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Reclamation 


Th^RRRTJARY  1963 


The  Reclamation  Era 


FEBRUARY  1963  VOLUME  49,  NO.  1 

In  this  issue  .   .   .  Pase 

A  TOUR  OF  SOVIET  DAMS 1 

by  Secretary  Stewart  L.  Udall 

Reclamation  Technical   Leadership — COMPUTERS 5 

Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy  gives  Opening  Statement 

NEED  BETTER  WORKS?     A  LOAN  IS  AVAILABLE 7 

by  William  D.   Romig 

THE  DESERT  ALMOST  DROWNED 10 

by  Fritz  Schumacher 

HELICOPTER  DELIVERS  HERBICIDE  AIDS 13 

A  COLORADO  FARM  ...   100  YEARS  OF  CATTLE  FEEDING 14 

by  William  A.   Price 

POWER  FROM  A  SPARE  ON   WHEELS 17 

SOUTHWEST  NEBRASKA'S  NEW  WINTER  SPORT 20 

by  Harvey  A.  Brashears 

IRRIGATION  PAYS  ON  CANADIAN  PRAIRIES 22 

by  J.  Karl   Lee  and  Maurice  N.   Langley 
Also  With  the  Water  Users,  page  27;  New  Region  Seven  Director,  page  27. 

OTTIS  PETERSON,  Assistant  to  the  Commissioner — Information  . 

GORDON  J.  FORSYTH,  Editor 
KATHRYNE  C.  DIMMITT,  Art  Editor 


United  States  Department  of  the  Interior 

Stewart  L.  Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Floyd  E.  Dominy,  Commissioner 

Washington  Office:  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Bureau  of  Reclamatioa,  Washington  25,  D.C. 

Commissioner's  Staff 

Assistant  Commissioner N.  B.  Bennett 

Assistant  Commissioner W.  I.  Palmer 

Assistant  Commissioner W.  Darlington  Denlt 

Assistant  Commissioner  and  Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado.. — Grant  Bloodgood 

REGIONAL  OFFICES 

REGION  1:  Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  937,  Reclamation  BuUding,  Fairgrounds,  Boise,  Idaho. 

REGION  2: ,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacramento  11,  Calif. 

REGION  3:  A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  City,  Nev. 

REGION  4:  Frank  M.  Clinton,  Regional  Director,  32  Exchange  Place,  P.O.  Box  360,  Salt  Lake  City  10,  Utah. 

REGION  5:  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Office  Building,  7th  and  Taylor,  Amarillo,  Tex. 

REGION  6;  Bruce  Johnson,  Regional  Director,  7th  and  Central,  P.O.  Box  2553,  Billings,  Mont. 

REGION  7:  Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo. 


Tour  of  SOVIET 

DAMS 


wer  in  foreground  is  part  of  a  800  kv. 

transmission  line  under  construction  at 

jigograd   Dam.      Two  500  kv.   AC  lines 

background.     Entrance  to  power  plant 

right. 

I'WTHEN  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  completed  Hoover 
WW  Dam  in  1936,  it  was  the  highest  in  the  world,  created 
the  largest  reservoir  and  boasted  the  largest  hydro- 
lectric  plant.  Its  transmission  lines  carried  power  away 
t  the  highest  voltage  used  anywhere  in  the  world. 

Today,  Hoover  ranks  ninth  among  high  dams  of  the  world, 
9th  among  hydro  generating  plants  and  Lake  Mead,  backed 
p  behind  Hoover  Dam,  is  15th  in  rank  among  all  man- 
lade  lakes  on  projects  either  in  operation  or  under 
Dnstruction. 

Many  of  the  projects  which  have  outstripped  Hoover  in 
ne  way  or  another  have  been  built  by  other  countries,  but 
^e  have  not  stood  still,  for  many  others  are  in  this  country. 

am  using  it  only  to  illustrate  a  point — there  is  no  monopoly 
n  knowledge. 

Worldwide  Technology 

From  the  time  Hoover  was  first  designed  and  construction 
tarted,  engineers  from  all  over  the  world  have  beaten  a 
•ath  to  it  and  to  the  design  and  research  laboratories  of  the 
iureau  of  Reclamation  in  Denver,  Colo.  Nevertheless,  we 
70u\d  be  absurdly  blind  if  we  ignored  other  world  engineer- 
ag  developments. 

"ebruary  1963 


Economic  Risks  in  the 
World  Energy  Race 


by  STEWART  L.  UDALL, 
Secretary,  United  States 
Department  of  the  Interior 


Cascade   of   transformers   for   testing   at   2,250   kv. 
at  Moscow. 


,'jfi?.. 


w. 


»f*5it5SJ '-'•"""''"'' 


Central  Dispatching  Center  in  Moscow  is  being  observed  by  members  of  Secretary  Udall's  group.     Practically  all  of  European  Russia's 
power,  30  million  kilowatts,  is  under  unified  control  and  is  dispatched  here. 


The  world  of  technology  is  undergoing  a  con- 
stant change  and  it  behooves  us  to  be  alert,  main- 
tain our  initiative  and  imagination.  We  must 
keep  abreast  of  advances  elsewhere  and  use  our 
knowledge  to  the  best  advantage  of  our  own 
country. 

That  is  why  I  welcomed  an  opportunity  to  head 
a  U.S.  delegation  to  Russia  in  exchange  for  a  visit 
by  a  group  of  their  power  executive  and  technical 
people  to  our  country.  Accompanying  me  were 
representatives  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  the 
Bonneville  Power  Administration,  the  Tennessee 
Valley  Authority,  the  Federal  Power  Commission, 
and  the  Corps  of  Engineers. 

In  our  limited  time,  we  visited  the  Bratsk  and 
Irkutsk  dams  in  Siberia  and  Volgorad  and  Kuiby- 
shev dams  on  the  Volga  River  in  Russia. 

Engineering  Achievement 

We  saw  the  operation  of  a  high  voltage  500- 
kilovolt  alternating  current  transmission  line  and 
construction  of  an  800-kilovolt  direct  current 
transmission  line  which  has  since  been  placed  in 
operation.  We  discussed  the  Russian  water  and 
power  resource  programs  with  representatives  of 
the  Russian  Ministry  of  Power  and  with  their 
engineers  and  scientists  at  the  Moscow  Institute 
where  all  the  designs  were  prepared. 

Their  long-range  plan  is  to   interconnect   all 


electric  power  throughout  the  Soviet  Union — an 
area  which  consists  of  one-sixth  of  the  earth's  land 
mass.  Considering  that  Russia  covers  11  time 
zones  and  several  climatic  zones,  this  feat — if  ac- 
complished— will  be  a  major  engineering  achieve- 
ment. 

Thus,  in  reality,  the  so-called  energy  race  is^ 
basically  one  of  technology — or,  if  you  will,  edu- 
cation, endurance,  and  cooperation.  The  Soviet' 
Union  has  complete  control  of  its  resources,  nat- 
ural and  human,  which  it  can  direct  at  will  andl 
without  regard  for  the  needs  of  individual  citizens. 


Harnessing  Nature 


I 


The  U.S.S.R.  is  a  nation,  remember,  that  ai 
ready  is  planning  to  harness  the  tides  and  the  sun 
and  plans  to  drill  miles  into  the  earth  for  new 
sources  of  power  in  addition  to  that  produced  by 
conventional  means.  It  is  a  nation  that  is  experi- 
menting with  automated  ships  and  trains  and  is 
laying  down  a  massive  grid  of  fuel  pipelines.  It 
is  a  nation  that  only  a  few  years  ago  ranked  21st 
in  world  trade,  but  today  ranks  sixth. 

We  have  a  formidable  competitor. 

Chairman  Khrushchev  has  described  electrifi- 
cation as  the  life  breath  of  communism  and  the 
Soviet  Academy  of  Science  lists  electrification  of 
industry  as  their  top  goal,  even  above  space  ex- 
ploration and  missile  development.    The  Minister 


The  Reclamation  Erai 


WHAT  SECRETARY  UDALL  SAW  IN  THE  U.S.S.R. 


— Bratsk  plant  on  the  Angara 
River,  already  partially  in  opera- 
tion, will  have  an  ultimate  capacity 
of  Ayi,  million  kilowatts — nearly  2^^ 
times  the  capacity  of  Grand  Coulee. 
Utilizing  a  500-kilovolt  transmission 
line,  power  will  go  to  surrounding 
industry :  iron  and  steel,  lumber  and 
aluminum.  The  aluminum  works, 
incidentally,  will  produce — when 
completed — more  tonnage  than  all  of 
the  aluminum  plants  in  the  Pacific 
Northwest  combined. 


— Irkutsk  Dam  is  also  on  the 
Angara  River  and  south  of  Bratsk 
Dam.  Irkutsk  Dam  is  a  8,989-foot 
earthfiU  structure  with  a  hydroelec- 
tric capacity  of  660,000  kilowatts  of 
power.  It  does  not  have  an  over- 
flow spillway.  Bypassing  water 
goes  through  16  discharge  sluices 
located  between  the  generating  units 
in  the  powerhouse.  Lake  Baikal 
is  385  miles  long,  more  than  twice 
the  length  of  the  proposed  Lake 
Powell,  and  is  reported  to  be  the 
deepest  lake  in  the  world. 


— Kuibyshev  plant  on  the  Volga 
River  has  a  capacity  of  2.3  million 
kilowatts,  almost  twice  as  much  as 
Hoover  Dam,  and  transmits  elec- 
tricity to  Moscow  and  the  Urals 
over  a  500-kilovolt  line. 

— Volgograd  hydroplam>t  (formerly 
named  Stalingrad)  also  on  the  Volga 
River,  has  a  capacity  of  2.5  million 
kilowatts  and  also  furnishes  power 
to  Moscow  over  a  500-kilovolt  line. 
This  station  is  more  than  six  times 
as  large  as  the  powerplant  at 
Shasta  Dam  in  Oalifomia. 


:>f  Power  has  set  the  decade  of  1970-80  as  the  time 
when  they  will  reach,  then  overtake  us  in  the 
mergy  race. 

The  Energy  Race 

This  is  a  challenge  which  I  have  termed  the 
energy  race  and  it  entails  much  more  than  mere 
generation  and  consumption  of  electric  energy. 
[t  entails  the  ability  of  our  Nation  to  maintain 
m  economic  system  than  can  compete  effectively 
lot  only  with  the  Commimist  bloc  countries  but 
Jso  with  the  reinvigorated  economies  of  the 
Vestern  world. 

The  growth  and  production  of  food  and  fiber 
or  the  Nation's  industrial  plant,  for  transporta- 
ion,  communications,  and  the  many  related  daily 
activities  requires  energy.  To  maintain  superior- 
ty  requires  the  continued  development  of  energy 


in  all  forms. 

We  cannot  and  we  do  not  desire  to  win  this  race 
by  adopting  Soviet  standards  of  living,  labor,  or 
government.  But  neither  can  we  win  it  if  we  insist 
on  erecting  our  own  regional  and  economic  bar- 
riers to  each  proposed  forward-moving  energy 
program. 

I  am  not  unduly  concerned,  for  today  we  ar© 
ahead  of  the  Soviet  Union  in  nearly  every  phase 
of  the  energy  race  thanks  to  a  tremendous  head 
start.  Our  present  superiority  in  electrical  gen- 
eration is  nearly  three  times  as  great.  Abundant, 
low-cost  and  widespread  distribution  of  power  is 
available  through  our  land.  After  meeting  all 
industrial  needs,  we  still  have  enough  to  provide 
power  for  every  conceivable  use  in  nearly  every 
home  and  farm  in  the  country.  Kussia  is  funnel- 
ing  its  power  into  industry  on  a  command  basis. 


onstruction  underway  on  the  downstream  face  of 
Bratsk  Dam. 


This   woman    is   at  work   on   con- 
struction of  a  dam. 


Towers  of  the  Volgorad  Power  PlanI  are  shown  against  the  sky.  A  railroad  and  a 
four  lane  highway  crossing  the  2V2-mile  dam  are  viewed  on  the  showing  side.  Road 
in  lower  left  leads  to  the  power  plant  entrance. 


United  Spirit 

We  must  maintain  that  superiority.  This  we 
can  do  by  welding  our  aims  in  a  unity  of  purpose 
but,  also,  with  the  continuing  spirit  of  competi- 
tion that  has  provided  this  Nation  with  unequaled 
human  accomplishment. 

We  must  take  the  calculated  risks,  both  industry 
and  government,  in  the  challenging  new  areas  be- 
fore us,  such  as :  rapid  movement  toward  regional 
and  national  interties;  extra-high  voltage  direct 
current  transmission,  and  pumped-back  storage. 
I  am  confident  that  the  Federal  Government,  the 
public  utilities,  and  the  private  utilities,  aided  by 
electrical  equipment  manufacturers,  can  compete 
cooperatively  in  this  effort. 

New  Musts 

We  must  move  into  new  and  unconventional 
methods  of  producing  electrical  energy.    We  must, 


for  example,  harness  the  tides,  investigate  more 
thoroughly  the  use  of  geothermal  heat;  expedite' 
the  development  of  fuel  cells;  start  a  progi-am  of ' 
solar  research ;  and  study  some  of  the  even  more  r 
exotic  ways  of  generating  electricity. 

We  must  put  the  interest  of  our  people  as  a^ 
nation  ahead  of  any  particular  group.   When  tech-  - 
nological  change  will  benefit  the  public  interest, 
we  can  no  longer — by  politics,  by  lack  of  subsidy, 
or  other  means — hold  it  back  through  fear  of 
short-term  regional  economic  dislocation. 

The  leaders  of  government  and  leaders  of  in- 
dustry in  the  United  States  have  the  same  ultimate* 
stockholders — 180  million  Americans.  We  are,  in 
effect,  the  custodians  of  the  future  and  what  we 
do  now  and  build  now  we  are  doing  for  the 
American  people  of  the  year  2000  and  beyond. 

#    #    #^ 

(More  pictures  taken  in  Russia  are  found  on  page  26) 


Another  report  of  the  United  States  delegation  entitled  "Recent  Electric  Power  Developments  in  the  U.8.8.R.,"  mayi 
6e  obtained  by  addressing  your  request  to  the  Department  of  the  Interior,  Washington  25,  D.C. 


The  Reclamation  Era? 


RECLAMATION 

Technical  Leadership 

^  ^  ^ 

Bureau  of  Reclamation  engineers  and  scientists  are  constantly 
developing  new  and  better  ways  to  speed  their  work  and  to  achieve 
greater  economies  on  Reclamation  projects.  Their  initiative  and 
technical  contributions  are  admired  arid  emulated  throughout  the 
world. 

Beginning  in  this  issue  of  the  Reclamation  Era,  is  the  first  of 
four  articles  describing  some  of  the  major  technical  innovations 
of  Bureau  engineers  and  scientists.  The  articles  will  highlight 
the  i/mpact  of  Reclamation^  achievements  on  current  work^  and 
will  also  illuminate  the  Bureau^s  capacity  to  initiate  water  cmd 
land  resource  projects  of  the  future. 

FLOYD  E.  DOMINY,  Commissioner 

Bureau  of  Reclamation 


Part  l-COMPUTERS  WORK  IN  RECLAMATION 


THE  BUREAU'S  westwide  operations  move 
swiftly  forward  with  the  aid  of  electronic 
computers.  The  amazing  speed  and  accuracy 
of  the  machines  is  important  in  solving  a  wide 
variety  of  complex  engineering  and  scientific  prob- 
lems in  minutes  or  even  seconds.  This  contrasts 
sharply  with  the  many  weeks  or  months  which 
would  otherwise  be  required  of  engineers  using 
desk  calculators. 

Thanks  to  the  pioneer  work  of  Reclamation  en- 
gineers in  applying  electronic  computers  to  water 
and  land  resources  problems,  the  high-speed  ma- 
chines save  the  Bureau  money  and  time. 

The  first  computer  in  the  Reclamation  Engi- 
neering Center  in  Denver  was  installed  in  1952. 
It  was  one  of  the  first  such  installations  in  the 
Rocky  Mountain  area,  and  it  was  readily  put  to 
use  solving  problems  in  the  design  of  concrete 
dams,  analyses  of  complicated  hydrologic  systems, 
design  and  operation  of  high  voltage  electric 
power  systems,  and  many  other  scientific  investiga- 
tions. 

February  1963 


In  the  years  that  followed,  the  original  ma- 
chine was  replaced  by  a  larger  computer.  It  was 
used  on  an  increasing  variety  of  problems.  This 
computer  is  now  used  as  an  aid  to: 

•  design  concrete  and  earth  dams 

•  calculate  earthwork  quantities  for  canals,  lat- 

erals, and  roadways 

•  determine  the  amount  of  sediment  carried  by 

streams  and  rivers,  and 

•  design  powerplants  and  pumping  plants. 
Here  are  a  few  examples  of  the  use  of  the  com- 
puter in  the  Denver  Center. 

For  Earthwork 

.  .  .  Bureau  specialists  have  developed  com- 
puter techniques  to  relieve  canal  designers  of  com- 
puting earthwork  quantities  for  canals  and  later- 
als. With  this  rapid  method  they  calculated 
earthwork  for  more  than  1,100  miles  of  canals 
and  laterals  resulting  in  a  saving  of  57  man  years 
of  engineering  talent.  This  is  the  equivalent  of 
$350,000  savings  over  conventional  computations. 


.  .  .  Where  and  how  many  new  transmission 
lines  would  be  needed  to  deliver  electric  power 
from  powerplants  to  load  areas?  This  was  a 
question  in  the  analysis  of  an  electrical  system 
for  the  five- State  loop  of  North  and  South  Da- 
kota, Nebraska,  Iowa,  and  Minnesota.  The  sys- 
tem entailed  5,000  miles  of  high-voltage  transmis- 
sion lines  and  35  powerplants.  Simultaneously 
solving  60  complex  equations,  the  electronic  com- 
puter gave  the  answer  to  the  power  flow  problem 
in  60  minutes.  By  comparison,  an  engineer  us- 
ing a  desk  calculator  would  have  required  about 
2  years  to  solve  it. 

Dam  Performance 

...  To  keep  track  of  performance  of  completed 
dams,  Reclamation  engineers  embed  instruments 
in  earth  and  mass  concrete  at  the  time  of  con- 
struction. At  Hungry  Horse  Dam  in  Montana, 
for  example,  700  instruments  were  embedded  in 
its  more  than  8  million  cubic  yards  of  concrete. 
Some  15,000  instrument  readings  have  been  made 
since  completion  of  the  dam  in  1953.  Using  a 
desk  calculator,  an  engineer  would  have  required 
about  50  years  to  solve  the  estimated  5  million 
arithmetical  calculations  that  were  needed.  The 
electronic  computer  came  up  with  the  essential 
performance  data  in  about  30  minutes. 

.  .  .  The  computer  makes  possible  accurate  solu- 
tions to  difficult  design  problems.  This,  in  turn, 
relieves  highly-trained  engineers  of  the  task  of 
making  routine  and  repetitive  manual  calculations, 
and  allows  them  more  time  to  devote  to  creative 
problems. 

The  Denver  computer  is  being  used  two  8-hour 
shifts  a  day  to  process  the  large  volume  of  calcu- 
lations required  in  the  Bureau's  studies.  In  addi- 
tion, the  Bureau  is  also  using  a  large  computer 
recently  installed  in  the  National  Bureau  of  Stand- 
ards Laboratories  at  Boulder,  Colo. 


An  engineer  at  the  console  of  the  high-speed  electric  computer  at 
Denver,   Colo. 

River  Systems 

With  the  new  computer  at  Boulder,  Reclama- 
tion engineers  are  able  to  study  the  extremely  com- 
plex problems  of  river  systems.  In  analyzing  the 
potential  development  of  the  Maxwell  project  in 
Arizona,  basic  data  totaling  400  technical  items 
were  fed  into  the  computer.  In  10  minutes,  the 
instrument  gave  pinpointed  answers  on  potential 
yield  of  the  proposed  Maxwell  Reservoir,  power 
production  in  the  area,  and  the  other  essential 
information.  Using  a  desk  calculator,  an  engi- 
neer would  have  needed  a  year  to  derive  similar 
conclusions. 

To  assure  that  new  problems  of  Reclamation 
engineering  will  be  solved  quickly  and  accurately, 
a  task  force  of  five  engineers  in  the  Denver  office 
recently  conducted  a  survey  of  Bureau  offices  in 
the  West  to  determine  where  high-speed  com- 
puters could  be  used  to  advantage.  Some  200 
different  problems  in  engineering  and  scientific 
areas  were  singled  out  for  computer  solution. 
They  include  the  areas  of  project  planning  of  river 
basins,  irrigation  operations,  power  system  opera- 
tions, construction,  and  research. 

The  work  already  completed  by  electronic  com- 
puters and  the  future  problems  envisioned  for 
computer  solution  are  assurances  to  the  public  of 
the  Bureau's  preparedness  to  efficiently  accomplish 
its  mission  of  developing  water  and  land  resources. 

#  #  # 


The   curving   crest  of  the   Hungry  Horse   Dam   in   Montana 
showing  the  "glory  hole"  type  spillway  at  left. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


J^eed  better  works? 
a  loan  is  available 

There  is  a  way  to  make  irrigation  systems  effl- 
Gient  and  to  reduce  the  great  wastes  in  our  resources 

O INCE  the  small  project  loan  program  got  under 
^  way  in  1957,  there  have  been  26  projects  approved 
for  the  use  of  over  $67,000,000  in  Federal  funds. 
These  projects  have  provided  additional  pumping 
plants  or  wells,  reservoirs,  new  distribution  systems  to 
save  costs  of  operating  the  systems,  new  water  supply 
sources,  groundwater  replacement  systems,  ground- 
water recharge  facilities,  and  projects  to  modernize  the 
irrigation  facilities. 

Flood  control  grants  and  fish  and  wildlife  grants 
have  been  developed,  as  have  power  benefits  and  pro- 
visions for  muicipal  water  supply.  Irrigation  also  has 
had  an  interesting  variety  of  problems  to  solve.  Even 
a  5-mile  tunnel  and  other  such  works  have  been  con- 
structed to  irrigate  pineapple  fields  on  Hawaiian 
homesteads. 

In  most  respects,  the  small  project  loan  program  has 
been  highly  successful.  However,  few  local  organiza- 
tions have  utilized  it  to  improve  and  modernize  their 
facilities.  This  story  of  a  mythical  project  that  hasn't 
been  proposed  for  the  loan  program  is  typical.  It 
shows  a  serious  need  and  a  way  to  solve  the  problem. 

Ample  Water 

Lavish  Water  District  was  formed  about  1920  to  take 
over  the  facilities  of  three  financially  distressed  irri- 
gation companies.  The  irrigation  works  were  con- 
structed between  1890  and  1910  and  haA^e  been  main- 
tained in  serviceable  shape. 

Although  the  main  supply  canals  pass  through  sandy 
soils  and  are  bordered  by  willows,  Lavish  District  has 
ample  water  under  its  priority  of  being  first  on  the 
river,  and  the  water  is  applied  liberally  to  the  land. 
In  a  few  areas,  however,  drainage  problems  are  devel- 
oping, and  studies  indicate  that  eventually  the  problems 
will  be  serious. 

by  WILLIAM  D.  ROMIG, 

Engineer  in  the  Division  of  Project  Development,  Washington,  D.C. 

February  1963 

670437  O — 63 2 


All  irrigable  Land  in  the  District  is  receiving 
water.  Little  seepage  from  the  canals  or  opera- 
tional waste  are  returned  to  the  river  but  are  con- 
sumed by  nonbeneficial  vegetation  or  by  evapora- 
tion in  sinkholes. 

Occasionally  Short 

Immediately  downstream  is  the  Dry  Gulch  Irri- 
gation District,  also  formed  about  1920  to  bring 
irrigation  water  to  lands  adjacent  to  the  Lavish 
District.  Dry  Gulch  District  water  rights  pro- 
vide sufficient  water  with  careful  use  in  most  years. 
The  management  of  this  District  has  lined  most 
of  the  ditches  and  they  control  the  water  efficiently 
so  that  with  less  than  half  the  divertable  water  of 
its  neighbor,  it  is  irrigating  about  the  same 
acreage. 


HYPOTHETICAL 
SMALL  RECLAMATION  PROJECT  PROPOSAL 


The  area  is  devoted  to  small  tracts,  intensively 
farmed.  If  Dry  Gulch  had  the  use  of  more  water, 
it  could  serve  additional  acreages  and  reduce  the 
occasional  shortages. 

Too  Dry 

About  10  miles  downstream  is  the  Bone  Dry 
Irrigation  Co.,  a  mutual  company  formed  recently 
by  a  group  of  farmers  and  ranchers  having  junior 
water  rights,  in  an  effort  to  develop  a  satisfactory 
irrigation  system. 

Water  is  available  to  Bone  Dry  Co.  only  in  the 
spring  and  occasionally  later  in  the  season  when 
not  required  upstream.  For  this  reason  the  area 
is  devoted  to  livestock,  and  irrigation  is  limited 
to  native  hay  and  pasture.  The  soils,  however,  are 
excellent.  Within  the  area  served  by  this  company 
there  are  a  number  of  large  ranches,  so  that  about 
one-third  of  the  land  is  in  excess  of  160  acres  in  a 
single  ownership.  It  is  anticipated  that  most  of 
these  would  gradually  be  subdivided,  if  general 
cropping  were  practical. 

Old  System 

These  three  organizations  represent  all  of  the 
water  users  along  this  tributary  stream,  and  they 
utilize  all  of  the  useful  water  supply.  Except 
during  periods  of  flood,  no  water  flaws  from  this 
tributary  to  the  main  stream  below  and  no  water 
rights  downstream  have  a  claim  to  water  ahead  of 
the  latest  right  of  these  organizations. 

The  management  of  the  Lavish  Water  District 
realizes  that  the  old  systems  are  wasteful  and  that 
its  operation,  maintenance,  and  replacements  costs 
could  be  reduced  by  modernization.  Could  the 
savings  justify  the  expense  of  Lavish  District 
making  these  improvements?  Could  the  waste 
water  be  salvaged  and  have  sufficient  value  to 
justify  a  system  that  would  be  efficient  ? 

Since  there  is  no  need  for  salvaged  water  within 
Lavish  District,  it  would  go  to  the  downstream 
junior  water  rights.  This  has  not  been  sufficient 
incentive  to  improve  the  system,  and  it  would 
only  increase  the  water  charges  to  the  farmers  with 
no  benefits  to  them. 

More  efficient  use  of  water,  however,  would  be  of 
material  benefit  to  the  two  needful  areas  and  would 
be  highly  desirable  from  the  standpoint  of  all 
three  water  organizations. 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Loan  Proposal 

A  loan  could  be  proposed  by  the  Lavish  Water 
District,  to  be  financed  under  the  Small  Reclama- 
tion Projects  Act  of  1956.  The  loan  would  be  for 
the  rehabilitation  and  betterment  of  its  system, 
to  enlarge  and  line  the  uppermost  of  its  existing 
j  three  supply  canals,  and  to  abandon  the  other  two. 

It  would  line  the  larger  ditches  and  convert 
Imost  of  the  distribution  system  to  pipelines.  Ade- 
quate measuring  equipment  and  wells  would  be  in- 
stalled to  drain  the  areas  with  growing  drainage 
problems. 

The  financial  arrangements  of  these  develop- 
ments are  interesting.  The  project  will  save  about 
half  of  the  water  now  being  diverted  by  Lavish 
District.  From  other  savings  in  the  costs  of  oper- 
ation, maintenance  and  replacement  and  from  the 
value  of  the  drainage,  it  will  be  able  to  repay 
about  35  percent  of  the  loan. 

About  a  third  of  this  salvage  water  will  be 
sold  to  Dry  Gulch  District,  delivered  at  several 
points  along  the  common  boundary  of  the  two  Dis- 
tricts. This  will  permit  irrigation  on  lands  above 
hhe  present  facilities  of  Dry  Gulch  District  and 
will  eliminate  all  of  the  water  shortages  now  ex- 
perienced in  the  rest  of  the  area.  For  this  water, 
[javish  District  will  receive  sufficient  income  to 
Day  about  25  percent  of  the  loan. 

A  formal  agreement  between  the  two  Districts 
vill  be  required  before  funds  are  advanced  for  the 
oan. 

All  Around  Benefits 

Bone  Dry  Co.  would  enter  into  an  agreement 
o  pay  for  all  water  released  by  Lavish  District 
vhich  reaches  the  lower  District  on  a  per  acre-foot 
>asis.  This  represents  two-thirds  of  the  salvage 
rater  of  Lavish  District  minus  channel  losses  and 
v^ill  be  sufficient  to  permit  production  of  general 
rops  on  most  lands  served. 

For  this  water.  Bone  Dry  Co.  will  pay  enough 
o  permit  Lavish  District  to  repay  the  remaining 
0  percent  of  the  loan.  It  will  also  pay  interest 
harges  that  result  from  the  excess  lands  within 
ts  boundaries,  as  they  exist  each  year. 

The  small  project  loan,  when  approved,  will  be 
0  the  Lavish  Water  District,  which  will  be 
esponsible  for  its  repayment.  This  District,  in 
urn,  will  arrange  payments  from  the  other  two 
)istricts. 


A  loan  is  in  process  for  rehabilitating  this  canal  in  Utah.     L.  E. 
Blanch,  left,  H.  E.  Nielsen,  right. 

Improved  System 

Thus  through  cooperation,  the  applying  Dis- 
trict will  improve  its  system  and  reduce  its  oper- 
ating costs,  a  neighboring  District  will  expand  its 
acreage  and  reduce  its  water  shortage,  and  down- 
stream users  will  be  able  to  improve  their  entire 
form  of  agriculture.  More  water  will  not  be  made 
available,  but  the  existing  supply  will  be  more 
efficiently  utilized. 

No  one  will  be  deprived  of  needed  water,  and 
others  will  receive  water  now  wasted.  Also,  Bone 
Dry  Co.  can  apply  for  a  small  project  loan  to 
improve  and  expand  its  irrigation  system. 

Practical  Combination 

Although  the  foregoing  small  project  is  hypo- 
thetical, it  is  not  impractical.  Actually,  most  of 
the  elements  of  this  plan  have  been  approved  in 
actual  project  proposals. 

We  believe  that  joint  projects  such  as  this, 
offer  important  opportunities.  Inefficient  irri- 
gation systems  and  water  waste  are  incompatible 
with  the  optimum  development  of  our  resources. 

Water  users  with  old  rights  and  old  systems 
may  not  be  expected  to  modernize  their  systems 
just  for  the  benefiit  of  the  other  water  users.  But 
the  results  can  be,  and  should  be,  satisfactorily 
accomplished  through  joint  efforts. 

#     #     # 


'ebruary  1963 


by  K.  FRITZ  SCHUMACHER,  whose  primary  position  is  as  a  hydrau- 
lic engineer  with  the  Water  Resources  Division,  U.S.  Geological 
Survey,  Los  Angeles;  also  authored  "The  Fiery  Ordeal  of  San 
Dimas,"  in  February  1962,  RECLAMATION  ERA. 


The  Desert  Almost  Drownecf* 


THE  Imperial  Valley  of  Southern  California 
is  the  result  of  a  series  of  geologic  and 
climatic  excesses  tempered  by  man.  At  500- 
year  intervals  a  desert  oven  became  a  vast  inland 
sea,  an  evaporating-pan  for  part  of  the  generous 
discharge  of  the  Colorado  River. 

The  adjustment  of  these  violent  extremes  per- 
mitted the  development  of  a  large  and  prosperous 
area  of  reclaimed  land.  This  accomplishment  in- 
volved a  battle  with  forces  of  nature  never  before 
encountered  on  a  similar  scale. 

In  1905  the  river  broke  loose,  determined  to 
drown  the  former  desert  and  all  man-made  im- 
provements. At  that  time,  it  took  the  frantic 
efforts  of  the  local  peiople  and  the  equipment  and 
manpower  of  a  railroad  to  save  the  area  from  a 
watery  grave. 

Thirty  years  later  the  completion  of  Hoover 
Dam  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  tamed  the 
river.  But  the  story  here  deals  with  the  Colorado 
when  it  was  free  to  follow  its  own  devastating 
whims. 

Millions  of  years  ago  the  Gulf  of  California  ex- 
tended northward  into  San  Joaquin  Valley. 
Folding  of  the  earth's  crust  raised  the  mountains 
along  San  Gorgonio  Pass  and  dropped  the  bottom 
of  Salton  Sink  several  hundred  feet  below  sea 
level.  The  mighty  Colorado  continued  cutting  its 
Grand  Canyon  through  other  upthrust  mountains 
to  the  northeast. 

Eroded  material  deposited  in  the  Gulf  in  a 
fan-shaped  delta  gave  Imperial  Valley  its  2,000- 
foot-deep  layer  of  rich  alluvial  soil.    When  the 


delta  reached  across  the  Gulf,  Salton  Sink  became 
an  isolated  inland  sea.  The  river  continued  to 
meander  back  and  forth  across  the  delta.  Over 
countless  ages  it  built  a  300-foot-high  dam,  rang- 
ing in  width  from  140  miles  at  the  base  to  60  miles 
at  sea  level  and  10  miles  at  its  crest  35  feet  above 
maximum  Gulf  tide. 

Perfectly  Safe 

This  natural  dam  far  exceeds  in  volume  any 
earthwork  ever  attempted  by  man.  It  forms  an 
effective  barrier  against  inundation  from  the  sea, 
by  seepage  or  otherwise,  and  it  is  perfectly  safe  to 
live  in  Imperial  Valley,  some  200  feet  below  sea 
level. 

The  meandering  lower  Colorado  River  had 
swept  its  delta  from  east  to  west  every  500  years. 
The  east  slope  drains  into  the  Gulf,  the  westt 
drained  into  the  former  Lake  Cahuilla  which  at 
times  covered  all  of  Imperial  and  Coachella 
Valleys.  Its  shoreline  is  still  visible  at  the  base 
of  Santa  Rosa  Mountains  west  of  Salton  Sea,  at 
altitude  30  feet  above  sea  level. 

Marine  deposits  and  shells  along  this  shoreline 
left  a  fairly  accurate  record  of  periodic  inunda- 
tions.   At  the  depth  of  a  dry  cycle  in  1849,  the- 
possibilities  were  recognized  of  irrigation  from  the* 
river  which  alternately  drowned  and  deserted  the 
area. 

Reclamation  was  undertaken  at  the  close  of  the 
century  by  California  Development  Co.  The  first 
water  reached  Imperial  Valley  in  May  1901.  The 
company  operated  on  both  sides  of  the  inter- 


10 


The  Reclamation  Era 


-%s. 


Railroad  tracks  of  the  Southern  Pacific  were  washed  out  as  shown  in  this  photo  taken 
September  1,  1906,  a  few  miles  southeast  of  Calexico,  Calif. 


national  boundary.  A  headgate  was  installed  on 
the  Colorado  River  1  mile  within  the  United 
States.  Thence  a  canal  carried  the  water  to 
Alamo  River,  a  former  distributary  channel  in 
Mexico. 

Pioneer  settlers  reaped  the  benefits  of  a  natural 
hothouse.  Grapes,  melons,  and  garden  vegetables 
matured  earlier  than  elsewhere.  Grain  and  long- 
staple  cotton  thrived.  Alfalfa  yielded  at  least 
five  cuttings  per  year. 

For  several  years,  the  river  yielded  generously 
its  life-giving  water  with  suspended  silt  thrown  in, 
gratis.  Gently  sloping  canals  and  the  weed- 
choked  Alamo  River  invited  deposition  of  silt 
faster  than  it  was  dredged  out.  Several  dry  years 
made  transmission  of  enough  water  through  silted 
waterways  extremely  difficult.  When  crops  began 
to  wilt,  the  company  decided  to  take  a  calculated 
risk. 

River  discharge  records  for  the  past  27  years 
indicated  only  three  winter  floods  and  not  more 
than  one  per  year.  So  in  1905,  the  river  bank  was 
cut  south  of  the  border.  At  once  more  water 
flowed  down  Alamo  River,  sluiced  out  canals,  and 
saved  crops.  In  spite  of  misgivings  voiced  by  an 
engineer,  installation  of  control  gates  had  to  wait. 

The  temptation  thus  placed  before  the  Colorado 
to  end  a  quarter  century  of  good  behavior  was  too 
great.  An  unprecedented  series  of  fall  and  winter 
floods  widened  and  deepened  the  cut  beyond  possi- 
bility of  control  by  the  proposed  headworks.  The 
canal  system  was  sluiced  out  with  a  vengeance. 
The  west  slope  of  the  delta  was  laid  down  in  the 
still  water  of  Lake  Cahuilla. 

February  1963 


While  townspeople  frantically  threw  up  dikes 
against  an  overland  sheet  of  water  pouring  in  from 
Mexico,  a  cataract — formed  near  the  Salton  Sea 
mouth  of  the  revived  Alamo  River — advanced  up- 
stream at  the  rate  of  1  mile  per  day  and  threatened 
destruction  from  the  rear.  In  desperation,  the 
gorging  process  was  hastened  with  dynamite  along 
a  course  a  safe  distance  from  the  town  of  Brawley. 
The  New  and  Alamo  Rivers  moved  more  than  four 
times  the  total  Panama  Canal  excavation  out  of 
their  50-  to  80-f  oot-deep  gorges  during  their  2-year 
rampage.  On  the  credit  side  of  the  disaster,  these 
gorges  later  formed  the  main  stems  of  a  much 
needed  drainage  system. 

California  Development  Co.  exhausted  its  re- 
sources in  several  futile  attempts  to  close  the 
Mexican  diversion,  which  soon  turned  the  entire 
flood-swollen  Colorado  River  into  Salton  Sea. 
It  was  forced  to  borrow  men,  money,  equipment. 


Rising   Salton   Sea  put  limits  on  travel.      (Southern  Pacific  photo) 

11 


Crewmen  tumbled  rocks  ofF  flat  cars  to  dam  the  rampaging  waters.      (Southern  Pacific  photo) 


and  consulting  services  from  the  Southern  Pacific 
Railroad ;  but  all  the  effort  was  to  no  avail. 

Ugly  rumors  of  criminal  negligence  were  heard. 
It  soon  became  aparent,  however,  that  more  than 
an  error  of  judgment  was  involved.  The  river's 
500-year  cycle  of  discharge  into  the  Gulf  was 
drawing  to  a  close.  The  constantly  meandering 
river  was  due  to  resume  its  periodic  drowning  of 
the  desert.  Could  mere  man  attempt  to  readjust 
this  relentless  cycle  ? 

President  E.  H.  Harriman  of  the  Southern 
Pacific  asked  his  chief  engineer  this  question. 
The  answer  was  "yes."  The  railroad  assumed  the 
liabilities  of  the  defunct  development  company 
including  the  job  of  taming  the  river.  Harry 
Cory  became  resident  engineer,  but  for  over  a  year 
there  was  no  time  to  "reside." 

Headgate  Constructed 

Construction  of  a  new  concrete  headgate  in  the 
United  States  was  undertaken.  A  bypass  and 
temporary  wooden  gate  in  Mexico  proceeded 
simultaneously  with  the  closing  of  the  break  that 
had  become  a  half-mile  wide.  A  timber  trestle  on 
90-foot  piles  was  built  across  the  gap.  Six  tribes 
of  Indians  wove  13,000  square  feet  of  brush  mat 
which  was  lowered  to  the  bottom.  Rock  from 
Pilot  Knob  nearby  was  dumped  onto  the  mat  to 
prevent  sinking  into  the  bottomless  silt.  All  went 
well  until  the  only  opening  left  was  the  timber 
gate.  An  attempt  to  reinforce  the  sagging  struc- 
ture with  rock  resulted  in  washout  of  trestle  and 
rock  cars.  The  floating  debris  dislodged  the  gate. 
It  went  west  with  the  river — into  Imperial 
Valley. 

The  battle  was  resumed  immediately,  without 
benefit  of  gate  or  brush  mat.  Pilot  Knob  quarries 
proved  inadequate  and  rock  trains  reached  deep 
into  California  and  Arizona  for  U.S.  real  estate  to 


dump  into  the  Colorado  River.  The  gap  was 
closed  in  3  weeks.  On  November  4, 1906,  the  river 
resentfully  returned  to  its  proper  channel.  But  it 
continued  to  probe  for  weak  spots  in  its  west  bank. 
A  month  later,  it  found  one  in  an  earth  levee.  In 
flood-swollen  defiance,  approaching  100,000  cubic 
feet  per  second,  the  river  once  more  threatened 
the  Valley.  This  time  hope  grew  dim.  The  rail- 
road was  ready  to  give  up  the  battle  of  the  delta. 
It  became  necessary  to  concentrate  effort  on  a  sixth 
and  final  move  of  trackage  out  of  Salton  Sea. 

Stop  the  River 

Mr.  Harriman  made  a  personal  inspection  and 
issued  the  fateful  order:  "Stop  the  river  at  all 
cost." 

Rock  trains  rolled  nearly  500  miles  into  Colorado 
and  New  Mexico.  They  were  given  right-of-way 
over  all  trains  on  1,200  miles  of  Southern  Pacific 
main  lines.  Two  parallel  trestles  were  built  across 
the  break.  The  first  one  reached  across  after  three 
washouts.  One  thousand  loaded  rock  cars  were 
ready  at  the  site  to  dump  continuously.  Men 
swarmed  over  flat-car  loads  of  rock,  like  ants,  to 
crow-bar  them  over  the  side.  Pot  shots  of  dyna- 
mite reduced  boulders  to  manageable  size. 

Trains  of  "battleship"  side-dump  cars  deposited 
finer  material  to  seal  the  rock  dam.  After  15  days 
and  nights  and  80,000  cubic  yards  of  rock,  the  river 
was  finally  subdued.  Then,  9  more  miles  of  rock 
rip-rap  were  needed  to  reinforce  unreliable  earth 
levees. 

Imperial  Irrigation  District  was  organized  in 
1911.  It  acquired  water  works  of  the  former  de- 
velopment company  from  Southern  Pacific  in  1916. 

When  Hoover  Dam  was  completed  by  the  Bu- 
reau of  Reclamation  in  1935,  the  desert-drowning 
cycle  of  the  mighty  Colorado  River  was  finally 
controlled. 

#  #  # 


12 


The  Reclamation  Era 


/TRACED  with  the  problem  of  an  invasion  of 
-*■  noxious  weeds  in  an  area  too  rough  for 
trucks  and  too  near  newly  developed  farms  on 
the  Columbia  Basin  Project  for  conventional  air- 
plane spraying,  Del  Suggs,  the  Project's  Manage- 
ment Agronomist,  came  up  with  a  novel  and 
efficient  solution. 

Through  the  use  of  a  specially  designed  spread- 
er attached  to  saddle  tanks  on  a  standard  Hiller 
12E  helicopter,  about  8  tons  of  the  herbicide 
Borate-TBA  were  applied  in  6  hours  last  June  to 
some  80  acres  of  weed  infested  land  adjacent  to 
the  project  farms. 

Excellent  Kill 

Early  fall  examination  of  the  area  revealed  an 
excellent  kill  of  weeds  on  moist  soil  where  the  new 
granular  herbicide  had  been  absorbed  into  the  soil. 
Granules  were  still  present  on  dry  soil  but  winter 
rains  are  expected  to  carry  the  chemical  into  the 
ground. 

"These  steep  walled  valleys,  or  coulees,  provide 
a  seeding  ground  for  such  noxious  weeds  as  morn- 
ing glory,  Canada  thistle,  Russian  knapweed,  and 
other  weed  pests,"  Suggs  said. 


Timing  Application 

Suggs  also  pointed  out  that  the  timing  of  the 
application  of  chemicals  used  to  be  of  prime  im- 
portance because  many  herbicides  deteriorate 
when  exposed  to  direct  sunlight  before  they  can 
be  absorbed  into  the  soil  and  do  their  job  on  the 
weeds'  roots.  However,  the  new  granular  herbi- 
cides, such  as  Borate-TBA,  are  not  sensitive  to 
sunlight.  This  makes  these  chemicals  particu- 
larly suited  to  aerial  application,  which  is  better 
done  in  fair  than  foul  weather. 

As  more  and  more  land  comes  under  irrigation 
and  more  diversified  crops  are  grown,  the  problem 
of  weed  control  on  noncroplands  adjacent  to  hor- 
mone sensitive  crops  become  more  complex.  Al- 
though hormone  weed  control  sprays  are  now  used 
effectively  by  ground  crews,  rough  terrain  makes 
this  a  time  consuming  and  sometimes  impossible 
chore. 

Also  the  problem  of  drift  has  virtually  elimi- 
nated aircraft  application  of  chemical  weed  killers 
near  sensitive  crops.  All  of  which  adds  up  to  the 
fact  that  the  whirlybird  with  a  payload  of  gran- 
ular herbicide  may  become  a  familiar  sight  in 
project  skies  in  the  future.  #     #     # 


February  1963 


13 


In  honor  of  the  25th  Anniversary  of  au- 
thorization of  the  Colorado-Big  Thompson 
Project,  which  was  celebrated  last  De- 
cember, the  Reclamation  Era  is  publish- 
ing  Mr.    Price's    interesting   article. 
The  project  was  found  feasible  by 
the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  on 
December  20,  1937,  and  it  was 
approved  by  the  President  on 
the    following   day,    Decem- 
ber 21. 


A  Colorado  farm. 


100  YEARS  0 


Below:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lloyd  Dickens  of  Longr 
was  built  more  than  100  years  ago. 


lATTLE  FEEDING 


by  WILLIAM  A.  PRICE,  Chief, 

Land  Use  and  Development  Branch, 
Irrigation   Division, 
Denver,   Colorado 


ijon  project  area. 

I 

ittand  in  front  of  their  home  which 
in  irrigation  and  raising  cattle. 


SOMEONE  has  said  that  half  the  world's  population  goes  to 
bed  hungry  every  night.  It  could  be  a  complicated  job,  un- 
doubtedly, feeding  all  the  people  in  the  world.  But  a  lot  of 
good  beef  is  produced  in  northeastern  Colorado  that  helps  to  fill  the 
stomachs  of  part  of  the  world's  population. 

Irrigation  on  tlie  Bureau's  Colorado-Big  Thompson  project  has 
helped  make  this  area  a  well-known  producer  of  most  forage  products 
needed  for  raising  high  quality  beef. 

In  1962,  approximately  700  million  pounds  of  market  beef  were 
sold  from  the  Colorado-Big  Thompson  project  area,  with  intensive 
feeding  accounting  for  245  million  pounds  of  grain. 

In  1961,  more  than  700,000  beef  animals  were  fattened  for  market 
in  the  area  comprising  the  Northern  Colorado  Water  Conservancy 
District.  This  District  has  contracted  with  the  Bureau  of  Eeclama- 
tion  to  repay  part  of  the  construction  costs  of  the  project  and  receives 
supplemental  irregation  water  supplies  from  the  Colorado-Big 
Thompson  project  facilities. 

The  average  gain  placed  on  these  animals  while  in  the  feed  lots 
was  about  350  pounds  per  animal.  Thus,  due  to  feeding  facilities  in 
this  project  area,  an  additional  245  million  pounds  of  live,  finished 
beef  were  produced  for  market  from  the  700,000  cattle  fed. 

Feeding  operations  in  northern  Colorado  have  changed  in  the 
past  15  years.  Small  feeders  have  become  fewer  and  they  each 
fatten  about  50  head  of  beef  for  market  each  year.  Large  commer- 
cial feed  lots  feeding  the  year  around  have  entered  the  picture. 

At  least  one  commercial  feeder  prepares  about  100,000  head  for 
market  each  year;  several  others  market  from  20,000  to  35,000  head 
annually. 

Pioneer  Dickens 

More  than  100  years  ago,  a  hardy  pioneer,  W.  H.  Dickens,  began 
diverting  water  from  the  St.  Vrain  Eiver  and  producing  feed  crops 
and  livestock.  He  watered  a  homestead  which  he  had  staked  out  in 
the  St.  Vrain  Valley  near  Longmont,  Colo. 

That  was  in  1859,  and  was  the  start  of  the  Dickens  feeding  busi- 
ness. Then  in  1862,  a  water  right  was  issued  to  the  W.  H.  Dickens 
irrigation  company,  the  Beckwith  and  Niwot  Ditches. 

15 


Thris  irrigated  Dickens  farm  is  now  run  by  the 
original  owner's  grandson,  Lloyd  Dickens,  and  it 
is  typical  of  the  farmer-operated  feeding  business. 

In  1962,  Lloyd  Dickens  fed  about  1,000  head 
of  cattle  for  market  on  this  440-acre  farm,  of 
which  370  acres  are  still  irrigated  with  water  from 
the  St.  Vrain  River. 

In  the  1950's,  Lloyd's  condition  was  different. 
He  discovered  that  his  farm  was  too  small  to  give 
a  worthwhile  return  on  the  huge  investment  re- 
quired in  land,  livestock,  and  equipment.  Also, 
he  decided  not  to  purchase  additional  land,  but 
to  intensify  his  operations  by  increasing  the  num- 
ber of  cattle  fed  each  year.  This  started  his  suc- 
cessful feed  lot  business. 

( Contimted  on  poffe  25 ) 


i"r^5SK 


^?5f^ 


Irrigated  pastures  and  grain  fields  are 
produced.  Below.  Frank  Neville  with 
his  Angus  bulls. 


ruwci   iiuiil... 


a  spare  b 


This  mobile  substation  was  put 
to  use  in  the  enclosure  of  the 
Whately  Substation,  Fort  Peck,  Mont. 


To  bring  the  magic  of  electricity  to  people  in 
the  Great  Plains  is  a  responsible  job,  and  mobile 
power  imits  have  proven  to  be  the  answer  in  the 
rare  but  inevitable  emergencies. 

At  4 :40  o'clock  one  morning  in  1960,  South  Da- 
kota's capital  city  of  Pierre,  the  nearby  town  of 
Fort  Pierre,  and  farmers  in  those  parts,  suddenly 
were  without  electricity.  The  main  power  trans- 
fformer  had  gone  out  at  the  Pierre  Substation. 

The  people  ate  cold  meals,  dairymen  milked 
[their  cows  by  hand  instead  of  with  machines,  and 
[hundreds  of  schedules  and  customary  services  had 
[to  be  changed  until  power  could  be  returned. 

A  mobile  "spare  on  wheels"  power  unit  was  im- 
I  mediately  summoned  for  this  emergency  to  the 
people  in  the  center  of  the  State. 

Investigations  proved  that  a  power  transformer 
at  the  Pierre  Substation  was  seriously  crippled 
and  possibly  would  be  weeks  or  months  being  re- 
paired. Remaining  power  from  the  substation 
was  capable  only  of  supplying  service  to  part  of 
the  city  of  Pierre,  a  small  emergency  connection 
to  Fort  Pierre's  water  pumps,  and  a  few  priority 
loads.  Both  cities  experienced  a  lack  of  police 
and  fire  warning  call  systems,  and  hospitals  were 

February  1963 


on  their  own  emergency  power  facilities. 

Rural  consumers  went  on  rotation  schedules  of 
alternating  power  service  from  one  section  of 
farmers  to  another. 

The  emergency  unit  needed  for  this  critical  sit- 
uation affecting  more  than  12,000  people,  was  the 
large  three-phase  mobile  substation  which  was 
stored  in  readiness  at  Watertown  near  the  Min- 
nesota State  line.  The  Bureau  immediately 
brought  the  unit  and  set  it  up  by  the  Pierre  Sub- 
station. It  was  soon  operating  and  supplied  all 
requirements  of  the  two  cities,  as  well  as  the  Oahe 
Electric  Cooperative,  thereby  avoiding  a  pro- 
longed emergency  for  the  residents. 

Willing  Service 

Although  the  vast  Great  Plains  territory  is  dot- 
ted with  towns,  farms,  factories,  and  its  share  of 
large  cities,  every  effort  is  made  to  achieve  100 
percent  continuity  of  electrical  service.  And,  in 
spite  of  a  rigid  inspection  program  and  advance 
precautions,  outages  similar  to  the  one  in  central 
South  Dakota  occur. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  has  constructed 
about  4,700  miles  of  transmission  line  that  inter- 


17 


connects  with  89  major  load  centers  in  the  eastern 
division  of  the  Missouri  River  Basin  power  sys- 
tem. This  is  part  of  a  tremendous  network  of 
generating  and  transmission  facilities  now  serving 
nearly  164  wholesale  preference  customer  organi- 
zations such  as  rural  electric  cooperatives  and 
municipalities  who  in  turn,  through  their  facili- 
ties, bring  electricity  to  the  people. 

Interruptions  of  regular  power  service  are  at- 
tributed to  mechanical  malfunctions,  and  general 
emergencies  such  as  floods,  fire,  storms,  and  other 
disasters.  When  a  permanent  power  substation 
goes  out,  no  matter  how  isolated  its  location,  the 
objective  is  to  restore  it  as  fast  and  economically 
as  possible. 

What  They  Do 

In  the  MRB  eastern  division,  are  six  mobile 
units.  This  emergency  fleet  is  permanently 
mounted  on  individual  semitrailers.  Although 
they  are  very  heavy,  they  usually  travel  on  their 
own  rubber  tires,  but  sometimes  they  are  pulled 
for  part  of  their  trip  on  railroad  flat  cars. 

The  Bureau  has  two  kinds  of  mobile  power  units. 
One,  the  substation,  is  a  completely  self-contained 
unit  consisting  of  a  transformer  and  its  associated 
facilities.  When  failure  occurs  at  a  smaller  instal- 
lation, a  complete  mobile  substation  is  generally 
used  to  plug  the  gap. 

The  other,  a  mobile  transformer,  is  a  heavier 
piece  of  equipment  and  is  designed  in  most  cases 
to  deliver  higher  kva.  output.  For  maximum 
benefit,  they  must  be  large  enough  to  provide  ca- 
pacity voltages  at  major  permanent  substations. 

Mobile  power  units  have  proven  to  be  valuable 
power  equipment  not  only  in  emergency  use,  but  in 
problems  of  equipment  change  or  repair. 

Critical  Situations 

A  2,000-kva.  mobile  transformer  which  is 
stored  at  Jamestown  Substation  in  North  Dakota, 
was  taken  to  the  substation  at  Rolla  in  July  1962, 
to  take  over  where  a  permanent  1,500-kva.  trans- 
former had  failed  leaving  a  rural  electric  organi- 
zation without  power.  In  this  case,  no  alternate 
source  was  available  and  a  long  outage  of  elec- 
tricity would  have  caused  hardship  for  Bureau 
preference  customers  and  their  individual  con- 
sumers. 

At  the  time  of  this  writing,  the  Bureau  trans- 
former is  still  providing  complete  power  service 


at  Rolla  and  is  intended  to  continue  until  the 
damaged  transformer  is  replaced. 

Recently,  the  115-kv.,  5,000-kva.  mobile  sub- 
station was  used  for  6  weeks  to  supply  power  to 
the  Oahe  Electric  Cooperative  while  the  main  pow- 
er transformers  were  moved  from  the  temporary 
substation  to  the  Oahe  Powerplant  switchyard. 
The  mobile  unit  in  this  case  saved  the  expense  of 
constructing  temporary  facilities  to  serve  the  load 
while  the  change  was  being  made. 

Lishtning  Damage 

At  Woonsocket  substation  in  southeastern  South 
Dakota,  an  emergency  occurred  when  an  apparent 
severe  lightning  discharge  damaged  an  air  break 
switch  belonging  to  the  East  River  Electric  Coop- 
erative and  severe  damage  to  the  Bureau's  trans- 
former, circuit  breaker  and  other  substation 
equipment.  Thousands  of  rural  customers  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  State  who  were  being  served 
by  the  34.5-kv.  line  were  without  power. 

Through  a  good  neighbor  practice  from  Central 
Electric  and  Gas  Co.,  and  Northwest  Public  Serv- 
ice Co.,  some  temporary  emergency  assistance  was 
given  to  East  River. 

At  the  outset  of  East  River's  trouble,  the  Bu- 
reau's three  5,000-kva.  mobile  transformers  were 
dispatched  to  the  scene  and  immediately  installed. 

A  5,000  kva.  mobile  substation  in  operation  in  South  Dakota. 


18 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Three  mobile  transformers  in  action  at  Grand  Forlcs,  N.  Dak. 


These  units  filled  in  for  8  months  supplying  a  full 
service  to  all  Woonsocket  customers  while  repaii-s 
were  made  at  the  factory  on  the  damaged  perma- 
nent equipment. 

Unit  Explodes 

An  explosion  and  fire  severely  damaged  a  50,000- 
kva.  transformer  at  the  Grand  Forks  Substation, 
in  North  Dakota.  Again  the  three  5,000-kva.  mo- 
bile transformers  restored  power  service  in  a  short 
time.  They  remained  in  service  for  11  months 
while  the  damaged  transformer  was  sent  away  for 
factory  repairs. 

When  none  of  the  power  spares  are  available  in 
MKB  it  is  necessary  to  go  elsewhere  to  fill  a  gap 
left  by  an  inoperative  transformer.  This  hap- 
pened at  the  Forman  Substation  in  North  Dakota 
and  a  62,000-pound  mobile  spare  was  transported 
in  from  the  Central  Valley  Project  in  California. 
Two  flat  cars  were  used  for  its  rail  shipment  to  the 
North  Dakota  location  and  a  carload  of  timbers 
were  laid  on  the  gi'ound  and  used  as  an  unloading 
dock. 

Because  of  recent  load  increases,  larger  trans- 
formers for  many  Bureau  substations  will  be  re- 
quired during  the  next  few  years. 


Three  More 

In  keeping  abreast  with  the  growing  and  chang- 
ing system,  the  Bureau  is  now  purchasing  three 
additional  mobile  units.  Two  of  the  units  will  be 
identical  10,000-kva.  three-phase  with  a  primary 
voltage  of  115-kv.,  a  secondary  voltage  of  69-kv. 
and  a  tertiary  voltage  of  13.2-kv. 

A  third  unit  will  be  a  33,333-kva.,  single-phase 
auto  transformer  with  a  primary  voltage  of  230- 
kv.,  a  secondary  voltage  of  115-kv.,  and  a  tertiary 
voltage  of  12.47-kv. 

Just  a  few  years  ago,  the  mobile  substation  used 
at  Forman,  had  a  capacity  of  5,000-kva.  and 
weighed  62,000  pounds.  The  new  33,000-kva. 
spare  to  be  put  in  service  has  six  times  the  capacity 
of  the  Forman  unit  yet  weighs  only  75,000  pounds. 

When  the  three  new  mobiles  are  available  for 
use  along  with  the  present  complement  of  six  units, 
high  economy  in  maintenance  will  be  realized,  sys- 
tem investment  in  spare  transformer  capacity  will 
be  kept  to  a  minimum,  greater  safety  to  personnel 
can  be  provided  and  customer  outage  time  can  be 
kept  to  a  lower  minimum. 

These  nine  units  will  continue  to  provide  the 
efficient  good  neighbor  service  that  has  enhanced 
customer  confidence  and  satisfaction  in  Reclama- 
tion's power  spares  on  wheels.  #  #  # 


February  1963 


19 


Southwest 

Hew 


by  HARVEY  A.  BRASHEARS, 
Bureau  Engineer,  Head, 
Project  Design  Section, 
McCook,  Nebraska 


NOT  MANY  years  ago,  even  in  southwest 
Nebraska's  warmer  months,  there  was  very 
little  fishing  by  outdoor  sportsmen  in  that 
area.  Now,  however,  there  are  many  anglers, 
and  anxiously,  they  try  their  luck  in  spring, 
summer,  fall,  and  even  in  the  dead  of  winter. 
As  early  as  March  1,  1955,  when  Swanson  Lake 
first  opened  for  fishing,  a  few  hardy  souls  fished 
through  the  frozen  covering,  and  from  boats  when 
the  weather  warmed.  Apparently,  a  "good  word" 
is  spreading,  because  each  year  more  fishermen 
drop  hooks  beneath  Swanson  ice  as  well  as  in  two 
other  Bureau  of  Reclamation  bodies  of  water  in 
the  area.  They  are  Enders  Reservoir  and  Harry 
Strunk  Lake. 


Swanson  Lake  was  probably  the  area's  pioneer 
for  ice  fishing.  It  is  behind  Trenton  Dam  and  is 
located  on  Highway  34,  3  miles  west  of  the  Tren- 
ton, Nebr.,  city  limits.  Some  of  its  winter  weath- 
er has  been  unfavorable  for  ice  fishing,  but  when 
the  ice  is  right,  it  produces  its  share  of  satisfac- 
tion for  anglers.  Although  the  wind  sometimes 
gets  chilly,  it  is  not  unusual  to  see  75  to  100  ice 
fishermen  pitting  their  prowess  against  finny  citi- 
zens in  the  icy  waters. 

Game  Fish  Added 

Management  of  the  fishing  potential  of  Swan- 
son Lake  is  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Nebras- 


Leon  Schroeder  of  Levant, 
Kans.,  trying  his  luck  at  Swan- 
son Lake  just  below  Trenton 
Dam. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


Nebraska's 

winter  sport 


Have  you  tried  ICE  FISHING  on  a  frozen  lake? 
Nebraska  fishermen  have. 


Albert  Williamson  of  Stratton,  Nebr.,  figures 
his  luck  will  be  just  as  good  as  the  others. 


ka  Game,  Forestation  and  Parks  Commission. 
They  make  periodic  stockings  of  walleye,  black 
bass,  northern  pike,  yellow  perch,  and  other 
species. 

No  special  license  other  than  a  regular  fishing 
permit  is  required  and  limits  and  regulations  gov- 
erning ice  fishing  are  the  same  as  for  open  water 
fishing  with  one  exception.  The  ice  fisherman 
can  legally  use  as  many  as  15  hooks,  with  no  more 
than  5  on  a  line  while  fishing  any  body  of  water 
or  stream.  The  summer  fisherman  can  use  only 
two  lines  with  two  hooks  on  each  line,  when  fish- 
ing lakes,  ponds,  and  reservoirs. 

Legal  daily  limits  for  these  species  are  6  wall- 
eye, 50  crappie,  10  black  bass,  6  northern  pike,  7 
trout,  50  bullheads,  with  no  limit  on  perch  or  carp. 

Gear  and  Bait 

Equipment  needed  by  tlie  cold  weather  crafts- 
men are  relatively  few.  An  ice  chisel  (spud),  or 
an  ice  auger  if  the  fisherman  wants  to  really  go 
first  class;  a  skimmer,  or  rubber  gloves  to  dip  ice 
out  of  the  holes;  tipups  (an  apparatus  with  a  sig- 
nal which  is  triggered  when  a  fish  bites) ;  jig 
sticks  (short  cane  poles),  or  any  kind  of  rod  and 
reel ;  hooks ;  bobbers ;  a  heavy  line  and  bait  of  the 
anglers  are  the  usual  line  of  items. 

Many  kinds  of  bait  are  used,  such  as  minnows, 
worms,  jigs  or  ice  flies,  strips  of  fat  meat,  plugs 
and  spinners.     Strange  as  it  may  seem,  fish  eyes 

February  1963 


from  a  freshly  caught  fish  are  often  real  fish- 
getters,  especially  when  fishing  for  yellow  perch. 
Of  course,  the  angler  must  first  catch  one  before 
the  fish  eyes  are  available  for  bait. 

The  ice  cover  at  Swanson  Lake  is  thick  enough 
to  hold  fishermen  during  about  60  days  of  a  nor- 
mal winter.  So  they  watch  the  cycles  of  freezing 
and  thawing  as  well  as  the  days  when  the  tempera- 
ture ranges  from  zero  to  30  degrees  above.  The 
ice  must  be  hard  and  thick  enough  for  anglers  to 
cross  it.  Most  Swanson  fishing  is  done  in  water 
that  is  25-40  feet  deep. 

They  Are  Hungry 

It  is  hardly  a  secret  with  these  hardy  outdoors- 
men  anymore,  that  they  best  put  in  their  3  or  4 
hours  in  the  early  to  mid-morning  periods.  The 
fish  are  almost  as  hungry  as  in  the  spring,  summer, 
or  fall,  but  they  are  not  quite  as  active  in  search- 
ing for  food.  The  main  thing  for  the  fellow  who 
wants  to  try  his  skill  for  the  first  time,  is  watch 
old  man  weather  and  be  ready. 

There  have  been  a  couple  of  winters  of  unstable 
weather  resulting  in  unsafe  ice  on  Swanson.  Then, 
of  course,  they  take  their  skills  to  the  lakes  further 
north.  But  I  allow  that  they'll  also  keep  their 
eye  on  the  lake  closer  to  home,  and  too,  be  ready 
for  good  weather.     Or  is  it  bad  weather? 

Well,  anyway,  bet  I  haven't  caught  my  last  din- 
ner through  a  hole  in  the  ice  at  Swanson. 

#     #     # 

21 


The  city  of  Lethbridge  is  the  irrigation  capital  of  Alberta, 
Canada,  and  is  located  just  50  miles  north  of  Montana.  Old- 
man  River  shown  near  top.     Story  on  next  page. 


22 


The  Reclamation  Era 


IRRIGATION    PAYS 

on  Canadian  Prairies 


Editor's  note:  Last  summer  a  group  of  Rec- 
lamation specialists  was  assigned  to  study 
drainage  characteristics  of  soils  deposited 
hy  glacial  action  in  the  Province  of  Al- 
herta^  Canada.  Incident  to  this  assign- 
ment^ they  saw  the  interesting  irrigation 
developments  in  southern  Alberta.  Two 
members  of  the  unit  prepared  this  illu/mi- 
nating  article  oibout  a  successful  irrigation 
system,  that  w  similair  to  our  ovm,  yet  dif- 
ferent in  some  important  aspects. 


by    J.    KARL    LEE,    Chief,    Economics    Branch,    Division    of    Project 
Development,  and 

MAURICE  N.  LANGLEY,  Assistant  Chief,  Division  of  Irrigation  and 
Land  Use,  Bureau  of  Reclamation 


Jk  LBERTA  has  a  million-acre  irrigated 
yU  "green  belt"  stretching  across  the 
^^  ^  southern  part  of  the  Province  which  is 
the  backbone  of  prairie  agriculture.  This  belt 
provides  diversification  of  agricultural  produc- 
tion and  contributes  to  the  stability  of  both  the 
farm  and  nonfarm  income  for  this  Canadian 
Province  located  at  the  northern  border  of 
Montana. 

The  city  of  Lethbridge  is  the  irrigation  capital 
of  this  productive  area,  and  it  has  a  population 
of  36,000  people.  Lethbridge  is  the  supply  center 
for  the  irrigated  belt  and  is  located  about  50  miles 
north  of  the  U.S.  border. 

Early  irrigation  development  in  Alberta  was 
promoted  by  railroad  companies.  Progress  in 
recent  years,  however,  involves  cooperation  of 
Federal  and  Provincial  Governments,  as  well  as 
the  individual  settler. 

Irrigation  is  being  carried  out  imder  the  pro- 
visions of  Provincial  Legislation  as  the  Water 
Riglits  are  vested  in  the  Province.  Alberta  deter- 
mines the  conditions  under  which  water  shall  be 
used,  and  grants  permission  for  its  use. 

Initially,  water  was  used  by  direct  diversion  of 
natural  streamflow.  However,  it  became  obvious 
that  streams,  particularly  in  dry  cycles,  were  in- 
adequate ;  and,  consequently,  Canadians  turned  to 
storage. 


The  Federal  Government  constructs  water  sup- 
ply facilities,  and  the  Province  constructs  laterals, 
supervises  the  selection  of  settlers,  and  develops 
project  lands.  Individual  settlers  are  responsible 
for  development  of  the  farm  unit,  although  credit 
and  technical  assistance  are  made  available  by  the 
Province. 

Settlers  are  selected  carefully  and  are  required 
to  pay,  over  a  10-year  period  at  3^2  percent  inter- 
est, only  $10  per  acre  for  a  water  right.  Construc- 
tion costs  in  excess  of  the  $10  per  acre  are 
nonreimbursable  and,  in  effect,  are  paid  by  the  tax- 
paying  public.  A  settler  must  also  pay  a  nominal 
cost  for  the  land.  Where  public  lands  are  in- 
volved, he  may  pay  over  a  relatively  long  period 
of  time  at  low  interest  rates. 

Acting  through  a  special  corporation,  the  Pro- 
vince operates  and  maintains  the  project  facilities. 
For  most  projects,  the  annual  operating  costs  rim 
in  the  neighborhood  of  $2.00  to  $2.50  per  acre. 
The  payment  entitles  the  settler  to  a  base  allot- 
ment of  approximately  18  acre-inches  per  acre. 

Projects  supplied  with  water  from  Federal  Gov- 
ernment works  pay  a  water  service  fee  of  25  cents 
per  acre-foot  to  cover  operating  costs  of  the  supply 
works.  The  water  user  is  in  turn  assessed  the  full 
fee  to  cover  all  operating  costs  of  both  the  supply 
works  and  distribution  system.  When  available, 
additional  water  is  secured  by  payment  of  the  fee 


February  1963 


23 


■•^''v.»"--.t^' 


y**^ 


Irrigating  beans  by  spray  near  Cooidale,  Alberta. 


for  acreages  irrigated  in  excess  of  the  classified 
irrigable  acreage. 

Basic  water  allotments  are  substantially  less 
than  the  amount  normally  used  in  the  United 
States,  probably  resulting  from  a  somewhat  short- 
er growing  season,  lower  average  summer  tem- 
peratures, and  more  effective  precipitation. 

The  most  intensively  irrigated  area  in  Alberta 
is  at  Taber,  about  30  miles  east  of  Lethbridge.  In 
this  area,  quantities  of  sugar  beets,  potatoes,  dry 
field  peas,  dry  beans,  and  various  kinds  of  produce 
are  grown  for  the  fresh  market  and  for  canning 
and  freezing. 

Taber  Industries 

Taber  also  has  a  sugar-beet  factory,  several 
vegetable  processing  plants,  and  extensive  live- 
stock feeding  enterprises.  These  feeding  opera- 
tions utilize  alfalfa  hay,  small  grains,  and  corn 
silage  in  addition  to  byproducts  from  the  sugar 
beet  and  vegetable  industries.  Sugar-beet  produc- 
tion in  the  vicinity  of  Taber  averages  about  14 
tons  per  acre. 

Typical  crop  yields  per  acre  in  the  Lethbridge- 
Taber  area  are:  oats — 70  bushels,  barley — 50 
bushels,  spring  wheat — i5  bushels,  soft  wheat — 60 
bushels,  seed  peas — 1,800  pounds,  and  alfalfa 
hay — 2.5  to  4  tons.  The  potential  yields  as  pro- 
duced by  near  optimum  management  are  from  20 
to  50  percent  greater. 

The  average  annual  precipitation  at  the  city  of 
Lethbridge  is  about  16  inches,  of  which  about  12 
inches  occur  during  the  growing  season.  Even 
though  the  growing  season  is  shorter,  the  irrigated 
lands  are  adapted  to  a  wide  variety  of  crops. 

24 


Crop  production  is  successful  because  the  more 
northern  latitude  causes  the  sun  to  shine  longer 
each  day ;  and  this,  combined  with  the  elevation  of 
around  3,000  feet,  results  in  moderate  tempera- 
tures. 

Alberta  farmers  are  encountering  the  same  prob- 
lems in  irrigation  as  those  in  the  United  States. 
Most  serious  of  these  are  seepage  from  canals  and 
drainage  problems.  However,  Canada  has  an  ex- 
tensive research  program  aimed  at  controlling 
seepage  and  reclaiming  alkali  and  seeped  lands. 

Many  land  and  water  resources  remain  to  be 
developed  in  the  Province,  and  Canadian  special- 
ists are  busily  engaged  in  doing  something  about  it. 
Currently  under  construction,  for  instance,  is  the 
Waterton  River  Dam,  which  will  provide  water 
for  150,000  acres  of  land. 

In  the  United  States,  typical  irrigation  cities 
are  often  pointed  to  with  pride.  In  Alberta,  the 
city  of  Lethbridge  is  an  example  of  the  fruits  of 
irrigation.  Canadians  have  every  reason  to  be 
proud  of  their  accomplishments  and  of  the  pros- 
pering prairie  communities  that  have  sprung  up 
in  their  "green  belt."  #  #  # 

St.  Mary's  Dam  southwest  of  Lethbridge. 


{Continued  from  page  16^  "100  Years  of  Cattle 
Feeding.") 

Lloyd  Dickens  finds,  like  his  grandfather  did, 
that  there  are  many  risks  involved  before  a  profit 
is  made  in  feeding  cattle.  And  that  good  manage- 
ment is  essential. 

Lloyd's  records  show  that  his  operation  is  sim- 
ilar to  other  records  made  in  the  area.^  Total 
production  costs  for  marketing  cattle  at  a  1,000- 
pound  weight  in  1962,  averaged  $228.10  per  head. 
This  included  the  cost  of  the  cattle,  feed,  interest 
on  borrowed  money,  and  all  other  costs  associated 
with  this  enterprise  except  a  labor  return  to  the 
owner. 

Purchased  cattle  weighed  about  650  pounds, 
were  fed  to  a  market  weight  of  about  1,000  pounds, 
and  sold  for  an  average  of  25  cents  per  pound,  or 
$250  per  head.  Last  year  the  farmers  in  the  area 
invested  more  than  $159  million  in  700,000  head 
of  feeder  cattle,  and  they  sold  for  a  total  of  ap- 
proximately $175  million. 

Other  Project  Benefits 

With  some  imagination,  one  can  visualize  the 
economic  benefits  of  this  production.  For  in- 
stance, interest  charges  on  borrowed  capital  from 
banks  to  feed  the  cattle  averaged  a  total  of  $3,- 
570,000.  Other  benefits  are  reflected  in  sales  of 
farm  equipment  and  services. 

In  1961,  the  720,000  acres  of  land  irrigated  by 
the  Colorado-Big  Thompson  area  produced  feed 
crops  valued  (before  feeding)  at  almost  $20  mil- 
lion. Nearly  all  of  these  crops  went  into  live- 
stock feeding. 

Outside  purchases  were  made  of  shelled  com, 
milo,  concentrates,  maise,  minerals,  and  salt.  An 
additional  $7  million  was  added  to  the  Colorado- 
Big  Thompson  feed-crop  production  value  by 
marketing  it  in  the  form  of  livestock. 

Lloyd  Dickens  finds  it  is  necessary  to  purchase 
about  one-half  of  his  shelled  com  needs,  or  feed 
of  equivalent  value.  Most  of  these  feeds  from 
different  areas  also  are  grown  on  irrigated  lands 
in  other  parts  of  Colorado,  Nebraska,  Kansas,  and 
Texas. 

The  Dickens  farm  and  its  neighbors  in  the  Colo- 
rado-Big Thompson  project  area,  have  been  able 
to  make  significant  development  due  to  a  contin- 
uous water  supply.  They,  in  turn,  have  benefitted 
themselves,  other  farmers,  and  many  fellow  citi- 
zens who  go  to  market  and  buy  nourishing  beef 
for  their  dinner  tables.  #     #     # 


^  "Surveys  Show  West's  Ranches  Require  Heavy  Investments," 
}NB%iBtn  Farm  Life,  1962,  and  "Commercial  Feed  Lot  Economic 
Impact  Study,"  prepared  by  Reclamation  employees  in  1960. 


TOUR  of  SOVIET  DAMS 

{Continued  from  page  4-) 

The  captions  which  follow  apply  to  the 
pictures  on  this  page  which  were  photographed 
by  members  of  Secretary  Udall's  delegation. 

Below — Switches  of  500  kv.  disconnect  type. 

Bottom  left— This  225,000  kw.  hydroelectric 
generator  rotor  is  being  installed  at  Bratsk  Dam. 

Top  right — This  is  a  500  kv.  airblast  circuit 
breaker. 

Center  right — Familiar  window  display  was 
seen  in  a  Moscow  department  store. 

Bottom  right — A  Russian  hydrofoil  boat  which 
lifts  off  the  water  with  wings  w^hen  traveling,  is 
shown  on  Lake  Baikal  in  Siberia.  #  #  # 


26 


With  The  Water  Users 

Stanley  A.  Matzke,  Assistant  to  the  General 
Manager  of  the  Central  Nebraska  Public  Power 
and  Irrigation  District  since  November  1953, 
(right),  and  D.  E.  Hutchinson,  Nebraska  State 
Soil  Conservationist  (left),  were  recipients  of  a 
Distinguished  Service  Award  from  the  Nebraska 
Soil  and  Water  Conservation  District  Association 
at  their  annual  convention  held  in  October.  The 
awards  are  made  in  "recognition  of  outstanding 
service  to  the  citizens  of  Nebraska  through  out- 
standing support  and  generous  contribution  to  the 
soil  and  water  conservation  district  program." 

In  his  career  of  conservation,  Mr.  Matzke  has 
received  many  honors.  He  is  credited  with  many 
published  writings,  one  of  which  is  an  article  in  the 
May  1956  Reclamation  Era^  entitled  "Ample 
Water  Everywhere  But  Never  Too  Much  Any- 
where." *    *    * 


H.  P.  Dugan  Appointed  New  Durector  for  Region 

Seven 

H.  P.  (PAT)  DUGAN,  formerly  Regional  Director  of  the  Bureau's 
Region  Two  in  Sacramento,  Calif.,  and  former  long-time  Denver, 
Colo.,  resident,  was  recently  appointed  Director  of  Region  Seven 
with  headquarters  at  Denver.  Mr.  Dugan,  a  career  employee 
with  25  years  of  Federal  Government  service,  succeeds  John  N. 
Spencer,  who  retired  recently  at  Denver. 

A  native  of  Louisville,  Colo.,  Mr.  Dugan  obtained  his  B.S. 
degree  in  civil  and  irrigation  engineering  from  Colorado  State 
University  and  was  Assistant  Chief  Development  Engineer  at 
Denver  before  moving  to  Sacramento  in  1959. 

Mr.  Dugan  will  be  the  top  field  administrator  for  all  Reclama- 
tion work  on  the  Platte  River  and  Arkansas  River  basins  in  Col- 
orado, Kansas,  Nebraska,  and  Wyoming,  and  for  the  $170  million 
Fryingpan- Arkansas  Project  in  Colorado  which  President  Ken- 
nedy visited  August  17,  1962.  Mr.  Dugan  has  demonstrated  out- 
standing leadership  in  continued  development  of  the  great  Central 
Valley  Project  in  California  and  in  his  previous  assignments  dur- 
ing a  quarter  of  a  century  with  the  Department  of  the  Interior. 

Mr.  Dugan,  who  is  48  years  old,  joined  Interior's  Bureau  of  Reclamation  in  1936  and  had  field 
assignments  in  Colorado,  Wyoming,  Oregon,  and  Arizona.  In  the  Bureau's  Denver  office,  he  was 
head  of  the  Water  Resources  and  Utilization  Section  in  the  Hydrology  Branch,  and  head  of  the  River 
Regulation  Section  before  his  5-year  assignment  as  Assistant  Chief  Development  Engineer. 

During  World  War  II,  he  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Civil  Engineers  Corps  of  the  Navy.  He  is  a 
registered  professional  engineer  in  the  States  of  Colorado  and  California. 

Mr.  Dugan  is  married  to  the  former  Alice  Louise  Pennock  of  Fort  Collins,  Colo.  Their  daughter 
Michele  is  a  freshman  at  Colorado  State  University  at  Fort  Collins.    ^    ^    ^ 


February  1963 


27 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Specifica- 
tion No. 


DS-5801... 


DC-5814... 
DS-5825... 
DC-5826... 
D8-5827... 
DS-5828-.. 


Project 


Award 
date 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Contractor's  name  and 
address 


DS-5828- 
DS-6829.. 

DS-5831.. 

DC-5832.. 

DC-5833.. 

DS-5835.. 
DC-5836.. 
DC-6841.. 

DC-5842.. 
DS-5843.. 

DC-5845.. 
DS-5847.. 

DC-5848.. 
DC-5850.. 

DS-5851-. 
DS-5854.. 

lOOC-674.. 

200C-508.. 
200C-512.. 


Seedskadee,  Wyo 

Weber  Basin,  Utah 

Central  Valley,  Calif... 
Do 

Colorado  River  Storage, 

Colo. 
Colorado  River  Storage, 

Ariz.-Utah. 

do 


Missouri  River  Basin, 
Mont.-Wyo. 


Colorado  River  Storage, 
Colo. 

Missouri  River   Basin, 
S.  Dak. 

Lower  Rio  Grande  Re- 
habilitation, Texas. 

Missouri  River   Basin, 

Mont.-Wyo. 
Missouri  River   Basin, 

Mont.-N.  Dak. 
The  Dalles,  Oreg 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 

Colorado  River  Storage, 
Ariz.-Utah. 

Colorado  River  Storage, 

Ariz. 
Norman,  Okla 


Lower  Rio  Grande  Re- 
habilitation, Texas. 

Colorado  River  Storage, 
N.  Mex. 


Colorado  River  Storage, 

N.  Mex. 
Colorado  River  Storage, 

N.  Mex. 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Central  Valley,  Calif.... 
Central  Valley,  Calif.. .. 


Oct.  12 

Oct.  5 
Nov.  20 
Oct.  12 
Nov.  15 
Oct.  31 


...do 

Nov.  26 

Oct.  9 

Nov.  20 

Oct.  5 

Oct.  3 
Oct.  11 
Nov.  6 

Nov.  8 
Nov.  27 

Nov.  30 
Nov.  26 

Nov.  28 
Dec.  19 

Dec.  13 
Dec.  19 

Nov.  9 

Oct.  1 
Nov.  8 


One  16,000-hp  hydraulic  turbine  for  Fontenelle  powerplant 


Construction  of  Ogden  VaUey  Diversion  Dam  and  9.3  miles  of 

canal. 
Eight  pump-turbines  for  San  Luis  pumping-generating  plant.. 

Modification  of  existing  secondary  louver  structure  for  fish  col- 
lecting facilities,  Delta-Mendota  intake  canal. 

Two  41,500-hp,  vertical-shaft,  hydraulic  turbines  for  Blue 
Mesa  powerplant. 

Four  generator-voltage  bus  structures,  two  4, 160- volt  station- 
service  bus  structures,  and  three  3,750/4,678-kva  station- 
service  power  transformers  for  Glen  Canyon  powerplant. 
Schedule  1. 

Two  500-kva  induction  voltage  regulators,  eight  14,400-volt 
switchgear  assemblies,  and  twelve  shunt  reactors  for  Glen 
Canyon  powerplant.  Schedules  2,  3,  and  4. 

Four  87,500-hp,  vertical-shaft,  hydraulic  turbines  for  Yellow- 
tail  powerplant. 


Two  84-inch  ring-follower  gate  valves  for  outlet  works  at  Blue 
Mesa  Dam. 

Constructing  foundations  and  furnishing  and  erecting  steel 

towers  for  the  146-mile  Fort  Thompson-Sioux  Falls  230-kv 

transmission  line. 
Clearing  and  construction  of  earthwork,  concrete  lining,  and 

structures  for  rehabilitation  of  Upper  Main  canal  and  lateral 

systems  6.5,  7.2,  and  8.9,  and  lateral  10.3  to  Sta.  1+35. 
Two  84-inch  hollow-jet  valves  for  river  outlets  at  Yellowtail 

Dam. 
Construction  of  stage  05  additions  to  Bismarck  substation 

and  construction  of  Custer  substation,  stage  01. 
Construction  of  Mill  Creek  pumping  plant,  primary  discharge 

line,  and  regulating  reservoir  "A". 

Construction  of  4.3  miles  of  concrete-lined  Eltopia  Branch 

canal,  Sta.  623+80  to  850+50. 
Furnishing  and  installing  four  passenger  elevators  for  Glen 

Canyon  Dam  and  powerplant. 

Construction  of  Pinnacle  Peak  substation,  stage  01 

Four  6-foot  6-inch  by  10-foot  high-pressure  gate  valves,  four 
hydraulic  hoists,  and  two  gate  hangers  for  outlet  works  at 
Norman  Dam. 

Clearing,  and  construction  of  earthwork  and  structures  for 
rehabilitation  of  3A  drain  and  4.0A  drain  control  structure. 

Construction  of  24.3  miles  of  230-kv  transmission  lines  for  the 
extension  of  Glen  Canyon-Shiprock,  Shiprock-Cortez,  and 
Shiprock-Arizona  Public  Service  Company  transmission 
lines. 

One  100/133/167-mva  autotransformer  for  Shiprock  substation.. 

Five  230-kv  and  three  115-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Ship- 
rock  substation.  Schedule  1. 

Installation  of  plastic  curtain  cutoff  and  construction  of  com- 
pacted blended  earth  lining  for  1  mile  of  West  canal,  Sta. 
2407+50  to  2458+00. 

Complete  rehabilitation  of  10  timber  bridges  and  partial  reha- 
habilitation  of  21  timber  bridges  for  Friant-Kern  canal. 

Construction  of  Columbia  canal  relift  facilities  No.  2,  includ- 
ing construction  of  four  outdoor  pumping  plants  and  concrete 
pipe  laterals. 


Mitsubishi  Heavy-Industries, 
Reorganized,  Ltd.,  c/o 
Mitsubishi  International 
Corp.,  New  York,  N.Y. 

Fife  Construction  Co.,  Inc., 
Brigham  City,  Utah. 

Hitachi  New  York,  Ltd.,  New 
York,  N.Y. 

Gil  Construction  Co.,  Pacheco, 
Calif. 

Hitachi  New  York,  Ltd.  New 
York,  N.Y. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 
Denver,  Colo. 


General  Electric  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 

Mitsubishi  Heavy-Industries, 
Reorganized,  Ltd.,  c/o  Mit- 
subishi International  Corp., 
New  York,  N.Y. 

United  States  Steel  Corp., 
Consolidated  Western  Steel 
Division,  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 

Paul  Hardeman,  Inc.,  Stan- 
ton, Calif. 

H&H  Concrete  Construction 
Co.,  Corpus  Christi,  Texas. 

Goslin-Birmingham  Mfg.  Co., 
Inc.,  Birmingham,  Ala. 

Donovan  Construction  Co., 
St.  Paul,  Minn. 

Cherf  and  Associates,  Inc., 
and  J.  M.  Foster  Co.,  Inc., 
Ephrata,  Wash. 

A  &  B  Construction  Co., 
Helena,  Mont. 

Pacific  Elevator  &  Equip- 
ment Co.,  San  Francisco, 
Calif. 

Foley-Jelco,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah. 

Goslin-Birmingham  Mfg., 
Inc.,  Birmingham,  Ala.    • 

Dodds  and  Wedegartner,  Inc., 
San  Benito,  Texas. 

Reynolds  Electrical  &  Engi- 
neering Co.,  Inc.,  Santa  Fe, 
N.  Mex. 

General  Electric  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 

McGraw-Edison  Co.,  Penn- 
sylvania Transformer  Divi- 
sion, Santa  Clara,  Calif. 

Sandkay  Construction  Co., 
Inc.,  Ephrata,  Wash. 

Earle  A.  Wiison,  Sepulveda, 

Calif. 
Jack  Campbell,  Inc.,  Fresno, 

Calif. 


tJ.    S.   GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE:  1963  O  -  670437 


For  tale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Document*,  U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington   25,    D.C.     Price  IS  cents   (single    copy). 

cents  per  year;  25  cents  additional  for  foreign  mailing. 


Subscription   price:   50 


Major   Construction   and   Materials   for  Which   Bids  Will   Be   Requested 

Through  February  1963* 


Project 


Canadian  River, 
Tex. 


Do. 


Central  Valley, 
Calif. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do 

CRSP,  Arizona- 


Do. 


CRSP,  Colorado. 


Do. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Five  horizontal,  centrifugal  pumps  to  be  electric  motor 
driven,  each  with  a  capacity  of  37.8  cfs  at  a  total  head 
of  296  ft  for  Pumping  Plant  No.  1;  and  15  horizontal, 
centrifugal  pumps  to  be  electric  motor  driven,  each 
with  a  capacity  of  41.2  cfs  at  a  total  head  of  228  ft, 
five  units  per  plant,  for  Pumping  Plants  No.  2,  3, 
and  4.  Motors  for  all  pumps  to  be  furnished  under 
separate  contract. 

Four  high-pressure  gate  valves  for  Sanford  Dam:  One 
6-ft  6-in.  bv  8-ft;  two  5-  by  5-ft;  and  one  3-ft  6-in.  by 
3-ft  6-in.    Estimated  weight:  250,000  lb. 

Constructing  about  15.6  miles  of  13,100-cfs-capacity  San 
Luis  Canal,  Reach  1.  Work  will  also  include  con- 
structing a  reinforced-concrete  canal  inlet  structure 
with  radial  gate  controls  and  several  bridges.  Near 
Los  Banos. 

Constructing  the  Wintu  Pumping  Plant,  an  outdoor- 
type  plant  having  a  reinforced  concrete-substructure ; 
furnishing  and  installing  four  motor -driven  pumping 
units  of  100-cfs  total  capacity,  mechanical  and  elec- 
trical auxiliary  equipment,  mechanical  flshscreen  and 
steel  manifold.    Near  Redding. 

Constructing  about  30  miles  of  from  10-  to  54-in.- 
diameter  pipelines,  a  concrete-lined  reservoir,  and 
two  steel  tanks.  Pipelines  to  be  constructed  of 
noncylinder  prestressed  pipe,  pretensioned  cylinder- 
type  concrete  pipe,  mortal -lined  and  mortar-coated 
steel  pipe,  asbestos-cement  pipe,  or  concrete  pressure 
pipe.    Cow  Creek  Unit,  near  Redding. 

Three  vertical-shaft,  adjustable-blade,  mixed-flow 
pumps,  each  rated  2,200  cfs  at  125-ft  total  head;  and 
three  vertical-shaft,  centrifugal  pumps,  each  rated 
2,200  cfs  at  125-ft  total  head,  all  for  Mile  18  Pumping 
Plant.  Motors  to  be  furnished  under  separate 
contract. 

Six  vertical-shaft,  adjustable-blade,  mixed-flow  pumps 
each  rated  700  cfs  at  a  total  head  of  55  ft  to  be  driven 
by  360-rpm,  5.000-hp,  electric  motors  for  Forebay 
Pumping  Plant.  Motors  to  be  furnished  under 
separate  contract. 

One  350-ton  overhead  traveling  crane  for  San  Luis  Dam 
and  Pumping-Oenerating  Plant.  Estimated  weight: 
400,000  lb. 

Dismantling  about  22  miles  of  an  existing  230-kv,  single- 
circuit,  steel  tower  transmission  line;  and  constructing 
conrcete  footings,  furnishing  and  erecting  double- 
circuit  steel  towers,  and  furnishing  and  stringing  954 
MCM,  ACSR  conductors,  and  9i-in.  overhead 
groimd  wires,  for  about  22  miles  of  230-kv,  double 
circuit  Pinnacle  Peak-Mesa  Transmission  Line. 

Constructing  concrete  foundations  and  erecting  four 
each  of  eight  types  of  230-kv,  single-circuit,  guyed, 
and  self-supportmg,  steel  and  aluminum  towers  for 
the  Glen  Canyon-Shiprock  Transmission  Line. 
Near  Kayenta. 

Constructing  Morrow  Point  Dam,  about  a  350,000- 
cu-yd  thin-arch  concrete  structure  465  ft  high  and 
720  ft  long,  and  appurtenant  features,  including  an 
outlet  works  and  spillway  through  the  dam.  Work 
will  also  include  constructing  an  underground  power- 
plant,  57  by  250  by  120  ft  high,  to  house  two  60,000-kw 
generators.  On  Qimnison  River,  about  22  miles  east 
of  Montrose. 

Constructing  the  Hayden  Substation  (Stage  01)  con- 
sisting of  a  37-  by  65-ft  concrete  masonry  service 
building  and  a  50-  by  96-ft  concrete  masonry  garage, 
and  concrete  foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting 
steel  structures;  furnishing  and  installing  one  3-phase, 
230/138-kv,  90,000-kva  autotransformer,  four  230-kv, 
six  138-kv,  and  three  14.4-kv  circuit  breakers,  nine 
single-phase,  13.2-kv,  7,000-kva  shunt  reactors,  and 
associated  electrical  equipment;  and  grading  and 
fencing  the  substation  area. 


Project 


CRSP,  Colorado.... 


CRSP,  New  Mexico. 


Columbia  Basin, 
Wash. 


Florida,  Colorado.. 
Gila,  Ariz 


MRBP,  Kansas.... 
MRBP,  Montana. 


Do 

MRBP,  Nebraska. 


MRBP,  South 
Dakota. 


Norman,  Okla — 
Seedskadee,  Wyo. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  a  steel  frame,  metal  panel,  glass,  and 
brick  masonry  wall  building  with  a  full  basement, 
full  ground  floor,  and  partial  second  floor.  The 
building  will  have  about  33,500  sq  ft  of  floor  area  and 
will  house  a  dispatching  center  as  well  as  administra- 
tive offices.    At  Montrose. 

Constructing  the  Shiprock  Substation  (Stage  01) 
consisting  of  a  concrete  masonry  unit  service  building 
and  concrete  foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting 
steel  structures;  Installing  one  3-phase,  167-mva, 
220/115-kv,  autotransformer,  five  230-kv,  three  115- 
kv,  and  two  14.4-kv  circuit  breakers,  six  7,000-kva 
shunt  reactors,  and  associated  electrical  equipment, 
major  items  of  which  are  to  be  Government  furnished; 
and  grading  and  fencing  the  area. 

Eight  vertical-shaft,  single-stage,  turbine-type  centrif- 
ugal pumping  units  each  rated  10,000  gpm  at  a  total 
head  of  95  ft  driven  by  880-rpm,  300-hp,  electric 
motors  for  the  Grand  Coulee  Powerplant. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  about  14  miles  of  unlined 
laterals  with  bottom  widths  varying  from  7  to  2  ft. 
Near  Durango. 

Constructing  about  3.5  miles  of  5-ft  bottom  width 
concrete-lined  South  Gila  Canal  and  about  7  miles 
of  30-  to  48-in.-diameter  cast-in-place  concrete  pipe. 
Near  Yuma. 

Three  automatic  wire-rope  hoists,  including  floats  and 
float-well  guides,  for  the  spillway  radial  gates  at 
Norton  Dam.    Estimated  weight:  85,000  lb. 

Constructing  about  9.7  miles  of  canal  with  bottom 
width  varying  from  13  to  8  ft,  about  2  miles  of  which 
will  be  lined  with  asphalt  membrane  lining,  and 
constructing  about  31  miles  of  laterals,  waste  ways, 
and  drains  with  bottom  widths  varying  from  10  to  3 
ft,  about  10  miles  of  which  will  be  lined  with  asphalt 
membrane  lining.    East  Bench  Unit,  near  Dillon. 

Two  25-  by  64.4-ft  radial  gates  for  Yellowtall  Dam. 
Estimated  weight:  530,000  lb. 

Earthwork  and  structures,  including  five  small  pump- 
ing plants,  for  about  14  miles  of  canal  with  bottom 
widths  of  20  and  18  ft  and  about  42  miles  of  laterals 
with  bottom  widths  of  4  and  3  ft.  Farwell  South 
and  Upper  South  canals  and  laterals,  near  St.  Paul. 

Constructing  the  James  Diversion  Dam,  a  reinforced- 
concrete  structure  with  a  concrete  ogee  overflow 
section  about  50  ft  long  and  a  slide  gate  controlled 
sluiceway  section  with  aprons  and  wingwalls  On 
the  James  River,  near  Huron. 

Constructing  about  30  miles  of  18-  to  36-ln.-diameter 
pipeUnes  for  hydrostatic  heads  of  from  25  to  400  ft. 
Near  Norman. 

Constructing  the  87-  by  60-ft  Fontenelle  Powerplant, 
a  reinforced-concrete  substructure  and  intermediate 
structure  with  structural-steel  superstructure,  metal 
wall  panels  and  steel  roof  decking,  to  house  one 
16,000-hp  reaction  turbine  operating  under  a  94-ft 
head  at  150  rpm  with  a  10,000-kw  generator.  Work 
will  also  consist  of  constructing  about  a  200-  by  75- 
ft  switchyard.  On  the  Green  River  about  24  miles 
downstream  from  La  Barge. 


•Subject  to  change. 


The  Reclamation  Era 


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The  Reclamation  Era 


MAY  1963  VOLUME  49,  NO.  2 

Page 

"SEE-IT-YOURSELF    AT    GRAND    COULEE    DAM" 29 

by  Bob  Deurbrouck 

BEING  SURE  ABOUT  DAM  FOUNDATIONS 32 

Reclamation  Technical  Leadership— 2 

IRRIGATORS'   "How'd  you  do  it?"   SHOP 34 

by  Hollis  Sanford 

BUREAU  AND  REGION  7  TOP  ALL  SAFETY  RECORDS 37 

WORKING    AGAINST    WATER    TAKERS 38 

by  John  T.  KristI 

RATIONING    AN    IDAHO    TREASURE 40 

by  Lynn  Croiidall 

TEDDY  ROOSEVELT'S  PROJECT  GOES  MODERN 45 

by  H.  Shipley  and  D.  L.  Weetner 

WITH    THE   WATER    USERS .     48 

FACING  SEDIMENT  PROBLEMS 49 

KEY    PERSONNEL    CHANGED 44,52 

WATER    REPORT 54 


OTTIS  PETERSON,  Assistant  to  the  Commissioner — Information 
GORDON  J.  FORSYTH,  Editor 
KATHRYNE  C.  DIMMIH,  Art  Editor 


United  States  Department  of  the  Interior 

Stewart  L.  Udall;  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Floyd  E.  Dominy,  Commissioner 

Washington  Office:  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Washington  25,  D.C. 

Commissioner's  Staff 

Assistant  Commissioner .N.  B.  Bennett 

Assistant  Commissioner... W.  I.  Palmer 

Assistant  Commissioner ..W.  Darlington  Denit 

Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado — B.  P.  Bellport 

REGIONAL  OFFICES 

REGION  1:  Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  937,  Reclamation  Building,  Fairgrounds,  Boise,  Idaho. 

REGION  2:  Robert  J.  PafTord,  Jr.,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacramento  11,  Calif. 

REGION  3:  A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  City,  Nev. 

REGION  4:  Frank  M.  Clinton,  Regional  Director,  32  Exchange  Place,  P.O.  Box  360,  Salt  Lake  City  10,  Utah. 

REGION  5:  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Office  Building,  7th  and  Taylor,  Amarillo,  Tex. 

REGION  6:  Bruce  Johnson,  Regional  Director,  7th  and  Central,  P.O.  Box  2553,  Billings,  Mont. 

REGION  7:  Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo. 


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Recorded  talks  and 
arrows  are  provided 
for  qour  (guidance 

Mrs.  Paul  McCrary  pushes  button 
to  hear  the  recorded  tour  talk. 


'SEE-n-YOURSELF 


at  Grand  Coulee  Dam 


by  BOB  DEURBROUCK 

Columbia  Basin   Project 


HHEE  Columbia  Basin  project  in  central  Wash- 
*  ington  reads  like  an  Horatio  Alger  story. 
Conceived  by  a  few  local  citizens  almost  50  years 
igo,  construction  began  on  the  chief  multipurpose 
[feature  of  the  project — Grand  Coulee  Dam. 
1  As  the  first  kilowatts  from  the  growing  project 
Svere  snatched  up  by  industries  of  the  Pacific 
jSforthwest  and  the  first  patches  of  green  appeared 
!>n  the  brown  landscape,  the  status  of  the  project 
^rew.  Today,  the  Columbia  Basin  project  is  a 
liubstantial  citizen  of  the  Nation. 

To  tell  the  story  of  the  Columbia  Basin  proj- 
'-ct  to  the  increasing  crowds  who  go  to  inspect  this 
)ortentous  w^ater  operation,  several  types  of  visi- 
or  programs  have  been  used. 

i  j  These  programs  underwent  some  variations  over 
'he  years — a  guide's  explanation  given  at  an  over- 
ook  point  and  visitor  facility — a  lecture  at  a  tour 
I  enter  followed  by  a  tour  through  one  of  the  dam's 
jwo  powerhouses — a  miniature  railroad,  from 
:  946-50,  to  transport  tourists  to  the  powerhouse, 
throughout  the  1950's  the  tour  program  did  not 
hange  much,  the  number  of  visitors  increased  and 
.  staff  was  maintained  comprising  five  year-round 
uides  during  the  summer  months  and  five  addi- 
ional  guides  and  a  few  guards. 

Because  of  the  expense  of  maintaining  this  staff 
f  guides  and  guards,  beginning  in  1953,  it  became 


necessary  to  charge  each  visitor  30  cents  to  tour 
the  powerhouse.  Although  the  30-cent  charge 
netted  about  $30,000  a  year,  it  caused  a  sharp 
drop  in  the  number  of  persons  taking  the  guided 
tour,  even  though  the  number  of  visitors  to  the 
Grand  Coulee  area  continued  to  increase. 

Visitors  Omitted  Tour 

In  1953,  it  was  estimated  that  more  than  a  half 
million  visitors  came  to  the  dam,  but  only  a  third 
of  these  visitors  took  the  guided  tour  through  the 
powerhouse,  and  probably  very  few  of  this  num- 
ber left  the  dam  having  gained  an  understanding 
of  the  multiple  purposes  of  the  total  Columbia 
Basin  project  development.  It  was  felt  that  in- 
herent limitations  of  the  guided  tour  were  un- 
doubtedly the  reasons  for  the  drop  of  persons 
taking  it. 

Meanwhile,  the  Parker  and  Davis  Dams  along 
the  Arizona-California  border  and  the  Hungry 
Horse  Dam  in  Montana  were  treating  the  public 
to  a  different  kind  of  tour — a  self-guided  type 
incorporating  taped,  pushbutton  lectures  at  points 
of  interest.  The  visitors  could  move  as  slow  or 
as  fast  as  they  wished,  talk  as  much  as  they  liked, 
and  photograph  as  much  as  they  liked.  Of  par- 
ticular interest  to  project  officials,  a  minimum  of 
personnel  was  required  to  tell  the  story  of  the 


(ay  1963 


29 


The  McCrarys  look  like  they  enjoy  taking  the  tour. 

purposes  and  history  of  the  structure,  eliminating 
the  need  for  an  admission  charge. 

In  1961,  after  a  thorough  investigation,  the 
30-cent  tour  charge  was  dropped,  and  the  transi- 
tion from  guided  to  self-guided  tours  at  Grand 
Coulee  Dam  began.  Directional  tour  signs  were 
installed  throughout  the  proposed  tour  route. 
Pushbutton  speakers  were  installed,  and  in  one 
tour  stop  area,  acoustical  tile  was  necessary  to 
muffle  the  roar  of  the  whirling  generator  shaft. 
Elevators  throughout  the  tour  route  were  con- 
verted to  fully  automatic  vehicles  which  would 
stop  only  at  the  tour  stops.  For  safety  and  secu- 
rity reasons,  barriers  were  installed  at  critical  spots 
to  restrain  the  visitors. 

More  Visitors  Tour 

By  the  latter  part  of  1961,  visitors  to  the  dam 
were  on  their  own — and  they  liked  it.  The  num- 
ber of  visitors  that  toured  the  powerhouse  in- 
creased by  about  30,000.  Last  year,  with  the  help 
of  the  World's  Fair  in  Seattle,  over  a  quarter  of  a 
million  persons  toured  the  dam.  Despite  the  loss 
of  the  30-cent  tour  charge,  1962  self-guided  tour 
costs  showed  a  substantial  savings  over  the  annual 
costs  of  the  guided  tours.  This  year,  friends  and 
neighbors  of  last  year's  visitors  are  expected  to 
tour  the  dam  in  self-guided  style  as  the  result  of 
word-of-mouth  advertising. 


30 


Tours  begin  at  the  Tour  Center  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  river  in  view  of  the  dam  spillways.  Here 
the  visitor  is  greeted  by  one  of  the  project's  three 
guides,  the  only  permanent  tour  personnel  at  the 
dam.  A  picture  screen  in  the  Tour  Center  is  acti- 
vated by  a  button,  and  the  visitor  is  presented  with 
a  short  presentation  of  colored  slides  synchronized 
with  a  taped  talk  that  tells  the  purpose  and  bene- 
fits of  the  irrigation  project — a  story  that  is  all 
too  easily  overlooked  by  the  visitor  viewing  the 
huge  dam.  Groups  who  are  interested  may  also 
hear  the  guide  present  a  brief  talk  about  the  con- 
struction of  the  facilities,  illustrating  his  remarks 
with  a  segmented  model  of  the  dam.  The  guide 
then  directs  the  visitors,  who  are  now  oriented  to 
the  purpose  of  the  whole  project,  to  a  powerhouse, 
where  the  new  self -guided  tour  actually  begins. 

Just  Press  a  Button 

They  park  in  a  large  lot,  walk  through  an  auto- 
matic tourist  counter,  and  press  a  button  at  the 
first  tour  stop  just  inside  the  powerhouse.  Here, 
a  taped  voice  responds  describing  the  physical 
arrangements  and  facilities  of  the  self -guided  tour. 
The  sightseer  is  now  on  his  way.  From  this  point, 
a  walk  along  a  well-lighted  sloping  ramp  leads  to 
a  self-operating  elevator  that  takes  the  visitors 
to  tour  stop  No.  2,  one  of  the  dam's  many  galleries. 
A  taped  voice  explains  the  purpose  of  the  internal 
galleries,  the  tunnels  that  allow  workmen  easy 
access  to  the  interior  of  the  dam.  Prior  to  the 
self -guided  tour,  primarily  due  to  time  limitations, 
visitors  were  allowed  to  tour  only  the  powerhouse, 
not  the  dam  itself.  Next  stop  is  at  the  top  of  the 
dam  via  the  elevator  for  a  spectacular  view  of 
the  Columbia  River  plunging  over  the  spillway  to 
the  froth  below. 

Tour  stop  4  is  a  balcony  view  where  the  tape 
voice  provides  details  of  the  size  and  capacity  of 
Grand  Coulee's  giant  generators.  Next,  from  the 
governor  gallery,  visitors  see  an  awesome  closeup 
behind  a  safety  glass  barrier  of  a  whirling,  gleam- 
ing generator  shaft  that  performs  nearly  all  year 
round. 

They  Take  Seats 

At  the  main  control  room,  the  visitors  may  sit 
down,  listen  to  the  pushbutton  guide  and  watch 
the  men  operators  checking  and  regulating  th| 
controls  of  the  powerplant  generators.  Just  out- 
side the  control  room  gallery  the  visitor  overlooks 
the  transformers  and  the  spillway.     From  here, 


The  Reclamation  Era 


(i 


signs  direct  the  visitor  to  the  exit  room,  and  the 
parking  lot. 

Before  the  beginning  of  the  self -guided  opera- 
tion, the  parking  lot  was  the  end  of  the  visitor's 
tour.  Any  additional  stops  would  have  meant  the 
project's  hiring  of  more  guides  and  guards,  and 
any  great  deviation  in  the  time  schedule  would 
have  caused  a  traffic  problem  to  following  groups. 
Now,  however,  since  every  visitor  is  his  own  guide, 
colorful,  animated  exhibits  have  been  added  to  the 
tour,  showing  the  design  and  multiple  effects  of 
the  gigantic  water  resource  system. 

A  Scenic  Drive 

So,  the  tourist  may  take  a  scenic  drive  over  the 
itop  of  the  dam,  and  perhaps  stop  at  one  of  the 
Iparking  places  in  the  middle  of  the  dam,  for  a 
; picture  or  two.  Green  tour  signs  direct  the  visitor 
into  the  dam's  pumping  plant  parking  lot.  In  the 
ireception  room  of  the  pumping  plant  the  push  of  a 
jbutton  will  animate  a  large  topographic  map  and 
lead  the  visitor  for  5  minutes  from  the  Canadian 
licefields  to  the  southernmost  Columbia  Basin  proj- 
ject  lands  at  the  confluence  of  the  Snake  and 
iColumbia  Rivers  near  the  Oregon  border. 
j  Around  the  walls  of  the  pumping  plant  recep- 
ition  room  are  a  series  of  murals  that  depict  the 
Ideologic  and  human  history  of  the  Columbia  Basin 
iproject.  An  alternate  15-minute  tape  that  is 
sometimes  used  coordinates  these  murals  into  the 
story  told  by  the  map. 

Cases  of  photographs,  Indian  artifacts,  rocks, 
naps,  and  economic  data  at  the  base  of  the  murals 
explain  other  aspects  of  the  multipurpose  project 
story. 

A  balcony  view  in  the  pumping  plant  shows  the 
iix  huge  65,000  hp.  pumps  that  lift  waters  of  the 
river  280  feet  into  a  feeder  canal  above  the  pump- 
ng  plant.  During  the  irrigation  season,  these 
pumps  can  start  a  billion  gallons  of  water  a  day 
m  its  way  to  the  project's  irrigated  lands. 

The  ride  back  to  ground  level  is  the  end  of  the 
«lf-guided  tour  of  the  dam  and  its  facilities. 
However,  the  summer  visitor  who  stays  until 
lightfall  will  be  rewarded  with  a  final  breath- 
aking  sight.  From  May  to  September,  between 
|lusk  and  11  p.m.,  a  large  bank  of  colored  lights, 
synchronized  with  a  program  of  music,  plays 
[icross  the  surface  of  the  plunging  waters — the 
perfect  end  of  a  day  of  sightseeing  at  Grand 
'oulee  Dam !  #  #  # 

(Photographs  hy  Gene  Hertzog) 

.J 

VVlAY  1963 


RECLAMATION 

Technical  Leadership -2 


RECLAMATION  COMMISSIONER 
FLOYD  E.  DOMINY  introduced  a  series 
of  four  articles  on  '■'' Reclamation  Technical 
Leadership'''  in  the  February  1963  Reclama- 
tion Era.  In  that  issu£,  the  first  of  the  series 
was  ^^ Computers  Work  in  Reclamation.^^ 
You  will  note  that  each  of  the  articles  high- 
lights recent  important  Reclamation  Firsts 
which  were  achieved  hy  Reclamation  engi- 
neers.    These  four  articles  represent  more 


than  JiO  ''''Firsts''"'  vihich  are  descried  in  the 
semitechnical  presentation  entitled  Bureau 
of  Reclamation  Leadership  in  Design  and 
Construction  of  Water  Resources  Projects. 

The  present  article.,  '"''Being  Sure  About 
Dam  Foundations,''^  gives  a  laynum's  eye- 
vieio  of  how  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  im- 
proves its  calculations  of  foumdations  and 
abutment  rock  where  dams  and  other  struc- 
tures are  built. 


Bdng  SURE  about 
Dam  foundations 


[— --yj  UREAU  engineers  are  improving  their 

I ^    design    and    construction    methods    by 

*       •y    utilizing  advanced  techniques  of  test- 


ing foundations  for  structures  on  Reclamation 
projects.  For  example,  in-place  measurements  of 
elastic  properties  of  rock  at  structure  sites  are 
expected  to  result  in  safer,  more  efficient,  and 
economical  designs. 

The  engineers  point  out  that  improvements  in 
design  practice  and  standards  used  for  major 
engineering  structures,  such  as  dams,  bridges,  tun- 
nels, and  canals,  are  closely  allied  with  improve- 
ments in  the  study  of  subsurface  conditions.  The 
improvements  are  also  allied  with  engineering 
data  on  the  strength  of  the  foundations  on  which 
such  works  will  be  built. 

Knowledge  of  foundation  conditions  at  concrete 
dams  is  particularly  emphasized,  as  failures  of  sev- 
eral mass  concrete  dams  in  foreign  countries  have 
resulted  from  unstable  foundations  rather  than 
from  structural  weaknesses  in  the  dams. 

Reclamation  geologist,    David  Allen,   checks  a   200-ton   hydraulic   < 
jack  at  a  Yellowtail  Dam  tunnel. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


Yellowtail  and  Morrow  Point 

I  Measurements  of  the  deformation  of  the  abut- 
ment rock  recently  completed  at  the  site  of  Mor- 
!row  Point  Dam  in  Colorado  and  the  investigations 
currently  in  progress  at  Yellowtail  Dam  in  Mon- 
tana are  important  forward  steps.  Improved 
equipment  has  been  developed  by  which  loads  at 
these  sites  are  induced  in  the  rock  by  hydraulic 
jacks  exerting  tremendous  pressures  against  the 
rock. 

Tunnels  are  excavated  in  the  abutment  rock  of 
the  dams,  and  jacks  are  placed  on  concrete  pads 
on  the  floors  of  the  tunnels.  Pressure  is  then  ex- 
erted against  the  tunnel  roofs  and  floors,  resulting 
in  "squeezing"  of  the  rock  to  simulate  loads  that 
would  be  applied  by  the  completed  dams. 

After  a  continuous  test  period  of  about  a  week, 
during  which  pressure  readings  are  regularly 
made,  the  jack  pressures  are  removed,  and  the 
ability  of  the  rock  to  "spring  back"  to  its  original 
state  is  measured  and  recorded.  A  separate  test 
cycle  is  made  for  various  pressures. 

Deformation  in  rock  is  measured  on  a  gage  in- 
stalled in  the  floor  of  the  tunnel  below  the  center 
of  each  load.  This  permits  measurements  of  in- 
elastic properties  as  well  as  elastic  properties  of 
foundation  and  abutment  rock,  and  makes  possible 
a  more  accurate  prediction  of  rock  behavior  under 
loads.  The  gage  measurement  is  correlated  with 
jbunnel  diameter  measurements  and  with  other  ob- 
Iservations  and  laboratory  tests. 

