Laserfiche WebLink
<br />" <br /> <br />against the treaty on many grounds. The ones we are concerned with here have to do <br /> <br />with water supply. His introductory remarks starting on page 675 contained a history <br /> <br />of the development in Imperial Valley and in Mexico. He explained the agreement <br /> <br />with Mexico wherein one-half the water diverted by the Alamo Canal was to be avail- <br /> <br />able to Mexico. He stressed that Mexico's one-half was of the instantaneous flow-- <br /> <br />not one-half of the annual diversion. Due to the difference in cropping patterns, <br /> <br />he felt this fact was quite significant. <br /> <br />Mr. Dowd also explained the work that the Imperial Valley people had done <br /> <br />and the expense involved in making the development both in the United States and <br /> <br />Mexico. He was concerned as to the financial effect the treaty might have as against <br /> <br />the Imperial Irrigation District. <br /> <br />Beginning on page 684 Mr. Dowd gives his explanation of development in <br /> <br />Mexico leading up to the treaty in the following language: <br /> <br />"Mr. DOWD. . . . <br />"I come now to a discussion of the development in Mexico as to <br />the water and the acreage that has been discllssed so much here, and <br />I would like to try to clear it up for the committee, if possible. <br />"The first land was irrigated in Mexico about rg-0.S-:--Byf9Y4tnere <br />were some 150,000 acres being irrigated. By 1920 the area had increased <br />to 190,000 acres, and from 1920 on through until just very recEmtly the <br />area in cultivation fluctuated from around 70,000 acres in 1932 up to a <br />maximum of 217,000 acres in 1925. <br />"I would like to point out to you that all of the data on Mexico in <br />regard to acreage is not very reliable. <br />"Senator WILEY. What is the maximum of acre-feet? <br />"Mr. DOWD. I will come to that in just a minute. <br />"There is no way of getting a true or accurate picture of the acreage <br />being irrigated in Mexico. For years our water tenders on our canals <br />in Mexico have attempted to get the acreage in cultivation. We think <br />the figures are inflated. We have reason to believe they are, and I will <br />tell you why. In the event of a water shortage, under Mexican law they <br />have no such thing as a priority; whoever wants water when the water is <br /> <br />-38- <br />