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<br />During 1953, mesa land was added to the District to bring the total
<br />inclusion to 17,459 acres. The remaining aUowable acreage will be used
<br />for canal rights of way across land not in the District.
<br />This mesa inclusion is designated as Improvement District No. 1 and
<br />all expenses of construction, operation and maintenance will be borne by
<br />the landholders of the Improvement District without any burden on valley
<br />landowners.
<br />On August 14, 1953, the District submitted application to the Bureau
<br />of Land Management for approval by the Secretary of Interior for inclusion
<br />of public lands within the District and for permission to use said public
<br />lands for security in financing the project. Approximately two-thirds of the
<br />included lands are owned by the federal government but filed upon by
<br />individuals. The application was approved on December 18, 1953, by L.
<br />T. Hoffman, regional administrator for the Bureau of Land Management in
<br />San Francisco, acting under authority of the Secretary of Interior.
<br />In this manner, Improvement District No. 1 is now ready for financing
<br />and construction as soon as the landholders desire. There is a possibility
<br />that federal legislation such as S. 16"28, introduced by Senator William F.
<br />Knowland of California in April 1953, will provide funds for such projects
<br />at a low rate of interest.
<br />Without wailing for development of the entire mesa project, Peterson
<br />Farms Company of Mesa, Arizona, are developing approximately 1000 acres
<br />in Sechons 32 and 33-6-22 and 4, 5 and 8-7-22, and have 350 acres under
<br />irrigation. They have installed two pumps, one out of C-03-13 Canal and
<br />one out of C-03-15 Canal, which lift the water approximately 80 feet to
<br />their land.
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<br />Reclamation and Indian Affairs to make a survey and investigation and to
<br />submit a joint report on a permanent solution to the Palo Verde diversion
<br />problem. This report was submitted March 26, 1947, and covered four
<br />possible plans:
<br />(1) A pumping plant to cost .$900,000;
<br />(2) An East Side Canal from Headgate Rock Dam through the Indian
<br />Reservation with siphon under the river at Palo Verde Valley
<br />intake, to cost $8,000,000, and to be used jointly with the Indian
<br />Reservation;
<br />(3) A permanent dam, with corrective drainage facilities on the Indian
<br />Reservation, to cost $10,000,000;
<br />(4) A West Side Canal on the California side from Headgate Rock
<br />Dam, to cost $17,000,000;
<br />On the basis of this report, the Secretary of Interior recommended that
<br />his Department would not object to legislation being initiated in Congress
<br />by the district for the construction of a pumping plant at Federal expense
<br />to be operated by the District. Since the operating cost of a pumping plant
<br />would be greater than past diversion costs, the Board of Trustees has been
<br />reluctant to accept such a plan for the district. Negotiations have been
<br />carried on with the Department of Interior for some form of gravity diver-
<br />sion. As a result of these negotiations, the Secretary of Interior in May 1950
<br />instructed the two Bureaus to review the joint report and bring costs up
<br />to date. This report was completed in September 1951. and showed
<br />estimated costs as $2,300,000 for a pumping plant and $10,000,000 for an
<br />East Side Canal and siphon. Further studies 'Were not made on a permanent
<br />dam because of the damages that a dam might cause to the Indian
<br />Reservation. Further studies were not made on a West Side Canal due to
<br />the obvious excessive cost.
<br />
<br />Permanent Diversion
<br />
<br />Bills (S. 3055, H. R. 6591, H. R. 8094) were introduced in the 82nd
<br />Congress, calling for the construction of an East Side Canal at Federal
<br />expense. Hearings were held before a Senate and House joint sub-committee
<br />on irrigation in Washington on June 12 and 13. 1952. Due to the lateness
<br />of the hearings, the bill was not reported out of committee. This bill did
<br />not receive the support of the Department of Interior.
<br />
<br />Bills (S. 646, H. R. 555, H. R. 1595) were introduced again in the 83rd
<br />Congress, 1953, for the same purpose.
<br />
<br />After a conference with Department of Interior officials in July 1953,
<br />Assistant Secretary Fred C. Aandahl instructed the Bureau of Reclamation
<br />to review the costs of a permanent dam at a lower level which would
<br />require pumping within the district to high ground. A report on this
<br />feature is expected in January 1954 and should lead to legislation which
<br />can be mutually supported by the Department of Interior and the district.
<br />
<br />Failure of the temporary rock weir in January 1952 serves as a reminder
<br />thaf such a means of diversion is, at best, an expedient. A similar failure
<br />in June or July would be disastrous.
<br />
<br />It is well, therefore, to review the permanent diversion problem. During
<br />the years from 1908 to 1944 this valley depended upon diversion by gravity
<br />flow from the natural water surface of the river through its intake structure.
<br />About 1927, some changes were made by the District in the river channel
<br />along the valley to improve flood protection, thereby lowering the water
<br />surface at the intake. In 1928, pumps were installed on Main Canal at
<br />the control gate to give a short lift for irrigation of approximately 1,400
<br />acres in the north end of the valley. In 1931, another pump was installed
<br />on the lower end of the settling basin to pump into Duplicate Main Canal.
<br />These pumps were operated until about 1934 when normal changes in
<br />the river raised the water surface so that the pumps were no longer needed.
<br />Hoover Dam was completed in 1935 and Parker Dam in 1938 causing
<br />degradation of the stream bed and lowering of the water surface at the
<br />intake. The normal water surface had dropped so low by 1944 that it was
<br />necessary to install two pumps to raise water into the Duplicate Main Canal.
<br />In 1944 Congress appropriated $250,000 as an emergency war foods
<br />measure, for the construction of a temporary rock weir in the river. The
<br />weir was completed in June, 1945.
<br />
<br />Also at that time, the Secretary of Interior requested the Bureaus of
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<br />Personnel
<br />
<br />O. E. (Earl) Simmons, Superintendent of Operations, was born in
<br />Prescott, Arizona, June 20, 1898. After graduation from high school he
<br />started on a mining engineering course at the University of Nevada but
<br />World War I interfered. He enlisted in the army and served as an enlisted
<br />man in the 147th Railway Engineers. After discharge. he resumed studies
<br />in mining engineering by university extension work and attendance at
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