Glen  Canyon  Dam  Tests 

Current  investigations  were  preceded  last  year 
by  intensive  testing  of  abutment  rock  at  Glen  Can- 
\ron  Dam  which  is  under  construction  on  the 
ZJolorado  River  storage  project  in  northern  Ari- 
5ona,  To  obtain  additional  information  on  the 
physical  properties  of  the  left  abutment  of  the 
ulO-foot-high  dam.  Bureau  engineers  conducted 
i':ests  in  a  6-foot- wide  by  8-foot-high  tunnel  exca- 
I  vated  into  the  rock  wall  300  feet  below  the  canyon 
rim. 

Two  hydraulic  jacks  having  a  total  capacity  of 
too  tons  were  installed  for  a  series  of  tests  which 
^ave  answers  on  the  elastic  recovery  of  the  rock 
ind  other  properties  of  importance  to  the  engi- 
jieers.  Information  from  the  tests  will  be  useful 
jilso  in  placing  concrete  at  the  abutments  near  the 
|:op  of  the  dam. 

Data  from  the  load-bearing  tests  at  Glen  Can- 


Data  on  exerted  pressure  is  recorded. 

yon  Dam  are  being  correlated  with  data  from 
earlier  investigations  at  Yellowtail  Dam,  a  520- 
foot-high  concrete- arch  structure  under  construc- 
tion on  the  Missouri  River  Basin  project. 

In  turn,  the  studies  at  these  dams  aided  design- 
ers in  their  investigations  of  the  rock  at  Morrow 
Point  Dam,  a  465-foot-high  thin-arch  concrete 
structure.  Construction  of  the  dam,  a  feature  of 
the  Curecanti  unit  of  the  CRSP,  is  scheduled  to 
begin  this  spring. 

Underground  Powerplant 

Investigative  work  for  Morrow  Point  Dam  was 
carried  out  in  two  tunnels,  one  in  each  abutment. 
A  separate  exploratory  tunnel  was  excavated 
downstream  in  the  left  abutment  to  aid  in  the 
study  of  the  rock  surrounding  the  underground 
powerplant  to  be  built  with  the  dam.  This  will 
be  the  Bureau's  first  underground  powerplant. 

The  in -tunnel  jacking  tests  of  rock  at  the  three 
damsites  are  being  supplemented  and  coordinated 
by  testing  rock  cores  which  are  drilled  out  and 
sent  to  the  Bureau's  research  laboratories  in 
Denver  for  analysis,  and  by  seismic  testing  of  the 
rock  in  place. 

The  seismic  testing  method  consists  of  setting 
off  a  small  charge  of  dynamite  in  a  drilled  hole. 
The  velocity  of  the  resulting  shock  waves  induced 
in  the  rock  by  the  minor  explosion  is  recorded  and 
measured  by.  geologists  who  can  then  evaluate  the 
shock  waves  in  terms  of  structural  properties  of 
the  rock. 

The  correlation  of  the  three  techniques  of  rock 
analysis — jacking  tests,  seismic  measurements,  and 
laboratory  studies — are  increasing  Bureau  engi- 
neers' fundamental  knowledge  of  rock  foundations 
for  dams  and  other  structures.  The  overall  aim 
of  this  concerted  research  effort  is  to  achieve  in- 
creased safety,  economy,  and  efficiency  on  Recla- 
mation dams  and  other  Bureau  structures.  #  #  # 


\!ay  1963 


33 


IRRIGATORS' 

*Ho»fy  voa  </o  /fP"SHOP 


Coating  equipment  with  paint  ai 
zinc  compounds 


by  MOLLIS  SANFORD,   Chief  of  the   Division  of  Irrigation 
Operations,   Denver,  Colorado 


[ses  of  epoxy  resins,  insuring 
)nding,  preventing  early  hard- 
ling,  dangers  in  adding  solvents 


{•Safety  procedures  tliat  pay  off 


ONE  of  the  most  valuable  things  about  the 
Workshop  is  the  firsthand  exchange  of 
information  by  the  people  who  actually 
direct  the  operation  and  maintenance  of  distribu- 
tion systems,"  commented  Harry  E,  Van  Every, 
Water  Maintenance  Engineer  of  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  at  Sacramento,  Calif. 

Protective  Coatings 

The  irrigation  operators  discussed  protection 
against  corrosion  of  iron  and  steel  structures  and 
the  importance  of  correct  selection  and  applica- 
tion of  coatings.  Deterioration  as  a  result  of 
faulty  application  of  coating  often  occurs.  For 
this  reason,  protective  coatings  should  be  selected 
and  applied  with  care. 

On  the  Delta-Mendota  Canal  in  California,  irri- 
gation operators  have  found  that  galvanizing  effec- 
tively protects  farm  turnout  slide  gates.  O&M 
forces  pull  the  gates  and  send  them  to  Oakland 


{Mr.  Sanford's  article  presents  highlights  of  the 
second  Irrigation  Operator'' s  Workshop  which  was 
held  last  Decerriber  at  the  Denver  Recla/mation 
Engineering  Center.  Representatives  of  irriga- 
tion districts  from  several  States  and  Bureau 
specialists  participated  in  the  discussions.,  result- 
ing in  a  loorthwhile  conference.^ 

(The  first  Irrigation  Operator's  Workshop  was 
held  in  late  1961  and  was  reported  in  a  series 
of  interesting  articles  in  each  of  the  four  1962 
issues  of  the  Reclamation  Era.) 


for  galvanizing  where  the  cost  of  galvanizing  is 
about  5  cents  a  pound.  Operators  pointed  out 
that  this  maintenance  is  practical  and  it  conserves 
manpower. 

During  one  of  the  Workshop  sessions,  partici- 
pants were  shown  pieces  of  dried  paint  that  had 
come  loose  from  the  interior  of  a  water  storage 
tank.  From  examination,  it  was  evident  that  the 
paint  did  not  adhere  because  the  steel  surface  had 
not  been  properly  prepared  prior  to  applying  the 
first  coat. 

This  demonstration  emphasized  the  necessity  of 
selecting  good  protective  coating  materials,  mak- 
ing sure  that  the  surfaces  to  be  coated  are  prop- 
erly prepared,  and  of  carefully  applying  the  paint. 

One  type  of  inorganic  zinc  coating,  a  proprie- 
tary compound,  was  discussed.  The  coating  had 
been  applied  on  gates  in  the  Yuma,  Ariz.,  area  a 
few  years  ago  and  was  continuing  to  provide  good 
service.  However,  in  more  recent  applications, 
the  coating  rusted  after  a  short  period  of  exposure. 


34 


The  Reclamation  Era     ' 


"■"«"-», "5 


Engineer  J.   C.   Schuster  points   out  to  a   Workshop  group    features   of  the  demonstration   model   of  canal   turnouts    in 

the  Bureau's  Hydraulic  Laboratory  in  Denver,  Colo. 


IThe  conclusion  of  the  Workshop  conferees  was 
that  the  manufacturer  may  have  changed  the  for- 
mulation of  the  coating  without  informing  the 
consumer  of  the  change.  Irrigation  operators 
must  keep  themselves  informed  of  such  changes. 
Rigid  inspection  of  repainting  operations  is  im- 
portant, a  participant  from  Nevada  emphasized. 
Some  coatings  are  not  applied  as  they  should  be. 
Inspection  is  particularly  important  where  the 
coating  may  be  applied  by  inexperienced  painters 
or  by  contractors  whose  prices  in  bidding  are  un- 
usually low. 

Repair  and  Maintenance  of  Pipe  Systems 

For  temporary  repairs  of  small  cracks  in  pipe- 
lines which  must  remain  in  operation,  sawdust, 
especially  if  it  is  finely  ground,  is  an  effective  seal- 
ant. Several  irrigation  districts  have  restricted 
(the  use  of  sawdust  for  repairs,  because  it  may  clog 
i  sprinkler  systems.  At  best,  use  of  sawdust  is  a 
:  temporary  expedient  and  will  probably  have  to 
be  repeated  at  regular  intervals. 

iMAY  1963 

679768  0—63 2 


For  more  serious  leaks  where  service  cannot  be 
discontinued,  repairs  wil  be  more  elaborate  and 
expensive.  Whether  the  pipe  is  steel  or  concrete, 
it  must  be  exposed  where  the  wet  spot  appears  on 
the  ground.  Probably  the  most  efficient  digging 
tool  is  a  backhoe  mounted  on  a  small  tractor. 

Extreme  care  must  be  taken  with  steel  pipe  so 
that  the  coating  is  not  damaged  by  the  digging 
equipment.  Steel  pipe  leaks  will,  in  all  proba- 
bility, be  from  small  holes  in  the  pipe  which  may 
be  repaired  with  a  redwood  plug,  similar  to  a  bung 
in  a  barrel. 

Transverse  cracks  in  concrete  pipes  may  be 
permanently  repaired  by  one  of  several  variations 
of  banding.  Some  irrigation  operators  carefully 
calk  the  crack  with  lead  wool  and  then  cover  the 
repair  with  a  reinforced  mortar  band.  Others 
cover  the  calking  with  metal  bands  which  are 
coated  with  mortar. 

A  method  which  does  not  require  calking  is  the 
use  of  metal  bands  lined  with  camelback  rubber  or 
Neoprene.  The  pipe  at  the  break  is  carefully 
cleaned,  then  the  band  is  clamped  around  the  break 

35 


An  inservice  leaking  pipe  is  repaired 
with  rubber  liner,  metal  band  and 
mortar. 


'^■Ai- 


and  cinched  up  until  the  rubber  liner  squeezes  into 
the  crack  stopping  the  leak. 

Preventive  maintenance  of  pipe  systems  and 
appurtenant  vi^orks  is  important.  Concrete  pipes 
should  be  kept  as  full  as  possible  at  all  times,  and 
periodic  inspections  and  repairs  should  be  made 
as  needed  on  interior  coatings  of  steel  pipes. 

Epoxies  for  Concrete  Repair 

Workshop  participants  expressed  interest  in  the 
use  of  epoxy  resin  compounds  for  repair  of  con- 
crete. Epoxy  resin  compounds,  a  family  of  syn- 
thetic resins  produced  by  the  petrochemical  in- 
dustry, are  excellent  adhesives.  When  properly 
applied,  they  will  bond  fresh  portland  cement 
mortar  or  concrete  to  hardened  concrete.  Resins 
will  bond  hardened  concrete  to  hardened  concrete 
and  they  are  useful  in  patching  broken,  eroded,  or 


damaged  concrete  surfaces.  (See  the  article 
"Epoxy  Resins — New  Aids  for  Water  Users"  in 
the  November  1961  Reclamation  Era.) 

Workshop  participants  discussed  an  unsuccess- 
ful experience  of  cementing  precast  curbs  to  a  pre- 
cast bridge  by  epoxy  mortar,  where  failure  had 
been  due  to  the  missing  prior  application  of  a  bond 
coat  (a  primary  coat  of  epoxy  resin) . 

Recommendations  by  Bureau  specialists  in  such 
use  of  epoxies  were  that  both  surfaces  should  have 
been  coated  with  a  bonding  coat,  and  if  enough 
roughness  existed,  mortar  should  have  been  ap- 
plied to  fill  the  area,  using  confining  forms  to 
maintain  contact  of  the  materials.  In  all  cases, 
epoxy  mortar  or  a  concrete  patch  should  be  ap- 
plied to  the  bonding  coat  while  it  is  liquid  fresh. 

Another  participant  stated  that  on  a  concrete 
repair  job  on  his  project,  the  epoxy  set  up  too 
quickly.  Project  forces  had  applied  the  epoxy  in 
a  summertime  temperature  of  about  110°  F.  As 
the  ideal  temperature  is  about  70°  F.  or  60°  F., 
Bureau  laboratory  engineers  explained  that  for 
future  repairs,  cool  the  area  where  the  epoxy  would 
be  applied,  possibly  by  working  at  night. 

Discussions  revealed  that  epoxy  repairs  have 
failed  because  they  contained  solvents.  Epoxy 
materials  which  are  diluted  with  solvents  are 
weakened. 

Conferees  were  reminded  that  although  solvents 
are  useful  for  cleanup  of  tools,  they  are  danger- 
ous to  use  for  removing  epoxy  from  a  workman's 
skin,  as  they  will  spread  the  epoxy  and  cause  it  to 
penetrate.  For  proper  safety,  any  epoxy  contam- 
ination must  be  removed  from  the  skin  by  imme- 
diately wiping  with  a  disposable  material, 
preferably  a  paper  towel,  followed  by  a  thorough 
washing  with  soap  and  water. 

Successful  Safely  Practices 

In  sessions  with  the  Bureau's  Chief  Safety  En- 
gineer, H.  S.  Latham,  Workshop  participants  dis- 
cussed ways  of  improving  operational  efficiency 
and  reducing  costs  through  the  application  of 
practical  safety  measures  on  irrigation  projects. 
Mr.  Latham  briefly  outlined  steps  that  have  been 
found  effective : 

.  .  .  Each  new  employee  should  receive  proper 
indoctrination  in  his  job  and  the  attendant  haz- 
ards and  safety  requirements. 

...  A  preemployment  physical  examination 
should  be  given  each  new  employee  to  determine 


36 


The  Reclamation  Era 


if  he  is  physically  capable  of  performing  his  as- 
bigned  duties. 

...  A  safety  committee,  consisting  of  a  few  top 
supervisors,  should  meet  monthly  to  review  the 
safety  record  and  to  determine  safety  policy, 

...  "On-the-job"  safety  meetings  should  be  con- 
ducted each  week  at  a  specified  time  by  foremen 
and  supervisors.  These  should  preferably  be 
p-minute  meetings  conducted  each  Monday 
porning. 

...  First-aid  instruction  should  be  provided  for 
ill  field  supervisors  and  ditchriders  to  promote  a 
3afe  work  attitude  and  to  assure  that  proper 
emergency  care  will  be  given  to  injured  employees 
>r  to  the  public. 

j  Each  Bureau  region  employs  a  full-time  safety 
bngineer  who  is  always  willing  to  assist  in  initi- 
J,ting  effective  safety  programs  in  any  irrigated 
iistrict.  He  can  be  useful  particularly  in  pro- 
dding first-aid  training  and  securing  material  for 
conducting  weekly  "toolbox"  safety  meetings. 
I  Under  an  agreement  with  the  Bureau  of  Mines, 
the  Bureau  of  Keclamation  is  training  key  per- 
sonnel as  qualified  first-aid  instructors.  Every 
Reclamation  project  now  has,  or  shortly  will  have, 
^[ualified  first-aid  instructors. 
i  Some  district  representatives  indicated  that  they 
planned  to  take  advantage  of  the  first-aid  train- 
ing program,  utilizing  Bureau  instructors  to  inter- 
est district  employees  in  first  aid. 

Several  indicated  an  interest  in  setting  up  local 
ivater  safety  councils  in  their  districts,  within  the 
'ramework  of  Operation  Westwide.  This  is  a 
program  jointly  sponsored  by  Reclamation  and  the 
American  Red  Cross  to  secure  public  cooperation 
[  md  support  in  organizing  and  carrying  out  an 
sffective  water  safety  campaign. 


Workmen    wear    rubber   gloves   and    remove    epoxy    mortar  from 
paddle  with  spatula. 

A  representative  of  the  Contra  Costa  Water 
District  in  California  stated  that  the  district  was 
vitally  concerned  with  the  protection  of  the  public 
near  the  Contra  Costa  Canal  and  was  employing 
deputy  sheriffs  to  patrol  the  canal.  Another  dis- 
trict had  been  successful  in  securing  enactment 
of  a  statute  providing  protective  fences  between  its 
canal  and  property  being  developed  for  residential 
use. 

In  sunmiarizing  the  Workshop,  G.  G.  Stamm, 
Chief  of  the  Division  of  Irrigation  and  Land  Use, 
said:  "Irrigation  is  a  dynamic  business.  It  is 
constantly  changing  as  new  materials'  new  equip- 
ment, and  better  methods  are  developed.  Making 
irrigation  work  ...  is  fundamental  to  the  success 
of  the  Reclamation  program  and  to  the  individual 
farmers  who  compose  it.  Let's  help  each  other 
to  make  our  irrigation  systems  work."        #  #  # 


Bureau  and  Region  7  TOP  ALL  Safety  Records 


As  a  direct  result  of  emphasis  placed  on  the 
safety  effort,  Reclamation  completed  1962  with  the 
owest  Government  and  contractor  accident  fre- 
juency  in  its  61-year  history. 

Bureau  employees  completed  the  year  with  an 
iccident  frequency  rate  of  5.2  disabling  injuries 
>er  million  man-hours,  representing  the  lowest 
•ate  ever  attained  in  Reclamation  history,  and  a 
H-percent  reduction  in  lost-time  injuries  as  com- 
)ared  with  the  previous  year.  This  Bureau  re- 
M>rt  was  made  in  Safety  Record^  December  1962. 


Achieving  the  best  1962  accident  record  reported 
by  a  region  in  Reclamation  history.  Region  7  be- 
came the  second  recipient  of  the  Commissioner's 
Annual  Safety  Award.  This  region's  accident 
frequency  rate  of  1.9  and  a  severity  rate  of  21  rep- 
resented only  five  disabling  injuries  in  the  2,665,668 
man-hours  worked. 

The  Safety  Award  was  established  in  1961  as  a 
means  of  recognizing  the  region  which  had  the 
most  exemplary  safety  record  and  was  won  that 
year  by  Region  4.  #  #  # 


Aky  1963 


37 


l.kK      Wii 


K.- 


working  against 


Water  Taker 


-sfl 


by  JOHN  T.   KRISTL 
Hydraulic  Engineer, 
Area  Office, 
Albuquerque,  N.  Mex. 


^^y  HE  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  under  the 
/  immediate  direction  of  the  Albuquerque 
^.^y  Development  Office,  planted  and  irri- 
gated slightly  more  than  an  acre  of  water-loving 
tamarisk  or  saltcedars,  as  they  are  called  in  some 
areas.  They  are  classed  as  phreatophytes  because 
they  obtain  the  majority  of  their  moisture  supply 
from  ground  water  rather  than  rainfall. 

Wliy  plant  and  encourage  growth  of  one  of  the 
hardiest  water- wasting  plants  in  the  Southwest? 
This  is  the  main  question  being  answered  in  this 
article. 

The  Bureau's  planting  of  tamarisk  plants  was 
successful  with  about  98  percent  survival,  and  a 
growth  of  from  4  to  7  feet  in  height  during  the 
first  growing  season.  But  the  goal  of  our  scien- 
tists and  engineers  is  to  devise  economical  ways  to 
eliminate  these  from  the  Southwest  where  they 
flourish  and  consume  great  quantities  of  water 
that  is  needed  for  many  beneficial  purposes. 

Tamarisk,  Tamarix  species,  was  introduced  into 
this  country  from  the  Old  World  about  the  middle 
of  the  19th  century,  and  was  sold  as  an  ornamental 
shrub.  During  the  early  part  of  the  20th  century, 
this  aggressive  plant  was  found  growing  along 
natural  stream  channels.  It  adapts  phenome- 
nally to  varying  climate,  soil,  and  moisture  con- 
ditions and  in  infesting  and  spreading  in  parts  of 
the  Southwest. 

In  many  areas,  other  phraetophytes  have  been 
replaced  by  saltcedars  and  large  sums  of  money 
have  been  and  are  being  expended  for  their 
control. 

The  Albuquerque  Development  office  reviewed 

38 


the  records  of  all  available  studies.  As  a  result, 
a  prototype  study  area  was  selected  for  the  purpose 
of  conducting  an  intensive  investigation. 

This  study  area  is  infested  with  approximately 
9,000  acres  of  phreatophytes,  mostly  saltcedars  in 
a  14.5-mile  strip  varying  from  several  hundred 
feet  to  several  miles  in  width  along  the  river.  All 
vegetation  inside  the  area,  which  is  located  about 
80  miles  south  of  the  city  of  Albuquerque,  N.  Mex., 
has  been  outlined,  classified,  and  the  density  deter- 
mined on  aerial  photographs. 

Thef  study  correlates  three  different  approaches 
or  methods  of  determining  water  use  and  potential 
salvage — the  inflow-outflow  method,  the  transpira- 
tion-well method,  and  the  evapotranspiration  tank 
method. 

Inflow-Outflow  Method 

Gaging  stations  are  located  at  each  end  of  the 
area  and  on  the  major  intervening  tributaries  to 
measure  the  inflow  and  outflow  of  surface  water. 
Periodic  seepage  tests  are  being  made  to  supple- 
ment the  measurements  of  the  inflow  and  outflow. 

Transpiration-Well  Method 

A  grid  of  nonrecording  observation  wells  was 
installed  to  determine  the  monthly  fluctuations  of 
the  ground  water  within  the  prototype  area. 

Supplementing  these  observation  wells,  and  also 
as  a  means  of  determining  the  consumptive  use 
of  water,  transpiration  wells  were  located  in  key 
areas.  These  wells  are  equipped  with  automatic 
recorders  so  that  a  continuous  record  of  the  fluc- 
tuations of  the  water  table  is  obtained. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


The  change  in  soil  moisture  above  the  zone  of 
saturation  is  also  measured  at  each  of  the  trans- 
piration wells  by  means  of  neutron  scatter  meters 
to  obtain  records  of  the  total  use  of  water.  Pre- 
cipitation is  measured  at  each  location. 

Data  on  the  inflow-outflow  and  ground-water 
levels  in  the  observation  wells  and  the  transpira- 
tion wells  are  being  collected  to  obtain  data  under 
the  present  conditions.  After  three  growing  sea- 
sons, the  saltcedars  and  other  nonbeneficial  water- 
taking  plants  will  be  cleared  and  the  new  rate  of 
svater  use  will  be  determined  under  cleared  con- 
iitions,  A  comparison  of  water  use  before  and 
ifter  clearing  should  give  a  fairly  accurate  deter- 
mination of  the  amount  of  water  salvaged. 

Evapofranspiration  Tanks 

To  supplement  the  data  obtained  from  the  first 
two  methods,  a  group  of  nine  butyl  rubber-lined 
;tanks  or  pits  were  constructed  in  1961  and  filled 
|\vith  soil  from  the  area.  These  tanks  are  1,000 
square  feet  in  area  and  are  12  feet  deep.  (See 
photograph  at  the  bottom  of  this  page.)  Six  of 
:he  tanks  were  planted  with  the  crowns  of  salt- 
[jedars  located  in  the  vicinity,  and  the  remaining 
three  tanks  were  left  bare  to  evaluate  the  rate  of 
jjvaporation  from  the  bare  ground  at  different 
lepths  to  the  water  table. 

At  the  side  of  the  tank  is  a  small  shed  which 
louses  the  water  supply  inlet  pipe,  watermeter. 


lotyl  rvbber  lining  is  draped  over  a  pipe  framework  of  the  evapo- 
franspiration tanks. 


lAY  1963 


Photo  taken  June    1,   1962,  as  the  saltcedars  were  just  starting 
to  grow  in  one  of  the  tanks. 

and  electrical  controls.  A  pipe  installed  in  the 
center  of  the  tanks  contains  electrical  controls 
which  automatically  keep  the  water  table  at  a  pre- 
determined level.  (See  photograph  at  the  top  of 
this  page.)  At  the  present  time  three  of  the  tanks 
also  are  equipped  with  automatic  recorders  which 
continuously  record  the  fluctuations  in  the  water 
table. 

Water  consumed  by  the  tanked  saltcedars  plus 
evaporation  from  the  surface  equals  the  total  water 
used  with  the  tanks.  The  amount  used  by  the 
saltcedars  is  correlated  with  the  density  of  the 
saltcedars  and  climate  data  which  are  recorded  at 
the  site. 

To  obtain  a  uniform  coverage  of  their  growth 
in  the  tanks,  saltcedars  were  replanted  in  the 
spring  of  1962.  Good  agronomic  practices  were 
used  in  the  replanting  which  resulted  in  a  survival 
rate  of  about  98  percent. 

In  the  Southwest,  it  is  hoped  that  a  lot  of  water 
will  be  salvaged  and  put  to  beneficial  use — every 
drop  of  water  is  important.  These  studies  are 
being  conducted  for  the  purpose  of  finding  out,  in 
perhaps  5  years,  what  kind  of  remedial  action 
could  be  applied  against  these  water-wasting 
plants,  and  to  bring  less  waste  to  our  Nation's 
precious  water  resources.  #  #  # 

(NOTE:  Action  against  the  phreatophyte  problem  was  formerly 
discussed  in  the  Reclamation  Era  in  articles  entitled  "What  Has 
Been  Done  About  Saltcedars  at  Caballo  Reservoir,"  by  T.  H. 
Moser,  May  1960;  and  "Phreatophytes — Water  Wasters,"  by  F.  L. 
Timmons,  November  1959.) 


39 


A.   Saga  of   the   Snake 


Regional  Director  Lauds 
Snake  River's    Crandall 


" 


This  being  the  Idaho  Territory  Centennial  Year,  I 
think  it  apropos  to  mention  that  the  colorful  history  of 
this  great  State  is  inextricably  entwined  with  the  great 
rivers  of  the  State,  and  with  pioneering  men  who,  over 
the  years,  became  known  as  "Mountain  Men"  and 
"River  Men." — One  such  man  is  Lynn  Crandall,  who, 
like  many  an  easterner  who  came  West,  qualifies  with 
this  caliber.  He  came  to  the  Snake  River  country  in 
1916,  liked  what  he  saw,  and  became  inseparable 
with  the  Snake  River  Basin  from  that  time  forward. 

Mr.  Crandall's  contemporaries  have  tried,  on  many 
occasions,  to  express  their  appreciation  for  his  life's 
work.  Every  year,  beginning  in  1930,  for  29  years, 
the  water  users  of  District  No.  36,  without  a  dissenting 
vote,  elected  and  reelected  Mr.  Crandall  as  their 
Watermaster,  until  his  retirement  on  December  31 , 
1958.  During  the  same  period,  with  the  required 
special  approval  of  the  U.S.  Congress,  he  served  as 
District  Engineer  for  the  U.S.  Geological  Survey. 

His  remarkable  career  has  included  many  other 
water-related  and  arduous  assignments.  In  1920,  he 
was  appointed  commissioner  of  the  court  in  charge  of 
water  distribution  in  the  Big  Lost  River  Valley.  At 
the  time  the  controversies  over  water  in  this  valley  were 
so  heated  and  rough  that,  in  themselves,  they  provided 
the  subject  matter  for  many  colorful  Idaho  chapters. 

Sometimes  serving  jointly,  Mr.  Crandall  was  Custer 
County  surveyor;  city  councilman  and  school  board 
member  for  the  town  of  Mackay,-  U.S.  mineral  surveyor 
for  Custer  County,-  and  Federal  court  commissioner  in 
charge  of  water  distribution  on  the  Salmon  River  and 
on  the  Little  Lost  River. 


40 


Mr.  Crandall  is  a  rugged  individualist,  a  man  who 
always  says  what  he  thinks  in  as  few  words  as  pos- 
sible— let  the  chips  fall  where  they  may.  He  believes 
in  answering  every  letter  that  comes  across  his  desk 
the  day  it  is  received. 

In  1923,  he  received  the  Fuentes  Gold  Medal  from 
Cornell  University  and,  in  1958,  the  Distinguished 
Service  Gold  Medal  from  the  U.S.  Department  of  the 
Interior. 

Mr.  Crandall  has  always  taken  a  lively  interest  in  all 
natural  phenomena  and  in  collecting  unusual  items. 
He  has  gathered  an  outstanding  collection  of  Indian 
artifacts.  He  became  interested  in  the  early  stage 
lines  of  Idaho  and  acquired  an  interesting  collection 
of  early-day  Wells-Fargo  and  other  express  company 
covers. 

In  anticipation  of  the  centennial  of  Idaho  Territory, 
he  has  gathered  an  unusual  collection  of  old  maps 
showing  the  evolution  of  Idaho  Territory  from  the 
Louisiana  Purchase  to  the  present. 

Retirement  did  not  lessen  his  interest,  but  simply 
gave  him  the  opportunity  of  transferring  more  of  his 
waking  hours  to  each  of  them.  He  became  a  con- 
sultant on  many  underground  and  surface-water 
problems,  not  only  to  the  Federal  Government  but 
to  a  number  of  canal  companies.  He  accepted  an 
assigment  as  referee  in  bankruptcy. 

Certainly,  if  there  is  any  one  man  today  who  is 
qualified  to  discuss  the  Snake  River,  that  man  is 
Lynn  Crandall. 

H.  T.  NELSON 
Regional  Director 
Boise,  Idaho 

The  Reclamation  Era 


FIFTY-ODD  years  ago,  smoke  from  burn- 
ing sagebrush  in  the  Snake  River  area  in 
southern  Idaho  was  commonly  seen.  Home- 
steaders had  loosened  the  brush  on  the  land  by 
dragging  railroad  rails  through  it,  then  they  raked 
it  into  windrows  and  burnt  it.  The  skyline  be- 
came blotched  with  thick  sagebrush  smoke. 

Because  most  of  the  settlers  were  restricted 
financially  and  operated  only  with  horse-drawn 
equipment,  it  took  20  years  or  so  to  get  all  the  land 
of  the  larger  projects  into  cultivation. 

During  the  1870-80  decade,  irrigation  develop- 
ment on  the  Snake  River  tributaries  had  a  small 
start.  In  a  few  years,  the  first  diversions  were 
made  from  the  main  river.  By  1905  about  581,000 
acres  were  under  irrigation  on  the  river  and  tribu- 
taries upstream  from  King  Hill. 

Largely  due  to  the  Minidoka  government  proj- 
ect and  the  Twin  Falls  North  and  South  Carey 
Act  projects,  together  with  several  smaller  Carey 
Act  projects,  the  irrigated  area  above  King  Hill 
doubled  by  1915  to  1,170,000  acres.  By  1920  this 
had  increassed  to  1,400,000  acres  and  remained  at 
about  that  figure  until  1934,  when  there  was  a 
gradual  increase  to  about  1,600,000  acres  by  1950. 

Since  1950  there  has  been  a  development  of 
something  like  600,000  acres  of  new  land  above 
King  Hill  irrigated  by  groundwater  pumping  so 
that  probably  there  are  now  about  2l^  million 
acres  of  land  being  irrigated  on  the  Snake  River 
above  King  Hill. 


Early  projects  were  ordinarily  able  to  secure 
fairly  adequate  supplies  of  water  from  the  natural 
flow  of  streams,  as  crops  at  that  time  were  mostly 
about  50  percent  alfalfa  and  50  percent  grain.  It 
was  not  until  the  Minidoka  project  started  con- 
struction in  1905  that  provision  was  made  for 
stored  water  supplies  from  Jackson  Lake  and 
Lake  Walcott  Reservoirs. 

In  1915,  Twin  Falls  and  North  Side  projects 
arranged  for  doubling  the  storage  capacity  at 
Jackson  Lake  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  under 
provisions  of  the  Warren  Act,  and  the  dry  year 
of  1919  led  to  building  of  Henrys  Lake  in  1922, 
and  of  American  Falls  Reservoir  completion  in 
1926. 

The  dry  years  of  the  early  1930's,  coupled  with 
increasing  production  of  such  crops  as  potatoes 
and  sugarbeets,  which  required  more  late  season 
water,  resulted  in  demands  for  still  more  storage 
water  as  insurance  against  drought.  Island  Park 
and  Grassy  Lake  Reservoirs  were  built  in  1938 
and  1939  on  Henrys  Fork  watershed,  and  Pali- 
sades Reservoir  began  storage  in  October  1955. 

All  reservoirs  on  the  Snake  River  watershed 
above  King  Hill  have  a  present  total  usable  capac- 
ity of  nearly  5  million  acre- feet.  But  in  years  of 
deficient  runoff,  the  available  water  supply  is  not 
sufficient  to  fill  them  all  to  capacity. 

In  earlier  years  a  number  of  the  reservoirs  were 
built  by  Carey  Act  construction  companies  or 
groups  of  water  users,  but  for  the  past  35  years 


May  1963 


41 


Mr.  Crandall; 
some  years  ago. 


or  SO,  high  costs  of  con- 
struction and  complex 
conjflicting  interests 
have  resulted  in  con- 
struction by  the  Bureau 
of  Reclamation. 

The  more  complex 
reservoir  projects  have 
involved  long,  costly, 
and  detailed  studies  by 
Reclamation,  followed 
by  negotiations  with 
water  users  to  secure  agreement  with  the  proposed 
plans,  then  trips  by  witnesses  to  Washington  to 
testify  before  congressional  committees,  with  pos- 
sible testimony  by  opposing  interests. 

At  the  time  of  authorization  by  the  Congress  of 
American  Falls  Reservoir  in  the  early  1920's,  the 
Reclamation  program  was  at  such  a  low  level  of 
congressional  support  that  the  Congress  provided 
in  the  authorization  bill  that  canal  companies  de- 
siring to  buy  storage  in  the  reservoirs  would  have 
to  pay  cash  in  advance  of  construction.  Canal 
companies  and  irrigation  districts  floated  bond  is- 
sues and  raised  the  money  to  comply  with  this 
requirement. 

Large  sums  of  money  are  often  spent  both  by 
Government  and  by  interested  individuals  before 
authorization  is  finally  secured  from  the  Congress 
to  build  some  particular  project. 

It  took  over  20  years  of  investigations  to  start 
construction  on  the  Palisades  project  on  Snake 
River,  involving  the  negotiation  of  a  compact  be- 
tween Wyoming  and  Idaho,  securing  agreements 
between  various  groups  of  Idaho  water  users,  and 
getting  congressional  approval. 

Only  when  a  person  has  spent  the  major  part 
of  his  adult  lifetime  going  through  one  of  these 
struggles  to  get  some  new  project  authorized  and 
built,  can  he  appreciate  all  that  lies  behind  a  nice- 
looking  dam  and  powerplant  located  on  one  of  our 
western  rivers. 

The  gradual  development  of  natural  flow  and 
storage  water  rights  on  Snake  River  over  a  long 
period  of  years  has  resulted  in  many  hundreds  of 
such  rights  now  in  existence,  embodied  in  court 
decrees,  State  of  Idaho  water  licenses  and  con- 
tracts between  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  and 
canal  companies  and  irrigation  districts. 

42 


Operation  and  Management 

Under  Idaho  water  laws,  the  State  is  divided  by 
the  State  reclamation  engineer  into  water  dis- 
tricts, each  district  comprising  an  area  having  a 
common  water  supply.  Some  of  these  districts 
located  on  an  isolated  small  stream  may  comprise 
an  area  of  only  a  few  thousand  acres  or  less,  while 
the  largest  district,  such  as  District  No.  36,  on  the 
main  Snake  River  includes  an  area  of  ll^  million 
acres. 

On  the  first  Monday  of  each  March  the  water 
users  in  each  of  these  districts  meet  to  elect  a  water- 
master,  adopt  a  budget  for  the  ensuing  year,  and 
act  on  any  other  matters  affecting  the  operation  of 
the  district.  Larger  districts  usually  have  estab- 
lished an  advisory  committee  to  assist  the  water- 
master  in  passing  on  controversial  questions. 

These  committees  have  no  established  authority, 
but  they  usually  are  able  to  reach  unanimous  agree- 
ment and  are  of  great  assistance  to  the  watermaster 
in  dealing  with  controversial  matters  such  as 
stored  water  transmission  losses,  reservoir  evap- 
oration, bank  storage,  etc. 

The  Committee  of  Nine  on  Snake  River  acted  as 
the  Idaho  Compact  Commission  in  negotiating  the 
Snake  River  water  compact  with  Wyoming  and 
has  also  proved  to  be  an  effective  representative  of 
water  users'  opinions  in  dealing  with  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  on  details  of  repayment  contracts, 
schedules  for  reservoir  operation  during  both  the 
irrigation  and  nonirrigation  seasons,  and  other 
similar  questions  relating  to  operations  on  Snake 
River. 

A  much  more  satisfactory  operation  results  from 
such  a  program  of  prior  full  discussion  by  all 


KingHill 


^^^Mi 


TWIN  FALLS 
PROJECT 


/    C/Burl 


parties  concerned,  rather  than  to  have  someone 
clothed  with  arbitrary  authority  in  charge  of  river 
operation. 

It  is  only  a  question  of  time  when  our  western 
streams  will  be  fully  developed  from  a  water  sup- 
ply standpoint  and  we  will  be  obliged  to  give  seri- 
ous consideration  to  a  comment  once  made  by 
JUSTICE  OLIVER  WENDELL  HOLMES  of 
the  U.S.  Supreme  Court  when  he  said,  "^  river  is 
more  than  an  amenity,  it  is  a  treasure  and  offers 
a  necessity  of  life  that  must  he  rationed  among 
those  who  have  poioer  over  it:'' 

Compacfs  vs.  The  Future 

Our  experience  on  Snake  River  indicates  that 
full  trust  can  be  placed  in  democratic  processes  of 
allowing  all  kinds  of  water  users  at  the  grassroots 
level  to  be  freely  represented  in  determining  the 
policies  of  river  operation  and  in  selecting  persons 
to  have  charge  of  such  operations. 

There  has  been  much  discussion  during  recent 
years  of  the  desirability  of  interstate  water  com- 
pacts.   In  many  cases  there  are  good  reasons  for 


having  such  compacts,  particularly  in  the  case  of 
small  amounts  of  water  and  land  areas  and  in 
allocations  on  international  streams  between  dif- 
ferent countries. 

However,  one  objection  to  such  compacts  be- 
tween States  in  the  case  of  large  areas  and  complex 
problems  is  that  no  one  can  lift  the  curtain  that 
veils  the  future.    No  one  can  predict  what  river 


Henrys  Lake 


Island 

Pat 

Res. 


V 


/ 


ra 


ssy 
Lake  Res 


^ 


.♦  r^ 


,<^: 


[Jacksot 
Lake 


c^ 


?>^? 


y. 


Idaho  Falls 


.^, 


0!Z 


>. 


■^ 


iierican  Falls  Rei*} 


Res. 


Pocatello 


le  Wolcott 


i 


I 


runoff  will  be  50  years  from  now,  nor  what  the 
most  pressing  need  will  be  for  the  available  water 
supply  in  the  future. 

Experience  with  the  Colorado  Eiver  compact 
affords  definite  evidence  that  adoption  of  a  com- 
pact on  a  stream  is  no  guarantee  against  future 
troubles  with  water  development. 

Over  the  years,  dry  seasons  occurred,  demon- 
strating that  promoters  of  some  projects  had  been 
unduly  optimistic  in  their  original  estimates  of 
water  supply,  based  on  too  few  years  of  actual  run- 
off records. 

Substantial  reductions  in  irrigated  acreage  had 
to  be  made  on  some  projects,  generally  as  the  re- 
sult of  litigation  between  the  settlers  and  the  con- 
struction company  when  the  matter  could  not  be 
settled  by  mutual  agreement.  Practically  all  canal 
companies,  except  a  few  with  the  very  earliest 
natural  flow  rights,  have  been  obliged  to  purchase 
stored  water  rights  to  furnish  an  adequate  water 
supply  during  late  summer  months. 

The  principal  new  developments  underway  at 
present  are  individually  financed  projects  for 
ground- water  pumping  on  newly  irrigated  lands. 
It  is  difficult  to  accurately  estimate  what  additional 
acreage  might  be  so  irrigated,  but  it  may  be  of  the 
magnitude  of  another  one-half  million  acres  dur- 


Mr.  Crandall,  left,  receiving  Distinguished  Service  Medal  in  1958 
from  Asst.  Secretary  Fred  G.  Aandahl. 

ing  the  next  20  years  in  the  area  upstream  from 
King  Hill. 

Joint  studies  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  and 
the  Corps  of  Engineers  also  indicate  that  perhaps 
some  30  new  projects  on  the  Upper  Snake  may  be 
found  feasible  of  construction  before  the  area's 
water  resources  can  be  considered  to  be  fully  devel- 
oped. A  number  of  these  proposed  projects,  how- 
ever, have  controversial  features  connected  with 
them,  and  it  will  take  many  years  to  resolve  the 
conflicting  interests.  #  #  # 


Grant  Bloodgood  Retires  as  AC&CE 


W 


'ETH  almost 
41  years  of 
Federal  service, 
Grant  Blood- 
good  retired  in 
February  as  the 
Bureau's  Assist- 
ant Commis- 
sioner and  Chief 
Engineer.  He 
was  succeeded  by  B.  P.  Bellport,  whose  office  title 
became  Chief  Engineer. 

Best  wishes  were  expressed  to  AC&CE  Blood- 
good  by  Department  officials  and  Washington 
staffers  when  he  visited  the  Commissioner's  of- 
fice in  January.  Commissioner  Dominy  attended 
the  informal  honors  for  Mr.  Bloodgood  in  Denver 
rather  than  the  Washington  well-wishing  inas- 
much as  he  was  away  on  official  busines  when  Mr. 
Bloodgood  was  in  Washington. 


In  January  1946,  he  entered  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation's  Denver  Engineering  Center  as 
Chief  of  the  Construction  Engineering  Division, 
and  rose  through  the  years  to  Chief  Construction 
Engineer  and  Associate  Chief  Engineer.  He  has 
been  Assistant  Commissioner  and  Chief  Engineer 
since  March  1, 1958. 

Mr.  Bloodgood  holds  the  Department  of  the  In- 
terior's Gold  Medal  for  Distinguished  Service,  and 
the  Army's  Legion  of  Merit  and  two  Bronze  Star 
Medals  for  military  service  during  World  War  II. 

A  native  of  Newark,  Nebr.,  Mr.  Bloodgood 
graduated  in  engineering  from  the  University  of 
Nebraska  in  1920. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Concrete  Insti- 
tute, the  Society  of  American  Military  Engineers, 
the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  and 
serves  on  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  U.S. 
Committee  on  Large  Dams.  He  is  a  registered 
professional  engineer  in  Colorado.  #  #  # 


44 


The  Reclamation  Era 


TEDDY  ROOSEVELT'S  PROJECT 

^...  ffi]  (B  Q  [1 Q  a 


President  Theodore  RooseveWs  visits  to  the  Salt  River  Valley  of  Arizona  were  largely 
responsible  for  his  strong  belief  in  irrigation  which  led  to  passage  of  the  Reclamation 
Act  of  1902.  This  is  the  reason  settlers  on  this  pioneer  multipurpose  Reclamation,  devel- 
ment  affectionately  refer  to  it  as  '"''Teddy  Rooseveifsy 


ADC 


Car  36 
ADC: 


Emory 
ADC: 


"ADC  (Association  Dispatch  Center)  call- 
ing car  36.    Emory,  (zanjero)  car  36." 
"This  is  Emory.   Go  ahead,  ADC." 
"This  new  black  box  is  giving  us  a  read- 
ing  that   indicates   trouble   at   Division 
Gates." 

"What  does  it  say?" 

"It  indicates  a  sudden  raise  in  the  fore- 
bay,  and  that  Consolidated  Canal  is  drop- 
ing  out." 
Emory :  'Can't  be.    I  just  left  Division  Gates  10 
minutes  ago  and  am  traveling  up  the 
canal  now." 
ADC :  "Well  you  had  better  head  back  and  check. 
Maybe  we  can  throw  this  black  box  in  the 
ditch." 
[Fifteen  minutes  later'\ 
Emory :  "ADC  from  car  36 !" 
ADC :     "Go  ahead,  Emory." 
Emory :  "Hold  on  to  that  black  box.    I  found  a 
log  lodged  under  the  radial  gate.    It  was 
a  good  thing  I  got  back  as  soon  as  I  did" 
The  above  incident  occurred  on  the  first  day  the 
system    went    into    operation    after   the    annual 
month's  dryup.    This  incident  "sold"  the  value  of 
the  remote  control  to  the  operating  forces,  and  it 
confirmed  the  decision  of  management  to  install 
this  supervisory  control  unit. 

A  year's  investigation  was  required  before  de- 
ciding on  the  type  of  equipment  to  install. 

The  location  chosen  for  the  first  installation  is 
referred  to  as  Division  Gates.  At  this  point,  the 
main  South  Canal  is  divided  into  five  separate 
watercourses,  three  of  which  are  gated  for  local 

by  H.  SHIPLEY,  Associate  General   Manager, 

D.  L.  WEESNER,  Engineer,  Salt  River  Project,  Ariz. 

May  1963 


Joe  AcufF  operates  the  control  console  of  Division  Gates  at  ADC 
as  Howard  Durst  looks  on. 


deliveries.  The  other  two  are  main  feeder  ca- 
nals— the  Tempe  Crosscut  to  the  west  and  the  Con- 
solidated Canal  to  the  east.  The  junction  of  the 
three  canals  is  a  critical  point  due  to  the  following : 

(1)  Local  desert  storms  drain  large  amounts  of 
water  into  the  main  South  Canal  in  short-time  in- 
tervals. Since  portions  of  this  canal  are  built  in 
borrow,  canal  breaks  are  possible. 

(2)  Upstream  from  this  point,  the  Roosevelt 
Water  Conservation  District  pumps  out  of  the 
main  canal  approximately  190  c.f  .s.  daily.    During 


45 


At  ADC,  Howard  Durst  checks  out 
the  radio  at  Division  Gates. 

electric  failure  due  to  local  storms  or  malfunction- 
ing of  the  pumping  equipment,  this  flow  of  190 
c.f .s.  will  remain  in  the  system,  and  during  peak 
runs  creates  a  serious  problem  downstream. 

(3)  Also  upstream,  a  division  of  the  South  Ca- 
nal starts  the  Eastern  Canal  and  the  remaining 
flow  drops  through  a  hydro  unit,  which  is  operated 
intermittently  creating  considerable  fluctuations 
at  Division  Gates. 

(4)  Many  water  order  changes  require  con- 
tinual adjustment. 

Button  Operation 

By  explaining  the  sequence  of  the  operator  at 
ADC  on  the  console,  one  may  appreciate  the  sig- 
nificance of  the  conversation  that  started  this  ar- 
ticle. All  information  is  obtained  by  interrogating 
the  remote  unit.  The  operator  must  press  the 
right  button  to  obtain  the  desired  information. 
These  steps  are : 

(1)  Press  button  W-1  and  console  indicated 
level  of  forebay.  On  February  19,  1962,  at  4 :15 
p.m.,  the  forebay  registered  8.50,  indicating  higher 
than  normal  operating  conditions. 

(2)  Button  W-2  reports  reading  at  standard 
stage  recorder,  coupled  to  the  digiti2ser.  The  read- 
ing of  1.50  indicated  a  difference  in  flow  when 
compared  with  the  previous  reading  of  1.90. 

(3)  The  operator  then  realized  that  something 
was  amiss,  probably  a  plugup,  to  cause  the  raise 
in  the  main  forebay. 

(4)  After  the  zanjero  checked  the  condition  and 
confirmed  a  plugged  gate,  he  radioed  ADC  to  raise 
the  gate  and  clear  the  obstruction. 

(5)  ADC  pressed  button  K-1.  After  a  foot 
raise  was  indicated  on  the  console,  ADC  reset  it  to 


46 


the  first  reading  and  then  checked  his  forebay 
W-1  and  the  downstream  recorder,  W-2,  putting 
the  canal  back  on  order. 

After  several  months  of  experience,  the  operator 
goes  through  this  procedure  when  checking  an  un- 
usual circumstance  without  the  assistance  of  the 
zanjero  in  the  field. 


Editor's  Note:  The  electronic  irrigation 
control  system  on  the  Salt  River  project  has 
proven  to  he  an  efficient  and  practical 
worker.  Operation  of  the  installation  as 
described  in  this  article  wUl  give  you  a  sam- 
ple of  the  broader  horizons  that  are  combing 
in  view  in  electronic  systems  for  ri/ver 
control. 


Equipment* 

An  interesting  feature  of  the  equipment  is  the 
use  of  magnetic  logic  systems.  Most  people  will 
be  able  to  recall  the  popular  laboratory  experiment 
of  a  bar  magnet  directionalizing  iron  filings  clearly 
showing  the  magnetic  field  of  flux.  Instead  of  the 
conventional  magnet,  ferrite  materials  are  molded 
in  shapes  and  wired.  The  units  are  about  the  size 
of  a  shirt  button  and  are  the  foundation  of  the 
"magnetic  logic,"  which  provides  built-in,  fail-safe 
reliability. 

Engineers  designed  tl>e  equipment  to  control 
three  individual  gates  and  five  telemetering  read- 
ings on  each  station.  The  present  console  unit  has 
a  capacity  of  27  stations  and  can  be  expanded  to 
45  stations  with  very  little  change  and  relatively 
small  cost.  All  of  this  electronic  equipment  has  a 
solid  state  construction  with  only  six  relays.  The 
small  number  of  relays  involved  results  in  a  mini- 
mum of  moving  parts  and  a  relatively  low  main- 
tenance cost. 

The  telememory  system  is  entirely  operated  by 
24  volts  DC  except  the  actual  motorization  of  the 
gates.  This  has  the  advantage  that  in  case  of 
power  failure  the  full  telemetering  is  still  main- 
tained at  the  station  where  the  power  failure  oc- 
curred, continuing  a  full  knowledge  of  any  condi- 
tions that  may  exist  at  this  location  for  a  period  of 
approximately  eight  hours.  This  lost  power  re- 
quires manual  operation  of  the  gates. 


*See  American  Institute  of  Electrical  Engineers,  Conference  Paper 
CP-61,172,  by  S.  M.  Cholmers,  electrical  engineer  for  the  Salt 
River   project,   and   Leslie  Norde,   engineer   at  Motorola,    Inc. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


View   of   Division   Gates,   above.      Right,    Emory   Hawkes,   zanjero   in   the   Division 
Gates  area,  checks  the  water  level  gage  in  the  forebay. 


Telememory  Aids 

Some  of  the  features  of  the  telememory  system 
are: 

(1)  Quiescent  operation. — The  system  is  active 
only  when  there  is  information  to  report  or  when 
a  control  action  is  commanded. 

(2)  Safety. — Multiaperture  core  logic  makes 
the  system  inherently  fail-safe.    Cores  can  remem- 

[  ber  control  signals  indefinitely  without  consuming 
power.  The  system  will  not  produce  erratic  com- 
mands in  the  event  of  a  power  failure. 

t(3)  Continuous  alarm. — Monitoring  the  remote 
ation  automatically  initiates  an  alarm  message 
upon  detection  of  abnormal  conditions.  The 
alarm  messages  can  be  given  precedence  over  all 
other  transmissions  if  desired. 

(4)  Positive  message  security. — Receivers  and 
transmitters  are  self-synchronized  to  make  abso- 
lutely certain  that  the  entire  message  is  received 
before  any  control  readout  action  is  taken. 

(5)  Transmission. — The  telememory  system  is 
compatible  with  all  communications  media.  It  can 
operate  over  15-cycle  telemetering  channels,  tele- 

1  type  channels,  microwave,  VHF  (used  by  Salt 
I  River  project ) ,  or  UHF  radio,  powerlines  or  pow- 
!    erline  carriers. 

A  very  interesting  feature  of  the  multiaperature 

j    core  is  that  one  core  can  take  the  place  of  some- 

[    times  10-12  transistors,  and  in  the  event  you  were 

using  a  relay  system,  this  would  take  the  place  of 

I    possibly  twice  to  three  times  as  many  relays. 

.   May  1963 


An  important  technical  feature  is  the  security 
provisions  of  the  telememory  system.  It  is  pro- 
vided with  a  number  of  automatic  error- and-mal- 
f  unction-detection  provisions  to  prevent  erroneous 
messages  or  incorrect  control  action  from 
occurring. 

Message  Checking 

Remote-to-central  messages  are  given  a  two-part 
parity  check.  Central-to-remote  messages  may  go 
through  as  many  as  three  parity  checks  before 
they  are  decoded  and  acted  upon.  The  parity 
check  used  for  remote-to-central  messages  consists 
of  counting  the  code  pulses  within  a  fixed  interval 
of  time. 

Receipt  of  the  first  bit  of  message  initiates  the 
count  and  starts  the  timing  of  the  message.  Any 
message  that  does  not  contain  the  predetermined 
number  of  code  pulses  and/or  not  completed 
within  the  specified  time  interval  is  rejected  as 
invalid. 

Acknowledgment  of  proper  effecting  of  com- 
mand messages  is  accomplished  by  an  automatic 
checkback  system.  The  central  station  dispatcher 
depresses  a  command  button,  such  as  "Raise  Gate 
No.  5,"  on  the  console.  Only  after  the  command 
has  been  received  and  carried  out  at  the  remote 
site  does  the  acknowledging  lamp  on  the  button  it- 
self light  up.  Thus  an  automatic  check  of  remote 
station  equipment  is  implicit  in  every  central-to- 
remote  transmission. 


47 


This  system  has  a  wide  temperature  range.  It 
has  been  designed  and  tested  for  temperatures  of 
-22°  F.  to  +167°  F.,  with  a  guaranteed  opera- 
tional in  a  range  of  -4°  F.  to  +149°  F.  The  re- 
mote station  equipment  is  packaged  for  installation 
in  outdoor  cabinet  for  a  dusty  area  where 
sometimes  the  temperature  reaches  115°  F. 

With  our  experience  and  that  of  the  Yuma  Mesa 
pumping  plant  on  the  Gila  project,  and  the  Klam- 
ath project,  it  is  conclusive  that  remote  super- 
visory control  systems  for  irrigation  projects 
provide:  {a)  Prompt  recognition  of  emergency 
conditions  and  the  ability  to  take  corrective  meas- 
ures by  positioning  gates;  {b)  improvement  of 
normal  operations  by  highly  accurate  telemetering 
of  water  level  and  gate  position  to  be  used  in  the 
calculation  of  water  flow,  and  the  required  gate 
position  to  meet  the  water  delivery  schedule;  (c) 
control  of  pumping  stations  at  remote  locations; 
and  {d)  positive  control.  #  #  # 


Gate  in  the  left  section  of  the    picture  will  operate  by  push- 
button or  by  handwheels. 


With  the  Water  Users 


Award   to  Mr.   Coles   (right)   being   made  by  W. 
Welsh,   Secretary-Manager,    NRA. 


NRA  President  Receives  Award 

LaSelle  Coles  of  Prineville,  Oreg.,  president  of 
the  National  Reclamation  Association,  won  an 
annual  Conservation  Award  sponsored  by  Ameri- 
can Motors  Corp.  The  award,  one  of  eight  made 
to  men  whose  recognized  accomplishments  were 
substantially  or  completely  in  the  field  of  soil  and 
water  conservation,  was  a  plaque  which  was  pre- 
sented to  Mr.  Coles  at  a  meeting  of  the  NRA 
Board  of  Directors  on  March  4  in  Washington. 

Mr.  Coles  has  been  secretary-manager  of  Ore- 
gon's Ochoco  Irrigation  District  and  chairman  of 
the  State  water  resources  board  since  its  forma- 
tion in  1955.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Colum- 
bia Basin  Advisory  Committee  named  by  Secretary 
of  the  Interior  Udall  in  1961. 

Oregon's  Governor  Hatfield  cited  Mr.  Coles  as 
the  man  who  has  done  perhaps  more  than  any 
other  Oregonian  to  advance  the  cause  of  water 
conservation. 

•    •    * 


48 


The  Reclamation  Era 


«!• 


Facing  Sediment 
Prolilenis 


SINCE  the  beginning  of  history,  man's  at- 
tempts to  make  beneficial  use  of  land  and 
water  resources  have  been  complicated,  some- 
times with  disastrous  results,  by  sedimentation. 

Earliest  civilizations  were  developed  near  the 
fans  and  deltas  formed  by  the  deposition  of  sedi- 
ment along  streams  and  in  lakes. 

Almost  everyone  has  been  closely  associated  with 
various  forms  of  sediment  and  problems  of  sedi- 
mentation throughout  his  everyday  existence. 
Recognition  of  sediment  yield  problems  and  the 
need  for  corrective  action  progressed  steadily  in 
this  country.  Congressional  action  has  created 
various  agencies  and  services  to  administer  flood 
control  and  watershed  protection  programs,  and 
are  evidence  of  the  public  concern  and  the  desire 
for  remedial  activity. 

Uncontrolled  erosion  results  in  silted  reservoirs ; 
clogged  distribution  systems;  scoured  stream 
channels;  destruction  of  fish,  wildlife,  and  recrea- 
tion facilities;  and  other  visible  damages  of 
significant  proportions. 

Sedimentation  is  inherent  in  the  development  of 
the  water  supply  of  a  river  basin.  The  degree  to 
which  these  problems  will  affect  the  design,  eco- 
nomics, and  project  operation  must  be  evaluated 
in  planning  stage. 

The  field  of  sedimentation  is  relatively  new  and 
much  of  the  sedimentation  evaluation  on  early 
projects  was  solely  based  on  judgment.  As  ex- 
perience is  gained  on  operating  projects  (both 
Bureau  and  others) ,  a  storehouse  of  sedimentation 
data  becomes  available  from  which  it  is  possible 
to  improve  the  methods  and  procedures  for 
evaluating  the  sedimentation  aspects  in  project 
planning  and  development. 

Areas  with  problems  such  as  this,  a  scene  on  the  Riverton  project, 
can  be  stabilized  through  conservation  practices. 


49 


A  sedimented  section   of  the  Rio  Grande  near  Mesilla  Dam,  Las 
Crvces,  N.  Mex. 


Storage 

Sedimentation  in  reservoirs  has  become  increas- 
ingly important.  At  the  time  storage  dams  are 
planned  and  designed,  an  estimate  is  made  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  problem.  Even  where  curtail- 
ment of  storage  capacity  is  considered  to  be  se- 
rious, storage  facilities  are  not  constructed  unless 
the  benefits  to  the  Nation  are  substantially  greater 
than  the  cost  of  the  dam. 

For  example,  provision  for  sediment  storage 
was  a  major  consideration  in  the  planning,  selec- 
tion, and  design  of  the  principal  reservoirs  in  the 
Upper  Colorado  Riv^er  Basin.  A  basic  concept  ad- 
hered to  was  that  active  storage  capacity  should 
not  be  encroached  upon  by  sediment  accumulation 
during  the  first  200  years  of  reservoir  life. 

Glen  Canyon  Dam  and  other  proposed  or  exist- 
ing storage  features  above  Hoover  Dam  will  re- 


duce the  flow  of  sediment  into  Lake  Mead  to 
minor  significance. 

Canal  Sedimenfation 

Deposition  of  sediment  frequently  occurs  in  tl 
vicinity  of  the  headworks  of  canal  diversioi 
Provisions  are  generally  made  for  sedimentati( 
retention  basins  or  installations  for  flushing  worli 
downstream  from  the  canal  entrance  works, 
long  as  the  desired  flows  can  be  maintained,  a  cei 
tain  amount  of  silting  in  unlined  canals  and  ditche 
is  sometimes  desirable  to  reduce  seepage. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  is  continually  con- 
fronted with  problems  in  regard  to  sedimentation 
on  its  many  projects.  The  principal  features  re- 
quiring sediment  investigation  studies  are  (1)  res- 
ervoir sedimentation,  (2)  sediment  at  diversion 
dams,   (3)    channel  stability  problems,  and    (4) 


50 


The  Reclamation  Era 


When  operating,  the    water  level   comes  to  the  top  of  this  desilting   equipment  located  near  Imperial  Dam  on  the  Colorado  River, 
water    is   moved    to    irrigate   fields   while    the    silt   is   returned   to   the    river. 


Clear 


problems  associated  with  the  design  of  structures. 

The  generalized  problems  arising  throughout 
the  field  of  sedimentation  are  receiving  widespread 
consideration,  both  in  the  field  and  laboratory  by 
Federal,  State,  and  municipal  agencies,  as  well  as 
other  entities  and  private  individuals.  This  point 
was  emphasized  at  the  recent  Interagency  Sedi- 
mentation Conference  at  Jackson,  Miss,,  where 
some  93  individual  papers  were  presented  and  dis- 
cussed by  the  310  persons  attending  the  conference. 

It  was  pointed  out  that  our  present  knowledge 
is  far  from  complete.  However,  the  rate  of  learn- 
ing is  rapid,  control  techniques  are  being  im- 
proved, and  the  problem  is  generally  recognized 
as  one  of  great  complexity  and  importance. 


i 


Improved  by  Controls 


rosion,  and  consequently  sedimentation,  may 
be  slowed  dow^n  in  many  ways,  but  it  can  never  be 


entirely  eliminated.  Paving  streets  and  roads  re- 
duces local  erosion,  and  planting  leafy  crops  helps 
to  lessen  wind  and  water  erosion  on  fields.  Erosion 
in  streams  and  rivers  can  be  greatly  reduced  by 
channelization  and  bank  protection. 

Controlled  grazing  over  our  western  pastures 
prevents  the  reduction  of  plant  cover  caused  by 
overgrazing.  Runoff  control  by  the  construction 
of  small  ditches  along  hillsides  allows  the  waters 
to  seep  into  the  soil  mantle  and  thus  aid  in  the 
control  of  erosive  factors.  These  are  generally 
agricultural  problems  and  can  provide  a  measure 
of  control  over  the  production  of  sediment. 

Within  economic  limits  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion controls  the  transport  of  sediment  to  the  end 
that  its  detrimental  effects  are  minimized  and  pro- 
vide for  the  beneficial  utilization  of  the  Nation's 
resources.  #    #  # 


,May  1963 


51 


KEY  PERSONNEL  CHANGED 


B.  P.  Heliport  Becomes  Reclamation's  Chief  Engineer 


B.  P.  Bellport,  on 
February  1,  was  ap- 
pointed Chief  Engi- 
neer, advancing  from 
Associate  Chief  Engi- 
neer, a  position  he  held 
since  1959.  Mr.  Bell- 
port  succeeded  Grant 
Bloodgood. 

Chief  Engineer 

Bellport  was  Regional 

Director  at  Sacramento,  Calif.,  from  1957  to  1959, 

when  he  moved  to  Denver  and  worked  ^yith  Mr. 

Bloodgood.     (See  story  on  page  44.) 
Mr.  Bellport  was  bom  May  25,  1907,  at  La 

Crosse,  Kans.     He  was  graduated  from   Poly- 


technic College  of  Engineering  in  Oakland,  Calif., 
in  1927  with  a  degree  in  engineering.  His  first 
Bureau  of  Reclamation  service  was  in  1936  on  the 
Contra  Costa  Canal  of  the  Central  Valley  project 
in  California. 

He  subsequently  worked  on  many  other  fea- 
tures of  the  Central  Valley  project  and  directed 
construction  of  the  Tracy  pumping  plant.  He 
was  later  Resident  Engineer  for  the  Solano  proj- 
ect in  California,  including  Monticello  Dam  and 
the  development  and  construction  of  the  Tracy 
fish  facility. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil 
Engineers,  the  U.S.  Committee  on  Large  Dams, 
and  is  a  registered  professional  engineer  in 
Colorado.  #  #  # 


Parmakian  Named  Associate  Chief  Engineer 


John  Parmakian  in 
March  was  named  As- 
sociate Chief  Engineer 
to  work  with  Chief 
Engineer  Bellport  at 
Denver.  He  formerly 
served  as  Assistant 
Chief  Designing  En- 
gineer (Civil  and 
Structural)  from  1961 
to  the  time  of  this  appointment,  and  also  held  the 
position  of  Chief  of  the  Technical  Engineering 


Analysis  Branch  at  Denver. 

Mr.  Parmakian's  professional  career  with  the 
Bureau  began  in  1930  when  he  was  a  junior  en- 
gineer assigned  to  testing  hydraulic  structures 
at  Hoover  Dam.  He  is  author  of  numerous  tech- 
nical articles  and  a  book,  Waterharmner  Analysis; 
a  director  of  the  American  Society  of  Mechanical 
Engineers;  and  is  affiliated  with  various  other 
engineering  asociations. 

Mr.  Parmakian  is  a  graduate  of  Massachusetts 
Institute  of  Technology  and  received  his  master's 
degree  from  the  University  of  Colorado.    #  #  # 


G.  E.  Burnett  Is  Promoted  To  Chief  Research  Scientist 


Promotion  of  Gray- 
don  E.  Burnett  to 
Chief  Research  Scien- 
tist, filling  the  vacancy 
left  by  his  predecessor, 
Walter  Price,  who  re- 
tired a  few  months 
ago,  was  announced 
February  12.  Mr. 
Burnett     will     serve 

with  new  Chief  Engineer  B.  P.  Bellport  who 

took  office  February  1. 

Mr.  Burnett  has  been  Acting  Chief  Research 

Engineer  since  early  1962. 


A  native  of  Madison,  So.  Dak.,  Mr.  Burnett 
liolds  a  B.S.  degree  in  chemistry  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Utah,  where  he  graduated  with  honors 
and  was  elected  to  membership  in  the  honorary 
scholastic  fraternity.  Phi  Kappa  Phi.  He  is  a 
member  of  Sigma  Xi,  an  honorary  scientific 
society  and  is  a  registered  professional  engineer  in 
the  State  of  Colorado. 

Mr.  Burnett  is  a  career  employee  of  the  Bureau 
and  has  served  continuously  with  the  Bureau  since 
1936,  with  the  exception  of  war  service  from  1942 
to  1946  when  he  trained  troops  in  chemical 
warfare.  #  #  # 


52 


The  Reclamation  Era 


B       '^"'^"^n^^H        A    man    who    had 

^^™        hand  in  developing  a 
well-known     coopera- 
t  i  V  e,      multipurpose 
water- resource      plan 
^^^  affecting  all  or  part  of 

^A  |\^|dW||^^J  10  Midwestern  States 
^^^^  *^ilr  ^^^B  reported  last  Decem- 
^^^^  dK.  ^^H  ^^^  head  Bureau 
^^^^^  ^^^        programs  in  Region  2. 

He  is  Robert  J.  Pafford  Jr.,  new  Regional  Direc- 
tor who  succeeds  to  the  position  left  by  H.  P. 
(Pat)  Dugan  who,  a  few  weeks  earliei*,  was  moved 
to  Denver  to  be  Director  of  Region  7. 

The  water-resource  plan  referred  to  above  is 
the  Pick-Sloan  plan  which  was  named  after  Gen. 
Lewis  A.  Pick  and  Glen  Sloan,  then  Regional  Di- 
rector of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation.  Mr.  Pafford 
was  closely  associated  with  General  Pick  in  de- 
veloping the  Army  Corps  of  Engineers'  phases  of 
the  plan  for  the  U.S.  Army  Corps  of  Engineers 
in  the  middle  and  late  1940's.  It  was  in  19-1:2  when 
Mr,  Pafford,  a  native  of  Salina,  Kans.,  joined  the 
Corps  of  Engineers,  Omaha  Division. 


Robert  J.  Pafford  Jr.  Directs  Region  Two 


He  was  choosen  "1955  Federal  Employee  of  the 
Year"  in  the  Nebraska  area. 

Mr.  Pafford  is  a  long-term  career  employee  of 
the  Federal  Government  and  holds  a  degree  in 
electrical  engineering  from  Kansas  State  Univer- 
sity at  Manhattan.  He  first  joined  the  Corps  in 
1934  as  a  junior  electrical  engineer,  then  moved 
into  hydraulic  engineering  positions  on  Corps 
projects  in  West  Virginia  and  in  the  Missouri 
River  Basin. 

From  1957  until  his  appointment  to  the  Recla- 
mation headquarters  at  Sacramento,  Calif.,  Mr. 
Pafford  held  the  position  of  Supervisory  Civil 
Engineer  with  the  Corps'  Missouri  River  Division 
in  Omaha,  Nebr. 

Mr.  Pafford  is  a  member  of  the  American  Asso- 
ciation for  Advancement  of  Science,  American 
Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  International  Asso- 
ciation for  Hydraulic  Research,  Omaha  Engineers 
Club,  U.S.  Committee  of  the  International  Com- 
mission on  Large  Dams,  and  the  U.S.  Committee 
of  the  International  Commission  on  Irrigation  and 
Drainage.  #  #  # 


D.  R.  Burnett  to  Head  Philippine  Office 


Donald  R.  Burnett, 
who  for  nearly  4  years 
has  been  Chief,  Divi- 
sion of  Project  Devel- 
opment, left  his  Wash- 
ington post  on  April  5 
to  become  Project  En- 
gineer in  charge  of  a 
new  Bureau  office  at 
Manila  in  the  Philip- 
les.  Function  of  the  new  office  is  to  work  with 
Philippine  officials  in  carrying  out  investigations 
of  m.ultiple-purpose  development  of  the  major 
river  basins  of  the  islands  under  auspices  of  the 
Agency  for  International  Development. 


Mr.  Burnett  first  came  with  the  Bureau  at 
Boulder  City,  Nev.,  March  1934.  With  step-by- 
step  increases  in  Bureau  responsibilities,  he  also 
served  at  Denver  and  at  various  other  locations. 
In  1946,  he  was  appointed  Region  5  Program 
Control  Officer,  Region  Planning  Engineer  in 
1952,  and  Assistant  Region  5  Director  in  1956, 
holding  the  latter  until  July  19, 1959,  when  he  was 
assigned  to  Washington,  D.C. 

In  1931,  Mr.  Burnett  was  awarded  his  B.S.  de- 
gree in  engineering  from  the  University  of  Utah 
at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  While  in  the  Army  Air 
Force  from  1941  to  1946,  he  served  in  the  Eu- 
ropean and  Japanese  theaters,  attaining  the  rank 
of  lieutenant  colonel.  #  #  # 


May  1963 


53 


WATER  REPORT 


by  HOMER  J.  STOCKWELL 

Water  Supply   Forecasting   Unit 

Soil    Conservation   Service 

Portland,   Oreg. 


For  many  irrigated  areas  of  western  United  States  the 
water  supply  outlook  for  1963  is  as  dependent  on  water 
stored  in  reservoirs  as  that  stored  in  the  snowpack  for 
runoff  next  summer.  As  of  mid-March,  the  mountain 
snowpack  in  the  Cascades  of  "Washington  and  Oregon, 
the  Sierras  of  California,  and  in  the  mountains  of  south- 
ern Idaho  was  at  or  near  a  minimum  of  record.  The 
normal  snow  accumulation  has  also  been  much  less  than 
average  in  eastern  Oregon,  Utah,  Nevada,  and  Arizona. 
Only  along  the  Continental  Divide  of  the  Rockies  has 
the  snowpack  to  date  approached  average. 

Storage  In  reservoirs  carried  over  from  the  relatively 
plentiful  water  year  of  1962  is  the  principal  factor  that 
differentiates  a  fair  water  supply  outlook  for  1963  from 
an  exteme  shortage. 

With  a  substantial  dependence  on  storage,  water  users 
should  consider  the  effects  of  a  depletion  of  storage  at 
the  end  of  the  season  on  the  outlook  for  1964.  Water 
should  be  carefully  utilized.  Should  the  snow  accumula- 
tion next  season  be  average  or  less,  a  widespread  and 
severe  water  shortage  will  be  likely  in  1964. 

The  following  is  a  more  detailed  report  by  States. 

Arizona 

The  1963  water  supply  outlook  for  Arizona  is  near 
average  for  the  major  irrigation  projects.  Storage  in  San 
Carlos  and  Salt  River  project  reservoirs  showed  a  sub- 
stantial improvement  in  recent  months,  adding  to  an 
already  favorable  storage  situation.  Winter  streamflow 
has  been  far  in  excess  of  average.  Streamflow  during  the 
spring  months  will  range  near  50  i)ercent  of  average  for 
all  streams  except  the  Upper  Gila  where  near  average 
flows  are  in  prospect.  March  precipitation  has  been 
slightly  less  than  average  except  for  the  Upper  Gila 
where  near  average  rainfall  has  occurred.  Soils  in  the 
high  elevation  snow  areas  are  in  saturated  condition. 
The  water  supply  outlook  along  the  Little  Colorado  and 
Verde  rivers  is  not  as  favorable. 

California 

The  California  Department  of  Water  Resources,  coor- 
dinating agency  for  snow  surveys  and  water  supply  fore- 
casting in  California,  reports  that,  as  of  mid-March, 
water  supply  conditions  during  the  spring  and  summer 
season  this  year  will  be  seriously  short  in  many  areas  of 
California. 

In  the  vital  Central  Valley  area  this  year,  snowpack 
accumulation  ranges  from  near  zero  on  the  Feather  and 
Yuba  River  basins  in  the  Sacramento  Valley  area  to  a 


high  of  only  65  percent  of  normal  on  the  Kern  River  basin 
in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley.  The  Owens  River  watershed 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Sierras  in  the  Lahontan  area  was 
the  only  major  basin  in  the  State  with  normal  snowpack 
in  mid-March. 

The  South  Coastal  and  Colorado  desert  areas  are  the 
only  major  hydrologic  areas  in  which  below  normal  runoff 
conditions  exist ;  runoff  in  both  of  these  areas  was  con- 
siderably below  normal  for  both  February  and  the  season 
to  date. 

The  excessive  February  runoff  resulted  in  a  gain  in 
reservoir  storage  throughout  California.  Total  water 
in  storage  at  month's  end  amounted  to  111  percent  of 
the  average. 

With  Lake  Mead  83  percent  of  capacity,  the  major 
agricultural  areas  of  California  that  have  access  to  these 
supplies  should  experience  no  problem  during  the  coming 
season. 

Colorado 

With  near-average  streamflow  in  prosi)ect,  water  supply 
outlook  for  the  South  Platte  and  its  tributaries  is  good. 
Storage  in  smaller  irrigation  reservoirs  in  the  tributary 
stream'  irrigated  area  is  above  average.  On  the  lower 
South  Platte,  storage  is  near  capacity.  The  resources 
of  the  Colorado-Big  Thompson  project  will  be  fully  avail- 
able to  supplement  streamflow.  Storage  in  municipal 
reservoirs  is  above  average. 

For  the  west  slope  streamflow  will  be  near  three- 
quarters  of  average,  but  water  supplies  will  be  adequate 
throughout  the  season  for  the  Upper  Colorado  River 
tributaries. 

The  flow  of  the  Rio  Grande  through  San  Luis  Valley 
will  again  be  much  less  than  average.  Extensive  use  of 
groundwater  will  again  be  required.  The  Arkansas  Val- 
ley will  be  adversely  affected  by  both  shortage  of  stored 
water  and  about  75  percent  of  average  streamflow. 

Idaho 

Snowfall  throughout  Idaho  has  been  one  of  the  lowest 
years  of  record  during  the  1963  season.  Fall  rains  preced- 
ing the  snow  in  1962  were  also  below  normal.  This  com- 
bination indicates  critically  low  streamflow  during  the 
irrigation  season. 

Carryover  storage  on  the  main  stem  of  the  Snake,  Boise, 
and  Payette  Rivers  is  excellent,  but  will  make  up  only 
part  of  the  deficiency  in  streamflow  for  1963.  On  the 
,  many  smaller  rivers  and  streams  in  Idaho,  without  ade- 
quate reservoirs,  a  critical  water  shortage  is  in  prospect. 


54 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Montana 

Streamflows  are  forecast  at  slightly  less  than  average 
for  the  1963  season.  Irrigation  water  supplies  are  rea- 
sonably assured  for  the  areas  along  the  larger  streams 
east  of  the  Divide.  Snow  cover  has  been  light  on  the 
headwaters  of  the  Beaverhead  tributary  to  the  Jefferson 
where  late  season  shortages  are  a  definite  prospect. 
Lack  of  seasonal  snowfall  and  carryover  storage  will 
limit  water  supplies  along  the  Marias  and  Milk  Rivers 
in  north-central  Montana  and  on  Red  Rock  Creek,  tribu- 
tary to  the  Yellowstone. 

Streamflow  during  the  snowmelt  season  is  forecast  at 
about  three-quarters  of  average  in  western  Montana. 
Storage  in  power  reservoirs  is  near  average;  they  are 
expected  to  fill  during  the  snow  runoff  period. 

NevcKla 

April-July  streamflow  forecasts  indicate  that  runoff 
will  be  much  below  average,  all  less  than  one-half  of 
average.  In  aggregate,  storage  in  all  principal  reservoirs 
in  Nevada  except  Lake  Tahoe  is  well  above  average  for 
April  1.  Water  users  served  from  these  reservoirs  should 
have  a  moderately  adequate  irrigation  season  water  sup- 
ply. Nevada  water  users  without  reservoir  facilities  will 
have  an  extremely  poor  water  supply  this  coming  spring 
and  summer. 

New  Mexico 

Seasonal  snowfall  has  been  near  average  in  northern 
New  Mexico.  The  flow  of  the  Rio  Grande  at  Otowi  Bridge 
for  the  middle  Rio  Grande  district  is  expected  to  be 
slightly  less  than  for  the  1943-57  average  and  similar 
to  the  3  years  before  1962.  In  the  lower  Rio  Grande,  in- 
flow to  Elephant  Butte  will  be  less  than  average  and 
also  typical  of  recent  years.  Total  surface  water  supplies 
will  continue  to  be  substantially  less  than  demands. 

Oregon 

The  1963  irrigation  water  outlook  for  Oregon  is  ex- 
tremely poor  except  for  those  areas  which  have  adequate 
stored  water  supplies.  Snowpack  in  mountain  areas,  ex- 
cept for  the  northeast  section  of  the  State,  is  the  lowest 
of  record  for  mid-March.  While  winter  streamflow  has 
been  high,  summer  flows  from  snowmelt  will  be  near  a 
minimum  of  record. 

The  most  favorable  -psiTt  of  the  water  outlook  is  the 
relative  adequacy  of  storage.  In  23  major  reservoirs, 
storage  is  105  percent  of  average  for  this  date.  Not  all 
irrigated  areas  have  adequate  storage  to  eliminate  the 
probability  of  late-season  shortages.  Among  these  areas 
I  are  lands  served  by  Agency  Valley  and  Warm  Springs 
Reservoirs  in  Malheur  County  and  McKay  Reservoir  in 
Umatilla  County. 

South   Dakota 

Storage  in  reservoirs  serving  the  Black  Hills  area  is 
almost  two  times  the  1943-57  average.     With  an  average 


snow  cover  in  the  mountains,  the  irrigation  water  supply 
outlook  for  this  area  is  good. 

Utcdi 

The  water  supply  outlook  for  all  streams  in  the  Great 
Basin  area  of  Utah  is  poor  to  extremely  poor.  Most 
forecasts  range  between  20  percent  and  55  i)ercent  of 
average  for  these  rivers.  The  best  prospects  are  for 
the  Provo  and  Logan  Rivers  which  are  forecast  to  flow 
63  and  56  percent  of  average,  respectively.  The  Sevier  at 
Kingston  is  forecast  at  only  13  i)ercent  of  normal.  Low 
reservoir  storage  complicates  the  problem  for  water 
users  on  the  Sevier  and  Beaver  Rivers  in  southern  Utah, 
and  those  served  by  Utah  Lake  and  Strawberry  Reser- 
voirs.   The  general  outlook  is  comparable  to  1961. 

The  outlook  is  poor  for  the  Colorado  and  Green  River 
tributaries. 

The  water  supply  for  lands  along  the  Virgin  River  is 
forecast  at  less  than  that  available  in  1961. 

Washington 

Forecasts  of  streamflow  in  Washington  are  much  below 
average  for  1963  including  that  of  the  Columbia  River 
through  the  State.  Snow  surveys  on  March  1  indicated 
a  snow  water  content  ranging  from  only  19  percent  of 
average  in  the  Cascades  up  to  about  half  of  average  in  a 
few  other  areas. 

For  the  large  irrigated  area  served  by  the  Yakima 
River,  the  outlook  is  fair.  Snowmelt  season  streamflow 
is  expected  to  be  only  one-third  of  average,  but  storage  in 
reservoirs  should  make  up  most  of  the  deficiency  unless 
summer  demands  are  excessive. 

Wyoming 

Water  supply  outlook  improved  on  the  headwaters  of 
the  Wind  and  Shoshone  Rivers  in  late  winter.  The  out- 
look for  below-average  streamflow  for  the  snowmelt  sea- 
son remains.  There  is  still  some  possibility  of  shortages 
in  late-season  water  supply  for  some  smaller  tributaries 
from  the  Continental  Divide  range  west  of  the  Powell 
Basin.  Storage  is  limited  in  this  area,  and  shortages  may 
occur  in  late  season  if  drought  conditions  prevail  during 
the  summer  months. 

With  carryover  storage  at  near-average  levels  on  the 
North  Platte  and  Laramie  Rivers,  the  outlook  is  good  for 
irrigation  water  supplies  along  these  streams.  With 
average  snowfall  for  the  spring  months,  no  shortages  are 
in  prospect  for  this  watershed.  #  #  # 

Information  for  this  report  for  RECLAMATION  ERA  was  pro- 
vided by  Snow  Survey  Supervisors  of  the  Soil  Conservation  Service 
and  their  cooperators  for  all  States,  except  California,  which  was 
provided  by  the  Department  of  Water  Resources.  Material  was 
assembled  under  the  direction  of  R.  A.  Work,  Head,  Water  Supply 
Forecasting   Unit,  Soil  Conservation  Service. 


1963 


55 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRAa  AWARDS 


Specification 
No. 


Project 


Award 
date 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Contractor's  name  and  address 


DS-5849. 
DS-5860. 

DC-5861 
DC-5862 

DC-5863 

DC-5865 

DC-5867. 
DC-5869 
DC-5870 


DC-5871- 


DC-5872- 
DC-5873- 
DC-5874- 

DC-5880. 
DC-5884. 
DC-5885. 
DC-5886. 

DS-5889. 

DC-5891. 
DC-5892. 


300C-176. 


300S-177.. 
300C-178.. 
304S-142.. 
400C-220. 

500S-127.. 

701 C-573. 


Missouri  River  Basin, 
Mont.-Wyo. 

Colorado  River  Stor- 
age, Arizona-Utah. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 

S.  Dak. 
Central  Valley,  Calif. 


Canadian  River,  Tex. 


Weber   Basin,   Utah. 


Colorado  River  Stor- 
age Colorado. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Iowa. 

Columbia  Basin, 
Wash. 


Lower    Rio    Grande 
Rehabilitation, 
Texas 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Nebr. 

do.... 


.do. 


Missouri  River  Basin, 
Mont. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
S.  Dak. 

Colorado  River  Stor- 
age, Colorado. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Nebr. 


Canadian  River,  Tex.. 


Colorado  River  Stor- 
age, Utah-Wyoming 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Basin,  Mont. 


Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee 
System,  California. 

do. 


.do. 


Parker-Davis,  Ariz.... 
Weber  Basin,  Utah... 


Lower    Rio    Grande 
Rehabilitation,  Tex. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Kans. 


Jan.  14 

Jan.  3 

Jan.  2 

Jan.  11 

Jan.  3 

Jan.  15 

Jan.  25 

Jan.  16 

Feb.  5 


Jan.    24 

Jan.  25 
Feb.  15 
Feb.  25 

Feb.  21 
Feb.  26 
Mar.  7. . 
Mar.  15. 

Mar.  18. 

Mar.  13. 
Mar.  22. 


Feb.  28-. 

Feb.  4... 
Feb.  28-. 
Mar.  7.. 
Jan.  24.. 

Jan.  14.. 

Mar.  5.. 


2  125-ton  traveling  cranes  and  1  lifting  beam  for 

Yellowtail  powerplant. 
47  23-kv,  10  230-kv,  and  13  345-kv  disconnecting 

switches  for  Glen  Canyon  switchyard.  Schedule 

2. 
Construction  of  14  miles  of  Fort  Thompson-Big 

Bend  230-kv  transmission  lines  Nos.  1  and  2. 
Construction  of  earthwork  and  structures  for  pre- 

consolidation  of  San  Luis  canal,  Sta.  2344+80  to 

3131+90. 
Construction  of  earthwork  and  structures  for  56 

miles  of  concrete  pipeline  for  main  aqueduct,  Sta. 

1+70  to  2976+00. 
Construction  of  earthwork  and  structures  for  Lay- 
ton  canal,  Sta.  136+50  to  686+00;  and  relocation 

of  Wilson  canal. 
Construction  of  Curecanti  substation,  stage  01. 

Construction  of  stage  02  additions  to  Denison  sub- 
station. 

Construction  of  earthwork,  concrete  lining,  and 
structures  for  Eltopia  Branch  canal,  Sta.  850-1-50 
to  1338+50.70;  and  Block  17  laterals,  wasteways, 
and  drain,  Eltopia  Branch  canal  laterals,  utiliz- 
ing concrete  lining  in  laterals  EB15  and  EB24, 
Schedule  1. 

Clearing,  and  construction  of  earthwork  and  struc- 
tures for  rehabilitation  of  Mercedes  23  drain  and 
control  structure  (IBWC  structure  No.  170A). 

Construction  of  14  miles  of  concrete-lined  Ains- 
worth  canal,  Sta.  1177+70  to  1914+50.    Section  3. 

Construction  of  additions  and  modifications  to 
Gering  substation. 

Construction  of  12  miles  of  Red  Willow  canal, 
Sta.  476+50  to  1276+20;  10.7  miles  of  laterals,  and 
7.8  miles  of  drains. 

Constuction  of  stage  03  additions  to  Dawson 
County  substation. 

Construction  of  stage  02  A,  02B,  and  03  additions  to 
Fort  Thompson  substation. 

Construction  of  Hay  den  substation,  stage  01 


Construction  of  13.6  miles  of  Farwell  South  canal, 
Sta.  4+40  to  719+95.28;  38  miles  of  Farwell 
South  laterals  S-1.1  to  S-12.8,  sublaterals,  waste- 
ways,  drains,  and  5  small  pumping  plants. 

20  horizontal  centrifugal  pumps  for  Canadian 
River  pumping  plants  Nos.  1, 2,  3,  and  4. 

Construction  of  a  visitors  center  at  Flaming  Gorge 
Dam. 

Construction  of  12  miles  asphalt  membrane-lined 
and  25  miles  of  unlined  East  Bench  canal,  Sta. 
2038+00  to  2550+00  (end).  East  Bench  laterals 
36.3  to  41.2,  wasteways,  and  drains,  utilizing 
precast-concrete  pipe  for  the  66-inch  siphon  bar- 
rels. Parts  A  and  C. 

Constructing  and  surfacing  6  miles  of  haul  roads 
and  quarrying  and  placing  rock  for  bank  protec- 
tion structures  A3,  A4,  A5,  and  A6. 

1  12-inch  hydraulic  dredge  to  excavate  settling 
basin  between  Imperial  and  Laguna  Dams. 

Quarrying,  hauling,  and  placing  rock  for  bank  pro- 
protection  structures  and  3  miles  of  haul  roads. 

One  30,000/4n,000/future  50,000-kva  auto-trans- 
former for  Amargosa  substation. 

Drilling  and  casing  South  Weber  well  No.  2,  and 
construction  of  pumping  plants  for  South  Weber 
wells  Nos.  1  and  2  and  Clearfield  well  No.  2. 

Reinforced  and  unreinforced  concrete  pressure 
pipe  and  concrete  culvert  pipe  for  Mercedes 
division. 

Construction  of  8.1  miles  of  earth  lining  in  existing 
reaches  of  Kir  win  Main  and  Kirwin  North  canals. 
Schedules  1  and  2. 


Star  Iron  &  Steel  Co.  Tacoma,  Wash. 

Schwager-Wood    Co.,  Inc.   Portland, 
Oreg. 

Main  Electric,  Inc.,  and  Aloysius  D. 

Hagenstein,  Minot,  N.  Dak. 
Eugene   Luhr  &  Co.  and   Elmer  O. 

Wendt,  Inc.,  Rio  Vista,  Calif. 

R.  H.  Fulton,  Lubbock,  Tex 


Wheelwright  Construction  Co.,  Og- 
den,  Utah. 

Wismer  &Becker,  Sacramento,  Calif- 
Elliott    Construction    Co.,    Omaha, 

Nebr. 
Sime  Dredging  Co.,  and  A  &  B  Con- 
struction Co.,  Kennewick,  Wash. 


H.  and  H.  Concrete  Construction  Co. 

and  K.  F.  Hunt  Contractor,  Inc., 

Corpus  Christi,  Tex. 
Missouri    Valley    Construction    Co., 

Grand  Island,  Nebr. 
C.  S.  P.  Engineering  Co.  &  Electric 

Service  Co.,  Casper,  Wyo. 
Bushman     Construction     Co.,     St. 

Joseph,    Mo. 

Electrical  Builders,  Inc.,  Valley  City 

N.  Dak. 
Ets-Hokin  &  Galvan,  Inc.,  Denver, 

Colo. 
Wismer  &  Becker,  Sacramento,  Calif. 


Bushman     Construction 
Joseph,  Mo. 


Co.,     St. 


Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.,  Hydraulic 

and     Specia!     Projects     Division, 

Denver,  Coio. 
Moe  McCuUough  Construction  Co., 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
A  &  B  Construction  Co.  and  Sime 

Construction  Co.,  Helena,  Mont. 


H  &  M  Construction  Co.,  El  Cajon, 
Calif. 

Ellicott  Machine   Corp.,   Baltimore, 

Md. 
Wennermark    Co.    and    Ralph     B. 

Slaughter,  Redlands,  Calif. 
General  Electric  Co.,  Phoenix,  Ariz. 

Skyline  Electric  Co.,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah. 

Brown  Supply  Co.,  Inc.,  Lubbock, 
Tex. 

Wentz  Construction  Co.,  Inc.,  Con- 
cordia, Kans. 


56 


The  Reclamation  Era] 


U.  S.   GOVERNMENT   PRINTING  OFFICE:  1963  O  -  679768 


Major   Construction    and   Materials   (or  Which    Bids  Will   Be    Requested 

TL L    Ki_-      ift^*** 


Throush  May  1963 


Project 


Central  Valley,  Calif. 


Do. 


Central  Valley  and 
I  Colorado  River  Stor- 
I  age  projects,  Cali- 
fornia and  Colorado. 
IChief  Joseph  Dam 
I    Wash. 


JCRSP,  Arizona. 


jCRSP,  Colorado. 


Do. 


Do. 


w 


DRSP,  Colorado  and 
Wyoming. 


Jolumbia  Basin,  Wash. 


^mery  County,  Utah. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Earthwork  and  structures  for  about  22  miles  of  con- 
crete-lined canal  with  a  bottom  width  of  85  ft. 
Canal  to  be  lined  with  4.5-in.  unreinforced  con- 
crete, height  of  lining  28  ft.  San  Luis  Canal, 
Reach  No.  2,  near  Los  Banos. 

First-stage  construction  for  a  13,100-cfs  pumping 
plant.  Work  will  consist  of  earthwork;  discharge 
lines;  and  constructing  a  reinforced-concrete  plant 
structure,  a  superstructiu-e  with  a  structural-steel 
frame,  an  intake  structure,  and  a  discharge  struc- 
ture. Mile  18  Pumping  Plant,  about  9  miles  south 
of  Los  Banos. 

Eight  156-in.  butterfly  valves  for  San  Luis  pumping- 
generating  plant;  and  two  166-in.  butterfly  valves 
for  Blue   Mesa  powerplant.    Estimated  weight: 

,  1,870,000  lb. 

Constructing  about  16  miles  of  pipelines  including  3 
reservoirs  with  base  dimensions  of  38  by  66  ft,  side 
slopes  of  1^:1,  and  depth  of  12.5  ft,  lined  with 
4-in.-thick  unreinforced  concrete;  and  2  steel  tanks 
32  ft  in  diameter,  one  29  ft  high  and  the  other  38  ft 
high.     Brays  Landing,  near  Chelan. 

Constructing  concrete  foundations  and  erecting  4 
each  of  8  types  of  230-kv,  single-circuit,  guyed  and 
self-supporting,  steel  and  aluminum  towers. 
Work  will  also  include  stringing  of  this  portion  of 
line,  about  8  miles,  to  nearest  dead-end  structures. 
Glen  Canyon-Shiprock  Transmission  Line,  near 
Kayenta. 

Constructing  Morrow  Point  Dam,  a  360,000-cu-yd 
thin  arch  structure  about  465  ft  high  and  720  ft 
long,  and  appurtenant  features,  including  an  out- 
let works  and  spillway  through  the  dam  and  a 
spiUway  stilling  basin  and  weir  at  the  downstream 
toe.  Work  will  also  include  constructing  an 
underground  powerplant  57  by  235  by  120  ft  high, 
to  house  two  60,000-kw  generators.  On  the  Gunni- 
son Riverabout22mileseastof  Montrose,  Colo. 

Removing  and  constructing  138-kv  wood-pole  trans- 
mission lines.  Work  will  consist  of  removing 
structures  from  7.6  miles  of  line;  constructing 
structures  for  about  11.2  miles  of  line;  and  stringing 
three 397.5 MCM,  ACSR  conductors,  and  two  ^i-in. 
steel  strand  overhead  ground  wires  for  about 
12.9  miles  of  line.  Vemal-Hayden-Green  Moun- 
tain transmission  line,  in  the  vicinity  of  Hayden 
substation,  near  Mount  Harris. 

Constructing  a  steel  frame,  metal  panel,  glass,  and 
brick  masonry  wall  building  with  a  full  basement, 
full  ground  floor,  and  partial  second  floor.  The 
building  will  have  about  33,500  sq  ft  of  floor  area 
and  will  house  a  dispatching  center  as  well  as  ad- 
ministrative offices.     At  Montrose. 

Furnishing  and  installing  fence  gates;  clearing  right- 
of-way;  constructing  concrete  footings;  and  furn- 
ishing and  erecting  steel  towers  for  about  140  miles 
of  230-kv,  single-circuit  Hayden-Archer  (Chey- 
enne) transmission  line;  and  furnishing  and  string- 
ing three  1,272  MCM,  45/7,  ACSR  conductors  and 
2  ?i-in.,  high-strength,  steel  strand,  overhead 
ground  wires.  From  Hayden,  Colo.,  to  Chey- 
enne, Wyo. 

8  vertical-shaft,  single-stage,  turbine-type  centrifugal 
pumping  units  each  rated  10,000  gpm  at  a  total 
head  of  95  ft  driven  by  880-rpm,  300-hp,  submers- 
ible electric  motors.    Grand  Coulee  powerplant. 

Constructing  Joes  Valley  Dam,  a  1,240,000-cu-yd 
earthflll  structure  about  195  ft  high  and  740  ft  long, 
including  a  spillway  and  diversion  works  consist- 
ing of  a  concrete-lined  tuimel  with  a  morning  glory 
inlet  and  stilling  basin  and  a  conduit-type  outlet 
works.  On  Cottonwood  Creek  about  46  miles  by 
road  southwest  of  Price. 


Project 


Gila,  Ariz. 

Hungry  Horse,  Mont.. 

MRBP,  Montana 


MRBP,  Nebraska. 


MRBP,  Nebraska  and 
Wyoming. 


MRBP,  South  Dakota. 


Do. 


Norman,  Okla. 


Do. 


Seedskadee,  Wyo.  ^ . 
Weber  Basin,  Utah. 

The  Dalles,  Oreg.... 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  about  4.5  miles  of  4-ft  bottom  width 
concrete-lined  canal  and  about  5  miles  of  30-  to 
48-in.-diameter  cast-in-place  or  precast-concrete 
pipe  laterals.    South  Gila,  Unit  2,  near  Yuma. 

Constructing  a  77-  by  26-ft  1-story,  steel-frame  build- 
ing with  reinforced-concrete  foundations  and  floor 
slab,  stone  veneer  walls,  and  a  st«el  roof  deck. 
Vi  ork  will  also  include  excavation  for  parking  area, 
constructing  a  steel  frame  viewpoint  shelter,  con- 
crete curbs,  walks,  and  a  flagpole.  About  9  miles 
southeast  of  Columbia  Falls,  Mont. 

Furnishing  and  stringing  3  954  MCM,  45/7,  ACSR 
conductors  and  2^-in.  high-strength,  steel  strand, 
overhead  ground  wires  for  160  miles  of  230-kv, 
single-circuit,  steel-tower  Dawson  County-Custer 
transmission  line. 

Constructing  about  65  miles  of  laterals  with  bottom 
widths  varying  from  30  to  3  ft,  about  35  miles  of 
which  will  be  earth  lined,  and  about  5  miles  of 
drains  with  bottom  widths  varying  from  22  to  7 
ft.    Ainsworth  Laterals,  near  Ainsworth. 

Furnishing  and  installing  fence  gates;  clearing  right- 
of-way;  constructing  concrete  footings;  and  fur- 
nishing and  erecting  steel  towers  for  about  75  miles 
of  230-kv,  single  circuit  Stegall-Archer  (Cheyenne) 
transmission  line;  and  furnishing  and  stringing  3 
1,272  MCM,  45/7,  ACSR  conductors  and  2  H-ia., 
high-strength,  steel  strand,  overhead  ground  wires. 
From  Gering,  Nebr.,  to  Cheyenne,  Wyo. 

Additions  to  the  Philip  Substation  (Stages  02  and 
03)  will  consist  of  constructing  concrete  founda- 
tions and  a  38-  by  48-ft  concrete  masonry  service 
building;  furnishing  and  erecting  steel  structures; 
furnishing  and  installing  1  15,000-kva,  115/69-kv 
autotransformer,  4  115-kv  and  1  69-kv  circuit 
breakers  and  associated  electrical  equipment;  and 
grading  and  fencing  the  addition. 

Furnishing  and  installing  fence  gates;  clearing  right- 
of-way;  constructing  concrete  footings;  and  fur- 
nishing and  erecting  steel  towers  for  about  310 
miles  of  230-kv,  single-circuit  Oahe-New  Under- 
wood-Stegall  transmission  line. 

Constructing  about  30  miles  of  18-  to  36-in.-diameter 
pipelines  of  concrete  pressure  pipe,  pretensioned 
concrete  cylinder  pipe,  mortar-lined  and  coated 
steel  pipe,  or  noncylinder  prestressed  concrete 
pipe.     Near  Norman. 

Constructing  the  reservoir  pumping  plant,  an 
indoor-type,  reinforced-concrete  pumping  plant, 
about  90  ft  long,  35  ft  wide,  and  70  ft  from  base  to 
motor  floor;  constructing  a  17-ft-wide  and  60-ft- 
long,  reinforced-concrete  decked  steel  bridge;  and 
constructing  relift  pumping  plant,  an  indoor-type, 
flat-slab,  reinforced-concrete  structure,  about  87 
by  38  ft.     Near  Norman. 

Furnishing,  installing,  and  testing  1  vertical-shaft, 
10,000-kw,  150-rpm,  0.9-pf,  4,160-volt  generator 
with  direct-connected  exciter  for  Fontenelle  power- 
plant. 

Constructing  I^st  Creek  Dam,  a  2,000,000-cu-yd 
earthflll  structure  about  190  ft  high  and  1,100  ft 
long,  including  a  chute-type  spillway  on  the  right 
abutment  and  a  tunnel  outlet  works  with  an  access 
shaft  and  elevator.  On  Lost  Creek  about  12  miles 
northeast  of  Devils  Slide. 

Constructing  about  42  miles  of  pipelines  including 
2  reservoirs  with  base  dimensions  of  25  by  70  ft 
and  30  by  70  ft  each  lined  with  4-in.  reinforced  con- 
crete; 5  steel  tanks  13  to  26  ft  in  diameter  and  28  to 
51  ft  high;  1  elevated  steel  tank  of  185,500-gallon 
capacity;  1  indoor-type  pumping  plant  112  by  32 
ft  with  5  horizontal,  centrifugal  pumps;  1  outdoor- 
type  pumping  plant  88  by  32  ft  with  5  horizontal 
centrifugal  pumps;  and  5  small  outdoor-type 
pumping  plants.    Near  The  Dalles. 


•Subject  to  change. 


Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior, 
Washington  25,  D.C.  Use  of  funds  for  printing  this  publication  has  been  approved 
by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  Janbory  31,  1961. 


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_1_   1;  \_y  "i^-'  -1_  -^^i^  JL  i  -A.  JC-iL  l^  JL  V^  -1 


11  nation 


AUGUST  1963 

Contents  .  .  . 

1963 — FIRST  PAYOFF  ON  THE  CRSP 57 

TAKING  THE  PUNCH   OUT  OF  WATER 62 

Reclamation  Technical  Leadership— 3  .-'f>?       t    i  • 

AINSWORTH   SENIORS  TOUR   MERRITT  DAM   .      ,     ^t^*^  .      .64 

UNCURVING    CROOKED    RIVER 65 

by  Martha  Stranahan 

"SEEN   ANY  WHITE   FROGS   LATELY?" 68 

by  H.  Shipley  and  Ruth  Faulkner 

FORTY  MORE  YEARS  WITH  THE  RECLAMATION  ERA  .      .      .      .      74 

A  LOOK  AT  STAHMANN  FARMS 75 

by  T.  H.  Moter 

HELPERS   ON   THE   MINT   FARM 78 

REGIONS  TO  CELEBRATE  20TH  ANNIVERSARY 79 

RECORD  MILLIONS  SEEK  RECREATION  AT  PROJECTS  ....  80 

HELICOPTER  USED  AS  ECONOMY  WORKHORSE 82 

KEY    PERSONNEL   CHANGED 83 

THE  ERA'S  SPECIAL  PHOTOGRAPH: 
How's  the  View  From  Up  There?  page  60 
by  F.  B.  Slote 


OTTIS  PETERSON,  Assistant  to  the  Commissioner 
GORDON  J.  FORSYTH,  Editor 
KATHRYNE  C.  DIMMITT,  Art  Editor 


-Information 


Volume  49,  No.  3 


Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United 
States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Washington  25,  D.C. 
Use  of  funds  for  printing  this  publication  has  been  ap- 
proved by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget, 
January  31,  1961. 

For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.S. 
Government  Printing  OflBce,  Washington  25,  D.C. 
Price  15  cents  (single  copy).  Subscription  price:  50 
cents  per  year  ;  25  cents  additional  for  foreign  mailing. 


United  States  Department  of  the  Interior 

Stewart  L.  Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Floyd  E.  Dominy,  Commissioner 

Washington  Office  :  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Washington  25,  D.C. 

Commissioner's   Staff 

Assistant  Commissioner N.  B.  Bennett 

Assistant  Commissioner : W.  I.  Palmer 

Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado B.  P.  Bellport 

REGIONAL  OFFICES 

REGION  1 :  Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  937,  Reclamation  Building,  Fairgrounds,  Boise, 
Idaho. 

REGION  2 :  Robert  J.  Pafford,  Jr.,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacra- 
mento 11,  Calif. 

REGION  3  :    A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  City,  Nev. 

REGION  4  :  Frank  M.  Clinton,  Regional  Director,  32  Exchange  Place,  P.O.  Box  360,  Salt  Lake  City  10, 
Utah. 

REGION  5  :  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Office  Building,  7th  and  Taylor, 
Amarillo,  Tex. 

REGION  6 :    Bruce  Johnson,  Regional  Director,  7th  and  Central,  P.O.  Box  2553,  Billings,  Mont. 

REGION  7 :    Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo. 


Reclamation  Milestones  .  .  . 


W      Y  JLO      M 


■HE  seed  from  which  the  giant  Colorado 

River  Storage  Project  would  ^row  and  blos- 

01  was  i)laiited  7  years  a^o.     Development  of 

(||s  beautiful   corrugated  country  captured  the 

aginations  of  all  kinds  of  Americans  both  near 

\  far  away. 

U     "T 


Vernal  Unit 


GLEN  CANYON 


DAM 


Hammond 


NAVAJO  DAM 


M     V      \\T 


M      F     ^ 


Men's  eyes  ^nrkled  at  the  thoughts — ^irriga- 
tion of  fertile  virgin  lands,  electricity  for  new  and 
existing  enterprises,  desilting,  recreation  in  aston- 
ishing scenery,  tourist  potential  to  sc«iic  wonders 
rarely  yet  beheld,  and  ^nployment  opportunities — 
all  from  water  not  now  being  used  in  the  Upper 
Colorado  River  Basin  and  most  of  it  wasting  away 
to  the  sea. 

In  1956,  the  Congress  passed  the  authorizing 
l^islation-  The  grand  plan  for  development  of 
the  Upper  Colorado  River  Basin  watM-  was  s&t 
in  motion. 

Xow  in  1963,  the  reaping  of  the  first  harvest 
of  benefits  are  beginning.  And  in  the  coming 
years,  the  benefits  will  grow  in  magnitude  to  equal 
or  exceed  the  hopes  and  dreams  of  the  most  opti- 
mistic Upper  Basin  pn^mnents. 

The  first  CRSP  hydroelectric  power  will  go  cm 
the  line  from  the  Flaming  (Jorge  Powerplant. 
Boaters  are  flocking  to  reservoirs  which  have 
formed  bdliind  the  storage  unit  dams — ^Lake 
Powell  (Glen  Canyon  Reservoir)  on  the  Colorado 
River,  Flaming  Gorge  Reservoir  on  the  Green, 
and  Navajo  Lake  on  the  San  Juan. 


This  year  water  wiD  be  delivraed  for  irriga- 
tion use  <m  four  completed  participating  Federal 
Reclamati<Hi  projects  with  about  7,500  tuares  of 
new  land  and  36,000  ncres  of  supplemental  land. 

In  the  coming  years,  the  trickle  of  1963  beaiefits 
will  swell  to  a  torrent. 

Growth  in  irrigation  agriculture  in  the  Basin 
will  lay  the  cornerstone  for  stable  growth  in  the 
intermountain  west. 

Livestock  production  centers  on  coordinating 
ihe  use  of  the  grazing  lands  of  the  hi^  moun- 
tain fringes  of  thb  Upper  Basin  and  of  the  broad 
dryland  plateaus  with  the  livestock  feed  base  pro- 
duced <m  the  irrigated  lands.  With  expansicm  of 
the  irrigated  lands,  the  livestock  industry  also  can 
expand — to  the  b«iefit  of  the  entire  Xaticm. 
Other  crops  raised  will  be  deciduous  fruits,  sugar 
beets,  and  other  cash  crops  not  in  surplus. 

But  equaUy  important  is  that  stable  irrigation 
agriculture  provides  the  core  on  which  a  more 
complex  commercial  and  industrial  development 
will  be  built.  In  the  process  of  diversified  eco- 
nomic growth,  the  participating  projects  and  oth^ 
non-Government  developm«it  and  use  of  Upper 


u#>— A 


tfw  vofcy  «f  A*  Km*  Evtr. 


Basin  water  will  supply  large  quantities  of  water 
for  municipal  and  industrial  uses. 

Power  For  Regional  Growth 

Electric  power  needs  will  increase  by  leaps  and 
bounds,  as  the  economy  of  the  intermountain  west 
expands  and  diversifies.  A  small  part  of  this 
demand  will  be  met  by  the  hydroelectric  power 
to  be  produced  at  the  CRSP  dams  and  power- 
plants.  From  1963  to  1967,  most  of  the  1,300,000 
kilowatts  of  CRSP  installed  capacity  will  be  fed 
into  the  Interconnected  Transmission  System. 
This  system  will  be  made  up  of  about  2,000  miles 
of  CRSP  transmission  lines  (about  1,300  miles 
are  now  completed  or  under  construction),  which 
will  tie  into  4,700  miles  of  adjacent  Federal  system 
lines  and  interconnect  with  more  than  7,200  miles 
of  preference  user  and  private  utility  lines. 

CRSP  power  output  will  go  to  more  than  200 
qualified  preference  user  organizations,  as  required 
by  Federal  Reclamation  law,  throughout  the  mark- 
eting area  covering  the  intermountain  west.  The 
full  production  of  CRSP  power  will  be  taken  by 
the  preference  users  as  rapidly  as  it  comes  on  the 
line.  But  CRSP  power  will  help  only  to  meet 
preference  user  load  growths. 
I  Looking  ahead  to  1980,  the  total  installed  capac- 
ity needed  to  meet  all  the  anticipated  electric 


Potturvs  are  irrigated  on   the  now  completed   Hammond  project. 


Cattle  being  moved  along  in  an  irrigated  pasture. 


-^-   --«l- 


.  ■^i 


^■■1 


iL». 


HOW'S  THE  VIEW   FROM  UP  THERE? 

Workmen  clipping-in  on  a  conductor  line. 
Reservoir  behind  Green  Mountain  Dam  in  background. 


power  needs  in  the  intermomitain  west  will  ap- 
proach 20  million  kilowatts.  At  the  present  time, 
there  are  only  about  5  million  kilowatts  of  in- 
stalled capacity  in  all  existing  generating  plants. 
The  authorized  CRSP  powerplants  will  add  only 
1,300,000  kilowatts  of  capacity.  Thus,  non- Fed- 
eral organizations  will  have  to  build  much  more 
generation  capacity  than  they  now  have  if  the 
pyramiding  power  needs  of  the  intermountain 
area  are  to  be  met  in  the  next  10  to  15  years. 

Recreation  Benefits  a  Bonus 

Recreation  development  on  the  new  CRSP  lakes 
will  provide  unexcelled  opportunities  and  benefits 
to  the  region  and  the  Nation.  Lake  Powell  is  now 
rising — creeping  up  the  face  of  Glen  Canyon  Dam 
and  lengthening  up  the  deep  and  winding  Glen 
Canyon  to  lap  on  spectacular  rust-red  to  blazing- 
red  canyon  walls.  The  27  million  acre-foot  lake 
will  be  186  miles  long.  Its  surface  area  will  equal 
that  of  Lake  Mead.  But  it  is  long  and  narrow 
with  hundreds  of  side  canyons  awaiting  explora- 
tion. Boaters  will  always  find  Lake  Powell  a  fas- 
cinating, scenic  area  for  exploration. 

In  1963,  8  million  game  fish  were  planted  in 
Lake  Powell  with  fishing  scheduled  to  begin  in 
1964. 

Lake  Powell  is  administered  by  the  National 
Park  Service  as  the  Glen  Canyon  National  Recrea- 
tion Area.  To  serve  the  public  while  the  lake  is 
filling,  temporary  boat  ramps  and  related  facilities 
are  already  developed  at  Wahweap  near  Glen  Can- 
yon Dam.  Nine  sites  will  be  fully  developed  over 
a  period  of  years  to  assure  complete  public  access 
to  Lake  Powell. 

Floating  docks  and  other  facilities  are  being  in- 
stalled in  the  Bridge  Creek  arm  of  Lake  Powell 
to  serve,  the  thousands  who  will  come  by  boat  to 
visit  the  heretofore  nearly  inaccessible  Rainbow 
Bridge  National  Monument — home  of  the  world's 
largest  natural  bridge. 

At  the  Flaming  Gorge  and  Navajo  Reservoirs, 
the  National  Park  Service,  working  with  the  Bu- 
reau of  Reclamation,  U.S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Serv- 
ice, and  appropriate  State  and  local  agencies,  is 
similarly  developing  recreational  sites.  Fish  are 
being  planted,  boat  ramps  built,  picnic  and  camp- 
ing grounds  provided. 

On  the  participating  projects  where  smaller  stor- 
age reservoirs  are  built,  appropriate  recreational 


60 


The  Reclamation  Era 


facilities  are  planned  by  the  National  Park  Serv- 
ice and  the  basic  needs  for  boating,  fishing,  etc., 
provided.  These  smaller  reservoirs  add  to  the 
total  recreational  opportunities,  and  all  will  be 
well  patronized  by  thousands  of  people  each  year. 
Examples  to  date  are  the  Steinaker,  Paonia,  and 
Crawford  Reservoirs  on  the  Vernal  Unit,  Central 
Utah  Project,  and  the  Paonia  Project  and  the 
Smith  Fork  Project  in  Colorado,  respectively.  On 
these  smaller  reservoirs,  recreational  Eictivity  is  ad- 
ministered by  Federal,  State,  or  local  public 
agencies. 

Upper  Basm  Growth  Assured 

!  Benefits  from  the  CRSP  arriving  in  1963  are 
just  a  beginning.  The  Upper  Basin  is  assured 
of  steady,  stable,  rapid  growth,  but  not  booming 
growth  with  all  the  problems  that  inevitably  occur. 
The  key  to  the  future  of  the  Upper  Basin  is  the 
[control  and  use  of  the  waters  of  the  Colorado 
River.  What  has  been  the  course  of  events  in  the 
lintervening  years,  and  where  do  we  now  stand? 

Construction  of  the  authorized  storage  units  of 
ithe  CRSP  was  first  in  order  of  importance.  The 
job  was  tackled  immediately.  Glen  Canyon  Dam 
jwas  started  with  award  of  the  prime  construction 
contract  in  April  1957.  Contracts  for  Flaming 
Gorge  and  Navajo  Dams  were  awarded  in  June 
1958.  And  in  1962  work  was  started  on  the  Cure- 
3anti  Storage  Unit  with  contracting  for  Blue  Mesa 
Dam,  the  first  of  three  dams  in  that  unit.  This 
y^ear,  construction  of  Morrow  Point  Dam,  the  sec- 
ond of  the  three  dams,  was  gotten  underway. 

CRSP  Storage  Units  have  prime  importance  in 
Jie  basinwide  program.  They  assure  regulation 
of  the  Upper  Colorado  River  system.  The  nearly 
35  million  acre-feet  of  storage  they  provide  will 
issure  that  the  Lower  Colorado  River  Basin  states 
vvill  receive  their  share  of  Colorado  River  water 
jvery  year.  Because  of  this,  extensive  diversions 
for  consumptive  uses  of  water  throughout  the 
Upper  Basin  states  can  be  made.  Development  of 
'he  long  list  of  participating  projects  can  proceed 
without  endangering  the  rights  of  the  Lower  Basin 
10  its  share  of  water  under  the  Colorado  River 
bompact  of  1922. 

