PICACHO DAM SITE. At one time the construction of a dam for storage purposes at Canebrake Canyon, below Picacho, was favorably considered, but the possibility that such a reservoir would flood much good land above the dam arises, and for the present it is recommended that work upon this site be deferred pending investigations elsewhere. DIVERSION AT BLACK POINT ABOVE BLYTHE ESTATE. On the California shore, at Black Point, about 10 or 12 miles above Ehrenberg, Ariz., is a possible diversion point, though the bottoms on the left bank are low and wide. The river, however, seems to naturally encroach upon the right bank, as is stated in the First Annual Report of the Reclamation Service. A canal from this point. would cover 40,000 acres in private ownership and about 95,000 acres of public lands. It is possible that this canal could also be extended to cover Milpitas Valley, reclaiming altogether, 102,500 acres. This project is worthy of prompt consideration, as it is one of the very few large ones in California that seem worthy of serious consideration under the reclamation act, and as the major portion of the lands are classified as either first or second class. At present an association of private individuals is planning to put in a ditch at this point; it desires to retain 10,000 acres of the Blythe estate for a sugar-beet plantation and to sell the remaining 30,000 acres in small holdings. DIVERSION AT HEADGATE ROCK. Below Headgate Rock, on the Arizona side of the river, lie 129,000 acres of lowlands of the Colorado River Indian Reservation. A canal might possibly be constructed from Williams River, or should this prove too expensive, a diversion may be made at Headgate Rock. Such a canal would cover 129,000 acres above Ehrenberg, and 25,000 acres below. The area below Ehrenberg and above Picacho has not been mapped. The lower acreage below Ehrenberg can not be computed accurately and is not included in the table below. Almost all this land is in Government possession. The lands of the Indian reservation are of great fertility, and at this point the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway has made reconnaissance and run preliminary lines for a new crossing of the Colorado in order to obtain lighter grades. Were this line constructed the reservation lands would be of great value, as they are most fertile and the great body of them lies above flood levels. The lands in this valley are classified in the tables following. H. Doc. 44, 58-2-9 DAM AT WILLIAMS RIVER. The topographic maps show that a dam 75 feet above average lowwater river level at the Williams River dam site would create a reservoir with a capacity of 1,300,000 acre-feet and a surface area of 50,873 acres. Such a dam would not flood the town of Needles nor compel the raising of much of the track of the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad, but it would probably compel the raising of the Red Rock bridge at Mellen, Ariz., about 10 feet. This reservoir would be of great size, and would serve a good purpose in regulating the river and in silting the lower bottom lands of Needles Valley. A dam of this height (75) feet) would not flood the Red Rock bridge except through the effect of "flowage," which has not yet been determined, but a higher dam would certainly do so, and would necessitate the removal of the town of Needles and a general elevation of the tracks of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe from Mellen to Needles, but the added capacity of the reservoir might justify this action. This project should be further investigated with a view to finding bed rock and proper spillways. Along Colorado River there is much question as to finding bed rock in the old bed of the river, but at Williams the river appears to follow a new channel, and the indications are that bed rock will be found at such a depth as will permit of building a high dam. This capacity greatly exceeds that of the Assuan reservoir of Egypt, which is 1,065,000,000 cubic meters, as stated by Willcocks in Egyptian Irrigation, or $63,396 acre feet. |