1939: Reclamation

Reclamation progress continues to be largely a report of work by the Bureau of Reclamation. Great strides are being made in a tremendous construction program. Nine major dams were completed in 1938, 4 in 1939, and 12 are under construction. Six important canals and other works were finished in 1939, 7 others are under way. The total capacity of Bureau reservoirs is now about 67,000,000 acre-feet, including Shasta and Grand Coulee dams. Actual reservoir storage has grown from 7,000,000 acre feet in 1933 to 36,000,000 in 1939. These figures are an indication of the increased security now provided for agriculture in the semi-arid areas.

Systematic planning continues, including topographic and aerial mapping, stream flow and rain and snowfall studies, geological investigations for new canal and dam sites, land classification and soil surveys. Much greater attention is being paid today to investigations of all kinds. Weed and erosion control, studies of soils, duty of water, drainage of irrigated lands, etc., are in progress. Abandonment of several hundred thousand acres of once-irrigated land, mostly in private projects, due to inadequate water supplies, cultivation of poor soils, improper drainage, etc., has stimulated these efforts.

Engineering has also made great advances, and the Bureau of Reclamation laboratories in Denver are remarkable for achievements in research in hydraulics, soil mechanics, building materials, designing and testing of dam and canal structures, machinery, etc. The engineering profession and private builders are acknowledging their indebtedness to this laboratory, begun ten years ago to aid construction of Boulder Dam.

Projects.

In a survey of recent progress, three outstanding projects claim consideration, the Lower Colorado River development, the Central Valley Project in California, and Grand Coulee, on the Columbia River in Washington.

Since the first of these, the Lower Colorado River Development, is nearing completion, a review of its full scope seems appropriate. The three major features are Boulder Dam and power plant, Parker Dam and Colorado River Aqueduct, and Imperial Dam and All-American Canal. Boulder Dam was completed in 1936 at a cost of $120,000,000, to be repaid in 50 years, it is planned, by power sales. It is 726' high, 1,244' long, and has a capacity of 30,500,000 acre feet in Lake Mead, 115 miles long. The dam is the highest in the world, the reservoir the largest. The purpose is to regulate the flow of the Colorado River, one of the largest and most turbulent of American rivers, which has in the past wreaked havoc in Imperial Valley. A controlled water supply is now provided for the Valley, and for several smaller projects in Arizona. The huge power plant, largest in the world, with an ultimate installed capacity of 1,835,000 H.P. (860,000 installed to date), will find its chief markets in the Los Angeles area, and in pumping water from the river at Parker Dam (completed in 1938) and 242 miles through the Aqueduct over the mountains and deserts to the Los Angeles Reservoir.

The Aqueduct open-cut, siphon and tunnel, completed in 1939 after 7 years' work, will add a much needed water supply for this area. At present 270,000 gallons a minute flow to the coast — less than half the ultimate capacity. The water is mostly for municipal use, but some will be available for irrigation. Parker Dam, 'the deepest dam in the world,' extends 235 feet below the river bed, has a total height of 320 feet, length of 800 feet and capacity of 800,000 acre-feet. Funds for both came from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, partly through PWA funds, with supervision by the Reclamation Bureau.

The 80-mile All-American Canal leaves the Colorado River at Imperial Dam, 300 miles below Boulder. The first section was finished in 1938, it was virtually completed in 1939, and will be in use in 1940. It replaces an older, smaller and longer canal running much of the way through Mexico and serving also small irrigation areas there. It is chiefly a huge ditch in alluvial material, but with some rock cuts. Huge desilting works, comprising three settling basins and necessary power facilities, have been provided at Imperial Dam, the silt being sluiced back into the river below the dam. Desilting tests were conducted during 1939, and preliminary seasoning of the canal was carried forward. Imperial Dam, completed in 1938, is 45 feet high and 3,485 feet long, including appurtenant structures. When it is in operation, the 450,000 irrigated acres in Imperial Valley will be more than doubled. To accomplish this expansion, it has been necessary to build the 134-mile Coachella Branch Canal, work on which proceeded rapidly last year. It will largely replace inadequate well irrigation in Coachella Valley, and expand the irrigated area here to 182,000 acres. Total cost of the dam and canals is $38,000,000, to be repaid by irrigators.

The small Gila Project, now under construction in Arizona, will also use water from this dam, and the Yuma Project adds to Arizona's share of Colorado waters. On March 3, 1939, Arizona finally ratified the Colorado River Compact, conditional upon a new agreement with California and Nevada on distribution of water.