;  Without  the  Storage  Units  and  the  carryover  or 
iioldover  storage  they  will  capture  in  wet  years, 
Ppper  Basin  prospects  would  not  be  feasible.    In 

,  Oontinued  on  page  70 
ftVuGusT  1963 


Top — Water  emerging  from 
left  diversion  tunnel.  Glen 
Canyon  Unit.  Center — Fish- 
ing this  year  in  emerald-green 
waters  below  Glen  Canyon 
Dam.  Ri'g/it — Jim  Butler  dis- 
plays trout. 


RECLAMATION 

Technical  Leadership -3 

Taking  the  PUNCH 

out  of  y^ater 


^^TT  T'S  water  under  the  bridge"  or  "It's  water 
I    over  the  dam"  are  expressions  meaning,  Of 

■■•  course,  Ws  too  late  noio,  but  that  is  not  our 
story. 

When  a  Bureau  of  Rechimation  engineer,  how- 
ever, says  "It's  water  over  the  dam,"  he  means 
furious  torrcrdx  of  u'dter  pour'/nr/  by  the,  ton  doini 
(Jam  f<p}Uin(iys  bound  for  drxt ruction  bdow.  This 
is  tlie  PUNCH  in  water  works  that  must  be  taken 
out  to  quiet  the  turbulence  that  would  otherwise 
undermine  the  foundation  at  the  toe  of  dams. 

What  have  engineers  done  to  tnnie  the  surge  of 
more  than  2  million  gallons  of  watci-  that  will  flow 
every  second  through  the  tunnel  spillways  at  Glen 
Canyon  Dam  in  Arizona,  or  take  the  destruction 
out  of  the  energetic  1  million  gallons  plumeting 
out  of  the  tunnel  spillway  at  Yellowtail  Dam  in 
Montana? 


RECLAMATION  COMMISSIONER 
FLOYD  E.  DOMINY  introduced  this 
series  in  the  February  1963  issue  of  the 
Reclamation  Era  tvith  the  numher  one 
article  cut  if  led,  ''Computers  Work  in 
Reclamation."  The  second  one,  ''Being 
Sure  About  Dam  Foundations/^  was 
printed  in  the  May  1963  issue. 


Below — Water    spouting    from    spillway    model    represents 
247,000  gallons  a  second. 


The  "ski-jump"  or  flip  bucket  model  of  the 
base  of  the  overflow  spillway  at  Anchor 
Dam,  Wyoming. 


Reclamation  engineers  in  the  Bureau's  Engi- 
neering Center  at  Denver  have  shown  that  taking 
the  harmful  punch  out  of  rampaging  water  at 
dams  is  done  by  research  and  design.  To  do  this, 
they  dissipate  or  disperse  the  enormous  energy  of 
water  falling  from  great  heights  by  building  into 
the  water  passages  carefully  contrived  devices  like 
j"ski-jumps"  to  deflect  cascading  water.  The  ski- 
jump,  or  flip  bucket,  is  one  of  the  most  effective  of 
these  built-in  appurtenances.  The  bucket  directs 
the  force  of  the  many  tons  of  water  by  flipping  it 
into  the  air  and  far  downstream  from  the  dam 
thus  spreading  its  impact  over  a  large  area. 

Reclamation's  development  of  energy  dissipat- 
ing and  dispersing  devices  in  water  passageways 
represents  one  of  the  most  intensive  endeavors 
iver  undertaken  in  hydraulic  research.  La- 
x>ratory  research  on  this  development  covers  a 
period  of  more  than  30  years.  Through  study  and 
malysis  of  hundreds  of  models  built  in  the  Bu- 
i-^eau's  hydraulics  laboratory  in  Denver  during  this 
period,  many  dams  and  control  structures  through- 
!)ut  the  West  are  capable  of  discharging  each  sec- 
jmd  millions  of  gallons  of  water  safely,  effectively, 
ind  economically. 

.  Research  Models 

IBttost  flip-bucket  structures  are  studied  in  the 
lydraulics  laboratory  by  precisely  built,  small 


August  1963 


scale  reproductions  of  the  full-sized  structures. 
As  the  water  descends  a  model  spillway  chute  or 
emerges  at  high  velocity  from  a  spillway  tunnel, 
it  is  deflected  by  the  miniature  built-in  bucket. 
Models  are  often  built  of  transparent  plastic  so 
the  flow  can  be  studied  visually.  High-speed  mo- 
tion picture  cameras  trained  on  the  water  show  its 
path  as  it  is  flipped  upward  and  downstream. 

A  variety  of  instruments  aids  in  the  measure- 
ment of  velocity,  pressure,  depth,  and  volume  of 
flow.  From  these  observations  and  measurements, 
laboratory  researchers  are  able  to  analyze  the  flow 
of  water  in  and  past  the  bucket,  make  the  neces- 
sary modifications  to  obtain  the  best  and  most  eco- 
nomical performance,  and  insure  competent 
operation  of  the  full-sized  structure. 

Outstanding  examples  are  the  two  spillway  tun- 
nels at  Glen  Canyon  Dam  which  is  nearly 
completed  on  the  Colorado  River.  Each  41-foot- 
diameter  tunnel  is  designed  to  discharge  each  sec- 
ond more  than  a  million  gallons  of  water  at  a 
velocity  exceeding  a  hundred  miles  an  hour.  This 
represents  the  release  of  more  than  13  million 
horsepower  into  the  river. 

From  extensive  tests  of  hydraulic  models,  a  flip 
bucket  was  developed  for  the  outlet  portal  of  each 
tunnel,  one  on  each  side  of  the  river.  The  flip 
buckets,  constructed  of  reinforced  concrete  and 
curving  upward  from  the  floors  of  the  tunnels  to 


63 


the  heights  of  a  2-story  house,  are  shaped  to  throw 
the  water  in  controlled  patterns  onto  the  river. 
Thus,  as  the  flow  rushes  out  of  the  two  tunnels, 
it  is  deflected  high  into  the  air  and  outward  before 
falling  far  downstream  from  the  dam  where  it  can 
do  no  harm. 

A  Unique  Bucket 

Another  example  is  the  flip  bucket  at  Yellow- 
tail  Dam,  under  construction  on  the  Bighorn  River 
in  southeast  Montana.  This  unique  bucket,  also 
of  reinforced  concrete  construction,  has  a  horizon- 
tal basin  floor  130  feet  long  followed  by  an  up- 
wardly curved  sill  25  feet  high.  At  spillway  flows 
up  to  '90,000  gallons  a  second,  the  water  does  not 
have  sufficient  energy  to  sweep  the  pool  of  water 
out  of  the  basin.  It  is  thus  forced  into  a  so-called 
"hydraulic  jump" — a  churning,  boiling  action 
which  rapidly  dissipates  energy — and  is  then  dis- 
charged quietly  into  the  downstream  channel.  If 
the  spillway  discharge  increases,  the  hydraulic 
jump  moves  downstream,  and  finally,  at  97,000 
gallons  a  second,  the  j>ool  sweeps  out  of  the 
basin  and  is  thrown  upward  and  downstream  by 
the  bucket.  This  bucket  is  capable  of  passing  the 
maximum  discharge  of  1,294,000  gallons  a  second. 

The  novel  design  of  the  spillway  for  Morrow 
Point  Dam  also  resulted  from  research  in  energy 


dissipation.  This  concrete  thin-arch  dam  was  re- 
cently placed  under  construction  on  the  Gunnison 
River  in  western  Colorado. 

The  Morrow  Point  spillway  will  consist  of  four 
rectangular  openings  near  the  top  of  the  dam's 
center.  Each  opening,  or  outlet,  will  be  con- 
trolled by  a  gate  15  feet  wide  and  about  17  feet 
high.  When  all  four  outlets  are  in  operation, 
307,000  gallons  of  water  a  second  will  pour  in  vir- 
tually solid  columns  through  them  and  fall  400 
feet  to  a  stilling  pool  at  the  toe  of  the  dam.  The 
designers  have  carefully  shaped  these  spillway 
outlets.  They  have  tipped  the  two  center  openings 
slightly  downward;  thus,  the  impact  at  the  toe 
of  the  dam  will  be  controlled  and  the  energy  will 
be  distributed  evenly.  A  concrete  weir  a  short 
distance  downstream  from  the  dam  will  hold  back 
the  60- foot  deep  pool.  The  plunging  columns  of 
water  will  be  cushioned  by  the  pool,  and  turbu- 
lence which  could  otherwise  undermine  the  foun- 
dation at  the  toe  of  the  dam  will  be  avoided. 

From  the  laboratory  research  in  controlling 
flow  of  turbulent  water,  have  come  much  valuable 
engineering  data  for  designers.  The  performance 
of  models  and  the  data  acquired  from  the  labora- 
tory investigations  assure  the  successful  operation 
of  the  Bureau's  dams,  large  and  small,  and  makes 
possible  continued  improvement  in  Reclamation 
water  resource  development.  #  #  # 


Ainsworth  Seniors  Tour  Merritt  Dam 


AN  experiment  in  public  relations  was  success- 
fully accomplished  when  forty-six  seniors 
^  of  Nebraska's  Ainsworth  High  School,  ac- 
companied by  sponsors  William  S.  Nelson,  Her- 
man Arent,  and  Mrs.  Garold  Miller  toured 
Reclamation  offices  and  Merritt  Dam  Project 
before  the  1963  summer  holidays. 

The  class  assembled  in  the  conference  room 
of  the  Bureau  office  in  Ainsworth  at  9:30  a.m. 
where  Construction  Engineer,  R.  L.  Boyce  and 
his  staff  presented  the  history  of  Merritt  Dam 
Project  from  the  investigation  stage  to  the  appro- 
priation of  funds  and  the  actual  construction  of 
the  project.  Heads  of  the  various  branches  ex- 
plained their  primary  functions  and  how  the 
planning  and  work  were  coordinated  to  reach  the 
ultimate  goal  of  completing  the  construction  of 


Merritt  Dam,  Ainsworth  Canal  and  Laterals,  and 
the  operation  and  maintenance  of  the  Irrigation 
District  after  completion  of  construction.  Ques- 
tions of  the  group  were  answered  by  Mr.  Boyce  and 
his  staff,  explaining  detail  of  the  various  features. 

At  11 :00  a.m.  the  group  journeyed  to  Valentine 
by  school  bus  where  they  were  met  by  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  Safety  Officer,  Robert  D.  Fitch  who 
accompanied  them  to  Snake  River  Falls  for  a  pic- 
nic lunch.  From  the  falls  the  tour  continued  with 
a  visit  to  Merritt  Dam  field  office  and  laboratory, 
Merritt  Dam  and  Ainsworth  Canal,  and  the  vari- 
ous features  of  construction  of  the  project. 

The  tour  was  a  result  of  previous  arrangements 
made  by  representatives  of  the  senior  class.  Miss 
Anne  Coleman  and  Miss  Sheila  Femau.      #  #  # 


64 


The  Reclamation  Era, 


An  Oregon  Benefit... 


UNCURVING 
CROOKED  RIVER 


ON  the  Crooked  River  in  Central  Oregon,  there 
are  two   interesting  stories.     One  story   is 
about  the  River's  reassuring  present  and  fu- 
ture, and  goes  like  this — 
With  155,000  acre-feet  of  water  impounded  in 
he  new   Prineville   reservoir  behind  Prineville 
)am   on  Crooked  River,   approximately   23,000 
dditional  acres  of  Crook  County  farm  land  are 
ssured  ample  water  supply  in  years  to  come. 
Included    in    the    Bureau    of    Reclamation's 
Jrooked  River  Project  which  was  first  authorized 
y  the  84th  Congress  August  6,  1956,  and  cost  in 
scess  of  $6  million,  are  pumping  plants,  conduits, 
rains  and  canals  and  Prineville  Dam.    About  20 
dies  southeast  of  the  town  of  Prineville  on  High- 
ay  27,  the  rockfill  dam  with  an  impervious  earth- 
)re  has  a  700-foot  crest  and  rises  170  feet  above 
le  Crooked  River  bed  in  a  rocky,  juniper-dotted 
myon. 


Artist's   drawing    of    Prineville   Dam   and 
Reservoir 

by  MARTHA  STRANAHAN, 
Extension  Agent  At  Large, 
Redmond,  Oregon 

Some  distribution  lines  still  are  to  be  con- 
structed, but  the  project  essentially  was  com- 
pleted in  the  spring  of  1962. 

It  provides  water  for  approximately  10,000 
acres  of  new  land  and  supplemental  water  for 
10,200  acres  of  inadequately  irrigated  lands. 
Crooked  River  Project  extension,  which  Congress 
has  not  yet  entirely  authorized,  will  provide  for 
irrigation  of  2,800  acres  not  heretofore  irrigated, 
and  put  total  cost  over  $8  million. 

Orderly  storing  and  dispensing  of  Crooked 
River's  waters,  which  can  flood  in  April  and 
nearly  vanish  by  July,  should  stabilize  farm  op- 
erations in  its  drainage  area  of  4,330  square  miles, 
says  Crook  County  Agent  Gus  Woods.  The  proj- 
ect is  integrated  with  existing  Ochoco  Dam  and 
Reservoir  on  Ochoco  Creek. 

In  the  spring  of  1962  county  farmers  began 
turning  water  into  new  farm  laterals  and  sending 


rUGusT  1963 


65 


it  over  fields  which,  after  30  years  of  producing 
dryland  rye,  they  plowed  and  planted  to  higher 
income  crops.  A  few  new  ditches  and  laterals 
Still  were  being  constructed  on  farms  this  spring, 
and  all  should  be  completed  by  1964,  Woods  says. 

**More  Acres*'— Woods 

The  nearly  doubled  acreage  on  Crooked  River 
Project,  now  under  dependable  irrigation,  even- 
tually could  increase  Crook  County  agricultural 
income  more  than  $1  million  per  year,  says  Woods. 
He  anticipates  alfalfa  acreage  will  increase  a 
couple  thousand  acres,  bringing  the  county  total 
to  approximately  10,000  acres. 

Woods  looks  for  perhaps  two  thousand  more 
acres  in  pasture,  grain  (primarily  barley),  and 
altogether  2,000  acres  in  commercial  potatoes  on 
the  new  land.  He  says  some  crops  planted  last 
year  on  newly  watered  land  were  on  a  demonstra- 
tional  basis,  such  as  trefoil  and  mint  root  stock. 

County  Agent  Woods  was  awarded  the  distin- 
guished service  award  by  the  National  Association 
of  County  Agricultural  Agents,  in  September 
1962,  for  "leadership  in  water  conservation  pro- 
grams and  livestock  marketing  activities  in  Cen- 
tral Oregon,"  a  fitting  recognition  in  the  year  that 
marked  an  upturn  in  Crook  County's  irrigation 
water  prospects. 

Other  benefits  from  the  new  project  are  in- 
creased recreation  opportunities.  Parks  and  pic- 
nic facilities  are  being  developed;  boating  and 
fishing  already  are  popular. 

And  this  is  the  other  story,  the  struggle  behind 
the  Crooked  River  development — 

Completion  of  Crooked  River  Project  had  spe- 
cial significance  for  a  number  of  civic  leaders, 
most  of  them  still  living  in  Crook  County,  and  in 
particular  for  one  whom  Woods  calls  the  "Father 
of  the  Crooked  River  Project,"  A.  R.  Bowman. 

A  Kansan,  Bowman  visited  Pacific  coastal  states 
in  1905,  and  ultimately  enrolled  in  law  courses  at 
the  University  of  Washington.  For  2  years  and 
a  summer  between  1907-^1910,  he  worked  for  the 
Department  of  the  Interior,  Washington,  D.C., 
checking  land  entries  under  homestead  and  similar 


laws.    In  Crook  County  in  1910,  he  opened  his  ab- 
stract and  title  insurance  office. 

By  some  people.  Bowman  might  be  thought  of 
as  the  godfather  of  the  project.  His  long  cam- 
paign began  in  1935  with  his  first  effort  to  interest. 
Government  engineers  and  legislators  in  redeem- 
ing a  project  that  was  not  fulfilling  its  original 
intent.  It  neared  fruition  in  April  1956  when  he 
and  nine  colleagues  went  to  our  National  Capitol 
to  testify  before  the  Subcommittee  on  Irrigation 
and  Reclamation  of  the  Committee  on  Interior 
and  Insular  Affairs. 

Bowman  and  Others 

With  Bowman  were  Woods,  LaSelle  Coles,  Sec- 
retary-Manager of  Ochoco  Irrigation  District  and 
current  President  of  the  National  Reclamation  As- 
sociation, Walter  Merritt,  Ervin  Grimes,  Robert 
L.  Barney,  Vernon  Burda,  former  Judge  Harry 
Fowler,  Ed  Donnelly  (now  deceased),  and  Claude 
Williams.  They  represented  business,  farming 
and  irrigation.  Several  Oregon  legislators  also 
testified  and  local  chambers  of  commerce  and 
Oregon  banks  sent  endorsing  letters. 

Their  combined  support  was  the  last  impetus 
in  a  long  history  of  persistent  pleas,  especially  Mr. 
Bowman's  urging  construction  of  the  oft-post- 
poned project.  Following  are  some  thoughts  from 
Bowman's  testimony : 

"In  1913,  the  State  of  Oregon  and  the  Federal 
Government  jointly  surveyed  Central  Oregon's 
irrigation  potential,  and  in  1914  issued  their  re- 
port. One  item  was  a  complete  plan  for  irrigat- 
ing Prineville  Valley  lands  from  Ochoco  Creek, 
stating  it  would  provide  ample  water  much 
cheaper  than  possible  from  Crooked  River.  Find- 
ings were  based  on  stream  measurements  from 
1905  to  1913,  which  then  were  considered  sufficient. 

"Relying  on  this  report,  valley  landowners  in 
1916  organized  Ochoco  Irrigation  District,  to 
water  22,000  acres  at  an  estimated  $40  per  acre, 
with  a  47,000  acre- foot  storage  reservoir  on  Ochoco 
Creek.  Six  percent  bonds  were  voted  and  sold  and 
construction  began." 

Work  was  interrupted  by  World  War  I  and  had 
to  be  resumed  on  cost-plus  basis,  greatly  increasing 


Mr.  Bowman  at  Hi*  BamM  plant. 


:  the  burden  on  district  lands.    Finally  completed, 
;  the  reservoir  filled  in  1920  BUT  DID  NOT  FILL 
AGAIN  FOR  17  YEARS.    Increased  construc- 
tion costs,  decreased  farm  returns,  failing  water 
supply  and  mounting  assessments  foreshadowed 
'  collapse,  and  default  came  in  1926. 

Even  with  greatly  reduced  acreage  in  later 
years,  the  water  supply  has  not  always  been 
ample.  In  1934,  year  of  the  lowest  known  runoff 
I  of  the  Ochoco,  irrigation  water  almost  disappeared 
while  Crooked  River  floodwaters  covered  ranches 
in  the  lower  valley. 

"We  learned  the  hard  way  that  we  must  look  to 
Crooked  River  for  a  firm  water  supply,"  said 
I  Bowman. 

I  In  1935  Dr.  Elwood  Mead  and  R.  F.  Walter, 
I  Reclamation  Commissioner  and  Chief  Engineer, 
respectively,  while  reconnoitering  the  proposed 
North  Unit  district  of  Deschutes  Valley  Project, 
were  prevailed  upon  to  visit  Crook  County. 
l"They  were  so  impressed,"  Mr.  Bowman  con- 
itinued,  "that  they  directed  C.  C.  Fisher,  a  Bureau 
lengineer  studying  the  North  Unit,  to  report  also 
on  irrigation  possibilities  on  Crooked  River  Valley 
Hands."  Both  reports  were  made  in  1936,  with 
Ithe  engineer's  recommendation  that  the  Crooked 
iRiver  Project  be  constructed  immediately.  How- 
'ever,  the  larger  North  Unit  was  built  and  the 
smaller  Crooked  River  waited. 

In  1940,  Reclamation  Commissioner  John  Page 
visited  the  Crooked  River  Project  and  soon  after- 
wards advised  it  was  being  placed  on  his  1941 
program.  But  in  the  spring  of  1941  war  again 
threatened  and  President  Roosevelt  shelved  all 
new  projects  during  the  emergency.  So  Crooked 
River  waited  again. 

During  World  War  II,  the  Nation  faced  food 
shortages,  prompting  authorization  of  immediate 
3onstruction  of  26  irrigation  projects  including 
Crooked  River,  which  engineers  estimated  could 
36  completed  in  18  months,  the  shortest  construc- 
tion time  of  any.  Twenty-five  were  authorized. 
C!rooked  River  was  not,  however,  due  to  lack  of 
5trategic  materials. 

In  1947,  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  issued  the 
I'olumbia  River  report,  a  basinwide  plan  for  the 
;omplete  development  of  Columbia  River  drain- 
ige  area  listing  Crooked  River  among  13  projects 
'ecommended  for  immediate  construction.  Con- 
rress  approved  and  authorized  the  work  to  be 
lone  by  Army  Engineers  but  failed  to  authorize 
;he  development  program  of  the  Bureau  of  Recla- 


Crooked  River  Project  Folder  proudly  shown  by  Mr.  Bowman. 

mation,  apparently  because  of  its  opposition  to  the 
so-called  Basin  Accounting  Plan  as  proposed  in 
the  Columbia  River  report.  So  again,  the  Crooked 
River  Project  was  deferred — while  construction 
costs  climbed. 

Threatening  Despair 

Added  to  rising  costs,  was  the  problem  created 
by  directive  A-^7  from  Bureau  of  the  Budget 
which  sounded  the  death  knell  for  all  major  irriga- 
tion projects  which  did  not  have  the  aid  of  power 
revenue. 

"Admitting  that  the  benefits  of  control  of  flash 
floods  on  the  tributary  Crooked  River  for  the 
Dalles  and  Bonneville  Dams  might  be  somewhat 
minor,"  stated  Bowman,  "we  felt  we  could  with 
some  justification  lay  a  claim  to  revenue  of  the 
Dalles  Dam  for  at  least  a  few  days  in  our  50-year 
repayment  period. 

"If  our  project  is  not  authorized,  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  dollars  heretofore  spent  by  the 
Bureau  and  Army  Engineers  will  be  lost .  .  .  and 
our  valley  will  continue  to  be  ravaged  by  floods 
in  April  and  burned  up  in  July." 

This  despairing  observation  closed  Bowman's 
testimony. 

The  plan  was  ready — a  thick  volume  of  data, 
plans,  costs  and  procedure.  On  August  12,  1958, 
Congress  authorized  "go." 

The  final  act  which  seemed  to  uncurve  the  crooks 
in  Crooked  River  finally  came  last  year.  Dedica- 
tion ceremonies  were  held  on  a  pleasant  Indian 
summer  day.  Mr.  Coles,  serving  his  fourth  year 
as  president  of  NRA  reviewed  the  project  his- 
tory. Floyd  E.  Dominy,  Commissioner  of  Recla- 
mation, then  concluded  with,  "I  dedicate  this  dam 
and  reservoir  for  the  people  for  now  and  all 
time!"  #  #  # 


VUGUST  1963 


67 


<$!     Soouts    aro  on  tlno  job 


"  Seen  any  white  frogs  lately?" 


Guest  speaker  George  Miller— "Mr.  Boy 
Scout"— Chief  of  the  Theodore  Roosevelt  Boy 
Scout  Council  in  Phoenix,  Arizona,  used  an  annual 
meeting  of  the  U.S.  Geological  Survey  (Arizona 
area),  to  challenge  industry  and  other  organiza- 
tions to  take  the  responsibility  during  summer 
months  of  training  and  providing  work  for  boys 
who  were  high  school  age. 

This  challenge  in  turn  was  presented  to  Man- 
agement of  the  Salt  River  Project  and  to  its  Board 
of  Governors.  It  was  accepted  with  wholehearted 
agreement. 

The  first  program  started  in  1961.  Meetings 
establishing  scout  qualifications  were  held : 

Minimum  age — 16 

High  School  graduate 

3  years  of  mathematics 

2  years  of  science 

In  need  of  summer  employment 

In  good  health 


This  is  one  of  the  many  things  an 
Explorer  Scout  can  learn. 


Interested  scouts  submitted  their  applications  to 
Chief  Miller.  After  review  and  personal  inter- 
view, selections  were  made  and  the  names  of  six 
scouts  forwarded  by  Chief  Miller  to  the  Salt  River 
Project. 

The  program  consisted  of  7  weeks  of  training, 
one  week  in  each  department,  and  the  final  week  in 
the  department  of  greatest  interest.  Departments 
chosen  were  Power  Generation,  Irrigation  Trans- 
mission and  Distribution,  Power  Transmission 
and  Distribution,  Irrigation  Engineering,  Pur- 
chasing (includes  warehousing  and  printing)  and 
Power  Engineering.  Scouts  were  paid  the  mini- 
mum hourly  rate. 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  first  program,  a  meet- 
ing was  held  by  Scout  and  Project  officials  to 
evaluate  the  program.  The  1962  program  was 
modified  in  accordance  with  the  recommendations 
from  the  group,  and  from  comments  of  the  scouts 
themselves  made  at  the  "graduation  luncheon" 
held  on  the  last  day  of  the  eighth  week.  These 
changes  were: 

(1)  Scouts  should  be  assigned  to  one  de- 
partment for  the  entire  program. 

(2)  Scouts  should  be  juniors  and  seniors, 
rather  than  graduated  seniors.  This  decision 
was  made  so  that  Scouts  could  benefit  from 
the  program  by  selecting  related  subjects  in 
high  school  if  a  field  especially  appealed  to 
them. 

(3)  Extend  the  program  from  8  to  10 
weeks. 

(4)  Expand  the  program  from  6  to  12 
scouts. 

by  H.   SHIPLEY, 

Associate  Salt  River  Project  General  Manager 
RUTH  FAULKNER,  Secretary 

The  Reclamation  Era 


In  April  1962,  all  interested  scouts  were  invited 
to  Scout  Headquarters  and  presented  with  a 
general  outline  of  the  Salt  River  Project,  the 
program,  and  various  job  descriptions.  At  its 
conclusion,  applications  were  accepted. 

After  scout  officials  screened  the  applications,  a 
second  meeting  was  held  to  which  the  qualified 
applicants  were  invited.  They  were  interviewed 
by  Project  departmental  representatives.  The  in- 
terviewers' selections  were  turned  in,  and  the 
scouts  advised  by  letter  of  their  acceptance  and 
assignment. 

A  good  evaluation  of  the  program  is  seen  in  the 
excerpts  from  an  unsolicited  letter  written  to  the 
Project  by  one  of  the  Explorer  Scouts  who  was 
assigned  to  the  Irrigation  Construction  and 
Maintenance  Department:  (Sic) 


"This  summer  I've  had  the  pleasure  of  working 
for  the  Salt  River  Project.  I've  learned  a  lot 
from  the  men  I  worked  with.  I  don't  think  there 
is  any  better  men  in  any  other  part  of  the  State  or 
company.  I  didn't  think  there  was  so  much 
work  and  headaces  in  water  construction.  Here 
are  the  few  things  I  learned  while  I  worked  for 
the  Project.  First  day  I  was  with  the  trouble 
shooters.  They  were  a  crew  of  about  three  men 
who  went  around  looking  for  trouble.  The 
truck  had  a  wench  that  pulled  the  spray  crew 
out  of  a  ditch. 

"The  next  day  I  was  with  the  carpenters.  We 
had  to  put  in  a  construction  about  15E-6N.  Its 
a  hard  swetting  job.  With  this  kind  of  job  it 
should  be  done  in  the  morning  instead  in  the 
afternoon  in  summer. 

"Next  I  was  out  with  Duke  Walker  who  I  think 
is  the  best  catskinner  in  the  business.  Its  also  the 
dirtest  job  in  the  business.  A  cat  isn't  very  hard 
to  run.     In  fact  its  easier  than  driving  a  car. 

"Next  I  was  with  the  spray  trucks,  spraying 
weeds  in  ditchs.  There's  two  different  sprays, 
chemical  and  oil.  Chemical  spray  is  good  when 
its  effective.  But  sometimes  its  not  and  it  dosen't 
kill  the  weeds  and  we  have  to  go  back  over  it. 
The  oil  spray  is  very  good  but  its  the  hottest  stuff 
to  work  with  in  the  sun. 

"Next  I  was  with  the  demossing  crew.  Boy! 
If  that  isn't  a  wild  bunch.  You  have  to  be  on 
guard  all  the  time  or  your  soaked.  You  need  a 
crew  like  that  to  keep  up  everyone's  spirit.  You 
put  grates  in  to  stop  the  moss  coming  down  where 


two  cats  with  a  string  of  disc  and  a  ships  anchor 
chain  on  the  back  of  it  to  cut  the  moss.  We 
picked  that  stuff  out  by  the  truckloads.  If  we 
didn't  have  this,  moss  would  get  so  thick  the 
water  would  be  stopped. 

"I  was  out  on  cementing  ditch  for  awhile. 
That  was  a  hot  job.  I  had  to  spray  this  white 
substance  on  the  wet  cement  so  it  wouldn't  dry 
out  to  fast.  And  if  you  see  any  white  frogs  it's 
because  I  sprayed  them. 

"I  rode  around  with  the  bosses.  You  wouldn't 
think  they  work  very  hard  but  they  do!  They 
got  more  headaces  than  anybody  I  know. 

"The  men  out  there  (South  side  C&M)  are 
really  good.  They  answered  questions  I  asked 
to  the  full  extinct.     If  I  didn't  understand  they 


Project  officials  congratulate  Scouts. 


would  explain  every  detail  about  the  job  to  me. 
"For  one  thing  I  hope  you  keep  this  program 
going.  It  will  help  a  lot  of  boys.  I  would  very 
mucfi  like  to  come  back  to  work  for  the  Salt 
River  Project." 


We,  on  the  SRP  believe  this  is  an  effective  pro- 
gram for  training  leaders  of  tomorrow  and  for 
providing  appreciation  for  what  Reclamation  is 
doing  today. 

Knowing  Chief  Miller's  enthusiasm  in  such  a 
program,  the  writers  commit  the  Chief's  assistance 
along  with  ours  on  the  Salt  River  Project  in  set- 
ting up  a  similar  program  in  your  area.     #  #  # 


KuGusT  1963 


69 


xggS — First  Payoff  on  the  CRSP 

(Continued  from  page  61) 

dry  years  they  could  not  divert  water  to  deplete 
the  Colorado  River  to  less  than  the  flows  assured 
to  the  Lower  Basin  under  the  Compact.  In  past 
years  of  record,  the  Colorado  flows  which  average 
about  13  million  acre-feet  at  Lees  Ferry  have  been 
as  low  as  41/2  million  acre-feet.  However,  with 
the  CRSP  Storage  Units,  adequate  water  for  the 
Upper  Basin  will  always  be  available  whether  the 
year  is  wet  or  dry. 

The  CRSP  Storage  Units  have  great  signifi- 
cance for  another  reason.  Irrigation  farmers  have 
long  been  short  of  water— have  long  needed  sup- 
plemental water  and  storage  dams  on  the  tribu- 
taries of  the  Colorado  from  which  they  irrigate 
their  farms. 

Now,  with  the  CRSP  Storage  Units,  Upper 
Basin  farmers  have  a  paying  partner  to  assist  them 
in  meeting  the  requirements  to  repay  reimbursable 
costs  in  full.  Powerplants  at  Glen  Canyon  Dam 
Flaming  Gorge  Dam,  and  the  Curecanti  Unit 

The  Reclamation  Etu 


I  8,  along  with  some  smaller  plants  on  partici- 

ttg  projects,  will  produce  marketable  power. 

>lus  revenues  from  the  sale  of  the  power  will 

ito  the  Upper  Colorado  River  Basin  Fund  to 

t  in  the  repayment  of  the  participating  proj- 

osts.    The  farmers  will  repay  to  the  maximum 

■  tieir  ability  to  do  so,  and  the  balance  will  be 

^  id  by  power  revenues  accruing  to  the  Basin 

I  |d.    Colorado  River  System  water,  which  is 

I  jlated  to  meet  compact  requirements,  also  will 

'  jsed  to  produce  hydro  electric  power  as  the 

I  jr  is  released  through  the  CRSP  powerplants. 

Glen  Canyon  Dam  Hears  Completion 

en  Canyon  Dam,  the  largest  and  most  im- 
p-nt  of  the  Storage  Unit  dams,  will  be  topped 
his  month.  Power  from  the  first  of  the  eight 
OO-kilowatt  generators  is  scheduled  to  go  on 
I  ine  in  June  1964.  The  remaining  generators 
0  go  on  the  line  at  about  four-month  intervals 


-f.y*gr- 


Top  /ef^— S«ntin*l  Rock  is  a  Strang*  proiocHIo  in 
the  Colorado  River.  Bottom  fef^— A  side  view  of 
Glen  Canyon  Dam  construction  at  about  670  feet 
above  bedrock.  Top  center— Two  young  visitors 
view  Glen  Canyon  from  about  a  mile  downstream. 
Top  right — Part  of  tower  of  230-kv  transmission 
line  at  Glen  Canyon-Shiprock  being  swung  into 
position  atop  lower  body  section.  Lower  rfgh^— 
Glen  Canyon's  first  water  storage  marks  dam  and 
canyon  walls. 


d^' 


ST  1963 


71 


r— r- 


nl 


••#» 


.h 


._.J», 


rrrrr 


I 


f.:^ 


Top— Three  views  of  Flaming  Gorge  Dam:  Above  is  a  close-up; 
Left,  the  bad-lands  home  of  the  structure;  Below,  An  internal  view 
of  a  water  channel  resembling  a  giant  snail  shell  being  lowered 
into  position  where  it  will  be  cemented  into  place  and  direct  water 
to  the  water  wheel  for  producing  power. 


with  the  last  generator  scheduled  for  July  1966. 
Storage  of  water  in  Lake  Powell  began  on 
March  13.  By  the  end  of  the  year,  one  of  the  driest 
on  record,  it  is  expected  that  Lake  Powell  will  be 
120  miles  long  and  contain  approximately 
3  million  acre-feet  of  water. 


Flaming  Gorge  Power 

Water  storage  began  at  Flaming  Gorge  Reser- 
voir on  November  1, 1962,  and  the  dam  was  topped 
out  on  November  15.  It  is  the  first  dam  to  be  built 
on  the  Green  River.  The  first  of  the  three  36,000- 
kilowatt  generating  units  will  be  ready  to  go  on 
the  line  in  October  of  this  year  with  the  last  gen- 
erator to  go  into  operation  in  March  1964,  as  now 
scheduled. 

The  Reclamation 


iv-^'-'^J^f- 


^fe 


"^fll^ 


Imposing  in  the  New  Mexico  londscape  is  Navajo  Dam. 


Navajo  Dam  Dedicated 

Navajo  Dam  was  completed,  essentially,  and 
iedicated  in  a  ceremony  held  at  the  damsite  in 
September  1962.  Although  there  will  not  be  a 
Dowerplant  at  the  Navajo  Dam,  it  has  very  impor- 
tant functions  in  addition  to  regulation  of  the 
lows  of  the  San  Juan  River.  It  will  make  possi- 
3le  the  gravity  diversion  of  water  directly  from 
he  reservoir  to  the  110,000-acre  Navajo  Indian 
[rrigation  Project,  and  from  an  upstream  point  to 
he  San  Juan-Chama  Project,  which  will  take  sup- 
plemental irrigation  water  and  municipal  and  in- 
iustrial  water  from  the  San  Juan  River  into  the 
^io  Grande  drainage.  Municipal  and  industrial 
vater  supplies  are  urgently  needed  in  this  vicinity 
vhich  includes  Albuquerque,  New  Mexico.  Both 
)f  the  latter  projects  are  authorized  and  precon- 


struction  surveys  are  in  progress. 

Here  And  On  The  Way 

Participating  projects  now  completed  are  the 
Hammond  (N.  Mex.),  Paonia  and  Smith  Fork 
(Colo.),  and  the  Vernal  Unit  of  the  Central  Utah 
Project  (Utah).  Now  under  construction  are  the 
Emery  County  (Utah),  Florida  (Colo.),  and 
Seedskadee  (Wyo.) .  Authorized  projects,  but  not 
yet  under  construction  are  the  Central  Utah,  Ini- 
tial Phase  (Utah),  Lyman  (Wyo.),  Navajo  In- 
dian Irrigation  (N.  Mex.),  San  Juan-Chama  (N. 
Mex.),  and  Silt  (Colo.).  Favorable  feasibility 
reports  are  completed  on  the  following  projects: 
Animas-La  Plata  (Colo.-N.  Mex.),  Bostwick  Par'k 
(Colo.),  Dolores  (Colo.),  Fruitland  Mesa  (Colo.), 
and  Savery-Pot  Hook  (Colo.-Wyo.).  #  #  # 


r^UGusT  1963 


73 


That  it  has  excavated  200,000,000 
cubic  yards  of  material,  equivalent 
to  an  excavation  1  mile  on  a  side 
and  nearly  200  feet  deep? 


13 


14 


15 


16 


That  the  storage  capacity  of  the 
reservoirs  is  10,000,000  acre-feet? 


*90,900,000  acre-feet  in  164  reservoirs 
completed. 


That  the  farms  on  the  projects  pro- 
duce crops  of  an  annual  gross  value 
of  $50,000,000? 

That  since  water  was  first  available 
for  Irrigating  these  lands  the  gross 
cumulative  value  of  the  crops  has 
been  $500,000,000? 

That  as  a  result  of  irrigation,  the 
value  of  farm  and  town  property 
within  the  projects  has  been 
increased  another  $500,000,000? 


Over  $1.2  billion. 


$18.8  bilUon. 


•Estimated  Federal  tax  revenues 
from  Reclamation  project  areas 
were  negligible  in  1923,  and  were 
$396  million  in  1962  ';  cumulative, 
not  available  for  1923,  $5.1  billion 
in  1962.' 


"^Comparative  figures  or  alternative  figures  are  shown  in  the  1963  column  except  where 
no  central  records  have  been  maintained  or  are  available  since  1923. 
1  Estimations  on  1962  fiscal  year  basis. 


W  "f^eeAc-^^eiteC  PleutA  Ot  'panmiM^ 


''/4(MAcit 


Sla^moim^  fti^ 


O/ifM^ 


MAXIMUM  use  of  land  and  water  is  the 
goal  of  one  of  the  most  amazing  farms  in 
the  southwest.  Located  in  the  heart  of 
the  Rio  Grande  Project,  10  miles  south  of  Las 
Cruces,  New  Mexico,  Stahmapn  Farms  is  an  oper- 
ation involving  a  complex  of  larms  owned  by  mem- 
bers of  the  Stahmann  family.  Included  in  the  pro- 
duction are  pecans,  cotton,  geese,  chickens,  and 
many  other  related  activities.  Altogether  this 
farm  encompasses  almost  4,000  acres  of  some  of 
the  most  productive  land  in  the  valley,  but  the 
development  of  the  farm  has  not  come  easy. 

When  Deane  Stahmann  first  moved  onto  this 
land  in  1925  the  cultivated  area  was  limited.  The 
remainder  was  waste  land  of  sand  dunes  and  old 
river  beds,  much  of  which  was  covered  with  trees 
and  brush.  By  clearing  and  leveling,  additional 
areas  were  progressively  brought  into  cultivation 
and  included  in  the  pattern  of  operation. 

In  the  early  days  cotton  was  the  big  crop.  In 
order  not  to  be  dependent  on  only  one  cash  crop, 
however,  Stahmann  began  setting  out  pecan  trees 
in  his  cotton  fields.  Now  the  entire  farm  com- 
plex has  been  planted  to  pecans  and  makes  up  the 
largest  pecan  grove  in  the  world ;  but  this  is  only 
one  facet  of  this  endeavor. 

*  August  1963 


About  14  years  ago,  Stahmann  began  raising 
geese.  His  first  concept  was  that  the  geese  would 
assist  with  the  weeding  of  the  cotton  planted  be- 
tween the  rows  of  pecan  trees,  but  he  soon  realized 
that  the  geese  were  much  more  valuable  for  fur- 
nishing natural  fertilizer  for  the  land.  So,  like 
most  of  his  endeavors,  he  began  raising  geese  on 
a  very  large  scale. 

Rynearson's  Contribution 

For  the  foundation  of  his  breeding  flock,  Mr. 
Stahmann  purchased  nearly  15,000  goose  eggs 
from  Carl  Rynearson  who  is  now  with  the  Bu- 
reau's Program  Coordination  and  Finance  Divi- 
sion in  the  Washington  Office.  Once  maintaining 
the  largest  breeding  flock  of  White  Chinese  geese 
in  the  United  States  on  his  Maryland  farm  near 
Washington,  Mr.  Rynearson's  incubating  eggs 
were  shipped  twice  a  week  by  air  freight  to  Mr. 
Stahmann. 

Prior  to  Rynearson's  entry  into  this  field,  artifi- 
cial incubation  of  goose  eggs  was  usually  unsuc- 

by  T.  H.  MOSER, 

Assistant  Rio  Grande  Project  Manager, 

El  Paso,  Texas 

75 


cessful.  He  converted  chicken  egg  incubators 
into  goose  egg  incubators  for  pioneering  in  both 
feeding  of  the  breeding  flock  and  the  incubation 
of  goose  eggs. 

After  a  year  of  study  and  experimentation  in 
proper  temperature  humidity  control,  the  use  of 
detergent  on  hatching  eggs  and  the  proper  food 
for  the  breeding  flock,  Carl  obtained  higher  hatch- 
ability  of  goose  eggs  than  was  usual  in  commercial 
chicken-egg  hatcheries. 

In  order  to  sell  the  geese,  Stahmann  Farms  con- 
structed a  slaughtering,  processing  and  quick- 
freezing  plant  with  a  daily  capacity  of  about 
3,800  birds.  Now  a  breeder  flock  of  about  12,500 
geese,  permits  shipping  of  about  200,000  pack- 
aged geese  every  year  to  markets  throughout  the 
country.  In  addition  to  this,  about  125,000  gos- 
lings are  shipped  to  other  farmers,  who  use  them 
as  weeder  geese. 

Not  content  with  only  geese  to  manufacture 
natural  fertilizer,  chickens  also  were  introduced 
into  the  farm  plans  and  presently  number  about 


Poultry  Fertilizer 

As  Deane  Stahmann  puts  it,  the  greatest  benefit 
from  the  poultry  is  the  fertilizer.  When  mixed 
with  sulphur  and  sawdust,  it  provides  better  plant  u 
food  and  soil  conditioner  than  commercial  fertil-  'l 
izers  and  is  completely  free  of  weed  seeds,  one  of 
the  problems  with  other  types  of  manure.  He  esti- 
mates that  the  operation  derives  some  $200,000 
worth  of  fertilizer  each  year  from  the  poultry. 

One  of  the  problems  in  raising  poultry  has  been 
obtaining  fresh  feed  with  the  correct  nutritional 
value.  Stahmann  says,  "Good  fresh  feed  is  the 
secret  of  making  a  success  in  the  poultry  business." 
In  order  to  insure  the  best  feed,  they  have  recently 
built  a  feed  mill.  This  fully  automatic  operation 
has  a  capacity  of  75  tons  per  day  and  is  capable  of 
making  8  varieties  of  regular  feed  and  4  medicated 
feeds. 

In  spite  of  the  considerable  size  of  the  geese  and 
chicken  activities,  pecans  remain  the  primary  crop. 
The  present  practice  of  heavy  pruning  decreases 
production  but  improves  the  quality  of  the  nuts 


Breeder  geese  on  Stahmann  Farms 


50,000  pullets  and  more  than  125,000  laying  hens. 
Unlike  the  geese  that  can  be  put  out  under  the 
pecan  trees  at  an  age  of  6  weeks,  the  chickens  are 
kept  in  air-conditioned  houses  in  individual  cages 
and  are  automatically  provided  with  water  and 
custom-made  feed.  The  eggs  roll  to  the  front  of 
cages  and  are  gathered  nine  times  daily,  from  a 
suspended  platform  that  rolls  along  a  track.  The 
eggs  are  handled  under  controlled  temperature  and 
humidity  conditions. 

At  the  present  time  255  cases  of  eggs  are  gath- 
ered daily,  but  Stahmann  Farms  has  plans  to  in- 
crease this  production  as  markets  for  the  eggs  are 
developed.  When  the  layers  reach  18  months,  they 
are  "retired  from  service"  and  sold. 


and  allows  for  closer  spacing  of  the  trees  as  can 
be  seen  in  the  picture  on  page  77.  The  new  trees 
for  replacement  planting  come  from  the  nursery, 
operated  as  an  adjunct  to  the  farm.  Although 
about  100,000  trees  are  raised  each  year  the  ma- 
jority are  sold  to  other  farmers  and  individuals 
in  every  part  of  the  country. 

Two  ultra-modern  pecan  cracking  plants  are  also 
operated  by  Stahmann  Farms.  Between  6  and  7 
million  pounds  of  nuts  are  shelled,  graded,  sized 
and  packaged  for  shipment  to  all  parts  of  the 
United  States  and  to  foreign  countries.  Although 
the  shelling  and  packaging  process  requires  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  hand  labor,  mechanization  of 
this  work  is  used  to  the  fullest  extent. 


76 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Cotton  Crops 

Not  to  be  overlooked  in  this  farming  operation 
is  the  original  money  crop — cotton.  By  con- 
tinuous breeding  since  1937,  Stahmann  has  de- 
veloped the  "Del  Cerro"  variety  of  good  produc- 
ing, high-quality  cotton,  which  is  efficiently  grown 
in  narrow  strips  between  the  rows  of  trees. 

One  reason  this  complex  farming  operation  is 
so  highly  productive  is  the  interest  and  attention 
paid  to  improving  the  soil.  Continual  fertiliza- 
tion, deep  plowing  and  leveling  are  recognized  as 
good  farming  practices.  In  addition  to  these, 
however,  is  "soil  swapping" — moving  soil  from  one 
area  to  another.  By  this  work  areas  of  different 
types  of  soil,  sueh  as  heavy  clay  and  sand,  are 
blended  to  make  a  more  productive  soil.  Since 
this  land  was  originally  criss-crossed  by  many  old 
river  beds,  the  soil  on  the  farm  was  far  from  homo- 
geneous. Much  improvement  by  means  of  "soil 
swapping"  has  already  been  made  and  Stahmann 
feels  this  work  should  continue  as  long  as  it  will 


increase  production. 

Although  Deane  Stahmann  has  been  the  driving 
force  in  the  development  of  this  intra-family  oper- 
ation, he  is  by  no  means  the  only  one  responsible 
for  the  efficient  operation  of  the  enterprise.  Not 
only  do  his  two  sons,  Deane,  Jr.  and  Bill,  play  an 
important  part,  but  he  recognizes  that  the  work 
of  every  one  of  the  many  employees  is  necessary 
for  the  continued  success  of  the  farm. 

Consequently,  a  benefit  plan,  wherein  the  em- 
ployees share  in  the  profits  of  the  operation,  has 
been  developed.  The  plan  provides  for  vacation 
pay,  medical  insurance,  cash  bonuses,  a  profit- 
sharing  trust  fund,  and  a  pension  trust,  in  which 
all  permanent  employees  are  included.  It  is  this 
feature  of  employer-employee  relations  that  Deane 
Stahmann  is  most  proud. 

So  the  combination  of  good  management,  effi- 
cient and  conscientious  employees,  and  widely  di- 
versified farming  has  made  Stahmann  Farms  a 
showplace  of  the  southwest.  #  #  # 


One  of  the  main  canals  of  the  Rio  Grande  Project.      Used  for  irrigating  the  Stahmann  Fanms. 


August  1963 


^tuCoK  tAe  (^a(«m6ia,  ScuiK  Pwfeet 


2-'^elftefUOKtAe'7fC^Ht'P<vuK 


SINCE  the  comiiig  of  the  Columbia  Basin 
Project  in  south-central  Washington  state, 
the  waterfowl  population,  attracted  by  the 
large  quantity  of  available  water  and  feed  in  the 
area,  has  boomed. 

But  on  a  large  mint  farm  owned  by  Felix  Kinne 
in  the  project's  Irrigation  Block  74  near  Quincy, 
and  at  several  other  mint  farms  throughout  the 
457,000  irrigable  acre  project,  hundreds  of  do- 
mestic geese  are  brought  into  the  area  each  spring 
to  assiduously  apply  their  long  noses  to  a  back- 
breaking  job,  and  all  for  less  than  peanuts — as 
a  matter  of  fact,  for  weeds. 

The  first  mint  to  be  raised  on  the  Project  was  a 
small  acreage  in  Block  1  in  1949,  the  first  year  that 
irrigation  water  reached  project  lands.  Since  that 
time,  the  annual  mint  harvest  has  grown  to  a  cur- 
rent average  acreage  of  about  2,500  acres. 


Among  the  several  unique  aspects  of  mint  rais- 
ing is  one  that  is  also  its  chief  problem ;  the  plants 
grow  only  about  30  to  36  inches  high  making  thor- 
ough mechanical  weeding  impossible.  Conse- 
quently man-labor  is  usually  the  biggest  single 
expense  in  mint  operations.  That's  where  the 
geese  come  in.  And  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Kinne,  who 
raises  about  800  acres  of  mint  annually,  each 
spring,  geese  come  in  almost  by  the  thousands. 

"I  was  sold  on  the  idea  of  using  the  geese  one 
day  while  watching  a  young  goose  working  its  way 
down  the  row  of  a  mint  field  in  Sunnyside,  eating 
weeds  as  it  went,"  Kinne  said.  "I  couldn't  help 
thinking  that  I  had  to  pay  for  weeding  and  this 
bird  was  doing  the  same  thing  for  free  and  feeding 
itself  at  the  same  time." 

Since  that  time,  thousands  of  geese  have  plodded 
down  the  rows  of  Kinne's  mint  fields  plucking  out 


Part  of  Felix  Kinns't  1 963  crop  of  goslings. 


The  Reclamation  Era   » 


weeds  such  as  Chinese  Lettuce,  a  particular  favor- 
ite, from  under  the  mint  plants,  even  though  the 
young  weeds  are  sometimes  so  small  as  to  be  almost 
invisible.  Mr.  Kinne  claims  that  the  geese  only 
rarely  eat  the  mint  plant.  When  the  weed  pick- 
ings are  particularly  slim  the  geese's  diet  is  oc- 
casionally supplemented  with  com. 

"Just  after  the  irrigation  season  begins  I  buy 
about  1,500  goslings.  After  8  or  10  weeks  in 
roofed  pens  the  goslings  have  feathers  and  are 
ready  to  go  to  work,"  Kinne  said.  Even  though 
the  mint  fields  are  fenced  by  the  time  the  irriga- 
tion season  is  over  and  the  last  of  the  mint  is  har- 
vested, this  number  is  reduced  by  at  least  half, 
principally  by  the  depredations  of  dogs  and  coy- 
otes. "But  we're  having  less  trouble  now  with  the 
coyotes,"  Kinne  said.  "The  Fish  and  Wildlife 
service  is  helping  to  get  rid  of  them." 

The  surviving  geese  are  sold  back  to  the  hatchery 
and  to  neighbors  in  plenty  of  time  for  Thanks- 
giving. However,  as  might  be  expected,  there  are 
a  few  geese  in  Kinne's  area  that  were  sold  for  din- 


ner which  stayed  as  live  pets. 

Aside  from  the  geese  weeders,  processing  valua- 
ble mint  oil  is  also  one  of  his  industries.  The  oil 
is  used  by  such  firms  as  Colgate  and  Wrigleys  in  a 
large  variety  of  gum,  toothpastes,  and  candies. 

On  most  of  the  project's  larger  mint  operations, 
such  as  Mr.  Kinne's,  processing  of  the  mint  oil 
takes  place  right  on  the  farm.  After  the  mint  is 
cut,  a  field  chopper  is  usually  used  to  pick  it  up, 
chop  it  and  load  it  into  a  truck-mounted  metal 
tank.  When  the  tank  is  filled,  the  next  stop  is  the 
distillery  where  the  mint  is  steamed  until  the  oil 
in  the  leaves  is  vaporized.  This  vapor  then  is  con- 
densed, separated  from  the  water,  and  stored  in 
barrels  for  later  shipment.  The  whole  distilling 
process  takes  about  2  hours,  from  shredded  plant 
to  oil. 

Geese  and  high-geared  mechanized  distilleries 
may  be  incongruous,  but  they  are  co-workers 
in  mint  production  on  the  Columbia  Basin 
Project.  #  #  # 


REGIONS  to  celebrate  20th  ANNIVERSARY 


m 


1943—1963 


he  20th  anniversary  of  the  establish- 
ment of  regional  administration  of  the  Bu- 
reau of  Reclamation  by  river  basins,  which 
occurred  on  September  9,  1943,  will  be 
marked  throughout  the  Bureau.  Region 
7  was  established  a  year  later,  but  will  join 
the  other  six  regions  in  Bureau-wide  rec- 
ognition. 

Each  region  will  conduct  its  own  ob- 
servance and  highlight  its  accomplish- 
ments and  purpose  to  the  public.  The  re- 
^onal  observances  will  be  coordinated 
with  National  Public  Works  Week  during 
September  8-14.  #  #  # 


l-riT3D  STATSS 

2EP.J!TiE:rr  of  tje  KTcmoa 

DureKu  o'  Reclacation 
Washington 

Septenber  9,  W43 

The  Seorotary  of  the  Interior  has  approved  a  plan  subraitted  by  foraer  Cowris- 
sionor  John  C.  Paje  Tor  the  roorsor.iaation  of  the  Buroau  of  Reclamation.    The  rs- 
ors'jnisation  plan  is  indicated  on  tlie  attached  chart,  and  was  developed  after 
thorouf^  studies  and  consideration  of  the  Bureau's  objectives  and  operatir.3  ra- 
o.ulronents.     It  is  designed  to  enable  Bureau  forces  to  cope  acre  adequately  viith 
the  increasing  problems  which  com  within  the  scope  of  the  Bureau's  rosponsibili- 
ties; 

Set  forth  below  are  the  organisational  changes  which  are  to  be  made  at  this 
tine. 

1.  Effective  immediately,  there  are  ostablishod  the  Branches  of  Desicn  and 
Construction,  Project  Plannins,  Ojieration  and  Ilaintenance,  and  Kiscal  and  ;\drd.n- 
istrative  timacoiacnt.  These  'branches  shall  have  the  responsibilities  outlined 
herein.  Present  provisions  for  the  performance  of  these  rosponsl*^'''"^^ 
superseded  in  general  as  fellows: 

(a)     The  Branch  of  Dps<  — 
rosDo'- 


liVuGUST  1963 


79 


RECORD  MILLIONS  Seek  Recreation  At  rroiects 


THE  equivalent  of  one  out  of  every  seven 
persons  in  the  United  States  visited  a  rec- 
reation area  on  a  Bureau  project  last  year. 
Statistics  indicate  that  new  high  of  27  million 
visitor-days  recorded  at  Bureau  recreation  areas 
during  1962  are  approximately  four  times  the  num- 
ber estimated  for  1951  and  represent  an  increase 
of  1.4  million  over  the  25.6  million  figure  for  1961. 
By  far  the  greatest  number  of  visitors  to  these 
recreation  areas  last  year  went  primarily  to  view 
the  scenery.  They  found  that  the  superb  natural 
beauties  of  Western  mountains,  lakes,  and  plains 
have  been  enhanced  by  breath-taking  man-made 
splendors — impressive  Eeclamation  dams  and  res- 
ervoirs with  9,000  miles  of  spectacular  shoreline. 
Guided  tours  of  the  larger  installations  are  prov- 
ing increasingly  popular  with  the  swelling  stream 
of  tourists. 


Visitor-days  recorded  for  sightseeing  enjoyment 
at  the  recreation  areas  last  year  totaled  10.2  mil- 
lion. Another  5  million  were  spent  fishing  in 
reservoirs  and  other  waterways.  Picnicking  ac- 
counted for  3.3  million  visitor-days,  water  skiing 
for  2.5  million,  camping  for  2  million,  boating  for 
1.6  million,  and  hunting  for  .2  million. 

The  191  recreation  areas  at  Bureau  projects 
comprise  4,126,546  acres  of  land  and  1,350,506 
acres  of  water,  with  89  percent  of  the  land  and  96 
percent  of  the  water  available  to  the  public  for 
various  sports.  Facilities  for  public  use  vary  con- 
siderably among  the  different  projects,  since  they 
include  those  installed  at  the  time  the  projects 
were  built,  development  undertaken  by  the  rec- 
reational management  agencies,  facilities  built  by 
concessionaires  and  organized  camping  groups 
such  as  Boy  Scouts  and  church  associations,  pri- 


80 


The  Reclamation  Era, 


vate  cabins,  and  a  few  installations  of  semi-private 
organizations,  such  as  water  skiing  and  boating 
clubs.  The  accommodations  include  parking  areas, 
campgrounds,  rest  rooms,  picnic  areas  and  tables, 
drinking  water  outlets,  swimming  beaches,  boat 
ramps  and  docks,  and  summer  homes.  In  addition 
218  concessionaires  supply  public  lodging  and 
eating  establishments. 

Bureau  statistics  show  that  the  reservoirs  of 
multi-purpose  Reclamation  projects  contribute 
significantly  to  migratory  waterfowl  conservation, 
a  Reclamation  function  closely  allied  to  recreation. 
Both  wild  ducks  and  wild  geese  utilize  these  water 
impoundments  as  resting  areas  during  spring  and 
fall  migrations  and,  to  a  lesser  extent,  for  nesting 


and  feeding  during  the  remainder  of  the  year. 
More  than  a  half  million  acres  of  land  and  water 
on  the  projects  comprise  wildlife  refuges.  Hunt- 
ing is  permitted  during- open  season  on  4  million 
acres,  or  73  percent  of  all  land  and  water  in  the 
project  recreation  areas. 

Total  value  of  recreation  facilities  on  Reclama- 
tion projects  is  approximately  $50.2  million,  of 
which  only  $6  million  represents  investment  by 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  $22.4  by  other  Federal 
and  non-Federal  administering  agencies,  and  $13.2 
by  concessionaires.  Operation  and  maintenance 
of  all  public-use  facilities  totaled  $7.2  million  last 
year  and  provided  approximately  600  man-years 
of  employment.  #  #  # 


The  water's  edge  camping  shown  on  page  80  is  at  Shadow  Mountain  Reservoir,  Colorado. 

at  Black  Canyon   Reservoir,   Boise,   Idaho. 


Below,  the  swimming  and  boating  scene  is 


August  1963 


81 


f^^^i 

*r'              ^H 

AS^^*"!-^          .l^H 

f                      .^C^^ftJ^^r-^'^ipN.                   ^^^^H 

1        '^^^"B^H^^^^^^^BP^^^^^^^B'9^^^^^  n                    wf^^^i 

/         _]^^9EdwilHVj          1^            ^H 

^^^H 

AN  estimated  $2,000  was  saved  through  the 

Za  use  this  spring  of  a  helicopter  to  transport 
X  jl. drilling  equipment  for  geological  investi- 
gations on  the  San  Luis  Unit  of  the  Bureau's 
Central  Valley  Project  near  Los  Banos, 
California. 

In  addition  to  the  savings,  use  of  the  helicopter 
expedited  equipment  handling,  advancing  the 
drilling  schedule  a  full  2  weeks. 

In  3  hours  and  42  minutes  of  total  flying  time, 
the  helicopter  transported  the  drilling  rig,  all  mis- 
cellaneous tools,  decking,  rods,  casing,  pipeline, 
and  110  gallons  of  gasoline  from  the  Los  Banos 
Airport  to  the  drilling  site,  a  distance  of  about  25 
miles.  By  comparison,  the  move  onto  a  nearby 
site  in  1962  by  the  conventional  method  required 
a  crew  of  six,  2  weeks  to  complete. 

Site  of  the  recent  drilling  work  was  on  a  ridge 
approximately  1,000  feet  above  the  Los  Banos 
Creek  valley  floor.    By  ground,  the  only  access 


Helicopter 

used  as 

ECONOMY 
WORKHORSE 


was  up  slopes  that  averaged  almost  1% :  1,  and 
in  places  there  were  a  series  of  20-foot  vertical 
steps.  The  ground  surface  was  littered  with  loose 
rocks,  and  at  the  upper  elevation  of  the  ridge  there 
were  few  trees  to  which  the  rig  might  have  been 
tied. 

In  the  helicopter  transport,  the  drilling  rig  was 
broken  down  into  three  pieces:  the  skids,  motor, 
and  the  radiator  and  gasoline  tank. 

Based  on  the  1962  experience,  it  is  estimated 
that  the  recent  on-site  move  using  the  conventional 
method  would  have  required  90  man-days — a  total 
cost  of  $2,484 — and  miscellaneous  equipment 
charges,  such  as  bulldozer  rental,  were  estimated 
at  $500.  Direct  costs  for  the  move  were  thus  esti- 
mated to  total  almost  $3,000. 

Costs  of  the  move  utilizing  the  helicopter  were : 
4  man-days  spent  in  packaging  and  preparing 
equipment,  a  total  of  about  $110;  a  6  man-days 
in  completing  the  setup  and  reassembly  of  the 
drilling  rig,  a  total  of  $165 ;  and  helicopter  rental 
of  about  $450.  Total  cost  of  the  helicopter  move : 
$725,  a  savings  of  more  than  $2,000  over  the  con- 
ventional method. 

Use  of  the  helicopter  also  made  possible  in- 
creased safety  of  the  operation  over  the  conven- 
tional move.  Moving  heavy  equipment  to  the  top 
of  the  ridge  up  steep  slopes,  where  poor  footing 
is  inherently  dangerous,  was  obviated  by  the  heli- 
copter technique.  #  #  # 


82 


The  Reclamation  Era 


KEY  PERSONNEL  CHANGED 


MR.  DENIT  LEAVES  RECLAMATION  TO  TAKE  DEPARTMENTAL  POSITION 


Having  gained 
many  friends  and 
the  respect  of  co- 
workers and  peo- 
ple in  high  posi- 
tions because  of 
his  abilities,  it  is 
with  regret  that 
Reclamation  staff- 
ers saw  W.  Dar- 
lington D  e  n  i  t 
leave  for  his  new  appointment  with  the  Depart- 
ment. In  May,  after  2  years  as  the  Bureau's 
Assistant  Commissioner  for  Administration,  he 


was  appointed  by  Secretary  Udall  as  Director  of 
the  Department's  new  Office  of  Surveys  and 
Review. 

Mr.  Denit  has  written  and  lectured  extensively 
on  topics  in  the  public  administration  field.  He 
has  had  extensive  responsible  experience  in  the 
fields  of  financial  management,  auditing,  and  com- 
pliance activity  in  Interior  and  other  Federal 
agencies  and  in  industry. 

In  his  new  post,  Mr.  Denit  directs  selective 
audits,  reviews  and  investigations.  He  had  served 
from  1955-61,  just  prior  to  his  Bureau  position, 
as  Director  of  the  Department  of  the  Interior's 
Inspection  Division. 


Daniel  V.  McCarthy  Named  Division  Chief 


Pierce  Steps  in  as  Alaska  Manager 


^  Daniel  V.  Mc- 

V  ^k  Carthy  was  named 

\  jj2f  Chief,  Division  of 

Project  Develop- 
ment in  May,  suc- 
ceeding Donald  R. 
Burnett,  who  re- 
cently accepted  a 
position  in  the 
Philippines  as  a 
Project  Engineer. 
'Mr.  McCarthy,  a  native  of  Nichols,  New  York, 
received  his  bachelor's  degree  in  civil  engineering 
from  Pennsylvania  State  University  in  1934.  He 
has  devoted  his  entire  career  to  water  resources 
development,  with  the  Tennessee  Valley  Author- 
ity, the  U.S.  Army  Corps  of  Engineers,  the  Na- 
tional Resources  Planning  Board,  and  during 
World  War  II  with  the  Water  Division  of  the 
War  Production  Board.  He  joined  Reclamation 
in  1945  and  became  Assistant  Chief  of  Project 
Development  in  1959. 


George  N. 
Pierce  was  ap- 
pointed in  April 
as  new  manager  of 
the  Alaskan  Dis- 
trict, coming  to 
the  post  with  ex- 
tensive experience 
with  the  Bureau 
and  the  Tennessee 
Valley  Authority 
in  power  planning,  marketing  and  other  fields  of 
Reclamation  developments. 

He  succeeds  Daryl  L.  Roberts  who  was  assigned 
to  the  new  Philippine's  office  which  is  studying 
multipurpose  development  of  seven  major  river 
basins  under  auspices  of  the  Agency  for  Interna- 
tional Development. 

Born  in  1911  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  Mr.  Pierce 
matriculated  first  at  the  University  of  North  Car- 
olina and  completed  his  work  for  a  degree  in  civil 
engineering  at  the  University  of  Cincinnati  in 
1936. 


»r  August  1963 


83 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Speci- 
fication 
No. 


DC-6853 


Project 


Colorado  River  Storage,  Utah- 
Wyo.-Colo.-Arlz.-N.  Mex. 


Seedskadee,  Wyo 

Central  Valley,  Calif- 


Colorado  River  Storage,  Ariz 

Missouri    River    Basin,    Mont.- 
Wyo. 

Central  Valley,  CaUf - 

Florida,  Colo 

Colorado  River  Storage,  Ariz 

Colorado  River  Storage,  N.  Mex. 

Colorado  River  Storage,  N.  Mex. 
Central  Valley,  Calif 


Gila,  Ariz. 


DC-5877 

D 8-6890 

DS-6896 
D 8-6898 

DC-6900 

DC-6902 
DC-6903 
DS-6904 

DC-6907 
DS-6911 

DC-5913 

DC  -6914 

DC-6916 

DC-6916 

DC-6917 

DC-6920 
DS-5921 

DS-6924 

DC-5926 
DC-6927 

DS-6928 
DC-6929 
DC-6930 
DS-6942 
DS-6947 
DC-6962     Missouri  River  Basin,  Mont- 


Lower   Rio  Grande   Rehabilita- 
tion, Tex. 

Colorado  River  Storage,  Colo 


Missouri  River  Basin,  S.  Dak. 
do 


Emery  County,  Utah 

Colorado   River  Storage,   Colo.' 
Ariz.-Utah-N.  Mex. 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Norman,  Okla 

Colorado  River  Storage,  Colo. 

Central  VaUey,  Calif 

Hungry  Horse,  Mont 

Missouri  River  Basin,  Nebr.. 
Missouri  River  Basin,  Kans-- 
Colorado  River  Storage,  Colo- 


Award 
date 


May  17 


Apr. 

8 

May 

7 

Apr. 

2 

Apr. 

10 

Apr.  29 


Apr. 

30 

May 

10 

Apr. 

6 

Apr. 

17 

June 

4 

lOOC-613 

300C-186 

DC-6932 
DC-6935 
DC-6837 
DC-6946 

DC-6969 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Colorado  River  Front  Work  and 
Levee  System,  Ariz.-Callf. 

Missouri  River  Basin,  8.  Dak 

Weber  Basin,  Utah 

Missouri  River  Basin,  Wyo. -Neb. 

Chief  Joseph  Dam,  Wash 

Minidoka  and  Palisades,  Idaho— 


May  16 


May  10 

MSy  14 

May  10 

May  20 

May  10 
May  29 


May  31 

May  17 
May  31 

June  4 
June  3 
June  7 
June  17 
June  18 
June  20 

Apr.  19 

June  14 

June  24 
June  24 
June  27 
June  25 

June  28 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Contractor's  name  and 
address 


Furnishing  and  installing  a  multichannel  microwave 
radio  system  for  supervision  and  control  between 
Flaming  Gorge,  Vernal,  Hayden,  Cheyenne, 
Archer,  Rifle,  Curecanti,  and  Montrose;  and  be- 
tween Montrose,  Shiprock,  Glen  Canyon,  Flag- 
staff, Pinnacle  Peak,  and  Phoenix. 

Construction  of  Fontenelle  powerplant  and  switch- 
yard. 

Three  vertical-shaft,  centrifugal-type  pumps;  three 
vertical-shaft,  mixed-flow-type  pumps;  and  three 
control  units  for  Mile  18  pumping  plant 

Twelve  8,000-kva  shunt  reactors  for  Pinnacle  Peak 
substation. 

Two  25-foot  by  64.4-foot  raidal  gates  for  spillway  in- 
take structure  at  Yellowtail  Dam. 


Construction  of  16  miles  of  concrete-lined  San  Luis 
canal,  Sta.  37-f 60  to  870-fOO,  utilizing  prestressed 
precast  concrete  beams  for  bridge. 

Construction  of  17.5  miles  of  unlined  Florida  laterals, 
wasteways,  and  ditches. 

Construction  of  the  22-mile  Pinnacle  Peak-Mesa  230- 
kv  transmission  line. 

Seventeen  230-kv,  eleven  116-kv,  and  six  16-kv  dis- 
connecting switches  for  Shiprock  substation, 
schedule  1. 

Construction  of  Shiprock  substation,  stage  01 


Six  vertical-shaft,  mixed-flow-type  pumps  and  con- 
trol units  for  San  Luis  forebay  pumping  plant. 

Construction  of  3.6  miles  of  concrete-lined  canal, 
10  miles  of  pipeline  laterals,  and  structures  for 
South  Gila  Valley  Unit  distribution  system, 
schedule  II,  utilizing  cast-in-place  pipe  for  the 
laterals,  schedule  1. 

Clearing,  and  construction  of  earthwork  and  struc- 
tures for  rehabilitation  of  Main  canal,  Sta.  0-1-00 
to  2794-86,  and  modification  of  Lateral  C  in- 
take structure. 

Construction  of  Morrow  Point  Dam  and  powerplant. 


Construction  of  the  61-mlle  Martin-PhiUp  116-kv 
transmission  line. 

Construction  of  stage  06  additions  to  Sioux  Falls 
substation. 

Construction  of  Joes  Valle  Dam-. 

Furnishing  and  installing  digital  dispatching  sys- 
tem for  multiple-plant  load  and  frequency  control 
and  auxiliary  uses  for  Montrose  power  operations 
center,  Flaming  Gorge  and  Glen  Canyon  power- 
plants,  and  telemetering  points. 

Eight  vertical-shaft,  turbine-type  pumping  imlts 
and  eight  300-kva  unit  power  centers  for  emergency 
drainage  of  Grand  Coulee  powerplant. 

Construction  of  29  miles  of  water  conduit  for  Nor- 
man, Midwest  City,  and  Del  City  pipelines. 

Construction  of  Vernal-Hayden  and  Hayden-Green 
Mountain  138-kv  transmission  lines  in  the  vicinity 
of  Hayden  substation,  schedules  1  and  2. 

One  350-ton  and  one  60-ton  traveling  crane  for  San 
Luis  pumping-generating  plant. 

Construction  of  a  tour  center  for  Hungry  Horse 
Dam,  schedule  1. 

Construction  of  64  miles  of  Ainsworth  laterals  and 
wasteways  and  5  miles  of  drains,  section  1. 

Three  30-foot  by  36.35-foot  radial  gates  for  spillway 
gate  structure  at  Norton  Dam,  schedule  1. 

Two  84-inch  hollow-jet  valves  for  outlet  works  at 
Blue  Mesa  Dam. 

Stringing  conductors  and  overhead  ground  wires  for 
160  miles  of  Dawson  County-Custer  section  of 
Yellowtail-Dawson  Coimty  230-kv  transmission 
line. 

Construction  of  11  miles  of  pipe  drains  for  D78-37, 
D78-37-1,  D78-57,  D78-121,  and  D78-126  systems. 
Block  78. 

Construction  of  an  inlet  channel  to  the  sediment 
retention  basin  between  Imperial  and  Laguna 
Dams. 

Construction  of  stage  02  and  03  additions  to  Philip 
substation. 

Construction  of  Lost  Creek  Dam 


Construction  of  the  61-mlle  Archer  (Cheyenne)- 
Stegall  230-kv  transmission  line. 

Construction  of  16  miles  of  pipelines,  including  reser- 
voirs and  pumping  plants,  for  Brays  Landing 
Unit  lateral  system. 

Construction  of  stage  02  additions  to  Heybum  and 
Goshen  substations. 


Con- 
tract 
amount 


General  Dynamics  Corp.,  Strom- 
berg-Carlson   Div.,    Rochester, 

N.Y. 


E-W  Construction  Co.  and  L.  D. 
Shilling    Co.,    Inc.,    CresweU, 
Oreg. 
English     Electric     Corp.,     New 
York,  N.Y. 

General  Electric  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 

Mitsubishi  Nippon  Heavy-Indus- 
tries, Ltd.,  c/o  Mitsubishi  Inter- 
national   Corp.,     New    York, 
N.Y. 

Guy  F.  Atkinson  Co.,  South  San 
Francisco,  Calif. 

J.  F.  Schroeder's  Sons,  Ordway, 

Colo. 
Schurr  and  Finlay,  Inc.,  Yorba 

Linda,  Calif. 
Schwager-Wood  Co.,  Inc.,  PorV 

land  Oreg. 

Reynolds  Electrical  &  Engineer- 
ing Co.,  Inc.,  Santa  Fe,  N.  Mex. 

Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.,  Hy- 
draulic &  Special  Projects  Div., 
Denver,  Colo. 

Sandkay  Construction  Co.,  Inc., 
Ephrata,  Wash. 


Dodds  &  Wedegartner,  Inc.,  San 
Benito,  Tex. 


Al  Johnson  Construction  Co.  and 

Morrison-Knudsen    Co.,    Inc., 

MinneapoUs,  Minn. 
Hall-Barovlch  Construction,  Rapid 

City,  S.  Dak. 
Ets-Hokin    and     Galvan,    Inc., 

Denver,  Colo. 
S.  S.  Mullen,  Inc.,  Seattle,  Wash.. 
General    Electric    Co.,    Denver, 

Colo. 


Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.,  Hydrau- 
lic &  Special  Projects  Div., 
Denver,  Colo. 

International  Pipe  &  Ceramics 
Corp.,  East  Orange,  N.J. 

L.  0.  Brayton  &  Co.,  Dyersburg, 
Tenn. 

Star  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  Tacoma, 

Wash. 
Montana     Builders,      Kalispell, 

Mont. 
Missouri  Valley  Construction  Co., 

Grand  Island,  Nebr. 
McNally  Pittsburg  Mfg.  Corp., 

Pittsburg,  Kans. 
Goslin-Birmingham     Mfg.     Co., 

Inc.,  Birmingham,  Ala. 
Main  Electric,  Inc.,  and  Aloysius 

D.  Hagensteln,  Minot,  N.  Dak. 


Sandkay  Construction  Co.,  Ephra- 
ta, Wash. 

Arrow    Construction    Co.,    Inc., 
Yuma,  Ariz. 

Electrical  Builders,  Inc.,  Valley 

City,  N.  Dak. 
Steenberg  Construction  Co.,  St. 

Paul,  Minn. 
Electric  Properties  Co.,  Lincoln, 

Neb. 
Armstrong  and  Armstrong,  We- 

natchee.  Wash. 

Carrel  Electric,  Twin  Falls,  Idaho. 


84 


The  Reclamation  Era. 


Major   Construction   and   Materials    For   Which   Bids   Will   Be   Requested 
'  Throush  Ausust  1963* 


Project 


[Canadian  River,  Tex. 


entral  Valley,  Calif. 


Do. 


Do. 


bolo.    River   Front   and 
Levee    System,    Arlz.- 
1  Calif. 

j>R8P,  Colo 

Do.. 

Mia,  Ariz... 


IRBP,  Colo 

IRBP,  Iowa  and  Mo 


IRBP,  Iowa. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  about  90  miles  of  pipelines  of  pre- 
cast-concrete pressure  pipe  for  heads  ranging 
from  25  to  100  ft  In  sizes  of  54-,  60-,  66-,  and 
72-ln.  diameter,  and  one  earth-lined  reservoir 
of  600  acre-feet  capacity  with  about  29  acres 
bottom  area.  Main  Aqueduct,  from  vicinity 
of  Canyon,  to  vicinity  of  Lubbock,  Tex. 

First-stage  construction  for  the  13,100-cfs-capaclty 
Mile  18  Pumping  Plant.  Work  will  consist  of 
earthwork;  discharge  lines  with  prestressed 
monolithic  and  steel  alternatives;  constructing 
a  relnforced-concrete  plant  substructure  with 
a  structural-steel  frame  and  brick  superstruc- 
ture, an  outlet  structure,  and  a  short  reach  of 
Inlet  and  outlet  concrete-lined  canal.  About 
9  miles  south  of  Los  Banos. 

Constructing  prefabricated  field  oflices,  labora- 
tory and  automotive  shop,  and  underground 
gasoline  storage  facilities.  Work  will  also 
include  asphalt  surfacing  parking  areas  and 
service  yard,  and  chain-link  fencing  area.  San 
Luis  damslte,  near  Los  Banos. 

Sixteen  draft  tube  bulkhead  gates,  including 
lifting  frame,  and  seats  and  guides,  for  sixteen 
15-ft  11-in.  by  12-ft  9-ln.  draft  tube  openings 
for  the  San  Luis  Dam  Pumping-Oeneratlng 
Plant.  Estimated  weight:  Gates— 223,000  lb; 
seats  and  guides— 95,500  lb. 

Six  centrifugal-type  vertical-shaft,  pump  tur- 
bines each  with  a  pumping  capacity  of  100  cfs 
at  a  total  head  of  74  ft  for  the  Senator  Wash 
Pumping-Oeneratlng  Plant. 

Constructing  an  80-  by  178-ft  warehouse  and 
a  60-  by  178-ft  storage  garage,  both  to  be  of  steel 
frame  with  metal  panels.  Power  Operations 
Center  at  Montrose. 

Constructing  a  100-  by  165-ft  maintenance  shop 
and  a  60-  by  165-ft  service  garage.  Power 
Operations  Center  at  Montrose. 

Constructing  about  4.5  miles  of  4-ft  bottom  width 
concrete-Uned  canal  and  about  12.6  miles  of 
30-  to  48-ln.  diameter  cast-ln-place  or  precast- 
concrete  pipe  laterals.  South  Gila  Canal  and 
Laterals,  Unit  2,  near  Yuma. 

One  116-69-12.47-kv,  10,000/12,600-kva  power 
autotransformer  for  Llmon  Substation. 

Furnishing  and  constructing  about  63  miles  of 
161-kv,  wood-pole  Creston-MaryvlUe  Trans- 
mission Line;  and  furnishing  and  stringing 
three  666  MCM,  24/7,  ACSR  conductors  and 
two  H-In.,  high-strength,  steel  strand,  over- 
head ground  wires.  Along  allnement  ex- 
tending from  near  Creston,  Iowa,  to  near 
MaryvlUe,  Mo. 

Additions  to  the  Sioux  City  Substation,  Stages 
04 A  and  06,  will  consist  of  constructing  concrete 
foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting  steel 
structures;  furnishing  and  installing  two  230-kv 
and  two  161-kv  circuit  breakers  and  associated 
electrical  equipment;  and  grading  and  fencing 
the  additional  substation  area. 


Project 


MRBP,  Mont. 


MRBP,  Nebr- 


MRBP,  N.  Dak. 


Do 

MRBP,  S.  Dak. 


MRBP,  Wyo. 


MRBP,  Wyo.-Mont. 
Norman,  Okla 


Rio  Grande,  N.  Mex 
Seedskadee,  Wyo 

Do 

Washita  Basin,  Okla 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Furnishing  and  installing  fence  gates;  clearing 
right-of-way;  constructing  concrete  footings; 
furnishing  and  erecting  steel  towers  for  about 
60  miles  of  230-kv,  single-circuit  transmission 
line;  and  furnishing  and  stringing  three  964 
MCM,  ACSR  conductors  and  two  H-ln. 
steel  strand,  overhead  ground  wires.  Custer- 
Yellowtall  Section  of  Yellowtail-Dawson 
County  Transmission  Line,  from  the  Yellow- 
tall  Dam  Switchyard  to  Custer. 

Constructing  about  26  miles  of  imlined  canals 
with  bottom  widths  varying  from  18  to  4  ft  and 
about  62  miles  of  unlined  laterals  with  bottom 
widths  varying  from  6  to  4  ft.  Farwell  South 
and  Upper  South  Canals  and  Laterals,  near 
Boelus. 

Additions  to  the  Fargo  Substation,  Stage  07,  will 
consist  of  constructing  concrete  foundations; 
furnishing  and  erecting  steel  structures;  and 
installing  two  230-kv,  two  116-kv,  and  two  13.8- 
kv  circuit  breakers,  and  associated  electrical 
equipment,  major  items  of  which  will  be  Gov- 
ernment furnished. 

Two  230-  to  115-kv,  33,333-kva,  single-phase 
mobile  autotransformers. 

Preparing  about  24,000  lln  ft  of  canal  subgrade  and 
5,100  lln  ft  of  lateral  subgrade  for  buried  as- 
phaltic  membrane  lining,  and  furnishing  and 
applying  asphaltic  membrane  lining  and  earth 
and  gravel  cover.  Angostura  Unit,  near  Hot 
Springs. 

Furnishing  and  constructing  about  33  miles  of 
115-kv,  wood-pole  Glendo-Lusk  Transmission 
Line;  and  furnishing  and  stringing  three  477 
MCM,  ACSR  conductors  and  two  J^-in.  steel 
strand,  overhead  ground  wires.  Along  allne- 
ment extending  from  near  Glendo  to  near  Lusk. 

Earthwork,  structures,  and  track  for  about  5 
miles  of  CB&Q  RR  near  the  upper  reaches  of 
Yellowtail  Reservoir.    Near  Kane,  Wyo. 

Clearing  and  burning  trees  and  brush  and  remov- 
ing and  disposing  of  fencing,  buildings,  founda- 
tions, bridges,  and  other  miscellaneous  struc- 
tures from  Norman  reservoir  area.  Near 
Norman. 

Constructing  a  residence,  a  shop  and  warehouse 
building,  about  3  miles  of  roads,  and  recrea- 
tional facilities.  Elephant  Butte  Reservoir, 
near  Truth  or  Consequences. 

Furnishing,  installing,  and  testing  one  vertical- 
shaft,  10,000-kw,  150-rpm,  0.9-pf,  4,160-volt 
generator  with  direct-connected  exciter.  Fon- 
tenelle  Powerplant. 

One  10,500/12,500-kva,  69-  to  4.16-kv,  OA/FA, 
3-phast  generator  voltage,  power  transformer 
for  Fontenelle  Powerplant  Switchyard. 

Constructing  about  250  ft  of  42-in.-dlameter 
precast-concrete  pressure  pipe  to  connect  exist- 
ing pipelines.    Foss  Aqueduct,  near  Stafford. 


•Subject  to  change. 


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OFFICIAL  BUSINESS 


In  its  assigned  function  as  the 
Nation's  principal  natural  re- 
source agency  f  the  Department  of 
the  Interior  bears  a  special  obli- 
gation to  assure  that  our  expend- 
able resources  are  conserved^ 
that  renewable  resources  are 
managed  to  produce  optimum 
yields^  and  that  all  resources 
contribute  their  full  measure  to 
the  progress^  prosperity^  and 
security  of  America,  now  and  in 
the  future. 


U.  S. Department  of  the  Interior 
Bureau  of  Reclamation 


1 


JSovember  lyo. 


Unclogging   A  Canal 


PUBLIC 


^M. 


^^fi^^^'^uf^ 


:i^S^^iji*yik*^^- 


Reclamation 

k  1%  mm 


NOVEMBER   1963 
Volume  49,  No.  4 


OTTIS   PETERSON,   Assistant  to  the  Com- 
missioner— Information 
GORDON  J.  FORSYTH,  Editor 


85    HEROES  OF  LIFT 

by  Gordon  J.  Forsyth 

91    RAJASTHAN— IT  WILL  BLOOM 
AGAIN 

by  John  K.  Black 

93  FEES  FOR  FUN 

94  TO  RETARD  EVAPORATION— 

95  A  POWER  "FREE  LOADER"  IS  IN- 

VENTED 

96  LITTLE    CREATURES    CLOG    BIG 

CANALS 

99    BALLOONS  IN  GLEN  CANYON 

by  W .  L.  Rusho 

102  IRRIGATION  SET  THE  STAGE  FOR 

BOISE  CENTENNIAL 

103  SOIL  CEMENT  PROTECTION  PAYS 

Reclamation  Leadership-4 

105    KEY  PERSONNEL  CHANGED 
108    WATER  REPORT 
112    BOOKSHELF  FOR  WATER  USERS 
Index 


United  States  Department  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.  Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Floyd  E.  Dominy,  Commissioner 

Washington  Office :  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Washington  25,  D.C. 
Commissioner's  Staff 

Assistant  Commissioner N.  B.  Bennett 

Assistant  Commissioner W.  P.  Kane 

Assistant  Commissioner W.    I.    Palmer 

Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado B.  P.  Bellport 

REGIONAL  OFFICES 

REGION  1 :   Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  937,  Reclamation  Building,  Fairgrounds,  Boise,  Idaho. 

REGION  2  :  Robert  J.  PafCord,  Jr.,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacramento  11,  Calif. 

REGION  3  :   A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  City,  Nev. 

REGION  4  :  Frank  M.  Clinton,  Regional  Director,  32  Exchange  Place,  P.O.  Box  360,  Salt  Lake  City  10,  Utah. 

REGION  5  :  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Office  Building,  7th  and  Taylor,  Amarillo,  Tex. 

REGION  6  :  Bruce  Johnson,  Regional  Director,  7th  and  Central,  P.O.  Box  2553,  Billings,  Mont. 

REGION  7  :  Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo. 

Issued  quarterly  by   the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United   States   Department  of  the  Interior,   Washington,   D.C.     Use  of  funds 
for  printing  this  publication  has  been  approved  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31,  1961. 

For   sale   by    the    Superintendent   of   Documents,   U.S.   Government  Printing  Office,    Washington,   D.C,    20402.     Price    15   cents 
(single  copy).     Subscription  price:  50  cents  per  year;  25  cents  additional  for  foreign  mailing. 


Here  in  Reclamation  Country 


EROES  OF  LIFT 


by  Gordon  J.  Forsyth 


THEY  said  it  never  could  be  done  up  here  on 
this  side  of  the  river.  Remember  ?  Ten  years 
igo  it  was  a  parched  sagebrush  flat  receiving  less 
[han  10  inches  of  rain  a  year. 

I  Now,  in  place  of  that  condition,  the  high  land 

i>oasts  active  green  farms  of  sugar  beets,  vegeta- 

i»les,  seed  and  forage  crops — 48,000  pump-irri- 

ijated  acres  of  them. 

A  few  months  ago  these  servicemen  veterans- 

urned- Idaho- farmers  celebrated  the  10th  anniver- 

ary  of  the  first  homestead  drawing  for  a  poten- 

ially    rich   benchland    farms   on   the   Minidoka 

roject.     Pumps  using  an  abundance  of  ground- 

!  ^ater  supplied  the  lifeblood  for  637  farms.    These 

armers  irrigated  72,154  acres  of  land  last  year 

nd  grossed  a  crops  value  of  $10,309,000. 

Actually,  pumps  are  amazing  machines  and  they 

ave  taken  an  important  part  in  reclaiming  and 

unserving  resources  in  the  West.     Many  bench 

jirmers  thank  pumps  for  their  opportunity  and 

jrogress  in  farming. 

I  When  looking  at  the  pump  industry,  one  sees 
jiat  modern  pump  designs  and  applications  are 
gion.  In  this  country  alone  there  are  several 
iindred  pump  manufacturers  who  produce  mil- 
ons  of  them  each  year. 

They  range  in  size  from  units  requiring  flea- 
3wer  to  drive  them  to  ones  absorbing  several 
lousand  horsepower,  such  as  the  Grand  Coulee 


Dam  units  with  their  390,000  horsepower  and 
450,000  pounds  of  weight.  And  pumps  are  pro- 
duced in  a  great  variety  of  designs  and  materials. 
Even  though  pumps  have  their  origin  in  a  dim 
and  distant  past,  it  was  just  in  1840  that  Henry 
R.  Worthington  invented  his  first  steam  pump  for 
feeding  water  into  boilers.  Of  this  pump,  we 
have  many  modifications  today. 

Hydropower  Pump 

Nearly  all  of  the  pumps  75  horsepower  or  over 
used  on  Bureau  projects  at  the  present  perform 
the  kind  of  job  that  is  done  on  the  Minidoka  proj- 
ect. However,  another  kind  also  has  received 
Bureau  attention  in  recent  years.  It  is  the  hydro- 
power  pump — used  for  pumped  storage,  a  new 
frontier  of  technology.  The  latter  are  large 
pump-turbines  which  push  great  quantities  of 
water  up  to  elevated  storage.  When  this  water  is 
released  from  storage,  the  pump-turbine  is  reversed 
by  the  water's  returning  flow  and  produces  hydro- 
power.  This  stored  power  is  valuable  to  meet  in- 
creasing peaking  capacities  that  are  required  in 
some  localities. 

The  Flatiron  powerplant,  Colorado-Big  Thomp- 
son project,  has  three  generating  units  which  were 

Above  illustration  shows  an  irrigation  test  at  a  pump  in 
Region  1. 


OVEMBER   1963 


85 


The  old  water-wagon  way  of  carrying  water  brings  back 
memories,  and  still  is  used. 

placed  in  operation  in  1954.  One  is  a  reversible 
pump-turbine  unit  with  a  generator  capacity  of 
8,500  kw.  Two  units  of  31,500  kw  each  are  con- 
ventional turbine  units. 

Operated  as  a  pump,  the  pump-turbine  stores 
water  in  Carter  Lake  55  feet  up.  During  the  off- 
peak  hours  of  the  nonirrigating  season  it  stands 
ready  to  operate  as  a  turbine  to  supply  peaking 
power  capacity  to  the  power  system,  or  to  run 
water  into  the  Horsetooth  Feeder  Canal. 

Bureau  engineer  Henry  J.  Tebow,  in  Western 
Engineer^  June  1962,  wrote,  "Installations  of 
pumped  storage  date  back  as  far  as  1892  in  Switz- 
erland; Europe  now  has  some  600,000  kilowatts 
of  pumped  storage  capacity.  The  State  of  Con- 
necticut seems  to  be  first  in  North  America  in  1928 
with  its  Rocky  River  plant  of  50,000  kw."  Today, 
there  are  seven  other  plants  of  this  type  in  the 
United  States. 

Another  Bureau  installation  of  pump-turbines 
will  make  a  debut  between  late  1964  and  mid-1966 
on  the  Federal-State  San  Luis  Unit  of  California's 
Central  Valley  project.  As  Reclamation's  largest 
units,  these  8  machines  will  be  capable  of  pumping 
water  from  a  forebay  to  the  higher  San  Luis 
Reservoir  at  the  rate  of  11,000  cfs,  and  also  will 
generate  a  maximum  of  360,000  kw  of  power  on 
the  return  flow. 

Investigations  for  pumped  storage  are  being 
made  at  sites  in  Wyoming  and  Colorado,  and  the 
possibility  of  providing  works  for  this  dual  capa- 
bility at  Grand  Coulee  Dam  has  been  discussed 
in  recent  months. 

Two-Pump  Projects 

In  contrast  with  the  Bureau's  giant  projects 
having  numerous  pumps  for  irrigation  only,  six 
Bureau  projects  have  only  two  pumps  and  three 
have  only  one  pump. 


As  the  Lewis  and  Clark  expedition  made  its  way 
through  Yellowstone  River  country  in  Montana 
in  1806,  one  of  them  scratched  a  memento  on  a 
prominent  rock,  Pompey's  Pillar,  overlooking  a 
potential  agricultural  area.  Later  named  Huntley 
project  with  32,000  acres,  the  site  was  transformed 
into  a  development  that  Captain  Clark  might  have 
anticipated.  Five  thousand  acres  of  the  elevated 
sections  are  productive  due  to  two  small  semi- 
automatic irrigation  pumps  which  require  only  an 
occasional  checking  by  a  ditch  rider. 

A  few  miles  north  on  the  same  river,  the  Yellow- 
stone, are  two  pumps  of  the  Lower  Yellowstone 
project.  These  pumps  throw  water  into  the  Main 
Canal  along  side  the  Yellowstone  and  since  1909 
they  have  irrigated  land  extending  the  20  miles  to 
the  mouth  where  the  Yellowstone  meets  the 
Missouri. 

Even  closer  to  the  Canadian  border  and  running 
parallel  to  it  is  the  Milk  River  project  and  its 
twin-pump  Dodson  Unit.  With  extensive  facili- 
ties it  covers  the  30  miles  from  Fresno  Dam  to 
Fort  Peck  Dam. 

Further  west  in  the  mountain  valleys  of  north- 
em  Idaho,  the  Bureau  has  established  two  small 
projects  with  two  pumps  each  which  draw  water 
from  picturesque  Hayden  Lake.  Two  of  the 
pumps  provide  sprinkler  irrigation  to  the  944- 
acre  Dalton  Gardens  project,  and  the  other  two 
irrigate  on  the  Avondale  project. 

The  sixth  twin-pump  plant  in  western  Nevada 
was  named  in  1919  after  the  late  conservation  stal- 
wart U.S.  Congressman  Francis  G.  Newlands  of 
that  State.  Pumps  are  at  the  Lahontan  Dam  on 
the  Carson  River. 

Pump  near  Sacramento,  Calif.,  has  a  capacity  of  49  cubic 
feet  per  second. 


u  ^ll-^ii^ 


iE^i^ii 


86 


The  Reclamation  Era 


First  water  in  a  new  waterway  in  Washington,  1»48,  is  an 
occasion  for  cheers  from  many  people. 


Two  of  the  three  one-pump  projects  trace  some 
of  their  history  to  prominent  men.  Famous  fur 
trapper  Jim  Bridger  was  a  frequent  visitor  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  Valley  in  northern  Utah. 
Hyrum  project  was  built  there  a  hundred  years 
later. 

The  first  white  man  in  the  valley  south  of  Salt 
Lake  City  was  Provot  after  whom  the  city  of 
Provo  was  named,  and  subsequently,  the  single- 
pump  Provo  River  project. 

In  New  Mexico,  the  Hammond  project  lands  lie 
in  a  strip  20  miles  long  in  the  northwest  part  of 
the  State.  It  is  not  known  whether  this  project 
was  named  after  a  person  named  Hammond,  but 
benefits  of  the  project  are  shared  by  the  towns  of 
Blanco,  Bloomfield,  and  Farmington. 

Four-Ring  Circus 

The  small  projects  have  as  much  value  per 
capita  as  the  giant,  complex  projects.  Individu- 
ally, pumps  are  pumps,  but  if  a  person  in  a  balloon 
in  the  air  a  score  of  miles  could  view  the  four 
pump  networks  in  the  great  projects  in  Washing- 
ton, California,  Arizona,  and  Idaho,  it  would  be 
like  seeing  a  four-ring  Bamum  &  Bailey  circus. 


In  the  northern  circus  ring  at  the  Columbia 
Basin  project,  in  addition  to  the  largest  6  pumps 
at  Grand  Coulee  Dam,  this  project  has  325  others 
of  a  variety  of  sizes,  kinds,  and  locations.  Heavy 
metal  shields  cover  the  pump  churning  from  view, 
but  they  are  all  pulling,  pushing,  and  throwing 
water  in  every  direction,  resulting  in  an  impres- 
sive irrigation  concert.  The  project  has  a  reach 
of  over  125  miles  and  comprises  a  system  of  282 
miles  of  main  canals  and  over  2,000  miles  of 
laterals  and  drains. 

The  California  ring  is  next,  with  the  number  of 
pumps  performing  totaling  326.  An  astronaut's 
eyeview  of  this  5-million-acre  water  development, 
the  Central  Valley  project,  if  the  pump's  water 
shields  were  removed,  would  make  the  huge  area 
look  like  a  field  of  the  "Dancing  Waters."  The 
dance  floor  of  the  fertile  valley  is  400  miles  long 
and  averages  45  miles  in  width.  In  1958,  the 
project  water  served  248,477  people,  and  it  has  a 
tremendous  crop  production  and  recreation  record. 

In  the  southernmost  circus  act,  the  Salt  River 
project  in  Arizona,  the  performer  is  a  lion  tamer 
who  uses  the  Salt  and  Verde  Rivers  as  weapons 
to  whip  and  cultivate  the  resisting  desert  wilds 
into  a  synchronized  performance.  In  contrast  to 
the  surrounding  parched  desert,  the  tamed  lands 
are  in  a  verdant  fan-shaped  oasis  marked  with 
graceful  palms  and  citrus  trees.  These  lands  are 
controlled  by  other  such  weapons  as  dams,  wells, 
waterways,  and  the  257  pumps  which  raise  the 
water  and  make  it  flow  where  it  otherwise  would 
not.  With  only  7.2  inches  of  rainfall  a  year,  the 
pump  system  is  busy  pouring  water  to  452,000 
people  and  irrigating  218,000  acres. 

Back  at  another  ring  in  the  north,  a  high-alti- 
tude view  would  show  the  "Magician  Act"  along 
the  Snake  River.  A  complex  of  colorful  streams 
like  blue  ribbons  are  attached  to  the  Snake  River 
stem  and  its  adjoining  runoflf  pools  or  reservoirs. 
By  means  of  the  Minidoka's  225  modern  pumps, 
the  ribbons  carry  water  and  produce  miraculous 
green  fields,  other  life  and  industry  along  its  300- 
mile  length. 

30-75 — Pump  Projects 

The  other  6  large  projects  operating  30-75 
pumps  are  the  Yakima  project  in  Washington 
with  75;  the  Missouri  River  Basin  Project  in 
Nebraska,  Kansas,  North  Dakota,  and  Montana, 
with  59 ;  the  Gila  project  in  Arizona  with  55 ;  the 


November  1963 


87 


Klamath  project  in  Oregon  and  California  with 
50;  the  Chief  Joseph  Dam  project  in  Washington 
with  38;  and  the  Weber  project  in  Utah  with  32. 

Water  pumping  helped  rank  Yakima  County, 
Washington,  in  1958,  as  first  among  the  3,072 
counties  in  the  United  States  in  production  of 
apples,  pears,  and  hops.  Production  also  is  high 
in  flavorful  cherries  and  other  fruits  and  nuts. 
The  fishing  is  gool  along  the  Naches  and  Yakima 
Rivers  where  the  fertile  bottom  lands  and  wild 
game  attracted  the  cattlemen  to  stay  in  1860. 

A  huge  land  area  shaped  like  the  stubby  drum- 
stick of  a  fried  chicken  is  laying  diagonally  across 
the  seven  northeast  reclamation  States.  This  is 
the  Missouri  River  Basin.  Veins  of  water  that 
show  on  a  map  of  this  chicken  leg  long  have  been 
probed  by  development-minded  civil  engineers  and 
are  rirmned  with  fertile  land  that  Indians  fought 
to  keep  for  themselves  in  the  1860-70's.  Now  the 
canals,  creeks,  and  rivers  are  veins  dotted  with 
two-score  pumping  units  that  pull  the  treasured 
water  onto  lands  before  it  is  returned  to  the  great 
artery,  the  Missouri. 

Flavoring  the  meat  at  the  top  of  the  MRB 
drumstick  is  the  fresh  water  pumped  from  the 
head  of  the  Missouri  on  the  Helena  Valley  Unit  in 
Montana.  The  Last  Chance  Gulch  gold  strike 
in  1864  caused  a  boom  in  this  area. 

Joining  in  this  upper  tip  development  is  water 
from  the  three  pumps  of  the  Crow  Creek  Unit  irri- 
gating 3,400  acres  of  Montana  crops  valued  at 
$302,400  per  year.  Reclamation  construction  was 
completed  during  1952-54. 

The  six  pumps  and  companion  structures  at 
Anchor  Dam  on  the  Owl  Creek  Unit  irrigate  high 
mountain  lands  of  Wyoming  that  produce  mainly 


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Pump  III  jb'ort  Morgan,  Colo.,  is  used  for  irrigation. 

livestock.  A  short  distance  downstream  from  Owl 
Creek,  the  Hanover-Bluff  Unit  pumps  aid  in 
watering  more  Wyoming  crops.  In  northeastern 
Montana,  2  Savage  Unit  pumps  now  irrigate  a  dry 
farming  area.  Potatoes  and  other  cash  crops  are 
grown  in  rich  bottom  and  bench  land  with  the 
help  of  three  pumps  of  the  Fort  Clark  Unit,  North 
Dakota.  Along  winding  Heart  River  are  23 
pumps  supplying  lifeblood  to  more  than  73  small 
farms  and  the  town  of  Mandan  on  the  Heart 
Butte  Unit,  N.  Dak. 

The  only  pumps  remaining  in  Reclamation's 
chicken-leg  basin  take  up  a  sizable  bite  located  in 
the  small  south  end.  This  38,800-acre  piece,  the 
MRB's  Bostwick  Division,  straddles  the  border  of 
Nebraska  and  Kansas,  and  includes  six  pumping 
units. 


Supplying  water  to  southern 
California  ia  this  Parker 
Dam  pump  of  the  Metro- 
politan Water  District. 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Pumped  water  opened  this  10  acres  of  land  for  culti- 
vation on  the  Yakima  project  in  1947. 


In  western  Arizona,  the  Gila  project  collects 
only  3,5  inches  of  rainfall  a  year,  and  it  is  con- 
sidered as  valuable  farmland  because  of  its  253-348 
days'  annual  growing  season.  Multiple  crops  of 
alfalfa  and  some  other  forage  crops  can  be  har- 
vested each  year.  Making  irrigation  history,  In- 
dians were  found  irrigating  crops  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Gila  River  when  Alarcon  discovered  the 
Colorado  River  in  1540.  By  pumping  and  diver- 
sion of  134,500  acre- feet  from  the  Colorado  River, 
Gila  Valley  has  been  kept  in  production.    A  salt 


problem  and  a  seasonal  flood  problem  is  in  the 
process  of  being  overcome  through  drainage  works 
and  river  control  features. 

The  Klamath  project  receives  but  little  rainfall 
each  year.  However,  because  of  the  prevalent  nat- 
ural storage  formations  and  the  construction  of 
Reclamation  features,  it  is  profitable  farming 
country.  In  addition  to  its  50  pumps,  the  Klamath 
project  makes  use  of  8  dams  and  water  carriage 
structures  located  38  percent  in  California  and 
62  percent  in  Oregon. 

Most  of  the  38  pumps  on  the  Chief  Joseph  Dam 
project  in  central  Washington  are  used  on  a  spe- 
cial distribution  system,  with  water  pumped  from 
the  Columbia  River  for  sprinkler  irrigation.  The 
first  agricultural  enterprise  in  the  area  was  cattle 
raising  and  it  is  still  an  important  product,  as  is 
apples,  vegetables,  and  pasture.  Last  year  new 
pump  installations  provided  for  more  sprinkler 
irrigation  and  construction  is  still  underway  for 
another  pump  unit  to  be  completed  next  year. 

Twenty-four  of  the  32  pumps  on  Utah's  Weber 
project  were  installed  in  the  past  5  years  and  it 
has  received  other  extensive  development  since 
1952.  In  1847,  Mormon  pioneers  arrived  and  in 
the  following  year  they  drew  Weber  River  water 
for  irrigation  and  domestic  uses. 

Little  Precipitation 

The  areas  where  pumps  are  probably  the  most 
precious  are  the  places  where  there  is  little  or  no 
precipitation  the  year  around.  Five  projects  with 
an  intermediate  number  of  installed  pumps  claim 
10  or  less  inches  of  precipitation  annually,  but  the 


Cased  tomatoes  harvested  on 
the   Central   Valley   project. 


i  November  1963 


standing  on  a  12-foot  water 
pipe  extending  from  pumps 
at  Grand  Coulee  Dam  is 
a  man  whose  farm  was  made 
possible  by  pumped  water 
in  1952. 


lands  bear  unique  American  products.  For  ex- 
ample, on  the  All- American  project  south  of 
Hoover  Dam,  Nev.,  19  pumps  are  in  operation, 
rain  or  snow  are  rare,  but  90  percent  of  our  Na- 
tion's dates  are  raised  there,  and  155  cfs  is  carried 
to  the  city  of  San  Diego,  Calif. 

Such  contributions  also  are  made  on  the  Crooked 
River  project  in  central  Oregon  with  7  pumps,  the 
Grand  Valley  project  in  Colorado  wath  5  pumps, 
the  Owhee  project  on  the  border  of  both  Idaho 
and  Oregon  with  22  pumps,  the  Lower  Rio  Grande 
Rehabilitation  project  in  southern  Texas  with  3 
pumps,  and  the  Yuma  project  in  Arizona  with  16 
pumps. 

Pressure  is  forced  for  sprinkler  irrigation  on 
Michaud  Flats  project  and  Rathdrum  Prairie 
project,  both  in  Idaho  with  four  pumps  each. 

Economy  was  stabilized  in  the  areas  of  four 
other  projects  which  have  varied  but  interesting 
history.  These  include  the  Buffalo  Rapids  project 
in  central  Montana  with  14  pumps,  the  Buford- 
Trenton  project  in  North  Dakota  with  3  pumps, 
the  Boise  project  in  Idaho  with  9  pumps  which  is 
celebrating  its  centennial  year  (see  p.  102) ,  and  the 
Washita  Basin  project  in  Oklahoma  with  9 
pumps. 


Two  of  the  Bureau's  outstanding  projects  at  the 
present  are  on  the  throne  of  values  returned.  Both 
projects,  nearly  adjacent  to  each  other  in  the  Los 
Angeles  area  of  California,  supply  great  quantities 
of  municipal  water,  and  recentlj^  have  been  con- 
siderably urbanized.  However,  the  Ventura  River 
project  with  its  14  pumps  and  195  farms  has  a 
gross  crop  value  per  acre  of  an  almost  unbelievable 
$806  annually.  It  has  a  lengthy  11 -month  growing 
season.  The  other,  the  Cachuma  project,  is  second 
to  the  Ventura,  has  4  pumps,  580  farms,  and  an 
annual  gross  crop  value  of  $707  per  acre. 

Water  pumps  on  these  35  Reclamation  projects 
perform  heroically  for  the  people  they  serve. 
There  are  1,605  of  them  ranging  in  capacity  from 
75  to  65,000  horsepower  each. 

The  origin  of  pumping  water  has  been  lost  in 
antiquity.  But  without  a  doubt  the  pump  is  one 
of  the  most  prized  and  important  of  all  of  men's 
machines.  Whether  it  is  a  bucket  on  a  wooden 
lever  operated  by  an  ancient  Egyptian,  Chinese, 
Indian,  Greek,  or  Roman,  or  a  modern  automatic 
turbine  operating  alone  in  wilderness  country,  this 
device  is  a  hero  of  water  reclamation. 

#     #     # 


90 


The  Reclamation  Era 


RAJASTHAN 


it  will  bloom  again 


by  John  K.  Black 

Division  of  Foreign  Activities 
Washington,  D.C. 


AS  a  surveying  party  worked  its  way  far  out 
.into  the  Rajasthan  (pronounced  Rau-jas-tan) 
Desert,  a  young  engineer  saw  a  familiar-shaped 
Stone  protruding  from  a  sand  dune.  The  party 
;;ame  up  and  shoveled  out  around  it.  Sure 
enough,  here  was  an  ancient  miller's  stone.  It  was 
[•ound,  about  4  feet  in  diameter,  a  foot  thick,  and 
iiad  a  hole  in  the  center  for  a  turning  hub. 

The  group  of  men  on  this  Western  India  desert 
vas  made  up  of  Indian  engineers  who  were  en- 
gaged in  surveying  a  canal  centerline  through 
jnore  than  400  miles  of  sand  dunes  for  the  pro- 
posed Rajasthan  Canal. 

,   It  was  a  curious  experience — their  finding  such 
i  heavy  implement  out  here,  hundreds  of  miles 
rom  a  wheatfield  or  river.     However,  the  wheel 
yas  there  and  it  was  evidence  that  a  river  had 
[i-ncce  flowed  through  the  area,  a  community  of 
)eople  had  been  there,  and  they  had  ground  wheat 
nto  flour  for  food  near  that  spot  perhaps  thou- 
ands  of  years  before. 
Both  history  and  legend  tell  the  story  of  the  an- 
ient and  sacred  river  called  the  Saraswati  that 
ad  flowed  there.     Far-reaching  changes  in  the 
reat  Indo-Gangetic  plain  dried  up  this  and  other 
ivers,  and  changed  the  fertile  plain  into  a  desert 
asteland.     In  generations  past,  kings  and  rulers 
reamed  of  bringing  back  the  river  and  making 
le  desert  bloom  again.     But  not  until  this  decade 
id  the  dream  start  to  come  true.    This  year, 
nally,  water  came  into  the  first  completed  sec- 
ons  of  the  Rajasthan  Canal  to  Mile  Post  46. 
Oscar  Rice,  Vaud  E.  Larson,  and  the  writer, 
lembers  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  team,  were 
I  ken  into  the  great  Indian  desert  in  May  to  ob- 
Tve  how  the  people  of  India  go  about  building  a 
mal.     The  United  States  has  a  financial  inter- 


est in  the  development.  Their  first  view  of  a 
completed  section  was  near  the  resthouse,  or  con- 
struction camp,  at  Lakhuvali.  The  day  they 
arrived  it  seemed  that  a  "camel  rodeo"  was  in 
progress  in  the  camp.  Camels  draped  with  color- 
ful blankets  and  saddles  were  converging  upon  the 
resthouse  from  every  direction. 

A  Camel  Ride 

An  event  was  beginning.  It  seems  that  during 
the  morning,  Mr.  Rice,  the  team  leader,  had  casu- 
ally mentioned  to  Mr.  R.  N.  Chowdhary,  Chief 
Engineer,  Rajasthan  Canal  project,  the  team's 
host,  that  he  would  like  to  take  a  ride  on  a  camel 
while  he  was  in  India.  So,  Mr.  Chowdhary,  with- 
out further  word  to  the  team,  telephoned  ahead 


Like  building  pyramids  of  old,  this  huge  canal  project 
requires  infinite  repeating  of  laborious  tasks. 


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OVEMBER    1963 


91 


'iM^ 


R.  N.  Chowdhary,  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Rajasthan  Canal 
project  (left),  stands  with  author  J.  K.  Black.  A 
local  farmer  on  the  camel  is  hauling  straw. 


for  one  of  his  staff  to  see  if  he  could  "round  up  a 
camel"  so  that  the  engineer  from  America  could 
have  his  ride. 

So  here  was  the  response.  There  were  racing 
camels,  bucking  camels,  big  and  little  camels,  and 
mean  camels  blindfolded  so  that  they  couldn't  bite 
an  unwary  target  with  their  sharp  teeth.  Yes, 
and  even  camels  tame  enough  to  be  ridden  by  ex- 
cowboys  from  the  West.  So  the  new  arrivals  had 
their  camel  rides.  They  also  watched  races,  saw 
bucking  camel  riding,  and  before  departing,  drank 
tea  and  soft  drinks  with  the  Indian  engineers. 
Also  before  leaving,  the  boy  driver  of  the  meanest 
camel  insisted  upon  his  picture  being  taken  alone 
with  his  famous  black  steed.  Needless  to  say, 
the  Americans  willingly  clicked  their  cameras  of 
him. 


92 


Loaded  into  jeeps,  the  team  went  a  short  dis- 
tance to  Rajasthan  Canal.  Its  high  embankment 
was  viewed  from  the  resthouse  one-half  mile  away. 

At  the  project,  it  was  observed  that  the  Indians 
are  constructing  the  canal  so  that  the  bottom, 
wherever  possible,  will  be  at  ground  level.  On 
either  side,  they  pile  embankments  approximately 
30  feet  high  with  earth  carried,  for  the  most  part, 
in  head  baskets  out  of  rooms  extending  back  200 
feet  or  more  from  the  toe  of  each  embankment. 
Driving  onto  the  service  road,  water  was  seen 
flowing  in  the  finished  section  of  the  canal.  It 
wasn't  a  full  head  but  it  was  sufficient  to  give 
proof  that  at  last  water  was  flowing  once  again 
near  where  the  sacred  Saraswati  had  been.  The 
water  was  from  the  Bhakra  irrigation  system  in 
the  northeast  and  flowed  out  to  the  construction 
area  to  be  used  by  workmen  and  their  families, 
cattle,  donkeys,  and  mules. 

Construction  activities  were  in  evidence  far 
ahead  in  the  desert.  Along  the  way  there  were 
12,000  men  and  women  engaged  in  various  con- 
struction activities.  One  tall  stately  woman 
dressed  in  bright  colors  and  with  golden  bracelets 
on  her  arms  stepped  gracefully  up  the  embank- 
ment carrying  approximately  60  pounds  of  bricks 
in  her  head  basket.  Bricks  are  being  used  in  the 
canal's  double  lining.  Her  task  can  be  best  ap- 
preciated by  considering  that  the  canal  will  be 
25  feet  deep,  118  feet  wide  at  the  bottom  with  a 
11/2  : 1  slope.  The  main  canal  will  carry  18,500  cfs, 
which  measured  by  western  U.S.  rivers  is  a  mighty 
stream. 

Muscle  Labor 

Also  in  the  construction  area,  a  continuous  line 
of  men  and  women  were  seen  carrying  earth  out 
of  the  borrow  area  in  their  head  baskets.  They 
averaged  100  cubic  feet  per  person  per  day.  For 
distances  of  over  200  feet,  donkeys  are  used. 
They  are  herded  back  and  forth  from  the  loading 
areas  to  the  top  of  the  embankment.  A  small 
donkey  carries  as  much  as  a  man  or  woman,  where- 
as a  mule  carries  up  to  400  cubic  feet. 

