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<br />O"'~~J
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<br />1945
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<br />CONGRESSION AL RECORD-APPENDIX
<br />
<br />A5109
<br />
<br />would bann the lntereal.il or one or the otber
<br />country. and ('\"co le&iI when we take In ac_
<br />count 'What wu ""Id 11.1>0\"('. On We cOn_
<br />trary, the conr<tructlon of this darn will pu.
<br />mit ll. ~tter development on the part ot
<br />our COUll!ry ot the ",..ter,. or the T1Juaoll.
<br />Rh'er, \Ii'hleh u naturally vt>ry 1mpotu.ot rOt
<br />Lower Callfornla.
<br />x. SIGN!r1CAl'o'CI': 0,. THE BEATY IN Tin: CASE or
<br />nUl COl.OLODO BlVD
<br />In ordn to und"rstand better tl-.e enor-
<br />moua Importance that the treal)" has rOt
<br />MH1Co WUh t"peel; to the Colorado River. It
<br />llInecen:.:ry t-ogtveabrldhl>ltorlcal de!\Crlp-
<br />tlon.
<br />At tbe bt'glnnlng 01 this century a con-
<br />ceSlllon WILll gl""n to an American company.
<br />orgllolze.d tor the pur~ as a MUlcan com-
<br />pany, In order Ihu It mIght C'Onlltruct a
<br />coma!. the Alamo, which pB3lllng through
<br />MexiCO would tarry tbe ""aten of the Colo-
<br />rado RI....! ror the trrlgatlon of the rlell
<br />tmpulal Valley In the UnIte<! Statel. By
<br />thla eoneeeslon, Medea haa the rIght t() u~
<br />up to &0 pf'rt:ent of the water that flo"-a
<br />through .aid canal.
<br />The existence of thla cana.l permitted the
<br />tspld d..velopment of the AmerIcan lan~ of
<br />the Imperial Valley and the alower develop-
<br />ment of the Mulcan lands of the Medcall
<br />Valley, wIth_our country ualng not 60 percent
<br />Of the Wllter of the Ali\mo Canal, a percent-
<br />age wbleh It never ref\ehed, but an amount
<br />In the majority of cases C10M to the third
<br />part of the VOlume that pMUd through the
<br />canal, While th.. Alamo Canal functlone<!
<br />for carrying Wi\ter to the Anu'rlcan ImperIal
<br />Valley, the Mulean landt;. did not have any
<br />problem othu than that which atClS<' (rom
<br />years of low current In the Colorado Illver.
<br />In whiCh ClLV the American and Mealcan
<br />land, ~ul!ered equally.
<br />In order to be able to Ulle to better ad_
<br />vanta(l:e the waters of the Colorado River tile
<br />Unite<! Stales proJeete<! Rnd c:<:>natnlcted;
<br />(II R gtt'at atomg.. dam, the hlchen 1n the
<br />world. Boulder OI\m, II work tl1llt waa Ur-
<br />mlnated In 1935 and that pt'rmlta the "tornge
<br />01 the now of 2 average yean of the Colorado
<br />R!\...r; and (21 the AlI_Am..rlcan Canal. which
<br />runa ..llelualv..ly In American territory.
<br />We MealClln engineers, when We IIlW that
<br />th~e gtgantlc worka were being ellCC:UU'd.
<br />underatooxl thllt th..re apptoac.hl"d a crltleal
<br />moment for Mexico In which the land. of
<br />Melllcall Valley rlln the danger of returning
<br />to their condition 01 One of the U1I)I;t In-
<br />h05pltllble de5Crtll of the world through lack
<br />of water. Bmce our COWl try would have to
<br />deP<'nd on taking waar. In the manner that
<br />It mIght bellt be able to do It, from the Colo-
<br />ndo River by using the OCC8$ional rnrpluse.s
<br />that mtght now throU8h "aid river.
<br />In 1942 the All_AmerIcan Canal ent..red
<br />Into operllUon. that l.s, It was now no 10l1l!"er
<br />IlPCelll!alj to carry the wl.ter of the ColoradO
<br />Rlvt'T through MexlCIID territory In order t-O
<br />Irrigate American ll\nds ..nd theretore It '1<11.1
<br />not poe.!llble for Mulco to take part of the
<br />50 pereent of the water In the Alamo Canal
<br />to which It ha.d tbe right, IU1d thla unal
<br />rernalnl'd abandoned for the eXclusl"" !'eTT-
<br />lee of Mnlro, shlch already had In culun.-
<br />t\oo that )'..ar more th!ln 120.000 bt"Ctll.r...
