprehensive plan of development is presented. I suggest that every member of this Committee should read this report for I offer it as my conclusion as to what should be done with the Colorado River. There are only 100 pages of the text excluding the appendices.

I will not attempt to describe this report in detail but with your permission, I will call to your attention the more important conclusions and offer some additional suggestions which, in my opinion, may assist you in your work of solving the Colorado River problem.

What I believe to be the most important conclusion in the report, relates to the adequacy of the water supply. The available water supply determines the limit of use for domestic purposes, irrigation, and the development of power. For many years it has been reported that there was plenty of water for all. Here I wish to quote from page 167 of my report published in 1916 by the United States Geological Survey, as Water Supply Paper 395: I wish you to keep in mind while I am quoting this that this was prepared by me more than 10 years ago.

The figures here presented therefore indicate that complete utilization and control of the stream waters in the upper basin will create a shortage of about 3,800,000 acre-feet in the supply available for the lower basin. More complete data would probably indicate a greater shortage in the water supply available for the irrigation of lands on the lower Colorado. Evidently the flow of Colorado River and its tributaries is not sufficient to irrigate all the irrigable lands lying within the basin. If diversion to other drainage basins were prohibited by law, about 340,000 acre-feet annually might be saved for use on the lower Colorado, but this quantity is small when compared to the shortage that may be expected. The adoption of a policy or plan of development tending to prevent the unnecessary waste of water can not be too strongly urged.

Senator PITTMAN. What page is that that you have just referred to?

Mr. LA RUE. Page 167.

Senator JONES of Washington. Let me see if I understand your position

Mr. LA RUE (interposing). May I finish?

Senator JONES of Washington. I thought you had ended the quo

tation.

Mr. LA RUE. I have ended the quotation, but

Senator JONES of Washington (continuing). As I understand, you contemplate in that statement you have there before you the utilization of all the water-flood water and otherwise-of the Colorado River?

Mr. LA RUE. Yes, sir.

Later investigations prove that the conclusions which I reached in 1916 is sound.

On page 123 of my report, published in 1925 by the United States Geological Survey as Water Supply Paper 556, you will find the following statement:

From these estimates it appears that when ultimate irrigation development is reached in the upper basin of Colorado River there will be an annual shortage of 5,000,000 acre-feet in the lower basin, an amount sufficient to irrigate 1,100,000 acres of land.

Senator JONES of Washington. Mr. La Rue-—

Mr. LA RUE. May I finish, please? It will take only about 10 minutes, and after I complete my general statement I will attempt to answer any questions.

Senator JONES of Washington. I wanted you to explain more in detail why that would happen. But you may finish, and then I would like to have you explain that fully.

Mr. LA RUE. I might add here that if we consider the 20-year period of low flow, 1886 to 1905, inclusive, we will find that should such a period of drouth occur again the water supply available at Parker, Ariz., would be about 6,570,000 acre-feet annually. The amount required for the needs of the lower basin being 14,714,000