With  temperatures  ranging  up  to  125°  and  the 
air  almost  constantly  filled  with  blowing  dust,  only 
hardy,  determined  people  could  undertake  and  con- 
struct a  canal  system  some  400  miles  through  a 
desert.     But  it  will  irrigate  41/2  million  acres  of 

land  when  finished. 

Continued  on  page  111 


The  Reclamation  Era 


I 


STOP  here! 

THE  ROCKPORT  LAKE  RECREATION 
FACILITIES  ARE  PROVIDED  FOR  YOUR 
PLEASURE.  TO  HELP  MAINTAIN  THEAA 
PLEASE  DEPOSIT  50<  PER  CAR  IF 
YOU  USED  ANY  OF  THE   FOLLOWING 

.«-  FIREWOOD  -V 

A  CAMPGROUNDS  ^^ 

^-  PICNIC   FACILITIES  > 

7'-  BOAT   LAUNCHING  RAMP 

THANK  YOU -COME  AGAIN 

Note;  COKTMHll  IMPTIID  UCH  WYMOMOIiLy  LUT 
OVUNIG^T 


FEES  FOR  FUN 


INCREASING  numbers  of  people  enjoy  the  fun 
of  boating,  fishing,  and  picnicking  on  Reclama- 
tion lakes.  But  paying  fees  for  using  the  boat 
ramps  and  other  facilities  at  the  lakes  is  another 
matter.  "After  all,'"  many  people  reason,  "these 
recreational  areas  are  built  with  public  money. 
Why  shouldn't  we  use  them  free  of  charge?" 

Boat  ramps  and  other  popular  facilities  for  out- 
door recreation  require  a  provision  for  operation 
and  maintenance  costs.  The  need  for  cleanup  and 
repair  work  at  the  areas  is  well  understood. 

There  is  also  another  twist  to  the  matter  of  fees 
for  fun.  It  costs  money  to  collect  the  fees.  Rec- 
ords show  that  the  cost  of  making  the  collections 
sometimes  almost  equals  the  amounts  collected, 
leaving  very  little  to  help  pay  maintenance  costs. 

When  it  was  necessary  for  the  Bureau  to  take 
over  responsibility,  on  an  interim  basis,  for  the 
recreation  area  on  Rockport  Lake,  Utah,  that  of- 
fice staff  tried  a  new  method.  They  started  a  volun- 
tary donation  of  fees  and  it  works. 

Rockport  Lake  is  a  convenient  40  miles  east  of 
Salt  Lake  City;  in  a  season,  it  will  attract  large 
crowds  of  people  on  evenings  and  weekends. 

A  sign  and  a  strong  collection  box  were  placed 
at  the  entrance  to  the  lake  area,  called  Wanship 
Reservoir,  a  feature  of  the  Weber  Basin  project. 

The  sign  asked  visitors  to  deposit  50  cents  per 

November  1963 


car  if  they  used  firewood,  campgrounds,  picnic 
facilities,  or  the  boat  launching  ramp.  The  collec- 
tion box  is  unattended,  except  that  the  proceeds 
are  called  for  each  day  by  the  Bureau's  powerplant 
operator  at  Wanship  Powerplant.  He  is  bonded 
to  perform  this  collection  function. 

Last  season,  a  total  of  $1,720  was  collected.  Cost 
of  making  the  collections — practically  nothing. 

Another  important  item  was  reduced  to  noth- 
ing— that  is  complaints.  People  seem  to  like  the 
voluntary  donation  system.  They  like  to  be 
trusted. 

The  WEP  office  feels  it  is  a  good  method  of 
solving  a  tough  public  relations  problem.    #  #  # 

Recreation  at  Wanship,  Reservoir,  Utah. 


93 


705-910  O  -  63  -  2 


To  Retard  Evaporation 


Aerial  Application  of  Chemical  Monolayer  Studies 
at  Elephant  Butte  Reservoir  Are  Reported 


A  monolayer  behavior  and  aerial  application 
study  was  performed  on  Elephant  Butte  Reser- 
voir, N.  Mex.,  during  September  and  October  of 
1962.  The  study  was  conducted  in  preparation 
for  a  future  large-scale  field  test  to  be  carried  out 
on  this  reservoir. 

This  will  be  one  of  a  series  of  large-scale  field 
tests  performed  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
in  its  investigation  to  determine  practical  means 
to  reduce,  through  the  use  of  monomolecular  films, 
the  loss  of  a  dwindling  water  supply  from  evap- 
oration. By  the  study  at  Elephant  Butte,  it  was 
demonstrated  that  a  monomolecular  film  could 
be  applied  and  maintained  on  a  large,  long  nar- 
row reservoir  by  use  of  an  aircraft  for  the  dis- 
pensing of  monolayer- forming  material  under 
favorable  conditions. 

Five  aerial  applications  were  made  to  two  dis- 
tinct portions  of  Elephant  Butte  Reservoir  de- 
scribed as  the  lower  and  upper  basins  which  com- 
prised an  area  of  about  7,000  acres  out  of  a  total 
of  8,250  acres  of  the  reservoir  at  the  time  of 
treatment.  (Total  reservoir  area  and  capacity  is 
36,600  acres  and  2,206,800  acre- feet,  respectively.) 
Three  aerial  applications  were  made  applying  a 
molten  liquid  form,  and  two  applications  were 
made  applying  a  dry  powdered  form  of  an  evap- 
oration retardant. 

The  monomolecular  film  was  observed  for  2  days 
following  each  application  in  which  a  record  was 
kept  of  the  film  coverage  and  its  degree  of  com- 
pression determined  by  the  use  of  indicator  oils. 
The  coverage  ranged  from  100  percent  immedi- 
ately after  application  to  near  0  percent  on  the 
second  day  after  application,  with  nearly  all  the 
attrition  attributed  to  blowoff  by  the  wind.  In 
general,  the  higher  winds  occurred  during  the 
afternoon.  The  film  showed  an  ability  to  recoup 
and  regenerate  itself  when  the  wind  was  more 
favorable. 

Results  of  this  field  study  showed  that  if  a  day- 
to-day  application  was  made  on  this  reservoir,  a 
large  coverage  could  be  maintained  in  favorable 


A  large  chemical  monolayer  shines  in  the  sunlight  on 
Lake  Mead  above  Hoover  Dam — antievaporation 
testing. 


winds  that  should  result  in  considerable  saving  in 
water  normally  lost  through  evaporation. 

The  use  of  aircraft  proved  to  be  an  effective 
and  expeditious  method  of  applying  the  mono- 
layer forming  material.  The  spreading  rates  of 
both  forms  of  the  material  in  powder  and  molten 
form  appeared  to  be  about  equal  after  they  once 
had  appeared  on  the  water  surface  as  a  film.  How- 
ever, the  dry  powder  was  less  difficult  to  handle 
and  required  simpler  dispensing  equipment.  As 
this  was  a  preliminary  study  of  monolayer  be- 
havior and  of  aerial  application  covering  a  short 
period  of  time,  no  evaporation-saving  determina- 
tions were  involved. 

Aerial  spraying  equipment  was  developed  by 
Utah  State  University  under  research  contracts 
with  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation.  Reeder  Fly- 
ing Service  worked  with  Utah  State  University 
in  the  development  of  this  equipment.  #  #  # 

Taken  from  summary  and  introductory  statements  in 
Aerial  Application  Technique  Development  and,  Mono- 
layer Behavior  Study,  Elephant  Butte  Reservoir — 1962, 
March  27,  1963,  165  pages.  Available  at  the  Office  of 
Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colo. 


94 


The  Reclamation  Era 


A  power 

^"FREE  LOADER 

is  invented 


J? 


The  invention  being 
tested. 


THE  Office  of  Chief  Engineer,  and  specifically 
John  E.  Skuderna,  an  electrical  engineer  of 
the  Design  and  Research  Center  at  Denver,  has  in- 
vented an  electrical  device  which  will  furnish  in- 
expensive auxiliary  power  from  high-voltage 
transmission  lines.  The  device  makes  it  possible 
to  obtain  this  power  in  isolated  areas  for  aircraft 
warning  lights,  microwave  relay  stations,  and 
other  forms  of  powered  communication  equip- 
ment, and  to  do  it  safely. 

It  has  been  nicknamed  "Free  Loader"  because 
any  area  traversed  by  a  high-voltage,  cross-country 
transmission  line  can  become  its  "home." 

The  accompanying  picture  and  drawing  illus- 
trates how  the  "Free  Loader"  is  set  up.  It  takes 
advantage  of  the  electrostatic  field  heretofore  un- 
used for  auxiliary  purposes,  which  surrounds  the 
conductors  in  high-voltage  transmission  lines. 

As  against  conventional  methods  of  directly 

tapping    high-power,    230,000-volt    transmission 

lines,  each  new-type  installation  will  save  $5,000. 

'  On  the  new  345,000-volt  lines,  economic  benefits 

would  be  even  greater. 

r  November  1963 


Effects  of  the  device  on  the  performance  of 
transmission  lines  are  negligible.  On  such  lines 
which  transmit  a  nominal  150  million  watts,  the 
device  will  collect  only  1,900  watts.  This  is  the 
amount  of  power  a  kitchen  toaster  uses,  but  it  is 
entirely  adequate  to  power  warning  lights  and 
radio  relay  equipment  in  remote  areas.  Com- 
ponents of  the  invention  are  standard  and  easily 
obtained. 

A  standard  line  of  this  type  has  three  tower- 
supported  conductors  plus  overhead  ground  wires. 
The  circuit,  functioning  in  the  electrostatic  field 
existing  between  the  conductors  and  one  ground 
wire,  capacitatively  collects  60-cycle  power  which 
is  reduced  from  230,000  volts  to  a  120-volt  stand- 
ard house  service. 

At  one  point  in  the  development  of  the  new 
instrument,  a  30-order  equation  with  30  unknowns 
was  fed  into  a  high-speed  digital  computer.  The 
problem  was  so  complex  it  took  the  computer  a 
half  hour  to  answer.  #  #  # 


95 


^ 


15^ 


"5^3 


:'=^HKjiri 


•ij,  ^«^-^ 


a^---- 


SMALL  water  creatures  are  causing  some 
mighty  big  problems  in  Reclamation's  Delta- 
Mendota  Canal  in  California. 

Problems  first  came  to  light  as  the  Bureau  began 
studies  to  determine  how  much  extra  water  the 
canal  might  be  able  to  carry  when  the  San  Luis 
Unit  of  the  Central  Valley  project  goes  into  opera- 
tion in  about  5  years. 

Since  1951  the  Delta-Mendota  Canal  has  carried 
water  117  miles  along  the  San  Joaquin  Valley, 
but  it  never  had  been  put  to  its  maximum  use  of 
4,600  cubic  feet  per  second. 

In  order  to  prove  the  actual  capacity  of  the 
canal.  Bureau  engineers  turned  on  all  six  pumps 
at  once  at  Tracy  Pumping  Plant. 

They  were  shocked  at  the  results.  Within  hours 
the  canal  was  overflowing.  Further  tests  showed 
that  only  five  pumps  could  maintain  a  near- 
capacity  flow  in  the  canal.  Almost  one-sixth  of  the 
canal's  effectiveness  had  been  lost.  Something  was 
wrong  somewhere. 

Engineers  rechecked  the  construction  data  on 
the  canal,  and  no  errors  were  found  to  account  for 
such  a  loss  of  flow. 

The  Delta-Mendota  is  part  of  the  Central  Valley 
project  which  is  a  joint  Federal- State  facility  now 
under  construction  by  the  Bureau  near  Los  Banos. 
Operation  of  the  unit  will  depend  upon  the  use  of 
a  wintertime  surplus  of  water  being  lifted  from 


the  Sacramento-San  Joaquin  Delta  by  the  Tracy 
pumping  plant  and  then  being  carried  southward 
through  the  Delta-Mendota  Canal  and  pumped 
into  the  San  Luis  Reservoir. 

In  attacking  the  canal's  loss  of  flow  problem, 
engineers  rechecked  the  construction  data  and 
found  no  errors.  They  reviewed  the  design  of 
the  pilings  on  the  many  structures  crossing  the 
canal,  and  planned  to  check  the  possibility  of 
abandoned  automobiles  and  junk  that  might  be  on 
the  bottom,  blocking  the  flow. 

Dewatered    in    1961 

In  the  winter  of  1960-61,  while  the  canal  was 
idle,  a  35-mile  reach  of  the  Delta-Mendota  was 
dewatered.  No  abandoned  automobiles  were 
found  and  only  a  few  empty  safes  and  coin  tele- 
phones stripped  by  burglars  were  removed.  These 
would  not  have  caused  the  flow  problem.  Then 
the  causes  were  in  evidence.  They  were  bars  of 
clay,  silt  and  sandy  sediments  on  the  bottom. 
They  ranged  in  thickness  from  a  few  inches  to 
21/^  feet  and  sometimes  more  than  a  mile  in  length. 

But  the  more  complicating  factor  was  that  all 
of  the  bars  were  permeated  wdth  millions  of  Asi- 
atic clams — live  ones  near  the  top  and  dead  ones 
below  2-3  inches.  Also  along  the  walls  and  on 
the  piers  of  structures  was  a  crusty  layer  of 
aquatic  life. 


96 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Men  inspecting  clam  bed  sediment  on  the  bottom  of  the 
canal. 

Once  the  canal  was  dewatered,  the  prime  con- 
cern was  to  get  it  clean  again  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible, ^or  45  days,  there  was  digging,  scraping, 
and  hauling  out  of  the  dirt  and  debris. 

Cleaning  up  of  the  bars  oil  the  bottom  posed  no 
great  problem.  The  deposits  were  easily  pushed 
to  the  side  of  the  canal  by  front  end  loaders  and 


road  graders,  then  removed  by  drag  lines,  and 
appropriately,  clam  shell  buckets  on  long  booms. 

Crusty  scales  of  the  acquatic  animals  clung  to 
the  canal  walls  in  defiance  of  efforts  to  remove 
them.  Finally  with  some  success,  they  were 
scraped  off  by  putting  weights  on  sections  of 
chain-link  fencing  and  dragging  them  along  the 
sides.  After  five  passes,  the  major  portion  was 
clean.  When  the  bridge  piers  were  cleaned  of 
growth  and  streamlined  to  provide  less  resistance 
to  flow,  water  was  reintroduced  into  the  canal. 

The  following  summer  it  as  discovered  that 
the  cleaning  program  had  increased  the  flow  by  5 
percent.  Engineers  lay  the  remaining  loss  of  flow 
to  shortcomings  of  existing  formulas  for  predict- 
ing flow  in  large,  flat-grade  canals  such  as  the 
Delta-Mendota.  This  already  has  resulted  in  a 
change  of  design  in  the  San  Luis  Canal  now  under 
construction  and  probably  will  lead  eventually  to 
the  development  of  a  new  formula  for  such  canals. 

Gains  made  on  the  Delta-Mendota  were  only 
moderately  encouraging  to  engineers  because  the 
cleaning  had  been  a  time-consuming  and  costly 
process.  Draining  for  this  kind  of  mechanical 
canal  cleaning  also  would  cause  a  problem  when 
the  San  Luis  Unit  is  completed.  As  the  whole 
unit  begins  operation,  the  canal  can  no  longer  be 
shut  down  for  maintenance  and  repairs  during  the 
winter. 


50,000  cubic  yards  of  clam-bearing  sediment  were  removed. 


i^^^- 


-a«s»;';-«s*>r 


November  1963 


97 


Corroded  safes,  cash  registers,  and  other  machinery 
were  removed  from  the  canal  during  cleaning. 


Objective  Study 

In  1962,  75  miles  of  the  canal  was  dewatered 
and  a  comprehensive  study  was  made  to  learn 
more  about  the  composition  of  the  crusts;  also 
how  they  got  there  and  where  they  came  from. 

The  program  included  a  general  inspection, 
mapping  of  all  bars,  and  careful  geologic  sam- 
pling. All  steps  of  the  investigation  were 
recorded  on  black-and-white  photographs,  colored 
slides,  and  motion  picture  film. 

About  50,000  cubic  yards  of  sediment  were  re- 
moved from  the  bottom.  Clams  were  wedged  to- 
gether at  a  rate  of  as  thickly  as  60  per  cubic  inch. 
As  sediment  came  into  the  canal  from  drains  and 
from  erosion  of  unprotected  embankments,  the 
clams  had  accumulated  and  started  to  build  up. 
Organic  particles  that  are  pumped  in  with  water 
from  the  delta  served  as  food  for  the  aquatic  ani- 
mals in  the  canal. 

This  study  is  not  yet  complete  but  enough  of  its 
is  to  show  that  the  crusting  along  the  sides  of  the 
canal  is  composed  of  amphipods  and  bryozoa. 
The  amphipods  are  minute  and  shrimplike,  with 
glands  which  produce  a  kind  of  "natural  glue" 
which,  traps  particles  of  dirt  suspended  which 
traps    particles    of    silt    suspended    in     water. 


Amphipods  mix  with  the  bryozoa  forming  moss- 
like colonies.  The  mixture  of  the  amphipods,  the 
silt  in  the  water,  and  the  bryozoa  result  in  a  tough 
clinging  scale  that  resists  removal  elfforts. 

Other  growths  on  the  walls,  piers,  and  siphons 
were  found  to  be  fresh  water  sponges. 

Research  Findings 

Engineers  believe  that  elimination  of  the  silta- 
tion  problem  would  undoubtedly  cause  a  decrease 
in  the  clam  problem,  but  the  food  presently  con- 
sumed by  clams  might  then  be  consumed  by  some 
other  organism — probably  the  crust-building  type. 
And  it  was  found  that  decreasing  the  number  of 
fish  in  the  canal  magnified  the  amphipods.  The 
latter  are  excellent  fish  food.  Fewer  fish  returned 
after  the  1960  work  which  seemed  to  have  caused 
a  200-percent  increase  in  amphipod  crusts  and  a 
400-  to  500-percent  increase  in  sponge  coatings. 

Bureau  officials  feel  certain  that  the  solution 
to  this  problem  is  not  to  be  found  entirely  in 
mechanical  controls.  Nor  do  chemical  controls 
offer  much  hope,  since  the  water  is  used  for  do- 
mestic, agricultural,  and  industrial  purposes. 

The  Bureau  is  now  exploring  the  possibility  of 
biological  control  of  the  organisms,  realizing  the 
dangers  of  action  which  disturbs  the  balance  of 
nature. 

Therefore  before  any  other  form  of  life  is  in- 
troduced into  the  Delta-Medota,  more  studies 
and  experiments  will  be  conducted.  Eventually 
the  Bureau  expects  to  eliminate  the  millions  of 
little  creatures  which  are  causing  a  reduced 
flow  in  Reclamation's  important  water-carrying 
arteries.  #  #  # 


98 


The  Reclamation  Era 


SHADES  OF  JULES  VERNE  .  .  . 

Balloons  in 
Glen  Canyon 


ONE  day  in  December  1962,  a  group  of  awed 
tourists  standing  on  Glen  Canyon  Bridge 
were  being  treated  to  a  new  spectacle.  They 
could  have  expected  to  see  heavy  construction, 
massive  buckets  swinging,  and  far  away  workmen 
walking  on  the  wet  concrete  of  famous  Glen  Can- 
yon Dam  like  so  many  ants. 

But  they  saw  something  different.  Moreover, 
it  was  on  the  downstream  side  of  the  bridge 
rather  than  upstream  at  the  dam.  Seven  hundred 
feet  below  these  visitors,  on  the  canyon  floor,  was  a 
long,  silvery  plastic  balloon  shining  in  the  bright 
Arizona  sunshine.  For  about  2  hours  it  slow^ly 
and  silently  grew  larger  as  men  worked  intently 
around  its  base. 

Suddenly  the  balloon  began  to  rise.  Gathering 
speed,  it  ascended  straight  up  from  its  moorings 
and  passed  the  marveling  spectators. 

They  could  not  see  all.  But  valuable  scientific 
instruments  were  installed  in  the  large  gondola 
which  hung  from  the  100-foot-long  polyethylene 
balloon. 

Within  minutes  the  giant  balloon  became  only  a 
brilliant  spot  in  the  blue  sky.  Without  sound,  it 
had  risen  to  great  heights,  and  a  thinning  crowd 
remained  to  follow  the  sight  of  the  speck  in  space. 

Hours  later,  when  darkness  had  fallen  over  Glen 
Canyon  Dam  and  the  nearby  town  of  Page,  Ariz., 
the  balloon  had  floated  100  miles  away  and  over 
100,000  feet  high  carrying  its  experimental 
instruments. 

Glen  Canyon  had  seen  its  first  balloon  launching 
but  not  its  last. 

This  initial  balloon,  as  well  as  a  few  that  fol- 
lowed, were  designed  to  set  the  stage  for  launching 
some  of  the  largest  balloons  ever  sent  aloft.  And 
Glen  Canyon  was  determined  as  one  of  the  most 
satisfactory  wintertime  sites  for  the  exacting  work. 

An  NCAR  Project 

The  National  Center  for  Atmospheric  Research 
discovered  that  during  the  winter,  surface  winds 
were  a  favorable  zero,  or  nearly  so,  in  the  now 
waterless  section  of  the  canyon,  and  that  the  wind 
pattern  in  the  upper  atmosphere  50,000  to  100,000 
feet  up  was  also  favorable.  It  is  calculated  that 
balloons  launched  here  would  land  in  Oklahoma, 
a  good  recovery  area. 

November  1963 


by  W.  L.  Rusho,  Region  4 


Large  tube  attached  to  the  side  of  the  balloon  carries 
helium  to  inflate  the  balloon. 


99 


Balloon  with  instrument-laden  gondola  rises  in   view  of  Glen  Canyon  Dam. 


Because  of  the  east-to-west  surface  winds  in 
the  summer,  launchings  during  that  season  are 
not  planned  from  the  canyon.  At  least  2  hours 
is  required  for  the  delicately  thin  balloon  to  in- 
flate, and  it  is  sensitive  and  vulnerable  to  even 
a  slight  surface  wind. 

Summer  launchings  will  take  place  in  Palestine, 
Tex.,  where  any  adverse  wind  conditions  can  be 
overcome  by  a  windshield  constructed  several 
hundred  feet  into  the  air. 

Balloons  have  been  inflated  in  holes  in  the 
ground.  This  was  done  in  open  pit  mines  in 
Minnesota. 

The  NCAR  plan  of  introductory  launchings  at 
Glen  Canyon,  after  Reclamation's  approval,  was 
to  contact  its  parent  organizations,  the  12  univer- 
sities that  created  it  in  1960.  The  Center  also 
advised  the  National  Science  Foundation,  the 
Government  agency  that  provides  most  of  NCAR's 
funds,  of  the  Glen  Canyon  plans.  Intentions  for 
the  first  operation  called  for  the  successful  launch- 
ing and  recovery  of  small  balloons,  capacity 
1,125,000  cubic  feet  of  helium. 


The  major  experiment,  officially  called  Polari- 
scope,  which  is  planned  as  a  possibility  for  next 
fall  will  consist  of  transporting  a  28-inch  tele- 
scope, a  device  called  a  polarimeter,  and  various 
related  equipment  to  an  altitude  of  100,000  feet, 
above  most  of  the  earth's  atmosphere.  At  that 
point  the  telescope  will  automatically  lock  on  the 
planet  Venus.  The  telescope  would  then  obtain 
and  transmit  information  concerning  the  atmos- 
phere of  Venus  to  ground  stations  via  television. 
The  Polariscope  experiment  requires  years  of 
preparation,  countless  experiments,  and  precise 
matching  of  the  finest  quality  components.  It  is 
being  devised  and  the  experiment  will  be  con- 
ducted by  Dr.  Tom  Gehrels  and  his  staff  at  the 
University  of  Arizona's  Applied  Research  Lab- 
oratory. 

Venus  Atmosphere 

Why  should  a  telescope  be  transported  above 
earth's  atmosphere  in  order  to  observe  Venus? 
The  answer  is  that  our  own  atmosphere  grossly 
distorts  the  light  coming  from  stellar  and  plane- 


100 


The  Reclamation  Era 


tary  bodies  in  outer  space.  The  familiar  twin- 
kling of  stars  is  just  this  type  of  distortion. 
Above  the  atmosphere,  stars  do  not  twinkle  and 
scientific  readings  are  found  to  be  more  accurate. 
The  use  of  rockets  to  transport  the  telescope 
above  the  atmosphere  is  ruled  out  because  they 
move  out  of  position  too  quickly.  Also  the  instru- 
ments are  extremely  delicate  and  could  be  broken 
by  rapid  acceleration.  And  very  important  is  the 
much  greater  cost  of  rocket  launching  over  that 
of  balloon  launching. 

Some  problems  were  encountered  in  choosing  the 
best  location  on  the  bottom  of  the  steep-walled 
canyon.  Of  two  possible  launching  sites,  the 
pumping  plant  for  supplying  water  to  the  town  of 
Page  located  in  site  of  and  about  a  mile  down- 
stream from  the  dam  finally  was  considered  best. 
This  site  is  near  a  Jeep-type  approach  road  down 
the  cliff  and  would  not  be  disturbed  later  when 
releases  are  made  for  operating  the  powerplant 
at  the  dam. 

Conditions  also  were  favorable  at  the  area  of 
the  downstream  coffer  dam  which  served  to  prevent 
the  river  from  backing  into  the  dam  construction 
area.  This  one  could  not  be  permanent,  but 
NCAR's  Al  Shipley,  Bob  Kubara,  and  their  men 
began  preparations  there  to  make  the  first  experi- 
mental launching.  Its  excellent  conditions  would 
make  the  first  trials  easier  with  less  risk  to  their 
'    sensitive  materials. 

v^k  Test  launchings  provide  valuable  experiences 
^^^ith  wind  as  well  as  mechanical  circumstances. 
And  this  research  organization  has  had  trouble- 
some experiences.  During  inflation  of  two  of  the 
early  tests,  gusty  thermal  winds  came  up  and 
ripped  the  balloons  apart.  Another  balloon  was 
successfully  launched,  but  it  turned  out  to  be  a 
"leaker"  and  settled  on  the  nearby  Hopi  Reserva- 
tion. 

Found  by  a  Sheepherder 

Luckily,  a  Navaho  sheepherder  stumbled  onto 
the  gondola  of  one  of  the  first  balloons  perched 
on  a  remote  ridge.  He  reported  his  find  to  the 
nearest  trading  post  and  received  his  cash  reward 
from  the  NCAE. 

One  problem  balloon  descjenc^ed  into  a  cornfield 
in  Colorado  near  the  Kansas  border.  On  its  way 
down,  it  had  broken  the  powerline  supplying  the 
small  city  of  Stratton,  Colo.  Nonetheless,  it  was 
an  important  flight,  and  in  some  respects,  a 
successful  one. 


Al  Shipley  says  that  difficulties  are  expected. 
"We  are  getting  acquainted  with  the  surface  wind 
patterns  and  are  bound  to  make  some  miscalcula- 
tions. 15y  next  year,  we  will  know  much  more 
about  the  daily  and  hourly  wind  shifts  at  Glen 
Canyon.  Actually,  this  canyon  has  some  of  the 
best     winter     wind     conditions     to     be     found 

Meanwhile  the  University  of  Arizona  is  proceed- 
ing with  ground  experiments  on  the  Polariscope, 
and  preparing  for  its  flight  into  the  stratosphere. 
When  inflated  with  its  10  million  cubic  feet  of 
helium,  the  balloon  will  be  600  feet  long  and  reach 
almost  to  the  rim  of  Glen  Canyon  during  inflation. 
The  launching  of  this  heavy  package  will  un- 
doubtedly be  an  important  scientific  effort  and  ad- 
venture for  this  country. 

Already  the  NCAR  is  talking  about  launching 
a  balloon  holding  20  million  cubic  feet  of  gas  some- 
time in  the  future.  And  Glen  Canyon  may  launch 
the  monster  and  become  a  major  balloon-launching 
site — which  would  be  a  major  scientific  activity 
made  possible  by  the  construction  of  Glen  Canyon 
Dam  in  the  amazing  canyon  of  the  Colorado  River. 

#  #  # 


-^      jf      11      1 


f   November  1963 


705-910  O  -  63 


*^^^^^P^  ^^E^Sll^B 


Irrigation  Set  the  Stage  for 
BOISE  CENTENNIAL 


CENTENNIAL  celebration  for  the  city  of 
Boise  and  the  State  and  Territory  of  Idaho, 
as  well  as  the  pioneer  construction  of  Arrowrock 
Dam,  was  held  in  early  July  with  participation 
by  pioneer  residents,  the  present  population,  and 
Region  1  staffers. 

Once  the  construction  and  contract  bosses  of  the 
Morrison-Knudsen  Co.  which  constructed  Arrow- 
rock  Dam,  and  now  content  in  this  photo  to  re- 
ceive parade  plaudits  of  cheering  crowds,  are 
shown  the  two  men  in  person.  Sitting  luxuriously 
in  the  back  seat  of  a  well-preserved  Model-T 
Ford,  they  are — Harry  W.  Morrison,  cofounder 
of  M-K  Co.  and  now  chairman  of  the  board,  who 
started  his  career  as  an  employee  of  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation,  and  R.  J.  Newell,  a  contemporary 
who  started  his  Reclamation  career  in  1903.    The 


gentleman  in  the  driver's  seat  is  Percy  M.  Pinder 
who  started  with  M-K  Co.  driving  a  team  on  canal 
work  in  the  Boise  Valley.  He  has  been  with  the 
company,  for  48  years,  the  last  40  as  chief  ware- 
houseman. 

Not  just  incidental  to  this  event  is  recognition 
of  the  99th  year  (1864)  from  the  date  of  the  first 
water  right  to  old  Fort  Boise. 

For  his  chairmanship  of  the  Centennial  Pageant 
and  for  other  community  leadership.  Regional  Di- 
rector Harold  T.  Nelson  received  the  Civil  Servant 
of  the  Year  Award  by  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. Approximately  50  other  regional  office 
staffers  served  on  celebration  committees,  acted  in 
the  pageant  cast,  wore  pioneer  costumes,  and  the 
men  grew  beards  and  mustaches.  #  #  # 


102 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Reclamation  Technical  Leadership — 4 


SOIL  CEMENT 
PROTECTION  PAYS 

This  is  the  last  in  a  series  of  articles  on  technical  leadership    introduced    by    Reclamation    Commissioner 
Floyd  E.  Dominy  in  the  February  issue. 


MORE  than  13  years'  research  by  the  Bureau 
of  Reclamation  on  the  problem  of  protect- 
ing earth  dams  is  paying  big  dividends  in  the 
Great  Plains  today. 

These  dividends  for  research  are  saving  about 
$1,343,000  on  the  low  bids  for  protective  facings 
on  the  Merritt  and  Cheney  Dams  in  the  Missouri 
River  Basin.  These  savings  were  made  possible 
by  the  use  of  soil-cement  in  place  of  riprap  which 
protects  the  sides  of  earth  dams  from  erosion,  wave 
action,  and  other  adverse  elements. 

Riprap  is  the  conventional  hard,  durable  rock 
protection  placed  over  the  slope  of  earth  dams 
to  depths  of  3  feet  or  more.  In  the  Plains  area, 
rock  of  this  description  is  not  readily  available. 

Soil-cement  on  the  upstream  face  of  a  dam  con- 
sists of  soil  or  earth,  portland  cement,  and  water 
mixed  in  a  stationary  mixing  plant,  and  placed 
for  compaction.  Its  external  appearance  is  that 
of  a  terrace  of  steps. 

A  shortage  of  appropriate  rock  for  riprap  pre- 
sented itself  in  the  planning  of  Merritt  and  Cheney 
Dams,  to  the  extent  that  four  of  the  seven  con- 
tractors making  bids  for  construction  of  the  face 
of  Merritt  did  not  enter  bids  on  the  basis  of  pro- 
tection by  rock  covering.  Four  of  the  eight  bid- 
ders for  Cheney  failed  to  enter  riprap  bids. 

For  many  years,  the  extreme  cost  of  transport- 
ing tremendous  amounts  of  rock  long  distances  in- 
flated the  cost  of  construction  in  the  MRB.  In 
one  such  instance,  it  was  necessary  to  haul  material 
by  train  and  truck  250  miles.  This  was  at  Bonny 
Dam  in  eastern  Colorado  where  500,000  tons  of 
rock  for  riprap  was  required.  It  was  brought 
from  Golden,  Colo.,  by  truck,  transferred  to  rail- 
road cars  at  Boulder,  shipped  to  Burlington,  and 
finally  trucked  to  the  damsite. 

November  1963 


In  1950,  the  Bureau  launched  its  drive  to  solve 
this  problem.  Extensive  explorations  and  tests  of 
materials  were  undertaken  for  suitable  earth  dam 
protection. 

Following  laboratory  tests,  an  experimental 
earth  embankment  was  constructed  using  soil- 
cement  at  a  typical  problem  site.  Location  was 
Bonny  Dam's  reservoir  in  rock-hungry  eastern 
Colorado.  Bonny  was  selected  because  it  was 
within  a  reasonable  distance  from  the  laboratories 
in  Denver.  A  test  embankment  was  constructed 
away  from  the  dam  itself  and  positioned  for  ex- 
posure of  maximum  wave  action,  freezing  and 


Truck  at  left  is  dumping  plant-mixed  soil-cement  at  San- 
ford  Dam.  Water  is  added  over  completed  layers  from 
the  truck  at  right. 


103 


SOIL  CEMENT 


The  addition  of  soil  cement  to  the  facing  of  Merritt  Dam  is  shown  in  this  artist's  cutaway  drawing. 


thawing,  wetting  and  drying,  and  other  erosion 
conditions. 

For  a  10-year  period  the  study  went  on  to  de- 
termine the  behavior  of  the  surface.  Minor  re- 
pairs were  required  during  the  early  periods  of 
the  test,  but  not  of  a  nature  as  to  question  the 
value  of  the  material  or  techniques. 

Following  the  weathering  and  erosion  cycles, 
deterioration  of  the  surface  was  insignificant. 
Even  ice  washing  up  and  down  the  slope  failed  to 
cause  noticeable  damage.  It  was  then  concluded 
that  a  stable,  wave-resistant  facing  for  earth  dams 
could  be  constructed  of  soil-cement  using  conven- 
tional methods  for  placement. 

The  cost  of  testing  this  new  building  procedure 
reached  about  $80,000,  an  amount  which  has  been 
saved  many  times  where  soil-cement  has  been 
specified.  And  on  the  basis  of  the  research  done, 
other  tests  of  a  similar  nature  can  be  conducted 
at  nominal  cost. 

Each  new  use  of  soil-cement  requires  careful 
analysis  of  soil  available,  and  the  ratio  of  cement 
to  soil  or  sand  will  vary  from  9  to  14  percent  by 
weight  of  dry  soil.  Current  construction  methods 
have  been  somewhat  changed  from  the  testing  at 
Bonny  Dam  where  placement  of  the  dry  materials 
was  made  on  the  spot  before  mixing  and  wetting. 
Now,  the  established  procedure  is  to  use  a  station- 
ary mixing  or  batching  plant  to  assure  a  complete 
and  uniform  mix. 

The  step-by-step  procedure  is  as  follows:  (1) 
Mixing  of  soil,  portland  cement  and  water;  (2) 
placement,  spreading,  and  leveling  of  soil-cement 
in  layers;  (3)  compaction  to  required  density ;  and 
(4)  addition  of  water  or  cover  as  required  to 
maintain  moisture  content  during  the  curing 
period.  Layers  are  added  to  achieve  the  desired 
thickness. 

The  success  at  Bonny  first  opened  the  way  for 


the  use  of  soil  cement  at  Merritt  on  the  Snake 
River.  It  is  a  rolled  earthfilled  dam  with  a  struc- 
tural height  of  140  feet  and  a  crest  length  of  3,100 
feet.  Approximately  51,000  cubic  yards  of  soil- 
cement  applied  at  a  depth  of  24  inches  will  protect 
the  surface.  A  savings  will  be  about  $643,000  over 
the  cost  of  rock  riprap. 

This  material  also  was  used  at  Cheney  where  the 
zoned  earthfilled  structure  rises  86  feet  above  the 
bed  of  the  Ninnescah  River  25  miles  west  of 
Wichita,  Kans.  The  crest  of  the  dam  stretches 
24,500  feet,  creating  an  upstream  slope  requiring 
180,000  cubic  yards  of  soil-cement.  Here,  the  use 
of  the  material  and  technique  effected  a  savings  of 
nearly  $700,000. 

The  new  procedure  and  basic  mixture  also  were 
followed  in  the  recent  placing  of  a  soil-cement 
lining  in  the  temporary  stilling  basin  at  the  Bu- 
reau's Sanford  Dam  being  constructed  on  the 
Canadian  River  near  Amarillo,  Tex.  The  earth- 
stilling  basin,  lined  with  5  feet  of  soil  cement,  is 
used  to  calm  the  river's  flow  where  it  is  being  nar- 
rowed for  construction  of  the  dam  and  will  be  in 
use  for  approximately  2  years. 

Wider  use  of  soil-cement  will  come ;  already,  the 
State  of  New  Mexico  is  realizing  the  benefits  of 
Bureau  research.  Representatives  of  the  State 
and  the  engineering  firm  contracted  to  build  Ute 
Dam  near  Logan,  N.  Mex.,  visited  the  Bonny  Dam 
test  section  in  early  1962.  The  men  carefully 
studied  the  test  records  and,  following  further  con- 
sultation with  the  Chief  Engineer's  Office,  soil- 
cement  was  specified  for  Ute  Dam. 

With  the  planning  and  construction  of  each  new 
Bureau  project,  more  and  better  data  are  available 
to  make  it  possible  to  build  better  at  less  expense. 
Meticulous  testing  of  new  ideas  and  improving  on 
old  ones  have  achieved  the  forward  steps  in  this 
field  of  construction.  #  #  # 


104 


The  Reclamation  Era 


KEY  PERSONNEL  CHANGED 


W.  P.  Kane  Appointed  Assistant  Commissioner 

Wilbur  P.  Kane, 
formerly  Assistant  Di- 
rector of  the  Division 
of  Budget  of  the  De- 
partment of  the  In- 
terior, has  been  ap- 
pointed Reclamation's 
Assistant  Commission- 
er for  Administration, 
taking  office  on  August 
27. 

Mr.   Kane  succeeds 
W.  D.  Denit  who  recently  was  named  Director  of 
the  Departmental  Office  of  Survey  and  Review. 
He  will  have  responsibility  for  fiscal,  personnel, 
and  general  administrative  services  of  the  Bureau 

Lindseth  Named  Associate  Chief  Engineer 

Emil  V.  Lindseth 
was  named  Associate 
Chief  Engineer  at  the 
Bureau's  Denver  of- 
fice, it  was  announced 
Ion  August  20.  Lind- 
'  seth  moves  up  from  his 
former  position  of  As- 
sistant Chief  Design- 
ing Engineer.  He  suc- 
ceeds John  Parmaki- 
an,  who  retired  to  es- 
tablish a  consulting  engineer  practice  in  Denver. 

Assistant  Chief  Designing  Engineer  since  1958, 
Lindseth  was  before  that  the  Assistant  Regional 


under  the  direction  of  Commissioner  Floyd  E. 
Dominy. 

Mr.  Kane  is  a  career  employee  who  has  spent  his 
entire  civil  service  within  Interior.  During  the 
war  years  he  was  with  the  Coast  Guard.  His  In- 
terior Department  service  since  1941  has  covered 
tours  with  the  Bureau  of  Indian  Affairs,  the  Na- 
tional Park  Service,  the  Geological  Survey,  and 
the  Southwestern  Power  Administration,  as  well 
as  his  post  in  the  Division  of  Budget  which  he  held 
prior  to  this  appointment. 

A  native  of  Altoona,  Pa.,  he  is  a  graduate  in 
law  from  National  University  in  Washington, 
D.C.,  also  has  studied  at  Johns  Hopkins  and 
American  Universities.  #  #  # 


Director  of  the  Bureau's  Region  7  office,  beginning 
in  1949. 

He  began  his  career  with  Reclamation  in  Denver 
in  1934,  serving  as  structural  designing  and  hy- 
draulic engineer.  In  1944,  he  transferred  from 
the  Chief  Engineer's  office  to  hold  various  posi- 
tions in  the  Region  7  office. 

Lindseth  recently  was  given  a  Special  Act 
Award  for  important  contributions  to  advances 
in  the  technology  of  ultra-high-voltage,  direct- 
current  transmission  of  electrical  power. 

He  was  graduated  from  Washington  State  Col- 
lege in  1927  where  he  was  awarded  a  B.S.  degree 
in  electrical  engineering.  #  #  # 


November  1963 


105 


Reclamation  Milestones  .  .  . 


PRESIDENT  KENNEDY  DEDICATES 
WHISKEYTOWN  DAM 


PKESIDENT  John  F.  Kennedy,  speaking  to 
an  audience  of  thousands  gathered  at  the 
unique  and  newly  completed  Whiskeytown  Dam 
in  the  northern  part  of  California's  Central  Valley 
project,  dedicated  the  dam  and  reservoir  on  Sep- 
tember 28. 

After  a  speech  voicing  his  pleasure  at  the  con- 
struction of  the  Central  Valley's  conservation  fea- 
tures as  marked  by  the  completion  of  Whiskey- 
town  Dam,  the  President's  plane  flew  him  over 
other  parts  of  the  giant  project  as  well  as  over 
Hoover  Dam  and  Lake  Mead  en  route  to  his  next 
stop  at  Las  Vegas,  Nev.  About  10,000  people  at 
the  Las  Vegas  Convention  Center  heard  the  Presi- 
dent on  this  stop  and  also  saw  the  world  premiere 
of  the  Bureau's  motion  picture,  "Clear  Water  on 
the  Colorado." 

The  278-foot-high  Whiskeytown  Dam  is  part  of 


THE  NAME — Whiskeytown  received  its  color- 
ful name  from  an  incident  of  more  than  a  cen- 
tury ago.  In  1848,  a  barrel  of  whiskey,  en  route 
to  a  mining  settlement,  fell  off  a  mule  and  into 
a  creek  serving  the  tiny  community.  The  miners 
immediately  named  their  community  Whiskey- 
town, a  name  that  prevailed  until  a  post  office 
was  established  there.  The  more  prosaic  Blair 
then  replaced  the  former  name.  But  in  1952,  at 
the  insistence  of  the  townspeople,  Blair  was 
dropped  and  the  town  became  Whiskeytown  once 
more. 

The  dam,   the   town,   and  the  reservoir  now 
carry  the  distinctive  name. 


the  Trinity  Kiver  Division  and  creates  Whiskey- 
town Reservoir  which  is  capable  of  storing  250,000 
acre-feet  of  water.  Other  units  of  the  division  are 
Trinity  Dam  and  Reservoir,  Lewiston  Dam  and 
Reservoir,  Clear  Creek  Tunnel,  Spring  Creek  Tun- 
nel, and  four  powerplants. 

The  interesting  fish  conservation  feature  of 
Whiskeytown  Dam  involves  two-level  outlets  for 
mixing  two  temperatures  of  water  to  provide  a 
healthier  environment  for  salmon  and  steelhead 
trout  that  frequent  Clear  Creek  and  Sacramento 
River. 

The  spillway  for  the  dam  consisting  of  a  glory- 
hole  entrance  and  a  21-foot-diameter  reinforced 
concrete  tunnel  extending  through  the  left  abute- 
ment,  will  have  a  capacity  of  28,780  cubic  feet  per 
second. 

FLAMING  GORGE  POWER  IS  SIGNALED 
BY  PRESIDENT  KENNEDY— 

By  pressing  a  key  in  a  ceremony  at  the  airport 
at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  on  September  27,  Presi- 
dent John  F.  Kennedy  signaled  the  start  of  the 
first  of  three  generators  to  be  installed  at  Flaming 
Gorge  Dam  in  a  "drying  out"  and  test  run.  The 
President's  signal  and  also  a  voice  interchange 
was  accomplished  by  a  direct-line  connection  be- 
tween the  airport  and  the  dam,  on  the  Green  River 
in  northern  Utah.  Construction  Engineer  J.  R. 
Walton,  located  at  the  dam's  powerhouse,  received 
the  President's  signal  and  started  spinning  gen- 
erator No.  1.  #  #  # 


106 


The  Reclamation  Era 


>.^ 


V-«  if    -k' 


>^ 


People  are  awaiting  President  Kennedy's  landing  at 
Whiskeytown  Dam.  After  leaving  the  helicopter,  the 
President  views  Whiskeytown  Lake.  At  left  is  Cali- 
fornia Congressman  Harold  T.  Johnson.  California's 
Governor  Edmund  G.  Brown  is  between  President 
Kennedy  and  Robert  J.  Pafford  Jr.  (right),  Director 
of  Region  2. 

107 


water  report 


In  direct  contrast  to  water  supply  outlook  dur- 
ing the  midwinter  months  of  1962-63,  water  sup- 
plies have  been  relatively  good  for  most  irrigated 
areas  west  of  the  Continental  Divide  in  1963. 
Winter  snowfall  in  the  mountains  lagged  far  below 
average  until  April  1.  Precipitation  which  did 
occur  in  the  West  Coast  States  tended  to  fall  as 
rain,  causing  immediate  runoff  rather  than  build- 
ing up  a  mountain  snowpack.  Flood  flows  were 
experienced  in  early  February.  Up  till  the  end 
of  March,  severe  shortages  were  in  prospect  for 
most  irrigated  areas  where  carryover  storage  was 
limited  or  not  available. 

Storms  during  April  were  especially  heavy  in 
California,  Nevada,  and  Utah,  changing  stream- 
flow  prospects  from  among  the  lowest  flows  of 
record  to  almost  average.  On  some  streams  of 
California,  above-average  streamflow  was  in 
prospect. 

Contributing  to  the  favorable  water  supply 
situation  this  summer  in  the  Columbia  Basin,  the 
Central  Valley  of  California,  and  the  Great  Basin 
of  Nevada  and  Utah,  was  the  continuance  of  an 
above-normal  rainfall  and  below-average  tempera- 
ture sequences  during  the  summer  months.  This 
combination  substantially  reduced  irrigation  water 
demand. 

East  of  the  Continental  Divide  and  on  the 
Upper  Colorado  Eiver  Basin,  water  supply  was 
much  less  plentiful.  Streamflow  was  less  than 
average  in  the  upper  Missouri  and  tributaries  in 
Montana,  and  in  the  Yellowstone  River  in  Mon- 
tana and  northern  Wyoming.  However,  only 
limited  late-season  shortages  occurred  where 
storage  was  not  adequate.  Irrigation  needs  along 
the  Platte  Eiver  system  of  Wyoming  and  Colo- 
rado were  met  at  the  expense  of  severely  depleting 
reservoir  storage.  Farther  south,  surface  water 
supplies  along  the  Arkansas  and  the  Rio  Grande 
were  among  the  poorest  of  record. 

Total  flow  of  the  Colorado  River  into  Lake 
Mead,  adjusted  for  storage  in  the  new,  large  up- 
stream reservoirs,  was  the  lowest  since  1934  and 


by  HOMER  J.  STOCKWELL 

Water  Supply  Forecasting   Unit 

Soil  Conservation  Service 

PorHand,  Oreg. 

appears  to  be  the  second  lowest  flow  of  record. 
Irrigation  needs  along  the  upper  tributaries  were 
generally  satisfied. 

In  the  Lower  Colorado  River  Basin,  irrigation 
water  supply  was  average  or  better  for  the  central 
Arizona  area. 

The  California  Central  Valley  had  the  best 
water  year  since  1958.  The  storm  pattern  which 
began  in  April  persisted  through  the  summer 
months.    Demands  were  reduced,  and  the  status 


Melting  Nevada  snows  provide  a  cool  drink  of  water  for 
this  snow  surveyor. 


108 


The  Reclamation  Era 


of  water  supplies  north  of  the  Tehachapis  is  re- 
markably favorable  at  the  start  of  a  new  water 
year. 

Looking  forward  to  1964,  storage  and  moun- 
tain soil  moisture  conditions  are  at  least  average 
west  of  the  Continental  Divide  except  for  the 
Colorado  River  Basin.  East  of  the  divide,  from 
Montana  to  New  Mexico,  irrigation  storage  is 
oenerally  depleted.  As  of  late  September,  falls 
rains  in  the  area  have  not  occurred,  and  soils  are 
dry,  and  an  above-average  winter  snowpack  will 
be  required  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  area  to  bring 
storage  up  to  normal  operating  levels  and  to  pro- 
vide a  reasonably  adequate  water  supply  for  next 
year. 

An  interesting  trend  has  been  noted  where  ir- 
rigation water  supplies  were  short  this  year. 
Water  users  generally  reduced  irrigated  acres  in 
line  with  prospective  supplies.  Yields  are  re- 
ported good  on  a  reduced  number  of  acres  planted. 
After  an  experience  of  dry  years  in  the  1959-61 
period,  water  users  are  avoiding  extensive  eco- 
nomic loss  by  planning  acreages  in  line  with  avail- 
able water  supply. 

This  report  for  Reclamation  Era,  is  prepared 
under  the  direction  of  R.  A.  Work,  Head,  Water 
Supply  Forecasting  Unit,  Engineering  Division, 
Soil  Conservation  Service,  Post  Office  Box  2807, 
Portland,  Oreg.,  and  is  based  on  information 
supplied  by  snow  survey  supervisors  of  the  Soil 
Conservation  Service*  and  the  California  Depart- 
ment of  Water  Resources. 

The  following  paragraphs  list  more  details  of 
water  conditions  by  states. 

ARIZONA 

Snowmelt  season  streamflow  was  below  average. 
Carryover  storage  from  a  year  ago,  and  heavy 
precipitation  during  August  and  September  helped 
provide  an  above-average  water  supply.     Carry- 

*  The  Soil  Conservation  Service  coordinates  snow  sur- 
veys during  the  winter  and  spring  months  conducted  by 
its  staff  and  many  cooperators,  including  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation,  Forest  Service,  Geological  Survey,  other 
Federal  agencies  various  departments  of  the  several 
states,  irrigation  districts,  power  companies,  and  others. 
The  California  Department  of  Water  Resources,  which 
coordinates  snow  surveys  in  that  State,  contributed  in- 
formation on  California  water  supply  as  a  part  of  this 
report.  The  Water  Resources  Service,  British  Columbia 
Department  of  Lands,  Forests,  and  Water  Resources  has 
'Aarge  of  snow  surveys  in  that  province. 


over  storage  for  1964  is  above  average  except  for 
San  Carlos. 

Stockwater  and  range  conditions  are  the  best 
since  1958  except  for  a  few  isolated  areas.  Pros- 
pects for  an  average  water  supply  for  1964  are 
good  if  winter  snowfall  is  near  average. 

CALIFORNIA 

The  California  Department  of  Water  Resources, 
coordinating  agency  for  the  California  Coopera- 
tive Snow  Survey  Program,  reports  that  water 
conditions  during  the  1963  water  year  were  gen- 
erally good  in  all  areas  of  California  north  of  the 
Tehachapis.  Southern  California,  however,  again 
experienced  a  very  dry  year,  receiving  less  than 
20  percent  of  normal  precipitation.  The  resulting 
overdraft  of  groundwater  supplies  caused  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  general  downward  trend  in  water 
levels  which  was  interrupted  by  the  recoveries 
made  in  1962.  The  lowest  levels  of  record  will 
occur  in  many  of  these  basins  this  fall.  These 
drought  conditions  were  tempered  by  the  above- 
normal  runoff  season  in  the  Mono  Lake  and  Owens 
River  basins,  which  are  important  sources  of  mu- 
nicipal supplies  in  the  south  coastal  area.  Runoff 
in  these  basins  was  about  110  percent  of  normal, 
the  greatest  since  1958. 

Streamflow  in  the  other  major  hydrographic 
areas  of  the  State  was  also  the  greatest  since  1958, 
averaging  over  140  percent  of  normal  for  coastal 
streams  and  about  130  percent  of  normal  for  Cen- 
tral Valley  streams.  More  important,  however, 
was  the  relatively  high  snowmelt  runoff  from  the 
major  Central  Valley  watersheds  which  provided 
excellent  irrigation  supplies  and  carryover  storage 
throughout  the  area.  In  mid-March  a  record  low 
snowpack  over  most  of  the  Sierra  and  Cascade 
Basins  foreboded  serious  deficiencies  in  water  sup- 
plies. As  late  as  April  1,  the  date  when  snowpack 
accumulation  is  usually  at  a  maximum,  the  water 
content  of  the  meager  snowpack  was  only  35  per- 
cent of  normal.  Fortunately,  the  cool  general 
storms  of  April  resulted  in  additional  accumula- 
tion of  snowpack  instead  of  the  usual  decrease. 
Consequently,  on  May  1,  above-normal  snowpack 
for  that  date  had  been  attained  and  a  good  snow- 
melt runoff  season  was  assured.  Thus,  the  status 
of  northern  California  water  supplies  at  the  be- 
ginning of  a  new  water  year  is  remarkably  good, 
especially  in  comparison  to  the  below-normal  con- 
ditions that  seemed  a  near  statistical  certainty  a 
few  months  ago. 


'',N0VEMBER  1963 


109 


COLORADO 

Snowmelt  season  runoff  during  the  1963  irriga- 
tion season  was  among  the  lower  years  of  record. 
Areas  that  had  good  carryover  storage  or  a  sub- 
stantial supplemental  supply,  such  as  the  South 
Platte,  had  a  good  water  year.  The  usual  high 
crop  production  was  evident  even  with  low  stream- 
flow  and  light  precipitation  from  April  through 
July. 

Where  direct  flow  was  the  principal  source  of 
water,  serious  shortages  occurred.  The  Arkansas 
Valley  was  particularly  dry.  Considerable  land 
was  left  idle  because  of  the  poor  water  prospects. 
The  San  Luis  Valley  produced  fair  crops  from  a 
limited  surface  water  supply,  but  extensive  use 
was  made  of  ground  water  sources. 

Reservoir  storage  is  low  throughout  the  State. 
Storage  on  the  South  Platte  is  now  much  lower 
than  a  year  ago,  both  in  Colorado-Big  Thompson 
reservoirs  and  the  smaller  irrigation  storage  reser- 
voirs throughout  the  basin. 

IDAHO 

Idaho  had  a  consisitently  good  water  supply 
during  the  1963  season.  The  snowpack  was  un- 
usually low  until  the  spring  season  when  heavy 
snowfall  and  rains  increased  volume  flows  signifi- 
cantly. The  rains  continued  throughout  the  sum- 
mer, eliminating  several  irrigations. 

Reservoir  carryover  reflects  the  good  water  sup- 
ply for  the  season,  with  average  or  better  carry- 
over expected  for  1964.  Early  snow  has  already 
fallen  on  the  higher  mountains. 

Forecasts  made  early  in  the  winter  of  1963  on 
the  basis  of  the  snowpack  had  to  be  revised  up- 
ward each  month  as  the  season  progressed.  The 
trend  continued,  and  rain  at  several  southern 
Idaho  stations  was  over  400  percent  of  normal 
during  the  summer  months. 

MONTANA 

The  1963  water  supply  was  generally  adequate 
through  mid-July,  but  late  season  shortages  were 
common  on  streams  with  limited  reservoir  storage. 
Streamflow  was  near  average  on  the  extreme  head- 
waters of  the  Missouri  and  Yellowstone  Rivers, 
but  only  one-half  to  two-thirds  of  average  on  the 
northern  tributaries  to  the  Missouri.  Snowmelt 
streamflow  in  Columbia  River  tributaries  was 
slightly  better  than  anticipated — 75  to  90  percent 
of  average. 


110 


Storage  in  irrigation  reservoirs  decreased 
rapidly  during  the  heavy  demand  period  of  July 
and  August.  Carryover  storage  for  1964  will  be 
below  average  for  most  reservoirs  in  the  State. 

The  outlook  for  1964  can  be  stated  as  only  fair 
at  the  present  time.  However,  an  average  winter 
snowpack  could  provide  an  adequate  water  supply 
for  next  season. 

NEVADA 

Irrigation  water  supplies  in  Nevada  for  1963 
were  good,  a  complete  reversal  of  the  outlook  up 
to  the  first  of  April  which  indicated  a  streamflow 
year  comparable  to  1961.  Water  outlook  appeared 
very  poor  except  for  carryover  storage. 

Rainfall  from  April  to  June,  an  important  fac- 
tor in  streamflow,  was  in  excess  of  200  percent  of 
average  except  for  the  extreme  southern  section  of 
the  State.  This  rainfall  not  only  increased 
streamflow  but  reduced  irrigation  needs.  The  be- 
low-normal temperatures  resulted  in  an  optimum 
yield  of  water  from  the  snowpack  and  sustained 
late-summer  streamflow. 

Mountain  soil  moisture  has  improved  as  a  result 
of  recent  storms  but  only  the  surface  few  inches 
are  wet  as  of  late  September.  Reservoir  storage 
is  near  average  in  all  principal  reservoirs  includ- 
ing Lake  Tahoe. 

NEW  MEXICO 

One  of  the  lowest  water  years  of  record  oc- 
curred this  year  on  the  Rio  Grande  through  New 
Mexico.  Crop  production  was  down  in  all  areas 
except  those  where  extensive  pumping  is  practiced. 

The  Carlsbad  and  Tucumcari  projects  relied 
heavily  on  carryover  storage,  which  at  the  end  of 
the  water  year  is  substantially  below  average  and 
much  less  than  for  the  past  2  years. 

OREGON 

Most  irrigated  lands  in  Oregon  have  had  ade- 
quate water  supplies.  Crop  production  has  been 
good.  This  has  occurred,  even  if  a  remarkably 
mild  winter  indicated  poor  water  conditions  all 
the  way  till  the  end  of  March.  Then  the  rains 
came.  Rainfall  was  considerably  above  average 
in  April,  May,  and  June  throughout  most  of  the 
State,  reversing  the  water  supply  outlook  from 
near  drought  to  generally  adequate.  Some  lands 
in  Umatilla  County  were  out  of  water  near  the 

The  Reclamation  Era  . 


end  of  the  season,  and  other  small  areas  had  simi- 
lar shortages. 

Holdover  water  in  irrigation  reservoirs  will  be 
fairly  limited  but  is  quite  encouraging  in  Malheur, 
Crook,  Deschutes,  Jefferson,  Jackson,  Klamath, 
and  Lake  Counties  and  on  Willamette  tributaries. 

Moisture  in  watershed  soils  is  about  normal. 
Early  winter  rainfall  usually  is  adequate  to  prime 
mountain  soils  under  the  coming  snowpack. 

UTAH 

Water  supplies  have  been  generally  adequate 
this  summer  in  northern  sections  of  Utah.  In 
southern  sections  irrigation  water  was  very  short, 
but  the  effect  was  somewhat  offset  by  good  rains 
during  August  and  September. 

Here,  as  in  central  areas,  the  economic  effect  of 
short  water  supplies  was  softened  by  adjustments 
in  acreages  and  ordinary  cropping  patterns.  Acre- 
ages of  crops  needing  late  summer  water  were  re- 


duced to  that  for  which  adequate  water  would  be 
available,  resulting  in  the  lowest  acreage  of  pota- 
toes in  this  century  and  the  third  lowest  acreage 
of  sugarbeets  since  1906. 

Carryover  storage,  while  below  average  in 
northern  reservoirs,  is  much  better  than  on  the 
Sevier  and  Beaver  Rivers  where  there  will  be  very 
little  holdover  water  for  1964. 

WASHINGTON 

The  water  supply  situation  has  been  a  series  of 
contradictions  this  year.  There  was  very  little 
snow  in  the  mountains  on  April  1;  however,  the 
combination  of  fall  rain,  winter  runoff,  and  high 
storage  contributed  to  a  water  supply  outlook 
that  was  not  as  poor  as  snowpack  alone  would 
have  indicated. 

After  April  1,  heavy  rains  came  at  lower  eleva- 
tions, and  snow   fell   in  the  higher  mountains. 


RAJ ASTH AN  continued  from  page  92 

Progress  is  slow,  as  only  16  miles  of  canal  are 
constructed  per  year.  But  by  their  way  of  meas- 
uring time  evidenced  by  ancient  forts,  roads,  and 
temples,  they  are  willing  to  work  and  wait.  Even- 
tually, great  quantities  of  food  and  fiber  will  come 
from  this  expanse  of  land  and  homes  for  2  million 
people  will  be  established. 

Even  though  hand  labor  receives  only  about 
rupees  3  per  day  (about  63  cents) ,  cost  of  the  main 
canal  is  running  close  to  $1  million  per  mile. 

Along  one  stretch,  modern  earthmoving  ma- 
chines were  making  a  large  cut  through  a  sand 
dune  and  constructing  a  fill  beyond  it.  These 
machines,  moving  into  the  cloud  of  dust  and 
emerging  with  their  loads,  seemed  too  few  and  too 
old  for  the  gargantuan  task.  They  were  working 
long  past  the  retirement  age,  most  of  them  having 
done  time  on  the  Burma  Road  during  AVorld  War 
II  and  had  also  been  used  at  Bhakra  to  build  that 
great  dam.  Tankers  carrying  diesel  fuel  and  oil 
are  towed  in  by  Caterpillar.  The  dusty  condi- 
itions  are  endured  even  when  making  motor  repairs. 
I  When  it  was  made  known  that  the  centerline  of 
'the  big  canal  would  pass  directly  through  a  small 
desert  village,  the  head  man  shouted  for  joy. 
During  the  10-month-long  dry  season  each  year, 
people  in  his  village  carry  w^ater  in  goatskins  on 
the  backs  of  their  burros,  over  some  22  miles  of 
desert  trails. 


A  contrast  of  centuries  of  time  is  exemplified  by  tliis  view 
of  camel  travelers  crossing  a  modern  Rajasthan  bridge. 

Other  members  of  the  Beas  Investigations  team 
were  Herbert  Riesbol,  C.  O.  Crane,  and  A.  Walter 
Schmidt.  Their  primary  purpose  while  in  India 
was  to  make  an  investigation  of  the  Beas  Dam 
project  and  its  various  features  for  the  Agency 
for  International  Development.  The  team  re- 
turned to  Denver  in  early  June  where  the  final 
report  was  written. 

As  for  the  Rajasthan  construction  in  India,  the 
investigation  was  an  impressive  one.  And  some 
day,  India's  men  and  women  will  see  the  comple- 
tion of  the  project  which  will  return  a  river  to  the 
Great  Desert  of  their  country.  #  #  # 


'November  1963 


111 


.a^kife 


BOOKSHELF  for  water  users 


BOOK  ON  CANAL  LININGS  IS  PRINTED.  Linings 
for  Imgation  Canals^  an  illustrated  book  of 
149  pages,  is  now  off  the  press.  The  publica- 
tion contains  instructions,  standards,  and  pro- 
cedures developed  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion for  use  in  the  lining  of  irrigation  canals, 
and  includes  a  progress  report  on  the  lower 
cost  canal  lining  program.  This  contains  nine 
chapters,  a  bibliography,  and  ,an  index. 

This  canal-lining  publication  is  for  sale  by  the 
Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.S.  Government 
Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.C.,  20402,  Price: 
$1.25  (paperback) ;  and  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion, Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver  25,  Colo., 
Attention :  841,  Price  $1.25  (paperback) ,  and  $2.25 
(buckram). 

REPORT   ON    EUROPEAN    DAMS   COMPLETED.     A 

three-volume  report  entitled  "European  Prac- 
tices in  Design  and  Construction  of  Concrete 
Dams"  has  been  completed  by  Bureau  engi- 
neers Merlin  D.  Copen,  George  C.  Rouse,  and 


George  B.  Wallace,  all  of  Denver,  Colo.    The 
technical  and  illustrated  publication  includes 
the  team's  report  from  6  countries  and  the  re- 
sults of  investigations  of  43  dams  in  various 
stages  of  completion,  25  power  stations,  13 
laboratories,  6  manufacturing  plants,  and  in- 
terviews   with    more     than    100    engineers. 
Countries  reported  upon  by  the  three-man 
team  include  Portugal,  Italy,  Austria,  Switz- 
erland, France,  and  England.    Volume  1  in- 
cludes an  introduction,  "Design  of  Concrete 
Dams,  and  Powerplants."    Volume  2  includes 
"Construction  Plants  and  Practices,"  "Mix 
Design   and   Properties   of   Concrete,"   and 
"Materials  and  Construction  Laboratories." 
Volume  3   includes  "Foundation  Testing," 
"Structural  Model  Testing,"  and  "Structural 
Behavior  of  Dams." 

Copies  of  these  volumes  are  available  from  the 
Denver  address  above. 

#  #  # 


Streamflow  was  relatively  good  during  the  late 
spring  and  early  summer.  The  situation  was  re- 
versed in  late  season.  Precipitation  in  the  moun- 
tains has  been  low,  and  streamflow  has  declined. 
Reservoirs  have  been  drawn  down  and  are  going 
into  the  winter  with  a  below-average  carryover. 
The  winter  period  will  start  with  dry  mountain 
soils,  a  low  baseflow  in  the  rivers,  and  low  storage 
in  the  reservoirs.  Usually,  fall  rains  prime  moun- 
tain soils.  If  another  winter  snowpack  like  last 
year  occurs,  a  serious  water  shortage  could  develop. 

WYOMING 

Water  supplies  were  adequate  throughout  the 
State.    On  the  North  Platte,  irrigation  demands 


required  a  substantial  depletion  of  storage  in  the 
larger  reservoirs.  Inflow  to  Seminoe  Reservoir 
was  in  the  range  of  two-thirds  to  three-quarters  of 
average.  Summer  flow  of  the  Bighorn  and  its 
tributaries  was  near  average  and  provided  for 
water  needs.  Green  River  flow  was  below  average 
but  substantially  above  that  of  other  Colorado 
River  tributaries. 

The  summer  months  have  been  dry.  A  general 
storm  with  small  amounts  of  rainfall  occurred  in 
late  September,  but  soils  in  both  mountain  and 
valley  areas  are  short  on  moisture.  The  outlook 
for  next  year  is  fair  to  good  if  the  winter  snow- 
pack  is  near  average.  #  #  # 


112 


The  Reclamation  Era 


INDEX  TO  THE  RECLAMATION  ERA 

Volumes  47,  48,  49 
1961-63 


A  Colorado  Farm  .  .  .  100  Years  of  Cattle  Feeding,  by  Feb.    1963 

William  A.  Price. 
Agriculture  and  the  Population  Explosioon,  by  Dr.  Daniel    Feb.  1962 

G.  Aldrich,  Jr. 

Agricultural  Industry— Dried  Fruit  Production,  by  Alex  Aug.  1962 

O.  Nordholm. 

Ainsworth  Seniors  Tour  Merritt  Dam Aug.  1963 

Aldrich,  Dr.  Daniel  O.,  Jr.,  author  ol  Agriculture  and  Feb.  1962 

the  Population  Explosion 

A  Look  at  Stahmann  Farms,  by  T.  H.  Moser Aug.  1963 

Altus  Reservoir,  Oltlahoma  {Recreation  At  Man-Made  Aug.  1961 

Lakes— Part  II). 

American  Indians  helping  To  Build  the  Nation... Nov.  1962 

Anderson,  Fred  A.,  author  of  Old  Pioneer  Gets  New  Nov.  1961 

Lease  on  Life. 

A  Power  "Free  Loader"  Is  Invented Nov.  1963 

Appaiser's  Role  in  Land  Acquisition,  by  J.  Lyle  Robert-  May  1962 

son. 

Aquatic  Weeds  {Notes  From  Irrigation  Operators'  Work-  Nov.  1962 

shop — Part  IV). 

Around  the  Corner— More  Water  for  the  Inter-Mountain  Nov.  1961 

West,  by  Paul  T.  Sant. 

A  Tour  of  Soviet  Dams,  by  Stewart  L.  Udall... Feb.   19fi3 

Autrey,  L.  Ray... Nov.  1961 

B 

Balloons  In  Glen  Canyon,  by  W.  L.  Rusho Nov.  1963 

Battling  the  Mosquitoes May  1962 

Beet  Thinning,  Mechanical,  hy  Yale  lioWand Aug.  1962 

Bellport,  B.  P.,  Becomes  Reclamation's  Chief  Engineer...  May  1963 

Bennett,  Leland  G.,  author  of  Ven<Mroi?i»€r  Project Feb.  1961 

Berryessa,  Lake  (photo) Nov.  1961 

Billingsley,  Kirby  {With  the  Water  Users) Feb.  1962 

Black,  John  K.,  author  of  Rajasthan—It  Will  Bloom  Nov.  1963 
Again. 

Bloodgood,  Grant  (i?ea>««  as  ^C(feCE) May  1963 

Blue  Mesa  Dam Aug.  1962 

Boise  Centennial  {Irrigation  Set  the  Stage  For) Nov.  1963 

Boise  Fro'iect  {Then  and  Now— Reclamation's  Story) Aug.  1962 

Bookshelf  for  Water  Users.. May  1961 

Nov.  1963 

Bower,  Earl  T May  1962 

Boy  Scouts  (Seen  Any  White  Frogs  Lately?")  by  H.  Aug.  1963 

Shipley  and  Ruth  Faulkner,  coauthors. 

Brashears,  Harvey  A.,  author  of  Southwest  Nebraska's  Feb.  1963 

New  Winter  Sport. 

"Bridge  to  the  Future"  {Camera,-Eye  View  of  Water  Feb.  1961 

Development). 

Bryant,  M.  D.  {Withthe  Water  Users) Aug.  1962 

Buffalo  Bill  Dam,  Wyoming  (photo). May  1961 

Buffalo  Bill  Dam  ( Old  Pioneer  Gets  New  Lease  on  Life)  Nov.  1961 

by  Fred  A.  Anderson. 

Bureau  and  Region  7  Top  All  Safety  Records May  1963 

Bureau's  Leadership  Firmed  Up Aug.  1961 

Bureau's  Top  Design  Trio Feb.   1962 

Burleigh,  Harry  P.  author  of  Something  New  Under  the  May  1962 

Texas  Sun. 

Burnett,  Donald  R.  {To  Head  Philippine  Office) May  1963 

Burnett,  Graydon  E.  (7s  Promoted  to  Chief  Research  May  1963 

Scientist) . 

Burns-Porter  Act  {Golden  State's  Golden  Plan),  by  Wil-  Nov.  1961 

Ham  E.  Warne. 

Bush,  Ralph  F.  coauthor  of  Recreation:  Southwestern  Feb.  1962 

Nebraska's  New  Industry. 

c 

Caballo  Reservoir  {Recreation  at  Man-Made  Lakes) Nov.  196 

Cachuma,  Lake  (photo). Nov.  196 

California  mosquito  abatement  districts  {Battling  the  May  1962 

Mosquitoes) . 

California  reservoirs  {Recreation  at  Man-Made  Lakes) Nov.  196: 

California  State  Water  Plan   {Golden  State's   Golden  Nov.  196: 

Plan),  by  William  E.  Warne. 

Camera-Eye  Vieu)  of  Water  Development Feb.  196: 

Cameron  County  Water  Control  &  Improvement  Dis-  Aug.  196: 

trict  No.  1,  Texas  {Snmll  Projects  Loans). 

Canada  {Irrigation  Pays  on  Canadian  Prairies),  by  J.  Feb.  1963 

Karl  Lee  and  Maurice  N.  Langley,  coauthors. 


Page 

14 


85 


100 
97 


1 

108 


35 
76 
52 
3 
109 
24 
91 

44 
82 

102 
70 
48 

105 
55 
68 

20 

23 

83 
51 


101 
104 
35 

101 
85 

23 

67 


Canadian  River  Project  (TAePeopZe's  CAoJce),  by  Mary  May  1961 

Elizabeth  Kisner. 

Canal  Cleaning  {Little  Creatures  Clog  Big  Canals),  by  Nov.  1963 

L.  J.  Hart. 

Canal  Sealants,  Chemical,  by  h.M.'EWspeTman Feb.  1962 

Carlson,  Carl  W.,  coauthor  of  Managing  Subsoils  Ex-  Feb.  1961 

posed  by  Land  Leveling. 

Carr,  James  K.  {Members  of  Interior's  New  Team) May  1961 

Casitas  Dam  (photo)..- Feb.  1961 

Casitas,  Lake  (photo) Nov.  1961 

Central  Utah  Project  (Vernal  Unit) Nov.  1961 

Century  of  Service  (Golz6,  McCarthy,  Moten) May  1961 

Chemical  Canal  Sealants,  by  L.  M.  EUsperman Feb.  1962 

Citrus  Success  Story  by  Jones  Osborn May  1962 

Clark  Canyon  (photo) Feb.  1962 

Co66  iafce  A^a»j/,  by  Ida  Mae  Tomlinson Feb.  1961 

Coles,  LaSelle  E.  {NRA  Reelects  Officers) Feb.  1961 

{Withthe  Water  Users) May  1963 

Colorado-Big  Thompson  Project  {A  Colorado  Farm  .  .  .  Feb.  1963 

100  Years  of  Cattle  Feeding),  by  William  A.  Price. 

Colorado-Big  Thompson  Project  (photos) May  1962 

Colorado  Midland  Railway  {Phantom  on  the  Fry-Ark)  Aug.  1961 

by  R.  J.  Steinbruner). 

Colorado  River  {The  Palo  Verde  Weir)... Feb.  1961 

Colorado  River  reservoirs   {Recreation  at  Man-Made  Nov.  1961 

Lakes). 

Colorado  River  Storage  Project  {Around  the  Corner-  Nov.  1961 

More  Water  for  the  Intermountain  West),  by  Paul  T. 

Sant. 

Colorado  River  Storage  Project  {1963— First  Payoff  on  Aug.  1963 

the  CRSP). 

Colorado,    southwestern    {Recreation    at    Man-Made  Aug.  1961 

Lakes— Part  II). 

Columbia  Basin  Project  {Helicopter  Delivers  Herbicide  Feb.  1963 

Aids) . 

Commissioner  Reappointed Feb.  1961 

Computers  {Reclamation   Technical  Leadership — Com-  Feb.   1963 

puters  Part  I) . 

Concrete  {Irrigation  Operators'  Workshop) Feb.  1962 

Construction  Engineers,  New Feb.  1961 

Controlling  Wind  Erosion,  by  John  L.  Toevs Feb.  1962 

Coste\,  Qerald,  author  of  Semiautomatic  Irrigation Feb.  1962 

Crandall,  Lynn,  author  of  Rationing  an  Idaho  Treasure.  May  1963 

Crooked  River  {Uncurving  Crooked  River),  by  Martha  Aug.  1963 

Stranahan. 

Crop  Report -. Aug.  1961 

Crop  surplus  {Reclamation's  Economic  Impact),  by  E.  May  1961 

Struthcrs. 

D 

Daggett,  E.  O May  1962 

Dam    Foundations    {Reclamation    Technical    Leader-  May  1963 

ship — I) . 

Dean,  Harold  E.,  author  of  Port  of  Call May  1961 

Delta  Mendota  Canal,  California  (photos) Nov.  1963 

(Photos) Nov.  1962 

T>emt,'W.'Da,T\ington{Bureau's Leadership  Firmed  Up).  Aug.  1961 

Leaves  Reclamation  {Key  Personnel  Changed) Aug.  1963 

Desert  Almost  Drowned,  The,  by  K.  Fritz  Shumacher..  Feb.  1963 

Deurbrouck,  Bob,  author  of  {See  It  Yourself  at  Grand  May  1963 

Coulee  Dam) . 

Dickinson  Dam  campers  (N.D.)  (photo) May  1961 

Domlny,  Floyd  E.  {Commissioner  Reappointed) Feb.  1961 

Dominy,  Floyd  E.,  author  of  Drought  Insurance  for  Feb.  1962 

Farmers. 

Dominy,  Floyd  E.,  author  of  Reclamation  Milestones—  Nov.  1962 

President  Kennedy's  Visits. 

Drainage,   Foreign  {Drainage  in  Irrigation— A   World  Nov.  1962 

Problem— Part  II),  by  C.R.  Maierhofer. 

Drainage  in  Irrigation— A   World  Problem— Part  I,  by  Aug.  1962 

C.  R.  Maierhofer. 

Drainage  in  Irrigation— A  World  Problem— Part  II,  by  Nov.  1962 

C.  R.  Maierhofer. 

Drains,  Maintenance  of . May  1961 

Dried  Fruit  Production,  Agricultural  Industry,  by  Alex  Aug.  1962 

G.  Nordholm. 

Drought  Insurance  for  Farmers,  by  Floyd  E.  Dominy..  Feb.  1962 

Dugan,  H.  P.  {Appointed  New  Director  of  Region  7) Feb.  1963 


Page 
37 


32 
3 

104 

100 

36 

6 

33 

24 

19 

2 

48 

14 

53 
61 


101 
97 

57 
65 
13 

2 

5 

13 
23 
9 
20 
40 
65 

64 
29 


55 
32 

39 
96-97 
93 
78 
83 
10 
29 

44 
2 
1 


103 

73 

103 

47 


November  1963 


E 

Earth  construction  {Irrigation  Operators'  Workshop)-...  Feb.  1962 

East  Bench  Unit  (photo) -  Feb-  1962 

Editor  Palmer  Leaves  Post... - Nov.  1962 

Electricity  Detects  Canal  Seepage,  by  Dart  Wantland  and  Aug.  1962 

D.  L.  Goodman,  coauthors. 

Electronically   Controlled   Irrigation   System    (Teddy  May  1963 

Roosevelt's  Project  Goes  Modern)  by  H.  Shipley  and 

D.  L.  Weesner,  coauthors. 

Elephant  Butte  (Recreation  at  Man-Made  Lakes) No-v .  1961 

Ellsperman,  L.  M.,  author  of  Chemical  Canal  Sealants..  Feb.  1962 

Epoxy  Resins— New  Aids  for  Water  Users,  by  Carl  E.  Nov.  1961 

Selander. 

Erosion  (Controlling  Wind  Erosion),  by  John  L.  Toevs.  Feb.  1962 

Evaporation  (To  Retard  Evaporation) Nov.  1963 

Evaporation,  New  Research  in,  by  L.  O.  Timblin,  Jr...  Aug.  1961 

Evaporation  ( Tests  of  Water  Evaporation  Control  Made  Feb.  1961 

on  Arizona  Project). 

F 

Face  Lifting  on  the  North  Platte,  by  Charles  H.  Rader Aug.  1962 

Facing  Sediment  Problems. May  1963 

Fagerberg,  Robert  M.  (Workshop  for  Irrigation  Oper-  Nov.  1961 

a  tors). 

Farewell  to  "Mr.  Reclamation,"  by  Michael  W.  Straus.  Nov.  1961 

Farina,  Robert  J.,  coauthor  of  Land  Subsidence  In  the  Nov.  1962 

Valley. 

Farm  Planning  for  Irrigation  Development,  by  D.  E.  May  1962 

Hutchinson. 

Faulkner,  Ruth,  coauthor  of  "Seen  Any  White  Frogs  Aug.   1963 

Latelyl" 

Fees  for  Fun —  Nov.  1963 

Ferris,  Howard  J.  (Two  Die  in  Overseas  Accident) Aug.  1961 

Fiery  Ordeal  of  San  Dimas,  The,  by  K.  Fritz  Schu-  Feb.  1962 

macher. 

¥1101  Strip  (Camera-Eye  View  of  Water  Development) Feb.  1961 

First  Payoff  on  the  CRSP,  1963  .  . Aug.  1963 

Flaming  Gorge  Dam  (photo) — Aug.  1963 

(Photo) Aug.   1962 

Flaming  Oorge  Serves  as  Classroom Aug.  1962 

Florida  Project  (photo) .- Nov.  1961 

Fogarty,  Earl  R.  (Two  Die  in  Overseas  Accident). Aug.  1961 

Folsom  Dam  (photo) .- Nov.  1961 

Fontenelle  (new  community) Nov.  1961 

Foreign  Activities  (Port  of  Call),  by  Harold  E.  Dean...  May  1961 

Foreign  Activities  (Rajasthan—It  Will  Bloom  Again),  Nov.  1963 

by  John  K.  Black. 

Foreign  Irrigation   (Drainage  in  Irrigation — A   World  Nov.  1962 

Problem— Part  II),  by  C.  R.  Maierhofer 

ForeignJTTiga.tion  (Stretching  the  Rain  in  Spain) May  1962 

Forsyth,  Gordon  J.,  author  of  Heroes  of  Lift Nov.  1963 

Fort  Smith  (new  community) Nov.  1961 

Forty  More  Years  With  the  Reclamation  Era Aug.  1963 

Foss  Reservoir  (photo) Aug.  1962 

Fremont  Canyon  Powerplant,  Wyoming  (Reclamation  Aug.  1961 

Milestones) . 

Frenchman-Cambridge  Division  (Farm  Planning  for  May  1962 

Irrigation  Development),  by  D.  E.  Hutchinson. 

Fryingpan-Arkansas  Project,  Colorado  (Phantom  on  the  Aug.  1961 

Fry-Ark),  by  R.  J.  Steinbruner. 

Geese  (A  Look  at  Stahmann  Farms),  by  T.  H.  Moser..  Aug.  1963 

Qeese  (Helpers  on  the  Mint  Farm) —  Aug.  1963 

Georgetown    Divide  Public  Utility  District,    CaUf.  Aug.  1961 

(Small  Project  Loans) . 

Qering-FoTt  Laramie  (Face  Lifting  on  the  North  Platte).  Aug.  1962 

Qessell,ClydeD.,authorofiofc«PowerSttr»ej/ Story.-..  Nov.  1962 

Qibbs,  Harold  J „ Feb.  1962 

Gila  Project,  Arizona  (Modern  Yuma  Pioneers) Aug.  1961 

Glen  Canyon  Bridge  (photo) Aug.  1962 

Glen  Canyon  Dam  (Balloons  in  Glen  Canyon),  hy  W.  L. 

Rusho.  Nov.  1963 

Glen  Canyon  Dam  (photos) Nov.  1963 

(Photos). Aug.  1963 


Page 
15 
24 
110 
63 

45 


101 

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91 


80 
49 
93 

107 
92 


81 
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67 
72 
67 
62 

111 
81 

109 

no 

39 
91 

103 

41 

85 

110 

74 

57 

78 

44 
61 


13 

71 
57 

99 

99-101 

70-71 


Golden  State's  Golden  Plan,  by  William  E.  Warne Nov.  1961 

Golz6,  Alfred  R.  (Century  of  Service) May  1961 

Goodman,  D.L.,  coauthor  of  Electricity  Detects  Canal  Aug.  1962 

Seepage. 

Goshen  (Face  Lifting  on  the  North  Platte) Aug.  1962 

Grand  Coulee  Dam  (See  It  Yourself  at  Grand  Coulee  May  1963 

Dam),  by  Bob  Deurbrouck. 

Grand  Lake  (photo) May  1962 

Granger,  Roscoe  (New  Construction  Engineers) Feb.  1961 

Grunes,  David  L.,  coauthor  of  Managing  Subsoils  Ex-  Feb.  1961 

posed  by  Land  Leveling. 

H 

Hammond  Project Nov.  1961 

Handicapped  (Snacfca^eria  oi  i/ooper  Z>a7n). May  1962 

Hardberger,    Phil,    author    of    Water    Speaks    Many  Nov.  1962 

Languages. 

Hawaii's  Molokai  Project Aug.  1962 

Helicopter  Delivers  Herbicide  Aids Feb.  1963 

Helicopter  Used  As  Economy  Workhorse Aug.  1963 

Helpers  on  the  Mint  Farm Aug.  1963 

HoThicides  (Helicopter  Delivers  Herbicide  Aids) Feb.  1963 

Heroes  of  Lift  by  Gordon  J.  Forsyth Nov.  1963 

Herpich,  Russel  L.,  coauthor  of  Kansas  Turns  To  Sec-  Aug.  1961 

ond  Century. 

Hicks,  D.  Reginald Nov.  1961 

Higginson,  Elmo  C.  (Workshop  for  Irrigation  Operators).  Nov.  1961 

Holland,  Yale,  author  of  Mechanical  Beet  Thinning Aug.  1962 

Holtz,  Wesley  G.  (Workshop  for  Irrigation  Oeprators)..  Nov.  1961 

Holum,  Kenneth  (Members  of  Interior's  New  Team)...  May  1961 

Hoover    Dam    (photo) Feb.  1962 

Hoover  Dam,  Snackateria  at May  1962 

Horsetooth  Reservoir  (photo) May  1962 

Hungry  Horse  Dam  (photo) Feb.   1963 

House,  Paul  L.  (Workshop  for  Irrigation  Operators) Nov.  1961 

Hutchinson,  D.  E.,  author  of  Farm  Ptonninfl' For /rni/a-  May  1962 

tion  Development. 

Hydraulic  Jacks  (Reclamation  Technical  Leadership)...  May  1963 

Hydrology  (Taking  the  Punch  Out  of  Water),  Reclama-  Aug.  1963 

tion  Technical  Leadership — 3. 

I 

Ice  Fishing  (Southwest  Nebraska's  New  Winter  Sport),  Feb.   1963 

by  Harvey  A.  Brashears. 

If  It's  Outside,  Paint  It May  1962 

Imperial  Valley  (The  Desert  Almost  Drowned),  by  K.  Feb.  1963 

Fritz  Schumacher. 

Ingles,  J.  M.,  author  of  Milestone  for  Terra  Bella Feb.  1961 

Installing    Plastic    Lining   in   McCaskey    Lateral,    by  Nov.  1962 

Charles  N.  Smith. 

Irrigation  Development,  Farm  Planning  for,  by  D.  E.  May  1962 

Hutchinson. 
Irrigation  Operators'  Workshop  Part  I-IV: 

Part  I Feb.  1962 

Part  II May  1962 

Part  III Aug.  1962 

Irrigation  Pays  On  Canadian  Prairies,  by  J.  Karl  Lee  Feb.  1963 

Maurice  N.  Langley,  coauthors. 

Irrigation  practices  (Water  Control  on  the  Farm),  by  Nov.  1961 

Tyler  H.  Quackenbush. 

Irrigation  Set  the  Stage  for  Boise  Centennial Nov.  1963 

Irrigation  siphon  (Semiautomatic  Irrigation),  by  Gerald  Feb.  1962 

Costel. 

Irrigators'  "How'd  You  Do  It?",  Shop,  by  Hollis  San-  May  1963 

ford 

J 

Jackson  Lake,  Wyoming  (photo) — May  1961 

Jenkinson  Lake.... Nov.  1961 

K 

Kane,  Wilbur  P.  (Key  Personnel  Changed) Nov.  1963 

Kansas  Turns  To  Second  Century,  by  Harold  Shank-  Aug.  1961 

land  and  Russel  L.  Herpich,  coauthors. 

Kelly,  Harry  W - May  1962 


Page 
85 
36 
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17 


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106 

59 
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78 
13 
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75 


13 
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77 
22 


102 
20 


341 


42-43 
109 


107 
75 


65 


November  1963 


Pag» 

Kennedy,  John  F.  (Reclamation  Milestones— President  Nov.  1962  98 

Kennedy's  Visits),  by  Floyd  E.  Domlny. 

"Key  to  the  Future"  (Camera-Eye  View  of  Water  De-  Feb.  1961  23 

velopment). 

Key  Personnel  Changed  (Denit,  McCarthy,  and  Pierce—  Aug.  1963  83 

ATej/ Pmowwei  CAawffed  (Lindseth  and  Kane) Nov.  1963  107 

Klsner,  Mary  Elizabeth,  author  of  The  People's  Choice..  May  1961  37 

Kristl,   John  T.,   author  of   Working  Against   Water  May  1963  38 

Takers. 

L 

Lake  Powell  Survey  Story,  The,  by  Clyde  D.  Gessel Nov.  1962  89 

Land  Acquisition,  The  Appraiser's  Role  In,  by  J.  Lyle  May  1962  48 

Robertson. 

Land  leveUng  (Managing  Subsoils  Exposed  by  Land  Feb.  1961  17 

Leveling) . 

Land  Subsidence  in  the  Valley,  by  Nikola  P.  Prokopo-  Nov.  1962  92 

vich  and  Robert  J.  Farina,  coauthors. 

Langley,  Maurice  N.,  coauthor  of  Irrigation  Pays  on  Feb.  1963  22 

Canadian  Prairies. 

Lee,  J.  Karl,  coauthor  of  Irrigation  Pays  on  Canadian  Feb.  1963  22 

Prairies. 
Lindseth,  Emil  V.: 

(Bureau's  Top  Design  Trio).. Feb.  1962  25 

(Key  Personnel  Changed) Nov.  1963  07 

Lineweaver,  Goodrich  W,  (obituary) Nov.  1961  107 

Lingnin  (Paper  Waste  Strengthens  Concrete) Feb.  1962  8 

Little  Cottonwood  Water  Treatment  Plan,  Salt  Lake  Aug.  1961  79 

City  (Something  New  Has  Been  Added!),  by  Vaughn 

B.  Wonnacott. 

Little  Creatures  Clog  Big  Canals,  hy  h.  J .  B-axt Nov.  1963  96 

Livingston,  Mike  (With  the  Water  Users) Feb.  1962  24 

M 

Maierhofer,  C.  R.,  author  of  Drainage  In  Irrigation — A 

World  Problem: 

Part  I -\ug.  1962  73 

Part  II Nov.  1962  103 

Maintenance  of  Drains May  1961  47 

Maintenance  of  equipment  (Notes  From  Irrigation  Op-  May  1962  38 

erators'  Workshop). 

Managing  Subsoils  Exposed  by  Land  Leveling,  by  Carl  W.  Feb.   1961  17 

Carlson  and  David  L.  Grunes,  coauthors. 

McCarthy,  Daniel  V.  (Key  Personnel  Changed) Aug.  1963  83 

McCarthy,].  J.  (Century  of  Service).. May  1961  36 

McCaskey  Lateral  (photo) Nov.  1962  95 

McElhaney,  R.  II.  (Pioneer  Dies).. Nov.  1961  108 

Mead,  Lake  (photos) Nov.  1961  102 

Nov.  1963  94 

Measurement  of  water  (iyo<€»/rom  7mffo<!on  Operators'  Aug.  1962  77 

Workshop— Part  III. 

Mechanical  Beet  Thinning,  hy  Yale  Holland Aug.  1962  76 

Meet  the  New  Division  Chiefs  (Hicks,  Mueller,  Awtrey).  Nov.  1961  108 

Members  of  Interior's  New  Team May  1961  32 

Mesilla  Dam,  Rio  Grande  Project  (photo) May  1963  50 

M«««/o«e /or  Terra  jB«Ha,  by  J.  M.  Ingles Feb.  1961  21 

Mlllerton  Lake  (photo) Nov.  1961  109 

"Miracle  of  Water,  The"  (Camera-Eye  View  of  Water  Feb.  1961  23 

Development) . 

Mobile  Transformers  (Poiver  From  a  Spare  on  WAeeis)..  Feb.  1963  17 

Modern  Yuma  Pioneers Aug.  1961  71 

Molokai  Project,  Hawaii's Aug.  1962  59 

Moser,  T.  11.,  author  of  ^4  Look  At  Stahmann  Farms Aug.  1963  75 

Mosquitoes,  Battling  The.. May  1962  35 

Moten,  Elmer  (Centurj/o/Semice).. May  1961  36 

Motion  pictures  (Camera-Eye  View  of  Water  Develop-  Feb.  1961  23 

ment). 

Motion  Pictures,  New May  1962  54 

Mower,  Tucumcari  Combination. Feb.  1961  24 

Merritt  Dam  (Ainsworth  Seniors  Tour  Merritt  Dam)..  Aug.  1963  64 

Milk  River  Project  (Battling  the  Mosquitoes) May  1962  35 

Mitchell,  Leonard  J. ._  Feb.  1962  13 

Mueller,  John  W.  (Bureau's  Leadership  Firmed  Up)...  Aug.  1961  78 

Nov.  1961  108 


N 

National    Reclamation    Association    Reelects    Officers  Feb.  1961 

National  Reclamation  Association May  1962 

Navajo  Dam  (photo) Aug.  1963 

(Photo) Nov.  1962 

Navajo  Dam,  hy  J.  D.Seery Feb.  1961 

Neal,  Edgar  H.  (Workshop  for  Irrigation  Operators) Nov.  1961 

Nebraska   (Recreation:   Southwestern  Nebraska's  New  Feb.  1962 

Industry) . 

Need  Better  Works?  A  Loan  Is  Available,  by  William  D.  Feb.  1963  7 

Romig. 

Nelson,  H.  T.  (Rationing  an  Idaho  Treasure) May  1963  40 

New  Research  In  Evaporation,  by  L.  O.  Timblin,  Jr Aug.  1961  69 

New  York  Canal  (photo)... Aug.  1962  70 

Nordholm,  Alex  G.,  author  of  Agricultural  Industry—  Aug.  1962  66 

Dried  Fruit  Production. 

North  Platte,  Face  Lifting  on  the,  by  Charles  II.  Rader..  Aug.  1962  80 

Notes  From  Irrigation  Operators'  Workshop  Part— IV..  Nov.  1962  100 

o 

Old  Pioneer   Gets  New  Lease  on  Life,  by   Fred   A.  Nov.  1961  89 

Anderson. 

Operation  and  Maintenance  (Irrigators'  "how'd  You  May  1963  34 

Do  It?"  Shop). 

Operation  and  Maintenance  (Little  Creatures  Clog  Big  Nov.  1963  96 

Canals),  by  L.  J.  Hart. 

"Operation  Westwide"  (TAe  TFoter's  ii'iTie//.')  by  Har-  May  1961  33 

old  E.  Wersen. 

Oroville  Dam  (Golden  State's  Golden  Plan),  by  William  Nov.  1961  85 

E.  Warne. 

Oshorn,  Jones,  author  oi  Citrus  Success  Story May  1962  33 

P 

Pa fford,  Jr.,  Robert  J.,  Directs  Region  e. May  1963  53 

Paint  It,  If  It's  Outside May  1962  46 

Palmer,  Violet  (Editor  Palmer  Leaves  Post)... Nov.  1962  110 

Palo  Verde  Weir,  The Feb.   1961  9 

Pamphlets  (Bookshelf  for  Water  Users) May  1961  48 

Paonia  Dam  (photo) Nov.  1961  98 

Paonia  Project Nov.  1961  100 

Paper  Waste  Strengthens  Concrete Feb.  1962  8 

Parmakian,  John  (Bureau's  Top  Design  Trio)  Named  Feb.  1962  25 

Associate  Chief  Engineer .  May  1963  52 

Participating  Projects,  CRSP   (Around  the  Corner—  Nov.  1961  97 

More  Water  for  the  Intermountain  West,  by  Paul  T. 

Sant). 

People's  Choice,  The,  by  Mary  EUzabeth  Kisner May  1961  37 

Phantom  on  the  Fry-Ark,  hyR.  3.  Qteinhrnner Aug.  1961  61 

Phillips,  J.  Carl,  New  Division  Chief. Aug.  1962  83 

Phreatophytes  (Working  Against   Water   Takers),  by  May  1963  38 

John  T.  Kristl. 

Pierce,  George  N.  (isTey  Personnel  C/ianffed). Aug.  1963  83 

Plastic  Lining  (Installing  Plastic  Lining  in  McCaskey  Nov.  1962  95 

Lateral),  by  Charles  N.  Smith. 

Population  Explosion,  Agriculture  and  the,  by  Dr.  Dan-  Feb.  1962  3 

iel  G.  Aldrich. 

Port  of  Call  by  Harold  E.  Dean May  1961  39 

Posts,  Extending  the  Life  of  Wood Feb.  1961  24 

To-well,l,ake  (The  Lake  Powell  Survey  Story),  by  Clyde  Nov.  1962  89 

E.  Gessel. 

Power,  "Free  Loader"  Is  Invented,  A Nov.  1963  95 

Power  From  a  Spare  on  Wheels Feb.   1963  17 

Power  Policy  (Members  of  Interior's  New  Team) May  1961  32 

Price,  William  (A  Colorado  Farm  .  .  .  100  Years  of  Feb.  1963  14 

Cattle  Feeding). 

PTine\illeT>ani  (Uncurving  Crooked  River),  by  Martha  Aug.  1963  65 

Stranahan. 

Prokopovich,  Nikola  P.,  coauthor  of  Land  Subsidence  Nov.  1962  92 

in  the  Valley. 

Provo  River  Project  (Something  New  Has  Been  Added!),  Aug.  1961  79 

by  Vaughn  B.  Wormecott. 

Puis,  L.  G.  (Bureau's  Top  Design  TVio). Feb.  1962  25 

Pumped  Storage  (Heroes  of  Lift),by  Gordon  J.  Forsyth.  Nov.  1963  85 

Pumps,  pumping  units  (Heroes  of  Lift),  by  Gordon  J.  Nov.  1963  85 

Forsyth. 


November  1963 


Page 

Nov.  1961 

94 

Aug.  1961 

65 

Quackenbush,  Tyler  H.,  author  of  Water  Control  on  the 

Farm. 
Quartz  Mountain  State  Park,  Okla.   (Recreation  at 

Man-Made  Lakes— Part  II). 


Radar,  Charles  H.,  author  of  Face  Lifting  on  the  North    Aug.  lS62 

Platte. 
Raisin  processing  (Agricultural  Procemng— Dried  Fruit    Aug.  1962 

Production) . 

Rajasthan—It  Will  Bloom  Again,  by  John  K.  Black Nov.  1963 

Rationing  An  Idaho  Treasure,  by  Lynn  Crandall May  1963 

Reclamation  Milestones Feb.   1962 

Reclamation  Milestones— President  Kennedy's  Visits,  by    Nov.  1962 

Floyd  E.  Dominy. 
Reclamation  Technical  Leadership: 

1 

2 - - 


Reclamation's  Economic  Impact,  by  Robert  E.  Struthers 

Reclamation's  60th  Birthday 

Reclamation's  Story,    Then  and  Now   (photos,   Boise 

Project. 

Record  Millions  Seek  Recreation  at  Projects — 

Recreation  (Fees  for  Fun) 

Recreation  (Record  Millions  Seek  Recreation  at  Projects). 

'Recreation  (photos) - - 

^Recreation  at  Man-Made  Lakes: 

Parti 

Part  II.-. - — - 

Part  III - - 

Recreation:  Southwestern  Nebraska's  New  Industry,  by 

Ralph  F.  Bush  and  Dean  M.  Schpchterle,  coauthors. 
JRehabilitation  and  betterment  (Face  Lifting  on  the 
I    North  Platte),  by  Charles  H.  Rader. 

Regions  To  Celebrate  iOth  Anniversary  19^3-68 

Research  (A  Power  "Free  Loader"  Is  Invented) 

Research   (New  Research  in  Evaporation),  by  L.   O. 

j   Timblln. 

(Research  (Reclamation  Technical  Leadership — /  through 

4). 


Feb.  1963 
May  1963 
Aug.  1963 
Nov.  1963 
May  1961 
Aug.  1962 
Aug.  1962 

Aug.  1963 
Nov.  1963 
Aug.  1963 
May  1962 

May  1961 
Aug.  1961 
Nov.  1961 
Feb.    1962 

Aug.  1962 

Aug.  1963 
Nov.  1963 
Aug.  1961 

Feb.  1963 
May  1963 
Aug.  1963 
Nov.  1963 
Feb.  1962 
Feb.  1961 
May  1962 


Rice,  Oscar  L.  (Bureau  Top  Design  Trio) 

tiimrock  Lake,  Washington  State,  Name  is  Now  Official. 

pobertson,  J.  Lyle,  author  of  The  Appraiser's  Role  in 

I  Acquisition. 

Romig,  William  D.,  author  of  Need  Better  Works?    A      Feb.   1963 

Loan  Is  Available. 
Jusho,  W.  L.,  author  of  Balloons  in  Olen  Canyon Nov.  1963 


Safety  (The  Water's  Fine  IF!),  by  Harold  E.  Wersen.. 
safety  Records  (Bureau  and  Region  7  Top  All  Safety 
i  Records). 

Iallnity  problems   (Drainage  in  Irrigation) — AWorld 
Problem— Part  I  and  II,  hy  C.  R.  Maierhover. 
alt  Lake  Aqueduct  (photo)— 

Salt  Lake  Area  (Recreation  at  Man-Made  Lakes) 
alt  River  Project  (Seen  Any  White  Frogs  Lately?),  by 
j  H.  Shipley  and  Ruth  Faulkner,  coauthors. 
Salt  River  Project  (Teddy  Roosevelt's  Project  Goes 
'  Modern),  by  H.  Shipley  and  D.  L.  Weesner,  co- 
i  authors. 
Sura  Dimas,  Fiery  Ordeal  Of,  by  K.  Fritz  Schumacher.. 

^nford  Dam — — 

^nford,  G.  0.,  Celebrates  90th  Birthday 

ianford,  Hollis,  author  of  Irrigators'  "How'd  You  Do 
'  It?"  Shop. 

lant,  Paul  T.,  author  of  Around  the  Corner— More 
Water  for  the  Intermountain  West. 
chachterle,  Dean  M.,  coauthor  of  Recreation:  South- 
western Nebraska's  New  Industry. 


May  1961 
May  1963 

Aug.  1962 

Aug.  1961 
Aug.  1961 
Aug.  1963 

May  1963 


Feb.  1962 
Aug.  1962 
Nov.  1961 
May  1963 

Nov.  1961 

Feb.  1962 


80 


5 
32 
62 
103 
29 
57 
71 

80 
93 
80 
53 

41 

65 

101 

17 


79 
95 
69 

5 
32 
62 
103 
25 
23 
48 


73 


11 

82 

108 
34 


School  participation   (Flaming  Gorge  Serves  as  Class-  Aug.  1962 

room) . 

Schumacher,  K.  Fritz,  author  of  The  Fiery  Ordeal  of  Feb.  1962 

San  Dimas. 

Scott,  David  A.  (With  the  Water  Users) Aug.  1982 

Sedimentation  (Facing  Sediment  Problems) May  1963 

See  It  Yourself  at  Grand  Coulee  Dam,  by  Bob  Deur-  May  1963 

brouck. 

Seedskadee  Project Nov.  1963 

"Seen  Any  White  Frogs  Lately?"  by  H.  Shipley  and  Aug.  1963 

Ruth  Faulkner,  coauthors. 

Seepage,  Electricity  Detects  Canal,  hyDaxtWantland--  Aug.  1962 

Seepage  reduction    (Chemical    Canal    Sealants),    by  Feb.  1962 

L.M.  Ellsperman. 

Seery,  J.  D.,  author  of  iVat;ojo  Z)am Feb.  1961 

Seery,  James  D.  (New  Construction  Engineers) Feb.  1961 

Selander,  Carl  E.,  author  of  Epoxy  Resins— New  Aids  for  Nov.  1961 

Water  Users. 

Semiautomatic  Irrigation,  hy  Qerald  Costel Feb.  1962 

Settlement  (Modern  Yuma  Pioneers) Aug.   1961 

Shankland,  Harold,  coauthor  ol  Kansas  Turns  to  Second  Aug.  1961 

Century. 

Shasta  Lake Nov.  1961 

Shipley,  H.: 

Coauthor  of  "Seen  Any  White  Frogs  Lately?" Aug.  1963 

Coauthor  of  Teddy  Roosevelt's  Project  Goes  Modern.  May  1963 

Schumacher,  K.  Fritz,  author  of  The  Desert  Almost  Feb.  1963 

Drowned. 

Small  Project  Loans. Aug.   1961 

Small  Project  Loans  (Need  Better  Works?     A  Loan  is  Feb.   1963 

Available),  by  Wilham  D.  Romig. 

Small  Project  Loan  Program  of  1957  (iVeed  Better  Works?  Feb.   1963 

A  Loan  Is  Available),  by  William  D.  Romig. 

Smith,  Charles  N.,  author  of  Installing  Plastic  Lining  Nov.  1962 

In  McCaskey  Lateral. 

Smith  Fork  Project Nov.  1961 

Snackateria  at  Hoover  Dam. May  1962 

Snake  River  (Rationing  An  Idaho  Treasure) ,  by  Lynn  May  1963 

Crandall. 

Snow,  Survey  of  ( Water  Report) ,  by  Homer  J.  StockwelL  Nov.  1962 
Soil  Cement  (Reclamation  Technical  Leadership— 4) .. .  Nov.  1963 

Something  New  Has  Been  Added!  by  Vaughn  B .  Wonna-  Aug.  1961 

cott. 

Something  New  Under  the  Texas  Sun,  by  Harry  P.  Bur-  May  1962 

leigh. 

Southwest  Nebraska's  New  Winter  Sport,  by  Harvey  A.  Feb.  1963 

Brashears. 

Soviet  Dams  (A  Tour  of  Soviet  Dams),  by  Stewart  L.  Feb.  1963 

Udall. 

Spanish  Irrigation  (Stretching  the  Rain  in  Spain).. May  1962 

Statistics,  Reclamation  (Forty  More  Years  With  The  Aug.  1963 

Reclamation  Era). 

Steinbruner,  R.  J.,  author  of  Phantom  on  the  Fry-Ark..  Aug.  1961 

Stockwell,  Homer  J.,  author  of  Water  Report Nov.  1961 

May  1961 
May  1962 
Nov.  1962 
May  1963 
Nov.  1963 
Aug.  1963 
Nov.  1961 


Stranahan,  Martha,  author  of  Uncurving  Crooked  River. 
Straus,  Michael  W.,  author  of  Farewell  to  "Mr.  Recla- 
mation". 
Stretching  the  Rain  in  Spain 

Struthers,  Robert  E.,  anchor  of  Reclamation's  Economic 

Impact. 
Subsidence  (Land  Stibsidence  in  the  Valley),  by  Nikola 

P.  Prokopovich  and  Robert  J.  Farina,  coauthors. 
Subsoils  (Managing  Subsoils  Exposed  by  Land  Leveling), 

by  Carlson  and  Grunes. 
Suggs,  Delbert  D.  (Workshop  for  Irrigation  Operators).. 
Surplus  (Reclamation's  Economic  Impact),  by  Robert 

E.  Struthers. 
Symposium  on  Basic  Research  in  Civil  Engineering 

(Reclamation  Milestones). 


May  1962 
May  1961 

Nov.  1962 

Feb.   1961 

Nov.  1961 
May  1961 

Aug.  1961 


Page 
62 


63 
6 

13 
23 

91 

20 
71 
75 

109 


45 
10 

57 

7 

7 

95 

111 
37 
40 

108 
103 
79 

29 

20 


41 
74 

61 

105 
45 
51 

108 
54 

108 
65 

107 

41 
29 

92 

17 

93 
29 


November  1963 


T 

Taylor  Park  Reservoir,  Colorado  (photo) Aug.  1961 

Teddy  Roosevelt's  Project  Goes  Modern,  by  H.  Shipley  May  1963 

and  D.  L.  Weesner,  coauthors. 

Terra  Bella,  Milestone  For,  by  J.  M.  Ingles Feb.   1961 

Tests  of  Water  Evaporation  Control  Made  on  Arizona  Feb.   1961 

Project. 

Texas  Study  Commission  {Something  New  Under  The  May  1962 

Texas  Sun),  by  Harry  P.  Burleigh. 

Tleton  Reservoir  {Name  of  Rimrock  Lake,  Washington  Feb.   1961 

State  Is  Now  Official). 

Tlmblln,  L.  O.,  Jr.,  author  of  New  Research  In  Evapo-  Aug.  1961 

ration. 

Toevs,  John  L.,  author  of  Controlling  Wind  Erosion —  Feb.   1962 

Tomlinson,  Ida  Mae,  author  of  Cobb  Lake  Navy Feb.   1961 

To  Retard  Evaporation Nov.  1963 

Tours,  Self-Guided  (See  It  Yourself  at  Grand  Coulee  May  1963 

Bam),  by  Bob  Deurbrouck. 

Trinity  Dam  (photo) —  Feb.   1962 

Two  Die  in  Overseas  Accident  {Ferris  and  Fogarty) Aug.  1961 

Treatment  Plant,  Little  Cottonwood  {Something  New  Aug.  1961 

Has  Been  Added!). 

Tucumcari  Combination  Mower Feb.   1961 

u 

Udall,  Stewart  L.,  author  of  A  Tour  of  Soviet  Dams Feb.   1963 

Udall,  Stewart  L.— New  Secretary... Feb.   1961 

Uncurving  Crooked  River,  by  Martha  StTsmahaxi Aug.  1963 

Utah  Interagency  Task  Force  {Battling  the  Mosquitoes).  May  1962 

V 

Ven^wro  i?!'per  Pro/ed,  by  Leland  O.  Bennett Feb.   1961 

Vernal  Unit,  Central  Utah  Project Nov.  1961 

w 

Wagner,  Arthur  A Feb.   1962 

Wallace,  George  B Feb.  1962 

Wanshlp  Reservoir  (photo) Nov.  1963 


Page 
67 


3 

100 


Wantland,  Dart,  coauthor  of  Electricity  Detects  Canal    Aug.  1962 

Seepage. 
Warne,  William  E.,  author  of  Golden  State's  Golden    Nov.  1961 

Plan. 
Water  Control  on  the  Farm,  by  Tyler  H.  Quackenbush.    Nov.  1961 

Water  Report,  by  Homer  J.  Stockwell May  1961 

Nov.  1961 
May  1962 
Nov.  1962 
May  1963 
Nov.  1963 
Water   Safety   {The  Water's  Fine  If!),  by  Harold  E.    May  1961 

Wersen. 
Watershed  protection  {The  Fiery  Ordeal  of  San  Dimas),    Feb.   1962 

by  K.  Fritz  Schumacher. 

Water  Speaks  Many  Languages  by  Phil  Hardberger Nov.  1962 

Water's  Fine  If!  TAf,  by  Harold  E.  Werson May  1961 

WeberBasinProject(Porfo/QiH),  by  Harold  E.  Dean.    May  1961 

Weed  Control  Pays  Off Feb.   1961 

Weeds,  Aquatic,  Control  of  {Notes  From  Irrigation  Op-    Nov.  1962 

erators'  Workshop— Part  IV). 
Weesner,  D.  L.,  coauthor  of  Teddy  Roosevelt's  Project    May  1963 

Goes  Modern. 

Wersen,  Harold  E.,  author  of  The  Water's  Fine  IF! May  1961 

Windscheffel,  Arno May  1962 

With  the  Water  Users Aug.  1962 

May  1963 

Wood,  Ivan  D May  1962 

Working  Against  Water  Takers,  by  John  T.  Krlstl May  1963 

Workshop  for  Irrigation  Operators' Nov.  1961 

Y 

Yellowtail  Dam  groundbreaking  (photo) Feb.  1962 

Yuma  Mesa  Citrus  Farming  {Citrus  Success  Story),  by  May  1962 

Jones  Osborn. 

Yuma  Pioneers,  Modern Aug.  1961 

z 

Zoning,  Tuial  {Agriculture  and  the  Population  Explosion),    Feb.  1962 
Yuma  by  Dr.  Daniel  G.  Aldrich,  Jr. 


Page 

63 


94 

45 
106 

51 
108 

64 
108 

32' 


106 
33 
39 

7 
100 


November  1963 


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MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Specification 
No. 


Project 


Colorado  River  Stor- 
age, Colorado- 
Wyoming 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
South  Dakota-Neb- 
raska 

Colorado  River  Stor- 
age, Arizona 

Norman,  Okla 


Missouri  River  Basin, 
Nebraska 

Kendrick,  Wyo 


Parker-Davis,  Arizona 


Lower  Rio  Grande 
Rehabilitation,  Texas 

Central  Valley  and 
Colorado  River 
Storage,  California- 
Colorado. 

Colorado  River 
Storage,  Colorado. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
South  Dakota 

Central  Valley.  Calif- 


Weber  Basin,  Utah-.- 

Seedskadee,  Wyo 

Central  Valley,  Calif- 


Missouri  River  Basin, 
Nebraska 


Qila,  Ariz. 


Missouri  River  Basin, 

N.  Dak. 
Missouri  River  Basin, 

Mont. 


Vale,  Oreg 

Yakima,  Wash. 


Central  Valley,  Calif.. 


.do. 
.do. 


Delivery  of  Water  to 

Mexico,  Arizona. 
do 


.do. 


Missouri  River  Basin, 

S.  Dak. 
Delivery  of  water  to 

Mexico,  Ariz. 


Award 
date 

July 

2 

July 

2 

July 

10 

Aug. 

9 

July 

23 

July 

11 

July 

22 

July 

19 

Aug. 

1 

July 

23 

July 

18 

Aug. 

16 

Aug. 

20 

Sept. 

17 

Aug. 

30 

Sept. 

20 

Sept. 

10 

Sept. 

17 

Sept. 

20 

July 
Aug. 

23 
15 

July 

22 

Aug. 

15 

Sept. 

16 

July 

12 

July 

19 

Aug. 

16 

Aug. 

2 

Sept 

23 

Description  of  work  or  material 


Construction    of    the    157-mile    Hayden-Archer 
(Cheyenne)  230-kv  transmission  line. 

Construction  of  the  301-mile  Oahe-New  Under- 
wood-Stegall  230-kv  transmission  line. 