<br />t:;r96,5000IICr.",) In Meltlcall Valley.
<br />The sltuaUon In 11112 showed ta how well
<br />foundt'd ......re our fears becaWle that year,
<br />during several of the hottt'8t w..eu. there
<br />came frnm tbe gr..at Amerlclln dams con-
<br />lItrocten On the ColoradO River only a small
<br />H,lume which did not perm\! of ftlllng th..
<br />reqUlremenU of lttlgatlon In Meluoo. And
<br />Wllh thll ClIme th" c1l1mor of lbe publlc land
<br />hnlders, the small COil/neTS and rolonist.s ()f
<br />our Colorado Rlver Ittli':"Uon district, who
<br />!laW their cror- 1000t for lB<'k of water. lIut
<br />there 18 eV..n mot... for at lhe f'nd of the
<br />aummer, th..re came from Boulet..r Dam II
<br />grelll fl.owlot "..ater whlch o\.<'Tll.,....t"d 10 M..x-
<br />!co. Inllmh\tlllg cultlvated lands and fUm-
<br />Ing tlle crops of oth..r thou..a.nda of hll'ctarl'S.
<br />
<br />. Thai 1.11, even "..ben It Ia true lhat the total
<br />volume of the lJUrplw;l!1I which Oow through
<br />the Colorlldo River will "tUl b<l \"ery great In
<br />many ).ean, Its current 18 from now OIl "0
<br />Ittegular that It can be atated that. while
<br />dtlrlng IIOme w~ka the Mell.lc.n lands of the
<br />M..xlcall Valley can be d)'lng ot Ihlrst, In the
<br />follOWing \lI~\tlI they may be cholted and ..ub_
<br />muge<! by the Inundation' pronlke<! by dla-
<br />charges trom the American dam...
<br />t;nder th~e condltlOllli the agr1o;u1ture of
<br />Mellcalt Valley IS In de"perate condition. Iu
<br />order to bener It. without the treaty. It hu
<br />been neceallary for the MeXIcan Oonrnment.
<br />In the yeatll of 1943. 111..14, and the pr8C'nt
<br />yeRr, to be COnfitUltly requ....tlng of the
<br />Amerlc..n Go\'ernwent that the dl4charges
<br />be no'" Increased. that tomorrow they be
<br />dlmlnl..hed, that put of the waU'r be fur-
<br />ntahed through the All_American Canal. ele,
<br />This critlcal IltuaUoll mak.... el..ar how
<br />untounded IB the opinion of 80me ot our
<br />cltluU!! who b<>lIel'e that Mulco Ihould not
<br />be prllOCcuploo In the case of the Colomdo
<br />Rl,'er Blld that the treaty ,..aII not needed.
<br />aa It could ulway. take the abundant water
<br />whIch InevUably lloWII In the Colorado River.
<br />We Insist thtH. etrectlvely. In th......... of the
<br />Colorado River &5 In th.. Cnll.. of the Mexican
<br />trlbutarlee ot the Rio Grande, there will al-
<br />way.. be .urpluulI which will now In the bed.
<br />of .a.id rl1"el1l but thO'Se aurplUJ!l!ll cannot btl
<br />t1lled In Irrigation d'<.le to their emlnMltlJ"
<br />IrTelflllar regimen In pr_nt y..an and mucl1
<br />lesa In tuture }'eatl. The ant). 1I01utlon for
<br />ulling them would be to regulate them by a
<br />..torllge dam and v..e must renurnbee thll.t
<br />at the beginning of thla expoli\t1on we aald
<br />that In Mnlco ther.. III not the IIl1gh....t poll.
<br />atblllty ot $torlng the BurplUII water of tbe
<br />Colorado Rinr, R ~Ib\llty "'hlch ..llata for
<br />the BurplUll wllteTll that now In the Rio
<br />Grand".
<br />For thlll and many otber reBllOI14 we Vlho
<br />know the probl..m of M..alcall Vall..y In It"
<br />painful reality hal'e Mwaya been oon\'ln~
<br />that th..re Wall nO other IIOlutlon than that
<br />which a treaty glv... which lflIatant<<,a watt'r
<br />from the Colorado RI'""r tor the Irrigation
<br />of IUlanda.