Grand Coulee Dam.

Work on Grand Coulee Dam, largest in the world (begun in 1933), continues. Present work is on the high dam being erected on the low foundation dam finished in December 1937. The Bureau is proceeding with an exhaustive study to guide settlement and economic development of the entire basin, including land ownership mapping, topographic and soil surveys, and estimates of domestic and agricultural water supplies. The planning will cover 2,500,000 acres of basin land, although irrigation will eventually reach 1,200,000 acres. The Anti-speculation Act of 1937, which establishes penalties for speculative selling of private lands, is a part of this careful planning for the future settlers. The Dam will cost $186,000,000, and irrigation features $208,000,000.

Central Valley Project.

The future of California's great valley, with its 1,000,000 population and 3,000,000 acres of irrigated land, depends upon the successful completion of the $170,000,000 Central Valley Project. Federal aid was sought because 400,000 acres of land are threatened with a water shortage, 40,000 or more being already abandoned. Shasta Dam was begun late in 1938, and in November 1939, work started on the smaller Friant Dam across the San Joaquin River. Work also proceeded on the Contra Costa Canal.

Minor projects are under way east of the Rockies in the Milk, Yellowstone, Big Horn, Canadian and Pecos River basins, but the major works here are on the North and South Platte Rivers. The Kendrick Project (North Platte in Wyoming), designed to irrigate the Casper region and add to water supplies for older projects on the Wyoming-Nebraska border, includes Pathfinder and Seminoe Dams; two great structures to conserve water and create electric power (completed in 1935 and 1939), and Alcova Dam (completed 1938), to divert water for the Casper area.

The Colorado-Big Thompson Project, initiated last year, will tap extensive water supplies in the Colorado River headwaters, store them high in the Rockies, and lead them through a 13-mile tunnel under the Continental Divide to the South Platte Basin, where over 600,000 acres of old irrigation lands will receive an increased supply of about 20 per cent. Construction so far has been confined to dams west of the Divide.

The Rio Grande remains a major problem. Serious water deficiencies in privately irrigated lands in the lower valley near the Gulf have marked recent years. Dependence has been on stream diversion, but the river ceased flowing three times during 1938. Plans are under way for small storage basins, but large control works on the main river appear to be greatly needed. Considerable flow, especially in flood time, originates far below Elephant Butte Dam, the last control point. The problem is now more acute, because Mexico is claiming part of the water and is bringing several thousand more acres here under cultivation each year.

In New Mexico, Elephant Butte Dam is being supplemented by the newly completed Caballo Dam downstream. When it was decided to generate power at Elephant Butte, it was quickly evident that steady flow of water through the turbines was necessary to maintain an adequate amount of firm power, but this aim, as the Bureau recognized, conflicted with the need to store irrigation water; hence Caballo Dam was built for the latter function. This problem has been raised sharply by critics of the Marshall Ford Dam in the Texas Colorado River. High dams can serve both purposes better than low dams, yet even Boulder's firm power estimates are only  the installed capacity. On May 31, 1939, Congress approved the Rio Grande compact between Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.

Completion of Bartlett Dam in Arizona in May, 1939 marks the full development of Salt River project in Arizona, increasing the water supply and aiding flood protection. In the Upper Colorado Basin of Utah and Colorado there have been only minor constructions this past year, largely storage reservoirs to supplement water supplies of several operating projects. Much research is proceeding on future plans, however. In Salt Lake Basin, also, storage facilities are being provided for several important older projects.

The Upper Snake River Basin of Idaho, one of the largest irrigated areas in the United States, has been one of the worst sufferers from ill-considered expansion and inadequate water supplies, with acreage sharply reduced in recent years. Here the Bureau has extensive supplementary operations under construction or planned. Island Park Dam was completed in November 1938, and American Falls Dam may be raised to almost double its capacity. On the Boise project additional canals and dams are under way, and stream flows of all branch rivers are being measured to determine their usability. In Washington, on the Yakima Project, the recently completed Roza Dam (and canals soon to be finished) will add 72,000 acres to the present total of 420,000; and further expansion is contemplated.

Congress in 1939 approved the plan of the Army Engineers to improve the Willamette River. This basin needs only supplemental irrigation, and the plans are concerned primarily with flood control, drainage, and navigation for lumber rafts. The seven flood-control reservoirs planned will provide for irrigation of 355,000 acres.