Construction  of  8.2  miles  of  experimental  section  of 

Glen  Canyon-Shiprock  230-kv  transmission  line. 
Construction  of  reservoir  and  relift  pumping  plants 

and  chlorination  station. 
Construction  of  17  miles  of  concrete-lined  Ains- 

worth  canal,  Sta.  1914-1-50  to  2832-1-77.79  sections 

4  and  5. 
Constructing  turbine  model,   conducting  tests, 

and  furnishing  new  turbine  parts  for  Seminoe 

powerplant.    (Negotiated  contract.) 
Area  load  and  frequency  control  equipment  for 

control  of  Parker-Davis  transmission  system 

from  Phoenix  dispatcher's  office. 
Clearing,  and  construction  of  earthwork,  5.7  miles 

concrete  lining,  and  structures  for  rehabilitation 

of  10.3  lateral  system. 
Ten  156-inch  butterfly  valves  for  San  Luis  dam 

outlet  works  and  Blue  Mesa  powerplant. 


Construction  of  an  administration  and  dispatching 

building  at  Montrose,  Colo. 
Construction  of  James  diversion  dam 


C  ons  truction  of  21 . 7  miles  of  concrete-lied  San  Luis 
canal,  Sta.  910-^10.09  AH  to  2053-|-15. 

Construction  of  1.9  miles  of  pipeline  for  Stone 
Creek  stream  inlet. 

Furnishing  and  installing  one  11,111-kva  generator 
for  Fontenelle  powerplant. 

Construction  of  Mile  18  pumping  plant  utiizing 
monolithic-concrete  pipe  for  the  discharge  lines. 
Schedules  1  and  2. 

Construction  of  26  miles  of  Farwell  South  and 
Farwell  Upper  South  canals;  and  62  miles  of 
Farwell  South  laterals  S-14.8  to  S-tfu.»  and 
Farwell  Upper  South  laterals  U.S.-0.9  to  U.S.- 
7.8,  and  sublaterals. 

Construction  of  4.2  miles  of  concrete-lined  South 
Gila  canal  and  10.7  miles  of  cast-in-place  concrete 
pipeline  laterals  for  South  Gila  Valley  Unit  dis- 
tribution system,  schedule  III,  Schedules  1  and 
2. 

Construction  of  stage  07  additions  to  Fargo  sub- 
station. 

Construction  of  roadway  and  structures  and  lay- 
ing track  for  relocation  of  6.2  miles  of  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Qunicy  RR.  for  Yellowtail  dam. 

Construction  of  lateral  197-13,  Sta.  70-1-00  to  end 

Construction  of  precast-concrete  siphons  for  siphon 
and  flume  replacements  for  Main  canal.  Sunny- 
side  Irrigation  District. 

Construction  of  a  survey  and  inspection  building, 
geology  building,  field  office  and  field  laboratory 
buildings,  and  an  automotive  maintenance  shop 
for  San  Luis  dam. 

Removal  of  debris  from  Spring  Creek  powerplant 
tailrace  channel. 

Constructing  Trinity  powerplant  access  road  and 
paving  area  at  Lewiston  powerplant;  bituminous 
surfacing  and  seal  coating  for  Trinity  River  flsh 
hatchery  area,  Whiskeytown  dam  access  road, 
and  Whiskeytown  dam  and  Brandy  Creek 
roads. 

Drilling  25  drainage  wells  for  Wellton-Mohawk 
area.    (Negotiated  contract.) 

Construction  of  20  miles  of  precast-concrete  pipe- 
lines for  drainage  well  collection  system  for 
Wellton-Mohawk  area,  Schedule  2. 

Constructing  wasteway  structures  with  overflow 
spillways  and  modifying  existing  siphons  for 
Wellton-Mohawk  area. 

Construction  of  Faith  substation 


Contractor's  name  and  address 


Furnishing  and  installing  121  miles  of  drain  tile 
for  farm  drain  tile  and  collection  system,  Well- 
ton-Mohawk area.  Blocks  1  through  12.  (Nego- 
tiated Contract.) 


Paul  Hardeman,  Inc.,  Stanton,  Calif.. 


Donovan  Construction  Co.,  St.  Paul, 
Minn. 

Construction  Helicopters,  Inc.,  Grand 
Junction,  Colo. 

Lee-Emmert,  a  corporation,  Richard- 
son, Tex. 

Bushman  Construction  Co.,  St. 
Joseph,  Mo. 

Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton  Corp.,  In- 
dustrial Equipment  Division,  Phil- 
adelphia, Pa. 

Leeds  &  Northrup  Co.,  Philadelphia, 
Pa. 

E.  and  M.  Bohuskey  Construction 
Co.,  Harlingen,  Tex. 

Mitsubishi  International  Corp.,  New 
York,  N.Y. 


H.    W.   Houston   Construction   Co., 

Pueblo,  Colo. 
Somson  Construction  Co.,  Fargo,  N. 

Dak. 
Morrison-Knudsen    Co.,    Inc.,    and 

Utah  Construction  &  Mining  Co., 

South  Gate,  Calif. 
R.  W.  Coleman  Co.,  Brigham  City, 

Utah. 
Mitsui  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  San  Francisco, 

Calif. 
Stolte,  Inc.,  M.  M.  Sundt  Construc- 
tion Co.,  and  Santa  Fe  Engineers, 

Inc.,  Oakland,  Calif. 
Bushman     Construction     Co.,     St. 

Joseph,  Mo. 


M.  R.  Latimer  Denver,  Colo. 


Power  Engineering  Co.,  Inc.,  Sioux 

City,  Iowa. 
Brasel  &  Sims  Construction  Co.,  Lan 

der,  Wyo. 


John  M.  Keltch,  Pasco,  Wash 

Lewis  Hopkins  Co.,  Pasco,  Wash.. 


C.  W.  lessen  Construction  Co.,  Fresro, 
Calif. 


J.  F.  Shea  Co.,  Inc.,  Redding,  Calif. 
J.  P.  Breen,  Sr.,  Sacramento,  Calif_ 


John  C.  Maxwell,  dba  Wisconsin 
Pump  Service,  Stevens  Point,  Wis. 

American  Concrete  Pipe  Co.,  Phoenix, 
Ariz. 

Karl  A.  Dennis,  dba  Dermis  Con- 
struction Co.,  Yuma,  Ariz. 

Lindstrom  Construction  Co.,  Grand 

Forks,  N.  Dak. 
KImbo  Co.,  Box  186,  Coachella,  Calif. 


November  1963 


U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE ;  1 963     O — 705-91 0 


I 


Major    Construction    and    Materials    for   Which    Bids  Will   Be 
Requested  through  November  1963* 


Project 


Danadla  River,  Tex- 


Dentral  Valley,  Calif-.. 


I 

Do. 


Do. 


Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee  Sys- 
tem, California. 


sP.  Colorado- 


Do. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  4  indoor-type  pumping  plants  each 
having  a  43-ft-wide  by  151-ft-long  reinforced- 
concrete  substructure,  with  5  motor-driven 
pumping  units  having  a  total  capacity  of  683.4 
cfs.  The  plants  will  have  structural-steel  super- 
structures suppc-ting  either  5-  or  7-5-ton  cranes 
and  will  be  enclosed  with  insulated  metal  siding. 
Main  Aqueduct,  between  Sanford  and  Amarillo, 
Tex. 

Constructing  the  Los  Bancs  Creek  Detention  Dam, 
a  2,100,000-cu-yd  earthflll  structure  about  154  ft 
high  and  1,370  ft  long,  with  a  chute-type  spillway 
in  the  left  abutment  and  an  outlet  works  consist- 
ing of  an  intake  structure,  a  concrete-lined  tunnel, 
control  structure,  and  stilling  basin.  Work  will 
also  Include  earthwork  and  surfacing  for  about  2 
miles  of  access  road  and  constructing  a  service 
road  to  the  control  structure.  On  Los  Bancs 
Creek,  7  miles  southwest  of  Los  Banos. 

Constructing  the  6-unit  Forebay  Pumping-Oen- 
erating  Plant  194  by  70  by  108  ft  high;  installing 
Qovemment-fumished  pump  turbines;  and  fur- 
nishing and  installing  electrical  equipment. 
Work  will  also  consist  of  closing  an  earth  dam 
which  is  being  constructed  under  another  con- 
tract and  constructing  spillway  and  discharge 
structures.     About  12  miles  west  of  Los  Banos. 

Furnishing  and  installing  and  testing  8  vertical- 
shaft,  multiple-rated,  2-speed,  13,800-volt  motor 
generators  rated  50,000  kva  at  150  rpm,  37,500 
kva  at  120  rpm,  57,500  hp  at  150  rpm,  and  30,000 
hp  at  120  rpm.  San  Luis  Pumping-Qenerating 
Plant. 

Constructing  Senator  Wash  Dam  and  dikes  with  a 
total  volume  of  about  1,700,000  cu  yd.  The  dam 
will  be  about  85  ft  high  and  2,180  ft  long,  and  the 
largest  of  3  dikes  wUl  be  about  77  ft  high  and  3,810 
ft  long,  the  spillway  will  be  a  chute-type  struc- 
ture, and  the  outlet  works  a  conduit  with  gate 
chamber  and  access  shaft.  Work  will  also  in- 
clude constructing  a  pumping-generating  plant, 
52  ft  6  in.  wide  and  143  ft  long,  to  house  6  vertical- 
shaft  pump-turbines  directly  connected  to  motor 
generators.  22  miles  northeast  of  Yuma,  Ariz., 
and  about  2  miles  upstream  from  Imperial  Dam. 

Constructing  about  84  miles  of  the  Curecanti- 
Poncha  230-kv,  single-circuit  transmission  line 
will  consist  of  clearing  right-of-way;  constructing 
concrete  footings;  furnishing  and  erecting  steel 
towers;  furnishing  and  stringing  three  1,272 
MCM,  ACSR  conductors  and  two  H-in.,  steel 
stiand,  overhead  ground  wires;  and  furnishing 
and  installing  fence  gates.  Along  alinement 
extending  from  near  Montrose,  to  near  Poncha 
Springs,  Colo. 

2  vertical-shaft,  Francis-type,  hydraulic  turbines 
rated  83,000  hp  at  344  ft  net  head  for  the  Morrow 
Point  Powerplant. 


Project 


CRSP.Wyo.  (Region  7). 


Emery  County,  Utah... 


Gila,  Ariz. 


MRBP,  Iowa  and  Mis- 
souri. 


MRBP,   S.    Dak.   and 
Iowa. 


MRBP,  Montana 

MRBP,  South  Dakota. 


MRBP,  Wyoming. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  the  Archer  Substation  will  consist  of 
constructing  a  concrete  masonry  service  building; 
constructing  concrete  foundations;  furnishing 
and  erecting  steel  structures;  furnishing  and  in- 
stalling 3  single-phase,  100-mva,  230/115-kv  trans- 
formers, two  230-kv,  five  115-kv,  and  two  14.4-kv 
circuit  breakers,  6  single-phase,  5-mva  shunt 
reactors,  and  associated  electrical  equipment: 
and  grading  and  fencing  the  area. 

Constructing  about  11  miles  of  Cottonwood  Creek- 
Huntington  Canal  with  bottom  width  varying 
from  12  to  8  ft,  about  4  miles  of  which  is  to  be  lined 
with  buried  asphalt  membrane  lining.  Near 
Castle  Dale. 

Constructing  about  2  miles  of  24-in.-diameter  pre- 
cast-concrete pressure  pipelines;  about  1  mile  of 
24-  to  30-in.  precast-concrete  pipelines  of  either 
reinforced  pressure  pipe,  unrelnforced  pressure 
pipe  or  reinforced  culvert  pipe;  about  5  miles  of 
30-  to  54-in. -diameter  pipelines  of  either  cast-in- 
place,  reinforced  pressure  pipe  or  reinforced  cul- 
vert pipe;  and  five  12-cfs  pumping  plants.  Near 
Yuma.  ■" 

Furnishing  and  constructing  about  59  miles  of 
Creston-Maryville  161-kv,  wood-pole  transmis- 
sion line;  and  furnishing  and  stringing  three  556.5 
MCM,  24/7,  ACSR  conductors  and  two  %-m., 
high-strength,  steel  strand,  overhead  ground 
wires.  Along  alinement  extending  from  near 
Creston,  Iowa,  to  near  Maryville,  Mo. 

Constructing  about  75  miles  of  230-kv,  single-circuit 
transmission  line  (Sioux  Falls-Sioux  City),  will 
consist  of  clearing  right-of-way;  constructing  con- 
crete footings;  furnishing  and  erecting  steel 
towers;  furnishing  and  stringing  three  795  MCM, 
ACSR  conductors  and  two  J^-in.,  steel  strand, 
overhead  ground  wires;  and  furnishing  and  in- 
stalling fence  gates. 

Furnishing,  installing,  and  testing  four  65,789-kva, 
0.95-pf,  13,800-volt,  225-rpm,  60-cycle,  vertical- 
shaft,  hydraulic-turbine-driven,  alternating-cur- 
rent generators  for  Yellowtail  Powerplant. 

Furnishing  and  stringing  six  1,272  MCM,  45/7, 
ACSR  conductors,  and  two  J^-ln.,  high-strength, 
steel  strand,  overhead  ground  wires  for  146  niiles 
of  Fort  Thompson-Sioux  Falls  230-kv,  double- 
circuit,  steel  tower  transmission  line. 

Furnishing  and  constructing  about  33  miles  of  the 
Glendo-Lusk  Section  of  the  Qlendo-Lusk-Osage 
115-kv,  wood-pole  transmission  line;  and  fur- 
nishing and  stringing  three  477  MCM,  ACSR 
conductors  and  two  J^-in.,  steel  strand,  overhead 
ground  wires. 


•Subject  to  change 


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In  Us  assigned  function  as  the  Nation's  principal  natural  re- 
source agency,  the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special 
obligation  to  assure  that  our  expendable  resources  are  con- 
served, that  renewable  resources  are  managed  to  prpduce  opti- 
mum yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  full  measure 
to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  America,  now  and  in 
the  future. 

U.S.   Department  of  the  Interior 
Bureau  of  Reclamation 


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l/.S.  Reclamation  Commissioner 

OhRorvpR    Trri/rritinn,   in.    TJ.Ss.S.R. 


Reclamation 

ERA 


FEBRUARY   1964 
Volume  50,  No.   1 


OTTIS   PETERSON,   Assistant  to   the  Com- 
missioner— Information 

GORDON  J.  FORSYTH,  Editor 


1.    THE  WATER  RUSH  IN  RUSSIA 

hy    Reclamation    Commissioner    Floyd    E. 
Dominy 

5.     FROM  OUT  OF  THE  WEST 

J)y  Lor  en  G.  Holt 

10.    WHETHER  IT  RAINS  OR  NOT 
A  GBP  Birthday  .  .  . 

14.    HOW  TO  FRUSTRATE  WEEDS 
A  CBP  Birthday  .  .  . 

16.  CONSERVATION    AWARD    PRESEN- 

TED   FOR    LIFE    OF    SERVICE 

17.  GOOD  HUNTING  IS  INCREASING 

A  CBP  Birthday  .  .  . 

19.    CORN     SUCCEEDS     IN     IRRIGATED 
FORAGE    MIXTURES 

hy  Lionel  Harris 

22.    A  NEW  CROP  GROWS  .  .  . 


COVER    PHOTO— Snow   scene   in   the 
Wasatch  Mountains  near  Alta,  Utah 


United  States  Department  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.  Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Floyd  E.  Dominy,  Commissioner 

Washington  OflSce  :  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Bureau  of  Keclamation,  Washington  25,  D.C. 
Commissioner's  StafF 

Assistant  Commissioner N.  B.  Bennett 

Assistant  Commissioner W.  P.  Kane 

Assistant  Commissioner : , W.    I.    Palmer 

Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado B.  P.  Bellport 

REGIONAL  OFFICES 

REGION  1 :  Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  937,  Reclamation  Building,  Fairgrounds,  Boise,  Idaho. 

REGION  2  :  Robert  J.  Pafiford,  Jr.,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacramento  11,  Calif. 

REGION  3  :  A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  City,  Nev. 

REGION  4  :  Frank  M.  Clinton,  Regional  Director,  32  Exchange  Place,  P.O.  Box  360,  Salt  Lake  City  10,  Utah. 

REGION  5  :  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Office  Building,  7th  and  Taylor,  Amarillo,  Tex. 

REGION  6  :  Bruce  Johnson,  Regional  Director,  7th  and  Central,  P.O.  Box  2553,  Billings,  Mont. 

REGION  7  :  Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo. 

Issued  quarterly  by   the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,   United   States   Department   of  the  Interior,   Washington,   D.C.     Use  of  funds 
for  printing  this  publication  has  been  approved  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31,  1961. 

For  sale  by   the   Superintendent  of  Documents,   U.S.  Government   Printing   Office,    Washington,    D.C,    20402.     Price   15   cents 
(single  copy).     Subscription  price:   Bight  issues    (2  years)    for  $1.00    ($1.50  for  foreign  mailing). 


I 


Moscow  ® 


THE  WATER  RUSH 

IN  RUSSIA 


by  Reclamation  Commissioner  FLOYD  E.  DOMINY 


SOVIET  leaders  make  no  secret  of  their  plans  to 
overtake  the  United  States,  indeed  as  Khru- 
shchev has  said  "to  bury  you,'"  in  the  utilization  of 
their  natural  resources  as  in  all  other  production. 

In  support  of  their  ambitions,  U.S.S.R.  irriga- 
tion officials  aim  to  develop  2.5  million  acres  of 
new  irrigation  lands  each  year  for  the  next  20 
years.  This  goal  seemed  incredible  to  us  as  spe- 
cialists of  reclamation  in  the  United  States,  until 
Ave  had  the  opportunity  to  asses  the  actual  de- 
velopment and  potential  of  Russia's  land  and 
water  resources. 

On  the  3-week  cultural  exchange  tour  made  last 
September,  I  headed  a  group  of  top  U.S. 
irrigation  engineers  and  leaders  who  inspected 
existing  and  potential  irrigation  developments  in 
the  U.S.S.R.  Members  of  the  U.S.  delegation 
from  the  Department  of  the  Interior  were 
Deputy  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Interior  Robert 
^y.  Nelson  and  Bureau  of  Reclamation  members, 
Gilbert  G.  Stam,  Chief  of  the  Division  of  Irriga- 
tion and  Land  Use,  Washington,  D.C. ;  Hollis  San- 
ford,  Chief  of  the  Division  of  Irrigation  Opera- 


tions ;  and  Frank  E.  Rippon,  Chief  of  the  Canals 
Branch,  both  of  the  Office  of  Chief  Engineer, 
Denver,  Colo. 

Other  U.S.  delegates  were  Ned  Greenwood  of 
the  Soil  Conservation  Service;  M.  C.  Bryant, 
rancher  and  businessman  from  San  Angelo,  Tex. ; 
Floyd  E.  Bonge,  vice  president  of  the  Eastern 
Municipal  District,  Hemet,  Calif.;  Dr.  J.  B. 
Fuller,  member  of  the  Federal  Farm  Credit  Board 
and  longtime  chairman  of  the  board  of  commis- 
sioners of  the  Goshen  Irrigation  District,  North 
Platte  project,  Nebr. ;  and  LaSelle  E.  Coles,  past 
president  of  the  National  Reclamation  Associa- 
tion, Prineville,  Oreg. 

Local  Soviet  officials  repeatedly  made  reference 
to  the  importance  of  irrigation  in  meeting  the  food 
and  fiber  needs  not  only  of  the  U.S.S.R.  but  also 
of  the  underdeveloped  nations  of  the  world.  It 
is  plain  that  these  leaders  are  looking  to  the  de- 
pendability of  irrigation  in  their  homeland  to 
strengthen  their  bid  for  world  supremacy.  Con- 
sequently, Soviet  officials  are  moving  rapidly, 
though  somewhat  awkwardly,  to  develop  their 


U.S.  irrigation  specialists  queried  Soviet  officials  about  their  wide 
use  of  concrete  flumes  as  shown  here  rather  than  going  to  buried 
concrete  pipe. 

country's  vast  potential  in  water  and  land 
resources. 

Visited  Two  Important  Areas 

Escorting  the  American  delegation  wherever 
we  requested,  cordial  Soviet  hosts  arranged  for 
the  Americanskys,  as  we  are  called  in  that  country, 
to  become  acquainted  with  two  important  irriga- 
tion areas,  Central  Asia  and  Transcaucasia. 

In  Centural  Asia,  the  Republic  of  Uzbek,  which 
has  a  most  picturesque  land  and  culture,  is  one  of 
the  greatest  producers  and  is  a  major  contributor 
to  the  Soviet  Union's  Central  Asian  bread  basket. 
A  primitive  Uzbek  people  was  captured  by  the 
Russian  czars  in  1859.  Even  with  modern  tech- 
nology utilizing  their  rich  native  soil,  these  pri- 
marily Asiatic  people  called  Uzbekians  still  live 
a  relatively  primitive  and  genuinely  friendly  ex- 
istence. The  adjacent  Republics  of  Tadzhik  and 
Kirgiz  are  similarly  impressive. 

People  in  the  Republics  of  Azerbaidzhan, 
Georgia,  and  Armenia  in  the  Transcaucasian  area 
live  in  a  more  advanced  technology  and  European 
influence  in  contrast  to  those  of  the  Central  Asian 
Republics. 

Located  along  the  40th  parallel,  which  in  the 
U"nited  States  is  the  border  dividing  Nebraska 
and  Kansas  and  cuts  through  the  northern  parts 
of  Colorado,  Utah,  Nevada,  and  California,  these 
high  water-yielding  areas  include  millions  of  acres 
of  fertile  land  suitable  for  irrigation. 

Many  thousands  of  acres  of  the  primary  crop  of 
cotton  can  be  seen  from  roadsides.  A  few  single- 
row  cottonpicking  machines  were  observed  in 
equipment  yards,  but  nearly  all  of  the  irrigated 
cottonfields  are  harvested  by  the  armies  of  hand- 
pickers.  In  contrast,  nearly  all  of  the  irrigated 
cotton  in  the  United  States  is  picked  mechanically. 


Alfalfa  and  com  production  is  spotty,  but 
are  used  to  some  extent  in  rotation  with  cotton. 
Grapes  are  grown  in  great  variety  and  quantity. 
Other  important  specialty  crops  include  melons, 
figs,  peaches,  pears,  apples,  and  nuts.  Production 
of  silk  is  important  in  some  parts. 

Sheep  Grazing  Heavy 

Central  Asia  grazes  millions  of  sheep,  primarily 
the  fat-tailed  variety,  and  comparatively  few  cat- 
tle. In  Transcaucasia,  the  relative  importance 
of  cattle  was  greater.  Most  cattle  are  the  dairy 
or  dual  purpose  type,  with  quality  only  fair. 
Development  plans  call  for  irrigation  of  several 
hundred  thousand  acres  of  mountain  valley  graz- 
ing land  in  Transcaucasia,  which  will  improve 
the  distribution  of  stockwater  and  increase  pro- 
duction of  milk,  meat,  and  wool. 

An  infestation  of  noxious  weeds  including  Ca- 
nada thistle  prevails  in  overabundance  and 
remedial  action  is  not  evident. 

Each  Republic  has  its  own  well-financed  design 
institute  and  hydraulics  laboratory  to  exer- 
cise major  influence  over  the  formulation  of  new 
project  plans  and  construction.  Operations  at  the 
institutes  include  work  in  irrigation,  drainage, 
hydraulics,  soils,  economics,  soil  and  water  rela- 
tionships, hydraulic  structures,  soil  mechanics, 
sprinkler  irrigation,  and  machine  testing.  The 
Georgian  S.S.R.  hydraulics  laboratory  alone  has 
an  annual  budget  of  $750,000. 

Seepage  from  canals  is  a  severe  problem  in  some 
areas  and  local  officials  have  not  yet  determined 
upon  the  best  method  of  treatment.  In  one  case 
the  loss  was  estimated  to  be  17  percent  in  a  36- 
mile  reach,  a  loss  similar  to  that  of  many  unlined 
canals  in  western  United  States. 

Many  miles  of  precast  concrete  flumes  are  being 
installed  to  distribute  irrigation  water  to  irrigable 
lands. 

Because  of  expansion  and  contraction,  the  joints 
in  concrete  flumes  open  up  and  leak  to  some  extent. 
This  results  in  settlement  of  the  flume  supports, 
misalinement,  and  other  maintenance  problems. 

This  small  canal  brings  water  to  the  vertical  intake  to  a  siphon  in 
the  right  foreground. 


.1^'*i>^titiT^L.^m 


A  diversion  dam  and  sediment 
basins  in  Georgia  SSR. 


A  new  type  of  mastic  for  sealing  the  flume  joints 
is  being  developed  and  used  in  some  lines.  The 
new  mastic  is  presumably  an  adhesive  type  of 
])lastic  material  with  considerable  elasticity. 

Some  good-quality  asbestos  cement  pipe  is  man- 
ufactured in  the  Soviet  Union  and  is  being  used 
to  a  limited  extent  in  the  irrigation  systems. 
However,  virtually  no  concrete  pipe  is  manufac- 
tured or  used  for  this  purpose. 

In  the  Hungry  Steppe  generally  the  lands  are 
afflicted  by  severe  salt  problems.  The  reclamation 
process    includes    construction    of   main    drains, 


Leaders  of  the  exchange  teams.     E.  I.  Ozerskiy,  left,  led  the  Russian 
delegation,    and   Commissioner   Dominy,    the    U.S.A.    group. 


lateral  drains,  and  numerous  temporary  open 
drains  to  permit  rapid  leaching  of  the  soils. 
Land  containing  8  percent  salt  must  be  reduced  to 
2  percent  before  crops  are  planted.  Some  of  these 
lands  are  planted  to  rice  for  3  to  4  years.  After 
the  salt  problem  is  sufficiently  corrected,  cotton  is 
planted. 

After  initial  reclamation,  the  temporary  drains 
are  eliminated  and  many  of  the  permanent  drain- 
age laterals  are  lined  in  tile.  A  machine  de- 
veloped in  the  U.S.S.R.  is  reported  capable  of 
laying  drainage  tile  up  to  lOi^-f  oot  depths. 

A  large  plant  operation  serving  the  Hungary 
Steppe  development  makes  precast  reinforced- 
concrete  flume  sections  in  four  sizes  with  depths 
of  16, 24,  32,  and  40  inches. 

In  Azerbaidzhan,  which  currently  irrigates  3 
million  acres  of  land,  the  60-foot-high  Pirsagat 
Dam  is  being  constructed  of  an  expansive  clay  to 
provide  supplemental  irrigation  water  to  an  area 
principally  devoted  to  feed  crops  and  livestock. 
Their  method  of  dam  construction  is  not  being 
used  in  the  United  States.  When  taken  from  the 
pits,  the  clay  is  16-18  percent  moisture  by  weight. 
After  the  clay  is  placed  on  the  dam  by  truck  and 
spread  by  tractor- dozer,  water  is  added  to  raise 
the  moisture  content  to  27  percent.  No  mechani- 
cal compaction  is  used  except  that  which  is  in- 
cidental to  movement  of  trucks  and  tractors  over 
the  surface  as  the  layers  are  applied. 

A  large  amount  of  irrigable  land  is  irrigated  by 
sprinkler  systems.  The  sprinkler  heads  are  of 
different  design,  but  similar  in  principle  to  those 
in  the  United  States. 


A  Grand  Fergana  canal  high  velocity  check  and  drop  structure  in 
operation. 

The  Republic  of  Armenia  has  some  irrigation 
works  in  and  near  its  capital  city  of  Yerevan 
which  are  reported  to  be  2,000  years  old.  Extend- 
ing from  Lake  Sevan  to  Yerevan  is  the  costly 
Sevan-Razdan  Power  and  Irrigation  System  now 
irrigating  32,000  acres  of  land.  When  completed 
it  will  irrigate  74,000  acres.  The  system  includes 
178  flumes  (78  are  finished  and  in  operation),  70 
steel  siphons,  and  13  bridges.  The  route  of  the 
canal  contains  eight  power  sites,  six  of  which  have 
been  developed.  All  are  operated  from  a  central 
control  panel  in  Yerevan  and  are  interconnected 
with  the  Transcaucasian  Power  System.  Two  of 
these  plants  are  constructed  underground. 

A  portion  of  the  shoreline  of  Lake  Sevan  is 
equipped  experimentally  with  automatic  devices 
for  applying  fatty  alcohols  (principally  hexadec- 
anol)  to  the  lake  surface  to  reduce  surface 
evaporation. 


Some  Comparisons 

Similar  research  is  being  conducted  in  the 
United  States  by  or  in  cooperation  with  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation,  the  chief  difference  being 
that  we  have  concentrated  on  the  use  of  a  pow- 
dered form  of  compound,  while  the  U.S.S.R.  is 
using  a  liquid.  Laboratory  officials  supplied 
the  tour  group  with  a  sample  of  the  Soviet's  liquid 
compound.  They  reported  experiments  to  date 
reveal  that  evaporation  from  Lake  Sevan  can  be 
reduced  20  to  25  percent. 

To  reclamationists  from  the  United  States  who 
inspected  the  water  resource  f  axiilities  and  develop- 
ments in  the  Soviet  Union,  it  is  evident  that  the 
differences  in  the  programs  of  the  two  countries 
are  like  the  differences  in  the  philosophies  of  the 
two.  America's  development  is  dependent  pri- 
marily upon  individual  initiative  and  free  enter- 
prise, and  the  Soviet's  upon  decisions  and  orders 
from  the  Committee  and  the  followers  of  Lenin. 

In  spite  of  gigantic  efforts  to  increase  produc- 
tion, improve  housing,  and  generally  raise  stand- 
ards of  living,  years  will  be  required  for  Russia  to 
develop,  manufacture,  and  build  the  plants,  prod- 
ucts, and  structures  necessary  to  equal  the  present- 
day  accomplishments  of  the  United  States. 

Although  it  is  not  known  what  proportion  of 
the  national  budget  is  used  for  development  of 
her  rich  natural  resources  compared  to  the  share 
devoted  to  the  buildup  of  military  might  and  ex- 
ploration of  space,  it  is  evident  that  the  Soviets 
neither  waste  time  nor  withhold  rubles  from  their 
reclamation  effort. 

Whatever  the  outcome  of  the  Soviet  move,  it 
will  behoove  us  to  spare  no  effort,  under  our  own 
system  of  private  enterprise  and  cooperation,  to 
maintain  and  foster  a  positive  resource  develop- 
ment program.  It  is  a  keystone  in  our  national 
economy.  #  #  # 


Drinking  water  for  stock  is  raised 
from  1 50-foot  depth  by  means  of 
a  long  4-inch-wide  belt  weighted 
at  the  bottom  end  and  pulled  by 
the  3V2  horsepower  motor  shown 
here. 


A  Potential  Food  Deficit  Area*  .  .  . 

FROM  OUT  OF  THE 
WEST 

by  Loren   C.  Holt, 
Economist,   Region   2 


HORACE  GREELEY'S  admonition  of  the 
1860's  to  "Go  West,  young  man,"  even  now 
carries  its  popular  appeal.  The  West  of  today  is 
the  fastest  growing  region  in  the  United  States. 
To  be  sure,  westward  expansion  was  slow  ini- 
tially, requiring  almost  half  of  the  350-year  period 
lapsed  since  settlement  of  the  east  coast  to  cross 
the  Appalachian  Mountains.  However,  from  the 
time  the  mountains  were  conquered,  the  westward 
movement  has  gained  ever- increasing  momentum. 

In  the  past  100  years,  the  West  has  passed  from 
a  sparsely  settled  frontier  to  a  well-developed  area 
containing,  according  to  the  1960  census,  the  Na- 
tion's second  most  populous  State,  California,  and 
largest  urbanized  area,  the  Los  Angeles  metropoli- 
tan complex.  The  population  center  has  moved 
steadily  westward  from  Chesapeake  Bay  near 
Baltimore  in  1790,  to  southern  Illinois,  some  60 
miles  east  of  St.  Louis  by  1960. 

In  50  years,  the  population  of  the  Western 
States  has  quadrupled  and  is  expected  to  more 
than  triple  the  1960  population  of  27  million  in 
the  next  50  years. 

Cropland  in  the  West 

Western  expansion  was  well  suited  to  farming 
for  the  first  half  of  the  distance  from  the  Atlantic 


to  the  Pacific  coast.  But  expansion  from  about  the 
100th  meridian  westward  was  over  semiarid  and 
desert  lands  interspersed  with  mountains.  Figure 
2  (on  the  following  page)  shows  the  scarcity  of 
cropland  west  of  a  line  roughly  parallel  to  the 
eastern  boundary  of  Colorado.  This  is  in  sharp 
contrast  to  the  abundance  of  cropland  east  of  this 
line.  Though  much  of  the  cropland  in  the  West- 
ern States  is  inherently  fertile,  most  of  it  must  be 
irrigated  in  order  to  secure  profitable  production. 
Irrigation  has,  of  necessity,  gone  hand  in  hand 
with  settlement  and  development  of  these  States. 
As  irrigation  increased,  it  provided  the  base  which 
supported  the  economy. 

Irrigated  land  has  also  been  important  in  the 
development  of  the  tier  of  six  semiarid  Plains 
States  lying  east  of  Colorado.  The  relatively 
abundant  croplands  of  these  States  are  only 
modest  producers  without  water  to  supplement  the 
often  inadequate  rainfall.  Irrigation  serves  to  in- 
crease the  productivity  of  these  croplands,  and 
provides  the  needed  flexibility  which  enables  shifts 
from  the  growing  of  wheat  to  the  production  of 
other  crops  which  are  in  greater  demand.  The 
shift  from  dry-farming  to  irrigated  farming  in 
this  area,  a  part  of  which  was  the  Dust  Bowl  of  the 
1930's,  is  expected  also  to  lessen  the  probability 


Photo  above—Four-year-old  Dennis  Nelson  of  Pleasant  Grove,  Utah,  is  proud  of  his  selection  of  a  huge  pumpkin. 


Milli( 

Tons 


FOOD  REQUIREMENTS  &  PRODUQION 

Expected  from  Presently  Developed  Lands  .With  Existins  Facilities 
^  (Mountain  and  Pacific  Regions) 


70 
60 

/ 

/ 

40 
30 

.,'-'' 

,• 

■OOD  Pf 

ODUCTK 

)Ns^ 

y 

y' 



" 

^ 

)OD  REC 

UlREMEh 

TS 

0 

1920  1930  1940  1950  1960  1970  1980  1990  2000       2010 

Figure  1 

of  a  recurrence  of  the  "black  blizzards."  How- 
ever, the  situation  in  the  Plains  States  is  somewhat 
different  from  that  in  the  States  farther  west 
where  irrigation  is  not  merely  helpful,  but  is  in 
most  cases  an  absolute  must. 


The  Expanding  Population 

Although  the  population  of  the  Nation  as  a 
whole  has  increased  rather  rapidly  in  recent  years, 
18.5  percent  from  1950  to  1960,  the  increase  in  the 
Western  States  has  been  even  faster.  During  the 
decade,  the  rate  of  growth  in  most  of  the  Moun- 
tain and  Pacific  States  has  exceeded  the  national 
average,  as  is  strikingly  portrayed  by  figures  3 
and  4  on  the  following  page.  Six  of  these  States 
were  among  the  10  fastest  growing  States  in  the 
Nation. 

Population  of  the  West  tripled  in  the  past  40 
years,  while  the  population  of  the  remainder  of 
the  United  States  increased  by  57  percent  and  the 
United  States  total,  including  the  Western  States, 
increased  69  percent.  Present  indications  point 
toward  a  continuation  of  this  pattern  of  growth. 
Figure  3  shows  population  projections  for  the 
United  States  as  a  whole  and  for  the  11  Western 
States. 

Figure  5,  by  the  use  of  index  numbers,  places 
the  U.S.  totals  and  the  Western  States  on  a  com- 
parable basis  (1920  equals  100  in  each  case)  so  that 
rates  of  growth  may  be  compared. 


PRINCIPAL  CROPLAND  AREAS 


^^1  More  Ihan  60  percent  croplana 

^^3  30  10  60  percent  cropland 

[gijig::)  Less  than  30  percent  cropland 

I        I  Land  areas  without  cropland  or  with  small  scattered   tracts 


Figure  2 


Footnotes  at  end  of  article. 


Food  Production 

Owing  largely  to  private  and  public  irrigation 
development,  food  production  in  the  West  lias 
kept  pace  with  the  expanding  population,  not- 
withstanding the  relative  scarcity  of  cropland.  In 
addition,  irrigation  development  has  offset  to  a 
considerable  degree  the  sizable  acreages  of  valu- 
I  able  cropland  that  have  been  lost  to  nonagricul- 
l  tural  uses.  In  California  alone,  nearly  1  million 
acres  of  land  suitable  for  cultivation  have  been 
converted  to  nonagricultural  uses  since  1942. 
Roads,  freeways,  airports,  subdivisions,  and  in- 
dustrial enterprises  now  occupy  these  lands — one- 
third  larger  in  size  than  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island. 

Population — United  States  and  West 
Relative  Increase 


POPULATION  CHANGE  BY  ECONOMIC  SUBREGIONS 


Year 

Actual  count ' 

Index  numbers 
1920=100 

United  States 

11  Western 
States 

United 

States 

West 

1910 

92,  228,  496 
106,  021,  537 
123,  202,  624 
132,  164,  569 
151,  325,  798 
179,  323,  175 
214,  098,  000 
260,  578,  000 
316,  560,  000 
383,  072,  000 
458,  700,  000 

6,  825,  821 
8,  902,  972 
11,896,222 
13,  883,  265 
19,  561,  525 
27,  194,  165 
35,  257,  000 
46,  507.  000 
58,  800,  000 
73,  947,  000 
91,  700,  000 

1920 

1930 

1940 

1950 

1960 

1970 

1980 

1990 

2000 

2010 

100.0 
116.  2 
124.  7 
142.7 
169.  1 
201.9 
245.8 
298.  6 
361.3 
432.6 

100.0 
133.  6 
155.9 
219.7 
305.4 
396.0 
522.  4 
660.  5 
830.6 
1,  030.  0 

Figure  3 

From  the  standpoint  of  food  production  capac- 
ity, it  is  unfortunate  that  the  lands  that  are  best 
suited  to  cultivation  are  also  the  most  desirable  to 
develop  for  nonf arm  uses.  Such  lands  require  less 
preparation,  such  as  leveling,  and  are  least  ex- 
pensive to  build  over;  typically,  these  lands  also 
boasted  a  ready  w-ater  supply,  now  conveniently 
preempted  by  urban  demands.  The  town  that 
grows  into  a  city  is  usually  surrounded  by  rich 
farmlands.  It  is  the  presence  of  this  agricultural 
wealth  that  causes  the  town  to  grow.  Urban 
growth,  much  like  a  fungus  that  gradually 
strangles  its  host,  consumes  the  surrouding  farm- 
lands to  allow  the  city  to  spread.  Much  of  this 
expansion  is  haphazard  and  uncontrolled.  Far- 
sighted  communities  are  beginning  to  take  positive 
steps  to  control  and  restrain  the  ill-considered 


RATE  OF  POPULATION  CHANGI 
^^  Greater  than  U.S 
1S3  Less  than  US 
I       I  Decrease 

U.S.  change,  18.5  percent 

Figure  4 

spreading  of  concrete  and  asphalt  over  choice 
farmlands.  Planners  are  moving  toward  rural 
zoning  as  a  tool  to  direct  more  of  the  building  onto 
the  poorer  lands  and  to  save  the  more  fertile  lands 
for  agricultural  production.  For  the  sake  of 
future  generations,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  "green- 
belt"  zoning  does  not  prove  to  be  "to  little  and  too 
late." 

Should  the  development  of  additional  croplands 
cease,  western  agricultural  production  would  soon 
fall  behind  the  demands  of  the  growing  popula- 
tion. In  spite  of  all  that  increasing  yields  (de- 
pendent in  part  on  the  more  effective  use  of  water) 
can  do  to  offset  diminishing  croplands,  the  West 
would  cease  to  be  self-sufficient  by  about  1970. 
(See  fig.  1.)  From  that  point  onward,  in-ship- 
ments  of  food  from  areas  farther  east  would  be- 
come necessary.  These  would  be  net  in-shipments, 
over  and  above  the  cross-shipping  of  fresh  market 
winter  vegetables  and  other  specialty  production. 
From  1970  onward,  the  situation  would  worsen 
rapidly.  What  might  be  expected  to  happen  un- 
der such  conditions  is  shown  by  figure  1,  and  the 
projection  contained  in  figure  6.  The  indicated 
trend  warrants  attention.  If  the  assumptions 
made  should  prove  to  be  the  actual  conditions  over 
the  next  50  years,  the  West  would  be  producing 
only  43  percent  of  its  food  needs  by  2010.  These 
figures,  of  course,  do  not  include  specialty  produc- 
tion and  the  cross-shipping  that  necessarily  results. 

The  changing  position  of  the  West  in  relation 
to  the  Nation  as  a  whole,  in  both  population  and 
food  production,  is  portrayed  in  figures  7  and  8. 

Feeding  People  in  the  Future 

The  rapidly  increasing  population  of  the  West- 
ern States  Avill  result  in  a  need  to  (1)  raise  addi- 


Footnotes  at  end  of  article. 


POPULATION 
1920=100 


FiGXJBE  5 

tional  foods  in  the  West,  or  (2)  ship  it  in. 
Shipping  some  38  million  tons  of  food  (more  than 
50  trainloads  daily),  net  in-movement,  over  and 
above  necessary  cross-shipping  of  specialty  crops 
such  as  fruits  and  vegetables,  and  in  addition  to 
all  other  normal  freight  movement,  would  present 
a  physical  undertaking  of  considerable  propor- 
tions, and  a  staggering  burden  to  our  transporta- 
tion system.  This  transportation  burden,  serious 
in  normal  times,  would  become  a  major  problem 
during  a  national  emergency  when  transport  de- 
mands for  other  purposes  would  also  multiply. 
To  expect  so  large  an  area  to  be  dependent  on 
long-distance  import&for  a  major  portion  of  its 
food    supply    would    be    strategically    unsound. 


Food  Production,  Requirements,  and  Prospective 
Deficit* 


Food — retail  weight  equivalent 

Year 

Require- 
ments 2 

Produc- 
tion 3 

Deficit 

Historic : 

1920 

(1,000  tons) 

6,967 

9,249 

10,  884 

14,916 

19,  838 

25,  561 
33,  718 
42,  630 
53,  612 
66,  483 

(1,000  tons) 

9,955 

15,  326 

16,  579 
19,  616 
23,  547 

25,  171 

26,  418 

27,  488 

28,  127 
28,  307 

(1,000  tons) 

1930 

1940 

/Surplus 

1950  _-   . - 

1960_-         -   _   __ 

Estimated : 
1970 

390 

1980 

7,300 

1990 

15,  142 

2000 

25,  485 

2010 

38,  176 

Such  a  situation  would  court  disaster  if  destruc- 
tion or  breakdown  of  the  transport  system  oc- 
curred. In  addition  to  the  physical  problem  with 
its  potential  dangers,  in-shipments  of  so  large  a 
part  of  the  West's  food  needs  from  the  other  areas 
of  the  Nation  could  add  a  billion  and  a  half  dollars 
per  year  to  the  food  bill  of  the  people  in  the  West. 
A  better  course  would  be  to  raise  as  much  of  the 
food  in  the  West  as  is  possible  within  the  physical 
and  economic  limits  of  the  available  cropland  and 
water.  Also,  it  would  appear  to  be  sound  policy 
to  minimize  the  transportation  burden  and  cost  by 
developing  the  nearest  source  of  import  supplies, 
the  Plains  States,  as  a  supplemental  food  source 
for  the  future  population  of  the  West.  It  appears 
that  both  sources  will  be  fully  needed  within  the 
next  50  years. 

Food  Production  and  Population 
Percent  of  U.S.  Total 


11  western  States 

Food  production 

as  percent 

of  United 

States 

Year 

U.S.  total* 

1 1  western 

Food  pro- 

Popula- 

States« 

duction  * 

tion  8 

1,000  tons 

1,000  tons 

Percent 

Percent 

1920 

82,  962 

9,955 

12 

8.4 

1930 

95,  790 

15,  326 

16 

9.7 

1940 

103,  617 

16,  579 

16 

10.  5 

1950 

115,386 

19,  616 

17 

12.9 

1960 

130,  816 

23,  547 

18 

15.2 

1970 

155,  221 

26,  171 

16.2 

16.5 

1980 

188,  919 

26,  418 

14.0 

17.8 

1990 

229,  506 

27,  488 

12.0 

18.6 

2000 

277,  727 

28,  127 

10.  1 

19.3 

2010 

332,  558 

28,  307 

8.  5 

20.0 

Figure  6 


Figure  7 

What  Irrigation  Can  Do 

Between  the  1939  Census  of  Agriculture  and 
that  of  1959,  irrigated  land  in  western  farms  in- 
creased by  6,168,000  acres  from  15,714,000  in  1939 
to  21,882,000  acres  in  1959.  This  increase  is  net 
of  the  loss  of  irrigated  land  to  urban  built-up  uses 
during  the  same  period,  and  is  due  to  irrigation 
development  by  all  sources,  public  and  private. 
It  is  this  increase  in  irrigation  that  has  enabled  the 
food-producing  capacity  of  the  West  to  keep 
abreast  of  the  expanding  population  to  date.  In 
the  foregoing  analysis,  the  West's  future  food 
needs  have  been  presented  along  with  the  prospec- 


Footnotes  at  end  of  article. 


POPULATION  AND  FARM  PRODUCTION  AS  PERCENT  OF  U.S. 

foTaf"  °  Mountain  &  Pacific  Regions 


O          1  1  I  i  1  1  1  1  M  1  1  1  1  1  1  1      1 

'   FARM  PRODUCTIOM;              -^  : 

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,                                «» 

— 1 H-^ —  '  ■  1  -.j^—  ^— t't    iH — ' 

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1940    1950    1960    1970    1980    1990    2000    2010    2020    2030 

Figure  8 


tive  food  production  capacity,  assuming  that  no 
further  irrigation  water  supplies  were  developed. 
Continuing  irrigation  development,  of  course,  can 
alter  this  picture  drastically.  If  the  1939  to  1959 
rate  of  net  increase  in  irrigated  land  were  contin- 
ued over  the  next  50  years,  15  million  acres  would 
be  added  to  production  in  the  year  2010.  This  ad- 
ditional productive  capacity  could  cut  the  prospec- 
tive food  deficit  in  half,  and  could  reduce  the  extra 
freight  costs  of  net  in-shipment  of  food  from 
$1.5  billion  to  about  three-quarters  of  a  billion 
dollars.  To  eliminate  the  prospective  future  food 
deficit  of  the  Western  States  entirely,  future  ir- 
rigation development  would  be  required  at  double 
the  rate  of  the  past  20  years.  This,  of  course, 
assumes  that  sufficient  suitable  land  can  be  found, 


and  that  water  can  be  made  available  to  it,  to  sus- 
tain such  a  rate  of  development  for  the  next  50 
years. 

The  role  of  the  Federal  and  State  Governments 
in  continuing  irrigation  development  will  become 
increasingly  important  in  the  future.  The 
"cream"  of  the  resources  which  can  be  developed 
by  local  and  private  endeavor  is  now  largely  gone. 
The  potential  that  remains  is  more  difficult  and 
expensive  to  develop ;  the  distances  that  water  must 
be  conveyed  are  greater,  and  the  reservoirs  needed 
to  develop  the  water  are  larger.  In  addition  to 
further  development,  a  good  many  rescue  projects 
will  be  needed  to  maintain  present  development 
as  ground-water  supplies  are  depleted  in  many 
now-prosperous  areas  of  the  West.  :fj:  #  # 


♦Figure  references  to  the  West  apply  generally  to  the  States  of  Washington,  Oregon,  California,  Arizona,  Nevada, 
Idaho,  Montana,  Wyoming,  Utah,  Colorado,  and  New  Mexico.  Maps  are  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  charts  by 
Bureau  of  Reclamation. 

^1910  to  1960,  inclusive,  taken  from  1960  Census  of  Population,  Bureau  of  the  Census,  U.S.  Department  of  Commerce; 
1970-2000,  from  Committee  Print  No.  5,  Select  Committee  on  National  Water  Resources,  U.S.  Senate,  86th  Cong.  (1990 
interpolated)  ;  U.S.  total  for  2010  from  study  by  Arthur  D.  Little,  Inc.,  based  on  Census  Series  P-25,  No.  187,  Regional 
population  extrapolated. 

Based  on  U.S.  per  capita  averages  ;  future  same  as  1960. 

'  From  basic  data  from  several  USDA  publications ;  future  estimates  include  increasing  yields  and  loss  of  cropland  to 
irban  built-up  uses  without  compensating  additions  due  to  further  irrigation. 

1920-60,  computed  from  basic  data  taken  from  several  USDA  publications ;  1970-2010,  estimated  on  basis  of  needs  of 
istimated  population  (see  fig.  4),  assuring  self-sufficiency  for  the  United  States  as  a  whole. 

Percentages  for  1920-60,  taken  from  "Trends  and  Patterns  in  U.S.  Food  Consumption,"  Agriculture  Handbook  No.  214, 
JSDA,  tons  computed  from  percentages;  1970-2010,  tonnage  figures  computed  assuming  increasing  yields  (based  on 
'Agriculture  Information  Bulletin  No.  233,"  USDA)  and  loss  of  cropland,  to  urban  built-up  uses  (based  on  data  from 
'Stat.  Bui.  317,"  USDA),  without  compensating  additions  due  to  further  irrigation  development ;  percentages  computed 

rom  tonnage  figures. 

Computed  from  population  figures  in  fig.  3. 


715-975  O— 64- 


A  30th  Birthday  .  .  . 

ON  THE  COLUMBIA  BASIN  PROJECT 

THIRTY  years  and  a  few  months  ago,  the  first  construction  started  on  Grand 
Coulee  Dam,  the  main  feature  of  the  Columbia  Basin  project  in  the  State  of 
Washington.  During  that  time,  industrious  Americans  huilt  great  structures  to 
bring  new  vigor  to  the  fertile  Columbia  Basin  country.  At  last  falVs  celebration, 
we  were  reminded  that  the  Basin  has  been  a  giant  producer  of  the  essential 
products  of  life  and  a  reclaimer  of  abundant  natural  resources.  It  is  a  worthy 
symbol  of  American  productivity. 

The  Columbia  Basin  project  has  produced  over  200  billion  kilowatts  of  energy 
loorth  almost  a  half  billion  dollars  in  power  revenues,  it  has  saved  $62^2  million  of 
flood  protection  to  doumstream  property  since  1960,  it  has  supplied  9  milZion  acre- 
feet  of  water  to  fertile  farmlands  since  19JiS,  and  it  has  contributed  a  variety  of 
tcholesome  outdoor  recreation  to  millions  of  appreciative  residents  and  tourists. 
In  commemoration,  this  issus  of  the  Reclamation  Era  includes  three  articles 
which  point  up  project  contributions  from  three  of  its  many  multiple-purpose 
standpoints:  farming,  sport,  and  scientific  improvement.     The  articles  are: 

•  "Whether  It  Rains  or  Not" this  page. 

•  "How   To   Frustrate   Weeds" page  14. 

•  "Good   Hunting   Is   Increasing" page  17. 


'No.  1     Anniversary  Article  on  the  Columbia  Basin  Project  .  .   . 

WHETHER  IT  RAINS  OR  NOT 


At  its  7lst  annual  meeting  last  November,  the 
Washington  Dairy  Federation  set  a  new  prece- 
dent in  Washington  State,  one  that  is  likely  to  be 
frequently  repeated  in  the  future.  The  federation 
awarded  one  of  its  much-coveted  prizes,  the 
Dairy  Family  Farm  Management  rotating  award, 
to  a  farm  family  on  the  Columbia  Basin  irrigation 
project  in  central  Washington  State. 

Why  was  the  award  unprecedented?  Dairying 
does  not  ordinarily  provide  the  farmer  with  a 
quick  cash  return.  Due  to  the  expense  of  starting 
a  productive  farm  enterprise,  farmers  in  a  new 
agricultural  area  generally  start  farming  with 
crops  that  will  provide  a  comparatively  quick  cash 
return.  Then,  as  the  area  grows  and  prospers, 
the  farmers  diversify,  cattle  become  increasingly 


evident,  and  full-scale  dairy  operations  may  be 
launched  and  built  up. 

Mainly  for  this  reason,  the  comparatively  small 
strip  of  matured,  well-settled  farmland  west  of 
the  Cascades  in  Washington  State  has  long  been 
the  center  of  the  State's  dairy  activity.  Sixty  to 
80  percent  of  the  State's  milk  is  produced  in  that 
area  and  much  of  eastern  and  central  Washing- 
ton's milk  has  been  trucked  over  the  mountain 
passes.  Now  a  change  in  that  pattern  seems  to 
be  in  the  offing. 

The  Columbia  Basin  project  is  a  new  and 
dynamically  expanding  agricultural  area.  While 
its  irrigable  lands  presently  numbering  in  excess 
of  450,000  acres  have  been  receiving  water  for  less 
than  10  years,  cattle  are  already  making  them- 


10 


Figure  2. — Award  winning  family  includes,  from  left  to  right,  Curtis  Smith,  his  son  and  daughter  Gregory  and  Sherri,  and  his  wife 
Lucille  are  presented  the  Farm  Management  Award  from  Washington  State  University  Extension  Service  Director  Calvin  Smith  at  the  State 
Dairy  Federations  meeting  held  on  November  1,  1963. 


selves  at  home  on  the  project.  This  rapid  ma- 
turing process  is  now  highlighted  by  the  official 
statewide  recognition  of  excellence  achieved  by  the 
Curtis  P.  Smith  dairy  farm  in  the  northeast  sec- 
tion of  the  half-developed  million  acre  project. 
This  is  the  project's  first  such  recognition. 

Laying  the  groundwork  to  make  this  fast  and 
successful  transition  from  sagebrush  and  sparsley 
scattered  dryland  wheat  farming  about  a  dozen 
years  ago  to  more  than  50  multicolored,  checker- 
board-like fields  of  crops  today,  has  required  a 
carefully  laid  out  development  plan.  Mr.  Smith's 
fine  dairy  farm  is  an  excellent  example  of  this 
process. 

In  1948,  this  farm  was  purchased  by  the  Govern- 
ment as  an  experiment  farm — one  of  several  such 
enterprises  scattered  throughout  the  project  area. 
They  were  developed  to  determine  the  best  irriga- 
tion practices  as  well  as  to  determine  the 
most  productive  agricultural  activity  for  each 
area.  The  findings  were  subsequently  made  avail- 
able to  the  area's  settlers  in  pamphlets  and  by 


extension  agents  and  other  professional  agricul- 
turalists who,  with  the  experiment  farm  data  at 
hand,  had  a  good  base  for  their  advice. 

Since  the  first  major  release  of  irrigation  water 
had  not  reached  the  project's  lands  until  1952, 
an  irrigation  well  was  drilled  on  the  experiment 
farm  in  1947  and  construction  work  began  on 
farm  buildings  and  fields.  The  lands  of  the  farm 
consisted  mainly  of  porous,  somewhat  sandy  soils 
that  required  careful  handling  and  management. 
If  a  successful  farm  could  be  established  here,  the 
chances  for  success  on  most  of  the  project's  lands 
were  very  good. 

Planned  Farm 

From  the  first,  this  land  was  planned  as  an 
irrigated  dairy  farm  with  a  herd  of  25  milk  cows. 
About  106  acres  of  the  163-acre  farm  were  irri- 
gable. Like  the  rest  of  the  project  area,  the  grow- 
ing season  was  long.  Strong  winds  were  common 
but  the  weather  was  fine,  with  warm  to  hot  sum- 
mers and  fairly  mild  winters. 


11 


UPPER  COLUMBIA  BASIN  j 

^fllRY  family' 
oOHi  YEAR 


Figure  4. — A  beautiful  collie  dog  seems  fo  like  his  award  winning 
masters. 


During  the  early  neophyte  years  of  the  irriga- 
tion project,  the  farm  did  indeed  prove  itself 
invaluable  as  an  on-the-spot  aid  to  new  settlers 
to  the  area  and  agriculturalists  in  understanding 
the  methods  for  successful  farming  of  the  project. 
Part  of  the  farm  was  turned  over  to  cooperating 
State  and  Federal  agencies  for  research  work 
which  later  was  published.  Agricultural  groups, 
foreign  vistors  to  the  project,  and  neighboring 
farmers  were  frequent  visitors  to  the  development 
farm.  Still,  in  a  sense,  it  was  not  a  farm.  It  was 
an  experiment. 

After  the  farm  was  on  a  firm  footing,  it  was 
leased  until  1955  to  private  farmers  under  the  con- 
tinued supervision  of  the  administering  agencies. 
In  January  of  that  year,  Mr.  Smith's  name  was 
drawn  out  of  a  fishbowl  during  a  Government  land 
drawing.  Soon  after,  the  control  farm  and  the 
challenge  were  his. 

When  the  Smiths  came  to  the  basin  with 
their  two  children,  Gregory  and  Sherri,  they 
brought  with  them  about  18  years  of  dairy  farm- 
ing experience  and  a  strong  desire  to  trade  the 
smog  of  suburban  Los  Angeles  for  the  quiet  and 
spaciousness  of  the  project. 

"As  much  as  anything  else,"  Mrs.  Smith  said, 
"we  wanted  to  find  a  better  place  to  raise  the 
children."     A  five- foot-long  board  which  is  al- 


12 


most  obscured  by  a  collection  of  60  colorful  4-H 
ribbons  and  several  small  gold  cups  sitting  on  the 
fireplace  mantel  of  the  comfortable  7-room  Smith 
house  today  would  seem  to  attest  to  a  job  well  done 
in  that  department  also. 

In  California,  the  Smiths  were  part  owners  of 
a  170-head  dairy  herd  just  on  the  outskirts  of  Los 
Angeles.  Feed  for  the  stock  had  to  be  purchased ; 
there  wasn't  room  enough  on  the  farm  to  grow  it. 
Naturally,  the  transition  from  a  dairy  operation 
of  this  nature  to  the  106-acre  irrigated  farm  unit 
that  the  Smiths  moved  onto  8  years  ago  in  central 
"Washington  was  not  easy.  Characteristically, 
however,  Mr.  Smith  optimistically  feels  that  his 
inexperience  in  irrigation  farming  may  have 
really  been  an  asset. 

"When  I  came  here  I  didn't  know  anything 
about  irrigation  farming,  but  I  knew  I  didn't,  so 
I  was  more  than  willing  to  listen  to  the  advice 
of  my  neighbors  and  the  agricultural  agencies 
in  the  area.  "You  know,"  he  added,  "I'm  not  too 
sure  that  experience  is  the  best  teacher  to  a  farmer 
these  days.  Particularly  if  that  experience  is 
outdated." 

Apparently  all  of  the  good  advice  that  he  re- 
ceived from  his  neighbors  and  agriculturalists 
went  right  to  Curtis  Smith's  head,  for  his  land 
produced,  and  the  farming  operation  steadily 
grew  and  prospered.  After  only  4  years  on  the 
project  he  was  chosen  Grant  County's  Conserva- 
tion Farmer  of  the  Year  on  the  basis  of  his  im- 
plementation of  wise  soil  conservation  practices 
and  the  overall  appearance  and  productivity  of 
his  farm. 

"County  Benefited" 

Three  years  later  in  a  nomination  statement  for 
the  position  of  commissioner  of  the  Washington 
State  Dairy  Products  Commission,  a  Grant 
County  extension  agent  wrote,  "We  in  Grant 
County  have  benefited  by  his  honesty,  industry, 
and  progressiveness  as  a  leader  in  the  dairy  field." 
Mr.  Smith  is  now  Grant  County  president  of  that 
organization.  The  year  following  the  quoted  j 
nomination  statement,  the  Smiths  received  their 
current  award  at  the  71st  annual  meeting  of  the 
Washington  State  Dairymen's  Federation. 

Good  advice,  though,  no  matter  how  important, 
certainly  cannot  take  the  bulk  of  credit  due  to  the 
Smith  family.  It  took  a  lot  of  hard  work,  too. 
When  the  Smith  family  moved  onto  their  unit  in  * 


1955,  they  immediately  pitched  in,  purchased  22 
cows  and  began  dairying,  and  started  making 
grasses  grow  under  their  feet  and  everywhere  else. 

"Irrigation  farming  is  hard  work,"  Curtis 
Smith  admits,  "but  it's  worth  it.  Where  my  wife 
and  I  were  raised  in  Nebraska,  you  needed  at  least 
five  times  as  much  land  to  raise  yields  like  I  get 
here — and,  too,  here  I  know  that  I'm  going  to  get 
a  crop  every  year." 

Occasionally  during  the  summer  months  an 
elderly  uncle  of  Mr.  Smith  who  still  farms  in 
Nebraska,  visits  the  Smiths  to  vacation  and  help 
out  with  the  chores  a  little.  "Every  day  that  he  is 
here  he'll  look  up  at  the  clouds,  kind  of  feel  the 
wind,  and  then  try  to  predict  whether  or  not 
we'll  have  rain."  Mr.  Smith  grins,  "He  just  can't 
quite  understand  that  it  doesn't  make  a  lot  of 
difference  whether  it  rains  or  not." 

Farming,  of  course,  has  changed  a  great  deal  in 
the  last  few  years — possibly  more  than  any  other 
single  business  enterprise.  The  stereotype  of  the 
somewhat  quaint,  straw-chewing  farmer  is  gone. 
During  his  26  years  of  dairying,  Mr.  Smith  has 
seen  a  lot  of  this  change.  For  example,  before 
joining  the  armed  services  in  1942,  he  and  his  wife 
worked  on  the  same  Los  Angeles  dairy  enterprise 
that  they  later  worked  as  coowners.  "The  owner 
of  the  dairy  had  a  rather  unique  way  of  keeping 
records,"  Mr.  Smith  recalls,  "He  used  to  keep  a 
pocketful  of  cardboard  milk  bottle  caps  at  hand, 
and  when  he  checked  the  herd  he'd  just  scribble 


any  appropriate  notes  on  one  of  those  caps.  Then 
at  the  end  of  the  day  he'd  empty  his  collection  of 
bottle  caps  into  a  cigar  box.  That  was  his  filing 
system." 

It  may  have  worked  20  years  ago  but  it  is  doubt- 
ful how  efficient  such  a  bookkeeping  system  would 
be  today.  There  are  now  a  total  of  170  cows  on 
the  Smith  farm  and  a  thorough  individual  record 
is  kept  on  each  head.  On  the  basis  of  these  records 
he  is  able  to  cull  out  low-producing  stock,  feed  his 
stock  selectively  according  to  their  production, 
select  his  best  breeding  stock,  and  properly  eval- 
uate his  management  practices.  On  top  of  this 
particular  stack  of  paperwork,  tax  records  and  a 
whole  multitude  of  other  records  make  the  white- 
collar  workers'  tools  as  important  to  Curtis  Smith 
as  his  books  and  tractors.  Its  very  newness  is  an 
asset  to  the  project  in  this  department.  New 
farming  techniques  and  ideas  are  not  resisted 
simply  because  they  are  different — they  are  tested, 
and,  if  useful,  adopted. 

Oh,  yes ;  the  weekly  journey  to  town  for  supplies 
and  social  contacts  is  also  just  plain  folklore  with 
the  Smiths.  A  year  after  their  arrival  in  the  basin, 
Mr.  Smith  was  elected  president  of  the  Columbia 
Basin  Milk  Producers  Association,  a  co-op 
through  which  he  markets  his  milk.  He  is  a  4— H 
Club  leader,  a  director  of  the  Grant  County  Dairy 
Herd  Improvement  Association,  a  director  on  the 
Quincy-Columbia  Basin  Irrigation  District 
Board,  and — in  short,  a  very  active  and  valuable 
man  to  his  community.  ( Continued  on  p.  21.) 


Figure    3. — Alfalfa    hay   Is   chief   item   on   the   menu   for  Smith's  cattle.     His  irrigated  Icmd  produces  at  about  7  tons  per  acre. 


No.  2     Anniversary  Article  on  the  Columbia  Basin  Project 


HOW  TO  FRUSTRATE  WEEDS 


Millions  of  weeds  that  grow  in  canals  in  the 
Columbia  Basin  project,  might,  if  they  had  voices 
give  utterance  to  on  last  word — "GAS!" — then 
wilt  and  die. 

Something  like  that,  but,  of  course  without  the 
utterance,  has  happened.  And  as  a  result,  water 
is  rescued  from  weeds  and  more  water  is  made 
available  for  irrigated  lands. 

About  50  different  crops  grown  in  the  irrigated 
project  will  directly  benefit  from  the  discovery  of 
the  effects  of  very  low  concentrations  of  a  power- 
ful and  pungent  chemical  that  has  been  tested  on 
the  project's  canals  the  last  couple  of  years.  It 
controls  the  growth  of  aquatic  weeds. 

The  chemical's  name  is  acr-ylaldehyde,  com- 
monly   called    acrolein.    To    the    layman    with 

Figure  2  (P222-1 16-44997). — John  Walker,  center,  of  the  Bureau's 
Boise  ofRce  works  with  a  Shell  representative  in  accurately  meas- 
uring the  rate  of  the  chemical's  application  by  weighing. 


military  experience,  standing  downwind  of  a 
barrel  of  it  when  it  is  opened,  however,  it  is  also 
unmistakably  identifiable  as  a  very  effective  tear 
gas.  Diluted  in  water  as  a  herbicide,  it  is  harm- 
less to  animals. 

Of  course,  the  Columbia  Basin  project  is  not  the 
first  place  where  this  chemical  has  been  used  as  a 
herbicide  against  aquatic  weeds.  In  the  Florida 
Everglades,  for  example,  the  potent  chemical  was 
used  to  kill  floating  aquatic  water  weeds.  But  al- 
ways before  it  had  been  used  in  comparatively  sub- 
stantial quantities,  and,  at  $175  a  barrel,  these 
treatments  were  not  inexpensive. 

In  1962  Mr.  John  Walker  of  the  Bureau's  Re- 
gional OfRce  in  Boise,  Idaho,  who  had  used  the 
chemical  on  the  Black  Canyon  project  in  Notus, 
Idaho,  suggested  that  it  be  used  in  very  low  con- 
centrations on  an  experimental  basis  on  the 
Columbia  Basin  project.  It  was  Mr.  Walker's 
idea  that  applications  of  acrolein.,  the  chemical's 
common  name,  as  low  as  one  part  to  a  million 
parts  water  might  do  the  job  at  a  substantial 
savings. 

A  team  of  Bureau  agronomists  with  the  assist- 
ance of  the  Department  of  Agriculture's  Research 
Service  and  Mr.  R.  Reider  of  Shell  Chemical 
Corp.  of  Yakima,  Wash.,  got  together  and  the  first 
low  concentration  application  of  the  chemical  was 
tried  on  the  project  on  May  16, 1962.  The  larger 
of  the  two  lateral  canals  chosen  for  the  tests  was  13 
miles  long  and  had  a  capacity  flow  of  about  89 
cubic  feet  per  second.  The  other  canal  was  5  miles 
long  and  had  a  capacity  flow  of  35  cubic  feet  per 
second. 

Two  methods  of  application  were  tried.  On  the 
larger  canal,  the  chemical  was  fed  into  the  canal 
continuously  at  a  rate  of  one  to  three  parts  acro- 
lein to  a  million  parts  of  water.  On  the  smaller 
canal,  the  pungent  chemical  was  fed  into  the  canal 
at  a  rate  of  about  7  to  21  parts  chemical  to  a  mil- 
lion parts  of  water  for  24  hours  once  a  week. 

The  results  successfully  upset  the  carefully 
planned  experiments.     Prior  to  the  tests,  both  of 


14 


i 


Figure  1. — Chemical  is  fed  info  a  project  canal  by  Adam  Focht,  Assistant  Watermaster. 
ten  million  parts  water  were  successful. 


Concentrations  as  low  as  one  part  Aerolein  to 


these  canals  had  been  infested  with  a  young  growth 
of  Sago  pondweed,  a  long  tenacious  threadlike 
water  weed  which  can  easily  attain  a  length  of  20 
feet.  The  result  of  millions  of  these  streaming 
weeds  in  an  irrigation  canal,  at  the  minimum, 
means  a  decided  lessening  of  the  canal's  capacity 
and  can  mean  the  loss  of  a  canal  when  the  water 
is  so  cramped  for  room  that  it  overflows  its  banks. 

Numerous  methods  of  controlling  weeds  have 
been  tried,  but  none  has  been  completely  satisfac- 
tory. Chaining — dragging  a  heavy  metal  chain 
along  the  bottom  and  sides  of  a  canal — is  costly 
and'  fills  the  water  with  segments  of  torn  plants 
which  can  plug  downstream  irrigation  structures. 
Dewatering  the  canals  to  kill  the  weeds  by  with- 
holding their  primary  subsistence  can  be  100  per- 
cent effective,  until  the  plants  sprout  again  several 
weeks  later,  but  dewatering  also  deprives  crops  of 
that  same  much-needed  sustenance.  And,  al- 
though other  types  of  chemicals  such  as  aromatic 
solvents  or  copper  sulfate  had  been  used  with  vary- 
ing degrees  of  success,  the  cost  of  this  chemical 
treatment  was  very  high. 

But  within  3  days  after  the  continuous  applica- 
tion of  acrolein  began  on  the  larger  canal, 
the  growth  of  the  young  pondweeds  was  con- 
trolled. What  was  particularly  startling,  though, 
was  that  the  pondweeds  were  being  effectively  con- 
trolled, not  only  at  the  point  of  application  but 
even  on  the  farthest  reaches  of  the  canal.     Ac- 


cordingly, the  carefully  planned  rate  of  applica- 
tion was  changed — reduced  from  one  to  three  parts 
to  a  million  parts  of  water  to  0.1  part  chemical  to 
a  million  parts  of  water.  This  would  be  about 
4  ounces  of  chemical  per  acre-foot  of  water. 

Tlie  frequency  of  application  was  reduced 
from  periods  of  24  hours  once  a  week  to  periods  of 
48  hours  once  every  3  weeks.  The  amount  of 
axjrolein  used  was  so  slight  that  in  some  of  the 
tested  areas,  laboratory  tests  of  the  treated  water 
failed  to  indicate  its  presence. 

Perhaps  there  was  no  audible  outcry  from  the 
pondweed  along  the  length  of  the  13-mile-long 
canal  when  they  detected  the  first  minute  traces 
of  the  chemical  in  the  water,  but  the  effects  on  the 
plants  were  soon  plainly  visible. 

Initially  the  normally  green-colored  plant 
turned  reddish  brown.  Then  the  plant's  leaves 
became  translucent  and  lax,  and  the  greater  ex- 
posed portion  of  the  plant  deteriorated.  In  the 
very  small  quantities  in  which  the  chemical  was 
used,  the  plant's  roots  were  seldom  killed,  but  its 
growth  was  definitely  forestalled.  A  complete 
kill  takes  so  much  more  chemical  that  it  has  com- 
monly been  found  more  economical  to  control  weed 
growth  than  to  attempt  to  eradicate  it. 

Between  treatments  the  water  weeds,  of  course, 
truly  grew  like  weeds;  about  8  to  10  inches,  but 
the  weeds  situation  on  these  test  reaches  was 
under  control.     Although  comparable  results  were 


15 


obtained  on  the  smaller  canal,  for  some  as  yet 
unexplainable  reason,  the  chemical  was  not  quite 
as  effective. 

Due  to  the  very  small  quantity  of  chemical  used 
on  these  tests,  the  mechanics  of  the  method  of 
application  were  necessarily  delicate.  Gravity  ap- 
plications were  made  through  polyethylene  tubing 
and  hypodermic  needles.  The  exact  amount  of  the 
chemical  used  was  checked  by  periodically  weigh- 
ing the  barrel  which  held  the  acrolein. 

Armed  with  a  year's  favorable  experience  with 
the  chemical,  under  the  supervision  of  Del  Suggs, 
the  Columbia  Basin  project's  management  agron- 
omist, five  more  canal  reaches  were  added  to  the 
two  test  reaches  for  the  chemical  treatment  in  1963. 
The  successes  were  similar  to  the  previous  year. 

There  were  problems  of  course — for  example, 
since  it  was  imperative  that  the  flow  of  chemical 
be  kept  constant,  the  55 -gallon  drum  in  which  the 
chemical  came  had  to  be  vented ;  air  bubbles  in  the 
delivery  tubes  impeded  accurate  flow  measure- 
ments. Then,  too,  since  ax)rolein  so  readily  vapor- 
izes into  a  tear-producing  gas  when  it  was  neces- 
sary to  work  downwind  from  an  opened  drum  of 


the  chemical,  a  gas  mask  was  a  must.  While 
handling  the  barrels  of  chemical,  it  was  also  found 
advisable  to  keep  a  supply  of  fresh  water  handy 
as  the  liquid  has  a  temporarily  burning  effect  on 
skin. 

But  these  comparatively  minor  inconveniences 
were  found  to  be  far  outweighed  by  this  odif erous 
chemical's  benefits.  At  the  end  of  the  1963  irri- 
gation season  in  October,  it  was  estimated  that  the 
total  cost  for  the  acrolein  treatment  on  the  reaches 
of  test  canals  was  at  least  a  third  cheaper  than 
aromatic  solvent  treatment  methods  and  at  least 
four  times  cheaper  than  mechanical  chaining 
methods. 

On  several  of  the  treated  canals,  the  water  level 
dropped  several  inches  once  the  impeding  weeds 
were  controlled.  This  means  that  these  canals  are 
now  capable  of  conveying  more  water  for  more 
crops. 

On  smaller  canals,  as  previously  mentioned, 
acrolein  seems  to  be  only  little  more  effective  than 
other  chemicals,  but  on  the  larger  canals  this  tear- 
gas-like  chemical,  and  indirectly,  the  project's 
crops  appear  to  have  a  rosy  future — and  the  water 
weeds  a  frustrating  one.  #  4^  # 


CONSERVATION  AWARD 

for  Life  of  Service 

William  E.  Welsh, 
whose    work    for    the 
past  16  years  as  Secre- 
tary-Manager  of   the 
National  Reclamation 
Association    is   recog- 
nized   and    respected 
throughout  the  entire 
West,    was    presented 
the  Conservation  Serv- 
ice Award  of  the  De- 
partment  of  the   In- 
terior by  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy  at  the 
annual  convention  of  the  NRA  held  in  October 
1963  at  Sun  Valley,  Idaho. 

Mr.  Welsh  was  presented  the  award  for  his 
nearly  a  half  century  of  tireless  work  toward  the 
full  development  of  water  and  land  resources  in 
terms  of  the  optimum  benefits  for  all.  Twice  an 
employee   of   the   Reclamation   Service,   he   has 


served  in  his  NRA  post  during  the  years  of  greatest 
growth  and  emphasis  on  multiple-purpose  recla- 
mation. 

In  the  Boise,  Idaho,  area,  having  matriculated 
in  the  College  of  Idaho  in  1914  where  he  was 
prominent  in  debate  and  literary  activities,  he 
worked  his  way  through  school  as  a  river  rider 
during  summer  vacations.  Before  and  after  serv- 
ing in  the  U.S.  Navy  until  the  end  of  World  War 
I,  he  served  in  the  U.S.  Reclamation  Service  both 
at  Bruneau,  N.  Mex.,  and  at  Kuna,  Idaho.  Also 
prior  to  accepting  his  NRA  post  in  1947  with 
headquarters  in  Washington,  D.C.,  he  held  the 
position  of  superintendent  of  the  Farmers  Ditch 
Co.  and  served  for  21  years  as  watermaster  for  the 
Boise  River. 

In  1952,  the  College  of  Idaho  bestowed  an  hon- 
orary degree  of  master  of  irrigation  upon  Mr. 
Welsh  in  recognition  of  his  many  accomplishments 
in  furthering  irrigation  and  reclamation  develop- 
ment. While  living  in  the  Boise  Valley,  Mr. 
Welsh  served  many  years  on  the  board  of 
trustees — several  in  the  capacity  of  president  of  the 
board — of  the  College  of  Idaho.  :^  #  # 


16 


No.  3     Anniversary  Article  on  the  Columbia  Basin  Project  .   .   . 

GOOD  HUNTING  IS  INCREASING 


IN  THE  fall  of  1951,  the  first  major  release  of 
irrigation  water  flowed  toward  the  waiting 
lands  of  the  Columbia  Basin  project,  in  central 
Washington  State,  from  the  project's  equalizing 
reservoir — Banks  Lake — located  just  south  of 
Grand  Coulee  Dam. 

Since  that  time,  hunting  prospects  on  the  Co- 
lumbia Basin  project  have  increased  yearly  as  each 
irrigation  season  brought  more  croplands,  which, 
in  turn,  provided  more  feed  and  cover  to  upland 
game  birds  and  waterfowl.  More  water  also 
meant  more  resting  areas  and  breeding  grounds 
for  ducks  and  geese. 

Although  nature  had  a  big  hand  in  making 
these  large  harvests  of  upland  game  and  water- 
fowl available  to  the  many  thousands  of  hunters 
who  come  to  the  project  area  every  hunting  sea- 
son, the  growth  of  this  fine  hunting  was  the  result 
of  careful  planning. 


The  many  miles  of  hardtopped  roads  that  are 
necessary  to  every  successful  reclamation  project 
have  made  the  project's  fields  and  waters  accessible 
to  sportsmen.  As  part  of  its  regular  game  plant- 
ing program  to  insure  a  good  stock  of  birds,  the 
Washington  State  Department  of  Game  last  fall 
planted  a  total  of  about  2,500  mature  cock  pheas- 
ants on  public  lands  in  the  project  area  by  the 
time  the  season  ended. 

In  the  first  accompanying  photograph,  pheas- 
ants are  seen  exploding  out  of  their  carrying  cages 
during  a  release  in  the  Steamboat  Rock  area  adja- 
cent to  Banks  Lake,  the  project's  equalizing  reser- 
voir. Raymond  Rumbolz,  game  farm  assistant  at 
the  State's  rearing  farm  in  Kennewick,  is  encour- 
aging a  few  laggards  to  fly  the  coop.  Two  hun- 
dred and  sixty  mature  pheasants  were  released 
last  October. 

Yearly  plantings  of  upland  birds  are  released 
in  the  project  area  each  year  by  the  department 


17 


of  game  to  insure  a  thriving  crop  of  game  birds. 
Also,  in  an  effort  to  provide  good  cover  for  wild- 
fowl, the  department  of  game  has  planted  more 
than  2  million  trees  and  shrubs  in  the  Olumbia 
Basin  in  the  last  10  years. 

Recognizing  the  importance  of  maintaining  good 
relations  between  farmers  and  hunters,  about 
100,000  irrigated  acres  of  basin  lands  are  now 
under  the  farmer-sportsmen  program.  This  de- 
partment of  game  program  encourages  farmers 
to  give  hunters  access  to  their  lands  by  providing 
free  signs  such  as  "Hunting  by  Permission." 
Participation  in  the  program  increased  20%  this 
last  year. 

In  the  early  development  stages  of  the  project, 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  transferred  large  areas 
of  its  land  and  water  to  Washington  State  and  na- 
tional agencies  to  administrate  for  recreation  and 
fish  and  wildlife  purposes.  One  such  area  is  the 
Columbia  National  Wildlife  Refuge,  located  near 
the  center  of  the  project,  which  was  turned  over 
to  the  Bureau  of  Sport  Fisheries  and  Wildlife  in 
1955. 

"Before  the  Columbia  Basin  project,  the  present 
Columbia  National  Wildlife  Refuge  area  was  lit- 


tle more  than  a  large  dry  area  of  rolling  hills  and 
cliffs  and  a  single  creek,"  says  Columbia  National 
Refuge  Manager  Phil  A.  Lenhenbauer,  "but  now 
that  has  all  changed.  In  1962  about  4,200  hunters 
killed  almost  8,000  ducks  on  the  refuge  and  in 
the  early  part  of  the  current  season,  these  figures 
appear  to  be  even  higher  than  last."  Mr.  Len- 
henbauer also  stated  that  at  least  75  percent  of 
the  hunters  at  the  refuge  come  from  the  coast — 
more  than  150  miles  to  the  west. 

In  addition  to  the  full  cooperation  that  the  Bu- 
reau of  Reclamation  extends  to  these  agencies,  as 
previously  mentioned,  the  Columbia  Basin  project 
also  makes  the  basic  contribution  to  its  teeming 
game,  for  it  provides  them  with  food  and  water 
and  shelter.  Tliousands  of  acres  of  new  irrigable 
land  are  added  to  the  growing  project  each  year. 
More  water  is  consequently  needed  to  irrigate 
these  new  acres  of  crops — water  which  will  also 
provide  additional  rest  and  breeding  areas  for 
waterfowl. 

There  are  now  about  100  bodies  of  water  on  the 
Columbia  Basin  project,  and  the  crops  planted 
on  these  new  acres  will  provide  more  food  for 
more,  wildlife.  #  #  # 


Figure  2. — A  couple  of  hunters  heading  home  with  a  good  duck  kill  after  a  visit  to  Potholes  Reservoir, 
the  game  range  here  last  year. 


35,000  waterfowl  were  taken  from 


18 


CORN  SUCCEEDS  IN  IRRIGATED 

FORAGE  MIXTURES 


by  Lionel   Harris* 

Superintendent,  Scotts  Bluff 
Experiment  Station, 
University  of  Nebraska  at 
Lincoln 


CORN  has  replaced  low-profit  oat  and  barley 
companion  crops  in  establishing  alfalfa  and 
alfalfa-grass  mixtures  at  the  University  of  Ne- 
braska's Scotts  Bluff  Experiment  Station. 

Corn  yields  of  100  to  180  bushels  per  acre  were 
produced  during  the  year  alfalfa  was  established. 
In  following  years,  alfalfa  yields  ranged  from  5 
to  7  tons  per  acre. 

The  mixing  first  was  tried  successfully  on  level 
bench  terraces  at  the  Scotts  Bluff  Station.  Tests 
showed  that  alfalfa  could  be  established  in  corn 
yielding  near  maximum  with  20,000  corn  plants 
per  acre  in  rows  spaced  42  inches  apart,  on  level 
bench  terraces.  In  corn  rows  spaced  30  inches 
apart,  the  alfalfa  did  not  get  a  good  start,  and 
in  corn  rows  60  inches  apart,  alfalfa  grew  well, 
but  corn  yield  went  down.^ 

Later,  with  careful  irrigation  management,  the 
practice  proved  successful  on  sloping  land.  It  is 
now  standard  practice  for  establishing  alfalfa  and 
alfalfa-grass  mixtures  at  the  experiment  station. 

Procedure  of  Establishment 

At  Scotts  Bluff,  the  procedure  to  successfully 
establish  alfalfa  and  alfalfa-grass  mixtures  in 
com  on  sloping  land  begins  with  fertilizer. 

Fertilizer  was  applied  to  produce  a  maximum 
yield  of  corn  and  to  supply  adequate  phosphorus 
for  alfalfa  in  later  years.  This  required  large 
applications  of  nitrogen,  100  to  150  pounds  per 
acre,  and  moderate  rates  of  phosphorus  applied  on 
the  basis  of  soil  tests  60  to  80  pounds  (of  P2O5)  per 
acre.     Zinc  at  10  pounds  per  acre  was  applied 


where  it  was  needed.  Manure  was  used  in  some  in- 
stances to  supply  part  of  the  required  fertilizer 
nutrients.  All  fertilizer  was  broadcast  and  plowed 
under. 

Seed  beds  were  prepared  shortly  before  corn 
planting  time,  by  plowing  with  a  packer  pulled 
behind  the  plow.  This  operation  killed  early 
spring  weed  growth. 

Corn  was  planted  May  1  to  10  in  rows  spaced 
42  inches  apart,  and  with  kernels  in  the  row 
spaced  to  produce  a  population  of  20,000  to  24,000 
corn  plants  per  acre. 

Early  weed  growth  was  controlled  with  a  rotary 
hoe,  and  cultivator.  Area  between  corn  rows  was 
kept  as  level  as  possible  in  all  cultivation  opera- 
tions. During  some  years  broadleaf  weeds  were 
controlled  with  2,4-D  spray  applied  when  the  corn 
was  6  to  8  inches  tall. 


Figure    3. — Shallow    ditches    between    corn    rows    carry    a    small 
stream  of  irrigation  water. 


'  O.  W.  Howe,  Crops  d  Soils,  Vol.  12,  No.  8,  1960. 

*The  author  recognizes  the  help  of  Herb  Ullrich,  farm  manager,  in  developing  procedures  described  in  this  article. 
The  article  is  an  expanded  version  of  an  article  published  in  the  Spring,  1962  issue  of  the  Nebraska  Experiment 
Station  Quarterly  under  the  title,   "Corn  Good  Companion   Crop." 


19 


i 


SCALE  :)4"=ioo 


.  .    -IRRIGATION     DITCH 
O      -  IRRIGATION   OUTLET    FROM   UNDERGROUND 
PIPE    LIME 


Figure  4. — Contour  map  of  field  planted  to  corn  and  alfalfa. 


Alfalfa  or  alfalfa-grass  mixtures  were  seeded 
in  the  corn  about  the  last  week  in  June  when  corn 
growth  was  12  to  16  inches  tall. 

Production  was  satisfactory  from  seeding 
alfalfa  through  a  grass  seeder  attachment  on  a 
high  press  wheel  grain  drill.  (See  fig.  2.)  Disks 
and  wheels  on  the  drill  were  removed  where  they 
might  damage  the  growing  corn. 

Also,  alfalfa  and  grass  were  mixed  and  seeded 
broadcast  through  a  fertilizer  spreader,  with  a 
finger  weeder  pulled  behind  to  lightly  mix  the 
seed  with  the  soil.  Grass  and  alfalfa  seed  should 
be  mixed  occasionally  in  the  spreader  to  avoid 
separation. 

Immediately  after  seeding  the  alfalfa  or  alfalfa- 
grass  mixture,  two  small  ditches  were  made  be- 
tween each  two  rows  of  corn  to  carry  irrigation 
water.  (See  p.  21.)  Alfalfa  and  grass  seed  ger- 
minate quickly  after  rain  during  warm  weather 
of  late  June.  Therefore,  the  ditching  operation 
after  planting  should  not  be  delayed,  especially 
on  sloping  land.  Ditches  were  not  necessary  to 
facilitate  irrigation  on  level  bench  terraces. 


Irrigation 

The  idea  of  irrigating  an  alfalfa  field  rather 
than  a  cornfield  on  sloping  land  was  followed 
in  establishing  irigation  procedure  for  production 
of  the  alfalfa-grass-corn  combination  of  crops. 
Contour  irrigation  laterals  were  constructed 
through  the  cornfield  at  intervals  of  250  to  300 


Figure  1. — First  growth  of  alfalfa 
and  grass  seeded  in  corn  on  slop- 
ing land  the  previous  year.  Heavy 
roller  was  used  in  early  spring  to 
level  corn  row  ridges. 


20 


¥ 


Figure  2. — Drill  used  to  seed  alfalfa  in  com. 

feet.  (See  sketch  on  p.  20.)  Length  of  irriga- 
tion runs  should  be  short  on  sandy  soil  and  steep 
slopes,  but  may  be  longer  on  heavy  soils  and 
moderate  slopes.  The  length  of  run  should  be 
short  enough  to  prevent  soil  erosion  in  the  irriga- 
tion process. 

Small  siphon  tubes  %  to  1  inch  in  diameter 
were  used  to  deliver  water  from  the  contour  lateral 
into  the  shallow  ditches  between  corn  rows.  The 
small  streams  of  water  delivered  in  this  manner 
over  the  short  runs  soaked  the  entire  area  without 
serious  erosion,  and  with  very  fittle  runoff. 


Good  yields  of  com  were  produced  and  alfalfa 
and  grass  were  established  in  the  cornfield  with 
three  well-timed  irrigations.  It  should  be  ob- 
served that  the  alfalfa  and  grass  were  seeded  in 
corn  shortly  before  this  crop  needed  its  first  irri- 
gation. Quick  germination,  and  rapid  growth  of 
alfalfa  and  grass  seedlings,  occurred  shortly  after 
water  was  applied  during  warm  July  weather. 
Com  plants  provided  protective  shade  for  the 
young  seedlings  against  excessive  heat,  yet  did  not 
exclude  light  to  their  great  detriment.  Later  on, 
the  growth  of  com  overshadowed  the  alfalfa  and 
grass,  but  not  before  these  crops  were  established 
perennials. 

Management  Important 

Irrigation  management  will  determine  success 
in  establishing  alfalfa  and  grass  in  irrigated  com 
on  sloping  land.  The  practice  involves  more  work 
and  planning,  but  returns  have  paid  large  divi- 
dends, compared  with  other  methods  of  establish- 
ing these  crops. 

Soil  erosion  and  over  irrigation  on  the  upper 
ends  of  fields  were  eliminated  by  careful  irrigation. 

As  yet,  only  a  few  farmers  have  adopted  this 
mixing  combination  because  of  the  detailed  work 
needed  for  irrigation  and  planning.  However, 
the  system  offers  economic  and  other  advantages 
wherever  com,  alfalfa,  and  grass  are  grown  un- 
der irrigation.  When  these  advantages  are  rec- 
ognized and  understood,  the  practice  undoubtedly 
will  spread.  #  #  # 


RAIN  OR  NOT  {continued  from  p.  10) 

And  the  rest  of  the  Smith  family  have  followed 
suit.  His  wife,  Lucille,  in  addition  to  the  house- 
work and  cooking  for  so  active  a  family,  is  a 
member  of  the  Dairy  Wives  of  Grant  County. 

His  son,  Greg,  16,  was  chosen  as  a  judge  for  the 
county  4— H  team  in  1962,  and  that  same  year, 
Sherri,  12,  was  picked  as  Junior  Champion  in 
Dairy  Fitting  and  Showing  at  the  county  fair. 
This  is  in  addition  to  the  activities  that  won  dozens 
of  4-H  ribbons  and  awards.  "The  children  just 
wouldn't  have  had  the  opportunity  to  participate 
in  these  things  where  we  lived  before,"  Mrs.  Smith 
said,  "Here,  it  is  the  chief  interest  in  the 
community." 

Today  the  Smiths  own  200  acres  of  land — they 
bought  a  second  nearby  farm  unit  in  1960  to  ac- 
commodate their  rapidly  expanding  farming 
enterprise.    With  the  help  of  his  son  and  one  full- 


time  man,  Mr.  Smith  now  cultivates  180  irrigated 
acres. 

Since  each  of  his  65  milk  cows  alone  consumes 
about  6  tons  of  hay  a  year,  his  farm's  soil  would 
seem  to  pretty  much  have  its  job  cut  out  for  it. 
But  the  soil,  when  properly  treated,  is  apparently 
as  capable  as  the  family,  producing  more  than 
enough  forage  for  the  stock — about  10  percent  of 
it  is  sold  off  the  farm — and  a  substantial  acreage 
of  wheat  and  potatoes. 

Curtis^  Smith  and  his  family  are  truly  innova- 
tors in  dairying  on  the  Columbia  Basin  project. 
Within  8  years  they  have  established  a  substantial 
dairy  enterprise  that  is  a  credit  to  this  country  on 
the  youngest  piece  of  booming  farming  real  estate 
in  the  State. 

And  his  opinion  of  that  real  estate  ?  "What  my 
wife  and  I  recall  of  dryland  farming  is  drought 
and  wind.  We  really  appreciate  this  irrigation 
project."  #  #  # 


21 


7^* 


A  NEW  CROP  GROWS 

On  an  Old  Project 


A  GRAND  old  Reclamation  project  is  contrib- 
uting, in  a  special  way,  to  the  quenching  of 
the  Nation's  thirst  to  the  tune  of  a  million  dollars 
per  year.    And  not  just  with  water. 

In  1962,  560,240  bushels  of  Moravian  malting 
barley  was  grown  by  the  Uncompahgre  project 
farmers  for  manufacturing  of  beer  by  the  Adolph 
Coors  Co. 

Moravian  barley  is  a  specialty  crop  new  to  the 
60-year-old  Uncompahgre  project  and  one  which 
holds  great  promise  for  nearby  proposed  Reclama- 
tion projects — the  Fruitland  Mesa  and  Bostwick 
Park  projects. 

Specialty  crops  are  the  hallmark  of  Federal 
Reclamation  projects.  Although  they  occupy 
only  about  16  percent  of  the  cropped  land,  they 
provide  approximately  40  percent  of  the  farmer's 
income. 

Moravian  barley  is  a  far  cry  from  the  luscious 
fruit  crops  and  sturdy  vegetable  crops  that  people 
usually  think  of  when  crops  from  the  irrigated 
West  are  mentioned.    The  identity  of  this  crop  is 


lost  as  a  major  ingredient  of  fine  American  beer.^ 

With  a  name  sounding  like  something  out  of  the 
"Vienna  Woods,"  Moravian  barley  is  just  about 
that.  In  1949,  Adolph  Coors  Co.  received  a  ship- 
ment of  premium  malt  from  the  Province  oj 
Moravia,  Czechoslovakia  (a  former  Province  o^ 
Austria).  Included  was  a  small  packet  of  seec 
from  the  barley  crop  which  produced  malt, 
few  of  these  seeds  were  planted  in  a  private  gar] 
den  in  Golden,  Colo.,  to  test  their  adaptability 
growing  conditions  there.  Results  were  encourag- 
ing and  from  that  small  planting  has  grown  a  new 
specialty  crop  for  western  irrigated  farms. 

In  1962,  the  Bureau  reports  that  crop  production 
on  the  Uncompahgre  project  area  amounted  to  $5,- 
146,822.  Adolph  Coors  Co.  figures  show  that 
$910,000  of  malting  barley  was  produced  in  the 
area  that  year.  This  bafley  requires  a  favor- 
able growing  climate  with  adequate  amounts  of 
moisture.  Uncompahgre,  with  its  generous  sup-  j 
ply  of  water,  its  mild  daytime  temperatures,  an^J 


22 


cool  nights  is  just  what  the  farmer  ordered,  and 
the  barley  thrives  there. 

Moravian  barley  is  a  midseason-to-late  grain 
with  stiff  straw  growing  24  to  30  inches  high.  The 
kernels  are  plump  and  lend  themselves  well  to  the 
malting  process. 

Farmers  receive,  at  present,  $3.25  per  100  for 
barley  of  malting  quality.  It  must  meet  high 
malting  standards  which  the  Moravian  does.  A 
bushel  weighs  50  to  52  pounds. 

Adolph  Coors  Co.  produces  certified  Moravian 
seed  which  is  grown  from  seed  stock  by  the  Colo- 
rado State  University.  Growers  are  contracted 
to  produce  foundation,  registered,  and  certified 
seed.  They  are  paid  $4.50  per  100  pounds  by  the 
company  for  the  seed.  Malt  barley  producers  buy 
treated  certified  Moravian  seed  for  $6  per  100 
pounds  for  Coors.  All  barley  produced  from 
certified  Moravian  seed  is  purchased  for  malting 
purposes.  Generally,  seed  is  sold  only  to  growers 
who  are  malt  barley  producers. 

This  special  malt  barley  is  planted  from  March 
15  to  April  15,  with  the  earlier  plantings  pre- 
ferred. A  regular  grain  drill  is  used  for  planting, 
the  company  recommending  90  to  100  pounds  of 
seed  per  acre.  Field  men  are  available  to  the 
farmer  on  call  to  advise  them  in  any  phase  of 
production,  including  disease  and  insect  control. 
Irrigation  dates  and  amounts  of  water  to  apply 
are  suggested.  Normally,  five  irrigations  are 
adequate. 

All  Moravian  is  harvested  with  combines  when 
moisture  content  of  the  grain  is  14  percent  or  less. 


If  95  percent  of  the  grain  will  remain  on  a  special 
slotted  screen,  the  field  price  of  $3.25  per  100 
pounds  is  paid  the  grower.  Malting  barley  must 
not  be  mechanically  damaged  over  2  percent. 
After  the  malting  process,  the  remaining  residue 
is  dried,  mixed  with  barley  screenings,  sprouts, 
and  some  yeast.  This  material  is  pelleted  and  sold 
to  beef  feeders  and  to  dairy  men  as  feed  supple- 
ments. 

The  Uncompahgre  project,  on  which  this  new 
enterprise  developed,  is  one  of  the  first  Reclama- 
tion projects  in  the  United  States.  It  was  au- 
thorized by  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  on 
March  14,  1903,  and  consists  of  a  diversion  dam 
on  the  Gunnison  River,  Gunnison  Tunnel,  Taylor 
Park  Dam  and  Reservoir,  canals,  diversion  struc- 
tures, miscellaneous  tunnels,  and  other  structures. 
The  cost  of  constructing  these  facilities  is  repay- 
able by  the  Uncompahgre  Valley  Water  Users 
Association. 

So  great  has  been  the  success  of  the  Moravian 
barley  program  on  the  Uncompahgre  project  that 
the  Adolph  Coors  Co.  envisions  a  21/^ -million- 
bushel  program  in  the  near  future.  Company  of- 
ficials are  looking  with  great  interest  toward  the 
Bostwick  Park  and  Fruit!  and  Mesa  areas  and  the 
proposed  Reclamation  projects  for  future  expan- 
sion. As  the  expected  10-20  percent  per  year 
Moravian  expansion  program  proceeds,  more  areas 
will  be  required  for  its  production  and  a  greater 
number  of  farmers  will  benefit  from  the  proceeds 
of  the  Moravian  barley  enterprise  already  thriving 
on  the  Uncompahgre  project.  #  #  # 


;i_y  »{jpuqt^»»tf!j»^uiyiiM!iif^t.i 


11 


Figure  1. — Irrigator  J.  B.  Adams 
lool<s  over  tliis  field  of  high  quality 
Moravian  barley.  The  Coors  proc- 
essing  plant  and  warehouse   near 

I  Delta,   Colorado,    is    shown    in   the 

I  background. 

i 

i  Figure  2. — Moravian  barley  near- 

]  ing  maturity  is  being   inspected  in 

the  photo  on  p.  22  by  C.  W.  McCart, 

manager    of    the    company's    grain 

storage    plant. 


I 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Specification 
No. 

Project 

Award 
date 

Description  of  work  or  material 

Contractor's  name  and  address 

Contract 
amount 

DS-5944        

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Mont.-Wyo. 

Colorado  River  front 
work  and  levee  sys- 
tem, Calif.-Ariz. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Mont. 

Canadian  River,  Tex.. 

The  Dalles,  Oreg 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Iowa. 

Colorado  River  stor- 
age, Colo. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 

Wyo. 
Missouri  River  Basin, 

S.  Dak. 
Missouri  River  Basin, 

Mont. 
Emery  County,  Utah. 

The  Dalles,  Oreg 

Columbia  Basin, 
Wash. 

Delivery  of  water  to 
Mexico,  Ariz. 

Provo  River,  Utah.... 

Colorado  River 

storage,  Colo. 
Middle  Rio  Grande, 

N.  Mex. 
Missouri  River  Basin, 

Mont.-Wyo. 
do 

Oct.    22 

Oct.    10 

Oct.   31 

Nov.  12 
Oct.     3 

Oct.    14 

Dec.  13 

.  Nov.  20 
Dec.  10 
Dec.     2 
Dec.  11 

Dec.    3 
Nov.  27 

Oct.    25 

Oct.    10 
Oct.    18 
Nov.    8 
Oct.    15 
...do 

Four  electrohydraulic-type  governors  for  hydrau- 
lic turbines  for  Yellowtail  powerplant,  schedule 
2.    (Negotiated  contract.) 

Six  pump-turbines,  six  54-inch  butterfly  valves, 
and  one  valve  operating  system  for  Senator 
Wash  pumping-generating  plant. 

Construction  of  the  61-mile  Custer- Yellowtail 
section  of  the  Yellowtail-Dawson  County 
230-kv  transmission  line. 

Construction  of  90  miles  of  concrete  pipelines  for 
main  aqueduct,  schedule  3. 

Construction  of  45  miles  of  pipelines,  including 
reservoirs  and  pumping  plants,  for  lateral  dis- 
tribution system. 

Construction  of  stage  02  additions  to  Creston 
substation  and  control  equipment  additions  to 
Denison  substation. 

Construction  of  84.5  miles  of  Curecantl-Poncha 
section  of  Curecanti-Midway  230-kv  transmis- 
sion line. 

Construction  of  the  33.37-mile  Glendo-Lusk 
115-kv  transmission  line. 

Construction  of  stage  02  additions  to  Mission  and 
Martin  substations. 

Four  hoists  for  9.93-foot  by  18.98-foot  fixed-wheel 
gates  for  penstock  intakes  at  Yellowtail  dam. 

Construction  of  4.4  miles  of  asphalt-membrane 
lined  and  7.3  miles  unlined  Cottonwood  Creek- 
Huntington  canal,  Sta.  162-1-91.10  to  846-f-OO. 

Construction  of  6.91  miles  of  12.5-kv  electrical  dis- 
tribution and  control  lines. 

Construction  of  8.5  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains 
and  0.7  mile  unlined  open  ditch  dram  for  D78-96 
drainage  system,  block  78. 

Construction  of  8.9  miles  of  channel  lining  and 
modification  of  structures  for  Wellton-Mohawk 
conveyance  channel,  utilizing  concrete-filled 
concrete  blocks,  schedule  2. 

Revision  of  Provo  River  channel,  mile  29.6  to  35.6 
below  Duchesne  tunnel. 

Construction  of  a  warehouse  and  a  storage  garage 
for  Montrose  power  operations  center. 

Clearing  6,428  acres  for  Belen  Unit  5  channeliza- 
tion, schedule  4. 

Clearing  parts  1  and  2  of  Yellowtail  reservoir, 
schedules  1  and  2. 

Clearing  part  5  of  Yellowtail  reservoir,  schedule  3. 

Furnishing  and  applying  buried  asphaltic  mem- 
brane lining  for  reaches  of  Angostura  canal  and 
laterals  11.4  and  11.4A. 

Construction  of.  1.4  miles  of  Superior  flood  way 
channel  32-1-6. 

Construction  of  stage  04A  and  05  additions  to 
Sioux  City  substation. 

Construction  of  stage  02  additions  to  Cochise  sub- 
station. 

Aerial  photography  and  topographic  maps  for 
East  Chaco  area  (negotiated  contract). 

ASEA  Electric,  Inc.,  New  York,  N.Y. 

Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.,  Hydraulic 
and  Special  Projects  Division,  Den- 
ver, Colo. 

Lindberg  Construction  Co.,  James- 
town, N.  Dak. 

Cen-Vi-Ro  of  Texas,  Inc.,  New  York, 

N.Y. 
Beasley  Engineering  Co.,  Emeryville, 

Calif. 

W.  G.  Dale  Electric  Co.,  Cheyenne, 
Wyo. 

Paul  Hardeman,  Inc.,  Stanton,  Calif.. 

Dominion  Construction  Co.,  Lincoln, 
Nebr. 

William  A.  Pearson,  Rapid  City, 
S.  Dak. 

Galland-Henning  Mfg.  Co.,  Milwau- 
kee, Wis. 

R.  A.  Heintz  Construction  Co.,  Port- 
land, Oreg. 

Mark    W.   Chisum,   Inc.,    Portland, 

Oreg. 
B   &  B  Plumbing  &  Heating,  Inc. 

Anacortes,  Wash. 

Karl  A.  Dennis,  dba,  Dennis  Con- 
struction Co.,  Yuma,  Ariz. 

United  Engineers,  Inc.,  Murray,  Utah. 

Lluts  Construction  Co.,  Inc.,  Pueblo, 

Colo. 
N.  H.  Roane,  and  Jean  Roane,  Camp- 

bellton,  Tex. 
E.  R.  McKee  Construction  Co.,  Hul- 

bert,  Okla. 
E.  D.  Robinson,  Clearing  Contractor, 

Cascade,  Colo. 
Hicks  Construction  Co.,  Hot  Springs, 

S.  Dak. 

Grosshans  &  Petersen,  Inc.,  Marys- 

ville,  Kans. 
Powei  Engineering  Co.,  Inc.,  Sioux 

City,  Iowa. 
The  Tide  Co.,  Tacoma,  Wash 

Aero  Service  Corp.,  Philadelphia,  Pa-. 

$162, 620 

DS-5988 

287,  762 

DC-5993 - 

1,659,798 

DC-6000 

12,464,227 

DC-6004 - 

3, 051, 811 

DC-6007 

285,833 

DC-6013 — - 

3,  737, 155 

DC-6018 - 

357,206 

DC-6021 

140, 14e 

DS-6025 - 

168, 88J 

DC-6026 

1, 578, 851 

lOOC-640 

132,996 

lOOC-651 -. 

138, 42i 

300C-195 -- 

169, 60{ 

400C-224     

414, 6i; 

400C-240 

298, 63; 

600C-137 

288,99' 

600C-202 

597,  55. 

600C-202    

126,  24. 

602C-42 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
S.  Dak. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 

Neb. 
Missouri  River  Basin, 

Iowa. 
Parker-Davis,  Ariz 

Navajo  Indian  irriga- 
tion, N.  Mex. 

Oct.    14 

Oct.     3 
Dec.  18 
Dec.  20 
Dec.  16 

174, 64. 

701C-589 - 

120, 48( 

DC-5994 

411, 001 

DC-6020 -. 

199, 9» 

DS-6027 

164, 14: 

Major  Construction  and  Materials  for  Which  Bids  Will  Be  Requested  Through  February  1964 — Continued 


Project 


MRBP,  Wyoming. 


Navajo  Indian  irriga- 
tion, New  Mexico. 


Rio  Grande,  New 
Mexico. 

Rogue  River  Basin, 
Oregon. 


San  Juan-Chama,  New 
Mexico. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Stage  02  additions  to  the  North  Cody  Substation 
will  consist  of  removing  wood-pole  structures; 
constructing  concrete  foundations;  furnishing  and 
erecting  steel  structures;  removing  and  reinstall- 
ing structure-mounted  electrical  equipment;  and 
furnishing  and  installing  associated  electrical 
equipment.    Near  Cody. 

Constructing  a  tunnel  headworks  structure  con- 
sisting of  a  reinforced -concrete  trashrack  structure 
with  metal  trashrack,  and  a  relnforced-concrete 
gate  shaft  about  140-ft  high  with  two  9-  by  12-ft 
fixed-wheel  gates  and  two  9-  by  12-ft  radial  gates 
with  hoists,  and  about  2  miles  of  concrete-lined 
tunnel  of  19-ft-diameter  horseshoe  shape,  or  19.5- 
ft-diameter  circular.    Near  Farmington. 

Constructing  a  residence,  a  shop  and  warehouse 
building,  about  3  miles  of  roads,  and  recreational 
facilities.    Near  Truth  or  Consequences. 

Preparing  subgrade  and  applying  pneumatic 
mortar  lining  to  about  9,100  lin  ft  of  existing 
laterals  with  bottom  width  varying  from  12  to  4  ft. 
Near  Medford. 

Constructing  about  13  miles  of  concrete-lined 
ttmnel  of  10-ft  7-in.  diameter  horseshoe  shape  or 
10-ft  10-in.  diameter  circular.    Near  Chama. 


Project 


Seedskadee,  Wyoming.. 


Weber  Basin,  Utah. 


Do. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Clearing,  leveling,  constructing  irrigation  ditches 
and  fencing  for  a  375-acre  farm;  installing  a  three 
unit  river  pumping  station;  moving  two  relocat 
able  residences  and  two  prefabricated  nieta 
garages  to  farm  from  government  camp;  and  pre 
viding  culinary  water  supply  and  sewage  dis 
posal  facilities.  About  35  miles  northwest  c 
Green  River. 

Constructing  East  Canyon  Dam,  a  35,000-cu-y' 
concrete  arch  structure  about  260-ft  high  an' 
450-ft  long,  with  an  uncontrolled  crest  spillway  i: 
left  abutment,  and  an  outlet  works  consisting  c 
a  2-ft  9-in.  by  2-ft  9-m.  conduit  through  the  dar 
controlled  by  high-pressure  gates.  Work  wi 
also  include  relocating  about  2.5  miles  of  count 
road  and  about  2  mUes  of  access  road.  On  Eas 
Canyon  Creek  about  11  miles  southeast  of  Moi 
gan. 

Constructing  about  1,800  lin  ft  of  12-in.-diamete 
pipeline  and  one  3-cfs  pumping  plant.  Plpolin 
will  be  constructed  of  pretensioned  concrete-stet 
cylinder  pipe  or  mortar-lined  and  coated  or  moi 
tar-lined  and  wrapped  steel  pipe  or  asbcstof 
cement  pipe  at  contractor  s  option.  Nea 
Bountiful. 


24 


U.    S.    GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE  :  1964  O  -  715-975 


Major   Construction   and   Materials   for   Which   Bids    Will   Be 
Requested  Through  February  1964* 


Project 


Arbuckle,  Okla- 


Boulder  Canyon,  Nev. 
and  Ariz. 


Canadian  River,  Texas. 
Do 


Central  Valley,  Calif. 


Do. 


Colo.  River  front  work 
and  levee  system, 
Calif. 


Do. 


Colo.  River  storage  and 
Parker-Davis,  Ariz. 


Colo.     River     storage 
Colo. 

Do 

Do 

Do 

Do 

Do.... 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Do. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  Arbuckle  Dam,  a  2  750,000-cu-yd 
earthflll  structure,  about  140  ft  high  and  2,000  ft 
long,  with  a  glory  hole  intake  spillway,  a  9-ft  6- 
in.  diameter  cut-and-cover  conduit,  and  a  stilling 
basin.  The  river  and  municipal  outlets  will  be 
7-ft  6-in.  and  3-ft  0-in.  diameter  cut-and-cover 
conduits  respectively.  On  Rock  Creek  about 
6  miles  southwest  of  Sulphur. 
Installing  Transformer  "Z"  at  the  Hoover  Dam 
switchyard  will  consist  of  constructing  reinforced- 
concrete  foundations;  installing  a  25,000-kva 
power  transformer,  bus  structure,  metering  and 
relaying  cubicle;  and  constructing  a  structural- 
steel  takeoff  structure  on  the  roof  of  the  Nevada 
powerplant.  The  installation  will  consist  of 
lowering  the  transformer  by  means  of  a  150-ton 
cableway  and  drifting  it  onto  the  powerplant 
roof.  The  transformer  will  then  be  skidded 
about  500  ft  along  the  roof  to  the  point  of  installa- 
tion. Work  will  also  include  constructing  con- 
crete footings;  furnishing  and  erecting  steel 
towers;  and  furnishing  and  stringing  conductors 
for  about  0.43  mile  of  69-kv  transmission  line; 
constructing  concrete  foundations;  furnishing 
and  erecting  steel  structures;  and  installing  mis- 
cellaneous electrical  equipment  to  modify  the 
existing  69-kv  switchyard. 
Clearing  trees,  brush,  and  buildings  from  the  San- 
ford  Reservoir  area.  Near  Fritch. 
Constructing  four  indoor-type  pumping  plants  each 
having  a  43-ft-wide  by  151-ft-long  reinforced- 
concrete  substructure,  with  five  motor-driven 
pumping  units  having  a  total  capacity  of  683.4 
cfs.  The  plants  will  have  structural-steel  super- 
structures supporting  either  5-  or  7.5-ton  cranes 
and  will  be  enclosed  with  insulated  metal  siding. 
Between  Sanford  and  Amarillo. 

Constructing  the  Los  Banos  Creek  Detention  Dam , 
a  2  100,000-cu-yd  earthflll  structure  about  154  ft 
higkand  1,370  ft  long,  with  a  chute-type  spillway 
in  the  left  abutment  and  an  outlet  works  consist- 
ing of  an  intake  structure,  a  concrete-lined  tun- 
nel, control  structure,  and  stilling  basin.  Work 
will  also  include  earthwork  and  surfacing  for 
about  2  miles  of  access  road  and  constructing  a 
service  road  to  the  control  structure.  On  Los 
Banos  Creek,  7  miles  southwest  of  Los  Banos. 

Work  for  Red  Bank  Creek  channel  improvement 
will  consist  of  constructing  a  protective  dike 
adjacent  to  Red  Bank  Creek;  and  stabilization 
along  the  Sacramento  River  near  the  Riverside 
Estates.  Alternative  bids  will  be  accepted  on 
the  dike  and  the  bank  stabilization  for  riprap  or 
soil-cement  slope  protection. 

Constructing  foundations  and  furnishing  and  erect- 
ing about  20  miles  of  wood-pole,  69-kv  transmis- 
sion line  from  Qila  Substation  to  Senator  Wash 
Pumping  Plant,  and  constructing  69-kv  addition 
to  Gila  Substation.    Northwest  of  Yuma. 

Constructing  concrete  conveyance  chaimels  for 
discharge  of  12  drainage  wells.    Near  Yuma. 

Stage  02  additions  to  Mesa  Substation  will  consist 
of  furnishing  and  installing  three  230-kv  breakers; 
stage  03  additions  will  consist  of  constructing 
concrete  foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting 
steel  structures;  furnishing  two  230-kv  breakers, 
one  of  which  is  to  be  installed;  and  furnishing  and 
installing  associated  electrical  equipment. 

Clearing  trees,  brush,  structures,  and  other  im- 
provements from  about  9,180  acres  of  reservoir 
area.    Twenty  miles  west  of  Gunnison. 