<br />The treaty whleh l.s und..r your coDI:Ilder-
<br />atlon r.."ol\'lI" thlll problem, lU srUele 10
<br />readl;
<br />"Frem Ih.. "'ate~ of the Colorado River.
<br />whateVt'r theIr source, there are .....Igned to
<br />M..Jlco:
<br />"ll.) A guarAnteed volume 01 t,850.23~.OOO
<br />cubic meten (1,!lOO.OOO acre-leet) f'Rch year,
<br />wllich will be dell\"l!red In RcooNan"" with
<br />the diapolltloJlll-of artlcle 15 ot th~ trellty,
<br />"(b) Any other voluml'3 which reach th..
<br />M~x!can poln1a of dlverslon; with th.. under-
<br />..tanding thllt, "'hen In the Judgment "t the
<br />Unite<! States Sectlon, In IIny year there la
<br />water In the Colorl\do R.lver In nee!l!l of tbat
<br />n~!;l!"ry to aupply the consumptlona In tbe
<br />United SlIItt'll and the volume guaranteed
<br />annulIUy t() Mealro of 1,860.:131.000 rublc
<br />melers (1.500.000 sere-teet). the United
<br />Statu !.I; obilged to dellver to MUIC<l, In IIC_
<br />oordanee wllh the ten:n.a of article 15 of thl..
<br />!tellt:;, addItional amounta ot ".lIter from the
<br />colorado RIver Iyatem up to a tOlal volum..
<br />not In ""c...... of 2,096.931.000 cubic m..tcrs
<br />11.700.000 acre-feet! annually. M..Xlro,.,lll
<br />not acquire any right. other than that WhiCh
<br />thla clatae conlers. t() the use of tbe ......ter.
<br />of the Ccllorado River ayst..m f.:or any purpose.
<br />In l!lCeSll of 1.850_23~,OOO cubic m..terl
<br />(1.500.000 l\cte-feetl annually.
<br />"In casea of e1traordlllary drought or of
<br />iofrloUll B<'Cld..nt to the lrrlgauon systll'm of
<br />the Unite<! States. whkh might make It dl..f-
<br />flcult for the latter to dell..er 'the g1l3.anteed
<br />anlount or 1_850,:13~,OOO cubic melll'ra (1.500.-
<br />000 acre-feel) per year. the ,,'aler aaslgned to
<br />Mutco, per dRuae ".... 01 thl" IIttlcle. will be
<br />reduced 1[1 the aame prop<:>rtlon a3 the ron-
<br />lumptlOlla lite reduced In the United Stat...."
<br />.Aa ia &et'n by the abell'e artlcl", M...100 IS
<br />lflIaratlU'cd b)' the treaty.. 'l'olumot of 1.S:;O,-
<br />OOO.OOOeubtc~ten (1.500,OOOacrlt-feet) aa
<br />
<br />a mlnlnlum. a volume whleh In many yearll
<br />will he 2.097,000,000 CUbIC nl..ter. (1,700,000
<br />acre-f....t).
<br />Now, then, hf!fore negotiating the treaty a
<br />precise e,tlmate willi made of the net aTe.. In
<br />Mnlcan territory Ittlgable ....ith water trom
<br />the Colorado Jl.I\'..r uuder economlcaUy prac-
<br />ucable condltlOna. Accordingly this eIIt1_
<br />mate found that there wu IIn area of 200.000
<br />net lrrlgable ht"Ctarea (4lH.200 acre'll. eqUlva-
<br />I..nt toa gr""", area of 300.000bectare.a. TIll.s
<br />grOllJlarea.of3oo,OQOheetare.aPU,300IICrea)
<br />la leaa than thRt estlmat..d aa Irrlgahle by
<br />our engtneen during the IntetllRtlonal con-
<br />terences Cif 1929, to ....hlcb "'e referred at the
<br />beglnnlUfl of thia repott. Th.. dltfll'rence be_
<br />tween theBe t....o ullmateB l.s thAt In the
<br />latter.gteatllr"u.conalderedIn the ""tlmate
<br />of 19'29, ar.. eliminated as being uselt''''' to!'