The United States Office of Indian Affairs is building several small irrigation works, some in cooperation with the Reclamation Bureau. In addition, many small streams are being impounded for livestock.

State Dams.

To summarize state efforts: the Texas Lower Colorado River Authority is concerned primarily with flood control in its present construction of two dams supplementing the Bureau's Marshall Ford Dam. One state dam is also being erected on the Brazos River. However, Nebraska's Tri-County project on the Platte River is chiefly concerned with irrigation, although power is also provided. This scheme, together with two power projects (Sutherland, completed 1935, and Columbus, 1938) constitutes Nebraska's famous 'Little TVA.' Work on the great Kingsley Dam, impounding 2,000,000 acre-feet for Tri-County irrigation, will be completed in 1940.

Great Plains Program.

The Great Plains Committee Report, released October 1938, calls for small irrigation projects in drought areas in conjunction with larger farms emphasizing live-stock production, and for further abandonment of dry-farming. The program is to be financed largely as a relief measure. Plans for the Great Plains program were completed in June 1939, and $5,000,000 was appropriated by Congress. The Buffalo Rapids Project now under construction on the Lower Yellowstone is a part of the program.

Economic, agricultural and legal angles demand further attention. Due to water shortage. South Platte areas have been forced to turn, on a small scale, from high-value crops such as sugar beets, to lower-value grain crops which not only compete to a limited extent with non-irrigated areas, but bring smaller returns. Here, as elsewhere, added water supplies will ensure production of higher-value and generally non-competitive crops.

Repayment Commission Report.

In 1938 the Repayment Commission submitted its Report, dealing with non-payment of irrigation charges, a problem of serious proportions on four projects and of lesser concern on several others. The problem is further complicated by widely varying fixed construction and annual water charges on different projects, variations due largely to differences in cost of providing water and in financing, with consequent disproportionate earnings. The Report recommends auditing of accounts, discounts for advance payments, rearrangement of payments on the basis of income, reclassification of land, research to improve agricultural methods, soil studies, marketing and other studies, and in some cases the appointment of superintendents of projects, where there are legal grounds for such action. Pending passage of a comprehensive law, a temporary relief measure was passed by Congress, May 31, 1939.

It is pertinent to add that Western States, irrigation districts and individuals cooperated fully with the Federal Government, a record which contrasts sharply with the efforts of Eastern States to restrict or prevent Federal flood-control and power plans — fact is noted without prejudice as to the reasons for the opposition.

Irrigated Acreage for New Settlement.

Irrigated acreage added last year for new settlement was small not only because most construction work completed was on older projects, but because in many cases acreage in new areas was already privately owned. The Oregon State Planning Board notes that thousands of migrants from drought areas further east are settling largely on poor land, often unirrigated, because good lands are not to be bought. The Bureau is aware of the need here, and expects that the Grand Coulee and other smaller developments of the future, especially in the Upper Colorado and Upper Snake Basins, will partially solve this problem.

Federal Appropriations for Reclamation.

Reclamation Bureau appropriations for the fiscal year 1939-40 total $65,223,000. Small sums for reclamation will also be spent by the Indian Office, the Department of Agriculture, and other Federal agencies. The work is administered by Commissioner John C. Page.

Reclamation is a major factor also in outlying American possessions. Irrigation of sugar lands is important in Puerto Rico (about 100,000 acres) and Hawaii (about 130,000 acres). The Bureau is planning a project on Molokai Island, Hawaii, to irrigate 12,000 acres for growth of food crops. This is a defense measure, for Hawaii imports 63 per cent of its food, and might thus be endangered in war time.

Irrigation Acreage in India.

India continues to occupy first rank in irrigation acreage. Large-scale British Government projects, which correspond roughly to dry-land irrigation, as contrasted with wet-land or rice irrigation, total today about 32,000,000 acres, including at least two projects which far outrank American in acreage: the Sutlej River and Lloyd Barrage-Indus River Projects. Native wet-land irrigation, not always properly a part of land reclamation, totals about 30,000,000 acres.

Drainage.

Drainage of wet lands continues to lag. Indeed, in some regions, as in glaciated areas in the Lake states, and in Florida, there has recently been given a warning against excessive and indiscriminate draining as interfering with water tables, wild fowl conservation, etc. In a few places swamps once drained are being filled. On the Washington and Oregon coasts some wet lands are still being drained, and Southern states leaders are again asking for Reclamation Bureau aid in drainage projects. See also CONSERVATION.