Constructing  a  100-  by  155-ft  maintenance  shop,  a 
60-  by  155-ft  service  garage,  and  a  small  pump- 
house  with  two  100-hp  vertical  turbine  pumps, 
at  Montrose. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  about  17  miles  of 
Gunnison  County  Road  No.  7  relocation.  About 
10  miles  west  of  Gunnison. 

Constructing  a  1,500-kva  substation  and  installing 
an  underground  distribution  system.  At  Mon- 
trose. 

One  300-ton-capacity  overhead  traveling  crane  for 
Morrow  Point  powerplant.  Estimated  weight: 
350,000  lb. 

Two  101,880-ft-lb  cabinet-type  actuator  governors 
for  regulating  the  speed  of  two  41,500-hp  turbines 
at  Blue  Mesa  powerplant. 

Constructing  about  60  miles  of  open  laterals  with 
bottom  widths  varying  from  10  to  2  ft,  about 
28  miles  of  which  will  be  lined  with  unreinforced- 
concrete  lining  and  about  30  miles  of  which  will  be 
lined  with  compacted  earth  lining.  Block  81, 
near  Othello. 

Constructing  about  6.7  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains 
for  Farm  Unit  15,  block  11;  and  Farm  Units  110, 
111,  114,  and  117,  block  20.    Northwest  of  Mesa. 


Emery  County,  Utah. 


Fryingpan  -  Arkansas, 
Colo. 


MRBP,  Minnesota. 


MRBP,  Montana. 


MRBP,  Nebraska. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do- 


Do. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


MRBP,  No.  Dakota.... 


MRBP,  So.  Dakota. 


Constructing  the  reinforced-concrete  Swasey  Di- 
version Dam  consisting  of  an  ogee  overflow  weir 
about  75  ft  long,  a  canal  head  works  structure  with 
two  72-ft  by  48-in.  cast  iron  slide  gates,  a  sluice- 
way structure  with  one  10-  by  10-ft  radial  gate 
and  about  800  ft  of  compacted  earth  dikes;  and 
tn'A"^'""'^  ^^  structures  for  about  3.6  miles  of 
12-ft  bottom  width  open  canal,  part  of  which  Is 
to  be  lined  with  buried  asphalt  membrane  lining. 
Near  Castle  Dale. 

Constructing  field  office  facilities  consisting  of  a  24- 
by  132-ft  metal  office  building,  a  28-  by  52-ft  metal 
laboratory  building,  a  32-  by  60-ft  metal  drilling 
operations  building,  and  a  20-  by  220-ft  metal 
garage  building.    Work  will  also  consist  of  con- 

.  structmg  access  roads,  parking  areas,  and  utilities. 
Near  Ruedi. 

Additions  to  the  Granite  Falls  Substation  will 
consist  of  constructing  concrete  foundations; 
furnishing  and  erecting  steel  structures;  and  fur- 
nishing and  installing  one  115-  and  two  69-kv 
circuit  breakers  and  associated  electrical  equip- 
ment. 

Constructing  Yellowtail  Afterbay  Diversion  Dam, 
an  earthflll  and  concrete  structure  about  53-ft 
high  and  about  1,400-ft  long,  with  a  sluiceway  and 
a  gated  overflow  spillway.  Work  will  also 
include  constructing  a  canal  headworks  in  the 
nght  abutment  for  diversion  into  the  existing 
Big  Horn  Canal.  Sluiceway  will  contain  three 
120-  by  96-in.  slide  gates,  the  spillway  five  30-ft 
by  13-ft  6-in.  radial  gates,  and  the  headworks  two 
120-  by  96-in.  slide  gates.  Sluiceway  and  head- 
works  gates  will  be  automatically  operated  from 
a  rating  section  and  gaging  station  in  the  canal. 
On  the  Big  Horn  River,  about  2  miles  down- 
stream from  Yellowtail  Dam  and  about  40  miles 
southwest  of  Hardin. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  about  40  miles  of 
open  laterals  with  bottom  widths  varying  from 
18  to  3  ft,  of  which  about  26  miles  will  be  lined 
with  compacted  earth  lining.  Ainsworth  lat- 
erals, second  section.    Near  Ainsworth. 

Constructing  about  10  miles  of  20-ft-wide  roadway 
with  4-in.  bituminous  sand  mat  surfacing,  a  32-ft- 
span  timber  bridge,  parking  areas,  and  recreation 
facilities.  At  Merritt  Reservoir,  about  25  miles 
southwest  of  Valentine. 

Constructing  Stegall  Substation,  stage  01,  will  con- 
sist of  constructing  a  concrete  masonry  service 
building;  constructing  foundations;  furnishing 
and  erecting  steel  structures;  furnishing  and  in- 
stalling three  single-phase,  33,333-kva,  230/115-kv 
autotransformers,  two  230-kv,  six  115-kv  and  two 
14.4-kv  circuit  breakers,  six  single-phase,  5,000- 
kva  shimt  reactors,  and  associated  electrical 
equipment;  and  grading  and  fencing  the  area. 
Near  Gering. 

Constructing  Deer  Station  Pumping  Plant,  an 
outdoor-type,  wet-sump,  reinforced-concrete 
plant,  about  20-ft  wide  and  36-ft  long  and  17-ft 
deep.  The  contractor  will  furnish  and  install 
four  vertical  turbine,  electric-motor-driven 
pumping  units  with  a  total  capacity  of  27  cfs  at 
110  ft.    North  of  Grand  Island. 

Construction  Hillsboro  Substation,  stage  01,  will 
consist  of  constructing  a  concrete  masonry  unit 
service  building;  constructing  foimdations;  fur- 
nishing and  erecting  steel  structures;  installing 
one  3-phase,  6,000-kva,  115/69/12.4-kv  transformer 
and  one  14.4-kv  circuit  breaker  and  associated 
electrical  equipment;  and  grading  and  fencing 
the  area. 

Furnishing  and  stringing  six  1,272  MCM  conduc- 
tors and  two  steel  strand,  overhead  ground  wires 
for  about  146.2  miles  of  double-circuit,  steel  tower 
line  except  that  2-conductor  bimdle  of  656.5 
MCM,  ACSR  will  be  used  in  lieu  of  single  con- 
ductor 1,272  MCM,  ACSR  as  follows:  For  both 
circuits  in  about  3.8  miles  of  line  and  for  one  cir- 
cuit in  about  4  miles  of  line.  From  Fort  Thomp- 
son Substation  to  Sioux  Falls  Substation. 

Constructing  the  New  Underwood  Substation  will 
consist  of  constructing  a  64-  by  50-ft  concrete 
masonry  warehouse  and  garage  and  a  76-ft  4-in. 
by  37-ft  4-in.  concrete  masonry  service  building; 
constructing  foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting 
steel  structures;  furnishing  and  installing  three 
single-phase,  100-mva,  230/115-kv  transformers, 
two  230-kv  and  four  115-kv  circuit  breakers,  and 
three  banks  of  16.5-mva  reactors,  and  associated 
electrical  equipment;  and  grading  and  fencing 
the  area. 


*Subject  to  change. 


(Continued  on  page  24) 


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Reclamation 


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iU^fA  an.  MO. 

fSyfiLIC  LIBRARY 
4UN  1*1964 


RECLAMATION  EXPERIMENT  GETS  A  LIFT 


Reclamation 

ERA 


MAY   1964 
Volume  50,  No.  2 


OTTIS   PETERSON,    Assistant  to  the   Com- 
missioner— Information 
GORDON  J.  FORSYTH,  Editor 


25.  "THE  LAND  OF  THE  QUEEN  OF 
SHEBA" 

hy  Clyde  E.  Burdick 

29.  RECLAMATION      EXPERIMENT 
GETS  A  LIFT 

81.  RESEARCH  WITH  A  ROADMAP 

33.  A  STITCH  IN  TIME  .  .  . 

hy  S.  T.  Larsen 

35.  ANNUAL    WORKSHOP    PRACTI- 
CAL FOR  IRRIGATORS 

39.  RECLAMATION  MILESTONES  . . . 

40.  GLEN  CANYON  UNIT  WINS  TOP 

ENGINEERING  AWARD 

41.  BOOKSHELF  FOR  WATER 

USERS 

42.  JOHNSON     NAMED     PLANNING 

OFFICER;    ALDRICH    TO    DI- 
RECT REGION  6 

43.  CONSERVATION  AWARDS 

44.  46  and  47.  REGIONS  IN  PICTURES 

45.  ANNIVERSARY     REFLECTIONS 

OF  BUREAU  LEADERSHIP 


United  States  Department  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.  Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,   Floyd  E.   Dominy,   Commissioner 

Washington  Office:  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Washington,  D.C,  20240. 

Commissioner's  Staff 

Assistant  Commissioner N.  B.  Bennett 

Assistant  Commissioner W.  P.  Kane 

Assistant  Commissioner W.  I.  Palmer 

Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado B.  P.  Bellport 

REGIONAL  OFFICES 

REGION  1:  Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  937,  Reclamation  Building,  Fairgrounds,  Idaho,  83701. 

REGION  2:  Robert  J.  Pafford,  Jr.,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacramento,  Calif.,  95811. 

REGION  3:  A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  City,  Nev.,  89005. 

REGION  4:  Frank  M.  Clinton,  Regional  Director,  32  Exchange  Place,  P.O.  Box  360,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  84110. 

REGION  5:  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Office  Building,  7th  and  Taylor,  Amarillo,  Tex.,  79105. 

REGION  6:  Harold  E.  Aldrieh,  Regional  Director,  7th  and  Central,  P.O.  Box  2553,  Billings,  Mont.,  59101. 

REGION  7:  Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo.,  80225. 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Washington,  D.C,  20240.     Use  of  funds  for  printing  this 

publication  has  been  approved  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31, 1961. 

ForsalebytheSuperintendentof  Documents,  U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.C,  20402.    Price  15  cents  (single  copy).    Subscription 
price:  Eight  issues  (2  years)  for  $L00  ($1.60  for  foreign  mailing). 


Foreign  Aid  in — 


44 


The  Land  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba 


r>r> 


THE  BUKEAU  of  Reclamation  has  been  called 
upon  to  provide  technical  assistance  in  water 
resourses  development  in  many  foreign  countries, 
but  perhaps  assistance  in  few  of  the  countries  offers 
the  unusualness  and  excitement  of  the  ancient 
empire  of  Ethiopia.  A  team  of  Reclamation 
employees  recently  returned  to  the  United  States 
after  completing  a  5-year  investigation  survey  of 
Ethiopia's  Blue  Nile  River  Basin. 

The  program  was  conducted  under  an  inter- 
agency agreement  between  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion and  the  Agency  for  International  Develop- 
ment of  the  Department  of  State,  as  a  part  of  the 
United  States  foreign  aid  program  to  assist  under- 
developed nations. 

Primarily  the  program,  in  this  case,  was  to  pro- 
vide technical  assistance  to  the  Imperial  Ethiopian 
Government  in  inventorying  the  land  and  water 
resources  of  the  great  Blue  Nile  River  Basin,  to 
assist  them  in  the  development  of  a  Water  Re- 
sources Department,  to  train  personnel  in  the 
technical  and  administrative  fields,  and  to  prepare 
a  report  evaluating  potential  projects  and  pre- 
senting a  general  plan  of  development. 

It  was  a  challenging  assignment,  and  living  and 
working  in  the  Empire  of  Ethiopia  involved  some 
difficulties. 

Ethiopia  has  an  area  of  about  450,000  square 
miles  and  a  population  of  about  20  million  people, 
of  which  about  90  percent  are  engaged  in  a  sub- 
sistence type  of  agriculture  much  the  same  as  their 
ancestors  practiced  for  thousands  of  years.  Ethio- 
pia is  situated  in  part  of  the  "Horn  of  Africa,"  in 
the  eastern  corner  of  the  continent  bordering  the 
Red  Sea.  The  southernmost  tip  of  Ethiopia  is 
only  about  250  miles  north  of  the  Equator. 

The  central  area  of  the  country  is  a  vast 
plateau  having  an  average  elevation  of  about  8,000 
feet  but  with  a  number  of  mountains  that  rise 
above  the  plateau  to  elevations  of  12  to  15  thousand 
feet.  Around  the  perimeter,  the  terrain  drops  off 
to  the  flat  lowlands  and  tropical  desert.  The  pla- 
teau is  cut  by  the  Great  Rift,  the  canyons  of  the 
Blue  Nile,  and  numberless  other  valleys  and  gorges 
with  steep  sidewalls  often  thousands  of  feet  down. 


by  CLYDE   E.  BURDICK, 

Team    Leader    and    Project    Engineer, 
Blue  Nile  River  Investigations  Project 


The    railroad    station   at  Addis   Ababa,    capital   city   of   Ethiopia. 

It  is  one  of  the  most  spectacularly  beautiful 
areas  of  the  world,  but  it  disguises  a  harshness 
that  with  other  factors  has  isolated  Ethiopia  from 
the  rest  of  the  world  until  recent  years. 

The  Government  of  Ethiopia  is  a  constitutional 
monarchy.  The  ruling  monarch,  His  Imperial 
Majesty  Haile  Selassie  I,  Emperor  of  Ethiopia, 
King  of  Kings,  Elect  of  God,  and  Conquering 
Lion  of  Judah,  began  his  reign  as  Regent  in  1916 
and  ascended  to  the  throne  as  Emperor  on  Novem- 
ber 2,  1930.  Contrary  to  the  belief  of  many  who 
have  not  visited  the  area,  the  capital  city  of  Addis 
Ababa,  where  the  Reclamation  team  was  to  make 
its  headquarters,  has  a  delightful  and  healthful  cli- 
mate in  spite  of  its  proximity  to  the  Equator. 
Here  on  the  plateau,  the  daytime  temperatures 
range  from  about  60°  to  80°  F.  throughout  the 
year.  The  nights  are  cool,  and  a  small  fire  in  the 
fireplace  during  the  evening  w\as  always  pleasant. 


May  1964 


25 


When  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy  arrived  in  Ethiopia  to  make 
an  inspection  of  Reclamation  work  there,  this  picture  was  taken 
at  Bureau  headquarters.  Left  to  right  are  Gorton,  Ato  Teshome, 
Johnson,  Halliday,  Curits,  Albert,  Borgeson,  Burdick  (the  author), 
Kim,  Scott,  Austin,  Sower,  Commissioner  Dominy,  Ato  Mebrahtu, 
Mabbott,  Ato  Kefyalew,  Bright,  Sipinen,  Abbott  and  Ato  Mersha. 


Wet  and  Dry  Seasons 

There  are  only  two  recognizable  seasons — the 
dry  season  and  the  season  of  the  big  rains.  During 
the  dry  season  in  February  and  March,  the  coun- 
tryside is  brown,  and  livestock  must  be  driven 
many  miles  to  water.  In  the  season  of  the  big 
rains,  however,  June  through  September,  Ethiopia 
receives  about  80  percent  of  her  approximately 
80  inches  of  annual  rainfall,  and  countryside  turns 
a  lush  green.  Streambeds,  dry  for  months,  then 
carry  torrents  of  water  and  overflow  their  banks. 
Fields  become  too  wet  to  work,  and  all  roads  except 
those  with  hard  surfaces  become  impassable  to 
traffic. 

The  lowlands  surrounding  the  plateau  have  a 
similar  pattern  of  rainfall,  but  the  temperatures 
are  much  higher  and  the  climate  can  be  considered 
tropical.  Most  of  the  people  live  on  the  highlands 
above  6,000  feet. 

Ethiopia  is  often  referred  to  as  "The  Land  of  the 
Queen  of  Sheba"  or  "The  Land  of  the  Lion  of 
Judah."  Both  names  are  deeply  rooted  in  Ethio- 
pian lore.  According  to  their  history,  Queen 
Makeda,  one  of  the  early  rulers  as  the  Queen  of 
Sheba,  was  the  sovereign  of  a  rich  and  powerful 
kingdom  including  not  only  the  greater  part  of 
Ethiopia  but  also  much  of  present  day  Yemen 
across  the  Red  Sea.  Legend  records  that  the 
Queen  of  Sheba  bore  Solomon's  son,  Menelek,  who 
became  King  Menelek  I,  thus  launching  the  Ethio- 
pian dynasty  known  today  as  the  Solomonic  line. 

Ethiopia  is  a  country  shrouded  in  mystery.    But 


26 


it  is  believed  that  the  earliest  people  were  of  Hami- 
tic  origin  and  that  early  Semitic  immigration  in- 
fluenced the  Ethiopian  i*acial  characteristics. 
Amharic  is  the  national  language  of  Ethiopia. 
However,  English  is  spoken  by  many  countrymen 
and  the  Reclamation  personnel  soon  acquired  a 
working  knowledge  of  Amharic.  Consequently, 
they  had  little  difficulty  communicating  with 
Ethiopian  personnel  employed  on  the  investiga- 
tion. 

Named  Blue  Nile 

The  Blue  Nile — surely  not  named  for  the  color 
of  its  water,  but  likely,  because  of  the  smoky  haze 
that  hangs  in  the  canyon — drains  about  80,000 
square  miles  or  approximately  the  northwestern 
one-sixth  of  the  nation.  Its  length  within  Ethio- 
pian borders  is  about  540  miles,  and  at  the  Suda- 
nese border  it  discharges  about  40  million  acre- feet 
annually.  To  help  visualize  the  extent  of  the  Blue 
Nile  Basin,  a  rough  comparison  with  the  Colorado 
River  in  the  United  States  follows : 


Drainage  area square  miles 

Length miles 

Discharge  at  border acre-feet 

per  year 

Average  flow  at  border cubic 

feet  per  second 


Blue  Nile 
80,000 
540 


Colorado 
244,000 
1,400 


40,  000,  000     17,  700,  000 
56,  000  22,  800 


The  Reclamation  team  was  confronted  with 
many  problems  common  to  most  basin- wide  in- 
vestigations.   However,    here    they    were    com- 

A  Reclamation  employee  explains  drawings  to  Ethiopians. 


The  Reclamation  Era    \ 

i 


Three    trained    Ethiopians    are    preparing    to    make   a    streamflow 
measurement. 


pounded  by  lack  of  experienced  help;  rough  in- 
accurate maps  of  the  area ;  and  a  single  road  into 
the  interior  of  the  basin  which  could  be  traveled 
only  by  four-wheel  drive  vehicles  during  the  dry 
season.  During  the  big  rains  transportation  was 
a  major  problem  and  the  road  became  impassable 
to  all  vehicles.  Helicopters  were  used  extensively, 
but  even  this  modern  transportation  required  a 
great  deal  of  ground  support  to  keep  it  moving. 
Each  helicopter  with  its  pilot  and  two  passengers, 
could  fly  about  2i^  hours  or  a  radius  of  about  75 
miles  from  a  base  of  operations.  Therefore,  to 
cover  the  interior  of  the  basin  it  was  necessary  to 
move  a  camp  with  equipment,  aviation  gasoline, 
and  other  supplies  by  truck  over  rough  terrain 
following  animal  trails  or  foot  paths  not  developed 
for  vehicle  travel. 

In  some  remote  areas,  the  camp  and  supplies 
were  ferried  in  by  helicopter  before  flying  in  the 
personnel.  If  flying  exceeded  3  or  4  days,  the 
Ethiopian  airlines,  who  provided  the  helicopter 
service  under  contract,  would  send  along  a  field 
mechanic  to  service  them.  For  short  flights,  the 
pilot  did  this  himself.  The  pilots  were  mostly 
Frenchmen  and  the  mechanics  Germans,  each  usu- 


ally speaking  only  a  smattering  of  English. 
Occasionally  this  resulted  in  amusing  and  often 
exasperating  experiences. 

In  one  instance,  a  Bureau  engineer  flying  with 
a  French  pilot  pointed  to  a  huge  pile  of  sawdust 
beside  a  sawmill.  The  pilot,  thinking  he  wanted 
to  land  and  mistaking  the  sawdust  for  sand, 
swooped  down  and  landed  causing  a  storm  of  saw- 
dust. After  the  natives  and  the  Italian  manager, 
who  had  run  out  from  all  directions  to  surround 
the  pile  of  sawdust  to  watch  the  copter  land,  had 
finally  cleared  their  eyes,  ears  and  hair,  the  visitors 
were  given  a  hearty  welcome.  Although  the  Ital- 
ian could  speak  neither  French  nor  English,  a 
greeting  was  readily  conveyed  and  a  drink  of  tea 
enjoyed.  For  the  departure,  the  spectators  stood 
well  back  from  the  impending  storm  of  sawdust. 

On  another  occasion,  an  8-foot  length  of  36-inch 
corrugated  iron  pipe  was  being  transported  by 
helicopter  to  a  remote  streamgage  station  site. 
The  rope  holding  the  pipe  beneath  the  helicopter 
broke,  and  the  local  people,  assuming  they  were 
being  bombarded  by  a  foreign  enemy,  took  a  few 
shots  at  the  copter  and  then  "dug  in"  to  defend 
their  territory.  Operations  were  suspended  in  the 
area  for  a  few  days  while  the  police  moved  in  to 
assure  the  people  that  the  "invaders"  were 
friendly.  This  station  was  located  in  a  4,000-foot 
deep  canyon,  and  all  materials  and  equipment, 
including  a  cableway,  were  flown  in,  piece  by 
piece,  and  assembled  on  the  site. 

Colorful  But  Noisy 

Construction  of  each  of  the  21  major  gaging 
stations  presented  diverse  problems,  comic  inci- 
dents, and  occasional  serious  consequences.  One 
station,  accessible  only  by  helicopter  or  on  foot, 
required  a  cable  of  greater  weight  than  could  be 
carried  by  the  helicopter.  Solution?  A  native 
porter  every  6  feet  of  its  630-foot  length  carried  it 
about  25  miles  down  into  the  deep  canyon.  This 
colorful  but  noisy  human  chain  tramped  in  unison 
as  a  precision  drill  team,  over  rocks,  around  trees, 
and  across  gullies  to  complete  the  trek  in  less  than 
2  days. 

After  the  gaging  stations  were  constructed,  the 
operation  and  collection  of  records  presented  a 
new  problem.  Construction  work  had  been  done, 
mainly,  during  the  dry  season,  but  now  it  was  im- 
portant to  operate  stations  and  collect  records 
during  the  rainy  season  when  most  of  the  runoff 


May  1964 


27 


This  semipermanent  camp  scene 
near  the  Sudan  border  shows  a 
portion   of   the   parked   helicopter. 


occurs.  At  first,  when  the  stations  were  few  and 
Ethiopian  personnel  lacked  training,  an  engineer 
with  a  group  of  Ethiopian  trainees  operated  the 
station  and  made  daily  measurements.  As  more 
stations  were  constructed  and  the  Ethiopian  per- 
sonnel trained,  the  operations  were  gradually 
turned  over  to  the  home  forces  and  the  Bureau  men 
continued  in  an  advisory  capacity. 

Helicopter  transportation,  with  the  hazards  of 
seasonal  heavy  rain  and  low  hanging  clouds,  was 
often  cause  for  serious  concern.  Emergency  and 
crash  landings  occurred  quite  frequently,  how- 
ever, only  one  fatal  crash  occurred.  It  resulted 
in  the  death  of  the  British  pilot  and  two  Bureau 
soil  scientists.  Other  crashes  seriously  damaging 
the  aircraft,  or  injuring  the  passengers  were  few. 
Occasionally,  a  team  would  be  forced  to  spend  a 
few  days  in  "the  bush"  on  short  rations  waiting 
for  rescue  after  failure  of  the  copter's  motor, 
battery,  or  for  some  other  disabling  cause. 

For  5  days,  two  hydrologists  were  stranded  at 
the  Shogali  gaging  station  with  only  a  day's  ra- 
tions. Their  helicopter  battery  had  failed,  pre- 
venting a  radio  appeal  for  help.  Search  planes 
located  them  on  the  fifth  day  and  returned  them 
to  headquarters,  hungry  but  otherwise  in  good 
condition. 

Wild  game  is  usually  plentiful  and  the  engineer 
with  a  good  eye  and  a  high  powered  rifle  generally 
supplied  the  field  camp  with  meat.  Some  of  the 
Bureau  field  personnel  also  were  camera  fans  who 
collected  pictures  of  the  country,  people,  and 
wildlife. 

A  few  popular  photogenic  subjects  are  the 
ancient  castles  of  Gondar,  the  stone  churches  of 


Lalibela  carved  in  solid  rock,  Tis  Isat  Falls  on  the 
Blue  Nile,  and  the  very  old  churches  of  Axum. 

Home  Life 

For  the  families  and  those  members  of  the  team 
whose  duties  did  not  require  field  travel,  Addis 
Ababa  was  not  an  unpleasant  place  to  live.  Thea- 
ters, churches,  schools,  and  several  hospitals  are 
located  there,  and  the  Imperial  Golf  Club  pro- 
vided adequate  recreation. 

A  trip  to  Asmara,  Eritrea,  once  during  a  tour 
of  duty,  was  almost  a  must.  This  620-mile  drive 
over  a  scenic,  mountainous,  gravel  surfaced  high- 
way was  usually  a  3-day  trip.  Several  cars  usually 
formed  a  caravan.  Upon  arrival  in  Asmara,  the 
snack  bar  at  the  U.S.  Army  Kagnew  Station  was 
an  early  stop  for  hamburgers,  malts,  and  ice  cream, 
which  were  unavailable  in  Addis  Ababa. 

Fieldwork  for  the  Blue  Nile  investigation  was 
completed  in  late  1963  and  the  team  returned  to 
the  United  States  to  complete  the  preparation  of 
a  report.  It  is  necessary  to  outline  plans  for  the 
development  of  the  projects  which  are  planned  to 
irrigate  about  one  million  acres  of  land  and  pro- 
vide about  five  million  kilowatts  of  hydroelectric 
power  capacity. 

Ethiopia  is  one  of  the  most  underdeveloped 
countries  in  the  world,  but  has  vast  land  and  water 
resources.  The  Imperial  Government  is  making 
the  ejffort  to  develop  them  and  to  improve  its  na- 
tional economy  and  the  standard  of  living  for  its 
people.  Their  Eeclamation  program  includes  ob- 
taining expert  guidance  which  we  believe  will  assist 
that  country  and  lead  to  the  utilization  of  valuable 
resources  of  the  Blue  Nile  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Ethiopian  people.  #  #  # 


28 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Reclamation  Experiment 
gets  a 

LIFT 


One  of  the  most  dramatic  phases  of  an  experi- 
ment in  finding  new  designs  and  construction 
methods  for  economical  and  efficient  power  trans- 
mission lines  was  staged  in  the  northeastern  Ari- 
zona desert.  Here,  in  a  land  where  history  is  kept 
alive  by  the  remains  of  1,100-year-old  cliff  dwell- 
ings, the  air  of  January  mornings  in  1964  were 
stirred  by  the  rotors  of  a  hovering  helicopter  erect- 
ing new  transmission  towers. 

In  near-freezing  temperatures  on  January 
27-28,  the  Bureau  for  the  first  time  raised  into  po- 
sition the  sections  of  transmission  towers  slung 
from  a  "whirlybird."  They  were  among  28  spe- 
cial test  towers  constructed  in  an  8-mile  section  in 
the  182-mile-long  Glen  Canyon-Shiprock  Trans- 
mission Line  scheduled  soon  to  carry  230-kilovolt 
power  from  giant  Glen  Canyon  Dam  powerplant. 

Data  from  the  8-mile  line  will  aid  in  determin- 
ing which  new  types  of  high-voltage  towers  can 
economically  be  developed,  fabricated,  and  erected. 
Particular  interest  has  been  centered  in  transport- 
ing and  tower  erecting  by  helicopter. 

Construction  Helicopters,  Inc.,  contractor  for 
the  experiment,  flew  a  Model  204B  Bell  helicopter. 
The  ground  crew  wore  dust  goggles  for  safety  and 
replaced  their  "hard  hats"  with  more  snug  fitting 
football  helmets  which  could  not  be  blown  off  in 
copter  wind. 

The  contractor  erected  two,  three-legged  alumi- 
num towers  in  three  lifts  each  by  helicopter.  Also, 
two,  four-legged,  aluminum  towers  were  erected  by 
the  aircraft  except  for  the  bottom  sections  which 
were  raised  by  crane,  shown  standing  by  in  some 
of  the  accompanying  photos. 

For  raising  the  upper  sections  of  the  tower,  a 
carefully  measured  steel  cable  sling  was  fastened 
by  a  cargo  hook,  while  the  helicopter  hovered  over 
a  preassembled  section.  The  copter  then  raised 
the  new  section  vertically  and  brought  it  into  posi- 
tion. Alignment  of  the  section  into  exact  posi- 
tion was  accomplished  by  two  groundmen  holding 
long  tag  lines  attached  at  the  other  end  to  suspend 
tower  sections  as  shown  in  accompanying  photos. 


May  1964 


29 


When  properly  aligned,  the  tower  crews  at  the 
corners  bolted  the  section  into  place.  Tower  men 
then  moved  away  to  avoid  the  falling  sling  which 
was  released  from  the  aircraft  by  the  pilot.  In- 
structions between  the  pilot  and  ground  crew  were 
aided  by  using  radio  and  hand  signals. 

Accurate  time  records  were  kept  on  the  place- 
ment of  each  section.  Seven  to  nine  minutes  were 
needed  for  average  placement,  exclusive  of  final 
tightening  of  bolts  or  guys. 

Following  completion  of  the  towers  and  the 
stringing  of  conductors  and  ground  wires  will  be 
the  installation  of  strain  gages  and  other  special 
equipment  to  record  structural  performance. 


Performance  of  the  test  section  is  expected  to 
provide  valuable  data.  Newly  designed  transmis- 
sion towers  which  will  be  economical  to  build  and 
erect  are  anticipated  for  a  wide  variety  of  climatic, 
topographic,  and  foundation  conditions.  And 
probably  some,  like  these  experimental  towers,  will 
be  given  a  "lift  from  the  sky." 

In  the  meantime,  the  Bureau  has  learned  that 
construction  by  helicopter  can  be  effectively  and 
safely  carried  out,  and  crews  have  learned  impor- 
tant details  of  a  new  construction  procedure. 

### 

The  cover  photos  and  the  others  accompanying  this  article  are  by 
A.  E.  Turner. 


'~kJi 

\f%     / 

C-»'  / 

j^f'^-i..lh^'     Jt 

"        \ 

/    M:V^~^ 

II 


RAISED  BY  CRANE — Three  linemen  guide  the  leg  of  an  aluminum 
H-frame  structure  onto  a  foundation  ball.  It  is  part  of  the  test 
section  of  towers  described  in  the  story,  but  the  leg  was  raised  by 
the  crane  shown  in  other  photos. 


A  FINISHING  TOUCH  ON  A  CONVENTIONAL  TOWER — A  lineman 
perches  on  a  high  beam  and  attaches  an  insulator  assembly.  This 
conventional  structure  was  raised  by  the  crane  in  another  part  of 
the  transmission  line  spanning  the  1 82  miles  from  Glen  Canyon 
Powerplant  in  Arizona,  to  Shiprock,  N.  Mex. 


30 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Testing  Away  From  Home 


RESEARCH  WITH  A 

ROADMAP 


Reclamation's  Research  Center  at  Denver  has 
put  much  of  its  electrical  test  program  on  wheels 
to  make  on-the-spot  studies  of  Bureau  power  fa- 
cilities throughout  the  Western  United  States. 
Characteristics  of  Reclamation  power  systems  and 
the  adequacy  of  the  ever  increasing  variety  of  elec- 
trical apparatus  and  equipment  will  be  examined 
in  a  new  mobile  laboratory,  recently  outfitted  to 
do  a  long  needed  and  hoped  for  job. 

Although  many  investigations  can  be  performed 
in  a  regular  laboratory,  much  important  informa- 
tion can  be  obtained  only  from  the  power  system 
itself.  The  performance  of  certain  electrical  ap- 
paratus is  influenced  as  much  by  the  far  flung 
power  system  to  which  it  is  connected  as  by  its 
internal  design.  Conclusive  performance  tests  of 
such  apparatus  must  be  made  while  it  is  energized 
by  the  system  it  is  to  serve. 

Another  important  need  is  to  verify  the  coordi- 
nation or  teamwork  performance  of  the  many  dif- 
ferent devices  which  must  execute  their  functions 
in  a  fraction  of  a  second.  The  requirement  calls 
for  laboratory  precision  and  versatility  but  at 
many  different  field  locations  in  turn. 

These  are  the  kinds  of  jobs  that  will  challenge 
the  traveling  laboratory.  The  trailer  housing  this 
new  custom  designed  mobile  laboratory  is  11^ 
feet  high,  8  feet  wide,  32  feet  long,  and  weighs 
16,600  pounds,  including  equipment.  At  this  size 
and  weight,  the  laboratory  can  be  transported  over 
Western  State  highways  without  need  for  special 
permit. 

The  laboratory  is  more  completely  equipped 
than  any  other  now  in  use.  The  principal  record- 
ing instrument  is  an  oscillograph,  which  provides 
a  permanent  record  of  both  static  and  dynamic 
electric  phenomena.  The  model  used  is  the  latest 
design  magnetic  oscillograph,  capable  of  "direct 
write"  records  for  instant  viewing. 

The  mobile  laboratory  is  equipped  with  many 
communication  facilities.  These  include  appara- 
tus for  extension  from  conventional  dial  telephone 
system,  facilities  for  extension  from  handcrank 

May  1964 


ringer  systems,  connection  to  powerline  carrier 
telephone  and  a  complete  independent  local  tele- 
phone system  for  communication  during  setup  and 
test. 

The  unit  is  also  equipped  with  a  radio,  tunable 
to  each  of  the  project  radio  systems,  as  well  as  a 
public  address^system  to  assist  in  conducting  tests. 

A  self-contained  engine-driven  power  supply 
provides  complete  power  independence.  This  same 
generating  unit  is  capable  of  operating  the  heating 
and  air-conditioning  equipment. 

Thus  equipped,  the  laboratory  will  permit  vital 
performance  tests  and  data  collection  for  a  wide 


Side  compartment  is  handy  for  operators  to  use  reels,  instruments 
and  other  contents. 


i 


iV      % 


m 


Inside  equipment  includes  console  for  control  of  power  apparatus; 
also  public  address  system,  radio,  telephone  and  auxiliary  power 
cet. 


range  of  power  system  requirements  including 
verification  of .  performance  of  new  equipment, 
identification  of  deficiencies  of  old  equipment,  and 
the  determination  of  system  requirements  which 
future  apparatus  must  meet. 

Testing  of  the  new  features  being  employed  on 
the  gigantic  Colorado  River  Storage  Project  is 
among  the  more  important  and  more  urgent  jobs 
it  will  be  doing. 

For  much  of  its  work,  the  mobile  laboratory  will 
be  transported  with  most  of  its  instrumentation 
interconnections  already  made  up,  saving  much 
time  on  the  site.  A  compartment  of  cables  on  reels 
for  external  connections  expedites  setup  and 
power-driven-rewind  speeds  preparation  for  the 
next  move. 

Manned  with  Bureau  specialists  and  a  driver, 
and  equipped  with  portable  power  instruments 
for  a  variety  of  field  power  jobs,  relay  tests  and 
adjustments,  meter  tests  and  a  complete  set  of  ver- 
satile electronic  instruments,  the  mobile  laboratory 
helps  the  Bureau  perform  valuable  research  "with 
a  roadmap."  #  #  # 


Cables  are  unreeled  and  connected  quickly  after  the  unit  is  brought  to  a  power  substation. 

16,600   pounds. 


The  laboratory  is  32  feet  long  and  weighs 


32 


The  Reclamation  Era 


1 


A  STITCH  IN  TIME  .  .  . 


by  S.  T.  LARSEN,  chief, 

Maintenance  Engineering  Branch, 
Denver,  Colo. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  since  its  establish- 
ment in  1902,  has  designed  and  directed  the  con- 
struction of  over  $4.3  billion  worth  of  facilities  to 
serve  the  citizens  of  19  Western  States,  including 
Alaska  and  Hawaii. 

Projects  of  the  Bureau  range  in  size  from  the 
Intake  Project,  canal  and  pumping  plant  costing 
$94,000,  to  the  Missouri  River  Basin  Project,  cov- 
ering 10  States,  which  ultimately  will  cost  $3.5 
billion.  Projects  authorized  by  Congress  number 
136  and  will  reflect  a  total  cost  of  more  than  $9.1 
billion  when  completed. 

Regardless  of  the  care  in  design,  construction, 
purchase  of  materials,  or  other  precautions  in 
the  planning  and  building  of  a  project,  its  facil- 
ities will  deteriorate  if  they  do  not  have  systematic 
and  continuing  maintenance. 

Now,  the  Bureau  is  more  than  61  years  old  and 

many  of  its  early  structures  are  nearing,  or  have 

passed,   the  half-century   mark — structures  that 

would  require  many  times  their  original  construc- 

■  tion  cost  to  replace.    A  recent  tabulation  of  Bureau 

I  structures  listed  171  storage  dams,  96  diversion 

jdams,    44   powerplant   structures,   449   pumping 

plants,  6,040  miles  of  main  supply  canals,  and 

other  special   features,  such  as  major  desilting 

works,  aqueducts,  siphons  and  tunnels. 

May  1964 


Fifteen  years  ago,  the  Bureau  recognized  the 
need  for  preserving  these  features.  It  broadened 
its  efforts  of  increasing  maintenance  with  initia- 
tion of  the  Review  of  Maintenance  Program.  The 
program  provides  for  the  regular  examination  of 
all  irrigation  facilities  with  emphasis  on  discov- 
ering the  need  for  repairs  before  deterioration  ad- 
vances to  the  point  of  being  costly  to  correct.  Its 
purpose  is  to  encourage  the  highest  practical  level 
of  maintenance  and  recommend,  and  assist  in, 
structure  and  equipment  improvements. 

Safeguard  Continues 

This  effort  to  provide  a  "stitch  in  time"  for  the 
facilities  built  by  the  Bureau  does  not  stop  when 
they  are  turned  over  to  the  water  users  for  opera- 
tion and  maintenance.  In  continuing  to  safeguard 
the  public  investment,  regional  directors  of  the 
Bureau's  seven  regions  are  responsible  for  proper 
maintenance  of  Reclamation  projects  by  these  op- 
erating officials.  There  is  the  need  for  cooperation 
to  provide  maximum  benefits  as  well  as  the  periodic 
examination  while  costs  for  repair  or  replacement 
would  be  minimal. 

The  regional  staff  examines  the  project  works 
biennially  and  representatives  of  the  Chief  Engi- 
neer's Office  of  Denver,  Colo.,  examine  principal 
structures  and  facilities  at  least  once  every  6  years. 

The  review  team  watches  while  a  4-inch  thickness  of  new  concrete 
is  being  placed  over  a  deteriorated  concrete  lining  in  Deer  Flat 
Low  Line  Canal  near  the  Snake  River,  Idaho. 


33 


i  724  -  672   O  -  64  -  2 


A    newly   constructed   wasteway   box   on   a    lateral    in    the    Boise 
Project  area  also  is  inspected. 

This  program  also  provides  opportunities  to 
maintain  contracts  and  to  learn  of  operating  prob- 
lems and  the  condition  of  projects. 

A  typical  review  of  a  facility  is  made  by  repre- 
sentatives of  the  several  groups  involved — exam- 
ining engineers  from  the  Chief  Engineer's  Office, 
engineers  from  the  Bureau's  regional  office  and 
project  office,  representatives  of  the  irrigation  dis- 
trict, project  board  of  control,  and  possibly  others 
as  well. 

Ideas  of  operation  and  maintenance  procedures 
are  exchanged  and  data  are  gathered  on  perform- 
ance leading  to  improvements  of  designs. 

Good  cooperation  has  been  achieved  among  these 
representatives.  They  have  found  that  the  peri- 
odic visits  by  Bureau  personnel  afford  excellent 
opportunities  to  discuss  O&M  problems  with  those 
who  have  access  to  the  extensive  Bureau  research 
and  engineering  facilities  at  the  Denver  office. 

With  the  Denver  staff  conducting  examinations 
of  the  hundreds  of  major  facilities,  the  examina- 
tions by  the  region  are  proving  to  be  important 
supplements  to  Denver's  findings  and  recommen- 
dations. 

The  review  group  thoroughly  examines  struc- 
tures and  facilities  and  recommends  maintenance 
work  that  is  considered  advisable.  In  most  in- 
stances, agreement  by  all  parties  on  the  need  for 
repairs  and  exchange  of  ideas  on  the  methods  of 
repair  are  possible  during  the  field  examination. 


Three  Categories 

Decisions  on  repairs  are  categorized  and 
recorded  according  to  urgency.  Category  (1)  is 
for  the  safety  or  adequate  functioning  of  the  fa- 
cilities, and  is  considered  an  emergency  need  re- 
quiring immediate  action.  In  Category  (2)  a  wide 
range  of  important  actions  are  indicated  to  prevent 
or  reduce  further  damage  or  guard  against  even- 
tual operational  failure.  Matters  of  lesser  impor- 
tance are  identified  in  Category  (3)  suggestions 
which  the  review  team  believe  to  be  sound  and  bene- 
ficial to  the  facility,  with  the  work  to  be  done  as 
funds  and  personnel  permit. 

A  complete  record  of  all  findings,  observations, 
and  recommendations  is  maintained.  The  Chief 
Engineer  periodically  calls  on  the  regional  offices 
for  reports  on  the  status  of  uncompleted  recom- 
mendations. A  detailed  report  also  is  prepared 
annually  by  the  Chief  Engineer  for  the  Commis- 
sioner's office  in  Washington,  D.C. 

Upon  completion  of  scheduled  examinations, 
meetings  are  held  in  the  regional  office  to  discuss 
findings  and  recommendations.  This  includes 
both  the  broad  aspects  of  maintenance  problems, 
as  well  as  specific  problems. 

These  findings  are  of  benefit  to  every  group  rep- 
resented. The  success  or  failure  of  materials  or 
design  is  considered  and  this  has  a  strong  influence 
on  future  work.  Through  continuing  research, 
the  latest  devices  and  materials,  in  turn,  are  made 
available  to  the  project.  Regular  examinations 
also  provide  useful  information  for  budgeting  of 
( Continued  on  page  38 ) 

The  review  team  is  inspecting  the  newly  repaired  concrete  bottom 
of  Mora  Canal  on  the  Boise  Project. 


34 


The  Reclamation  Era 


ANNUAL  WORKSHOP  PRACTICAL  FOR  IRRIGATORS 


Practical  solutions  to  operating  problems  were 
presented  at  the  third  annual  Irrigation  Operators' 
Workshop,  held  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
during  November  1963,  at  Denver,  Colo.  In  this, 
the  largest  Bureau  workshop  held,  117  persons  rep- 
lesenting  all  17  Western  Reclamation  States,  6 
universities  and  4  foreign  countries,  attended. 

Specialists  conducted  courses,  presenting  infor- 
mation on  techniques  and  practices  from  a  variety 
of  fields  for  the  benefit  of  project  personnel  who 
are  directly  responsible  for  the  technical  details 
of  operating  and  maintaining  irrigation  systems. 
General  open  discussion  was  a  part  of  each  session. 

Each  person  attended  10  basic  courses  consid- 
ered to  be  fundamental  to  all  irrigation  systems. 
Additional  optional  courses  were  offered  to  cover 
special  interests.  Copies  of  the  lecture  notes  for 
each  course  are  available  from  Chief  Engineer,  At- 
tention 841,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo., 
80225. 


Concrete  Practices — The  standard  equipment  on 
a  project  most  often  is  adequate  to  properly  con- 
struct, maintain  and  repair  operating  structures  if 
reasonable  care  is  exercised. 

The  proper  cement  and  well  graded  aggregate 
(sand  and  gravel)  should  be  used.  When  using 
ready-mixed  concrete,  this  material  should  be  ob- 
tained from  a  supplier  who  is  well  equipped  to 
control  the  quality  of  his  product. 

Certain  repairs  of  concrete  can  be  done  success- 
fully by  use  of  epoxies  and  low-pressure  grout- 
ing. Preparation  for  repair,  curing,  and  care  of 
repairs,  and  the  general  maintenance  of  canal 
structures  are  important  considerations. 

(Presented  by  G.  B.  Wallace,  A.  B.  Crosby,  and 
L.  J.  Mitchell  of  the  Concrete  and  Structural 
Branch,  Division  of  Research.) 

Equipnnent  Management — Equipment  on  a  proj- 
ect is  selected  according  to  the  work  to  be  done 


The  study  of  concrete  practices  included  a   demonstration  of  the  use  of  epoxies. 


May  1964 


35 


t 


V 


Field    techniques    for    testing    the    worl<ability    and    consistency    of  concrete  are  demonstrated. 


and  the  versatility  and  adaptability  of  the 
machines. 

Owning,  as  opposed  to  renting,  sufficient  equip- 
ment to  perform  all  required  work  is  an  important 
factor  to  consider.  The  size  of  the  project  and 
the  type  of  system  are  among  the  principal 
considerations  to  be  weighed  in  evaluating  one 
piece  of  equipment  against  another,  prior  to 
purchasing. 

It  is  useful  and  important  to  keep  cost  records 
for  individual  pieces  of  equipment  so  that  costs  of 
operation  and  ownership  are  always  available. 

(Presented  by  Richard  H.  Kennedy,  Chief  of 
Irrigation  Operations,  on  the  Bureau's  East  Bench 
Unit  at  Dillon,  Mont.) 

Operation  and  Maintenance  Safety — Many  ir- 
rigation projects  have  unsafe  practices  resulting  in 
high  incidence  of  lost-time  accidents.  A  safety 
program  is  a  good  investment  because  it  reduces 
workmens'  compensation  premiums,  lost  time,  and 
enhances  employee  welfare.  The  average  proj- 
ect, large  or  small,  can  take  positive  steps  toward 
elimination  of  occupational  and  public  injuries. 

(Presented  by  E.  R.  Wheeler,  Safety  Director 
for  the  Salt  River  Project,  Arizona,  and  K.  E. 
Surratt  of  the  same  organization.) 

Pipe  /Systems  Maintenance — Pipe  leaks  are  the 
most  common  maintenance  problem  of  water  dis- 


tricts, and  there  are  various  successful  methods  of 
repair. 

Poor  maintenance  practices  on  pipelines  is  not 
good  policy. 

(Presented  by  H.  E.  Van  Every,  Head  of  the 
Water  Maintenance  Section  for  the  Bureau's  re- 
gional office  in  Sacramento,  Calif.) 


Associate  Chief  Engineer  E.  V.  Lindseth  awards  certificates  to  par- 
ticipants upon  completion  of  the  1963  workshop. 


36 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Project  Management — It  was  urged  that  meth- 
ods and  procedures  be  developed  for  long-range 
maintenance  programs.  Routine  activities  as  well 
as  the  unusual  jobs  should  be  planned  and  budg- 
eted for,  and  large  expenditures  should  be  antici- 
pated and  provided  for. 

The  manager  and  board  should  function  to- 
gether as  a  team,  and  the  principles  of  maintain- 
ing favorable  relations  between  management,  em- 
ployees, and  water  users  should  be  observed. 

(Presented  by  Robert  M.  Fagerberg  of  the  Sho- 
shone Irrigation  District  at  Powell,  Wyo.) 

Protection  of  surfaces — Samples  of  various  coat- 
ings were  sub  j  ected  to  tests  and  exhibited.  The  se- 
lection of  the  proper  coating  for  a  given  surface  is 
emphasized. 

Adequate  cleanup  of  surfaces  prior  to  coating 
application,  methods  of  cleanup,  preparation  of 
coating  application  and  curing  are  important  to 
the  protection  of  surfaces. 

(Presented  by  P.  W.  Lewis  and  J.  L.  Kiewit  of 
the  Bureau's  Coatings  Sealers  and  Plastics  Sec- 
tion.) 

Rehabilitation  of  Distribution  Systems — Many 
irrigation  districts,  particularly  older  ones,  are  re- 
placing open  chutes,  troublesome  reaches  of  later- 
als and  leaky  channels  with  pipe.  This  is  being 
done  in  many  cases  as  part  of  a  rehabilitation  and 
betterment  program  which  often  includes  the  re- 
placement of  other  structures  in  the  system. 

Replacing  canal  and  lateral  structures  with  mod- 
em facilities  involves  design  considerations. 
There  are  also  other  means  of  improving  the  oper- 
ation of  an  open  or  closed  system.  Adequate  main- 
tenance is  important. 

(Presented  by  B.  A.  Prichard  of  the  Operations 
Engineering  Branch  (Irrigation)  and  M.  E.  Day 
of  the  Canals  Design  Branch.) 

Canal  Lining  and  Soil  Sealants — The  more  com- 
mon types  of  linings  are  slip-form  concrete,  earth, 
and  asphalt  and  plastic  membranes. 

The  methods  of  installation  and  relative  costs 
of  each  type,  as  well  as  the  advantages  and  disad- 
vantages of  each,  should  be  weighed  for  their  mer- 
its. Experiments  are  in  progress  on  soil  sealant 
materials  to  reduce  seepage  from  channels  and 
ponds. 

(Presented  by  R.  J.  Willson  of  the  Maintenance 
Engineering  Branch — Irrigation.) 

Water  Management — Water  may  be  measured 
effectively  even  under  adverse  conditions  if  the 
basic  principles  are  understood  and  good  practices 


exercised.  One  new  development  in  water  meas- 
urement is  the  use  of  radioisotopes. 

The  control  and  distribution  of  irrigation  water 
include  establishing  good  rules  and  regulations  by 
the  board  of  control,  a  good  system  of  scheduling 
water,  and  the  necessary  controls  to  accomplish 
uniform  service  to  all  users  with  a  minimum  of 
waste. 

Water  records  must  be  maintained  to  effectively 
manage  the  water  supply  under  any  delivery 
system. 

(Presented  by  A.  J.  Peterka  and  J.  C.  Schuster 
of  the  Special  Investigations  Section  and  P.  L. 
House,  Manager,  Owyhee  Project  North  Board  of 
Control.) 

Weed  Control — "During  the  past  20  years,  we 
have  seen  the  science  of  weed  control  advance  more 
than  in  the  previous  100  centuries." 

Assistance  can  be  secured  on  weed  control  prob- 
lems, a  good  grass  seeding  program,  control  equip- 
ment, and  in  obtaining  specifications  and  require- 
ments used  in  procurement  of  herbicides.  The 
identification  of  the  weed  problem,  selection  of  the 
method  of  control,  application,  and  equipment  are 
important  in  both  land  and  aquatic  weeds. 

(Presented  by  Dean  M.  Schachterle  of  Region 
7  in  Denver.) 

Cathodic  Protection — The  method  of  preventing 
corrosion  by  applying  a  direct  electrical  current 
to  submerged  or  buried  steel  requires  the  appli- 
cation of  sound  engineering  principles. 

(Presented  by  L.  O.  Timblin,  Jr.,  and  T.  E. 
Backstrom  of  the  Chemical  Engineering  Branch.) 

Drainage — "Today  drainage  is  out  of  the  guess- 
ing and  speculating  stage  where  it  had  so  long 
been." 

Although  sound  judgment  is  still  essential  to  a 
good  job,  the  technical  tools  are  now  available  to 
make  drainage  a  precise  and  economically  feasible 
engineering  undertaking. 

The  basic  principles  involve  symptoms,  causes, 
and  solutions  to  drainage  problems.  Symptoms 
of  the  problems  include  rising  ground  water, 
waterlogging,  salinization,  soil  deterioration,  and 
crop  response. 

(Presented  by  Charles  N.  Maierhofer,  Chief  of 
the  Division  of  Drainage  and  Groundwater  Engi- 
neering.) 

Earth  Construction  Practices — In  judging  the 
adequacy  of  foundations,  the  irrigation  operator 
must  consider  bearing  capacity,  stability,  settle- 
ment, expansion,  deterioration,  and  permeability. 


May  1964 


37 


Information  is  available  in  the  Bureau's  Earth 
Manual  on  the  construction  of  roads,  embankments, 
linings,  blankets  and  filters  placement  of  backfill, 
blending  of  materials  from  borrow  pits,  the  meth- 
ods of  determining  the  quality  of  the  work  accom- 
plished, soil  properties  and  methods  for  identi- 
fying and  selecting  soils  for  structural  purposes. 

(Presented  by  H.  J.  Gibbs  and  A.  A.  Wagner 
of  the  Soils  Engineering  Branch.) 

Electrical  Maintenance — Proper  care,  stocking 
of  spare  parts  and  periodic  inspections  are  pre- 
ventive maintenance  practices  which  can  minimize 
costs  of  electrical  maintenance. 

(Presented  by  John  M.  Eyer,  Chief  of  the 
Bureau's  Eeplacement  Engineering  Branch — 
Irrigation.) 

Electronic  Control  of  Irrigation  Systems — Re- 
mote and  automatic  control  facilities  have  been 
installed  on  many  irrigation  projects  to  control 
the  operation  of  pumping  plants,  bifurcation 
works,  diversion  works,  canal  checks  and  other 
facilities. 

Reduced  operating  costs,  through  labor  savings, 
and  efficient  operation,  have  justified  these  installa- 
tions to  irrigation  projects. 

(Presented  by  P.  R.  Hanson  of  the  Bureau's 
Maintenance  Engineering  Branch — Power.) 

Pump  Maintenance — The  characteristics  of  each 
type  of  pump  and  problems  or  troubles  commonly 
encountered  were  discussed  as  were  the  stocking 


of  spare  parts,  need  for  periodic  inspection  and 
repair  or  replacement  or  parts. 

(Presented  by  W.  W.  Beck  of  the  Hydraulic 
Machinery  Branch.) 

Water  Conservation — The  conservation  of  our 
water  resources  is  recognized  as  a  national  prob- 
lem and  one  in  which  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
is  actively  interested. 

Studies  on  the  control  of  evaporation  from  reser- 
voirs, weather  modification,  and  desalination  of 
water  are  undeway. 

(Presented  by  Walter  W.  Garstka,  Chief  of  the 
Bureau's  Water  Conservation  Branch.) 

Labor  and  Human  Relations — "Labor  Relations 
on  Irrigation  Projects,"  was  the  subject  of  a  talk     .J 
by  H.  Shipley  Associate  General  Manager  of  the      1 
Salt  River  Project,  Phoenix,  Ariz.,  at  the  first  of 
two  evening  meetings. 

Professor  Otis  Lipstreau,  of  the  University  of 
Colorado,  addressed  the  second  evening  meeting 
on  the  subject,  "What  is  a  Person  ?"  Basic  human 
relations  considerations  should  be  observed  by  irri- 
gation managers  in  dealing  with  boards  of  direc- 
tors, water  users,  employees,  and  the  general  public. 
Professor  Lipstreau  said.  (Copies  of  these  two 
speeches  are  not  available.) 

Responses  to  the  workshops  has  been  enthusias- 
tic and  the  Bureau's  Division  of  Irrigation  Opera- 
tions plans  to  continue  them  annually.         #  #  # 


A  Stitch  in  Time 

{Continued  from  page  3Jf) 

funds  for  maintenance,  and  for  spacing  mainte- 
nance projects  to  avoid  overloads  of  work. 

Over  the  years,  the  program  has  grown.  This 
growth  will  continue  as  the  age  of  the  projects  in- 
creases, and  as  additional  projects  are  transferred 
from  the  construction  stage  to  operation  and  main- 
tenance by  the  Bureau  or  the  water  users. 

Early  in  the  examination  program  it  was  ob- 
served that  little  maintenance  had  been  done  on 
some  of  the  older  structures.  This  presented  the 
challenge  of  bringing  the  condition  of  these  facili- 
ties up  to  an  acceptable  level. 

In  other  cases,  it  was  found  that  older  dams 
had  no  written  maintenance  and  operating  instruc- 
tions. Without  these  instructions,  in  some  in- 
stances, systematic  maintenance  of  mechanical 
equipment  had  been  lacking.   Among  other  things. 


gear  cases  had  not  been  drained,  oil  levels  had  not 
been  replenished,  and  bearings  had  not  been 
greased. 

Since  instructions  are  now  provided  for  the  op- 
eration and  maintenance  of  Bureau  equipment, 
operators  can  test  and  use  it  to  its  full  capability. 
As  operators  become  familiar  with  the  instruc- 
tions, the  possibility  of  damage  or  malfunction, 
should  an  emergency  occur,  is  decreased. 

The  effect  of  the  Review  of  Maintenance  Pro- 
gram on  these  situations  has  been  apparent  almost 
immediately.  Gradually,  as  the  years  passed,  the 
general  condition  of  the  facilities  has  been  up- 
graded to  the  point  now  that  the  cost  and  number 
of  repairs  recommended  for  each  facility  are  ex- 
pected to  diminish;  demonstrating  that  "a  stitch 
in  time  saves  nine."  #  #  # 


38 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Reclamation 

Milestones  .  .  . 

J  The  facing  operation  on  Merritt  Dam,  princi- 
\  pal  feature  of  the  Ainsworth  Unit  of  the  Missouri 
River  Basin  Project,  is  shown  in  the  picture  on 
1  this  page.  A  black  asphalt  curing  compound  has 
I  been  placed  over  the  soil  cement  coating,  a  tough 
new  Bureau  development  now  used  on  some  earth- 
fill  dams  and  other  reclamation  structures.  A  few 
ramps  of  ordinary  soil  iBxtend  up  the  side  of  the 
newly  faced  dam  for  use  by  dump  trucks  hauling 
the  upstream  facing  material  to  placing  areas  from 
the  road  below. 

If  it  were  not  for  the  successful  tests  of  soil 
cement,  this  earthfill  dam,  completed  early  this 
year,  might  not  have  been  built,  or  might  have 
been  built  with  a  more  costly  protective  facing. 
A  number  of  visitors  with  special  interests  in 
the  operation  came  to  the  site  during  construction 
to  observe  the  facing  work. 

A  more  complete  article  on  this  process  entitled, 
"Soil  Cement  Protection  Pays,"  is  in  the  Novem- 
ber 1963  issue  of  the  Rechobmation  Era. 

Utilizing  high-speed  instrumentation  and  ad- 
vanced techniques  of  stress  analyses,  Bureau 
engineers  are  able  to  make  rapid  evaluations  of 
stresses  in  Flaming  Gorge  Dam,  a  502-foot  high 
structure  on  the  Colorado  River  Storage  Project 
in  northern  Utah. 
Wk  During  placement  of  the  970,000-cubic  yards  of 
mass  concrete  in  Flaming  Gorge  Dam,  more  than 
1,100  stress  and  strain  measuring  instruments  were 
embedded  in  the  concrete.   Technicians  read  the  in- 


struments periodically  and  forwarded  the  data  to 
the  Bureau's  high-speed  electronic  data  processing 
and  plotting  equipment  in  Denver,  Colo.,  where 
results  can  be  computed  in  the  relatively  short 
period  of  a  few  weeks. 

Computation  results  are  valuable  to  Bureau 
stress  analysts  and  designers  in  evaluating  the 
structural  behavior  of  the  dam  during  cycles  of 
filling  with  water,  drawdown  (run-off  water), 
temperature  change,  droughts  and  floods. 

Although  the  behavior  of  concrete  Bureau 
structures  has  been  under  continuous  study  for  the 
past  six  decades,  instrumentation  has  made  it  pos- 
sible for  the  first  time  for  the  Bureau  also  to  keep 
abreast  of  the  structural  behavior  of  a  dam  start- 
ing immediately  with  concrete  placement  through 
the  various  periods  of  reservoir  filling  and  draw- 
down. 

At  previously  constructed  concrete  dams,  some 
150,000  readings  from  stress  and  strain  measuring 
instruments  embedded  in  each  dam  were  required 
to  be  reduced  annually  by  manual  computation 
methods.  As  a  result,  knowledge  of  the  condi- 
tions within  the  dam  was  impossible  to  obtain 
until  months,  or  even  years  after  readings  were 
made.  #  #  # 


iver  Sport 


Photo  by  D.   J.   Weir. 


Tubing  down  Boise  River  is  extremely  popular 

dth  people  of  all  ages  in  Boise  Valley.    On  Sun- 

Jday  afternoons,  one  may  see  scores  of  groups  such 

[as  those  shown  in  the  picture  on  this  page,  floating 

ion  inner  tubes  or  air  mattresses.    They  begin  their 

lescent  from  a  point  just  below  Diversion  Dam 

land  float  to  the  recently  completed  Ann  Morrison 

iPark.    This  sport  continues  through  the  summer 

)ecause  of  the  regulated  flow  of  water  for  irriga- 

Ition.    A  recent  issue  of  Sports  Illustrated  helped 

'bring  this  activity  to  national  attention.     #  #  # 

May  1964 


GLEN  CANYON  UNIT  WINS  TOP  ENGINEERING  AWARD 


The  Bureau's  Glen  Canyon  Bridge,  Dam  and  Powerplant  on  the  Colorado 
River  Storage  Project  was  named  winner  in  the  national  competition  for  the 
"Outstanding  Engineering  Achievement  Award — 1964."  Selection  of  the 
winner  from  a  group  of  eight  nominees  was  made  by  seven  editors  of  engineering 
magazines.  The  award  is  given  annually  by  the  American  Society  of  Civil 
Engineers  to  "the  engineering  project  that  demonstrates  the  greatest  engineering 
skills  and  represents  the  greatest  contribution  to  civil  engineering  and  mankind." 

The  ASCE  announcement  stated,  ".  .  .  the  Glen  Canyon  Project  is  one 
of  the  largest  construction  projects  ever  undertaken  in  the  United  States. 
Rising  710  feet,  the  dam  is  only  16  feet  less  than  Hoover  Dam  in  height,  but 
exceeds  it  in  concrete  volume.  Glen  Canyon  Bridge,  which  is  adjacent  to  the 
dam.,  is  the  world's  highest  single  span  steel  arch.  The  dramatic  project  is 
destined  to  profoundly  change  an  almost  uninhabited  arid  wasteland." 

An  award  made  in  1960  named  Glen  Canyon  Bridge  as  the  most  beautiful 
bridge  among  those  with  spans  of  400  feet  or  more  built  in  1959.  Certificates 
of  the  award,  one  to  the  Bureau  and  one  to  designer  Robert  Sailer,  were 
presented  by  the  American  Institute  of  Steel  Construction,  sponsor  of  the 
Aesthetic   Prize  Bridge   competition.  #  #  # 


40 


The  Reclamation  Era 


BOOKSHELF  for  water  users 


Revised   Earth  Manual   Published 

A  revised  first  edition  of  the  Bureau's  Earth 
Manual  has  been  published.  This  783-page  edition 
has  incorporated  several  new  and  improved  test 
methods  ii^cluding  alternate  tests  for  soil  consist- 
ency and  relative  density  of  cohesionless  soils. 
The  manual  provides  current  technical  informa- 
tion on  the  field  and  laboratory  investigations  and 
construction  control  of  soils  used  as  foundations 
and  materials  for  dams,  canals,  and  many  other 
types  of  structures  built  for  Reclamation  projects. 
Cost  is  $3.75. 

Research   Report  is  Announced 

Research — Engineering  Methods  amd  Materials^ 
the  first  of  a  new  series  of  Bureau  research  report 
publications,  is  available.  The  137-page  booklet 
contains  pictures  and  information  on  15  Bureau 
research  efforts  and  an  appendix.  It  describes 
research  in  concrete,  soil  mechanics,  hydraulics, 
chemistry,  physics,  petrography  and  electric 
power.    Copies  are  available  for  50  cents. 

Monograph  No.  25  is   Revised 

Engineering  Monograph  No.  25  entitled.  Hy- 
draulic Design  of  Stilling  Basins  amd  Energy  Dis- 
sipators,  a  water  resources  technical  publication, 
has  been  revised.  It  contains  217  pages  and  a 
bibliography,  and  was  prepared  by  A.  J.  Peterka, 
of  the  Division  of  Research  of  the  Office  of  Chief 
Engineer,  Denver,  Colo.     Cost  is  $1.75. 

The  monograph  generalizes  the  design  of  still- 
ing basins,  energy  dissipators  of  several  kinds  and 
associated  appurtenances.  General  design  rules 
are  presented  so  that  the  necessary  dimensions  for 
a  particular  structure  may  be  easily  and  quickly 
determined,  and  the  selected  values  checked  by 


others  without  the  need  for  exceptional  judgment 
or  extensive  previous  experience.  It  contains  es- 
sentially the  information  contained  in  several  of 
the  Bureau's  Hydraulic  Laboratory  Reports  pre- 
pared by  Mr.  Peterka,  J.  N.  Bradley,  G.  L.  Beich- 
ley  and  T.  J.  Rhone,  dated  from  1955  to  1961. 

New  Concrete  Manual  To  Be  in  Spanish  and 
Portuguese 

The  seventh  edition  of  the  Bureau's  Concrete 
Mamual^  published  in  late  1963,  will  be  translated 
into  both  Spanish  and  Portuguese.  The  desir- 
ability of  translating  the  manual  into  both  of  these 
languages  is  to  give  it  the  widest  possible  use  on 
construction  projects  out  of  this  country  financed 
by  loans  or  grants  from  the  United  States.  Cost 
of  the  English  version  is  $3.25. 

Copies  of  the  above  publications  may  be  ob- 
tained from  the  Superintendent  of  Documents, 
U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington, 
D.C.,  20402,  and  the  Chief  Engineer,  Bureau  of 
Reclamation,  Attention:  Code  841,  Denver  Fed- 
eral Center,  Denver,  Colo.,  80225. 

Nevs^  Guide  for  All  Bureau  Authors 

As  part  of  the  Bureau's  efforts  to  keep  its  en- 
gineers, scientists,  and  management  personnel 
aware  of  worldwide  advances  in  the  technology 
of  water  resources  development,  a  new  publication. 
Thesaurus  of  Descriptors^  has  been  approved  for 
use  in  the  Bureau, 

Because  of  their  natural  familiarity  with  their 
own  writings,  all  Bureau  authors  of  any  technical 
reclamation  information  are  now  requested  to  in- 
clude with  their  work  an  informative  abstract  of 
about  200  words  in  length  and  a  keyword  index 
using  the  Thesaurus  of  Descriptors  as  a  guide. 
The  new  system  provides  assurance  that  an  au- 
thor's work  will  not  be  buried  or  lost  and  that 


May  1964 


41 


wider  use  and  recognition  can  be  made  of  his  in- 
formation. For  reference  to  official  authorization, 
see  Commissioner's  Memorandum  No.  162,  Decem- 
ber 1963. 

Film  Depicts  Development  of  Missouri  River  Basin 

"Miracle  of  the  Missouri,"  a  new  28-minute  film 
produced  by  the  Bureau,  portrays  the  development 
of  the  Missouri  Eiver  and  its  tributaries  from 
pioneer  days  to  the  present. 

Three  premieres  of  the  16-mm,  sound-and-color 


film  were  held.  Congressional  delegations  of  the 
10  States  comprising  the  river  basin  viewed  the 
production  at  a  showing  in  Washington,  D.C.  It 
was  shown  at  a  South  Dakota  Conservancy  Dis- 
trict meeting  in  Aberdeen,  S.  Dak.,  in  conjunction 
with  an  address  by  Kenneth  Holum,  Assistant 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  for  Water  and  Power 
Development.  And  it  was  shown  at  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley  Association's  annual  meeting  in  New 
Orleans,  at  which  Commissioner  of  Reclamation 
Floyd  E.  Dominy  gave  a  speech. 


JOHNSON  NAMED  PLANNING  OFFICER   OF  NEW   MRB 
OFFICE;  ALDRICH  TO  DIRECT  REGION  6 


Bruce     Johnson, 

who  has  been  Re- 
gional Director  of 
Region  6  since  1960, 
on  March  27  was 
appointed  Planning 
Officer  of  Reclama- 
tion's new  Missouri 
River  Basin  Plan- 
ning Office,  and  Har- 
old E.  Aldrich  was 
appointed  new  Di- 
rector of  Region  6. 

In  addition  to 
other  duties  for  the 
Bureau  and  the  De- 
partment, the  new 
office  has  substantial 
responsibilities  for 
the  comprehensive, 
long-range  planning 
for  the  MRB  in  col- 
laboration with  the 
States  and  other 
Federal  agencies 
comprising  the  MRB 

Comprehensive  Planning  Subcommittee.  Devel- 
opment of  projected  water  resources  studies  for 
the  area  requires  increased  Interior  effort  in 
concert  with  other  Subcommittee  members  from 
the  States,  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  the  Depart- 
ment of  Health,  Education  and  Welfare,  and  the 
Soil  Conservation  Service.  Mr.  Johnson  will  ex- 
ercise  Basin- wide  responsibilities  in  the  power 


program,  particularly  as  Reclamation's  represent- 
ative on  the  Missouri  Basin  System's  Group.  He 
will  coordinate  overall  planning  for  future  devel- 
opment of  the  Missouri  River  Basin  with  the  Rec- 
lamation offices  in  Billings,  Mont.,  and  Denver, 
Colo. 

The  MRB  Planning  Officer  with  headquarters 
at  Omaha,  Nebr.,  will  function  as  Department  and 
Bureau  Representative  before  the  public,  inter- 
agency groups  and  other  organizations  including 
governments  of  the  States  involved.  As  depart- 
mental representative  he  will  report  to  the  Office 
of  the  Secretary  through  Harrell  F.  Mosbaugh, 
the  Department's  Regional  Coordinator  at  Bill- 
ings. Mr.  Johnson  has  had  over  23  years'  Federal 
service,  starting  in  1940  as  an  engineer  with  Recla- 
mation. He  is  a  native  of  Grand  Forks,  N.Dak., 
and  graduated  in  civil  engineering  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  North  Dakota  in  1934,  and  also  received 
an  honorary  degree  as  professional  engineer  in 
1949  from  the  university. 

Regional  Supervisor  of  Irrigation  in  Region  5 
at  Amarillo,  Tex.,  since  1960,  Mr.  Aldrich  has  been 
with  the  Bureau  25  years,  and  was  Manager  of 
the  Upper  Missouri  River  District  Office  in  Great 
Falls,  Mont.,  before  going  to  Amarillo.  He  is  a 
native  of  Decatur,  Nebr.,  was  awarded  a  BS  degree 
in  engineering  from  the  University  of  Nebraska 
in  1935  and  is  a  registered  professional  engineer 
in  the  State  of  Montana.  Before  coming  into  the 
Bureau  25  years  ago,  he  had  two  brief  periods  of 
service  with  the  U.S.  Army  Corps  of  Engineers 
and  the  State  of  Nebraska.  #  #  # 


42 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Judge  Sturrock  Receives 
Conservation  Award 

In  recognition  of  his  tireless  work  for  the  past 
three  decades  in  furthering  water  resource  devel- 
opments and  conservation  on  both  State  and  na- 
tional scopes,  Judge  J.  E.  Sturrock  of  Austin,  Tex., 
was  presented  the  Comservation  Service  Award 
of  the  Department  of  the  Interior  at  ceremonies 
held  on  February  19.  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.  Udall  made  the  presentation  at  the 
annual  Washington  meeting  of  the  National  Rec- 
lamation Association  Board  of  Directors. 

Judge  Sturrock  played  a  major  part  in  develop- 
ing a  unified  water  plan  for  the  State  of  Texas,  one 
segment  of  which  was  the  Texas  Basin  Project. 
"WTiile  working  on  the  solution  of  State  water 
problems,  his  role  was  significant  in  coordinating 
with  national  problems. 

At  the  1962  annual  meeting  of  the  National 
Rivers  and  Harbors  Congress,  Judge  Sturrock 
was  awarded  the  Willard  J.  Breidenthal  Medal 
sponsored  by  that  organization,  described  in  the 
November  1962  issue  of  the  ReclaTnation  Era. 

ir  ir  ir 


Judge  J.  E.  Sturrock,  left,  and  Secretary  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L 
Udall. 


Conservation  Award  Presented  to  Colorado  Man 


Secretary  of  the  Interior,  left,  awarding  certificate  to  Judge  Hughes. 

May  1964 


Judge  Dan  H.  Hughes  of  Montrose,  Colo.,  was 
presented  the  Department  of  the  Interior  Con- 
servation /Service  Award  by  Secretary  of  the  In- 
terior Stewart  L.  Udall  on  March  16  in  Wash- 
ington, D.C.  Judge  Hughes  was  commended  for 
his  devoted  efforts,  strong  support,  and  active 
participation  over  the  years  in  bringing  develop- 
ment to  the  water  resources  in  the  Upper  Colorado 
River  Basin. 

His  citation  stated:  "As  the  result  of  your  ef- 
forts we  have  such  projects  as  the  Uncompahgre, 
the  Colorado-Big  Thompson,  the  Colorado  River 
Storage  and  Participating  Projects,  and  the  Fry- 
ingpan- Arkansas.  Your  influence  as  a  member  of 
the  Bureau  of  Land  Management  local.  State,  and 
national  advisory  boards,  and  particularly  as 
Chairman  of  the  National  Advisory  Board  Coun- 
cil has  been  (of  key  importance)  in  the  develop- 
ment of  our  overall  land  management  policies  and 
programs."  *  *  * 

43 


Region  6  in  Pictures  .  .  . 

{This  region  includes  North  Dakota,  South  Dakota,  most  of  Montana,  and  part  of  Idaho.) 


Top  photo.  The  silvery  banner  is  the  highway  running  through 
the  famous  Blacic  Hills  of  South  Dakota,  over  Pactoia  Dam  and  by 
the  reservoir  glistening  in  the  sun.  This  dam  and  reservoir 
development  provides  municipal  water,  irrigation,  flood  control, 
silt  retention,  recreation  and  is  a  fish  and  wildlife  habitat. 

Construction  on  the  Yellowtail  Unit,  Missouri  River  Basin  Project 
In  Montana,  is  shown  in  this  photograph  taken  in  March.  The 
dam  is  approximately  200  feet  above  bedrock,  and  erection  of 
the  structural  steel  in  the  powerplant  area  in  the  right  foreground 
Is  90  percent  complete. 


These  two  young  fishermen  are  trying  their  luck  in  the  Jamestown 
Reservoir  on  Garrison  Diversion  Unit  in  North  Dakota.  Jamestown 
Dam   provides   urgent  flood   protection   to   the  city  of  Jamestown. 


Groundbreaking  ceremonies  for  Basin  Electric  Power  Cooperative's 
200,000-kilowatt  Leiand  Olds  Powerplant  recently  took  place  with 
spade  work  being  done  by,  left  to  right.  Art  Jones,  President  of 
Basin  Electric;  Senator  Quentin  Burdick  of  North  Dakota,  Governor 
William  Guy  of  North  Dakota;  Norman  Clapp,  Administrator,  Rural 
Electrification  Administration;  Mrs.  Leiand  Olds,  widow  of  the 
former  chairman  of  the  Federal  Power  Commission  for  whom  the 
plant  is  named;  Kenneth  Holum,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
for  Water  and  Power;  and  John  Olds,  son  of  Leiand  Olds.  , 


44 


The  Reclamation  Era 


ANNIVERSARY   REFLECTIONS   OF    BUREAU 

LEADERSHIP 


Five  years  ago  this  month,  Floyd  E.  Dominy 

ivas  appointed  U.S.  Commissioner  of  Reclamation. 

rhe  Bureau  has  been  credited  with  making  sig- 

lificant  progress  since   Commissioner  Dominy's 

ppointment. 

Next  month  the  Bureau  celebrates  the  62d  An- 
liversary  of  the  origin  of  the  present-day  Bureau 
)f  Reclamation  with  the  signing  of  the  Reclama- 
ion  Act  in  1902.  In  commemoration  of  these 
mniversaries,  and  in  honor  of  the  nine  men  who 
lave  led  Reclamation  to  international  recognition 
LS  a  water  resource  agency,  these  notes  are  pub- 
ished  in  the  Reclamation  Era. 


Commissioner    Dominy 


Name  Term  in  office 

'loyd  E.  Dominy,  Commissioner.     May     1,     1959- 


i'^ilbur  A.  Dexheimer,  Commis-  July    13,    1953- 

sioner.  May  30,  1959. 

lichael     W.    Straus,    Commis-  Dec.    17,    1945- 

sioner.  Feb.  Bj   1953. 


[arry     W.     Bashore,     Commis-     Aug.     3,     1943- 
sioner.  Dec.  14,  1945. 

9hn  C.  Page,  Commissioner.  Jan.    25,    1937- 

June  24,  1943. 


Iwood  Mead,  Commissioner.  Apr.     3,     1924- 

Jan.  26,  1936. 


avid  W.  Davis,  Commissioner.      July     1,     1923- 

Apr.  2,   1924. 

rthur    Powell    Davis,    Director     Dec.    10,    1914- 
and  Chief  Engineer.  June  19,  1923. 


rederick  Haynes  Newell,  Chief     1902-14 
Engineer,  1902-6,  under  Geo- 
logical Survey;  Director,  1907- 
14. 


Remarks 

Completion  of  Glen  Canyon,  Flaming  Gorge,  and  Navajo  Dams, 
Colorado  River  Storage  Project;  authorization  and  initiation  of 
construction  of  San  Luis  Unit  and  substantial  completion  of 
Trinity  River  Division,  Central  Valley  Project;  authorization 
and  initiation  of  construction  of  Fryingpan- Arkansas,  San  Juan- 
Chama  and  Navajo  Indian  Irrigation  Projects. 

Congressional  approval  for  Trinity  River  Division  of  the  Central 
Valley  Project;  Colorado  River  Storage  Project  passed  by 
Congress;    Small    Reclamation    Projects    Act   of    1956   enacted. 

Upper  Colorado  River  Basin  Compact  signed;  Grand  Coulee  Dam 
and  Shasta  Dam  dedicated;  Congressional  authorization  for 
Reclamation  projects  in  Texas  and  New  Mexico  in  1950;  Rec- 
lamation's Engineering  Research  Center  at  Denver,  Colo., 
dedicated. 

Reclamation  plan  for  development  of  the  Missouri  River  Basin 
presented  to  Congress  in  1944;  first  powder  from  Shasta  Dam 
Powerplant. 

Reclamation  Project  Act  of  1939  was  one  of  the  basic  laws  signed 
by  President  F.  D.  Roosevelt;  first  power  at  Grand  Coulee  Dam 
Powerplant.  Town  of  Page,  Ariz.,  at  Glen  Canyon  Dam 
named  in  his  honor.     Died  in  1955. 

Directed  the  development  in  whole  or  in  part  of  many  of  the 
world's  greatest  Reclamation  undertakings;  Hoover  Dam, 
1928-36,  also  Grand  Coulee,  Owyhee,  etc.  Devised  water  law 
for  young  State  of  Wyoming.  Lake  Mead  behind  Hoover  Dam, 
named  in  his  honor.     Died  in  1936. 

Name  of  Reclamation  Service  changed  to  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
on  June  18,  1923;  completion  of  Wind  River,  Horse  Creek,  and 
Malone  Diversion  Dams.     Died  in  1959. 

Outlined  development  plan  for  the  Colorado  River  Basin  in  Con- 
gressional document  in  1922;  first  to  recommend  construction  of 
multipurpose  dams  whose  powerplants  would  amortize  costs 
of  overall  project.     Davis  Dam  named  in  his  honor.     Died  in  1933. 

Obtained  Congressional  authorizations  on  early  beginnings  on 
many  Reclamation  projects;  first  water  in  1907  on  both  the 
Yakima  and  Salt  River  Projects.     Died  in  1932. 


Iay  1964 


45 


Region  3  in  Pictures  .  .  . 


(This  region  includes  all  of  Arizona  except  its  northeastern  tip,  southern  California, 
part  of  Nevada,  New  Mexico  and  Utah.) 


potatoes  grown   in  the  Salt  River  Valley  south  of  Phoenix,   Ariz.,   are  hand  sorted  before  sacking   for  market  at  the  Wood  Company 
packing  shed.      The  full  sacks  are  moved  away  on  the  belt  behind  the  women  workers. 


The  cotton  field  shown   in  the  above  picture  is   located  south  of  Mesa,  Ariz.,  and   is  being   irrigated  by  siphoning  from  a  canal, 
such  as  this  would  still  be  desert  without  the  water  provided  by  Salt  River  Project. 


Land 


46 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Region  5  in  Pictures  ... 

( This  region  includes  Texas  and  Oklahoma,  most  of  New  Mexico,  and  part  of  Kansas  and  Colorado. ) 


Men  Working  on  the  top  of  this  structure  are  forming  plywood  for 
I      the    inner    surface    of   the    glory-hole   spillway   intake   for   Cheney 
Dam   on   the   Wichita   Project,   Kans. 


Work  on  the  Amarillo  Regulating  Reservoir,  also  on  the  Canadian 
River  Project,  shows  the  crane  in  the  foreground,  the  bulldozer 
below,  and  the  man  near  the  top  of  the  slope  all  helping  to  place 
riprap  (large  boulder-rock)  on  the  dike  slope.  The  crane  in  the 
background  is  placing  concrete  on  the  walkway  for  the  inlet 
structure. 


This    partially  completed   horseshoe   shaped  spillway  conduit  and  inlet  structure  is  on  the  Dam  Division,  Sanford  Dam,  Canadian  River 
Project,   Tex. 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Specification 
No. 


Project 


Seedskadee,  Wyo 

Water  Resources  Survey, 
Philippine  Islands. 

Colorado   River  Storage, 

Colo. 
Missouri  River  Basin,  S. 

Dak. -Iowa. 
Gila,  Ariz 

Central  Valley,  Calif 

Missouri     River     Basin, 

Mont. 
Central  Valley,  Calif 

Missouri     River     Basin, 

Mont. 
Central  Valley,  Calif 

Colorado  River  Storage, 
Wyo. 

Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee  Sys- 
tem, Calif. 

Canadian  River,  Tex 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Kans. 

Missouri     River     Basin, 

Nebr. 
Missouri     River     Basin, 

S.  Dak. 
Boulder  Canyon,  Nev 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Minn. 

Parker-Davis  and  Colo- 
ado  River  Storage,  Ariz. 

Missouri  River  Basin , 
S.  Dak. 

Colorado  River  Storage, 
Colo. 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Office  of  Chief  Engineer, 
Denver,  Colo. 

Delivery  of  Water  to 
Mexico,  Ariz. 

Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee  Sys- 
tem, Arizona 

Norman,  Okla 


Lower   Rio    Grande    Re- 
habilitation, Tex. 


Lower   Rio    Grande    Re- 
habilitation, Tex. 


Missouri     River     Basin, 
Neb. 


Central  Valley,  Calif-. 
Canadian  River,  Tex- 


Missouri     River     Basin, 
Wyo. 


Award 
date 


Feb.  19 
Feb.  27 

Jan.  24 
Jan.  7 
Jan.      6 

Feb.  7 

Feb.  19 

Jan.  8 

Jan.  30 

Mar.  19 

Feb.  11 

Feb.  18 

Feb.  25 

Mar.    2 

Mar.  5 
Mar.  17 
Feb.  26 

Mar.  6 
Mar.  20 
Mar.  12 

Mar.  12 

Mar.  23 

Feb.  27 

Jan.  31 
Feb.  12 

Mar.  13 
Mar.  10 

Mar.  13 

Mar.    4 

Mar.  25 
Mar.  24 
Mar.  23 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Furnishing  and  installing  one  11,111-kva  generator  for 

Fontenelle  powerplant. 
Aerial  photography,  surveys,  and  topographic  mapping 

(Negotiated  contract) . 

Two  83,000-hp   hydraulic  turbines   for   Morrow   Point 

powerplant. 
Construction  of  the  75-mile  Sioux  Falls-Sioux  City  230-kv 

transmission  line. 
Construction  of  9.7  miles  of  pipeline  laterals,  utilizing  pre- 
cast-concrete pipe  for  lateral  GGM-18.2  and  sublaterals, 

for  South  Gila  Valley  unit  distribution  system,  schedule 

IV. 
Construction  of  forebay  pumping  plant  and  appurtenant 

works  and  forebay  dam  spillway,  schedules  1  and  3. 
Furnishing  and  installing  four  65,789-kva  generators  for 

Yellowtail  powerplant. 
One  200-ton  traveling  crane  and  one  lifting  beam  for  Mile 

18  pumping  plant. 
Four  9.93-foot  by  18.98-foot  fixed-wheel  gates  for  penstock 

intakes  at  Yellowtail  dam. 
Furnishing  and  installing  eight  motor-generators  for  San 

Luis  pumping-generating  plant. 
Construction  of  Archer  substation,  stage  01 - 

Construction  of  Senator  Wash  dam,  three  dikes,  and 
pumping-generating  plant. 

Construction  of  pumping  plants  Nos.  1, 2,  3  and  4 

Construction  of  Cawker  City  diversion  drain. 

Construction  of  40  miles  of  Ainsworth  laterals  and  waste- 
ways,  section  2. 
Construction  of  New  Underwood  substation,  stage  01 

Installation  of  transformer  "Z"  in  Hoover  powerplant 
and  construction  of  69-kv  transformer  circuit  No.  15 
and  Nevada  State  switchyard  additions. 

Construction  of  stages  07  and  08  additions  to  Granite 
Falls  substation. 

Construction  of  stages  02  and  03  additions  to  Mesa  sub- 
station. 

Stringing  conductors  and  overhead  ground  wires  for  the 
146-mile  Fort  Thompson-Sioux  Falls  230-kv  transmis- 
sion line. 

One  250-ton  traveling  crane  for  Morrow  Point  powerplant. 


Construction  of  15.6  miles  of  blended  earth-lined  laterals 
and  7.3  miles  of  concrete-lined  laterals  for  block  81— 
part  1  laterals  and  waste  way.  West  canal  laterals. 

Architectural  and  engineering  services  for  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  office  building  at  the  Denver  Federal 
Center,  item  1  (negotiated  contract). 

Construction  of  concrete  pipelines  for  farm  drain  tile  col- 
lection system,  Wellton-Mohawk  area. 

Rebuilding  portion  of  the  north  embankment  and  placing 
riprap  on  the  north  bank  of  main  outlet  drain. 

Construction  of  boat  launching  ramps  and  comfort  stations 
for  recreational  facilities  for  Norman  reservoir. 

169,000  feet  of  luireinforced  and  800  feet  of  reinforced  con- 
crete pressure  pipe,  and  1,900  feet  of  concrete  culvert  pipe 
for  LaFeria  division. 

262,300  feet  of  unreinforced  and  15,120  feet  of  reinforced  con- 
crete pressure  pipe,  and  2,592  feet  of  concrete  culvert  pipe 
for  Mercedes  division. 

Construction  of  8  miles  of  access  road,  timber  bridge,  park- 
ing areas,  toilets,  and  boat  launching  ramp  for  recrea- 
tional facilities  for  Merritt  dam  and  reservoir,  schedules 
1,  2,  and  4. 

Increased  storage  modifications  for  Shasta  dam 

Clearing  14,000  acres  of  Sanford  reservoir  site 

Clearing  5,670  acres  of  Yellowtail  reservoir  site 


Contractor's  name 
and  address 


Mitsui  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Calif. 

Fairchild  Camera  and  Instru- 
ment Corp.,  Fairchild  Aerial 
Surveys  Division,  Los  Ange- 
les, Calif. 

Mitsui  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Calif. 

Dominion  Construction  Co., 
Lincoln,  Nebr. 

American  Concrete  Pipe  Co., 
Phoenix,  Ariz. 


Guy  F.  Atkinson  Co.,  South 

San  Francisco,  Calif. 
Westinghouse    Electric    Corp., 

Denver,  Colo. 
Mitsui  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Calif. 
Milwaukee    Boiler    Mfg.    Co., 

Milwaukee,  Wis. 
General  Electric  Co.,  Denver, 

Colo. 
Wismer  &  Becker,  Sacramento, 

Calif. 
M.  M.  Sundt  Construction  Co., 

Tucson,  Ariz. 

Coastal  Bend  Construction  Co. 

and  Electric  Construction  Co. 

Inc.,  Corpus  Christi,  Tex. 
Van  Buskirk  Construction  Co. 

and  Graves  Construction  Co., 

Inc.,  Sioux  City,  Iowa. 
Bushman     Construction     Co., 

St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
Marson  Construction  Co.,  Inc., 

Indianapolis,  Ind. 
Nebr.  Commonwealth  Electric, 

Inc.,  Omaha,  Nebr. 

Electrical  Builders,  Inc.,  Valley 

City,  N.  Dak. 
Wismer  &  Becker,  Sacramento, 

Cahf. 
Commonwealth    Electric    Co., 

Lincoln,  Nebr. 

Puget  Sound  Bridge  &  Dry 
Dock  Co.,  Colby  Crane  & 
Mfg.  Co.  Division,  Seattle, 
Wash. 

Floyd  Williams,  Inc.,  Kenne- 
wick.  Wash. 

Hellmuth,  Obata,  and  Kassa- 
baum,  Inc.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Karl  A.  Dennis,  dba  Dennis 
Construction  Co.,  Yuma,  Ariz. 

Gil-Brown  Constructors,  Inc., 
Phoenix,  Ariz. 

Pool  Construction  Co.,  Shaw- 
nee, Okla. 

W.  T.  Liston  Co.,  Harlingen, 
Tex. 

Valley  Concrete  Pressure  Pipe, 
Co.,  Harlingen,  Tex. 

Franke  Construction  Co.,  Inc., 
Mullen,  Nebr. 


George  R.  Osborn  Construc- 
tion Co.,  Redding,  Calif. 

M.  C.  Winters,  Inc.,  Johnson 
City,  Tex. 

Humphrey  Contracting  Corp., 
Wichita,  Kans. 


48 


The  Reclamation  Era 


U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE  :  1964      O— 724-672 


Major    Construction    and    Materials    for   Which    Bids   Will   Be 

Requested  Through  May  1964  * 


Project 


Canadian  River,  Tex — 


Central  Valley,  Calif- 


Do. 


Do. 
Do. 

Do. 
Do 

Do 
Do 


Do 

CRSP,  Arizona. 


Do. 


Do 

CRSP,  Colorado 

Do 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash 

Do 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  about  140  miles  of  8-  to  72-in. -diameter 
pipeline  of  either  non-cylinder  prestressed  con- 
crete pipe,  steel  cylinder  pretensioned  concrete 
pipe,  steel  pipe,  concrete  pressure  pipe,  or 
asbestos-cement  pipe.  Lubbock  to  Lamesa  and 
Southwest  Aqueduct,  near  Lubbock. 

Constructing  about  34  miles  of  75-ft  bottom  width 
canal  to  be  lined  with  4.5-in.  unreinforced- 
concrete  lining  and  appurtenant  structures 
including  concrete  bridges,  pipe  crossings,  and 
checks.  San  Luis  Canal,  Reach  3,  near  Los 
Banos. 

Flood  bypass  channel  restoration  and  constructing 
a  concrete  roadway  slab  and  weir  protected  by 
riprap.  On  the  Sacramento  River,  near  Red 
Bluff  Dam,  about  2  miles  downstream  from 
Red  Bluff. 

Seven  100,000-kva,  3-phase,  330-  to  13.8-kv,  OA/FA 
power  transformers  for  San  Luis  and  Mile  18 
Switchyards. 

Four  hydraulic  hoists  for  17.5-  by  22.89-ft  roller- 
mounted  gates  for  San  Luis  Dam  Pumping- 
Qenerating  Plant.  Estimated  weight:  530,000 
lb. 

Four  17.5-  by  22.89-ft  roller-mounted  gates  for  San 
Luis  Dam  Pumping-Qenerating  Plant.  Esti- 
mated weight:  620,000  lb. 

One  23-  by  28.5-ft  two-section  bulkhead  gate;  gate 
frames  for  four  openings,  and  one  lifting  frame 
for  San  Luis  Dam.  Estimated  weight:  465,000 
lb. 

Four  17.5-  by  22.89-ft  frames  for  roUer-moimted 
gates  for  San  Luis  Dam  Pumping-Qenerating 
Plant.    Estimated  weight:  250,0001b. 

Eight  14.4-kv  station-type  switchgear;  15-kv 
isolated-phase  bus;  two  2,000-kva,  13.8-kv  to 
4,160-wye/2,400-volt  station-service  transformers; 
600-volt  non-segregated-phase  bus  for  San  Luis 
Reservoir  Pumping-Oenerating  Plant. 

Main  control  boards  and  unit  control  boards  for 
San  Luis  Reservoir  Pumping-Oenerating  Plant. 

Constructing  about  114  miles  of  345-kv,  single- 
circuit  transmission  line  will  consist  of  clearing 
right-of-way;  constructing  concrete  footings; 
furnishing  and  erecting  steel  towers;  furnishing 
and  stringing  three  ACSR  conductors — 77  miles 
of  954  MCM,  34  miles  of  1,033.5  MCM,  and  3 
miles  of  2,167  MCM;  two  steel-strand,  overhead 
ground  wires— 111  miles  of  0.5-in.,  high-strength, 
and  3  miles  of  Me-in.  extra-high-strength;  and 
furnishing  and  installing  fence  gates.  Flagstaff- 
Pinnacle  Peak  No.  2  Transmission  Line,  from 
vicinity  of  Flagstaff  to  vicinity  of  Phoenix,  Ariz. 

Constructing  about  124  miles  of  345-kv,  single- 
circuit  transmission  line  will  consist  of  clearing 
right-of-way;  constructing  concrete  footings; 
furnishing  and  erecting  steel  towers;  furnishing 
and  stringing  three  ACSR  conductors— 120.5 
miles  of  954  MCM,  3  miles  of  1,033.5  MCM,  and 
0.5  mile  of  2,167  MCM;  two  steel  strand  overhead 
ground  wires— 123.5 milesof  0.5-in.,  high-strength, 
and  0.5  mile  of  Me-in.,  extra-high-strength;  and 
furnishing  and  installing  fence  gates.  Glen 
Canyon-FlafStaT  No.  2  Transmission  Line, 
from  Glen  Canyon  Switchyard  to  vicinity  of 
Flagstaff,  Ariz. 

Six  345-kv,  1,600-amp,  25,000-mva  power  circuit 
breakers  for  Flagstaff  Substation. 

Furnishing  and  installing  two  33,333-kva,  0.9-pf, 
200-rpm,  60-cycle,  vertical-shaft,  hydraulic- 
driven,  a-c  generators  for  Blue  Mesa  Powerplant. 

Two  216,500-ft-lb  cabinet-type  actuator  governors 
for  regulating  the  speed  of  two  83,000-hp  turbines 
for  Morrow  Point  Powerplant. 

Constructing  about  37  miles  of  open  laterals  with 
bottom  widths  varying  from  10  ft  to  2  ft,  of  which 
about  21  miles  will  be  lined  with  unreinforced- 
concrete  lining  and  about  14  miles  will  be  lined 
with  compacted  earth  lining.  Block  81  Laterals, 
Part  II,  near  Othello. 

Constructing  the  Low  Gap  Pumping  Plant  with 
a  78-  by  44-ft  superstructure  housing  four  horizon- 
tal-shaft, motor-driven  pumping  units  as  follows: 
2  at  29  cfs  each  at  72-ft  head,  1  at  14.5-cfs  at  72-ft 
head,  and  1  at  8.9  cfs  at  72-ft  head.  Furnishing 
and  installing  six  additional  horizontal-shaft, 
motor-driven   pumping    units   in   the   existing 


Project 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash.- 
Continued 


Emery  County,  Utah.. 


Fryingpan-Ar  k  a  n  s  a  s, 
Colo 


MRBP,  Montana. 


Do. 
Do. 


Do 

Do 

MRBP,  Nebraska. 

MRBP,  Wyoming. 


Parker-Davis,  Ariz. 


Do. 


Silt,  Colo- 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Frenchman  Hills  Pumping  Plant  as  follows:  1 
at  65.28  cfs  at  170-ft  head,  3  at  39  cfs  at  313-ft  head, 
and  1  at  20.5  cfs  at  313-ft  head.  About  30  miles 
northwest  of  Othello. 
Constructing  the  reinforced-concrete  Swasey  Diver- 
sion Dam  consisting  of  an  ogee  overflow  weir  75 
ft  long,  a  canal  headworks  structure  with  two 
72-  by  48-in.  cast  iron  slide  gates,  a  sluiceway 
structure  with  one  10-  by  10-ft  radial  gate,  and 
about  800  ft  of  compacted  earth  dikes;  and  earth- 
work and  structures  for  about  3.6  miles  of  the 
12-ft  bottom  width  Cottonwood  Creek-Hunting- 
ton Canal,  part  of  which  will  be  lined  with  buried 
asphalt  membrane  lining.    Near  Castle  Dale. 

Constructing  Ruedi  Dam,  a  3,000,000-cu-yd  earth- 
flll  structure,  about  280  ft  high  and  about  1,000 
ft  long,  and  appurtenant  features.  The  spillway 
will  consist  of  an  inlet  structure  with  a  25-ft  ogee 
crest,  chute,  and  stilling  basin  in  the  right  abut- 
ment. The  exit  tunnel  for  the  auxiliary  outlet 
works  will  discharge  through  the  spillway  floor 
and  will  be  regulated  by  a  single  gate.  The 
service  outlet  works  will  consist  of  an  intake 
structure,  a  10-ft-diameter  pressure  tunnel,  and 
a  76-in.  diameter  outlet  pipe  downstream  of  a 
gate  chamber  in  an  open  11-ft-diameter  tunnel 
with  a  stilling  basin.  Work  will  also  include 
earthwork,  structures,  and  surfacing  for  about 
9  miles  of  coimty  road.  On  the  Fryingpan  River, 
16  miles  east  of  Basalt. 

Furnishing  and  constructing  about  47  miles  of  the 
115-kv,  woodpole  Lovell-Yellowtail  Transmission 
Line;  and  furnishing  and  stringing  three  556.5 
MCM,  24/7,  ACSR  conductors,  and  two  %-in., 
high-strength,  steel  strand,  overhead  ground 
wires.  From  Yellowtail  Switchyard,  about  45 
miles  southwest  of  Hardin,  Mont.,  to  Lovell 
Substation,  near  Lovell,  Wyo. 

Three  single-phase,  230-grd  wye — 115-grd  wye-kv, 
26,000/34,667/43,333-kva,  13.8-kv,  5,400/7,200/9,000-. 
kva  autotransformers  for  Yellowtail  Switchyard.' 

Three  50,000-kva,  230-grd  wye— 13.2-delta-kv, 
single-phase,  60-cycle,  FOW  transformers;  and 
three  50,000-kva,  115-grd  wye— 13.2-delta-kv, 
single-phase,  60-cycle,  FOW  transformers  for 
Yellowtail  Switchyard. 

One  90-ton-capacity  gantry  crane  for  Yellowtail 
Dam.    Estimated  weight:  195,0001b. 

Main  control,  relay  and  graphic  boards  for  Yellow- 
tail Powerplant. 

Constructing  about  62  miles  of  laterals  with  bottom 
widths  varying  from  16  to  3  ft,  part  of  which  will 
be  lined  with  compacted  earth  lining.  Anis- 
worth  Laterals,  Third  and  Fourth  Sections, 
near  Ainsworth. 

Constructing  the  Lyman  Substation  will  consist 
of  constructing  a  concrete  masonry  service  build- 
ing; constructing  foundations;  furnishing  and 
erecting  steel  structures;  furnishing  and  in- 
stalling one  10-mva,  115/345-kv  transformer, 
three  34.5-kv  circuit  breakers  and  associated 
electrical  equipment;  and  grading  and  fencing 
the  area.    At  Yoder. 

Furnishing  and  constructing  about  14  miles  of  the 
115-kv,  woodpole  Coolidge-ED-2  Transmission 
Line;  and  furnishing  and  stringing  three  927.2 
MCM  aluminum  alloy  conductors  (5005-H19 
alloy)  and  two  H-in.,  high-strength,  steel  strand, 
overhead  ground  wires.  From  Coolidge  Sub- 
station, near  Coolidge,  to  ED-2  Substation, 
southwest  of  Coolidge. 

Constructing  the  Signal  Substation  will  consist  of 
constructing  foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting 
steel  structures;  furnishing  and  installing  three 
115-kv  disconnnect  switches,  and  associated 
electrical  equipment;  and  grading  and  fencing 
the  area.  Additions  to  ED-2  Substation  will 
consist  of  constructing  foundations;  furnishing 
and  erecting  steel  structures;  and  furnishing  and 
installing  three  115-kv  disconnect  switches  ,and 
associated  electrical  equipment. 

Constructing  Rifle  Gap  Dam,  a  1,800,000-cu-yd 
earthfill  structure  about  125  ft  high  and  1,500 
ft  long,  and  appurtenant  features.  Work  will 
also  include  relocating  about  4  miles  of  State 
Highway  No.  325.  On  Rifle  Creek,  about  7 
miles  north  of  Rifle. 


•Subject  to  change. 


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What's  Coming: 

Keeping  a  Project  in  Shape 


In  Its  assigned  function  as  the  Nation's  principal  natural  re- 
source agency,  the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special 
obligation  to  assure  that  our  expendable  resources  are  con- 
served, that  renewable  resources  are  managed  to  produce  opti- 
mum yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  full  measure 
to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  America,  now  and  in 
the  future. 

U.S.   Department  of  the   Interior 
Bureau  of  Reclamation 


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Reclamation 


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Reclamation 

ERA 


AUGUST  1964 
Volume  50,  No.  3 


OTTIS   PETERSON,    Assistant  to  the   Com- 
missioner— Information 
GORDON  J.  FORSYTH,  Editor 


49.  THE      "SKIN"      THAT      SAVES 
WATER 

hy  Bill  Hosokawa 

53.  IXNOVATIONS     IN     AQUEDUCT 
CONSTRUCTION 

hy  V.  O.  Grantham 

56.  FLAMING    GORGE— NEW   RAIN- 
BOW BONANZA 

hy  Boh   Wiley 

58.  PLASTIC    CUTOFF    FOR    SEEP- 
AGE CONTROL 

hy  K.  S.  Ehrman 

62.  A  NEW  LOOK  AT— THE  IDAHO 
GEMS 

hy  Harold  L.  Mathes  and  W.  Dean  Boyle 

66.  NUTRIA :   A   Possible  Pest  on  Ditch- 
banks 
hy  Dr.  Richard  H.  Manville 

68.  EDUCATIONAL  IRRIGATION 

72.  KEEPING       A       PROJECT       IN 
SHAPE 

hy  Royce  Van  Curen 

74.  EVENTS  WITH  COMMISSIONER 
DOMINY 

74.  WILLIAM   I.   PALMER  RESIGNS 

75.  REGION   2   IN   PICTURES 


COVER  PHOTO — showing  impressive  flowers  and 
palm  trees  might  be  as  pleasing  as  this  in  any  one  of 
Reclamation's  Southern  States.  But  the  near-fluores- 
cent fleld  of  commercial  flowers  are  in  the  Salt  River 
project  area,  Arizona.  Harvesting  at  the  peak  of  the 
season  from  January  through  Easter  requires  100 
trained  workers.     Photo  by  J.  R.  Cotterill,  March  1964 


United  States  Department  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.  Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,   Floyd   E.   Dominy,   Commissioner 

Washington  Office:  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Washington,  D.C,  20240. 

Commissioner's  Staff 

Assistant  Commissioner N.  B.  Bennett,  Jr. 

Assistant  Commissioner W.  P.  Kane 

Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado. B.  P.  Bellport 

REGIONAL  OFFICES 

REGION  1;  Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  937,  Reclamation  Building,  Fairgrounds,  Idaho,  83701. 

REGION  2:  Robert  J.  Paflord,  Jr.,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacramento,  Calif.,  95811. 

REGION  3:  A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  City,  Nev.,  89005. 

REGION  4:  Frank  M.  Clinton,  Regional  Director,  32  Exchange  Place,  P.O.  Box  360,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  84110. 

REGION  5:  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Office  Building,  7th  and  Taylor,  Amarillo,  Tex.,  79105. 

REGION  6:  Harold  E.  Aldrich,  Regional  Director,  7th  and  Central,  P.O.  Box  2553,  Billings,  Mont.,  59101. 

REGION  7:  Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo.,  80225. 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Washington,  D.C,  20240.    Use  of  funds  for  printing  this 
publication  has  been  approved  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31,  1961. 

Forsaleby  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.C,  20402.    Price  15  cents  (single  copy).    Subscription 
price:  Eight  issues  (2  years)  for  $1.00  (.$1.50  for  foreign  mailing). 


White  plume  trailing  plane  shuttling  over  Elephant 
Butte  Reservoir,  N.  Mex.,  is  hexadecanol,  which 
forms  an  invisible  "lid"  on  the  water. 


THE  "SKIN"  THAT  SAVES  WATER 


by   BILL   HOSOKAWA 

Associate  Editor  of  the  Denver  Post,   Editor  of  Sunday  Empire 


ONE  sunny  day  not  long  ago,  I  watxjhed  a 
chunky,  broadshouldered  man  walk  to  the 
windward  shore  of  a  reservoir,  take  handfuls  of 
fluffy  white  powder  from  a  paper  sack,  and  cast  it 
over  the  water  like  an  old-time  farmer  sowing 
grain.  When  he  had  emptied  the  bag,  the  two  of 
us  hiked  up  a  nearby  hill  to  view  the  results. 

Long  before  we  reached  the  crest,  the  powder 
had  vanished.  But  close  to  shore,  where  it  had 
been  scattered,  the  water  was  smooth  and  glassy. 
Farther  out,  ripples  marred  the  surface. 

"That's  what  gets  the  job  done,"  Walter  Urban 
Garstka  explained.  "The  powder  turns  quickly 
into  a  very  thin,  invisible  film — a  film  just  one 
molecule  thick.  The  only  way  you  can  tell  it's 
there  is  that  it  quiets  the  water. 

"That  film  could  be  the  salvation  of  many  water- 
short  regions  of  the  world." 

Walter  Garstka  is  probably  as  well  qualified  as 
any  living  person  to  make  so  sweeping  a  statement. 
As  chief  of  the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  wa- 
ter conservation  research  division,  he  has  been 
studying  the  problem  of  evaporation  control  a 
dozen  years.  He  has  demonstrated  that  the  im- 
mense loss  of  water  from  lakes  and  reservoirs 
through  evaporation  can  be  reduced,  and  engineers 
and  scientists  from  the  world's  thirsty  nations  have 
beaten  a  path  to  the  Denver  laboratories  to  learn 
how  it  is  done. 


All  of  us  are  familiar  with  the  phenomena  of 
evaporation.  Leave  a  saucer  of  water  uncovered, 
and  gradually  the  water  turns  into  vapor  and  dis- 
appears. Evaporation  is  a  never-ending  process 
necessary  to  replenish  moisture  in  the  atmosphere 
so  it  can  be  redistributed  over  the  earth  as  rain  and 
snow. 

The  cruel  thing  about  evaporation  is  that  it 
steals  water  indiscriminately — from  the  jealously 
hoarded  reservoirs  in  the  arid  plains  as  well  as  the 
limitless  oceans.  In  fact,  the  rate  of  evaporation 
is  greatest  where  the  humidity  is  lowest  and  water 
most  precious. 

An  astounding  amount  of  water  is  lost  by  evap- 
oration. Water  scientists  tell  us  the  average  pre- 
cipitation across  the  United  States  is  about  30 
inches  a  year.  We  consume  only  one-tenth  of  this 
amount — 3  inches.     Six  inches  flows  into  the  sea. 

The  rest — 21  inches — evaporates  from  the  soil, 
through  the  transpiration  of  plant  life,  from  lakes 
and  rivers  and  even  snowbanks.  Day  after  day 
this  invisible,  perpetual  "reverse  rainstorm"  sucks 
life-sustaining  moisture  from  the  earth's  surface 
into  the  sky. 

There  isn't  much  that  can  be  done  about  evap- 
oration from  the  soil  and  through  the  normal 


{Reprinted  from  the  Sunday  Empire,  April  12,  1964.) 


'    August  1964 


49 


"breathing"  of  plants.  But  control  of  evapora- 
tion from  lakes  and  reservoirs — which  is  what 
Garstka's  white  powder  can  do — could  revolution- 
ize the  economy  of  vast  regions. 

Compare  Los  Angles  Needs 

Take  rain-scarce  Southern  California,  whose 
sprawling  cities  and  farms  are  nurtured  by  water 
piped  in  from  the  Colorado  River.  The  evapora- 
tion loss  from  Lake  Mead,  the  huge  storage  reser- 
voir on  the  Colorado  behind  Hoover  Dam,  is  al- 
most as  great  as  the  torrent  that  pours  through  the 
mains  to  slake  Los  Angeles'  thirst — 700,000  to 
900,000  acre- feet  annually. 

An  acre- foot  is  the  water  it  takes  to  flood  an  acre 
to  a  depth  of  1  foot — 325,851  gallons.  A  rule  of 
thumb  among  water  engineers  is  that  an  acre-foot 
will  supply  the  needs  of  four  persons  for  1  year. 
Taking  the  lower  figure  of  700,000  acre-feet,  the 
water  Lake  Mead  loses  by  evaporation  could,  if 
saved,  support  a  metropolis  of  2.8  million — a  popu- 
lation equal  to  that  of  Iowa. 

Plight  of  Parched  Areas 

In  some  parts  of  the  world,  as  many  as  6  gallons 
of  water  impounded  in  reservoirs  is  lost  by  evap- 
oration for  every  gallon  consumed.  More  than 
half  the  fresh  water  flowing  into  parched  Israel 
evaporates  before  it  can  be  used.  Similar  figures 
are  available  for  thirsting  India,  Pakistan,  Egypt, 
Australia.  One  recent  study  in  Oklahoma  showed 
that  evaporation  loss  from  farm  ponds  is  10  times 
greater  than  the  amount  a  farmstead  uses.  J. 
Stuart  Meyers,  in  a  U.S.  Greological  Survey  report, 
estimates  the  annual  evaporation  loss  from  streams, 
lakes,  and  fresh-water  reservoirs  in  the  17  Western 
States  is  more  than  23.6  million  acre-feet — enough 
to  meet  the  needs  of  half  the  population  of  the 
United  States. 

This  is  water  we  can  ill  afford  to  lose,  especially 
in  years  like  this  when  drouth  threatens,  for  water 
holds  the  key  to  this  Nation's  continued  develop- 
ment. The  Nation  is,  in  fact,  running  short  of 
water.  In  vast  basins  of  the  West,  all  available 
water  already  is  committed,  and  their  growth  is 
blocked  unless  more  water  is  made  available.  In 
parts  of  the  Mississippi  and  Ohio  Valleys,  the 
need  is  so  great  that  the  same  water  is  used,  re- 
cycled and  reused  six  and  seven  times  in  domestic 
systems  before  it  ultimately  reaches  the  sea.     Even 


in  the  East,  where  precipitation  normally  balances 
use  and  evaporation,  additional  water  is  being 
sought  for  domestic  and  industrial  purposes.  The 
only  "new"  source,  aside  from  distilling  sea  water 
or  piping  fresh  water  from  distant  watersheds  as 
California  already  is  doing — and  both  of  these 
methods  are  enormously  costly — is  in  reducing  the 
evaporation  loss. 

Ramrodded  by  Garstka 

A  Bureau  of  Reclamation  task  force  ramrodded 
by  the  bald,  energetic,  cello-playing  Garstka  has 
come  up  with  the  likely  answer,  a  mysterious,  in- 
visible, monomolecular  film.  This  is  a  chemical 
"skin"  only  one  molecule  thick — an  incredible  six 
ten-millionths  of  an  inch.  Spread  over  the  sur- 
face of  reservoirs,  it  is  an  antievaporation  barrier, 
like  a  lid  over  the  saucer  in  our  evaporation  dem- 
onstration. It  does  not  halt  all  evaporation,  but 
in  scores  of  minutely  observed  field  tests  under  all 
manner  of  trying  conditions,  the  film  has  shown 
it  can  conserve  significant  amounts  of  water. 
Evaporation  loss  was  reduced  by  an  average  of 
10  percent,  and  as  much  as  22  percent.  Despite 
the  handicap  of  low-efficiency  experimental  equip- 
ment for  spreading  the  film,  the  cost  of  water  saved 
was  well  within  practical  limits. 

"We  have  a  method  that  works,"  Gartska  told 
me,  gesticulating  vigorously.  "The  cost  is  real- 
istic. It  is  safe  for  people.  It  does  not  harm 
wildlife  or  interfere  with  recreational  use  of  lakes. 
Now,  how  rapidly  evaporation  control  with  mono- 
molecular  film  becomes  common  practice  depends 
on  how  badly  we  need  water  and  how  much  we 
are  prepared  to  spend  to  conserve  it." 

Several  materials  can  be  used  for  the  chemical 
film,  but  the  most  widely  employed  is  a  family  of 
what  are  called  long-chain  or  "fatty"  alcohols. 
They  are  a  nonintoxicating  substance  familiar  to 
industry. 

The  two  forms  Garstka  has  found  most  effective 
are  hexadecanol  and  its  close  cousin  octadecanol. 
They  are  made  from  petroleum  as  well  as  whale  oil 
tallow  and  palm  oil.  At  room  temperature,  hexa- 
decanol is  a  white,  waxy  solid  insoluble  in  water. 
It  finds  wide  use  in  lipsticks,  hand  lotions  and 
other  cosmetics. 

Hexadecanol  and  octadecanol  are  scattered  in 
powder  form  over  the  water  to  be  protected,  or  they 
can  be  melted  and  sprayed.  The  molten  material 
solidifies  almost  immediately  after  leaving  the  noz- 


50 


The  Reclamation  Era 


zle,  falling  on  the  water  like  a  dust  cloud  which 
quickly  becomes  invisible. 