<br />"ll"rlculturRl op.-rll.tlona due to the large
<br />"mount of l<alu lhat the landa contain. For
<br />exemplll'. the bali\n ot the Laguna BaJsda and
<br />th.. landa adjacent to the Oulf w..re e!lml-
<br />nllted. There ....ere also ellmlnated BOrne
<br />otht'r IIrUIl of landll of poor qualIty ,,'here
<br />he.vy pumping would be required.
<br />Now then, for the Irrlgatlon of the nt't
<br />200,009 hee-tMt's (494.:uJO "crea) In Record-
<br />ance 'WIth the COt'me-lent of Irr!8'flUon oh_
<br />served all an averagll' alnce tlle COmn:lt'nce-
<br />- ment or agricultural ....ork In the MCJlcall
<br />Valley 11.26 meter.., or 4_1 feetl, a volume of
<br />2,:;00.000,000 cuble meters (2,026,700 Rere-
<br />teet I ,.'ould be needed.
<br />Thl. volume ean be obtalnro wIth the
<br />amount guaran~d hy the treaty or
<br />1.8l>O.000.000 cubic meara l1.liOO,llOO acre-
<br />f....t I In the minimum year or 2.097 cuble
<br />meten (1.700.000 acre-feet) In the m:tjorlty or
<br />the yea... plua the water that l.s pumped from
<br />well_lnular to th""" exlUing on the La-
<br />guna-which will more than aupply the dll'-
<br />ftclency between the qusnUty required and
<br />the quantity guRtant.....d by the treaty.
<br />If the coemcl..nt of irrigation In Mel<leall
<br />Vall..y ahould be Incr....,....d notably, It will ~
<br />neee.....ry to make a greater \lie of th.. abun_
<br />dant Hreatleaaj water whIch UllltII In the
<br />auhllOll at b.fulcall Valley. If on the con.
<br />nary. III ""e hope, by a greater preparation of
<br />our farmer.. th.. coelllclent or irrigation dl-
<br />m1nlro..... It will be prllCtlcally pcll!lllble to
<br />lrrtgate the whole of the :KlO,OOOnet heeta.rf'll
<br />1494.200 acr...) nllltll1g ....lth the volume
<br />guaranaed by the treaty.
<br />It la nece......ry to note that all Meuco did
<br />not have arlY place to regulate the waterlf Of
<br />the Colorado River In order to dlatrlbUte
<br />th..m day hy day, during each YlI'ar.llcoord_
<br />Inll" to the nef'da of IrrlgatiOll. It WM nect'a_
<br />aery to arrange by m""1I8 of the treaty for
<br />the Ulllled Stlllea to deU.....r that water to us
<br />regulated to our w\5hfllS wIthin certain llml_
<br />tatlona which do not ImpOSe on ua any
<br />aacrlftce lor any plan of cultlvation that lJ!I
<br />followe<! In MU1Cs..1I Valley. f'or' tllla ~vlce
<br />of regulatlOll of t.hat water, our oountry doe.
<br />not have to pay a lIngle eent, ~Idl!llthia.
<br />on acrount ot the topographlcal condltlollB
<br />of the lands to be ltrlgated on botll banll:ll oJ
<br />th.. ColoradO River, It W8lI necea.II..rY to .ar-
<br />range that the waar of the Colorado lUver
<br />be ddlvered to Ua when de.lred by M('xloo.
<br />compatible with the needs o( the lands to be
<br />Irrlguted lit three dHrerent potnta,
<br />1. At Pilot Knob, In order t() irrigate the
<br />high lands which are found adJllcent to the
<br />Colorado RI\'er on Its right bank;
<br />2. At San LuU, $anora. In ord..r to Ittlga.te
<br />the high lands whkh lire fOUT,d on the Il'"ft
<br />bsnk of the Colorsdo RlTU;
<br />3, At the Colondo RITer In ord..r that b)-
<br />m"ana of tlle rotu;tru~Uon of an Interna_
<br />tlonal dam lit the 1l1te where !.fexlc:<:> mllY
<br />delllre It the rest 01" the lands on both banb
<br />of th.. rlnr can be irrigate<!.
<br />M~llloo e\"..n hall the poulblllty, It It so
<br />dealres, cf obtaining eonurocUoll by Arizona
<br />of a canal 'l<blch WOUld carry watera of th-e
<br />Colorado River trom a dl"t'rslon dam con_
<br />structed on the sec:Uon ot the riVer bound-
<br />ing the land:; of Sonera.
<br />
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