Power development on the Colorado River: And its relation to irrigation and flood control

The Colorado River drains an area of 250,000 square miles in the States of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and New Mexico, Arizona and California, and in the Mexican States of Sonora and Lower California. It is the third largest river basin in the United States and is fourth in volume of waters. The basin contains some five million acres of irrigable land and possibilities for power development exceeding six million horse power. The upper section of the river to the Utah-Arizona State line comprises 40 per cent of the basin, contains one-half of the irrigable land, supplies 87 per cent of the annual run-off, and could develop some two million horse power. Developments in this section, particularly storage, are likely to result in conflict between power and irrigation. The middle section from the Utah-Arizona line to the mouth of the Williams River comprises 35 per cent of the area, contains comparatively little irrigable land and supplies only 7 per cent of the annual run-off. This section, mainly in deep canyon, has a drop of about 3,000 feet and could produce four million horse power. The lower section with 25 per cent of the area of the basin has two and a quarter million acres of the best irrigable lands, provides 6 per cent of the run-off and has comparatively small power resources. The most valuable lands in the basin are in the Imperial Valley, which, due to the fact that it is below sea-level and that the delta of the Colorado is very unstable, is constantly menaced by floods. The chief immediate problem on the river is, therefore, flood protection for this valley. Such protection can be secured by a storage reservoir either at the head or at the foot of the middle section. The latter site appears the more immediately available. The upper site would, however, afford adequate flood protection and give irrigation regulation for many years, and would, in addition, control the middle section for power development. The location of the primary storage on the river is an important matter and may determine the whole course of power development. The rate of power development on the Colorado is a question of markets. With the exception of the mining district of Arizona, which might absorb 100,000 horse power, there is no present market in the basin sufficient to justify large-scale development. The most available outside market is Southern California which apparently could furnish sufficient demand for the initiation of power development on a considerable scale. Extension of such development in the future would involve interconnection, common control, and long-distance transmission. Applications involving the Colorado and aggregating four and one-half million horse power are on file with the Federal Power Commission which has suspended action awaiting decisions upon collateral matters. The individual states have control over the appropriation of waters within their limits. To avoid the danger of future interstate litigation over water rights, the Colorado River Commission was created under authority of Act of Congress to work out a “compact” or “treaty” between the several States. It has not yet reached any conclusions. The stream also is international and irrigation rights in Mexico are involved. Finally, there is conflict over the question whether development shall be made by private capital or by the Government. These various conflicts of interests and of agencies are likely to postpone for a considerable time the solution of the problem of Colorado River development.