Shaped  Like  Shotgun  Shells 

In  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  laboratories,  I 
learned  how  the  hexadecanol  works.  Its  molecules 
are  shaped  something  like  shotgun  shells.  These 
molecules  float  upright,  compressed  shoulder  to 
shoulder,  forming  the  film.  Although  it  inhibits 
the  passage  of  water  vapor,  for  some  unknown 
reason  the  film  does  not  interfere  with  the  natural 
movement  of  carbon  dioxide,  oxygen,  and  other 
gases. 

To  demonstrate  how  the  molecules  spread  out  to 
form  the  film,  Garstka  sprinkled  some  cedar  shav- 
ings from  a  pencil  sharpener  into  a  pie  tin  half 
filled  with  water.  The  shavings  floated  where 
tliey  landed.  Then  he  dropped  some  powdered 
hexadecanol  on  the  water,  where  it  became  invis- 
ible on  contact.  Instantly  the  shavings  darted 
toward  the  edges  of  the  pan,  forced  out  by  the 
spreading  film. 

As  happens  so  often  in  scientific  research, 
Garstka  stumbled  on  hexadecanol  while  seeking  a 
solution  to  another  problem.  In  1952,  he  was 
working  on  rain  gages  for  an  automatic  flood- 
warning  system  in  north  California.  When  water 
reached  a  certain  level  in  the  precipitation  gages 
scattered  over  key  watersheds,  an  electrical  signal 
would  be  transmitted.  On  receipt  of  this  warning, 
upstream  reservoir  releases  could  be  reduced  to 
make  room  in  stream  channels  for  the  expected 
flood  pouring  out  of  the  mountains.  (This  subject 
was  formerly  developed  in  "Pushbutton  Flood 
Control,"  Reclamation  Era^  February  1954.) 

A  Clue  to  the  Solution 

But  for  the  warnings  to  be  accurate,  evaporation 
from  the  rain  gages  had  to  be  kept  at  a  minimum, 
Garstka  was  looking  for  something  to  curb  evapo- 
ration when  he  read  papers  published  some  years 
earlier  by  Irving  Langmuir  and  V.  J.  Schaefer 
reporting  on  laboratory  findings  about  hexadeca- 
nol's  remarkable  properties.  Garstka  reasoned 
that  if  hexadecanol  could  control  evaporation  in 
the  laboratory,  it  ought  to  work  in  a  rain  gage  or 
a  lake  for  that  matter.  Forthwith,  he  turned  his 
curiosity  loose  on  the  subject. 

About  the  same  time,  two  other  scientists  were 
studying  evaporation  control  without  knowledge 
of   either   Garstka's   or    each    other's    activities. 


Smooth  water  behind  raft-mounted  dispensers  on  Lake  Cachuma, 
Calif.,   shows  effect  of  hexadecanol. 


W.  W.  Mansfield,  a  chemist  in  the  Australian  Gov- 
ernment's Commonwealth  Scientific  and  Industrial 
Research  Organization,  was  one.  The  other  was 
Dr.  Victor  K.  LaMer  of  Columbia  University. 
All  three  reached  the  same  conclusion  independ- 
ently :  A  thin  chemical  film  placed  on  the  surface 
of  lakes  and  reservoirs  holds  promise  of  reducing 
evaporation. 

But  a  great  deal  had  to  be  learned  before  the 
idea  could  be  applied. 

By  1956,  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  had 
launched  a  full-scale  attack  on  the  problem  with 
its  extensive  research  facilities,  in  cooperation  with 
various  State  and  Federal  agencies,  and  through 
Federal  grants  to  nearly  a  dozen  universities  inter- 
ested in  working  on  special  aspects  of  the  project. 

Key  members  of  the  Bureau's  team  included 
Quentin  L.  Florey,  co-inventor  of  apparatus  and 
techniques  used  in  the  experiments;  H.  Dean 
Newkirk  now  head  of  the  evaporation-reduction 
unit,  and  G.  E.  Burnett,  chief  research  scientist. 
The  research  center  is  part  of  the  office  of  B.  P. 
Bellport,  chief  engineer. 

The  behavior  of  so  diaphanous  a  thing  as  a 
monomolecular  film  had  to  be  studied  under 
rigorous  field  conditions.  Lengthy  tests  had  to  be 
undertaken  to  determine  its  effectiveness  and  its 
resistance  to  sun  and  wind.  The  effect  of  hexa- 
decanol on  fish,  waterfowl,  plankton,  and  insects 
had  to  be  determined.  And  ways  had  to  be  de- 
vised for  spreading  the  hexadecanol  over  reser- 
voirs stretching  across  tens  of  thousands  of  acres. 
Costs  had  to  be  computed. 

Gradually  the  reports  began  to  come  in — from 
Lake  Mead,  from  Rattlesnake  Reservoir  in  Colo- 


AuGUST  1964 


51 


Walter  U.  Garstka 

rado,  Sahuaro  Lake  in  Arizona,  and  many  other 
research  sites.  The  findings  were  encouraging. 
The  U.S.  Public  Health  Service  reported  that 
hexadecanol,  in  the  amounts  used  posed  no  health 
hazard.  Colorado  State  University  experts  found 
wildlife  was  unaffected  by  it.  In  fact,  fish  were 
seen  feeding  on  concentrations  of  hexadecanol. 
Swimmers,  skiers,  and  boaters  welcomed  it  because 
it  smoothed  the  water.  The  film  healed  itself 
within  minutes  after  a  boat  cut  through  it. 

Reduced  by  22  Percent 

The  amount  of  water  saved  varied  widely.  The 
best  showing  was  at  Lake  Cachuma  near  Santa 
Barbara,  Calif.,  where  evaporation  was  reduced 
by  22  percent  at  a  cost  of  $28  per  acre-foot — far 
less  than  the  water  was  worth  to  the  city.  Under 
laboratory  conditions,  evaporation  had  been  re- 
duced by  as  much  as  64  percent. 

But  many  problems  become  apparent,  too, 
mainly  in  spreading  the  film  and  maintaining  it. 
Winds  above  20  m.p.h.  crumpled  the  film,  and  even 
15-m.p.h.  breezes  tended  to  wash  it  ashore.  In 
small  ponds  with  much  biological  activity,  what 
the  scientists  referred  to  as  biological  attrition  be- 


came serious.  At  Lake  Hafner  in  Oklahoma, 
40,000  pounds  of  hexadecanol  disappeared  in  3 
months,  apparently  gobbled  up  by  the  microscopic 
creatures  in  the  water.  In  some  stock  ponds,  the 
organisms  ate  up  the  film  overnight. 

Generally,  however,  Garstka  learned  his  theory 
was  sound,  and  the  principal  difficulties  were 
engineering  problems — how  to  dispense  the  film 
cheaply  and  keep  it  on  the  water. 

So  far,  no  way  has  been  found  to  toughen  the 
film  so  that  it  resists  wind  damage.  Nor  have  the 
scientists  found  a  material  that  will  redistribute 
into  a  monolayer  once  it  has  been  severely 
crumpled.  But  hexadecanol  is  inexpensive 
enough  to  scatter  as  often  as  necessary.  It  costs 
about  40  cents  per  pound,  and  only  one-fifth  to 
one-half  pound  covers  an  acre.  If  large  quantities 
of  hexadecanol  were  to  be  manufactured,  Garstka 
estimates  it  could  be  produced  for  as  little  as  12 
cents  a  pound. 

Distributing  it  poses  a  greater  problem.  Small 
reservoirs  can  be  kept  covered  by  a  man  tossing  out 
powdered  hexadecanol  by  hand,  as  Garstka  did 
with  the  aid  of  a  light  breeze,  but  a  man's  time  is 
costly  and  a  favorable  wind  isn't  always  available. 
Motorboats  have  been  used  successfully,  but  here 
again  manpower  is  involved.  Automatic  dis- 
pensers aboard  anchored  rafts,  which  operate  only 
when  the  wind  direction  and  velocity  are  favor- 
able, have  been  found  practical  and  require  a 
minimum  of  attention.  Two  Utah  State  Uni- 
versity professors  demonstrated  that  a  light  plane, 
flying  25  to  50  feet  above  the  water  at  speeds  of 
100  m.p.h.  can  blanket  large  reservoirs  at  the  rate 
of  100  acres  a  minute. 

Speaking  at  a  UNESCO  symposium  on  evapora- 
tion control  at  Poona,  India,  Garstka  told  dele- 
gates from  many  water-short  nations : 

"It  is  not  reasonable  to  expect  that  one  sub- 
stance or  one  technique  would  be  the  best  for  all 
reservoirs.  The  fact  that  at  present  our  prime 
attention  is  concentrated  on  the  use  of  monomo- 
lecular  layers  does  not  mean  that  they  are  the  ulti- 
mate in  evaporation-loss-reduction  techniques." 

He  pointed  out  that  engineers  must  develop  dif- 
ferent techniques  for  applying  and  maintaining 
different  kinds  of  film  to  meet  the  needs  of  a 
variety  of  local  conditions.  Research  toward  this 
end  is  continuing.  But  in  the  United  States,  at 
least,  evaporation  reduction  is  practical  today. 
(Continued  on  page  55) 


52 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Innovations  in 

AQUEDUCT  CONSTRUCTION 

on  the  Canadian  River  Project 


by  V.  O.  GRANTHAM 

Assistant  Project  Construction  Engineer,  Amarillo,  Tex. 

COULD  there  be  a  "production  line"  method 
of  installing  large  diameter,  concrete  pres- 
sure pipe?  It  is  believed  a  new  "deep  cradle" 
method  now  being  utilized  to  lay  prestressed  con- 
crete pipe  on  the  Bureau's  Canadian  River  project 
is  just  that.  Twenty -two  foot  sections  of  72-  and 
78 -inch  diameter  pipe  is  used. 

Construction  was  initiated  in  January  1963  of 
the  initial  57-mile  section  of  the  322-mile  aqueduct 
system  to  deliver  water  to  the  11  high  plains  cities 
comprising  the  Canadian  River  Municipal  Water 
Authority.  The  R.  H.  Fulton  Co.  of  Lubbock, 
Tex.,  was  awarded  the  contract. 

Acting  on  the  suggestions  of  Project  Construc- 
tion Engineer  C.  O.  Crane,  the  contractor  de- 
veloped a  machine  for  cutting  a  semi-circular 
trench  that  would  precisely  fit  the  lower  shape  of 
the  pipe.  After  experimenting  briefly  with  a 
small  "made-on-the-job"  cradle  excavating  ma- 
chine, the  contractor  called  in  engineers  from  the 
Barber-Greene  Co.  and  presented  the  problems 
and  the  Bureau's  proposal  for  the  manufacturer's 
study. 

Before  the  first  mile  of  pipe  had  been  laid,  a  new 
machine  had  been  built  and  placed  in  service. 
This  machine  is  now  known  as  the  modified  Bar- 
ber-Greene Model  T.  A.  55-wheel  excavator,  and 
it  cuts  a  cradle  about  one-third  of  the  outside  pipe 
diameter  in  depth,  with  radius  3  inches  greater 
than  the  outside  pipe  radius.  A  standard  wheel 
excavator  was  modified  by  attaching  two  special 
shaped  cutters  to  the  ends  of  an  axle  geared  to  the 
excavation  wheel.  These  cutters  excavate  to  the 
edge  of  the  wheel  buckets,  thus  producing  an  ex- 
tremely smooth  circular  cradle. 

The  excavator  is  track-mounted  and  self-pro- 
pelled. 

A  crumbing  shoe,  shaped  to  fit  the  cradle  cir- 
cumference, is  attached  to  the  rear  of  the  excavator 
and  collects  spillage  from  the  cutters.  There  is 
no  necessity  for  cleanup  operations  behind  the 


machine.  Originally,  to  place  the  excavated  spoil 
material  on  the  bank,  the  excavator  was  equipped 
with  an  8-foot  conveyor,  and  24-inch  belt.  Later, 
because  of  the  height  of  the  spoil  bank,  it  was 
deemed  advantageous  to  increase  the  conveyor 
length  to  12.5  feet. 

The  firm  to  medium  consistency  of  the  soil  en- 
countered in  the  area  is  ideal. 

The  New  Method 

To  install  pipe  utilizing  the  deep  cradle  method, 
a  10-foot- wide  trench  is  excavated  with  a  4-cubic- 
yard  backhoe  to  a  depth  of  approximately  40 
inches  above  the  bottom  grade  of  the  pipe.  The 
modified  Barber-Greene  trencher  is  then  used  to 
complete  the  cradle  excavation. 

Excavated  soil  is  elevated  to  the  top  of  the  spoil  bank  by  the 
conveyor  arm  at  left. 


August  1964 


53 


-      % 


^^^. 


S^ 


The  machine  leaves  the  bottom  of  the  deep  cradle  clean. 


In  laying  the  concrete  pipe,  the  individual  sec- 
tions are  supported  on  small  sand  pads  located 
in  the  bottom  of  the  cradle  at  approximately  2 
feet  from  each  end  of  the  pipe  section  to  be  set. 
A  hand-operated  winch  secured  in  a  previously 
laid  pipe  section,  and  with  a  cable  extending  for- 
ward to  a  6  X  6-inch  timber  placed  across  the  open 
end  of  the  pipe  section  to  be  set,  is  used  to  draw  the 
pipe  sections  together  to  complete  joint  closure. 

After  the  pipe  section  has  been  forced  horizon- 
tally into  place  at  the  joint,  and  the  0-shaped  rub- 
ber gasket  confined  in  its  groove  to  assure  positive 
seal  against  water  pressures  up  to  195  pounds  per 
square  inch,  the  outer  end  of  the  pipe  is  adjusted 


to  perfect  horizontal  and  vertical  alinement,  by 
tamping  small  amounts  of  sand  around  the  pipe 
at  the  location  of  the  sand  pad  support.  Aline- 
ment of  the  pipe  is  thereby  made  unusually  pre- 
cise with  less  than  normal  effort. 

The  procedure  also  deviates  from  conventional 
practices  in  backfilling  under  the  pipe.  Past 
operations  necessitated  compacting  pipe  bedding 
by  laborious  hand  tamping  of  properly  placed  and 
moistened  earth  material  around  and  underneath 
the  lower  portion  of  the  pipe.  The  annular  3-inch 
space  between  the  pipe  and  the  circular  trench,  is 
now  being  pumped  full  of  mortar  in  the  propor- 
tions of  two  bags  of  cement  per  cubic  yard  of  sand 


54 


The  Reclamation  Era 


as  mixed  to  a  slurry  by  adding  water  in  a  model 
1 6-S  mixer.  The  mortar  is  first  pumped  into  the 
annular  space  on  one  side.  Before  the  first  side 
is  completely  filled,  the  mortar  is  pumped  into 
tiie  other  side.  Consolidation  of  the  mortar  is 
accomplished  by  a  portable  electric  vibrator  with 
a  flexible  shaft.  Tests  indicate  the  resulting  mor- 
tar  bedding  has  a  bearing  strength  of  approxi- 
mately 300  pounds  per  square  inch. 

Contractor's  Progress 

It  is  estimated  that  the  contractor's  progress 
through  these  innovations  is  double  that  of  the 
previously  used  conventional  methods.  The  cost 
of  laying  and  bedding  pipe  has  been  reduced  to 
approximately  one-third  of  other  standard  meth- 
ods, and  it  is  felt  that  the  Bureau  now  obtains  a 
better  job  as  a  result  of  more  vmiform  and  im- 
l^ervious  support  under  the  pipe  with  no  void 
s|)aces  near  the  bottom  support  to  permit  passage 
of  drainage  or  seepage  water. 

In  the  first  meeting  with  the  new  Reclamation 
contractor,  speculation  was  made  as  to  the  length 
of  pipe  that  could  be  laid  in  one  day.  The  project 
construction  engineer  told  the  contractor  that  he 
would  buy  him  a  steak  dinner  the  day  that  1,000 
feet  of  pipe  were  installed  in  one  shift.  Before  10 
miles  were  installed,  the  steak  was  demanded.  A 
length  of  1,628  feet  was  laid  during  one  9-hour 
working  day.  While  this  is  the  maximum  footage 
to  be  installed  in  one  shift,  it  has  become  fairly 
routine  to  install  1,100  to  1,300  feet  of  pipe  during 
the  regular  9-hour  working  day. 

The  noncylinder  prestressed  concrete  pipe  for 
installation  under  the  H.  R.  Fulton  Co.  contract 
is  being  manufactured  at  the  Amarillo  plant  of 
Gifford-Hill-American,  Inc.  The  balance  of  the 
322-mile  aqueduct  system  will  be  built  under  three 


other  principal  contracts.  Each  contract  will  be 
sufficiently  large  to  warrant  development  of  and 
investment  in  new  equipment  and  methods.  Al- 
ready other  innovations  are  on  the  drawing  board 
and  may  prove  equally  as  advantageous  and  eco- 
nomical for  the  work  on  the  Canadian  River 
project. 

The  total  estimated  construction  cost  of  the  Ca- 
nadian River  project  is  $96  million.  Approxi- 
mately two-thirds  of  this  amount  will  be  expended 
to  construct  the  aqueduct  system  and  appurtenant 
facilities,  and  the  balance  will  be  required  to  com- 
plete construction  of  Sanford  Dam.  #  #  # 

Slurry  mixed  mortar  is  pumped  into  the  annular  space  on  both 
sides  of  the  pipe. 


The  "Skin"  that  Saves 
(Continued  from  page  52) 

And  the  Price  Is  Right 

A  recent  Bureau  of  Reclamation  report  to  the 
Senate  Committee  on  National  Water  Resources 
points  out  that  the  cost  of  water  for  irrigation 
ranges  from  $1  to  $35  per  acre-foot,  and  from  $5 
to  more  than  $75  for  municipal  use.  (Denver 
was  offered  $90  an  acre-foot  last  summer  by  a 
drouth-stricken  suburb.  The  Denver  Water 
Board  declined  to  sell  for  less  than  $150  per  acre- 


foot.)  Water  engineers  estimate  that  even  with- 
out major  scientific  breakthroughs,  and  using 
techniques  known  today,  evaporation  in  the  United 
States  could  be  reduced  by  2  million  acre- feet  an- 
nually, at  a  cost  of  between  $20  and  $35  per  acre- 
foot — from  6  to  10  cents  for  1,000  gallons. 

"At  these  costs,"  Garstka  says,  "the  reduction  of 
evaporation  loss  by  chemical  means  could  very 
rapidly  become  a  routine  method  of  conserving 
water  in  many  parts  of  the  world.  And  without 
water  there  is  no  life."  #  #  # 


August  1964 


55 


■:«:.<S£.,<«««>-.V^ 


U'^^^ 


FLAMING  GORGE  . . . 


New  Rainbow  Bonanza 


by  BOB  WILEY 

of  the  Wyoming   Game 
and   Fish   Department 

ONE  of  the  larger  bodies  of  water  in  the  West- 
ern United  States,  Flaming  Gorge  Reservoir, 
offers  the  fisherman  a  variety  of  places  to  test  his 
favorite  lure.  Stocked  in  1963  with  more  than  314 
million  rainbow  trout,  the  lake  is  now  yielding 
excellent  catches  to  nearly  all  fishermen. 

As  on  most  Wyoming  reservoirs,  Flaming  Gorge 
may  be  fished  on  open  water  in  summer  or  through 
the  ice  in  winter.  Fishing  with  fly,  bait,  or  lure, 
from  boat  or  shore,  during  the  summer  promises 
to  be  rewarding  in  numbers  of  fish  as  well  as  in 
weight.  Trout  planted  last  year  as  fingerlings  are 
now  averaging  a  fat  12  inches,  large  enough  to 
please  most  anglers. 

The  winter  fisherman,  with  his  sometimes  elab- 
orate gear,  can  be  seen  on  the  ice  from  December 

The  reservoir  behind  Flaming  Gorge  Dam  was  332  feet  deep  when 
this  picture  was  taken. 

56 


through  March.  At  the  close  of  a  typical  day 
these  fishermen  usually  leave  the  ice  with  a  smile 
and  a  full  creel. 

The  sightseer,  picnicker,  and  boater,  as  well  as 
the  ardent  angler,  will  find  spots  to  his  liking 
along  the  entire  reservoir.  The  30-mile  section  in 
Utah  will  attract  many  people  to  its  beautifully 
colored  canyons,  deep  waters,  and  interesting  geo- 
logical formations.  Each  mile  of  this  section 
should  present  the  fisherman  with  intriguing 
places  to  cast  his  lure. 

Many  miles  of  shoreline  and  secluded  bays  await 
the  fisherman  in  the  Wyoming  portion  of  the  lake. 
Each  bay,  with  its  sage  lined  banks,  will  seem  to 
the  angler  the  place  to  test  his  tackle  with  the 
fighting  rainbow  of  Flaming  Gorge. 

Convenient  launching  ramps  and  docking  facili- 
ties have  been  installed  by  the  U.S.  Forest  Service 
and  National  Park  Service.  Other  facilities  neces- 
sary for  the  visitor  are  being  planned. 

Currently  Utah  and  Wyoming  State  conserva- 
tion agencies  are  undertaking  an  extensive  study 

The  Reclamation  Era 


of  Flaming  Gorge  waters.  Physical,  chemical, 
and  biological  aspects  of  the  lake  are  being  ob- 
served closely  to  increase  knowledge  of  aquatic  life 
in  this  new  impoundment.  Fish  stocking  plans 
for  the  future  are  being  formulated  to  enhance  the 
present  fishery. 

Lake  Regulations 

Before  coming  to  the  Flaming  Gorge  Bonanza 
all  anglers  should  read  their  Wyoming's  regula- 
tions carefully  to  fully  understand  the  special 
regulations  in  effect  on  the  lake. 

Wyoming  anglers  planning  to  fish  the  Utah 
portion  of  Flaming  Gorge  Keservoir  must  pur- 
chase a  special  Utah  fishing  reciprocity  stamp  in 
addition  to  their  regular  Wyoming  fishing  license. 
The  $2.00  stamps  will  be  available  from  license- 
selling  agents  in  southwestern  Wyoming.  Other 
regulations  for  the  reservoir : 

A  resident  of  Wyoming  or  Utah  under  12  may 
fish  the  reservoir  in  either  State  without  a  license 
or  stamp.  A  nonresident  under  12  may  fish  with- 
out a  license  or  stamp,  but  he  must  be  accompanied 
by  an  adult  with  a  valid  license  and  his  catch  will 
be  counted  as  part  of  the  adult's  creel  limit. 

Wyoming  or  Utah  residents  12  or  13  years  old 
may  fish  without  licenses,  but  they  must  have 
reciprocity  stamps  to  fish  that  portion  of  the  reser- 
voir lying  in  the  other  State.  Wyoming  residents 
12  or  13  years  old  need  neither  licenses  nor  stamps 
if  they  fish  in  Wyoming. 

A  Wyoming  resident  14  to  19  years  old  may  fish 
Wyoming's  portion  of  the  reservoir  if  he  has  a 
Wyoming  resident  youth  fishing  license.  He  may 
also  fish  in  Utah's  portion  of  the  reservoir  if  he  has 
a  Utah  fishing  reciprocity  stamp. 

The  creel  limit  is  10  game  fish  or  7  pounds  and  1 
game  fish  a  day  or  in  possession.  Residents  of 
either  state  under  12  may  take  four  game  fish  or  3 
pounds  and  one  game  fish  a  day  or  in  possession. 

Fishing  is  permitted  throughout  the  calendar 
year  to  elevations  of  6,040  feet,  as  designated  by 
Game  and  Fish  Commission  markers. 

The  possession  or  use  of  live  fish  for  bait,  the 
use  or  possession  of  salmon  eggs  or  com  for  bait, 
and  the  use  of  more  than  three  baited  hooks  on 
each  line  is  prohibited. 

Set-line  fishing  through  a  hole  in  the  ice  is  per- 
mitted, provided  only  one  line  with  no  more  than 
three  hooks  attached  is  used  and  provided  the 
owner  attends  the  line.  #  #  # 


Bob  Wiley 

Mr.  "Wiley,  23,  is  an  assistant  fisheries  biolo- 
gist with  the  Wyoming  Game  and  Fish  Depart- 
ment. For  the  last  several  months  he  has 
assisted  the  Department's  Fisheries  Manage- 
ment Crew  No.  4  with  a  study  of  Flaming 
Gorge  Reservoir.  Wiley  is  a  graduate  of 
Humboldt  State  College  at  Arcadia,  Calif. 
His  article  is  reprinted  by  his  permission  and 
that  of  Wyoming  Wildlife. 


August  1964 

733-114  O— 64- 


57 


PLASTIC  CUTOFF  FOR  SEEPAGE   CONTROL 


by  K.  S.  EHRMAN 

Chief,  Waterways  Design   Branch, 
Columbia   Basin   Project 

EARTH  canals  and  laterals  in  sidehill  loca- 
tions often  need  linings  for  bank  safety  and 
seepage  control.  If  irrigation  is  planned  above 
the  canal,  a  rising  water  table  may  create  back 
pressures  that  could  rupture  conventional  canal 
linings. 

However,  where  a  relatively  impervious  layer  of 
silt,  clay,  or  rock  exists  within  a  reasonable  dis- 
tance below  bottom  grade,  a  vertical  cutoff  wall 
,in  the  lower  bank  may  provide  the  required  safety 
and  seepage  control.  Such  a  condition  existed  on 
the  Columbia  Basin  project  constructed  and  pres- 
ently operated  by  the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclamation. 

Approximately  5,934  linear  feet  of  vertical 
plastic  membrane  cutoffs  were  constructed  along 
two  canals  on  the  Columbia  Basin  project  in 
March  and  April  of  1963.  Work  on  one  canal 
consisted  of  installing  2,334  linear  feet  of  10-mil 
black  polyvinyl  chloride  sheeting  24  feet  wide  in  a 
nearly  vertical  trench  to  strengthen  the  canal's 
lower  bank. 

On  the  second  canal  3,600  linear  feet  of  two-ply 
reinforced  polyethylene  sheeting  12  feet  wide  was 
installed  in  a  vertical  trench  along  the  lower  inside 
toe  of  the  canal  and  this  was  topped  by  compacted 
blended  earth  lining  along  the  inside  lower  canal 
bank  to  reduce  seepage.  The  work  on  both  canals 
was  performed  by  contract  under  specifications 
prepared  by  the  Bureau.  The  installations  were 
the  culmination  of  experimental  work  with  plastic 
membrane  cutoffs  performed  on  the  Boise  project 
in  Idaho  in  1959,  and  on  the  Columbia  project  in 
1962. 

Vertical  plastic  curtain  walls  of  the  type  in- 
stalled on  the  Boise  project  in  the  spring  of  1959 
apeared  to  offer  a  low-cost  answer  to  the  project 
needs.  Accordingly,  in  the  spring  of  1962,  a  300- 
foot  experimental  test  reach  was  selected  on  the 
Columbia  Basin  project's  East  Low  Canal  for 
installation  of  a  20-foot-wide  plastic  membrane. 
In  this  reach,  leaching  and  piping  over  a  period 
of  years  through  intermingled  layers  and  pockets 
of  sand  and  caliche  in  and  below  the  canal  bank 
had  caused  occasional  breaks.  A  plastic  mem- 
brane cutoff  could  sever  these  layers  and  prevent 
future  canal  breaks. 


Experimental   Installation 

The  experimental  work  in  1962  was  advertised, 
but  the  only  bid  received  was  rejected  as  being 
excessive.  Accordingly,  the  work  was  accom- 
plished by  Government  forces.  When  completed 
the  actual  installation  covered  only  approximately 
200  feet  because  of  construction  problems  en- 
countered. 

A  300-foot-long  by  28-foot-wide  strip  of  8-mil- 
thick  black  polyethylene  membrane  accordian 
folded  was  ordered  for  the  work.  Upon  its  ar- 
rival, it  was  discovered  that  the  supplier  had  sub- 
stituted 6-mil-thick  plastic.  Because  of  time 
limitations  however,  this  thinner  plastic  was  used 
and  a  price  adjustment  secured  from  the  supplier. 
Essentially  the  procedure  was  to  blade  a  berm, 
or  ledge,  at  an  elevation  18  inches  above  water 
surface  with  a  dozer ;  then  to  excavate  a  vertical- 
sided  trench  about  25.5  feet  deep  and  4.5  feet  wide 
with  a  1 -cubic-yard  dragline.  The  excavation  was 
into  damp  sand. 

After  the  plastic  was  unfolded,  loops  formed 
by  an  adhesive,  filament  tape  were  attached  along 
the  top  edge  to  hold  anchor  ropes.  This  tape 
sticks  very  well  on  clean  plastic. 

Due  to  a  breakdown  of  the  dragline,  it  was  im- 
possible to  finish  all  300  feet  of  trench  fast  enough 
to  avoid  some  sloughing  or  excessive  wetting.  To 
minimize  this  danger,  a  100-foot  strip  of  the  plastic 
was  suspended  from  the  bank  of  the  first  excavated 
portion  of  the  trench  and  backfilling  began  by 
pushing  the  material  from  the  canal  side  into  the 
trench  by  dozer.  Unfortunately  a  large  slough 
occurred  while  backfilling  was  in  progress.  Tlie 
sloughing  material  fell  against  the  plastic  and  tore 
it  loose  from  most  of  its  anchors  with  most  of  the 
plastic  sheeting  falling  into  the  bottom  of  the 
trench. 

Since  safety  requirements  prohibited  entering 
the  trench,  the  entire  reach  was  backfilled  and  a 
new  trench  re-excavated  through  it.  In  spite  of 
some  additional  sloughing,  the  remaining  200  feet 
of  plastic  was  successfully  installed.  Loose  back- 
fill was  placed  through  the  intermediate  reach, 
water  was  added  to  the  backfill  at  the  ends  of  the 
trench  to  make  a  mixture  of  thin  mud,  or  slurry,  to 
seal  the  ends  in  place.  Gravel  protection  was  then 
placed  along  the  inside  slope  of  the  canal. 


9 


58 


The  Reclamation  Era 


The  Buckeye  trencher  machine  at  left  has  "dug  in"  to  a  trench 
depth  of  about  10  feet  for  a  cutoff,  curtain-laying  trial  on  the 
Columbia   Basin   project. 

When  water  was  put  into  the  canal  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  irrigation  season,  there  was  some 
settlement  of  the  loose  backfill.  However,  this 
consolidation  had  been  expected  and  the  bank  was 
reshaped  by  operation  and  maintenance  forces 
when  equilibrium  was  reached.  Readings  of  ob- 
servation wells  during  the  1962  irrigation  season 
indicated  that  the  membrane  was  not  only  afford- 
ing protection  to  the  canal  banks  but  was  also  re- 
ducing water  loss  through  the  bank.  Rise  in  the 
wells  directly  opposite  the  lined  reach  was  as  much 
as  10  feet  less  than  the  rise  in  wells  at  either  end 
of  the  reach. 

Total  direct  construction  cost  including  the  plas- 
tic and  riprap  for  the  successfully  installed  200 
feet  of  lining  was  slightly  more  than  $11  per  foot. 
In  spite  of  the  difficulties  encountered  in  making 
this  installation,  it  was  obvious  that  a  successful 
low-cost  side  lining  could  be  secured  by  installing 
a  plastic  membrane  in  a  vertical  trench. 

Second  Trial  Installation 

The  success  of  the  first  installation  in  the  East 
Low  Canal  and  the  availability  of  a  ladder-type 
excavator  with  a  shield  used  for  installing  drain- 
tile  in  wet  and  unstable  ground  suggested  a  pos- 
sible solution  of  a  different  problem.  A  portion 
of  irrigable  land  adjacent  to  a  wasteway  could 
only  be  drained  by  pumping  into  the  wasteway, 
but  unfortunately  the  wasteway  was  constructed 
in  gravelly  materials  that  would  have  rapidly  re- 


charged the  area  being  pumped.  It  was  decided 
that  if  a  cutoff  wall  could  be  installed  to  a  rela- 
tively impervious  layer  of  material  which  was  6 
to  8  feet  below  ground  surface,  this  recirculation 
of  pumped  water  would  be  eliminated. 

Project  Engineer  W.  T.  Lowe  of  the  Drainage 
Branch  devised  a  shield  to  fit  the  ladder-type  ex- 
cavator so  that  a  vertical  roll  of  plastic  up  to  12 
feet  long  could  be  suspended  inside  the  shield  and 
fed  out  between  the  rollers  at  the  rear.  After  a 
trial  run  in  firm  ground,  about  1,300  feet  of  8-mil 
polyethylene  plastic  was  installed  by  the  project 
forces  along  the  wasteway,  and  although  the  plas- 
tic initially  tended  to  bind  in  the  rollers  at  the 
rear  of  the  shield,  this  difficulty  was  generally 
corrected  by  remodeling  the  rollers  to  use  washing 
machine  wringer  rolls  with  sealed  bearings.  The 
depth  of  the  installed  plastic  varied  from  6  to  10 
feet. 

West  Canal  Installation 

The  success  of  both  the  experimental  East  Low 
and  wasteway  installations  prompted  two  more 
extensive  installations  during  the  1962-63  non- 
irrigation  season.  On  the  West  Canal,  leakage 
from  one  reach  about  5,050  feet  long  was  a  major 
contributor  to  a  high  water  table  threatening  about 

Test  curtain  installation  at  the  East  Low  Canal  area  shows  fila- 
ment tape  anchors  on  the  upper  edge  of  the  black  plastic. 


'■^^%    \^ 


August  1964 


59 


300  acres  of  land.  Full  lining  of  the  canal  was 
impracticable  because  of  the  size  of  the  canal  and 
because  irrigation  from  higher  ground  could  also 
contribute  to  the  high  water  table,  so  that  back 
pressure  could  be  expected  against  a  full-lined 
perimeter. 

The  canal  in  this  reach  was  excavated  in  sands, 
silts,  and  caliche  (lime  impregnated  sandy  silt) 
with  a  relatively  impervious  material  at  varying 
depths  below  grade.  The  saturated  sands  were 
quite  unstable.  In  this  situation,  it  appeared  that 
a  vertical  plastic  cutoff  wall  along  the  inside  toe 
of  the  lower  bank  plus  a  side  lining  of  the  inside 
lower  bank  would  form  a  barrier  against  the  mi- 
gration of  water  from  the  canal  and  from  the 
lands  above  the  canal  into  the  lower  areas. 

Accordingly,  plans  were  prepared  for  the  in- 
stallation of  4,000  square  yards  of  plastic  mem- 
brane to  be  placed  in  the  trench  to  a  maximum 
depth  of  12  feet  below  grade,  using  the  shield  and 
equipment  developed  for  the  wasteway  installa- 
tion. The  plastic  was  to  be  topped  by  a  compacted 
blended  earth  side  lining.  The  work  was  adver- 
tised and  awarded  to  a  low  bidder  in  the  fall  of 
1962. 

The  contractor  began  by  excavating  for  the  side 
lining  with  a  dragline.  The  canal  was  dewatered 
to  a  point  below  the  canal  invert  grade  by  digging 
a  drain  trench  along  the  right  bottom  of  the  canal 
and  pumping  water  over  a  dike  at  the  downstream 
end.  As  permitted  by  the  specifications,  the  con- 
tractor decided  to  use  the  project-owned  shield 
which  would  hold  a  400-foot  roll  of  plastic.  The 
contractor  also  leased  the  same  ladder  trencher 
used  in  the  experimental  installations,  and  after 
completing  the  side  lining  excavation,  began  the 
installation  of  the  Government-furnished  10-mil 
polyvinyl  chloride  sheet. 

Some  Difficulties 

Again  difficulties  were  encountered  because  of 
the  tendency  of  the  plastic  to  bind  and  tear  as  it 
emerged  from  the  shield.  After  some  25  to  30 
feet  of  plastic  had  been  installed  and  before  the 
full  depth  of  cutoff  was  reached  an  equipment 
breakdown  stopped  work.  During  this  enforced 
shutdown  period  the  contractor  further  modified 
the  shield  to  improve  its  operations.  These  modi- 
fications consisted  of  lengthening  the  shield,  so 
that  a  second  roll  of  membrane  material  could  be 
placed  within  it;  providing  a  sealed  bearing  on 


which  to  suspend  the  plastic  roll;  and  installing 
a  pipe  for  an  air  jet  to  keep  silt  and  mud  from 
settling  in  the  bottom  of  the  shield  and  to  insure 
free  turning  of  the  plastic  rolls. 

Using  the  newly  modified  shield  the  contractor 
resumed  work  and  placed  75  feet  of  plastic. 
Again  some  ripping  and  tearing  occurred.  In  or- 
der to  use  a  material  with  greater  resistance  to 
binding  and  tearing,  a  substitution  of  two-ply  ny- 
lon reinforced  polyethylene  sheeting  was  author- 
ized for  use. 

A  further  complication  was  encountered  where 
one  reach  of  the  canal  was  on  a  curve  and  where 
caliche  was  at  or  near  the  canal  invert  grade.  The 
contractor  found  that  the  caliche  in  this  reach 
could  be  ripped  sufficiently  to  be  excavated,  but 
that  the  trencher  could  not  be  turned  on  a  short 
enough  radius  to  negotiate  the  curve.  Therefore, 
the  trench  in  this  caliche  reach  was  ripped  with  a 
tractor,  excavated  to  a  width  of  3  feet  with  a  back- 
hoe  and  refilled  with  the  same  blended  earth  mix- 
ture designed  for  the  side  lining  above  the  cutoff. 
The  blended  earth  lining  was  placed  in  four  short 
reaches  where  depth  to  caliche  was  a  maximum  of 
only  2  feet. 

The  machine  was  used,  however,  to  install  2,740 
lineal  feet  of  plastic  in  soft  and  unstable  ground. 
The  depth  of  the  machine-excavated  trench  varied 
from  about  2  feet  to  a  maximum  of  9  feet,  which 
was  the  greatest  depth  before  caliche  was  reached. 
Even  in  a  firm  trench  the  maximum  installed  depth 
of  plastic  is  about  IOI/2  feet  because  of  the  ten- 
dency of  the  material  to  slump  when  backfill  was 
placed  against  it.  In  unstable  ground  about  7.5 
to  8  feet  was  the  maximum  depth  that  can  be  in- 
stalled using  the  ladder  excavator  and  shield. 

During  the  winter  the  sandy  upstream  reach  of 
the  canal  that  had  previously  tended  to  slough 
dried  out  sufficiently  so  that  a  trench  could  be 
excavated  to  a  depth  of  about  8I/2  feet  with  a  back- 
hoe.  A  roll  of  plastic  material  was  suspended 
on  end  in  the  trench,  then  unrolled  to  form  a  ver- 
tical cutoff.  After  the  cutoff  was  completed,  the 
contractor  placed  a  1 -foot-thick  layer  of  pre- 
blended  lining  material  over  the  membrane-lined 
trenches  before  constructing  the  remainder  of  the 
compacted  blended  earth  side  lining  by  conven- 
tional methods. 

Total  contract  cost  for  the  West  Canal  installa- 
tion including  the  two-ply  plastic  was  about  $19 
per  linear  foot  of  lining.  Readings  of  observation 
wells  below  the  canal  show  much  less  and  slower 


60 


The  Reclamation  Era 


jj,rt.    giUTv*"^.  .  jp|.jr*4. 


Backfilling  is  in  progress  in  the  badly  caving  sand 
area  at  West  Canal.  Workman  in  center  is  holding 
the  plastic  curtain  as  bulldozers  push  dirt  in  around 
it. 


buildup  of  ground  water  than  in  previous  years. 
This  indicates  that  plastic  curtain  is  performing 
its  job  satisfactorily. 

East  Low  Canal  Installation 

In  the  fall  of  1962,  three  separate  reaches  of  the 
East  Low  Canal  were  selected  for  the  installation 
of  vertical  plastic  membrane  side  lining.  These 
were  reaches  where  bank  stability  was  question- 
able. In  one  of  the  reaches  a  canal  break  had 
occurred  at  an  apparent  low  spot  in  the  core  bank. 
Free  water  was  emerging  in  places  along  the  toe 
of  the  bank  and  there  was  sufficient  moisture  within 
the  bank  that  efflorescence  from  the  evaporation 
of  pore  water  was  occurring  on  the  operating  road 
on  top  of  the  bank. 

Probes  with  auger  holes  and  cross  trenches  in 
the  banks  indicated  typically  silty  sand  or  sandy 
silt  interspersed  with  streaks  of  sand  and  caliche. 
The  original  ground  below  the  bank  was  a  low  den- 
sity loess  (yellowish-brown,  wind-deposited  soil) 
and  caliche  with  occasional  lenses  of  open  gravel. 
The  material  was  considered  free  draining  enough 
that  it  could  be  expected  to  stand  vertically  for 
short  periods  of  time. 

Under  these  conditions  a  plastic  cutoff  wall  sim- 
ilar to  that  previously  described  on  the  East  Low 
Canal  appeared  to  offer  an  inexpensive  and  satis- 
factory method  of  repair.  Plans  were  prepared, 
the  work  was  advertised  and  awarded  to  the  low 
bidder.  The  contractor  began  work  in  the  up- 
stream reach  of  the  canal  excavating  the  berm  with 
a  dozer  and  the  trench  with  a  dragline. 

The  10-mil  polyvinyl  chloride  sheeting  was  fur- 
nished to  the  contractor,  accordian  folded  in  250- 


foot-long  sheets.  Renting  hangar  space  at  the 
Ephrata,  Washington  Airport,  the  contractor  un- 
folded the  plastic  and  rolled  it  around  a  pipe  spin- 
dle. The  plastic  was  placed  in  the  trench  by  sus- 
pending the  roll  vertically  from  a  second  dragline 
and  it  was  then  unrolled  like  a  new  carpet  as  ex- 
cavation proceeded. 

The  method  of  installation  proved  fast  and  effi- 
cient and  kept  the  plastic  close  behind  the  excava- 
tion so  the  danger  of  trench  sloughing  before  the 
plastic  was  put  in  its  place  was  kept  to  a  minimum. 
Backfilling  followed  as  closely  behind  the  plastic 
installation  as  possible.  After  completing  the 
trench  and  berm  backfill,  a  gravel  beach  belt  was 
placed  on  the  inside  slope  of  the  lower  canal  bank. 

Except  for  some  minor  sloughing  when  too  much 
trench  was  opened  up  on  too  steep  a  slope,  work 
was  completed  on  this  reach  of  cutoff  without  in- 
cident. The  contractor  reported  some  holes  or 
voids  in  or  below  the  bank  during  excavation. 
AVlien  the  canal  was  primed  at  the  beginning  of  the 
1963  irrigation  season  there  was  some  settlement 
over  the  work  area  but  this  had  been  expected. 
The  bank  was  dressed  up  by  project  forces  after 
settlement  had  stopped. 

Total  construction  cost  including  Government- 
furnished  plastic  membrane  for  this  plastic  cur- 
tain job  was  about  $9.65  per  linear  foot. 

#  #  # 

(This  article  by  Mr.  Ehrman  appeared  under  the  title: 
"Vertical  Plastic  Cutoff,"  in  the  "Operation  and  Mainte- 
nance Equipment  and  Procedures  Release  No.  46,"  and  un- 
der the  title:  "Plastic  Surgery  for  Irrigation  Arteries," 
in  the  March  1964  Journal  of  the  Construction  Division  of 
theASCE.) 


August  1964 


61 


A  New  Look  at...  THE  IDAHO  GEMS 


by  HAROLD  L.  MATHES  and  W.  DEAN  BOYLE 

of  the   Irrigation   Division 
Region   1,   Boise,   Idaho 


^Cf/'  INGr  of  the  Gem  State,"  is  the  noted  Idaho 


K 


Russet  potato,  also  known  as  the  "Netted 
Gem."  The  qualities  of  this  Gem  are  attested  to 
not  only  by  Idahoans,  but  also  by  consumers 
throughout  the  world. 

The  State  of  Idaho  is  endow^ed  with  natural  re- 
sources and  climatic  conditions  rarely  found  in  one 
area,  and  Idaho  potato  farmers  have  the  techno- 
logical knowledge  and  facilities  to  combine  these 
elements  into  a  superior,  soil-born  creation.  This 
potato  country  has  the  natural  advantages  for 
quality  production,  such  as  the  relatively  high  ele- 
vation, the  nutrient  rich  volcanic  soils,  warm  days 
and  cool  nights,  and  a  stable  supply  of  mountain 
snow  water  for  irrigation. 

By  applying  up-to-date  management  practices 
with  the  favors  from  Mother  Nature,  the  grower 
has  been  able  to  produce  and  deliver  a  consistently 
superior  crop  to  local  and  national  markets  from 
year  to  year.  This  has  been  accomplished  by  com- 
bining the  use  of  disease-free  seed,  judicious  fer- 
tilization, improved  harvesting  methods,  scientific 
handling  and  storage,  and  controlled  temperature 
and  moisture  through  irrigation. 

Without  the  lifegiving  supplies  of  water  fur- 
nished through  vast  and  intricate  irrigation  facili- 
ties, there  would  be  little  produced  from  the  arid 
earth  of  southern  Idaho,  especially  the  noted  po- 
tato. This  water  and  the  necessary  regulating  and 
conveying  systems  have  been  provided  through  the 
efforts  of  private  development  and  Federal  Rec- 
lamation projects  as  a  means  of  reclaiming  vast 
acreages  of  desert  lands. 

The  Idaho  potato  industry  has  been  soundly  de- 
veloped through  the  support  of  the  universities, 
processors,  packers,  shippers,  and  associated  serv- 
ice organizations,  and  through  potato  education 
and  promotion  programs.  Federal  and  State  re- 
search centers  also  continually  serve  the  industry. 


As  might  be  expected,  while  potato  production 
was  pushed  higher  and  higher,  the  buying  and 
eating  habits  of  the  American  family  changed. 
World  War  II  and  its  demand  for  concentrated, 
packaged  potatoes,  followed  by  the  market  for  a 
convenient  ready-to-heat-and-serve  product,  and 
the  vanishing  family  storage  pit,  all  contributed 
to  an  increasing  popularity  for  processed  potatoes. 

Leading  State 

In  the  1950's,  changes  in  utilization,  marketing, 
and  processing  contributed  significantly  to  making 
Idaho  the  leading  State  in  the  production  of  pota- 
toes, in  the  shipment  of  fresh  potatoes,  and  in  po- 
tato processing. 

In  1954,  there  were  153,900  acres  harvested  by 
the  Idaho  potato  farmer.  This  acreage  increased 
to  a  high  of  273,800  acres  by  1961.  Of  the  244,500 
acres  harvested  in  1963,  Federal  Reclamation  proj- 
ects supplied  irrigation  water  to  58  percent  of  the 
lands.  When  it  was  discovered  in  the  1950's  that 
there  was  a  tremendous  supply  of  underground 
water  in  lands  of  the  Snake  River  Valley,  new 
acres  of  desert  were  developed  to  augment  potato 
growing. 

Production  Impact 

Although  yields  per  acre  fluctuate,  the  trend 
continues  upward.  The  increase  in  average  yield 
to  227  hundredweights  has  been  mainly  responsible 
for  the  large  1963  crop  of  55,450,000  hundred- 
weights, about  doubling  the  1954  production  of 
26,624,700.  Total  value  of  the  1963  production 
was  estimated  at  $68  million. 

Much  of  the  increase  in  potato  acreage  is  due 
to   the    dynamic   growth   of    potato   processing. 


62 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Twenty  years  ago,  Idaho  had  two  or  three  small 
potato  processing  plants,  of  which  two  processed 
potato  flour  and  one  manufactured  dehydrated 
potatoes.  In  1950,  less  than  5  percent  of  the 
potato  harvest  was  processed.  Today,  over  40 
percent  of  the  Idaho  crop  is  made  into  food  prod- 
ucts. This  includes  freezing,  dehydration,  can- 
ning, chips,  and  flour.  If  starch  is  included,  the 
utilization  for  processing  is  nearly  50  percent. 
It  has  been  predicted  that  this  percentage  will 
climb  to  85  percent  in  the  next  40  years.  Idaho 
potato  processors,  plus  the  processing  industry 
located  in  nearby  Malheur  County,  Oreg.,  manu- 
factured 62  percent  of  all  frozen  and  dehydrated 
potato  products  shipped  for  consumption  in  the 
United  States  during  1962. 

Other  gains  in  processing  have  been  noted  in 
recent  years.  Twelve  Idaho  companies  operating 
eighteen  processing  plants  are  marketing  more 
than  thirty  different  frozen  or  dehydrated  potato 
products  used  by  the  American  consumer.  Total 
1962  plant  investment  was  nearly  $42  million,  a 
sevenfold  increase  in  12  years,  and  a  spectacular 
jump  of  $12  million  in  the  1960-62  period.  New 
employment  has  risen  by  6,400  from  1950  to  1962. 
Employee  wages  by  1962  totaled  more  than  $21 
million,  a  1,000  percent  increase  over  1950.  Dur- 
ing 1962,  the  city,  county,  and  State  taxes  paid 
by  Idaho  processors  amounted  to  $1.3  million. 

One  fully  integrated  company  in  Idaho  grows 
much  of  its  raw  potato  supply,  ships  fresh  potatoes, 
prepares  dehydrated  and  frozen  products,  makes 
starch,  and  feeds  the  left-over  wastes  to  about 
50,000  head  of  cattle.  This  large  scale  operation 
requires  an  electric  power  supply  equal  to  that 
needed  by  a  city  of  15,000,  and  a  water  supply 
equivalent  to  that  for  a  city  of  70,000  people.  A 
year's  production  of  finished  products  by  this  com- 

AuGusT  1964 


pany  would  provide  potatoes  for  one  meal  for  8 
billion  people. 

Preparation  for  Drying  and  Freezing 

When  visiting  one  of  these  modern  processing 
plants,  the  tourist,  and  for  that  matter,  many  an 
Idahoan,  stands  in  amazement  at  the  sight  of  the 
never  ending  streams  of  shining  white  potatoes 
on  their  way  to  become  hash  browns,  f rench  fries, 
instant  mash,  and  the  numerous  other  delicious 
table  products.  Beginning  with  mammoth  stor- 
age cellars  which  preserve  the  natural  flavor  and 
cooking  qualities  of  the  Idaho  Russet,  these  proc- 
essing plants  wash,  remove  skins,  and  convey  these 
shining  white  tubers  past  hundreds  of  skilled  em- 
ployees. These  employees  sort  for  size  and  trim 
for  quality,  leaving  only  unblemished  gems  for 
slicing  and  blanching  in  further  preparation  for 
drying  or  freezing. 

An  inspector  checks  them  as  they  are  conveyed  from  the  peeling 
operation. 


€) 


EfFlciency  and  sanitation  are  important  at  this  large-scale  plant. 


(Photo,  courtesy  of  the  J.  R.  Simplof  Co.) 


Variety  of  Products 

The  major  Idaho  frozen  potato  product  is 
frozen  french  fries.  In  many  convenient  forms — 
such  as  slim  cut,  shoestring,  regular  and  crinkle 
cuts — the  frozen  french  fries  are  available  to  the 
American  table  in  any  season  of  the  year.  Other 
frozen  items  consist  of  shredded  Idahos  formed 
into  all-purpose  chunks,  patties,  puffs,  hash 
browns  of  various  portions,  diced  potatoes,  stuffed 
bakers,  shreds  and  chunks  for  mashed  potatoes, 
and  other  specialty  products.  Frozen  patties  and 
hash  browns  are  produced  with  or  without  onion 
flavor.  Well  known  trade  names  for  frozen 
shredded  products  ready  to  heat  and  serve,  for 
example,  are  "Tater  Tots,"  "Gems,"  and 
"Nuggets." 

Dehydrated  products  include  instant  mashed 
potatoes — created  from  either  granules  or  flakes — 
diced,  riced,  sliced,  au  gratin,  and  scalloped  pota- 
toes ;  chiplets,  potato  mix  for  pancakes,  and  many 
other  dehydrated  food  items.  Processing  of  gran- 
ules (powder  form)  include  the  initial  cooking, 
then  mashing  and  drying  to  a  very  low  water  con- 


tent, after  which  the  granules  are  packaged, 
shipped,  or  stored.  Flakelets  are  created  by  feed- 
ing the  cooked  and  mashed  potatoes  into  a  drum 
drier  where  they  are  steam  dried,  flaked  off,  and 
then  sized  and  packaged. 

Combining  the  advantages  of  freezing  and  de- 
hydration a  new  process  "Dehydrofreezing"  has 
been  developed.  This  process  removes  nearly  half 
the  water  content  of  mashed  or  diced  potatoes 
before  the  product  is  frozen.  The  new  process 
saves  space  and  shipping  weight,  and  retains  the 
flavor,  color,  and  texture  qualities  inherent  in 
Idaho  potatoes. 

Current  estimates  indicate  that  about  10  percent 
of  the  Idaho  potato  crop  is  processed  into  starch. 
The  starch  industry  provides  a  market  to  the 
farmer  for  potatoes  of  any  size  or  shape,  including 
culls.  Paper,  textile,  mining,  food,  and  adhesive 
industries  require  potato  starch  in  their  operations. 

Market  Changes 

Although  shipments  of  fresh  potatoes  have 
dropped  from  a  peak  of  50,000  cars  to  current 


64 


The  Reclamation  Era 


annual  fresh  shipments  in  excess  of  30,000  cars 
many  consumers  still  prefer  fresh  potatoes  for 
certain  table  uses.  The  popularity  of  Idaho  baked 
potatoes  continues  unchallenged. 

Reflecting  the  changes  in  marketing  and  mer- 
chandising, an  increasing  proportion  of  the  fresh 
potatoes  are  packaged  for  buyer  appeal  before 
reaching  the  retail  market. 

The  U.S.  housewife  has  sharply  increased  her 
purchases  of  frozen  potato  products  in  recent 
years,  althoughrestaurants,  hotels,  and  other  large 
food  servers  comprising  the  institutional  market 
currently  show  an  even  larger  usage.  However, 
since  the  retail  market  is  nearly  four  times  the  size 
of  the  institutional  market,  most  observers  feel 
that  the  retail  market  offers  the  greatest  potential 
for  expanding  sales  of  frozen  and  dehydrated  po- 
tatoes. Another  market  of  great  potential  is  the 
export  of  dehydrated  mashed  potatoes  to  foreign 
countries.  With  the  rapid  development  of  facili- 
ties for  handling  frozen  foods  in  foreign  retail 
channels,  there  may  be  promising  opportunities  for 
marketing  frozen  potato  foods. 


Optimistic  Outlook 

As  a  result  of  the  expanding  U.S.  population, 
there  will  be  about  20  million  more  people  to  con- 
sume both  fresh  and  processed  potatoes  by  1975. 
This  will  benefit  grower,  shipper,  processor,  and 
associated  businesses  with  the  grower  and  proces- 
sor appearing  to  have  the  advantage.  It  is  believed 
that  the  processing  industry  has  not  reached  the 
limit  of  its  market  outlets,  especially  the  retail, 
and  the  potential  appears  boundless.  Idaho's  po- 
tato processing  industry  may  be  stabilizing  or 
reaching  its  maturity,  but  it  is  still  highly  competi- 
tive and  growing. 

With  the  emphasis  on  placing  the  highest  qual- 
ity product  on  American  dining  tables,  the  long 
run  prospect  of  the  potato  industry  is  one  of 
optimism.  And  with  Idaho's  ability  to  produce 
superior  potatoes  in  immense  quantities  and  to 
process  them  into  the  forms  that  the  ultimate  con- 
sumer wants,  the  potato  is  King  in  Idaho  and  seems 
destined  for  a  long,  progressive  reign.        #  #  # 


A  refrigerated  train  car  is  being  loaded  with  processed  potatoes  for  shipment. 


August  1964 


65 


A  Possible  Pest  on  Ditchbanks 


NUTRIA 


by  DR.  RICHARD   H.  MANVILLE 

Branch   of  Wildlife   Research, 

Bureau  of  Sport  Fisheries  and  Wildlife 

Editor's  Note:  It  has  come  to  the  attention  of  the 
Bureau  that  nutria  burrows  have  seriously  damaged  dikes, 
bayou  banks,  drainage  canals  and  irrigation  ditches.  The 
map  in  the  accompanying  article  indicates  that  the  ani- 
mal has  been  reported  in  14  of  the  17  continental  Western 
States.  Irrigation  districts  are  advised  of  the  potential 
danger  of  nutria  and  are  requested  to  report  finding  of 
them  to  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation. 

California  Department  of  Fish  and  Game  indicates 
that  nutria  have  been  imported  into  the  State  by  fur 
farmers  and  some  have  escaped.  Muskrat  trappers  have 
taken  them  at  widely  scattered  points  throughout  Cali- 
fornia in  the  past  10  years.  However,  they  have  not 
been  reported  thriving  up  to  this  time. 

Clean  ditch  maintenance  plus  the  lack  of  their  pre- 
ferred vegetation,  seems  to  militate  against  their  be- 
coming established.  The  Department  of  Fish  and  Game 
is  alert  to  their  potential  as  pests  and  State  law  requires 
that  they  be  kept  in  pens. 

A  reprint  follows  of  the  text  of  Wildlife  Leaflet  445, 
August  1962,  reissued  April  1963,  entitled:  "The  Nutria 
in  the  United  States,"  by  Dr.  Manville. 

IN  the  last  few  decades  a  native  South  American 
mammal,  the  nutria  or  coypu  {Myocastor 
Goypus),  has  become  widely  established  in  the 
United  States.  For  a  time  it  was  regarded  as  a 
desirable  furbearer,  but  it  soon  became  evident 
that  it  might  become  as  distinct  a  liability  as  the 
introduced  starling  and  house  rat.  Interest  in  the 
nutria  has  increased  in  recent  years.  Encouraged 
by  the  claims  of  commercial  promoters,  many 
people  have  investigated  possibilities  of  raising 
nutria  as  a  profitable  venture;  most  of  them  have 
been  disillusioned. 

Natural  History 

The  nutria  is  a  large  aquatic  rodent  that  rarely 
attains  a  weight  of  25  pounds.     Superficially  it 

66 


resembles  a  muskrat,  with  reddish-brown  fur,  a 
long  rounded  tail,  and  hind  feet  that  are  partially 
webbed.  The  family  is  raised,  and  may  persist 
as  a  colony,  in  bank  burrows  or  in  platform  nests 
anchored  to  marsh  vegetation  or  built  up  from  the 
bottom. 

The  nutria  is  prolific;  a  female  may  have  five 
litters  in  2  years,  at  any  season.  The  young  num- 
ber from  two  to  eight  (average  five)  per  litter. 
Females  first  breed  successfully  at  about  1  year 
of  age.  The  gestation  period  is  about  130  days. 
The  young  are  well-developed  at  birth  and  get 
about  on  their  own  in  a  few  hours.  By  their  sec- 
ond week  they  begin  to  eat  solid  food,  and  they 
are  weaned  by  the  eighth  week. 

In  its  feeding  habits  the  nutria  is  strictly  her- 
bivorous. Its  natural  foods  include  a  variety  of 
aquatic  plants — succulent  green  stems,  rushes, 
grasses,  seeds,  roots,  and  such  coarse  vegetation  as 
cattails,  reeds,  duckpotato,  chuf  a  roots,  and  sedges. 
The  food  is  usually  consumed  on  the  shore,  par- 
ticularly in  the  evening. 

In  the  United  States 

In  1850,  nutrias  were  abundant  in  the  rivers, 
estuaries,  and  marshes  of  their  native  Argentina. 
Changing  fashions  and  requirements  of  the  fur 
trade,  to  the  point  where  the  demand  for  pelts  was 
100  times  that  of  the  supply  available  from 
hunters  and  trappers,  nearly  led  to  their  extermi- 
nation. Raising  nutrias  in  capitivity  began  in 
South  America  in  1922,  farms  sprang  up  through- 
out Argentina,  and  the  industry  spread  to  Europe 
and  North  America.  Nutria  farms  were  estab- 
lished in  Quebec,  Canada   (1931),  in  the  Green 

The  Reclamation  Era 


River  area  of  the  State  of  Washington  (1932),  on 
Avery  Island,  Iberia  Parish,  La.  (1938),  and  else- 
where. In  most  cases  these  proved  to  be  costly 
investments,  since  more  money  was  spent  on 
equipment,  feed,  and  labor  than  was  realized  from 
the  sale  of  furs.  Most  nutria  farms  went  out  of 
business ;  many  operators  turned  the  animals  loose 
or  allowed  them  to  escape.  From  these  releases 
the  nutria  has  spread  and  become  widely  estab- 
lished over  the  country.  Feral  nutrias  have  been 
reported  from  at  least  31  States  and  3  Canadian 
Provinces ;  established  colonies  apparently  exist  in 
the  wild  in  at  least  16  States. 

Economic  Importance 

As  is  often  true  of  newly  established  foreign 
species,  the  nutria  population  has  built  up  rapidly 
in  some  areas.  Breeding  at  the  rate  it  does,  an  ani- 
mal of  this  size  and  with  its  voracious  appetite  can 
pose  a  serious  problem.  Competition  with  native 
wildlife  is  one  result — muskrats  have  declined  in 
areas  when  nutrias  were  on  the  increase.  Habitats 
have  been  altered  and  waterfowl  marshes  de- 
stroyed. In  agricultural  areas,  nutria  burrows 
have  seriously  damaged  dikes,  bayou  banks,  drain- 
age canals,  and  irrigation  ditches.  Cultivated 
crops  have  been  ruined  on  sites  close  to  waterways. 
Alfalfa,  sugarcane,  rice,  and  young  com  seem  par- 
ticularly subject  to  attack,  and  the  nutria  also 
has  a  taste  for  such  produce  as  sweetpotatoes,  cab- 
bage, clover,  and  most  root  crops  except  white 
potatoes. 

These  damage  problems  are  at  present  most  in- 
tense  in   parts   of   Louisiana   and  Texas.     Both 


Wild  Nutria 

Cakh  in 

Recent  Years 

1960 

1961 

Arkansas.--     .   ___   _ 

10 

1 

5 

716,  435 

Florida __ 

Idaho     _   _  _ 

31 

694,  110 
34 

Louisiana.  __     _ 

Maryland 

Mississippi 

3S4 

North  Carolina.  __  _ 

536 

154 

270 

74 

36 

547 

13,  402 

92 

Oregon  

Texas 

Virginia 

Total 

695,  209 

730,  912 

State  and  Federal  Governments  are  doing  re- 
seach  and  expending  funds  on  control  of  the  nutria 
where  it  is  established  in  the  wild  and  is  proving 
detrimental  to  other  interests. 

Nutria  as  a  Fur  Crop 

Nutrias  are  trapped  in  the  same  manner  as  are 
the  smaller  muskrats,  except  that  the  traps  must 
be  staked  out  more  securely.  The  pelt  is  "cased" 
and  dried,  fur  side  in,  over  a  frame  30  to  35  inches 
long.  The  condition,  quality,  and  color  of  the  un- 
der-fur determine  the  price  received.  There  is 
practically  no  commercial  demand  for  pelts  less 
than  22  inches  from  the  eyehole  to  the  bottom  of 
the  skin.  Because  of  the  extra  work  required  to 
prepare  nutria,  many  Louisiana  trappers  prefer  to 
concentrate  on  muskrats.  In  recent  years  the  best 
wild-caught  Louisiana  nutrias  have  brought  $2.50 
a  pelt ;  tli^  average  has  been  about  $1.  Over  80 
percent  of  these  raw  furs  have  been  exported  to  the 
European  markets.  The  few  low-grade  skins  con- 
sumed in  the  United  States  have  been  used  prin- 
cipally for  linings  in  cloth  coats.  Even  the  best 
nutria  garment  is  far  less  serviceable  than  fur  seal, 
beaver,  or  sheared  raccoon.  It  is  the  high  process- 
ing and  manufacturing  costs  that  make  the  finished 
nutria  fur  coat  a  luxury  item. 

Kanch-raised  nutria  pelts  produced  in  the 
United  States  have  not  been  significantly  superior 
to  the  best  grade  of  South  American  or  Louisiana 
wild  nutria.  Prices  for  these  pelts  have  been  dis- 
appointing, owing  to  the  inferior  size  and  quality 
of  the  skins.  By  1940,  most  American  ranchers 
had  gone  out  of  business.  Those  that  continued 
operated  mainly  as  centers  of  distribution,  hold- 
ing wild-caught  animals  for  exportation  as  breed- 
ing stock. 

(Continued  on  page  74) 


■     ESTABLISHED 
*     REPORTED 


August  1964 


67 


A  Demonstration  on  Farming 

EDUCATIONAL  IRRIGATION 


RAPID  and  complete  farm  development  is  the 
secret  of  success  in  today's  changing  irriga- 
tion farming  economy.  This  may  be  plain  to  all, 
yet  today's  mechanized  agriculture  demands  man- 
agement techniques  far  advanced  from  the  days 
when  manpower  was  plentiful.  In  order  to  keep 
abreast  with  this  change,  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion, and  other  agencies,  have  accepted  the  chal- 
lenge to  find  better  and  more  effective  ways  of 
assisting  the  new  irrigator  in  wisely  developing 
his  resources. 

Representatives  of  several  Federal  and  State 
agencies  sharing  a  common  interest  in  irrigation, 
met  in  Nebraska  in  May  1947.  During  this  meet- 
ing a  general  agreement  was  reached  for  a  coordi- 
nated educational  program.  In  September  1949, 
at  a  meeting  called  by  the  Republican  Valley  Con- 
servation Association,  a  mutual  agreement,  in  the 
form  of  a  Memorandum  of  Understanding,  was 
negotiated  to  establish  development  farms  and 
thereby  coordinate  educational  demonstrations  of 
approved  irrigation  practices. 

The  selection  of  the  Frenchman-Cambridge  Ir- 
rigation Development  Farm  near  Arapahoe,  Nebr., 
in  the  fall  of  1949,  marked  the  first  of  its  kind  in 
Nebraska.  Other  development  farms  were  soon  to 
follow  in  the  Republican  Valley  watershed.  The 
positive  response  to  these  demonstration  farms 
during  the  early  1950's  has  paved  the  way  for  es- 
tablishing similar  ones  in  each  new  area  of  Rec- 
lamation development  in  Nebraska. 


Management  and  supervision  of  development 
farms  in  Nebraska  are  directed  by  a  State  advisory 
committee  composed  of  one  administrative  officer 
from  each  of  the  cooperating  agencies.  Repre- 
sented on  this  committee  are  the  Bureau  of  Rec- 
lamation, the  Soil  Conservation  Service,  the  Agri- 
culture Research  Service,  and  the  University  of 
Nebraska.  In  turn,  this  committee  appoints  a 
State  technical  committee  from  interested  Federal, 
State,  and  local  agencies. 

The  technical  committee  is  charged  with  the  re- 
sponsibility of  selecting  each  development  farm 
and  preparing  and  administering  each  correspond- 
ing annual  farm  plan,  subject  to  the  advisory  com- 
mittee's approval.  In  carrying  out  these  respon- 
sibilities the  technical  committee  works  through  its 
district's  extension  irrigationist,  and  the  develop- 
ment farm  field  committee. 

Even   the  younger  set — young   Donald  Gorecki    (lower  right)   and 
two  of  this  friends — learn  to  set  siphon  tubes. 


The  Bureau^s  Role 

The  Bureau's  primary  role  as  a  member  of  the 
advisory  and  technical  committees  is  to  provide 
assistance  in  demonstrating  approved  irrigation 
practices,  and  therefore,  promote  more  rapid  de- 
velopment. However,  as  a  member  of  these  com- 
mittees, the  Bureau  also  cooperates  with  the  ob- 
jectives of  other  agencies  on  approved  techniques 
for  land  preparation,  balanced  crop  and  livestock 
]Hograms,  farm  organization,  and  the  testing  and 
evaluation  of  new  farm  management  practices,  to 
mention  a  few. 

In  October  1960,  a  field  committee  set  about 
choosing  a  development  farm  site  in  central  Ne- 
braska on  the  Farwell  Unit  of  the  Missouri  River 
Basin  project.  In  a  few  months,  the  Gorecki  farm, 
located  about  4  miles  northwest  of  Farwell,  was 
selected. 

This  choice  was  based  on  landowner  willingness 
and  cooperation,  as  well  as  the  farm's  size  and  loca- 
tion, topographic  and  soil  conditions,  and  resources 
for  farm  enterprises.  The  fa^m  had  representa- 
tive conditions  of  the  majority  of  farms  to  be 
served  in  the  project  area  and  the  potential  for 
developing  irrigation. 

The  Gorecki  farm  contains  200  acres  of  land  of 
which  80  acres  have  been  planned  for  irrigation 
development.  The  remaining  120  acres  consist 
principally  of  native  pasture — too  steep  and  irreg- 
ular for  practical  irrigation  development — and  Bu- 
reau right-of-way,  farmstead,  and  shelterbelts. 

By  accepting  the  position  of  development  farm 
cooperator,  Paul  Gorecki  was  mainly  responsible 
for  management  and  operation.  Mr.  Gorecki's  ex- 
perience also  was  utilized  in  performing  other 
duties,  as  set  forth  in  each  annual  farm  plan.  In 
accordance  with  the  latest  designs  as  prepared  by 
technicians  representing  the  technical  committee, 
he  performs  both  land  and  irrigation  operations. 
The  farm  is  accessible  for  educational  purposes, 
tours,  and  demonstrations  that  are  approved  by 
the  technical  committee. 

Gorecki  also  agreed  to  keep  financial  records  of 
production  and  development  assisted  by  the  dis- 
trict extension  irrigationist,  who  also  was  available 
for  helping  determine  time,  amount,  and  frequency 
of  water  application. 

Specifically,  the  State  technical  committee 
agreed  to  furnish  the  following: 

1.  Plans  and  assistance  for  the  design  and  lay- 


out of  field  grading,  ditches,  and  irrigation 
structures. 

2.  Recommendations  on  crop  varieties,  cultural 
practices,  and  weed  and  insect  control. 

3.  Commercial  fertilizer,  seed,  labor,  equipment 
and  any  other  materials  necessary  to  conduct 
special  field  studies,  investigations,  or  dem- 
onstrations— planned  not  to  interfere  with 
normal  farming  operations. 

4.  Such  farm  equipment  as  is  required  in  ex- 
cess of  that  considered  adequate  for  farming 
under  normal  irrigation  development  con- 
ditions. 

5.  Reasonably  good  access  roads  required  for 
special  studies  and  tours,  considered  outside 
normal  farming  operations.  Included,  on  a 
loan  basis,  are  such  items  as  cattle  gates  and 
culverts  needed  for  easy  access  by  the  public. 

An   Experienced  Farmer 

Paul  Gorecki  was  reared  on  a  farm  only  li/^ 
miles  southeast  of  the  farm  he  now  owns.  He  has 
devoted  his  life  to  farming  and  received  his  first 
experience  with  irrigation  in  the  central  Platte 
Vaiiey.  Paul  and  his  wife  Rita  begain  renting 
their  present  farm  in  1950  and  became  its  owners 
in  1957.  Their  two  children,  Margaret,  15,  and 
Donald,  11,  attend  school  at  Farwell.  All  members 
of  the  Gorecki  family  have  been  instrumental  in 
farm  improvement  by  working  together  as  a  fam- 
ily unit  to  achieve  their  common  goal.  This  atti- 
tude of  farm  family  cooperation  is  important  for 
success  in  a  new  area  of  irrigation  development. 
Paul  works  closely  with  his  father  and  two  broth- 
ers Raymond  and  Edwin  who  own  irrigation  farms 
nearby.  They  exchange  machinery  and  labor  to 
economize  operating  expenses. 

Deeply  dissected  by  large  drainageways,  the 
farm  land  has'  changes  in  elevation  of  from  35  to 
45  feet  between  the  lowest  areas  of  depression  and 
the  adjacent  irrigable  lands.  The  bulk  of  the  more 
desirable  land  is  located  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  farm. 

Irrigation  development  began  in  1961,  2  full 
years  prior  to  initial  water  delivery.  Land  level- 
ing that  year  was  limited  to  19.5  acres  in  fields  3 
and  12  as  depicted  on  the  farm  diagram.  Disposal 
of  excess  irrigation  and  rain  water  was  consid- 
ered to  be  of  prime  importance,  because  of  the 
erosion-prone  characteristics  of  drainageways. 


August  1964 


69 


Considerably  more  land  was  leveled  in  1962  to 
prepare  the  farm  for  the  next  year's  water  delivery. 
Also,  Paul  constructed  six  concrete  drop  structures 
along  farm  laterals  to  provide  for  easier  water  con- 
trol. These  structures  were  made  from  an  ap- 
proved SCS  design. 

Other  Structures 

In  July  1962,  a  small  retention  dam  was  built 
with  construction  costs  shared  by  Mr.  Gorecki  and 
the  Federal  Government  under  the  provisions  of 
the  Great  Plains  Program.  Also,  the  farm  ac- 
cess road  was  elevated  and  graded  to  promote 
drainage  and  to  provide  a  better  road  for  the  in- 
creasing number  of  visitors.  Field  tests  to  de- 
termine water  intake  rates  were  performed  in  field 
2  on  which  alfalfa  had  been  growing  for  4  con- 
secutive years. 

In  1963,  more  land  was  field  leveled,  bringing 
the  total  of  all  developed  land  to  a  little  more 
than  57  acres,  fields  were  sown  to  grass,  and  addi- 
tional irrigation  structures  were  built. 

Itemized  development  costs  including  conserva- 
tion program  cost-share  payments  on  the  Gorecki 
farm  through  1963  are  as  follows : 

Land  leveling $5,  574 

Waterway  shaping  and  seeding 187 

Field  drain  shaping 24 

Lateral  siphon 352 

Retention  dam 1, 124 

Access  road  grading 150 

Concrete  drops 600 

Road  crossing  and  control  gate 172 

Native  grass  seeding 433 

Total 8,  616 

The  Gorecki  farm  is  an  example  of  well-balanced 
crop  and  livestock  resources.  All  crops  except 
wheat  are  marketed  through  livestock.  Paul 
manages  20  to  25  head  of  shorthorn  cattle  in  addi- 
tion to  his  hog  production  enterprise  of  25  to  30 
litters  farrowed  yearly.  Both  cattle  and  hogs 
are  marketed  in  fat  and  feeder  condition,  the 
proportion  depending  entirely  upon  seasonal  feed 
grain  and  roughage  yields  and  market  conditions. 

It  is  anticipated  that  irrigation  not  only  will 
increase  the  potential,  but  also  will  help  to  stabi- 
lize livestock  production  from  one  year  to  the  next. 
Expansion  of  hog  production  is  expected  as  the 
production  of  feed  grains  is  increased.  Some 
cream  sales  are  made,  but  they  do  not  contribute 
significantly  to  the  farm  income.  Mr.  Gorecki 
supplements  his  own  crop  production  by  renting 

70 


a  quarter  section  of  nonirrigated  cropland  on  a 
share  basis. 

In  anticipation  of  receiving  irrigation  water  in 
1963,  Mr.  Gorecki  drilled  fall  rye,  fall  wheat, 
sewed  mixtures  of  bromegrass,  orchardgrass,  reed 
canary,  ranger  alfalfa,  and  ladino  clover  and  made 
various  test  applications  of  fertilizer. 

Seedbed  preparations  for  corn  planting  were 
completed  by  the  last  week  in  April,  but  unseason- 
ably dry  weather  during  the  late  winter  and  early 
spring  months  resulted  in  inadequate  soil  moisture 
to  allow  complete  germination.  In  view  of  these 
circumstances,  he  decided  to  delay  corn  planting 
until  rain  replenished  the  soil  moisture. 

First  Farwell  Water 

June  19,  1963,  marked  the  first  water  delivery 
on  the  Farwell  Irrigation  Development  farm,  and 
likewise,  the  initial  water  delivery  from  any  Far- 
well  project  facilities.  Gorecki  was  adequately 
assisted  that  day  by  his  son,  Donald;  his  two 
brothers,  and  the  extension  irrigationist,  John  F. 
Decker. 

The  farm's  irrigation  activities  for  1963  are 
summarized  as  follows : 


Acres 
irri- 
gated 

Number 
of  irri- 
gations 

Total 
water 
applied 
in  acre- 
inches 

Corn 

Grain  sorghum 

Irrigated  pasture 

Fall  rye                                

46.  9 
8.  5 
1.  5 
6.7 

4 

4 
2 

1 

23.  4 

30.0 

14.7 

5.3 

Total 

63,  6 

1  22.2 

'  Average. 

The  lack  of  rain  during  the  growing  season  took 
its  toll  over  the  entire  project  area  during  this 
first  year  of  irrigation.  Significant  differences 
in  dry  land  and  irrigated  farm  yields  were  quite 
evident  since  project  water  was  available  to  only 
slightly  more  than  3,300  acres  of  land.  Much  of 
Paul's  seedling  grasses  in  field  8A  were  lost  before 
they  could  be  irrigated.  He  reseeded  the  new 
pasture  prior  to  the  second  irrigation  in  an  at- 
tempt to  improve  the  stand.  No  yield  was  ob- 
tained from  it  that  year.  For  that  matter,  yields 
from  established  nonirrigated  native  pasture  land 
were   negligible    also.     Two    other   nonirrigated 

The  Reclamation  Era 


■POWER       =^^^.ROAD       —X— FENCE 


DIRECTION  OF  DRAINAGE 


crops,  wheat  and  barley,  yielded  only  6.3  and  8.0 
bushels  per  acre,  respectively. 

Mr.  Gorecki's  irrigated  corn  yields  ranged  from 
a  low  of  80  to  a  high  of  120  bushels  per  acre,  with 
ail  average  1963  per-acre  yield  of  95  bushels.  His 
crain  sorghum  yields  averaged  80  bushels  per  acre. 
l\v  comparison,  the  average  1963  per-acre  yield  of 
irrigated  corn  in  Howard  County  was  13  bushels 
less  than  that  raised  on  the  Farwell  Development 
farm.  Mr.  Gorecki  topped  the  average  nonirri- 
jiated  corn  yield  for  the  county  by  some  70  bushels 
per  acre  in  this  same  year.  Correspondingly,  his 
grain  sorghum  yield  equaled  the  average  for  that 
under  irrigation  in  the  county  and  was  45  bushels 
greater  than  that  not  irrigated.  This  wide 
variance  shows  the  benefits  of  irrigation  in  this 
area. 

Among  the  more  important  aspects  of  irrigation 
development    farms   in   Nebraska    are   the   field 
studies  conducted  to  develop  the  most  efficient 
farm  practices  and  to  demonstrate  the  findings  to 
project   settlers.     Such  studies   are  usually   ini- 
:  tiated  by  the  University  of  Nebraska  Extension 
I  Service  and  are  performed  under  the  direct  super- 
I  vision    of    the    district    extension    irrigationist. 
I  Many  local  merchants  and  businessmen  have  gen- 
i  erously  donated  seed,  fertilizer,  and  other  neces- 
i  sary  materials  for  these  studies.     Four  different 
!  field  tests  were  performed  on  the  Gorecki  farm  in 
I  1963,  with  the  cooperation  of  the  operator, 
i      Numerous  tours  of  the  Farwell  irrigation  devel- 
opment farm  have  been  conducted  since  1962.     In 


1963  an  estimated  1,500  persons  came  to  learn  and 
perhaps  adopt  some  of  the  new  farm  practices  they 
saw  demonstrated.  With  the  good  management 
of  the  Gorecki  farm  family  and  with  the  help  of 
the  cooperating  agencies,  the  development  farm 
will  continue  its  irrigation  education  for  all 
visitors — especially  for  neighborhood  farmers  on 
Reclamation's  Farwell  unit.  #  #  # 

Using  siphon  tubes  for  irrigating  the  corn  field  is  one  of  the  oper- 
ations demonstrated  on  the  development  farm. 


IP  I    [J 


August  1964 


71 


KEEPING  A  PROJECT  IN  SHAPE 


by  ROYCE  VAN  CUREN 

Boise,   Idaho 


Editor's  Note:  The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  today  is 
realizing  the  benefits  of  the  15-year-old  Review  of  Main- 
tenance Program  serving  projects  operated  by  the  water 
users  and  the  Bureau.  In  the  last  issue  of  the  Reclama- 
tion Era,  the  article,  "A  Stitch  In  Time  .  .  .  ."  describes 
the  Bureau-wide  program  as  administered  by  the  OflBce 
of  the  Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colo.  S.  T.  Larsen,  Chief 
of  the  Bureau's  Maintenance  Engineering  Branch,  is 
author. 

In  this  article,  the  Boise  project's  outstanding  example 
of  regular  examination  of  irrigation  facilities  in  west- 
central  Idaho,  supplements  the  information  in  Mr.  Lar- 
sen's  article. 

Illustrating  both  articles  are  photographs  taken  of  an 
inspection  team  on  a  recent  tour. 

Comments  follow  describing  how  the  maintenance  and 
inspection  program  is  conducted  in  cooperation  with  the 
Bureau,  for  facilities  in  the  Boise  project  water  user 
organization. 

Mr.  Van  Curen  is  manager  of  the  Boise  Project  Board 
of  Control. 

//r  1 1HE  farmers  have  been  responsible  for  the 
X  operation  of  the  project  since  the  approval 
of  construction  repayment  contracts  in  1926.  At 
that  time  the  project  was  divided  into  five  irriga- 
tion districts  who  joined  together  to  constitute  a 
board  of  control.  Representation  to  the  board  of 
control  comes  from  each  district  on  a  per  acre 
basis,  giving  each  district  an  equal  voice  (per 
acre)  in  management  and  operation. 

"Operation  and  maintenance  charges  are  fixed 
by  the  board  of  control  and  passed  back  to  the 
districts  who  are  the  collection  agencies.  All  op- 
erating and  maintenance  charges  are  set  uniformly 
so  that  each  district  or  individual  within  the  dis- 
trict has  the  same  charge  per  acre. 

"The  board  of  control  is  the  operating  agency 
on  the  project  for  the  five  districts,  with  each  dis- 


trict furnishing  its  proportionate  share  of  the 
operating  and  maintenance  costs. 

"The  operating  forces  consist  of  a  manager,  as- 
sistant manager,  secretary-treasurer,  and  office 
personnel  in  the  main  office  in  Boise.  Four  water- 
masters'  divisions  with  offices  in  the  field  are 
strategically  located  for  smooth  operation  of 
139,000  acres  of  the  project  with  the  balance  of 
the  Government-constructed  facilities  operated  by 
one  of  the  five  districts  along  with  some  of  its 
own  non-Government  irrigation.  Operating 
forces  of  the  board  of  control  average  close  to 
100  permanent  year-around  employees. 

"The  need  for  a  sound  budget  is  a  foregone 
conclusion  and  the  only  possible  way  to  arrive 
at  good  budgeting  is  periodic  inspection  and  study. 
A  50-year-old  project  definitely  will  have  main- 
tenance problems  and  it  is  essential  that  all  fa- 
calities  be  checked  as  part  of  a  comprehensive  pre- 
ventive maintenance  rotation  program. 

"Replacement  of  structures  and  rehabilitation 
of  canals  and  laterals  are  two  important  items 
that  have  to  be  carefully  fitted  into  each  year's 
schedule.  A  number  of  less  important  items  have 
to  be  studied  and  tailored  to  sandwich  in  with 
the  more  important  work.  The  biggest  problem  is 
to  be  f  arseeing  enough  to  keep  ahead  of  a  possible 
pileup  of  work  that  will  all  have  to  be  done  in 
only  a  year  or  two. 

Floodgate  works  which  are  used  to  regulate  flows  into  Lake  Lowell 
from  Feeder  Canal  are  being  examined  by  the  group. 


72 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Inspection  Each  Year 

"In  order  that  the  board  of  control  might  keep 
up  the  proper  pace  in  operation  and  maintenance 
activities,  a  project-wide  inspection  each  year  is 
essential.  That  inspection  should  bring  all  of  the 
board  of  control  members,  district  directors,  inter- 
ested farmers,  together  over  a  common  idea.  Bu- 
reau of  Reclamation  representatives  participate  in 
these  examinations  on  a  biennial  basis  as  a  part 
of  the  Bureau*s  Review  of  Maintenance  program. 

"The  inspection  should  be  well  planned  to  allow 
time  for  thorough  examination.  But  not  so  much 
time  that  interest  can  lag.  Scheduling  of  stops 
on  the  tour  should  be  tested  prior  to  the  actual 
inspection  so  that  a  fairly  exact  timetable  might 
be  maintained. 

"Information  and  explanation  concerning  each 
stop  should  be  written  up  and  copied  for  each 
inspector's  benefit  to  speed  along  any  discussion 
at  each  stop  point.  Following  the  inspection,  a 
good  report  should  be  made  with  all  the  future 
work  anticipated  and  as  much  as  is  possible,  classi- 
fied as  to  the  time  when  it  should  be  completed. 
Work  should  then  be  scheduled  in  an  orderly 
fashion  with  particular  attention  being  paid  to 
balancing  the  amount  of  work  for  each  year. 

"Future  inspections  should  then  show  whether 
or  not  the  maintenance  and  operation  program  is 
ample  and  enough  funds  budgeted.     If  the  proj- 

They  observe  this  lateral  being  lined  with  precast  concrete  blocks 
which  will  be  sealed  with  mastic.  The  bottom  was  later  lined 
with  a  conventional  concrete  mix. 


The  author,  Mr.  Van  Curen  (with  no  hat),  is  shown  explaining  the 
flowmeter  measuring  device  to  the  irrlgationists  grouped  around 
water  transport  equipment. 

ect  has  not  these  problems,  the  inspection  is  very 
much  in  order  just  to  familiarize  the  district  direc- 
tors with  current  operation  procedures  and 
problems. 

"A  good  deal  of  time  and  effort  should  be  ex- 
pended in  inspection  of  irrigation  works  by  the 
people  concerned  with  future  operations  in  order 
to  always  keep  the  project  in  sound  operating 
shape. 

"Irrigation  w^orks  involve  a  considerable  invest- 
ment, and  inspection  tends  to  provide  insurance 
toward  a  continual  operation."  #  #  # 


RoYCE  Yan  Curen 

Mr.  Van  Curen  was  born  and  raised  in  the 
Boise  Valley,  where  he  has  spent  practically 
his  entire  life  working  with  irrigation.  He 
first  worked  on  the  Boise  project  during  the 
summers,  beginning  in  1937.  Following  mili- 
tary service  during  World  War  II,  he  returned 
to  work  as  field  clerk  for  the  Boise  Project 
Board  of  Control.  He  became  watermaster 
for  the  Lake  Lowell  area  in  1956  and  in  1958 
he  moved  to  Boise  to  become  assistant  project 
manager  under  Forrest  Sower.  Following  the 
death  of  Mr.  Sower  in  1959,  he  moved  up  to 
the  position  he  now  holds  as  project  manager. 


August  1964 


73 


COMMISSIONER  DOMINY  RECEIVES  30 -YEAR  PIN; 
IS  ELECTED  AFFILIATE  MEMBER  OF  ASCE 

Secretary  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall  pre- 
sented a  30-year  Federal  service  pin  to  Commis- 
sioner Dominy  on  May  25.  Commenting  on  the 
Commissioner's  Federal  service,  Secretary  Udall 
said :  "There  are  many  outstanding  men  who  have 
served  as  Commissioner  of  Reclamation.  Their 
names  are  engraved  prominently  on  large  dams 
and  other  engineering  structures  in  the  West.  But 
when  the  record  is  finally  written,  there  will  be 
none  who  has  done  any  better  than  Floyd  E. 
Dominy." 

The  Commissioner  also  recently  was  elected  an 
Affiliate  Member  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil 
Engineers.  This  grade  of  membership  is  for  in- 
dividuals who  have  attained  positions  in  special 
pursuits  and  cooperate  in  the  advancement  of  pro- 
fessional knowledge  and  practice.  His  affiliation 
with  the  ASCE  is  in  recognition  of  the  advance- 
ments made  and  the  aggressive  approach  he  has 
instituted  in  the  solution  of  scientific  and  engineer- 
ing problems  in  water  resource  development. 


WILLIAM  I.  PALMER  RESIGNS  TO  ACCEPT 
SENATORIAL  STAFF  ASSIGNMENT 


A  career  veteran  of  more  than  29  years  of  Fed- 
eral service,  and  an  Assistant  Commissioner  on 
Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy 's  original  "front 
office"  staff  since  June  of  1959,  William  I.  Palmer 
resigned  effective  May  2  to  join  the  staff  of  Senator 
Carl  Hayden  of  Arizona  as  a  water  resource 
specialist. 


Mr.  Palmer  has  been  with  the  Bureau  since  1944. 
On  June  15,  1959,  he  was  named  Assistant  Com- 
missioner for  Project  Planning  and  Irrigation. 
Since  early  this  year  he  has  acted  in  the  newly 
created  position  of  Assistant  Commissioner — Leg- 
islation and  Coordination. 


Nutria — A  Possible  Pest 
{Cotitinued  from  page  67) 

A  Word  of  Warning 

In  recent  years,  promoters  of  nutria  breeding 
stock  have  made  fantastic  claims  and  have  painted 
rosy  pictures  of  quick  and  easy  riches  from  the 
stock  they  provide.  Breeding  pairs,  claimed  as 
being  superior  animals  of  pedigreed  stock,  have 
been  foisted  upon  a  gullible  public  at  $1,200  a  pair. 
As  a  result  of  one  such  operation,  three  promoters 
of  a  nutria  breeders  association  were  indicted  for 
mail  fraud  in  the  U.S.  District  Court,  Los  An- 


geles, 


in  1961.  They  pleaded  nolo  contendere  and 
were  duly  fined.  Postal  officials  estimated  that 
this  breeding-stock  scheme  had  grossed  over  $3  mil- 
lion. The  association  represented  has  since  filed 
a  petition  in  bankruptcy. 

Persons  interested  in  raising  nutria  as  a  business 
venture  should  consult  the  National  Better  Busi- 
ness Bureau,  Inc.,  230  Park  Avenue,  New  York, 
N.Y.,  for  current  information. 

Some  States  have  adopted  regulations  with  re- 
spect to  importing,  rearing,  and  releasing  nutrias. 
Contact  your  State  conservation  or  wildlife  agency 
before  embarking  on  a  nutria  project.        #  #  # 


74 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Region  2  in  Pictures  .  .  . 

{This  region  includes  the  northern  two- 
thirds  of  hoth  California  and  Nevada.) 


Skiers  are  numerous  around  the  resort  buildings  of 
Squaw  Valley,  California,  where  the  depth  of  snow 
averages  450  inches  yearly. 

Photographed  in  late  evening,  the  sunset  picture 
shows  glistening  water  in  front  of  Trinity  mountains 
near  Trinity  Dam,  Calif.     (Photos  by  A.  G.  O'Alessandro.) 


mj\j  un  nxL^^H/i^i  ±    y^KJiy  i  xxiw^  i   i^  w  iixxuo 


Specification 
No. 


Project 


Award 
date 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Contractor's  name  and  address 


Missouri  River  Basin,  N. 

Dak.-S.  Dak. 
Missouri     River     Basin, 

Mont. 
Weber  Basin,  Utah , 


500C-161.. 

500C-167 

600C-206.. 
700C-596.. 


Emery  County,  Utah 

Missouri     River     Basin, 

Iowa-Mo. 
Missouri     River     Basin, 

Nebr. 
San  Juan-Chama,  N.Mex. 


Central  Valley,  Calif. 


-do. 


Navajo  Indian  Irrigation, 
N.  Mex. 

Missouri     River     Basin, 

Nebr. 
Central  Valley,  Calif..... 


Colorado   River  Storage, 

Colo. 
Columbia  Basin,  Wash 


Missouri     River     Basin, 

Mont. 
Central  Valley,  Calif 


Missouri     River     Basin, 

Wyo. 
Colorado   River   Storage, 

Ariz. 
Columbia  Basin,  Wash.. 


Missouri     River     Basin, 

Wyo.-Mont. 
Missouri     River     Basin, 

Nebr. 
Central  Valley,  Calif 


Colorado   River   Storage, 

Colo. 
Arbuckle,  Okla. 


Central  Valley,  Calif. 


Missouri     River     Basin, 
Mont. -Wyo. 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash... 


Parker-Davis,  Ariz. 


Colorado-Big  Thompson, 

Colo. 
Eklutna,  Alaska 


Spokane  Valley,  Wash 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash 

Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee  Sys- 
tem, Ariz. 

do 


Colorado   River   Storage, 

Colo. 
Rio  Grande,  N.  Mex 


Wichita,  Kans. 


San  Juan-Chama,  N.  Mex. 
Canadian  River,  Tex 


Missouri     River     Basin, 

Mont. 
Fryingpan-  Arkansas, 

Colo. 


Apr.  15 
Apr.  7 
Apr.  6 

Apr.  30 
May  5 
Apr.  20 
Apr.  22 

Apr.  1 

Apr.  20 

May  1 

May  1 
May  5 
June  10 
May  14 

May  13 

May  21 

May  13 
June  5 
June    2 

May  26 
June  11 
June  9 
June  25 
June  9 
June  2 
June    9 

June    3 

June  15 
June  16 
May  5 
May  6 
June  19 
May  20 

Apr.     6 

June  15 
Apr.  16 

May  20 

May  12 
May  15 
Apr.  24 
May  15 


Two  33,333-kva  trailer-mounted  mobile  autotransformers 

for  Region  6.    (Negotiated  contract.) 
Construction  of  Yellowtail  afterbay  dam 

Construction  of  East  Canyon  dam. 


Construction  of  3.2  miles  of  Cottonwood  Creek-Huntington 

canal  and  Swasey  diversion  dam. 
Construction  of  the  59.3-mile  Creston-Maryville  161-kv 

transmission  line. 
Construction  of  Stegall  substation,  stage  01 


Construction  of  the  13-mile  Azotea  tunnel  with  circular 
section,  and  appurtenant  structures.  Schedule  2. 


Thirty-six  stoplog  sections,  one  lifting  beam,  and  one  lot  of 
stoplog  seats  and  guides  for  intake  at  Mile  18  pumping 
plant. 

Riprap  protection  of  the  Sacramento  River  and  construc- 
tion of  an  earthflll  dike  and  channel  improvement  for 
Red  Bluff  diversion  dam.  Schedule  2. 

Construction  of  Main  canal  headworks  and  the  2-mile 
Tunnel  No.  1,  tunnel  having  either  horseshoe  or  circular 
section,  Schedule  3. 

Construction  of  Deer  Station  pumping  plant. 

Construction  of  Los  Banos  Creek  detention  dam 


Two  governors  for  hydraulic  turbines  for  Murrow  Point 
powerplant. 

Construction  of  13.6  miles  of  blended  earth  lined  laterals 
and  20.2  miles  of  concrete  lined  laterals  for  Block  81— 
Part  2  laterals  and  wasteways,  West  canal  laterals. 

One  90-ton  gantry  crane  for  Yellowtail  dam 


Four  hoists  for  17.5-foot  by  22.89-foot  roller  mounted  gates 
for  outlet  works  at  San  Luis  dam. 


Constructing  a  protective  roof  structure  for  approach  area 
at  Fremont  Canyon  powerplant. 

Construction  of  the  114-mile  Flagstaff-Pinnacle  Peak  345- 
kv  transmission  line  No.  2. 

Construction  of  Low  Oap  pumping  plant,  switchyard,  and 
pump  discharge  line;  and  furnishing  and  installing  six 
additional  pumping  units  in  Frenchman  Hills  pumping 
plant. 

Construction   of  the   47-mile   Lovell- Yellowtail    115-kv 
transmission  line. 

Construction  of  66  miles  of  Ainsworth  laterals  and  waste- 
ways,  sections  3  and  4. 

Four  17.5  foot  by  22.89-foot  roller  mounted  gates  for  outlet 
works  trashrack  structures  at  San  I>uis  dam. 

Furnishing  and  installing  two  33,333-kva  generators  for 
Blue  Mesa  powerplant. 

Construction  of  Arbuckle  dam 


Four  frames  for  17.5-foot  by  22.89-foot  roller  mounted  gates 
for  outlet  works  trashrack  structures  at  San  Luis  dam. 

One  main  control  board,  one  relay  board,  and  two  graphic 
control  boards  for  Yellowtail  powerplant;  and  one  lot  of 
unmounted  relaying  equipment  for  Lovell  substation. 

Furnishing  and  installing  one  armature  winding  and  fur- 
nishing only  one  armature  winding  for  generators  for 
Grand  Coulee  powerplant. 

Construction  of  stage  02  additions  to  ED-2  substation  and 
construction  of  Signal  substation,  stage  01. 

Modification  of  Granby  dam  spillway 


Repair   of  earthquake   damage   to   precast    conduit   of 

Eklutna  tunnel  intake.    (Negotiated  contract.) 
Drilling  and  casing  thirty-one  irrigation   water-supply 

wells  near  Spokane,  Wash. 
Construction  of  9.1  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  for  drain 

systems,  Blocks  75  and  76. 
Construction  of  earthwork,  precast-concrete  pipe  lines, 

and  structures  for  pump  outlet  channel  No.  3,  South 

Gila  Valley,  Schedule  2. 
Construction  of  stage  02  additions  to  Gila  substation  and 

the  18-mile  Gila-Senator  Wash  69-kv  transmission  line. 

Relocation  of  15.5  miles  of  Gunnison  County  Road  No.  7.. 

Construction  of  one  3-bedroom  caretaker's  residence,  office 
and  shop  building,  3.5  miles  of  roads,  boat  launching 
ramps,  parking  areas,  comfort  stations,  and  water  distri- 
bution systems  for  recreational  facilities  for  Elephant 
Butte  and  Caballo  reservoirs. 

Construction  of  7.3  miles  of  roads,  boat  launching  ramps, 
and  parking  areas  for  recreational  facilities  for  Cheney 
reservoir. 

Construction  of  ten  3-bedroom  residences  for  Government 
camp  at  Chama,  N.  Mex. 

Construction  of  roads,  boat  launching  ramp,  and  parking 
area  for  recreation  facilities  for  Sanford  reservoir. 

Relocation  of  10.7  miles  of  Fort  Peck-Great  Falls  161-kv 
transmission  line  in  vicinity  of  Glasgow,  Mont. 

Furnishing  and  erecting  prefabricated  metal  olFice  build- 
ing, laboratory  building,  drilling  operations  building, 
garage,  and  utilities  for  Western  Slope  features. 


Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 
Denver,  Colo. 

Foley  Brothers,  Inc.,  St. 
Paul,  Minn. 

E-W  Construction  Co.  and 
L.  D.  Shillmg  Co.,  Inc., 
Cresswell,  Oreg. 

R.  A.  Helntz  Construction 
Co.,  Portland,  Oreg. 

L.O.Brayton  and  Co.,  Dyers- 
burg,  Tenn. 

Donovan  Construction  Co., 
St.  Paul,  Minn. 

Gibbons  and  Reed  Co.,  Boyles 
Brothers  DrilHng  Co.,  and 
Dugan  Graham  Co.,  Inc., 
Salt   Lake   City,   Utah. 

Bannock  Steel  Corp.,  Boise, 
Idaho. 

Joseph  W.  Richards,  Rio 
Vista,  Calif. 

Fenix  and  Scisson,  Inc.,  Tulsa, 
Okla. 

Bushman  Construction  Co., 

St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
Guy  F.  Atkinson  Co.,  South 

San  Francisco,  Calif. 
Woodward     Governor     Co., 

Rockford,  111. 
Sandkay    Construction    Co., 

Inc.,  Ephrata,  Wash. 

Broadline  Co.,  Richmond, 
CaUf. 

Yuba  Mfg.  Division,  by  and 
through  Frank  T.  Andrews, 
Trustee  of  Yuba  Consoli- 
dated Industries,  Inc.,  San 
Francisco,  CaUf. 

Etlin  Peterson  Construction 
Co.,  Casper,  Wyo. 

Meva  Corp.,  FuUerton,  Calif. 

Alton  V.  PhiUips  Co.,  Seattle, 
Wash. 


Hall-Barovich  Construction 
Co.,  Rapid  City,  S.  Dak. 

Bushman  Construction  Co., 
St.  Joseph,  Mo. 

Mitsubishi  International 
Corp.,    New    York,    N.Y. 

Allis-Chalmers  Mfg.  Co., 
Denver,  Colo. 

Amis  Construction  Co.,  Okla- 
homa City,  Okla. 

Star  Iron  and  Steel  Co.,  Ta- 
coma.  Wash. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 
Denver,  Colo. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 
Denver,  Colo. 

Homes  and  Son  Construction 
Co.,  Inc.,  Pheonix,  Ariz. 

Gardner  Construction  Co., 
Grand  Junction,  Colo. 

Peter  Kiewit  Sons'  Co., 
Omaha,  Nebr. 

Ilolman  Drilling  Corp.,  Spo- 
kane, Wash. 

B  &  B  Plumbing  and  Heating, 
Inc.,  Anacortes,  Wash. 

Karl  A.  Dennis,  dba  Dennis 
Construction  Co.,  Yuma, 
Ariz. 

Acme  Power  Line  Construc- 
tion, Inc.,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah. 

Vern  W.  Smith,  Englewood, 
Colo. 

C  &  H  Construction  and  Pav- 
ing, Inc.,  Albuquerque, 
N.  Mex. 


Ritchie    Brothers    Construc- 
tion Co.,  Wichita,  Kans. 

The  Banes  Co.,  Inc.,  Albu- 
querque, N.  Mex. 

Kansas  Earthmovers,  Inc., 
Hugoton,  Kans. 

Brink  Construction  Co., 
Rapid  City,  S.  Dak. 

Ladwig  Building  and  Manu- 
facturing Co.,  Inc.,  Colorado 
Springs,  Colo. 


76 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Major  Construction  and  Materials  for  Which  Bids  Will  Be 
Requested  Through  August  1964* 


Project 


Arbuckle,  Okla 

/    Canadian  River,  Tex. 

Central  Valley,  Calif- 
Do 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do 
Do 

Do 

Do 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 


Description  of  worlc  material 


Four  3-ft  by  6-ft  6-in.  high-pressure  gate  valves;  and 
two  2-ft  9-in.  by  2-ft  9-in.  high-pressure  gate 
valves  for  Arbuckle  Dam.  Estimated  weight: 
180,000  lb. 

Constructing  about  140  miles  of  8-  to  72-iu.-dia- 
meter  pipeline  of  either  noncylinder  prestressed 
concrete  pipe,  steel  cylinder  pretensioned  concrete 
pipe,  steel  pipe,  concrete  pressure  pipe,  or  as- 
bestos-cement pipe.  Lubbock  to  Lamesa  and 
Southwest  Aqueduct,  near  Lubbock. 

Constructing  about  30  miles  of  10-  to  64-in.-diameter 
pipelines  and  two  steel  tanks.  Pipelines  are  to 
be  constructed  of  either  nonclyinder  prestressed 
concrete  pipe,  pretensioned  steel  cylinder  con- 
crete pipe,  steel  pipe,  asbestos-cement  pipe,  or 
concrete 'pressure  pipe.  Cow  Creek  Unit,  near 
Redding. 

Constructing  about  8  miles  of  42-  and  45-in.-diam- 
eter  pipeline  for  hydrostatic  heads  of  from  200  to 
600  ft.  Pipeline  is  to  be  constructed  of  either  non- 
cylinder  prestressed  concrete  pipe,  pretensioned 
steel  cylinder  concrete  pipe,  or  steel  pipe.  Clear 
Creek  South,  near  Redding. 

Constructing  about  34  miles  of  75-ft  bottom  width 
canal  with  4.5-in.  unreinforced-concrete  lining, 
and  appurtenant  structures,  including  concrete 
bridges,  pipe  crossings,  and  checks.  San  Luis, 
Reach  3,  near  Los  Banos. 

Constructing  the  Wintu  Pumping  Plant,  an  out- 
door-type plant  with  a  rein  forced-concrete 
substructure;  furnishing  and  installing  four 
motor-driven  pumping  units  of  100-cfs  total 
capacity,  mechanical  and  electrical  auxiliary 
equipment,  mechanical  fishscreen  and  steel 
manifold.  Constructing  a  25-  by  25-ft  concrete 
masonry  unit  building  and  furnishing  and  in- 
stalling chlorination  equipment.    Near  Redding. 

Constnicting  the  12-ft  6-in  .-diameter  circular, 
concrete-lined  Pacheco  Tunnel  inlet  about  2 
about  2  miles  long  to  a  bulkheaded  heading 
(tunnel  to  be  completed  at  a  later  date).  Work 
will  also  include  constructing  a  rein  forced-con- 
crete intake  structure  and  gate  shaft  with  a  7-ft  by 
12-ft  6-in.  fixed-wheel  gate,  and  constructing  a 
20-ft  bottom  width  inlet  channel  about  1.7  miles 
long.    Near  Los  Banos. 

Constructing  about  8,000  lin  ft  of  80-ft  bottom  width 
San  Luis  Forebay  Intake  Channel,  about  4,000 
lin  ft  of  which  will  be  lined  with  4-in. -thick  un- 
relnforced  concrete;  constructing  about  2,200  lin 
ft  of  relocated  Delta-Mendota  Canal  with  bottom 
width  of  48  ft,  lined  with  4-in.-thick  unreinforced 
concrete;  and  constructing  about  3,500  lin  ft 
of  Forebay  Dam  Wasteway  Channel,  with 
bottom  width  of  120  ft,  including  a  reinforced- 
concrete  baffled  apron  drop  and  a  reinforced- 
concrete  culvert  drop  under  the  Delta-Mendota 
Canal.  Work  will  also  include  raising  the  con- 
crete lining  about  18  in.  on  about  65  miles  of  the 
Delta-Mendota  Canal  and  modifying  turnouts, 
drainage  inlets,  checks,  siphon  transitions,  etc. 
Near  Los   Banos. 

Six  40,000-hp,  0.95-pf,  13,200-volt,  vertical-shaft 
synchronous  motors  for  mile  18  Pumping  Plant. 

Seven  105,000-kva,  3-phase,  230-  to  13.8-kv,  triple- 
rated  power  transformers  for  San  Luis  and  Mile 
18  Switchyards. 

Four  single-phase,  230  -to  4.16-kv,  10,000-kva  power 
power  transformers  for  Forebay  Pumping  Plant 
Switchyard. 

Eight  230-kv,  1,600-amp,  20,000-mva  power  cu-cuit 
breakers  for  San  Luis  Switchyard. 

Main  control  board  and  imit  control  boards  for 
San  Luis  Reservoir  Pumping-Qenerating  Plant. 

600-volt  station-service  switchgear  for  San  Luis 
Reservoir  Pumping-Qenerating  Plant. 

Eight  14.4-kv  station-type  switchgear;  15-kv 
isolated-phase  bus;  two  2,000-kva,  13.8-kv  to 
480-volt  station-service  transformers;  600-volt 
nonsegregated-phase  bus  for  San  Luis  Reservoir 
Pumping-Generating  Plant. 


Project 


CRSP.Colo. 


Do. 


MRBP,  Kans. 


Do. 


MRBP,  Mont. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 
Do. 


MRBP,  Nebr- 


MRBP,  S.  Dak- 


MRBP,  Wyo 

Parker-Davis,  Ariz. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Clearing  trees,  brush,  fences,  and  other  structures 
from  about  9,000  acres  of  the  Blue  Mesa  Reservoir 
site,  and  furnishing  and  installing  protective 
buoy  system. 

Constructing  a  100-  by  178-ft  machine  shop  and  48- 
by  112-ft  service  garage,  steel  framed  with  insu- 
lated metal  wall  panels  and  roof  decking.  Power 
Operations  Center  at  Montrose. 

Constructing  Glen  Elder  Dam,  a  10,000,000-cu-yd 
earthfill  structure,  about  115  ft  high  and  15,000  ft 
long,  and  appurtenant  features.  The  spillway 
will  consist  of  a  644-ft  wide,  radial-gate-controlled, 
open-chute  structure  through  the  right  abutment . 
The  outlet  works  will  consist  of  a  cast-in-place, 
cut-and-over  conduit  controlled  at  the  down- 
stream end  by  two  6-ft  6-in.  by  8-ft  high-pressure 
regulating  gates.  The  upstream  part  of  the  out- 
let conduit  will  be  12-ft  6-in.  in  diameter  and  the 
downstream  part  will  be  17-ft  6-in.  in  diameter. 
On  the  Solomon  River,  near  Glen  Elder. 

Constructing  the  first  section  of  the  Downs  Pro- 
tective Dike,  Station  114-64  to  44-f25,  containing 
about  650,000  cu  yd  of  earthfill  embankment, 
about  20  ft  high  and  3,000  ft  long,  with  a  cutoff 
trench  about  40  ft  deep.  Work  will  also  include 
earthwork  and  structures  for  about  1  mile  of 
county  road  relocation.    Near  Downs. 

Completing  the  Yellow  tail  Dam,  Powerplant,  and 
Switchyard  will  consist  of  installing  four  87,500- 
hp,  225-rpm,  vertical-shaft  hydraulic  turbines, 
the  transformer  bank,  switchyard,  and  other 
electrical  and  mechanical  equipment;  placing 
concrete  for  turbine  embedment  and  generator 
support;  constructing  a  visitors  reception  unit 
and  architectural  features;  and  placing  concrete 
floor  surfacing  and  applying  architectural  finishes. 
On  the  Bighorn  River,  about  45  miles  southwed 
of  Hardin. 

Three  50,000-kva,  230-grd  wye— 13.2-delta-kv, 
single-phase,  60  cycle,  FOW  transformers;  and 
three  50,000-kva,  115-grd  wye— 13.2-delta-kv, 
single-phase,  60-cycle,  FOW  transformers  for 
Yellowtail  Switchyard. 

Schedule  No.  1— 14.4-kv,  isolated-phase,  generator- 
voltage  bus  structures;  600-volt,  low-voltage 
feeder  busways;  three  750-kva,  13.8-kv  to  480- 
volt,  station-service  transformers. 

Schedule  No.  2— 14.4-kv,  station-type,  cubicle 
switchgear.    All  for  Yellowtail  Powerplant. 

Four  230-kv,  1,600-amp,  10,000-mva,  oil  power  cir- 
cuit breakers;  four  115-kv,  1,200-amp,  5,000-mva, 
oil  power  circuit  breakers;  and  one  14-4-kv, 
1,200-amp,  1,000-mva,  oil  power  circuit  breaker 
for  Yellowtail  Switchyard. 

Constructing  the  Dunlap  Substation  will  consist 
of  constructing  a  concrete  masonry  service  build- 
ing; constructing  foundations;  furnishing  and 
erecting  steel  structures;  transporting  and  in- 
stalling one  3-phase,  6,000-kva,  115/69-kv  trans- 
former; furnishing  and  installing  one  69-kv  cir- 
cuit breaker  and  associated  electrical  equipment; 
and  grading  and  fencing  the  area. 

Furnishing  and  constructing  about  20  miles  of  115- 
kv,  wood-pole  transmission  line;  and  furnishing 
and  stringing  three  556.5  MCM,  24/7,  ACSR 
conductors,  and  two  3/8-in.,  high-strength,  steel 
strand,  overhead  ground  wires.  New  Under- 
wood-Rapid City  and  Rapid  City-Midland  Ties 
to  New  Underwood  Substation. 

One  single-phase,  230-  to  115-kv,  33.3-mva,  mobil 
autotrans  former. 

Furnishing  and  constructing  about  14  miles  of 
115-kv,  wood-pole  Coolidge-ED-2  Transmission 
Line;  and  furnishing  and  stringing  three  795 
MCM,  26/7,  ACSR  conductors,  and  two  3/8  in., 
high-strength,  steel  strand,  overhead  ground 
wires. 


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eclaraation 


\ovember  196' 


i 


A  First  for  the  First  Lady 

Disaster  Relief  to  Alaska  and  Montana 

Nevada's  Centennial — By  Governor  Sawyer 


Reclaraatlon 

ERA 


NOVEMBER   1964 
Volume  50,  No.  4 


OTTIS    PETERSON,    Assistant   to   the    Com- 
missioner— Information 
GORDON  J.   FORSYTH,   Editor 

COVER  PHOTOS— Utah  Senator  Frank  E.  Moss  points  to  an 
interesting  item  for  the  attention  of  Lady  Bird  Johnson  and 
Secretary  Udall. 

A  damaged  public  building  in  downtown  Anchorage. 

Flood  spills  over  Gibson  Dam  during  Montana  flood. 

Nevada's  1964  Centennial  seal 


77. 
80. 
83. 

89. 
93. 

94. 
100. 

103. 
104. 

106. 
107. 


A  FIRST  FOR  THE  FIRST  LADY 

WRACKED  ALASKA  HAD  POWER 

"BATTLE    BORN"    STATE    IS  100 
YEARS  OLD 

by  Gov.  Grant  Sawyer 


FROM      GOLD 
WATER 


TO      PRECIOUS 


LAST    REPAYMENT     CHECK    IS 
AN  OCCASION 

THE  WEEK  THE  RAINS  CAME 

OPERATION    WESTWIDE    TAKES 
ACTION 

hy  Robert  W.  Cary  and  Harold  E.  Dean 

MILLIONTH  YARD  AT  YELLOW- 
TAIL 

WHAT     HAPPENED     TO     THOSE 
VETERANS? 

by  Paul  Hamilton 

KEY  PERSONNEL  CHANGED 
AWARDS  FOR  THE  BUREAU 


United   States   Department  of  the   Interior 
Stewart  L.   Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau   of   Reclamation,   Floyd   E.   Dominy,   Commissioner  —' 

Washington  OfTice:  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Washington,  D.C,  20240. 
Commissioner's  Staff 

Assistant  Commissioner N.  B.  Bennett,  Jr. 

