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<br />, <br /> <br />,., <br /> <br />to some bottom silt and dead storage plus considerable flood-control <br />capacity on top of H to protect Yuma Valley in Arizona and the Imperial <br />Valley in California and also in Mexico, is only about one-third enough <br />'to really smooth out these long-period averages. That is why we stress <br />these shorter periods, as much as 10 years long wilhin the record, and <br />much longer in earlier periods, WhICh really, with only Boulder Dam to <br />rely on, dictate and control the amount of usable, available run-off." <br /> <br />Mr. Elder was critical of the State Department for what he considered was a <br /> <br />lack of gathering sufficient basic data on the Colorado River such as was done on <br /> <br />the Rio Grande. One phase of such an investigation had to do with ground water. <br /> <br />In answer to a specific question by Senator McFarland as to what additional data <br /> <br />pertaining to the Colorado River he would want, Mr. Elder answered (pp. 501-502): <br /> <br />"Mr. ELDER. One specific item that is much on our minds is the <br />fact that large pumping possibilities, we know, are available across <br />the line in Mexico, and an important resource of water supply is there <br />that has not as y'et been wken into account or brought into the treaty <br />negotiations at all, as iar as we can learn. <br />"Senator McFARIAND. Of course, we have no way of getting that <br />information. <br />"Mr. ELDER. I myself have not, but the State Department, I am <br />sure, does, and, in my opinion, should. <br />"Senator McF ARIAND. Do you ha ve any idea how the flow of the <br />river in regard to this matter could effect the amount of water that we <br />would...le.Ld_own~t.o_M-,~xicD:; <br />"Mr. ELDER. One possibility, probably even very likely,' is that <br />heavy pumping across the border in future years might actually affect <br />the amount of return flow that will be evident on the surface in the <br />river immediate! y above lhe boundary, for any pumping just below the <br />boundary could lower the general ground-water level there, and less <br />relurn flow would be measurable to be credited lO the treaty. That is <br />a little hard to explaLl with actual proof right now, but in your own <br />Phoenix Valley pumping in many places is dOing just that, reducing <br />the surface return flow in the Sa It and Gila Rivers. In any case, the <br />pumping is an additior!al water source for Mexico that should b e a part <br />of lhe whole treaty pic'ture, as its most benefiClal and advantageous <br />use is for firming-up the run-off in wet years by pumping chiefly during <br />drought periods. <br />"Senator McFARIAND. I presume what you mean by that is that <br />there is a WOlter level building up below which, as the water comes <br /> <br />-36- <br />