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<br />39 <br /> <br />menace to the existence of Imperial. Valley and also to some smaller <br /> <br />areas. All this could be largely relieved throughout the region by a <br />moderate discharge. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Secretary Hoover (Chairman). Mr. Davis raises one point, vim,ing <br /> <br /> <br />the conservation of ,rater from a practical financial standpoint, and <br /> <br /> <br />in that connection Ithink we will be glad if Doctor Merrill could say <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />a few words on the p01,er relationship. <br /> <br />STATEr,jENT OF J>>lR. 0, C, tiERRILL, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, <br />FEDERAL PO\>iER COfu'iISSION. <br /> <br />Mr. Merrill. I do not think I can say much at your session to- <br /> <br />day except as to the general situation on the river. There i'lre some <br /> <br />six million Hater horsepoHer possible of development on the Colorado <br /> <br /> <br />River and its tributaries, and at the present time the Federal Power <br /> <br />Commission has applications for four and one-half millions horsepoHer, <br /> <br />The Commission has suspended action on these apPlications i'lVTaiting the <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />views of the Colorado River Commission with regard to the distribution <br /> <br />or allocation of Hater arnong the several states, and also the prepara- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />tion of some general plan of development of the river, espeCially in <br /> <br />regard to flood control, in order that any project for which the. <br /> <br />Federal POHer Commission gives license may fit into some .such general <br /> <br />plan of development. It is rrry judgment, personally, and I believe it <br /> <br />will be the judgment of the Commission, although they have not. taken <br /> <br />formal action at this time, that .p01'ler development throughout the <br /> <br />Basin of the Colorado should be secondary to irrigation and flood <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />control. There is, as I recall, only one acre in thirty that is <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />irrigable in the basin. There is more Hater povler than the basin can <br /> <br />use in generations, even if it carries the surplus into adjacent <br /> <br />markets: it seems to me, then, that the consideration of power in all <br /> <br />sections of the River should be secondary to irrigation. That does <br /> <br />'-' <br />