Assistant  Commissioner . O.  O.  Stamm 

Assistant  Commissioner W.  P.  Kane 

Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado B.  P.  Bellport 

REGIONAL  OFFICES 

REGIOM  1:  Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  937,  Reclamation  Building,  Fairgrounds,  Idaho,  83701. 

REGION  2:  Robert  .1.  PafTord,  Jr.,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacramento,  Calif.,  95811. 

REGION  3:  A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  City,  Nev.,  89005. 

REGION  4:  Frank  M.  Clinton,  Regional  Director,  32  Exchange  Place,  P.O.  Box  360,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  84110. 

RE(}ION  5;  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Office  Building,  7th  and  Taylor,  Amarillo,  Tex.,  79105. 

REGIO.^f  6:  Harold  E.  Aldrich,  Regional  Director,  7th  and  Central,  P.O.  Box  2553,  Billings,  Mont.,  59101. 

REGIO.V  7:  Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo.,  80225. 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Washington,  D.C,  20240.     Use  of  funds  for  printing  this 

publication  has  been  approved  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31, 1961. 

ForsalebythcSupcrintendentof  Documents,  U.S.  Government  Printing  OfTice,  Washington,  D.C. ,20402.    Price  15  cents  (single  copy).    Subscription 
price:  Eieht  issues  (2  vears)  for  *1.00  (%\M)  for  forciun  inailinel. 


President  Johnson's  Wife  Dedicates 
Flaming  Gorge  Dam — 


WYOMING 


COLORADO 


A  FIRST  FOR  THE  FIRST  LADY 


The  First  Lady  of  the  United  States,  Mrs. 
Lyndon  B.  Johnson,  on  August  17,  became  the 
first  lady  in  history  to  dedicate  one  of  the  West's 
huge  Reclamation  dams — Flaming  Gorge  Dam. 

Standing  on  a  specially  constructed  platform 
overlooking  the  502- foot  structure  located  in 
spectacular  wilderness  country,  the  President's 
wife  told  a  receptive  crowd  of  about  1,500  people 
that  "this  dam  proved  that  big  dreams  can  come 
true."  She  was  greeted  and  escorted  to  the  speak- 
er's platform  by  Reclamation  Commissioner  Floyd 
E.  Dominy. 

Commissioner  Dominy  opened  the  dedicatory 
ceremony  with  an  introduction  of  Secretary  of 
the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall,  the  master  of  cere- 
monies. Secretary  Udall  accompanied  Mrs. 
Johnson  on  her  entire  4-day  tour  of  Montana, 
Wyoming,  Utah,  and  Idaho. 

Mrs.  Johnson  unveiled  a  plaque  bearing  her 
name  which  will  be  installed  permanently  at  the 
dam  to  commemorate  the  occasion. 

After  the  dedication,  Mrs.  Johnson  led  a  bus 
caravan  to  the  Antelope  Flats  landing  on  the  east 
shore  of  Flaming  Gorge  Lake.  Here  she  boarded 
a  boat  for  a  brief  lake  cruise,  docking  on  the  east 
shore  at  Lucerne  Valley  landing  about  a  half  hour 
later  and  headed  for  Green  River,  Wyo.,  and  a 
western-style  buffalo  barbecue.  At  this  stop,  the 
First  Lady  dedicated  Flaming  Gorge  Recreation 
Area. 

Also  on  the  4,200-mile  trip,  Mrs.  Johnson  was 
adopted  into  the  Crow  Indian  tribe  in  Montana; 
made  her  headquarters  at  Jackson  Lake  Lodge, 
Wyo.,  overlooking  Reclamation's  Jackson  Lake; 
took  a  30-mile  float  trip  down  the  Snake  River; 


visited  Vernal,  Utah,  and  gave  speeches  at  both 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  Park  City,  Utah.  She  also 
made  other  brief  appearances  including  airport 
stops  at  Idaho  Falls,  Idaho,  and  Denver,  Colo. 

The  text  of  the  First  Lady's  remarks  at  Flam- 
ing Gorge  Dam  follows. 

"No  one  can  follow  the  trail  I  have  followed 
the  last  4  days  without  catching  the  spirit  of 
the  West.  It  has  been  the  spirit  of  adventure 
which  made  bold  pioneers  and  brave  frontiers- 
men— the  spirit  of  optimism  which  caused  men 
and  women  to  dream  big  and  build  big. 

"John  Wesley  Powell,  the  geologist-explorer 
who  named  Flaming  Gorge,  showed  such  a  spirit. 
About  a  hundred  years  ago,  he  made  his  daring 
journey  down  these  rapids  while  studying  the  wa- 
ter system  of  the  mountain  region.  And  he 
dreamed  dreams  about  a  network  of  huge  dams 
which  could  cause  this  arid  land  to  flower. 

"I  feel  a  kinship  to  Powell,  for  my  husband  and 
I  have  also  dreamed  of  dam  building — though 
much  further  to  the  south  where  the  Green  River 
becomes  one  with  the  Colorado.  During  Lyndon's 
first  years  in  Congress  back  in  1937,  he  devoted  his 
prime  energies  to  the  program  for  harnessing  wa- 
ter for  man's  use.  Today,  we  get  a  special  pleas- 
ure when  we  drive  through  central  Texas  past  the 
lakes  and  reservoirs  and  watch  the  fishermen  and 
water  skiers.  Wise  vise  of  water  has  enriched  the 
quality  of  our  lives  as  much  as  it  has  increased  the 
quantity  of  our  resources. 

"How  many  people  have  dreamed  and  planned 
and  built  to  bring  this  great  reservoir  into  being ! 
I  wish  John  Wesley  Powell  could  again  board  his 
boat  at  Green  River  City  and  float  through  Flam- 


NOVEMBER  1964 


77 


Seated  behind  Mrs.  Johnson  cs  she  speaks  at  the  dedication  are:  Arthur  V.  Watlcins,  former  U.S.  Senator  from  Utah;  Gov.  George  D.  Clyde  of 
Utah;  U.S.  Senator  Frank  E.  Moss  of  Utah;  Secretary  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall,  and  U.S.  Senator  Gale  W.  McGee  of  Wyoming. 
Partially  hidden  at  right  is  Reclamation  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy. 


ing  Gorge  to  see  how  much  greater  today's  reality 
than  yesterday's  dream.  I  also  wish  my  husband 
could  be  here  because  he  believes  strongly  that  the 
age  of  adventure  is  not  over. 

"The  battle  of  the  future,  as  my  husband  defined 
it  at  the  University  of  Michigan,  will  be  waged  in 
both  the  countrysides  and  the  cities.  In  this  spec- 
tacular wilderness  you  have  already  done  a  great 
deal  to  win  the  battle  for  the  countrysides.  Both 
your  natural  beauty  and  your  wildlife  will  be  safer, 
now  that  the  wilderness  bill  has  passed  both  Houses 
of  Congress. 

"But  what  of  your  cities  and  towns?  Here, 
too,  your  dream  is  a  great  one.  Brigham  Young 
once  voiced  it,  'Let  the  people  .  .  .  make  beautiful 
cities,  in  which  may  be  found  magnificent  edifices, 
for  the  convenience  of  the  public,  handsome  streets, 
skirted  with  shade  trees,  fountains  of  water,  crys- 
tal streams ;  and  every  tree,  shrub,  and  flower  that 
will  flourish  in  this  climate,  to  make  our  mountain 
home  a  paradise.' 


78 


"I  urge  you  not  to  forget  these  dreams.  Let  us 
remember  these  pioneers.  Americans  have  always 
felt  that  the  tomorrow  of  our  children  should  be 
better  than  the  yesterday  of  our  parents.  We 
share  a  faith  in  life  that  the  best  is  yet  to  come, 
that  we  must  build  our  future,  not  belittle  it. 

"In  this  spirit  and  with  this  wish,  I  dedicate 
your  Flaming  Gorge  Dam." 

On  September  27,  1963,  the  late  President  John 
F.  Kennedy  gave  the  signal  from  the  Salt  Lake 
City  Airport  to  start  test  runs  on  the  first  generator 
at  Flaming  Gorge  Dam  and  powerplant.  Com- 
mercial generation  of  power  was  initiated  on  No- 
vember 11  of  that  year.  The  108,000-kilowatt 
powerplant  at  the  toe  of  the  dam  houses  three  gen- 
erating units  which  are  sending  hydroelectric 
power  over  transmission  lines  to  users  in  Utah, 
Wyoming,  and  Colorado.  #  #  # 

(Flaming  Gorge  Dam  photo  on  next  page  is  by  Stan  Rasmussen.) 

The  Reclamation  Era 


t^ 


s^ 


■^00^ 


»,««(F-'-»-«»~,r 


^^i^~> 


Mtaik 


By  Stout  Hearts  and  Teamwork  .  .  . 


Wracked  Alaska  Had  Power 


The  vast  landmass  called  Alaska  encompasses 
nearly  600,000  square  miles,  yet  by  virtue  of  a 
small  population  it  is  as  intimate  as  a  small  town. 
South-central  and  southeast  Alaska,  however,  are 
separated  by  sea,  mountains,  and  icefields,  and 
they  are  two  time  zones  apart. 

Thus,  at  5 :35  p.m.  on  March  27,  while  the  south- 
central  part  of  the  State  (Anchorage,  Seward, 
Kodiak,  and  Valdez)  was  returning  home  from  the 
day's  business  or  preparing  the  evening  meal,  the 
southeast  (Juneau,  Ketchikan,  and  Sitka)  was 
leaving  for  Good  Friday  night  services  or  settling 
down  for  the  evening's  fare  of  2-week-old  pro- 
grams on  TV. 

As  communications  from  the  quake-shattered 
south-central  were  wiped  out,  it  was  late  in  the  eve- 
ning before  the  southeast  knew  what  had  hap- 
pened. First  reports  were  garbled  and  exagger- 
ated. Familiar  names  of  people  and  locations  of 
damage  came  crackling  over  the  airwaves,  catch- 
ing people  of  the  southeast  in  a  horrible  web  of 
helpless  anxiety.  There  were  rumors  of  a  great 
tidal  wave  heading  for  the  Juneau  area,  which  for- 
tunately did  not  materialize.  All  of  Alaska  that 
night  and  for  days  to  come  was  linked  by  one  great 
heartline— ^the  radio. 

In  Anchorage,  when  the  earthquake  started,  most 
people  were  unconcerned — for  the  first  few  sec- 
onds, that  is — because,  as  in  California,  minor 
tremors  are  not  uncommon.  This  first  reaction 
changed  quickly  to  alarm,  to  fear,  and  then  to 
terror  as  the  ground  heaved,  buildings  swayed 
wildly,  and  the  world  seemed  to  be  tearing  itself 
apart.  Great  cracks  appeared  in  the  earth,  and 
whole  areas  dropped  as  much  as  20  feet,  carrying 
homes  and  commercial  buildings  to  destruction. 
An  entire  section  of  Anchorage's  most  exclusive 
residential  subdivision,  on  a  bluff  overlooking  Cook 
Inlet,  literally  fell  into  the  sea. 

In  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  District  Office 
in  Juneau,  the  first  concern  was  for  the  personnel 
and  the  families  of  the  Eklutna  hydroelectric  proj- 
ect just  outside  of  Anchorage.  Eventually,  a 
roundabout  telephone  contact  was  made.    All  of 


our  people  were  safe,  but  the  project  had  suffered 
severe  damage.  Typical  of  early  accounts  was 
that  of  Powerplant  Operator  David  Draze,  who 
was  on  duty  at  the  time : 

During  the  first  10  or  15  seconds  I  thought  we  were  ex- 
periencing a  very  severe  quake.  As  it  became  more  vio- 
lent the  plant  relayed  off  and  we  were  in  darkness.  The 
plant  began  to  heave  and  sway  in  a  violent  manner,  so 
that  it  was  hard  to  keep  on  our  feet  or  move  around. 
There  was  a  very  loud  booming  noise  and  I  thought  that 
an  atom  bomb  had  been  dropped  and  triggered  off  a  land- 
slide which  was  covering  the  plant. 

The  report  goes  on  to  tell  about  the  overhead 
crane  that  was  crazily  moving  about  on  its  track  in 
the  generator  room  and  the  large  transformer 
doors  that  were  straining  at  their  hinges. 

Items  Flung  About 

Simultaneously,  the  project  office  was  getting 
some  shuffling  about — filing  cabinets  toppled  over, 
bookcases  spewed  their  contents,  light  fixtures 
flung  about,  and  the  water  pump  raised  6  inches  off 
the  floor  as  the  whole  building  settled. 

At  the  camp,  the  houses  were  swaying  and  sail- 
ing pictures  and  bric-a-brac  in  wild  confusion 
about  the  interiors.  Many  stories  tell  of  strange 
culinary  concoctions  on  kitchen  floors  as  cupboards 
and  refrigerators  disgorged  molasses,  catsup, 
honey,  salad  oil,  detergents,  and  other  assorted  in- 
gredients. Cleanup  in  some  areas  was  made  more 
challenging  by  lack  of  water  due  to  broken  water 
pipes.  For  Mrs.  Williams,  the  wife  of  the  project 
superintendent,  cleanup  would  have  to  wait,  for 
she  was  busy  at  the  office  handling  traffic  on  the 
project  radio  system. 

Gratefully,  there  were  no  injuries  to  Bureau  per- 
sonnel. The  office  and  homes  sustained  damage  to 
chimneys,  fuel  lines,  wiring,  and  personal  items, 
but  all  were  habitable  (after  shoveling  out  the  un- 
palatable debris) . 

Walter  Williams  reported  that  all  employees 
arrived  as  quickly  as  possible  for  work  and  con- 
tinued on  the  job  for  as  many  as  27  hours  without  a 
break.    They  drove  over  roads  that  were  heaved 


80 


The  Reclamation  Era 


"'H^^, 


Army  helicopter  assisting  in  setting  poles 
on  Ekiutna-Palmer  1 1 5,000-volt  line. 


Divers  preparing  to  do  repair  work  in  a  chilly  50  feet  of  water  in 
Ekiutna  Lake. 


A  special  power  scraper  (at  top  of  photo)  was  devised  to  go 
Ekiutna  Tunnel  and  clean  out  the  sandy  muck. 


and  cracked,  and  those  living  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Knik  River  had  to  walk  across  the  damaged 
bridge  and  then  climb  over  two  huge  snowslides. 
Amazingly  enough,  the  powerplant  was  placed 
back  in  service  in  20  minutes,  furnishing  electricity 
to  the  plant,  office,  and  camp,  but  system  damage, 
as  yet  unknown,  precluded  the  immediate  delivery 
of  power  to  customers.  The  first  look  at  outside  fa- 
cilities disclosed  severe  damage  to  the  high-voltage 
circuit  breakers  that  connect  the  plant  to  the  trans- 
mission lines  serving  Anchorage  and  Palmer,  mak- 
ing them  unusable.  These  were  quickly  bypassed 
by  temporary  jumpers,  and  the  line  to  Anchorage 
was  energized.  At  the  Bureau's  Anchorage  sub- 
station, emergency  measures  had  already  been  ac- 
complished to  permit  restoration  of  service  to  the 


city's  system  and  to  that  of  the  Chugach  Electric 
Association.  A  CEA  linecrew  was  rushed  to  the 
substation  to  help  out  on  this  work. 

The  Palmer  line  was  unusable  because  of  a 
snow  and  rock  slide  that  had  swept  away  a  struc- 
ture and  two  spans  near  the  Knik  River  bridge 
and  then  roared  on  down  the  mountain  to  block 
the  highway  and  come  to  rest  halfway  across  the 
Knik  River.  Service  to  Palmer  and  the  Mata- 
nuska  Valley  was  restored  over  a  34,500-volt  stand- 
by line  owned  by  the  Matanuska  Electric  Associa- 
tion, whose  crews  had  it  repaired  and  ready  for 
use  within  a  few  hours  after  the  quake. 

The  next  crisis  came  at  midnight  when  the 
water  supply  to  the  plant  ceased.  .  .  .  Could 
it  be  a  collapsed  tunnel;  had  Ekiutna  Lake  gone 


November  1964 


81 


dry,  or  was  the  power  intake  at  the  lake  in  trouble  ? 
Mr.  Williams  made  a  hurried  20-mile  trip  to 
Eklutna  Lake  to  find  the  dam  intact  and  no  ap- 
parent damage,  except  some  obvious  land  move- 
ment around  the  lakeshore.  He  returned  to  the 
powerhouse  and  proceeded  to  nurse  water  through 
the  plant  until  a  huge  earth  plug  in  the  waterway 
was  dissipated.  He  wondered  at  the  time  if  he 
should  report  the  power  production  in  terms  of 
kilowatt-hours  per  acre-foot  of  sand! 

For  the  next  6  weeks  the  plant  was  to  operate 
on  an  emergency  basis  with  periodic  alternate 
shutdown  of  units  to  remove  sand  and  rocks  and 
to  clean  out  the  cooling  water  system.  There  was, 
for  all  plant  personnel,  the  24-hour  anxiety  that 
the  next  rock  (some  were  as  large  as  footballs) 
would  completely  immobilize  the  plant. 

Intake  Pipe  Separates 

In  the  meantime,  diver  inspection  on  April  12 
disclosed  a  separation  in  the  9-foot-diameter  in- 
take pipe  which  connects  the  4i/^-mile-long  pres- 
sure tunnel  to  the  intake  structure  in  the  lake. 
The  overburden  over  this  separation  contributed 
an  estimated  2,000  cubic  yards  of  dirt,  sand,  rock, 
sticks,  and  similar  debris  during  the  next  several 
weeks  until  the  plant  could  be  shut  down  on  May 
9  for  repairs  to  the  intake  and  a  complete  inspec- 
tion of  the  waterway. 

The  cooperation  of  Matanuska  Electric  Asso- 
ciation was  invaluable  after  the  quake.  Since 
the  Knik  River  slide  had  cut  the  Eklutna-Palmer 
115,000-volt  line,  the  main  power  source  for  the 
Matanuska  Valley,  all  power  had  to  flow  through 
the  Reed  substation  where  only  limited  capacity 
was  available.  MEA  furnished  truck-mounted 
electric  fans  to  keep  cold  air  blowing  on  the  over- 
loaded transformer.  The  transformer  held  while 
project  line  maintenance  personnel,  with  help  of 
an  Army  helicopter  and  supported  heavily  by 
linemen  and  materials  furnished  by  MEA,  com- 
pleted repairs  high  up  on  the  mountainside. 

Excellent  cooperation  was  exhibited  throughout 
the  Bureau  "family."  Region  7  personnel  quickly 
dismantled  a  115,000-volt  switch  from  the  Gering, 
Nebr.,  substation  and  hauled  it  through  a  snow- 
storm to  Lowry  Field  in  Denver  for  transport  to 
Alaska  by  the  New  Mexico  Air  National  Guard. 
An  electrician,  skilled  in  the  asembly  of  this  type 
of  equipment,  was  dispatched  from  the  Water- 
town,  S.  Dak.,  office  in  Region  6  to  handle  the  in- 
stallation. 


The  chief  engineer's  office  in  Denver  dispatched 
several  teams  of  technical  experts  to  assess  damage 
and  to  develop  repair  plans.  That  office  also  or- 
dered emergency  parts  from  manufacturers  and 
furnished  emergency  operating  procedures.  Re- 
gion 7  sent  an  experienced  technician  to  make  a 
complete  mechanical  check  of  the  turbines,  and 
Region  1  was  called  upon  to  furnish  personnel  to 
make  a  thorough  Doble  test  of  all  electrical  equip- 
ment. 

During  this  period,  power  agencies  in  the  area 
were  doing  a  herculean  job  of  coordinating  opera- 
tion of  their  respective  generation  facilities  to  pro- 
vide an  adequate  supply  of  power.  The  city  of 
Anchorage  overcame  the  problems  of  a  ruptured 
oil  storage  tank  and  severed  gasoline  to  get  its  gas 
turbines  and  diesel-driven  generators  in  operation. 
Chugach  Electric  Association  returned  its  Knik 
Arm  steamplant  to  full  operation  a  little  at  a  time 
as  boiler  and  other  structural  damage  was  repaired. 
The  military  systems  suffered  loss  of  cooling  water 
facilities,  which  reduced  plant  capability  to  the 
point  where  only  the  essential  needs  of  the  military 
bases  could  be  supplied.  Chugach,  in  addition, 
was  fighting  the  battle  of  high  tides  and  floating 
ice  in  Turnagain  Arm  where  loss  of  its  115-kilo- 
volt  line  on  several  occasions  denied  the  Anchorage 
area  the  output  of  the  Cooper  Lake  hydroplant. 

Underwater  Repair  Work 

As  soon  as  there  was  reasonable  assurance  that 
power  suppliers  other  than  the  Bureau  could  han- 
dle the  Anchorage-Palmer  area  loads,  the  Peter- 
Kiewit  Co.  under  a  negotiated  contract  began  un- 
derwater repair  work  and  mucking  in  the  upper 
reaches  of  the  tunnel  and  intake.  At  the  same 
time  Government  forces,  which  were  increased 
fourfold,  began  the  job  of  cleaning  out  the  remain- 
der of  the  tunnel  and  the  tailrace  and  inspecting 
and  correcting  many  other  items.  On  July  2,  the 
plant  was  returned  to  full  operation,  permitting 
the  other  agencies  to  remove  units  from  service  and 
perform  needed  maintenance  and  permanent  re- 
pairs. 

Since  the  repairs  to  the  intake  are  considered 
only  temporary,  three  half  screens  have  been  in- 
stalled in  the  tunnel  to  catch  any  vagabond  rocks 
and  thus  protect  the  turbines  from  further  bat- 
tering. Plans  are  now  being  drawn  up  that  will 
call  for  a  new  intake  structure,  repair  of  the 

{Continued  on  page  107) 


82 


The  Reclamation  Era 


From  Nevada's  Capitol  at  Carson  City,  Gov- 
ernor Sawyer  tells  about  vital  water  devel- 
opments and  the  variety  of  other  bonuses 
which  make  his  the  fastest  growing  U.S. 
State. 


BATTLE  BORN" STATE 
IS  100  YEARS  OLD 

by  GOVERNOR   GRANT  SAWYER 


The  Silver  State  of  Nevada,  which  is  celebrating 
its  100th  birthday  this  year,  is  proving  to  the 
rest  of  the  Nation  how  a  State  can  progress  and 
prosper  with  enlightened  resource  management 
programs. 

Nevada  is  proudly  sharing  its  colorful  past 
and  exciting  future  with  residents  and  visitors 
alike  during  this  centennial  year.  Within  its 
110,000  square  miles  of  picturesque  mountains, 
peaceful  desert  valleys,  and  rural  life  on  fertile 
farmlands,  Nevada's  attractions  range  from  the 
world's  most  spectacular  stage  shows  and  the  lure 
of  legal  gambling  to  unlimited  outdoor  recreation 
in  natural  scenic  wonders. 

Short  drives  take  the  visitor  from  the  Reno- 
Sparks  area  into  the  lush  pine  forests  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  Mountains  or  into  the  Lahontan  Desert 
to  search  for  Indian  artifacts.  Tourists  who  visit 
fabulous  Las  Vegas  are  surprised  to  learn  that 
they  can  drive  to  the  ski  areas  of  Mount  Charles- 
ton in  less  than  1  hour.  The  possibilities  for 
recreation  and  entertainment  in  this  land  of  con- 
trasts are  endless. 

Modem  Nevada  history  had  its  beginnings 
around  1775,  when  Father  Escalante,  a  Spanish 
priest,  was  believed  to  have  led  an  expedition  into 
southern  Nevada.  He  was  followed  by  other  ex- 
plorers of  the  West  in  the  early  1800's — fur  traders 
Jedediah  Smith  and  Peter  Ogden;  John  C.  Fre- 
mont, whose  expedition  was  guided  by  the  famed 
scout  Kit  Carson,  and  Joseph  Walker,  who  gave 
his  name  to  a  river  and  lake  in  Nevada. 

California  began  attracting  waves  of  immigrants 
in  the  early  1840's.  Weary  pioneers  traveling  the 
Old  Spanish  Trail  rested  in  the  lush  meadows  near 
Las  Vegas  before  starting  the  rugged  journey 
across  the  desert  to  California.  At  Nevada's  first 
permanent  settlement.  Mormon  Station  (later 
called  Genoa),  wagon  trains  stopped  for  supplies 
before  embarking  on  the  dangerous  trip  across 
the  Sierra  Nevada. 

To  these  early  travelers,  the  Nevada  Territory  it- 
self held  little  interest.  It  was  merely  regarded  as 
the  final  obstacle  to  be  crossed  in  the  trek  to  Cali- 
fornia. 

A  flood  of  settlers  poured  into  Nevada,  however, 
with  the  discovery  of  the  Comstock  silver  lode  in 
1859.  This  rich  mineral  find  changed  the  face  of 
the  territory  and  even  influenced  a  Nation  moving 
rapidly  toward  civil  war. 

Virginia  City  miners  were  transformed  into  mil- 
lionaires overnight  and  they  invested  their  Nevada 


November  1964 


83 


wealth  in  San  Francisco  to  make  it  the  financial 
center  of  the  West.  This  vast  virgin  land,  which 
only  a  few  years  earlier  was  charted  as  "unknown" 
on  maps,  became  the  most-talked-about  area  in  the 
world. 

In  1861,  the  Territory  of  Nevada  was  created  by 
Congress.  Then,  at  the  height  of  the  Civil  War  in 
1864,  President  Abraham  Lincoln  discovered  he 
needed  one  more  vote  to  ratify  the  antislavery 
amendment  to  the  U.S.  Constitution  and  Nevada, 
the  "battle  born"  State,  was  admitted  to  the  Union. 

For  a  time,  Nevada  silver  became  a  potent  inter- 
national, financial,  and  political  force.  Bankers 
from  London  to  Berlin  were  convinced  that  Ne- 
vada's seemingly  inexhaustible  supply  of  silver 
would  reduce  the  value  of  that  metal  below  that  of 
iron. 

Thus,  in  1864,  Nevada  was  little  more  than  a 
collection  of  mining  camps.  Most  of  them,  such  as 
Virginia  City,  Silver  City,  and  Gold  Hill,  were 
located  on  the  Comstock,  but  others  sprung  up  in 
the  central  and  eastern  part  of  the  new  State. 


Life  in  the  early  mining  "boomtowns"  was  often 
sumptuous  and  elegant  and  rivaled  anything  found 
in  San  Francisco  or  New  York.  Virginia  City  had 
its  own  opera  house,  which  booked  the  top  names 
of  the  entertainment  world  in  that  bygone  era. 

The  price  of  silver,  however,  was  driven  lower 
and  lower.  At  the  same  time,  operating  costs  sky- 
rocketed and  several  of  the  richest  strikes  were 
worked  to  exhaustion.  Eventually,  the  price  of 
silver  dropped  to  as  low  as  28  cents  an  ounce  and 
the  mining  business  became  generally  unprofitable. 

Other  Metals  Mined 

Mining  has  experienced  a  rebirth  of  sorts  in  re- 
cent years.  Other  metals  have  been  discovered  in 
Nevada  and  they  are  in  demand  in  space  age  indus- 
tries. Today,  Nevada  is  the  fourth  largest  exporter 
of  iron  ore  in  the  Nation.  There  are  two  huge 
open-pit  copper  mines  in  the  State  and  some  gold 
and  silver  is  still  being  mined. 

Even  before  its  big  silver  mining  industry  went 
into  the  doldrums,  Nevada  was  developing  other 


The  Truckee  River  flows  through  the  heart  of  busy  Reno 


84 


The  Reclamation  Era 


industries.  Livestock — especially  cattle — was 
fluorishing  on  ranches  and  open  ranges  with  many 
large  spreads  located  in  the  Elko  and  Winnemucca 
areas. 

By  the  1880's,  when  even  the  best  silver  strikes 
were  nearly  exhausted,  Nevada  was  in  a  full-scale 
economic  transformation.  Its  lumbering  industry, 
which  was  centered  around  Lake  Tahoe  during  the 
Comstock's  wildest  days,  was  still  active  with 
steamships  plying  the  lake  and  railroads  trans- 
porting lumber  to  markets  on  the  coast.  Farms 
sprung  up  in  fertile  areas  such  as  the  Washoe, 
Carson,  and  Mason  Valleys  of  western  Nevada. 

Gambling,  which  was  destined  to  become  Neva- 
da's major  industry,  was  common  in  early-day 
mining  camps.  It  was  technically  illegal  when 
the  Nevada  Territory  was  created  in  1861  and  the 
situation  remained  the  same  after  Nevada  became 
a  State  in  1864.  In  1869,  however,  the  State  legis- 
lature legalized  gambling  despite  bitter  opposition 
from  Gov.  Henry  G.  Blasdel,  the  State's  first  chief 
executive. 

After  being  outlawed  again  in  1910,  most  of  the 
present-day  forms  of  gambling  were  legalized  for 
the  final  time  in  1931  to  provide  additional  revenue 
during  the  depression. 

The  State  began  to  tax  and  control  the  gambling 
industry  in  1945  and,  during  the  intervening  years, 
a  widely  respected  system  of  control  has  been  de- 
veloped with  the  primary  goals  of  insuring  the 
honesty  of  casinos  and  guarding  against  hoodlum 
.  infiltration  of  the  sensitive  industry.  Sharing  re- 
sponsibility in  these  vital  tasks  are  the  investi- 
gative State  Gaming  Control  Board  and  the 
parent  Nevada  Gaming  Commission. 

Nevada  gamblers  paid  $13.5  million  in  taxes  and 
fees  to  the  State  last  year  based  on  gross  winnings 
of  approximately  $261  million.  The  tax  and  fee 
figure  placed  Nevada  seventh  among  more  than  30 
States  that  collect  revenue  from  legal  gambling. 
States  leading  Nevada  in  such  collections  are  New 
York,  California,  Florida,  New  Jersey,  Illinois, 
and  Massachusetts. 

Munitions  Factories 

Another  important  industry  to  Nevada  got  its 
start  during  the  World  War  II  years.  It  was  dis- 
covered that,  because  of  surrounding  mountains, 
Nevada  offered  natural  protection  against  possible 
enemy  attack.  As  a  result,  munitions  factories 
were  built  in  Henderson  near  Las  Vegas  and  in 
other  communities. 

November  1964 

743-007  O — 64 ^2 


These  new  factories,  in  turn,  attracted  thousands 
of  new  residents  to  Nevada.  Within  less  than  20 
years,  the  State's  population  quadrupled  and  the 
end  to  this  fantastic  growth  is  nowhere  in  sight. 
Percentagewise,  Nevada  is  by  far  the  fastest  grow- 
ing State  in  the  Nation. 

Following  World  War  II,  transportation  fa- 
cilities were  improved  and  millions  of  tourists 
began  to  discover  Nevada  as  a  vacation  paradise. 
Twenty  million  tourists  visited  Nevada  last  year 
to  place  the  State  far  ahead  of  such  well-known 
attractions  as  Florida  and  Washington,  D.C. 

Las  Vegas,  which  was  little  more  than  a  south- 
ern Nevada  desert  stage  stop  for  many  years, 
suddenly  blossomed  forth  with  multimillion- 
dollar  resort  hotels.  Reno  and  Lake  Tahoe  also 
attracted  a  considerable  number  of  visitors  to 
northern  Nevada. 

In  the  relatively  short  span  of  100  years,  Nevada 
changed  from  a  rugged  frontier  State  into  a 
modem,  dynamic  part  of  the  New  West. 

Proper  management  of  natural  resources  has 
assumed  increasing  importance  during  Nevada's 
period  of  rapid  expansion.  Lakes,  rivers,  moun- 
tains, and  forests  lure  hunters,  fishermen,  and 
hikers  and  tourists  interested  in  water  and  snow 
sports.  At  the  same  time,  the  State's  burgeoning 
population  has  placed  severe  demands  on  the  lim- 
ited water  supply. 

Water  has  been  described  as  the  key  to  Nevada's 
future.  Agencies  of  the  Federal  and  State  gov- 
ernments have  cooperated  through  the  years  to 
manage  Nevada's  water  resources  in  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  public. 

Although  Nevada  is  rich  both  historically  and 
literally  in  water  resource  development,  it  is  a 
land  of  perpetual  drought.  The  Newlands  proj- 
ect near  Reno  was  authorized  in  1903  as  one  of 
the  original  projects  under  the  Reclamation  Act 
of  1902.  It  is  celebrating  its  61st  anniversary 
this  year. 

Some  25  years  later,  Hoover  Dam,  located  on 
the  Colorado  River  on  the  Nevada-Arizona  border, 
was  authorized  for  construction  by  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  as  the  first  of  the  great  multipurpose 
projects. 

Hoover  Dam  is  the  pioneer  of  the  Nation's  mam- 
moth reclamation  developments.  The  dam,  which 
was  authorized  in  1928  and  built  during  the  1931- 
35  period,  was  selected  by  the  American  Society 
of  Civil  Engineers  as  one  of  the  Nation's  seven 
modern  civil  engineering  wonders. 


85 


mi-^ 


What  better  place  for  a  young  painter  to  paint 
than  at  Hoover  Dam. 


Built  in  a  desert  region  declared  worthless  by 
the  War  Department  in  1857,  Hoover  Dam,  is  to- 
day an  established  symbol  of  the  many  benefits  of 
multipurpose  water  resource  planning.  Benefits 
accruing  to  the  Southwest  from  the  project  in- 
clude flood  protection,  river  control,  water  stor- 
age, and  conservation  for  irrigation,  municipal, 
and  industrial  uses,  generation  of  low  cost  hydro- 
electric energy,  improvement  of  navigation,  rec- 
reation and  preservation  of  fish  and  wildlife. 

Hemisphere's  Highest 

Hoover  Dam,  which  rises  more  than  700  feet 
above  bedrock,  is  still  the  Western  Hemisphere's 
highest  dam.  Its  construction  backed  up  water 
for  115  miles  to  form  Lake  Mead  with  some  550 
miles  of  shoreline.  This  is  one  of  America's  most 
popular  recreation  areas. 

A  second  reservoir.  Lake  Mohave  behind  Davis 
Dam,  is  also  part  of  the  Lake  Mead  National  Eec- 
reation  Area.  The  National  Park  Service  re- 
ported that  more  than  three  million  persons  vis- 
ited the  area  last  year  to  fish,  hunt,  picnic,  camp, 
swim,  water  ski,  or  to  relax  in  quiet  natural  sur- 
roundings. 

The  previously  mentioned  Newlands  project  is 
located  on  a  level,  gently  rolling,  87,000-acre  sec- 
tion at  about  4,000  feet  above  sea  level  in  western 
Nevada.  The  principal  crop  of  the  area  is  alfalfa, 
which  provides  feed  for  cattle,  sheep,  and  hogs. 
The  alfalfa  crop  was  valued  at  nearly  $2.3  million 
in  1962. 

Lake  Tahoe  Dam  creates  a  reservoir  of  732,000 
acre-feet  of  water  and  is  especially  important  to 
the  Newlands  project.  Also  included  is  Lahontan 
Dam  and  Keservoir  on  the  Carson  River. 

Lake  Lahontan,  created  in  1915,  is  rapidly  be- 
coming an  outstanding  recreational  facility  for 
boating,  swimming,  picnicking,  and  camping. 

The  lake's  fresh  water  is  constantly  being  replen- 
ished with  melting  snows  from  the  surrounding 
mountains  and  is  fast  becoming  a  popular  spot  for 
campers,  boaters,  water  skiers,  picnickers,  and 
swimmers. 

The  nearby  city  of  Fallon  is  symbolic  of  the 
benefits  derived  from  irrigation.  It  has  a  modern 
high  school,  locally  owned  utility  systems,  a  swim- 
ming pool,  modern  hospital,  municipal  airport,  and 
golf  course,  several  small  industries,  and  a  large 
naval  air  station. 

Other  Federal  Reclamation  projects  in  Nevada 
include  the  Truckee  Storage  project  on  the  Little 


Truckee  River  near  Reno,  and  the  Humboldt  proj- 
ect on  the  Humboldt  River  system  near  Lovelock. 
These  projects,  completed  in  1939  and  1936  re- 
spectively, have  reservoir  storage  development 
totaling  more  than  200,000  acre-feet.  They  pro- 
vide many  water  resource  development  benefits  to 
the  important  areas  they  serve — Truckee  Meadows 
near  Reno  and  Lovelock  Valley  some  100  miles  to 
the  northeast. 

A  newly  authorized  development  is  the  Washoe 
project  on  the  Carson  and  Truckee  river  systems. 
Reservoir  construction  is  proposed  at  three  ma- 
jor development  sites  with  an  aggregate  storage 
capacity  of  more  than  400,000  acre-feet.  This 
vital  project  will  provide  supplemental  irrigation 
and  drainage  service  to  agricultural  lands.  It 
will  develop  municipal  and  industrial  water,  thus 
assuring  continual  growth  to  Reno,  Sparks,  Car- 
son City,  and  other  cities  in  western  Nevada  and 
eastern  California.  The  project  will  greatly  re- 
duce devastating  floods  which  the  area  frequently 
experiences.  It  will  provide  hydroelectric  power, 
enhance  fish  and  wildlife,  and  establish  outstand- 
ing recreational  facilities  for  the  growing  popula- 
tion. Prosser  Creek  Dam,  completed  in  late  1962, 
was  the  first  completed  major  facility  of  the 
Washoe  project  and  has  served  well  its  intended 
purposes  of  flood  protection  and  fishing 
enhancement. 

Two  Other  Projects 

Meanwhile,  two  major  projects  will  assist  south- 
ern Nevada  farms  and  cities  in  utilizing  the 
Colorado  River  and  other  water  resources  to  avert 
a  future  water  shortage. 

These  are  the  southern  Nevada  water  supply 
project  and  the  Moapa  Valley  pumping  project. 

The  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclamation  is  currently 
attempting  to  determine  the  most  economical  and 
feasible  means  to  provide  an  adequate  water  sup- 
ply to  meet  present  and  future  requirements  of 
the  Las  Vegas  Valley  area.  The  necessary  water 
would  be  pumped  from  Lake  Mead  and  would  be 
part  of  Nevada's  allocated  share  of  Colorado  River 
water. 

The  total  project  plan  would  include  a  pumping 
plant  on  Lake  Mead,  a  main  aqueduct,  five  smaller 
pumping  plants,  a  dam,  reservoirs,  and  several 
miles  of  laterals. 

Among  the  principal  features  of  the  proposed 
Moapa  Valley  pumping  project  would  be  a  pump- 
ing plant  on  Lake  Mead  and  an  aqueduct  to  pro- 


NOVEMBER  1964 


87 


vide  Colorado  River  water  to  the  Lower  Moapa 
Valley  in  exchange  for  part  of  the  present  supply 
obtained  from  the  Muddy  River. 

"Water  resources  of  Nevada  encompass  both  sur- 
face and  underground  supplies.  Surface  water 
supplies  are  only  nominally  developed  but  the  de- 
velopment of  ground  water  resources  has  been 
extensive. 

Major  ground  water  sources  exist  in  the  Las 
Vegas  and  Pahrump  valleys  of  Southern  Nevada 
as  well  as  many  other  valleys  in  central  and  north- 
ern Nevada.  In  a  few  valleys  ground-water  ex- 
traction presently  exceeds  the  annual  recharge. 

Continued  growth  of  the  industrial  complex  in 
Las  Vegas  and  nearby  Henderson  depends  to  a 
large  extent  on  water  and  power  benefits  from 
Hoover  and  Davis  dams  and  powerplants.  The 
U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  which  operates  these 
facilities,  estimates  that  more  than  95  percent  of 
Nevada's  hydropower  resources  have  been 
developed. 

Lake  Tahoe,  rimmed  by  the  snow-clad  Sierra 
Nevada  Mountains,  is  certainly  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  natural  attractions  in  the  entire  United 
States. 

The  Nevada  Legislature  acted  wisely  earlier  this 
year  to  preserve  a  sizable  portion  of  the  remaining 
undeveloped  shoreline  at  Lake  Tahoe  for  public 
usage. 

The  State  conservation  department  has  had  po- 
tential Lake  Tahoe  parklands  appraised  and  nego- 
tiations are  underway  with  private  foundations  for 
land  acquisition  funds.  If  these  funds  are  secured, 
the  Federal  Government  will  pay  part  of  the  cost. 

The  Lake  Tahoe  park  project  has  the  backing  of 
most  Nevadans,  the  U.S.  Interior  Department,  and 
numerous  private  conservation  groups. 

One  problem  Nevada  has  faced  is  that  some  87 
percent  of  the  State's  land  area  is  federally  owned. 
There  have  been  several  proposals  to  make  low 
cost  Federal  land  available  to  private  citizens  and 
the  Nevada  congressional  delegation  has  worked 
to  modernize  outdated  Federal  land  laws. 

The  Federal  Government,  of  course,  has  put 
some  of  its  Nevada  desert  land  to  good  use.  The 
Nevada  Test  Site  north  of  Las  Vegas  is  a  vital  link 
in  America's  nuclear  research  programs. 

The  Nevada  landscape  in  1964 — dotted  by  mod- 
em schools,  housing  developments,  business  com- 
plexes, and  recreational  facilities — bears  little  re- 
semblance to  the  harsh  desolation  faced  by  early 
pioneers  in  the  area. 


Nevada  ranchers  on  horseback. 


This  State  has  undergone  a  dramatic  change 
from  its  original  economic  base  built  on  the 
strength  of  its  mineral  wealth.  The  exciting  Com- 
stock  Lode  of  100  years  ago,  which  yielded  nearly 
a  billion  dollars  in  silver  and  gold  and  dominated 
the  economic  and  political  structure  of  a  fledgling 
State,  now  is  but  a  memory. 

No  longer  dependent  on  the  ore  from  its  mines, 
Nevada  is  today  a  vacation  mecca  for  millions  of 
tourists,  a  new  center  for  light  industry  and  the 
national  leader  in  per  capita  growth  and  prosper- 
ity. 

One  writer  described  Nevadans  this  way :  '■^They 
are  likely  to  try  anything^  hecause  this  land  has 
little  history  of  failure  and  less  of  restriction.^^ 

Nevada  and  the  New  West  are  playing  progres- 
sively more  significant  roles  in  the  current  migra- 
tion of  population,  industry,  and  political  power 
that  is  already  changing  the  historic  structures  of 
American  life.  #  #  # 


88 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Montana's  100th  Territorial 
Anniversary  .  .  . 


FROM  GOLD  TO 
PRECIOUS  WATER 


In  1864 — a  year  of  colorful  pioneering  events  in 
the  northwest — Montana  became  a  territory. 
Montanans  are  celebrating  not  only  the  territorial 
centennial,  but  also  the  75th  year  of  statehood. 

In  saluting  the  State,  the  Bureau  recalls  some 
episodes  of  history  which  took  place  at  or  adjoin- 
ing the  Bureau-built  w^ater  control  structures. 
The  rugged  and  profitable  mining  work  of  the 
prolific  early  gold  resources  brings  to  mind  many 
of  the  almost  legendary  events  and  caused  the 
establishment  of  the  first  government. 

The  first  important  gold  mining  operations  at 
Bannock  on  Grasshopper  Creek  and  at  Virginia 
City  in  Alder  Gulch  were  also  the  first  capitals  for 
the  new  territory's  legislative  assemblies.  In  1875 
the  capital  was  moved  to  Helena  where  it  has  re- 
mained. 

Starting  at  Three  Forks,  Mont.,  the  Missouri 
River,  the  Nation's  longest,  begins  2,465  twisting 
miles  to  its  mouth  several  States  away.  Although 
it  has  been  said  by  residents  living  along  the 
"Muddy  Missouri"  that  its  water  is  "too  thick  to 
drink  and  too  thin  to  plow,"  clear  water  does  come 
from  the  Gallatin,  the  Madison,  and  the  Jefferson 


tributaries  that  form  the  great  river's  headwaters. 

The  record  of  the  Lewis  and  Clark  expedition 
through  the  State  contains  intriguing  history. 
The  expedition  left  camp  identification  and  maps 
of  its  trail.  Montana  has  established  a  State  park 
at  the  Three  Forks  point.  A  number  of  other 
know^n  Lewis  and  Clark  sites,  such  as  Fortunate 
Camp  Monument,  have  been  marked  by  signs. 

Preserving  the  route  as  a  memorial  was  first  sug- 
gested by  the  late  J.  N.  (Ding)  Darling.  In  fol- 
lowup,  the  Bureau  of  Outdoor  Recreation  is  seek- 
ing the  cooperation  of  other  Federal  agencies  and 
the  States  involved  to  mark  and  preserve  the 
famous  trail. 

It  is  found  that  nearly  half  of  the  846  days  of 
the  expedition  from  St.  Louis  to  Fort  Clatsop  and 
return  were  spent  in  Montana. 

On  Sunday,  July  21,  1805,  Captain  Lewis 
camped  just  beyond  a  narrow  of  the  Missouri 
River  Valley,  a  point  that  a  century  and  a  half 
later  became  the  site  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion's Canyon  Ferry  Dam.  His  description  of  the 
area  has  been  preserved  as  he  wrote  it :  "The  coun- 
try was  rough  mountainous  &  much  as  that  yes- 
terday untill  towards  evening  when  the  river  en- 
tered a  beautifull  and  extensive  plain  country  of 
about  10  or  12  miles  wide  which  extended  upwards 
further  than  could  reach,"  Captain  Lewis  noted. 

The  multiple-purpose  Canyon  Ferry  Dam,  com- 
pleted in  1954,  creates  a  reservoir  of  striking  blue 
w^ater  in  the  mountainous  country  located  17  miles 
from  Helena  and  58  miles  from  Three  Forks. 

The  Sunday  camp  and  two  subsequent  camps 
are  now  covered  by  the  waters  of  Canyon  Ferry 
Lake.  Two  days  before  the  Sunday  camp.  Cap- 
tain Lewis  had  observed,  ".  .  .  the  most  remark- 
able clifts  that  we  have  yet  seen  .  .  .  from,  the 
singular  appearance  of  this  place  I  called  it  the 
gates  of  the  rocky  mounatains." 

In  the  late  evening  of  July  19,  Lewis  entered 
the  gates  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  next  eve- 
ning, he  noted  in  his  Journal,  "I  was  obliged  to 
continue  my  rout  untill  sometime  after  dark  be- 
fore I  found  a  place  sufficiently  large  to  encamp  my 
small  party.  The  prickly  pears  are  so  abundant 
that  w^e  could  scarely  find  room  to  lye." 

Sgt.  John  Ordway,  who  had  served  as  one  of 
the  43-man  Lewis  and  Clark  corps  of  discovery, 
descended  the  Missouri  River  on  a  voyage  of  his 
own  in  1807,  then  for  almost  half  a  century  only 
a  few  white  men  traversed  the  winding  river  with 
its  "crouded"  islands.     After  the  fur  trapper  seek- 


NOVEMBER  1964 


89 


Mementos  such   as  this  one  honoring  Sacajawea,  the  Indian  girl 
guide,  are  taken  from  reservoir  sites  and  preserved. 


ing  beaver  and  otter,  prospectors  came  looking  for 
gold. 

Gold  was  discovered  in  Last  Chance  Gulch,  the 
site  that  later  became  Helena  (on  July  14,  1864), 
and  during  the  following  months,  hundreds  of  gold 
seekers  staked  claims  on  many  creeks  and  gulches. 

A  river  ferry  first  placed  in  service  by  John 
Oakes  in  1865  enabling  a  crossing  from  Last 
Chance  to  the  mining  operations  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Missouri  River  was  the  origin  of  the  name 
Canyon  Ferry. 

Today,  a  county  road  on  the  crest  of  Canyon 
Ferry  Dam  is  the  method  used  to  cross  the  river. 

The  western  slopes  of  the  Big  Belt  Mountains 
near  Canyon  Ferry  Dam  are  furrowed  by  creeks, 
large  and  small,  a  number  of  which  carried  gold 
in  their  beds  or  deposited  gold  on  terraces  on  their 
way  to  the  Missouri.  For  several  fabulous  dec- 
ades, the  gold  camps  made  this  area  famous. 

Near  the  Canyon  Ferry  community  serving  the 
dam  and  powerplant,  today's  motorist  can  turn  on 
a  south  road  which  parallels  Canyon  Ferry  Lake. 
He  will  drive  by  the  famous  gold-camp  gulches — 


Cave,  Magpie,  Avalanche,  Hellgate,  White,  and 
Confederate. 

Cave  Gulch  Scene 

Muriel  Sebell  Wolle's  "Montana  Pay  Dirt"  re- 
lates a  story  like  a  modern  movie  drama : 

Cave  Gulch  was  the  scene  of  a  fight  between  organized 
claim  jumpers  and  mine  owners  in  1865,  before  official 
United  States  laws  protected  Montana  territory.  This 
party  of  men  came  from  Idaho  and  Nevada,  attracted  by 
the  wealth  of  Confederate  Gulch  well  aware  that  as  yet 
no  laws  existed  which  could  touch  them.  Their  head- 
quarters was  Cave  Gulch,  satisfactorily  inaccessible  yet 
close  to  good  prospects.  After  they  ordered  two  miners 
to  leave  their  diggings  by  the  following  day,  the  lawful 
owners  enlisted  the  aid  of  twenty  prospectors  from  five 
nearby  camps.  These  men,  well  supplied  with  provisions 
and  ammunition  holed  up  in  a  cabin  near  the  disputed 
claim  and  waited  for  the  jumpers  to  reappear.  At  dusk 
a  dozen  of  the  thieves  showed  up,  ready  to  take  possession 
of  the  seemingly  abandoned  property.  As  soon  as  their 
leader  stepped  up  to  the  flume,  a  shot  from  the  cabin 
killed  him.  His  henchmen  opened  fire  and  for  a  few  min- 
utes the  sniping  continued  from  both  sides.  Finally  the 
miners  burst  from  the  cabin  and  fought  in  the  open,  kill- 
ing three  of  the  jumpers.  The  rest  hit  for  the  timber 
and  got  away. 

Stanley  Vestal  wrote  in  his  "The  Missouri"  that 
"Confederate  Gulch  outdid  all  the  rest." 

It  was  named  for  some  Confederate  soldiers  taken 
prisoner  in  Missouri  by  the  Union  forces  and  sent  upriver. 
As  the  Civil  War  drew  to  a  close,  two  of  these  fell  to 
prospecting,  operating  in  the  Big  Belt  Mountains  east  of 
the  river.  There  they  soon  found  gold  enough.  Pros- 
pectors swarmed  in — some  of  them  experienced  miners ; 
others  utter  greenhorns. 

One  of  these  latter,  they  say,  was  so  green  that  he  went 
up  to  an  old-timer  busy  with  his  pan  and  asked  him  to 
point  out  a  better  place  to  dig. 

The  shaggy  miner  straightened  up  and  stared  for  a 
moment  at  his  naive  questioner.  Then  he  looked 
around — to  pick  out  the  least  likely  spot  in  sight.  He 
spat  and  pointed  up  the  creek.  "Try  that  bar  yonder. 
Who  knows?     Maybe  you  will  find  something." 

Taking  the  advice  in  good  faith,  the  greenhorn  followed 
the  miner's  directions,  staked  his  claim,  Montana  Bar, 
and  went  to  work.  The  bar  covered  about  two  acres.  It 
has  been  called  "the  richest  acre  of  gold-bearing  ground 
ever  discovered  in  the  world."  Up  to  that  time,  yields 
thereabouts  had  never  gone  above  $180  to  the  pan,  but 
that  greenhorn  found  gravel  yielding  over  a  thousand 
dollars  to  the  pan !  Panfuls  of  clean  gold  were  taken 
out  of  Montana  Bar  at  a  single  cleanup,  weighing  some 
seven  hundred  pounds  and  worth  $114,800.  A  single 
shipment  by  wagon  to  Fort  Benton — over  two  tons  of 
gold — was  valued  at  more  than  a  million  dollars.  Within 
four  years  the  gulch  produced  ten  million  dollars  in  dust 
and  nuggets. 

Numbers  of  nuggets  were  found  in  the  region  worth  from 
$100  to  $1,800  each;  several  were  valued  at  more  than 


90 


The  Reclamation  Era 


$3,000  each.  Some  of  the  ore  was  so  rich  that  it  was 
shipped  by  wagon  to  Fort  Benton,  by  boat  to  sea,  and  by 
ship  to  the  British  Isles — and  still  made  a  handsome 
profit. 

The  tales  told  about  Confederate  Gulch  and 
Diamond  City  are  legend.  As  recalled  in  "Mon- 
tana Pay  Dirt" : 

The  years  1865-1868  covered  Diamond  City's  boom. 
During  this  period,  roads  were  built  to  the  camp  from  all 
directions,  and  daily  stage  service  was  established  with 
Last  Chance  by  way  of  Canyon  Ferry.  By  1880,  however, 
the  population  had  dropped  to  sixty,  and  when  Judge 
Cornelius  Hedges  visited  the  camp  in  1883  he  wrote : 
"Diamond  City  is  desolate,  deserted  and  dreary." 

Old  Villages 

The  waters  of  Canyon  Ferry  Lake  now  cover  the 
site  of  another  pioneer  village,  Canton,  formerly  a 
supply  center  for  prospectors  and  miners  which 
later  became  known  as  the  Gaab  Ranch.  Among 
the  structures  used  as  ranch  buildings  were  an  old 
hotel,  a  dance  hall,  a  dry  goods  store,  a  saloon,  and 
a  bunkhouse.  St.  Joseph's  Church,  located  one- 
fourth  of  a  mile  south  of  Canton,  was  erected  in 
1876.  In  1952,  under  a  relocation  agreement  with 
the  bishop  of  the  Helena  Diocese,  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  moved  the  Canton  Valley  Catholic 
Church  about  21/^  miles  to  a  new  site. 

The  frontier  settlement.  Canyon  Ferry,  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  river,  was  started  in  1865.  As 
late  as  1948,  there  was  a  frame  store,  a  row  of 
abandoned  log  cabins,  and  a  combination  post 
office,  stage  office,  stage  barn,  and  a  saloon.  The 
original  hotel  burned  in  the  early  1920's. 

Canyon  Ferry  Cemetery,  now  a  tiny  island  in 
Canyon  Ferry  Lake  about  a  mile  from  the  new  dam, 
was  established  on  the  crest  of  a  hill  overlooking 
the  valley  and  the  village  of  Canyon  Ferry.  About 
30  pioneers  were  buried  there. 

The  late  court  sheriff,  whose  father  started  in 
business  at  Canyon  Ferry  in  1865,  said,  in  an  inter- 
view with  The  Independent  Record  (Helena)  on 
July  29,  1956,  that  he  remembered  many  burials 
at  the  cemetery,  adding  that  none  of  the  graves 
had  been  removed  even  though  the  only  accessible 
way  to  visit  them  is  by  boat. 

The  old  Canyon  Ferry  Dam  and  hydroelectric 
plant,  adjacent  to  the  village,  was  itself  an  histor- 
ical feature,  being  the  first  structure  to  span  the 
Missouri  River.  The  dam  was  built  in  1898  by  the 
Helena  Water  &  Electric  Power  Co. 

Groundbreaking  ceremonies  for  construction  of 
the  new  Canyon  Ferry  Dam  and  powerplant  were 

November  1964 


observed  on  July  21, 1949,  144  years  from  the  date 
when  Captain  Lewis  camped  near  the  site. 

The  49,800-acre  East  Bench  Unit  now  reaching 
completion,  and  all  other  potential  irrigation  units 
in  the  Three  Forks  Basin,  would  not  be  possible 
without  Canyon  Ferry  Dam. 

It  was  at  the  forks  of  Red  Rock  River  and 
Horse  Prairie  Creek  that  Lewis  and  Clark  met 
Cameahwait,  a  Chief  of  the  Shoshones,  and  ob- 
tained the  horses  needed  in  their  western  journey 
to  the  Pacific.  Just  below  the  forks,  where  the 
Beaverhead  River  begins,  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion has  constructed  Clark  Canyon  Dam,  the  stor- 
age feature  of  East  Bench  Unit. 

Fortunate  Camp  Monument,  located  within  the 
Clark  Canyon  Reservoir  area,  describes  in  bronze 
the  expedition  and  the  assistance  given  to  the  ex- 
plorers by  the  Indians.  Constructed  by  the  State 
Highway  Commission  of  Montana,  the  monument 
was  dedicated  in  honor  of  Laura  Tolman  Scott,  a 
pioneer  resident  of  the  Dillon  and  Armstead  areas. 
The  bronze  plaque  had  been  removed  from  the  lake 
area  and  will  be  placed  in  a  shelterhouse  on  an 
overlook  where  it  w^ill  add  to  the  view  of  the  mile- 
high  lake.  Another  bronze  plaque  erected  by  the 
Montana  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution 
in  commemoration  of  Sacajawea  also  will  be  placed 
in  the  shelterhouse.  In  1915,  the  latter  tablet  was 
placed  in  a  park  in  Armstead,  now  within  the 
reservoir  area. 

Pioneer  Road 

Gold  prospectors  and  settlers,  coming  from  Fort 
Hall  on  the  Oregon  Trail,  followed  a  pioneer  road 
through  Clark  Canyon  and  the  Beaverhead  Val- 
ley to  the  gold  fields  and  fertile  mountain  valleys 
of  the  basin.  Part  of  the  famous  pioneer  road 
which  became  a  U.S.  highway  was  traversing  the 
site  of  the  reservoir.  The  State  of  Montana  High- 
way Commission  relocated  about  8  miles  of  the 

This  old  canyon  Ferry  Village  picfure  was  shot  1 6  years  ago  by  the 
National  Park  Service  just  before  reservoir  water  covered  the  area. 
The  buildings  were  constructed  in  the  late  1 890's. 


highway.  About  4  miles  of  the  highway  now  will 
parallel  the  east  shore  of  Clark  Canyon  Reservoir. 

The  Utah  &  Northern  Railroad,  from  Corinne, 
Utah,  was  extended  northward  into  Montana  in 
1880,  and  the  town  of  Dillon  was  born.  Named 
after  the  president  of  the  railroad,  Sidney  Dillon, 
the  new  town  became  the  county  seat  of  Beaverhead 
County  when  voters  decided  the  "Bannack  was  too 
far  off  the  beaten  track."  This  railroad  laid  the 
first  tracks  in  Montana. 

Since  the  railroad,  now  part  of  the  Union  Pa- 
cific system,  was  in  the  site  of  Clark  Canyon  Dam 
and  Reservoir,  a  contract  for  the  relocation  of  15 
miles  of  the  railway  to  the  edge  of  the  site  was 
completed  in  1962.  The  buildings  at  Armstead, 
located  on  the  railroad  and  at  the  junction  of 
Prairie  Horse  Creek  and  Red  Rock  River,  also 
were  moved  from  the  reservoir  area.  The  Union 
Pacific  under  contract  with  the  Bureau,  has  re- 
built the  railroad  depot,  stockyards,  and  other 
facilities  at  the  Red  Rock  relocation. 

In  about  1910  at  the  peak  of  railroad  construc- 
tion in  the  town,  Armstead  buildings  included  two 
grocery  stores,  a  hotel,  livery  stable,  and  eight 
saloons.  However,  the  population  of  about  200 
persons  had  dropped  by  the  middle  1950's  to  ap- 
proximately 75. 


Preparations  for  storing  good  mountain  water 
behind  a  Bureau  dam  often  requires  removing 
trees,  buildings,  and  facilities  like  Armstead,  some 
items  more  valuable  than  others.  But  there  is 
great  potential  in  Canyon  Ferry  and  Clark  Canyon 
Dams  and  the  huge  water  supply  in  their  reservoirs. 
Canyon  Ferry  Lake  is  25  miles  long  and  4%  miles 
wide ;  it  holds  a  maximum  capacity  of  water  equiv- 
alent to  2,015,000  acres,  1  foot  deep.  Benefits  of 
the  project  provide  hydroelectric  power,  flood  con- 
trol, recreation,  and  fish  and  wildlife  protection. 
The  facilities  were  complete  in  1954  and  they  pro- 
vide water  for  irrigating  many  acres  of  rich  Mon- 
tana land. 

Clark  Canyon  Dam,  dedicated  in  September, 
and  now  essentially  complete,  is  scheduled  to  re- 
lease its  first  water  for  irrigation  in  early  1965. 

These  storage  features  in  the  Three  Forks  Divi- 
sion of  Montana,  and  others  planned  to  hold 
precious  waters,  are  meticulously  calculated  by 
engineers,  economists,  and  other  specialists  to  pro- 
vide valuable  dividends  of  water  for  the  present 
and  future  generations. 

In  carrying  out  the  reservoir  clearing  job,  the 
Bureau's  investigations  are  detailed,  moving  any 
item  is  exacting,  and  quality  is  achieved  in  what- 
ever reconstruction  is  necessary.  #  #  # 


92 


The  Reclamation  Era 


LAST  REPAYMENT  CHECK  IS  AN  OCCASION 

In  marking  the  end  of  an  era,  a  check  of  final  payment  was  made  by  the 
American  Falls  Reservoir  District  No.  2,  Gooding,  Idaho,  on  the  Minidoka 
project  for  construction  obligations  by  the  Federal  Government.  This  picture 
was  taken  on  June  8,  1964,  when  Orval  Nielson  (not  shown  in  the  photo), 
president  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  District  No.  2,  presented  Regional 
Director  H.  T.  Nelson  (fourth  from  left)  a  check  in  the  amount  of  $74,909.39 
as  final  payment  for  the  costs  of  American  Falls  Dam  and  Reservoir,  the 
Milner-Gooding  Canal,  lateral  system,  and  funded  operation  and  maintenance 
associated  with  some  78,167  acres  of  the  District's  "old"  and  "river-right" 
lands  in  the  Gooding  Division  of  the  Minidoka. 

Among  those  present  at  the  ceremony  were  two  "oldtimers"  in  district 
affairs.  Herbert  Meyer  (third  from  left),  now  90  years  old,  came  to  Gooding 
in  1907  and  homesteaded  on  land  he  still  owns.  He  established  his  present 
hardware  business  in  Gooding  in  1908.  As  a  young  man  he  took  part  in  the 
Oklahoma  land  rush.     He  has  served  on  the  board  of  directors  since  1930. 

Judge  D.  H.  Sutphen  and  his  brother  (not  shown  in  the  photo)  established 
law  offices  in  Gooding  in  1908.  Judge  Sutphen  served  as  attorney  for  the 
water  users  in  the  formation  of  the  district,  and  as  attorney  as  well  as  secretary 
treasurer  for  the  district  until  he  was  appointed  to  the  district  court  bench  in 
1929.     He  retired  as  judge  in  1960. 

Others  present  are,  at  left,  H.  R.  Gray,  project  superintendent  of  the 
Minidoka  project,  Idaho  and  Wyoming,  and  Lurlene  Eastabrooks.  At  right 
are  E.  H.  Neal,  regional  supervisor  of  irrigation,  and  Julius  Schmidt. 

In  accepting  the  check  from  the  president  of  the  board,  Mr.  Nelson  read 
congratulatory  messages  from  Secretary  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall  and 
Reclamation  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy. 

The  Minidoka  project  in  southern  Idaho  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
successful  Federal  Reclamation  projects  in  the  West.  It  consists  of  several 
divisions  constructed  over  the  past  58  years.  Although  there  were  extreme 
shortages  of  water  in  the  early  days,  today  the  district  lands  seldom  experience 
a  shortage.  However,  the  earlier  problems  have  not  been  forgotten  and  the 
district  has  indicated  an  interest  in  participating  in  future  storage  which 
may  be  developed  in  the  Upper  Snake  River  Valley.  #  #  # 


November  1964 


93 


JUa.   ■    —   W-*.** 


W-    '^ 


,  -.■> 


This  July  1 1   photo  shows  what  various  properties  were  damaged  in  the  Sun  River  Valley  near  Great  Fails. 


The  Week  the  Rains  Came 


94 


The  Reclamation  Era 


-nfSk^^N**^ 


Several  days  of  warm  torrential  rains  falling 
on  Montana  mountains  early  last  June  gave 
ominous  warning.  The  downpour  drenched  the 
heavily  packed,  late  spring  snows  and  ground  on 
the  slopes  of  the  Continental  Divide. 

Tom  Gibson  was  taking  a  look  at  the  way  the 
ground  had  absorbed  all  this  moisture.  It  was 
a  fateful  June  9.  As  he  raised  his  eyes  in  the 
direction  of  Swift  Dam,  he  saw  a  wall  of  water 
forcing  its  way  through  the  valley  with  a  roar. 
The  sight  was  frightening  and  sickening  for  Gib- 
son. And  it  was  the  start  of  the  most  destructive 
flood  in  the  history  of  Montana. 

Assistant  Supervisor  Tom  Gibson  of  the  Pon- 
dera County  Canal  &  Reservoir  Co.  was  inspecting 
his  company's  irrigation  works  on  the  eastern 
slopes  when  it  happened.  The  canal  headworks 
were  9  miles  below  Swift  Dam — a  water  storage 


facility  on  Birch  Creek  for  supplying  municipal 
water  to  the  city  of  Conrad  and  irrigation  water 
for  more  than  70,000  acres  of  land. 

Said  Gibson,  "I  figured  that  wall  of  water  was 
20  feet  high  because  I  saw  it  go  over  the  top  of  a 
house.  The  house  disappeared,  came  to  the  sur- 
face, went  under  again,  then  started  to  break  up." 

The  building  belonged  to  the  irrigation  com- 
pany and  was  occupied  by  gatetender  Tom  Hall, 
Jr.,  and  his  family.  In  the  home  at  the  time  the 
water  struck  were  Hall's  wife  and  seven  children. 
They,  along  with  a  friend  of  the  family  visiting 
the  Halls,  were  lost. 

This  scene  was  a  part  of  the  death  and  devasta- 
tion that  struck  some  of  the  most  beautiful  coun- 
try in  the  United  States. 

Within  a  few  hours  of  the  Swift  Dam  tragedy, 
a  similar  scene  was  taking  place  in  the  Two  Medi- 


NOVEMBER  1964 


95 


cine  Creek  Valley  about  30  air-miles  north.  Here, 
nestled  in  the  foothills  where  normally  many  fami- 
lies are  working  their  farmland  at  this  time  of 
year,  Lower  Two  Medicine  Dam,  an  irrigation 
structure  of  the  Blackfeet  Indian  irrigation  proj- 
ect, w^ashed  out  releasing  the  swollen  waters  of 
Two  Medicine  Creek  on  a  wild  rampage.  Follow- 
ing the  failure  of  Two  Medicine  Dam,  eyewitnesses 
reported,  the  once  vibrant  and  active  valley  was 
made  bare  and  desolate.  The  only  sign  of  life 
was  a  lonely  riderless  horse.  The  horse's  foot  was 
tangled  in  the  stirrup  of  the  saddle  hanging  up- 
side-down under  its  belly. 

Officials  flying  over  the  flooded  areas  reported 
that  most  of  what  could  be  seen  constituted  wdde 
areas  of  destruction.  Few  signs  of  people  were 
evident — those  visible  were  helping  others  in  dis- 
tress. Buildings,  toppled  on  their  sides  or  roofs, 
were  deep  in  mud  and  debris.  Highways,  which 
had  looked  like  ribbons  from  the  air,  suddenly 
vanished  below  vast  bodies  of  dark  muddy  w^ater. 
Western  Montana,  in  a  matter  of  hours  was  de- 
scribed as  having  acquired  a  "war  zone"  look. 
These  were  dark  days. 

East  and  West  of  Divide 

Thirteen  counties — nine  east  of  the  Continental 
Divide  and  four  west  of  the  divide — were  included 
in  the  disaster  area.  It  caused  serious  destruction 
on  the  west  slope's  Flathead  River  Valley.  East 
of  the  divide  water  overflowed  the  Sun,  Teton,  and 
Marias  Rivers,  tributaries  of  the  Missouri. 

The  St.  Mary  River  flowing  north  into  Canada 
and  the  Hudson  Bay  was  also  affected. 

Various  agencies  moved  rapidly  into  distressed 
areas  to  cooperate  and  assist  in  providing  emer- 
gency relief  and  to  estimate  the  damage. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Corps  of  Engi- 
neers, and  the  Office  of  Emergency  Planning,  as- 
sisted State  local  officials  in  starting  the  gears  of 
action  to  bring  back  to  normal,  as  soon  as  possible, 
devastated  areas.  Commissioner  of  Reclamation 
Floyd  E.  Dominy  and  Indian  Affairs  Commis- 
sioner Philleo  Nash  went  immediately  to  the  scene 
from  Washington  while  the  floodwaters  were  still 
flowing.  They  made  the  trip  in  response  to  a 
request  of  Senator  Mike  Mansfield  of  Montana. 

As  the  waters  went  down,  estimated  damages 
went  up.  First  reports  indicated  $6  million,  $8 
million,  then  $20  million.  The  Office  of  Emergency 
Planning,  established  to  act  in  time  of  Federal 
disaster,  finally  set  Montana's  loss  at  $62.61  mil- 

96 


lion.  About  $41  million  of  the  damage  was  to  pri- 
vate lands  and  facilities  and  $21  million  to  public 
property. 

The  flood  has  been  tabbed  by  the  OEP  as  the 
seventh  most  serious  disaster  and  the  worst  flood 
of  172  major  disaster  declarations  since  passage  of 
the  Disaster  Act  of  1953.  Only  this  year's  Alaska 
earthquake  and  the  1962  Guam  typhoon  exceeded 
the  Federal  financial  assistance  required. 

There  was  no  wonder  that  the  deluge  of  water 
from  the  raging  rivers  and  streams  that  swept 
across  Montana  had  caused  extensive  damage  to 
many  structures  and  irrigation  facilities.  Al- 
though reclamation  structures  had  greatly  reduced 
probable  flood  harm  by  preventing  millions  of  dol- 
lars in  flood  damage,  many  of  its  facilities  had  re- 
ceived severe  blow^s. 

The  Bureau's  Gibson  Dam,  the  principal  struc- 
ture of  the  91,000-acre  Sun  River  project,  was  over- 
topped to  a  depth  of  3.2  feet  on  June  8,  the  first 
time  the  dam  had  been  overtopped  since  its  com- 
pletion in  1929.  The  dam,  on  the  north  fork  of  the 
Sun  River,  is  60  river-miles  from  Great  Falls.  A 
concrete  structure,  it  was  not  damaged  by  over- 
topping. 

Rough  estimates  indicate  that  the  combined  in- 
flows of  the  north  and  south  forks  of  the  Sun  River 
into  Gibson  Reservoir  on  June  8  and  9  were  be- 
tween 50,000  and  60,000  cubic  feet  per  second  and 
discharges  from  the  reservoir  were  nearly  as  high. 
This  was  about  five  times  the  peak  discharge  at 
Gibson  Dam  during  the  1953  flood. 

Topsoil  and  loose  rock  on  both  abutments  of 
Gibson  Dam  were  eroded  down  to  bedrock,  the  con- 
trol house  damaged,  and  the  appurtenant  facilities 
were  filled  with  silt  during  the  flood.  The  ware- 
house, the  pumphouse  and  its  contents,  and  the 
access  bridge  w^ere  w^ashed  away. 

The  10,385-acre  Fort  Shaw  Division  of  the  Sun 
River  project,  operated  by  the  Fort  Shaw  Irriga- 
tion District,  received  damage  on  its  headworks,  B  I 
main  canal,  laterals,  turnouts,  checks,  flumes,  and  ^  "' 
siphons.  The  inventory  of  damage  on  the  cost  of 
Sun  River  project  repair  and  rehabilitation  of  fa- 
cilities was  placed  at  $635,000. 

At  the  time  of  the  flood,  the  water  in  Sherburne 
Lake  on  the  Milk  River  project  was  at  a  low  level, 
permitting  it  to  trap  the  entire  floodflow  of  Swift 
Current  Creek  and  contributing  greatly  to  down- 
stream protection. 

Floodflow^s  of  Kennedy  Creek,  a  tributary  of 
the  St.  Mary  River,  severely  damaged  the  Ken- 

The  Reclamation  Era 


#f 


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•**'-ff3i^'* 


Z*'  ..-.«*<?-« 


^f^itf^J^' 


Though  not  designed  to  pass  water  over  the  top  as  do  some  dams,  Gibson  Dam  is  shown  with  more  than  a  foot  of  treacherous  flood 
waters  tumbling  over  its  concrete  rim.  Coming  around  both  ends  of  the  dam,  the  flood  washed  soil  and  loose  stones  down  to  bed- 
rock. The  dam  was  constructed  primarily  for  storage  of  Sun  River  woters,  but  with  a  structural  safety  bonus  for  such  emergency  sit- 
uations.    (Photo  taken  on  June  9,  1964,  by  George  F.  Roskie,  U.S.  Forest  Service.) 


nedy  Creek  Siphon  and  reaches  of  the  St.  Mary 
Canal.  More  than  1  mile  of  the  St.  Mary  Canal 
was  eroded  and  several  hundred  acres  of  Govern- 
ment and  private  lands  were  covered  with  trees 
and  debris.  After  the  flood,  Kennedy  Creek  was 
flowing  in  a  newly  formed  channel  through  a 
breach  in  St.  Mary  Canal  adjacent  to  the  outlet 
of  Kennedy  Creek  Siphon.  The  estimated  cost 
of  repair  and  rehabilitation  of  the  Milk  Kiver 
project  works  is  $265,000. 

Bureau  Assistance 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  rapidly  moved  in 
by  June  13  with  concentrated  plans  to  provide  as- 


sistance to  areas  needing  immediate  attention. 
Even  before  the  floodwaters  had  started  to  re- 
cede the  Bureau  had  contractors  moving  equip- 
ment in  to  the  areas  to  get  the  first  phase  of 
temporary  rehabilitation  underway.  Crop  losses 
were  reduced  as  soon  as  possible  and  the  job  of 
getting  irrigation  water  back  on  the  farms  was 
quickly  tackled. 

Immediate  help  was  needed  by  the  Fort  Shaw, 
Greenfields  Divisions  of  the  Sun  River  project  and 
St.  Mary  Divisions  of  the  Milk  River  project  both 
of  which  were  federally  constructed.  The  OEP 
also  promptly  requested  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion to  rehabilitate  and  reconstruct  the  damaged 
works  on  non-Federal  irrigation  districts. 


November  1964 


97 


The  road  between  Gibson  and  Sun  River  Di- 
version Dam  was  immediately  repaired.  Tempo- 
rary bridges  were  thrown  across  Beaver  Creek. 
Power  and  telephone  services  were  restored. 

As  early  as  June  15  rehabilitation  of  the  Fort 
Shaw  Irrigation  District  began.  It  was  a  big  job. 
Washed-out  areas  of  canals  had  to  be  replaced. 
Laterals  and  canals  choked  with  debris  and  silt 
had  to  be  cleaned,  but  the  job  was  sufficiently  ac- 
complished for  immediate  temporary  use  and 
water  was  being  supplied  in  such  rapid  fashion 
that  farmers  who  had  been  among  the  first  to  order 
water  did  not  have  their  farm  ditches  in  shape 
and  ready  to  receive  it  by  the  time  the  Bureau  had 
completed  emergency  cleanup  and  temporary  res- 
toration activities. 

At  Willow  Creek  and  the  Pishkun  Feeder  Ca- 
nal, work  was  immediately  begun  to  restore  tem- 
porary service  on  the  choked  and  washed-out 
canals. 

Within  a  matter  of  a  few  weeks  Kennedy  Creek 
was  back  in  its  original  channel  and  the  feeder 
canal  was  restored  to  meet  immediate  requirements 
for  water  on  the  Milk  River  project. 

The  Greenfields  and  Fort  Shaw  irrigation  dis- 
tricts of  the  Sun  River  project  and  the  Malta  and 
Glasgow  Irrigation  Districts  of  the  Milk  River 
l^roject  were  determined  by  the  Office  of  Emer- 
gency Planning  as  eligible  for  disaster  relief  as- 
sistance. 

Repair  work  on  facilities  of  the  irrigation  dis- 
tribution system  were  initiated  at  once  to  the  ex- 
tent that  limited  delivery  of  irrigation  water  was 
possible  by  July  15  from  Swift  Reservoir  which 
had  been  serving  about  70,000  acres  of  land.  Early 
in  February  1965,  it  is  anticipated  that  invitations 
will  be  issued  to  construct  a  new  thin  concrete-arch 
dam  to  replace  the  former  rockfill  Swift  Dam. 

The  Bureau  is  rehabilitating  and  reconstructing 
the  severely  damaged  works  of  the  Bynum  irriga- 
tion district  in  the  Teton  Basin.  Emergency  re- 
pairs to  the  irrigation  distribution  system  were 
made  at  once  so  that  irrigation  could  be  resumed 
as  soon  as  possible. 

Survey  parties  were  organized  from  Bureau 
offices  in  North  and  South  Dakota,  and  the  first 
topography  for  design  purposes  for  a  new  Bynum 
Diversion  Dam  was  submitted  by  August  3.  Work 
will  proceed  on  this  structure  during  the  winter. 
Completion  is  scheduled  within  210  days  following 
contract  award  and  it  will  be  ready  by  the  time 
the  1965  irrigation  season  demands  water. 


Dates  are  Met 

Immediately  after  the  floods  occurred,  the  Bu- 
reau of  Indian  Affairs  requested  that  Reclamation 
construct  a  replacement  for  the  Lower  Two  Medi- 
cine Dam.  Target  dates  have  been  met  and  speci- 
fications for  the  construction  of  the  new  Two  Med- 
icine structure  will  be  issued  in  early  1965. 

On  August  3  the  Office  of  Emergency  Planning 
requested  the  Bureau  to  provide  assistance  to  the 
Brady  irrigation  district  which  serves  about  5,000 
acres  of  land  for  irrigation.  The  Bureau  is  at  work 
in  the  restoration  of  the  project.  Diversion  canal 
headworks  at  Muddy  Creek  must  be  backfilled, 
washouts  and  overtopped  sections  in  the  diversion 
canal  must  be  repaired,  and  tons  of  silt  deposits 
along  314  miles  of  diversion  and  distribution  canals 
must  be  removed.  Work  on  the  Brady  system  will 
be  completed  as  this  publication  is  printed. 

Federal  multiple-purpose  reservoirs  in  Montana 
prevented  millions  of  dollars  in  damages  during 
the  June  floods.  Speaking  before  a  special  House 
Public  Works  Subcommittee  in  Washington,  Au- 
gust 5,  Reclamation  Commissioner  Floyd  E. 
Dominy  pointed  out  that  Hungry  Horse  Reser- 
voir, west  of  the  divide,  was  responsible  for  avert- 
ing more  than  $10  million  of  flood  damages  and 
Tiber  Reservoir,  on  the  Marias  River,  and  Canyon 
Ferry  Reservoir,  on  the  Missouri  River,  substan- 
tially reduced  probable  losses.  The  special  sub- 
committee had  visited  the  flood-wracked  area  in 
Montana  in  June. 

By  controlling  the  releases  of  water  from  Tiber 
Dam,  the  town  of  Loma  and  the  structures  in  the 
Marias  Valley  were  saved. 

Canyon  Ferry  Dam  and  Reservoir  on  the  Mis- 
souri River,  17  miles  from  Helena,  also  did  yeoman 
service  in  alleviating  flood  conditions  in  Great 
Falls. 

The  combined  flows  of  the  Missouri  River  and 
Sun  River  at  Great  Falls  were  reduced  from  94,000 
cubic  feet  per  second  to  77,400  cubic  feet  per  sec- 
ond, by  storage  of  nearly  170,000  acre-feet  of  flood 
runoff  in  Canyon  Ferry  Lake — almost  completely 
utilizing  the  available  storage  space. 

Although  from  an  engineering  viewpoint,  Gib- 
son performed  flawlessly,  it  dramatically  pointed 
out  that  more  upstream  control  than  that  provided 
by  it  is  required  to  adequately  control  the  floodflow 
of  the  Sun  River  and  its  tributaries. 

During  the  brief  period  since  the  flood,  recovery 


98 


The  Reclamation  Er\ 


Ray  Thomas  of  West  Great  Falls,  Mont.,  goes  by  boat  on  July  10  to  i  nspecl  his  home.     Water  had  risen  to  the  ceilings  of  many  homes 

in  this  area. 


has  been  rapid  and  much  has  been  accomplished  to 
effect  emergency  repair  and  temporary  rehabilita- 
tion. However,  much  remains  to  be  done.  The 
Bureau,  charged  with  the  bulk  of  the  responsibility 
and  work  in  the  permanent  restoration  of  water  re- 
tention facilities  and  rehabilitation  of  irrigation 
works,  has  established  a  construction  office  at  Con- 
rad, Mont.  It  will  supervise  rebuilding  of  the 
three  dams  destroyed  by  the  disastrous  floods. 

To  be  rebuilt  are  Bynum  Diversion  Dam,  Swift 
Dam,  and  Two  Medicine  Dam ;  and  to  be  rehabili- 
tated is  the  private  Brady  Irrigation  District  on 
Bynum  Irrigation  District  distribution  system. 

Rehabilitation  of  operating  Federal  projects 
which  will  require  reconstruction  of  a  section  of 
the  St.  Mary's  Canal,  repairs  on  Gibson  Dam,  Fort 
Shaw  and  Greenfields  division,  and  the  cleanup  of 
Tiber  Dam,  will  be  performed  by  the  Bureau's 


Upper  Missouri  projects  office  at  Great  Falls, 
Mont. 

Overall,  the  Bureau  has  been  charged  w^ith  the 
tremendous  task  of  reconstruction  or  rehabilitation 
amounting  to  nearly  $12  million,  largely  disaster 
relief  funds  appropriated  by  the  Congress. 

Although  repairs  are  underway,  the  question  of 
future  floods  occurring  looms  large.  The  Bureau 
of  Reclamation  has  embarked  on  a  program  of  in- 
vestigations toward  greater  upstream  control  of 
major  tributaries. 

Joint  studies  betwen  the  Bureau  and  other  Fed- 
eral and  State  agencies  will  bring  up  to  date  the 
earlier  studies  to  evaluate  the  construction  needed. 
These  proposals  brought  together  will  provide  pro- 
tection for  the  people  who  live  in  the  valleys,  and 
will  bring  an  eventual  solution  and  assurance  that 
the  flood  of  June  1964  will  not  be  repeated.  #  #  # 


Algae  Controlled  in  Measuring  Devices 


The  growth  of  algae,  greenish  stoneworts,  or 
scum  which  forms  in  canals,  has  long  been  a  prob- 
lem on  water  measuring  devices.  Arthur  W. 
Thomas,  of  the  Fresno  Field  Division,  Central 
Valley  Project,  Calif.,  suggested  the  erection  of  a 
sunshade  device  over  the  throat  of  a  Parshall- 
Type  flume  on  the  CVP. 

In  past  years,  it  had  been  impossible  to  obtain 
a  stable  discharge  rating,  due  to  varying  algae 
growth  which  affected  velocity  in  the  flume.  Ten 
planks  size  2  by  12  inches,  by  14  feet,  were  scabbed 


together  and  laid  over  the  throat  of  the  flume. 
With  the  planks  providing  sufficient  shade  to  make 
algae  growth  negligible,  the  rating  remained  con- 
stant during  the  1963  season. 

The  cover  is  strong  enough  for  occasional  foot 
traffic,  and  heavy  enough  that  it  is  not  likely  to 
be  disturbed.  This  method  of  shading  may  be 
applied  to  other  flumes  or  weirs  where  algae  are 
a  problem. 

(Reprinted  from  Operation  and  Maintenance  Equipment 
and  Procedures,  Release  No.  48) 


November  1964 


99 


Renewing  the  Challenge  to  Water  Safety 

During  1963,  puMic  use  of  Reclamation  lakes  a/nd  res- 
ervoirs for  enjoyment  of  water  sports  such  as  boating, 
swimming,  and  fishing  exceeded  a/n  estimated  IJ^.6  million 
visitor-days.  In  the  past,  providing  for  the  safety  of 
those  enjoying  these  recreational  areas  challenged  the 
ingenuity  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation.  The  challenge 
VMS  only  partially  met  by  providi/ng  for  safety  in  the  de- 
sign and  operation  of  these  facilities.  The  single  most  im- 
portant need  was  for  an  educational  program,  enjoying 
the  support  amd  participation  of  the  communities  adjacent 
to  these  projects. 

Operation  Westwide,  a  program  dedicated  to  reducing 
danger  of  drowning  through  a  program  of  public  aware- 
ness and  active  community  particpation,  has  exceeded 
even  our  most  optimistic  hopes  in  fulfilling  this  need. 

Jointly  sponsored  by  the  American  Red  Cross  and  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Operation  Westwide  v>as  con- 
ceived vn  July  1958  with  the  organization  of  the  Yakima 
Valley  Safety  Council,  Yakima,  Wash.  Today,  there  are 
27  community  water-safety  councils  actively  working  to 
"waterproof  the  public  in  recreation  areas  throughout 
the  West. 

Reclamation  is  indeed  pleased  with  its  partnership  with 
the  American  Red  Cross  and  the  public,  and  is  pledged  to 
the  safer  enjoyment  of  its  numerous  lakes  and  reservoirs. 
— Floyd  E.  Dominy,  Commissioner. 


Skydivers  landing  in  the  water  was  a  real  crowd  pleaser.  They 
are  Daryl  Galloway,  Ogden;  Lynda  Hanson,  student  at  Utah  State 
University;  and  Jack  Minnoch,  Ogden,  all  of  the  Sigma  Sky  Divers' 
Club. 


5,000  People  Enjoy  a  Water  Carnival  as  ,  .  . 

OPERATION  WESTWIDE  TAKES  ACTION 


by  ROBERT  W.  CAREY  and 
HAROLD   E.   DEAN 


(Mr.  Gary  was  Safety  Officer  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah, 
when  this  article  was  written;  recently  has  taken  the 
same  post  at  Sacramento,  Calif.  Mr.  Dean  is  Weber 
Basin  Project  Safety  Engineer. ) 

More  vacation  and  leisure  time,  higher  incomes, 
more  water  surface — lakes  and  reservoirs — 
have  been  combined  to  create  a  recreational  re- 
source few  people  visualized  a  short  time  ago. 
Boats  and  people  are  covering  water  areas  that 
once  was  land,  creating  water-based  recreation  and 
business  opportunities  in  new  areas  of  develop- 
ment. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  and  others  have 
recognized  a  growing  problem  in  water  safety,  and 
have  united  to  solve  the  problem  with  a  program 
of  organization  and  education.  It  is  called  Oper- 
ation Westwide. 


A  festive  air,  a  holiday  atmosphere,  a  pictur- 
esque mountain  lake  and  its  gently  sloping  beach 
swarming  with  spectators  enjoying  a  water  safety 
show — this  is  Operation  Westwide  in  action. 

Five  thousand  people  are  watching  amazing 
events.  A  group  of  skydivers  plummeting  8,000 
feet  before  opening  their  parachutes,  float  gently 
into  a  blue  lake — are  rescued  moments  later  by 
the  skilled  men  of  the  boat  patrol.  A  daring  young 
water  skier  hanging  onto  a  big  kite  is  being  lifted 
into  the  air  as  his  towing  boat  speeds  past  the 
audience.  Expert  American  Red  Cross  instruc- 
tors demonstrating  survival  methods — for  exam- 
ple, a  canoe  dumps  its  occupants  into  dangerous 
waters,  a  fisherman  loses  his  footing  in  a  deep  hole 
while  wading  out  to  catch  that  "big  one." 


100 


The  Reclamation  Era 


The  announcer  uses  a  loudspeaker  to  explain  demonstrations  to  spectators. 


A  scuba  diving  club  demonstrating  the  safety  as- 
pects of  their  hobby;  two  "Resusci-Annes"  (prac- 
tice dummies  for  artificial  respiration)  being  used 
by  the  public  to  learn  the  mouth-to-mouth  method 
of  respiration — not  just  watching  a  demonstration ; 
continuous  showing  of  water  safety  movies  in  the 
shade  of  a  large  tent.  The  Forest  Service,  the 
Coast  Guard  Auxiliary,  the  State  boating  division, 
the  Cache  County  Water  Safety  Council  of  Logan, 
Utah,  all  plugging  safety  messages. 

Now,  add  a  carnival  atmos2:)here  of  boat  dealers 
showing  their  newest  boats,  motors,  and  equip- 
ment, and  giving  free  rides  to  children  and  adults 
alike;  refreshment  stand  operators  struggling  to 
make  hamburgers  fast  enough  to  keep  up  wnth  the 
demand ;  two  Boy  Scout  troops,  in  uniform,  keep- 
ing the  grounds  cleaned  up  in  an  effective  safety, 
and  antilitterbug  campaign. 

Fit  this  picture  into  a  warm  weekend  during 
May  1964  at  the  beautiful  Pineview  Reservior  in 
the  mountains  just  7  miles  from  Ogden,  Utah,  and 
you  have  the  area's  first  Boat  Show  and  Water 
Safety  Carnival.  It  was  sponsored  by  the  Weber 
County  Sheriff's  Boat  Patrol  and  the  Bonneville 
Water  Safety  Council  of  Ogden. 


How  It  Started 

The  idea  of  combining  a  Boat  Show  and  a 
Water  Safety  Carnival  and  having  it  at  Pineview 
came  up  in  a  meeting  of  the  Boat  Patrol  to  which 
coauthor  Dean  was  invited.  The  show  and  car- 
nival would  have  to  be  held  early  in  the  season 
for  the  boat  dealers  to  be  interested  in  backing  it 
financially,  yet  late  enough  to  have  good  weather. 
(It  couldn't  have  been  timed  better.  May  16  and 
17  turned  out  to  be  one  of  the  few  nice  weekends 
in  a  very  wet  spring.)  Dealers  were  required  to 
pay  the  costs  of  newspaper  advertising  for  the 
privilege  of  displaying  their  boats  and  other  equip- 
ment. The  public  was  charged  $1  per  car  to  de- 
fray expenses  and  to  buy  first-aid  equipment  and 
supplies  for  use  by  the  Boat  Patrol  in  their  vol- 
untary work  at  Pineview. 

Advertising  was  a  major  consideration,  but 
pleasant  cooperation  was  received.  The  Ogden 
Standard  Examiner  published  articles  and  photo- 
graphs. The  State  boating  division  passed  out 
an  announcement  of  the  show  with  each  boating 
license  issued  throughout  the  State,  Salt  Lake 
City's  three  television  stations  included  announce- 
ments and  interviews  on  their  sports  news  broad- 


NOVEMBER  1964 


101 


casts,  and  several  radio  stations  announced  the 
show  frequently.  This  publicity  undoubtedly 
carried  a  safety  message  to  many  thousands  of 
people  who  did  not  actually  attend  the  Boat  Show 
and  Water  Safety  Carnival. 

Utah's  Governor  George  D.  Clyde  issued  a 
formal  statement  on  water  safety  and  asked  the 
citizens  of  the  State  to  support  the  show.  Gov- 
ernor Clyde  said: 

As  we  start  another  summer  season,  I  urge  all  citizens 
to  give  careful  consideration  to  the  dangers  involved 
in  water  sports.  I  urge  all  parents  to  be  more  watchful 
of  their  children  wherever  there  is  danger  of  drowning. 
I  urge  boaters,  water  skiers,  swimmers,  and  other  water 
sports  enthusiasts  to  learn  and  adopt  safe  practices.  Let 
courtesy  and  safety  govern  all  our  actions  in  the  coming 
water  sports  season. 

How  It  Went 

The  prevailing  opinion  was  that  the  show  was  a 
big  success.  The  spectacular  events — ^the  Sky- 
divers  and  the  Kite  Man — did  much  to  bring  out 
the  crowd.  The  demonstrations  of  survival  meth- 
ods and  safety  in  scuba  diving  were  dramatic 
enough  to  hold  the  crowd's  attention  and  teach 
something  w^orth  while  at  the  same  time.  The  two 
practice  dummies  were  busy  most  of  the  time  as 
young  and  old  gathered  around  and  actually  prac- 
ticed mouth-to-mouth  respiration.  The  Desert 
Diving  Club,  which  demonstrated  safety  in  scuba 
diving,  also  had  a  very  attractive  booth  with  equip- 
ment on  display  and  trained  people  to  answer 
questions.  The  Coast  Guard  Auxiliary  had  a 
booth  and  boat  safety  literature  which  was  freely 
distributed.  The  boating  division  of  the  State 
parks  and  recreation  commission  had  a  fully 
equipped  boat  at  the  dock  as  a  demonstration  of 
what  is  required  and  what  is  recommended  in  the 
way  of  safety  equipment.  In  addition  to  keeping 
the  area  policed,  the  Boy  Scouts  displayed  a  num- 
ber of  antilitterbug  posters.  And  the  Forest  Serv- 
ice featured  an  animated,  talking  Smokey  the  Bear. 
Local  merchants'  displays  attracted  many,  but 
their  most  popular  item  were  the  free  boat  rides  for 
everyone.  All  physical  arrangements  were  han- 
dled by  the  Sheriff's  Boat  Patrol.  But  the  patrol- 
men's wives  operating  the  refreshment  stand  were 
the  busiest  people  on  the  lot. 

To  enable  the  interested  spectators  to  enjoy  the 
movies,  and  to  visit  and  participate  in  the  exhibi- 
tions, an  announcer  on  a  public  address  system  kept 
the  crowd  informed  of  the  various  activities.     The 


102 


The   Flying   Kite  pulled  by  a  boat  provided  thrill 
spill.      Man  in  the  air  is  Dell  Thredgold. 


ind  almost  a 


announcer  was  a  specialist  in  all  phases  of  water 
safety,  and  his  description  of  the  events  increased 
interest  and  effectiveness  even  for  those  who  took 
time  out  to  walk  along  the  beach.  Between  an- 
nouncements, recorded  music  added  to  the  carnival 
atmosphere. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  direct  participa- 
tion was  the  continuous  showing  of  water  safety 
movies.  The  films  included :  "Teaching  Johnny  to 
Swim,"  "People  Afloat,"  "Water  Rescue,"  "Rescue 
Breathing,"  and  "Be  Water  Wise." 

It  seemed  that  water-safety  education  was  surely 
in  action  on  those  2  days  at  Pineview,  and  plans 
are  underway  for  a  show  like  it  next  year — enter- 
tainment, water,  and  safety  in  Operation  West- 
wide. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


^uf 


Two  Water  Safety  Councils  Operating 


In  the  interest  of  water  safety,  two  new  orga- 
nizations have  made  commendable  starts  to  fulfill 
the  need  for  educational  programs  in  their  re- 
spective areas  in  Utah.  This  need  is  defined  by 
Commissioner  Dominy  in  his  comment  preceding 
the  article  "  'Operation  West  wide'  Takes  Action." 

Council  in  Cache  County 

The  Cache  County  Water  Safety  Council  at 
Logan,  Utah,  was  the  first  such  organization  to 
form  in  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  Region  4, 
headquartered  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

During  the  Region's  10th  Annual  Safety  Con- 
ference for  1962  held  at  Flaming  Gorge  Dam, 
Safety  Engineer  Bill  Durrant  of  the  Logan  De- 
velopment office  responded  to  a  call  by  the  Re- 
gional Safety  Officer  for  action  on  Operation 
"Westwide.  With  the  help  of  representatives  from 
the  Red  Cross  in  Cache  Valley  and  other  interested 
citizens  of  the  city  of  Logan,  the  Cache  County 
Water  Safety  Council  was  formed.  After  officers 
and  committee  chairmen  were  elected,  bylaws  were 
drawn  to  cover  the  council's  activities.  This  well- 
defined  action,  even  at  this  stage,  may  have  been 
unprecedented  in  the  history  of  Operation  West- 
wide.  The  bylaws  have  been  most  helpful  in  de- 
fining the  purpose,  duties,  and  responsibilities  of 
the  council  officers  and  members. 

Through  the  work  of  council  members,  weekly 
articles  soon  appeared  in  the  Logan  Herald 
Journal  in  a  column  entitled,  "Aqua-notes." 
Other  promotions  included  the  use  of  water  safety 
films  in  the  county  schools,  Logan  clubs,  and  civic 
groups.  The  Council  also  supported  a  proposal 
to  construct  a  Logan  City  Municipal  Pool,  and 
helped  the  Red  Cross  in  the  instruction  of  more 
than  2,000  persons  a  year  in  swimming  and  life- 
saving.  Influence  was  used  to  reduce  water  haz- 
ards throughout  the  entire  valley,  by  the  use  of 
water  safety  announcements  and  panel  discussions 
on  radio  and  television,  safety  poster  and  slogan 
contests  in  schools  and  clubs,  encouragement  of  the 
enactment  of  desirable  water  safety  legislation, 
and  other  activities. 

Bonneville  Council 

The  water  safety  program  in  the  area  of  Ogden, 
Weber    County,    started   slowly — people    seemed 

November  1964 


unwilling  to  participate,  problems  were  many. 

Gradually,  however,  developments  began.  The 
State  legislature  passed  a  boating  law  and  set  up  a 
boating  division  in  the  State  park  and  recreation 
commission  to  administer  the  law.  The  sheriff  of 
Weber  County  organized  a  boat  patrol  to  help  en- 
force the  law  at  Pineview  Reservoir. 

In  the  spring  of  1963,  the  first  formal  meeting 
of  the  Bonneville  Water  Safety  Council  was  held. 
Leadership  was  assumed  by  J.  W.  Hatch,  a  local 
banker,  and  the  Safety  Engineer,  Mr.  Dean.  In 
the  election  of  officers,  Mr.  Hatch  was  made  chair- 
man and  Mr.  Dean,  secretary.  Also  two  vice  presi- 
dents and  several  committee  chairmen  were  added. 

An  Ogden  City  judge  drafted  a  set  of  bylaws, 
based  to  some  extent  on  the  Cache  County  Council's 
bylaws. 

Twenty-two  organizations  have  been  participat- 
ing actively  in  the  Bonneville  Water  Safety  Coun- 
cil. Although  starting  later  than  the  safety  organ- 
ization for  Cache  County,  the  Bonneville  Water 
Safety  Council  has  been  able  to  accomplish  meri- 
torious objectives  in  its  first  year.  A  good  start 
was  made  toward  promotion  of  community  interest 
and  activity  in  the  field  of  boating  safety,  swim- 
ming safety,  and  canal  safety.  Perhaps,  most  of 
all,  it  has  generated  push  and  a  measure  of  public 
education  and  awareness  which  culminated  in  the 
recent  Boat  Show  and  Water  Safety  Carnival. 

#  #  # 


A  Reclamation  Milestone — Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy  is  shown 
in  the  photograph  as  he  pulls  the  trip  rope  to  release  the  millionth 
cubic  yard  of  concrete  into  Yellowtail  Dam,  Mont.,  at  a  public  open 
house  held  August  15.  Backing  up  the  Commissioner  in  the  rope 
tugging  is  J.  B.  Bonny,  president  of  Morrison-Knudsen  Co.,  Boise, 
Idaho,  contractor  for  building  Yellowtail — the  27th  Bureau  dam 
to  be  built  as  part  of  the  Missouri  River  Basin  project. 


ONE  MILLION  CUBIC  YAR 
OF  CONCRETE 

miOWTMi  DA 

of 

lS.BUREA(Ji>i 
'^ECLAM^liON 


About  a  Farm  Family  in  the  Columbia  Basin  .  .  . 

WHAT  HAPPENED  TO  THOSE  VETERANS? 


by  PAUL  HAMILTON,  Field  Secretary, 
Columbia  Basin  Commission 

A  certain  Congressman,  many  years  a  member  of 
the  House  Appropriations  Committee  of  Congress, 
perennially  asks  the  question  when  Columbia 
Basin  project  apropriations  are  being  discussed, 
"How  are  those  veterans  doing  out  there?" 

Mr.  Congressman,  those  veterans  are  doing  right 
fine,  thank  you,  and  I'd  just  like  to  tell  you  about 
one  that  will  justify  the  faith  you  have  shown  in 
the  project  through  the  years — in  fact,  I  think  he 
would  want  to  thank  you  himself,  given  the  op- 
portunity. 

This  story  has  its  beginning  near  Hamilton, 
Mont.  Returning  from  the  Pacific  theater  of 
World  War  II,  Howard  Knopp  married  onetime 
farm  girl  June  Wienke  and  settled  down  on  his 
father's  90-acre  irrigated  farm  in  the  Bitterroot 
Valley. 

"This  was  not  what  we  were  looking  for," 
Knopp  recalled.  "Above  all  we  wanted  a  place 
of  our  own,  and  we  could  not  afford  the  price  we 
would  have  to  pay  for  a  developed  farm  there  in 
the  valley.  Then  we  heard  about  the  Columbia 
Basin  project  and  were  immediately  attracted  to 
the  idea  of  farming  new  ground  with  an  up-to- 
date  irrigation  system." 

Hearing  about  the  Government  and  railroad 
land  that  might  be  available  under  the  Veterans 
Preference  Act,  the  Knopps  applied  and  eventu- 
ally ended  up  with  a  70-acre  unit  in  block  40  near 
Moses  Lake  purchased  from  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad. 

"It  was  a  tough  decision  to  make,"  June  Knopp 
added.  "It  took  a  lot  of  courage  and  soul  search- 
ing to  leave  relative  comfort  behind  to  take  on  a 
field  of  sagebrusli  and  face  the  unknown. 

"I  guess  ours  was  a  typical  start  in  those  days," 
Knopp  recalled.  "We  had  a  few  dollars,  an  as- 
sortment of  old  farm  machines,  a  little  raw  land, 
a  couple  of  youngsters  to  feed,  and  each  other." 
But  talking  to  the  Knopps,  you  soon  realize  they 
had  something  else — they  liked  to  farm,  they  knew 
how  to  farm — Howard  had  been  on  a  farm  since 
he  was  4  years  old — and  they  had  a  tremendous 
desire  to  make  it  go. 


"I'll  never  forget  that  fall  in  1952  when  we  were 
trying  to  get  a  roof  over  our  heads,"  June  related, 
"Howard  and  a  friend  were  pouring  a  concrete 
floor  in  a  chicken  coop  for  temporary  living  quar- 
ters while  I  was  trying  to  keep  everybody  warm 
with  an  open  fire  nearby.  When  we  finally  moved 
in  with  our  two  little  ones  that  winter,  that  16  x  26 
chicken  coop  was  like  a  palace." 

Better  things  were  to  come  though.  The  next 
year  they  were  able  to  arrange  long-term  FHA 
financing  that  built  them  a  two-bedroom  home — 
since  added  on  to  twice — a  milk  parlor,  20-  x  60- 
foot  machine  shed,  and  a  well,  pump,  and  pump- 
house  for  their  domestic  water  supply.  And  then 
something  happened  that  nearly  did  them  in. 

In  1953,  Howard  had  "an  understanding"  with 
a  dairy  firm  that  they  would  buy  his  milk  if  he 
brought  out  his  small  dairy  herd  he  had  left  in 
Montana,  and  on  this  premise  the  milk  parlor  was 
built. 

"The  idea  of  a  regular  milk  check  appealed  to 
me,"  Knopp  said.  "So  we  hauled  out  the  herd 
from  Montana  and  started  milking."  Only  then, 
it  developed,  the   promised  market  had  vanished. 

"We  milked  all  one  summer,  dumping  milk  down 
an  old  cistern  before  we  got  rid  of  the  herd.  We 
suffered  a  $4,000  loss  on  that  deal  which  was  hard 
to  take,"  he  recalled,  and  added  with  a  smile,  "No 
more  of  that — we've  got  a  family  cow  now  and 
that's  enough." 

Best  Money  Crop 

Despite  poor  production  last  year,  alfalfa  seed 
has  been  their  best  money  crop,  followed  by  irri- 
gated pasture  that  maintains  40  to  60  head  of  feed- 
ers, alfalfa  hay,  grain,  and  beans.  They  had 
sugarbeets  for  3  years  and  Howard  helped  his  in- 
come by  working  in  the  U  &  I  plant  during  the 
winter  months.  But  their  soil  wasn't  "right"  for 
good  beet  production,  and  so  beets  are  no  longer 
included  in  their  program. 

"We're  a  family  operation,"  Knopp  said. 
"June  worked  out,  too,  at  a  local  office  during  some 
of  those  real  lean  years." 


104 


The  Reclamation  Era 


The  Knopps  farm  is  about  290  acres  today. 
They  bought  40  acres  to  add  to  their  home  place  a 
few  years  ago,  and  lease  another  180  nearby. 

Today  they  live  in  a  modern  1,700-square-foot 
home  completely  equipped  from  telephone  to 
freezer.  Their  farm  buildings  consist  of  the  27  x 
48  former  milk  parlor,  now  used  as  a  utility 
shed,  the  chicken  coop  now  complete  with  chickens, 
and  a  26-  x  60-foot  frame  machine  shed.  There  is 
an  air  of  neatness  about  the  place,  a  small  orchard 
on  one  side  of  an  attractive,  well-kept  front  yard, 
rows  of  decorative  pine  trees  on  the  other.  Back 
of  the  house,  corrals,  well-kept  farm  buildings  and 
equipment,  and  shiny  storage  bins  complete  a 
peaceful  farm  picture. 

A  good  indication  of  their  progress  is  their  own 
statement,  "We've  got  just  about  everything  paid 
for  with  the  exception  of  a  small  home  loan." 
Their  crop  production  is  financed  by  bank  loans 
plus  whatever  resources  they  have  available  them- 
selves. 

Success  for  the  Knopps  has  not  been  without  a 
lot  of  hard  work  and  basic  resourcefulness. 

"We  do  most  all  of  our  own  canning,  use  fruit 
from  our  own  trees,"  June  pointed  out,  "and  I  bake 
pies  and  cakes  and  sometimes  our  own  bread.  We 
have  our  own  fryers  and  eggs,  a  freezer  stocked 
with  our  own  beef,  our  own  milk  and  sometimes 
butter." 

Although  recovering  from  a  serious  back  opera- 
tion performed  last  November,  June  Knopp  has 
a  ready  smile,  and  successfully  manages  the  active 
lives  of  sons  Konnie,  age  16 ;  Rickie,  14 ;  Eandy,  8 ; 
and  Rusty,  6 — "Oh,  well,  I  never  like  to  sew  ruffles 
anyway,"  was  her  only  comment  about  the  all  male 
crew.  It's  June,  too,  who  keeps  the  family  active 
in  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  nearby  Moses  Lake. 

The  older  boys  have  projects  of  their  own — 
Ronnie's  is  15  bee  hives  complete  with  honey  ex- 
tracting equipment,  and  Rickie's  a  fat  calf  as  a 
4-H  Club  project.  Ronnie  about  paid  for  his  in- 
vestment last  year,  his  Dad  was  proud  to  report. 

What  do  the  Knopps  think  about  the  Columbia 
Basin  project? 

"For  a  family  area,  I  think  it's  about  as  good 
as  you  can  find — mild  winters,  long  growing  sea- 
son. We  could  always  use  better  prices,  we  have 
to  cut  it  kind  of  close  at  times,  but  I  guess  that's 
true  in  any  area,"  was  Howard's  reply. 

June's  comment :  "We  done  real  well  and  have 
had  hard  times  and  good  times.  We  have  good 
neighbors.     They    are    all    wonderful    people." 

November  1964 


June  has  been  active  in  the  local  women's  club,  the 
Gloydettes,  and  both  have  enjoyed  the  social  ac- 
tivity centered  around  the  Block  40  Club.  Both 
reflect  the  pioneer  spirit  that  has  prevailed  in  the 
Basin,  its  people  drawn  together  by  the  common 
problems  of  a  new  farm  area. 

The  project  builders,  the  U.S.  Bureau  of 
Reclamation,  testified  before  Congress  last  year 
that  over  80  percent  of  the  1,031  veterans  who  had 
purchased  Government  land  under  the  preference 
act  handled  by  the  Bureau  were  still  on  the  project. 

Considering  the  total  dollars  these  farmers  have 
funneled  from  the  marketplace  to  the  suppliers  of 
building  materials,  farm  equipment,  furniture,  ap- 
pliances, medicine,  fertilizers,  ad  infinitum,  the 
economic  impact  of  the  veteran  preference  pro- 
gram is  staggering— opportunities  not  only  for  the 
veterans,  but  opportunities  many  times  their  num- 
ber all  over  the  land.  #    #    # 

(This  article  from  the  Spokesman  Review  of  April  26, 
1964,  Spokane,  Wash.,  was  reprinted  by  permission  of 
author  Hamilton.) 

Howard  Knopp  feeds  60  head  on  basin  farm. 


Key  Personnel  Changed  .  .  . 


STAMM  AND  MERMEL  APPOINTED 
COMMISSIONER'S  AIDES 


Mr.  Stamm. 


Mr.  Mermel. 


Permanent  appointment  of  Gilbert  G.  Stamm 
as  Assistant  Commissioner,  Legislation  and  Co- 
ordination, and  T.  W.  Mermel  as  Assistant  to  the 
Commissioner — Research,  was  effective  in  early 
August.  Both  Mr.  Stamm  and  Mr.  Mermel  have 
been  serving  in  acting  front  office  capacities  since 
early  March. 

G.  G.  Stamm — Mr.  Stamm's  appointment  fills 
the  vacancy  left  by  William  I.  Palmer  who  re- 
signed on  May  2.  Mr,  Stamm  will  continue  in 
the  position  of  Acting  Assistant  Commissioner — 
Planning  and  Irrigation,  to  which  he  was  ap- 
pointed when  he  left  the  job  of  Chief,  Division  of 
Irrigation  and  Land  Use,  in  March. 

A  native  of  Denver,  Colo.,  Mr.  Stamm  has  been 
engaged  in  Federal  resources  development  pro- 
grams since  1936,  a  year  after  his  graduation  from 
Colorado  State  University  with  a  B.S.  degree  in 
agriculture  economics. 

He  had  been  an  employee  of  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  for  8  years  prior  to  his  joining  the 
Bureau  in  1945.  One  of  his  early  Reclamation 
assignments  was  Assistant  Regional  Operation 
and  Maintenance  Supervisor  in  Region  1. 

In  1954  Mr.  Stamm  was  assigned  Superintend- 
ent of  the  Central  Snake  Project  Office,  Boise, 
Idaho,  and  the  next  year  was  promoted  to  the 
position  of  Associate  Regional  Supervisor  of  Irri- 
gation while  still  retaining  his  Project  Superin- 
tendent duties.  In  early  1958,  Mr.  Stamm  was 
appointed  Regional  Supervisor  of  Irrigation  and 
in  December  of  the  same  year  was  reassigned  to 
the  post  of  Assistant  Regional  Director  of  Region 


1.  He  w^as  named  Chief,  Division  of  Irrigation 
and  Land  Use,  in  Washington  in  August  1959. 
Mr.  Stamm  is  a  member  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee of  the  U.S.  Committee,  International  Com- 
mission on  Irrigation  and  Drainage. 

In  1952  and  1956,  Mr.  Stamm  received  Superior 
Accomplishment  Awards,  and  in  October  1963 
was  the  first  Bureau  employee  to  receive  the  newly 
authorized  quality  increase  in  salary. 

T.  W.  Mermel — In  addition  to  his  new  post, 
named  above,  Mr.  Mermel  will  continue  to  serve 
as  Chief,  Division  of  General  Engineering. 

Mr.  Mermel  is  a  native  of  Chicago,  111.,  and  is  a 
Federal  career  employee  of  more  than  30  years 
with  the  Bureau.  He  was  awarded  a  B.S.  degree 
in  electrical  engineering  from  the  University  of 
Illinois. 

Coming  to  Washington  after  graduating,  Mr. 
Mermel  first  began  his  Federal  employment  with 
the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission.  He  started 
with  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  in  1933  at  the 
Office  of  Chief  Engineer  in  Denver,  Colo.  After 
8  years  wath  Denver's  design  and  research  center, 
he  transferred  to  the  Washington  office  where  he 
has  served  for  21  years  in  engineering  leadership 
and  liaison  for  the  Bureau. 

He  is  a  registered  professional  engineer  and  has 
maintained  wide  and  active  interest  in  new  tech- 
nical developments  in  the  w^ater  resources  field 
through  his  activities  in  various  related  organiza- 
tions including  the  U.S.  Committee  on  Large 
Dams,  International  Commission  on  Irrigation 
and  Drainage,  World  Power  Conference,  Ameri- 
can Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  and  the  Institute 
of  Electrical  Electronics  Engineers. 

Mr.  Mermel  also  has  taken  graduate  studies  at 
George  Washington  University  and  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Colorado.  He  is  chairman  of  the  Inter- 
national Committee  on  the  World  Register  of 
Dams  and  is  author  of  Register  of  Dams  in  the 
United  States. 

In  establishing  the  new  position.  Assistant  to 
the  Commissioner — Research,  recognition  is  given 
to  the  growing  importance  of  water  conservation 
research  in  the  Bureau's  overall  program.  Mr. 
Mermel  will  coordinate  the  Bureau's  widespread 


106 


The  Reclamation  Era 


efforts  to  devise  new  and  improved  methods  of 
meeting  the  continually  increasing  water  supply 
problems  of  the  17  Western  States. 

Two  New  Division  Chiefs  Named 

Maurice  N.  Langley  was  appointed  Chief,  Divi- 
sion of  Irrigation  and  Land  Use,  on  August  19,  to 
fill  the  vacancy  created  by  the  advancement  of  Mr. 
Stamm.  He  had  been  Mr.  Stamm's  Assistant 
Chief  of  the  division  since  May  1962.  A  native  of 
Dorchester,  Nebr.,  and  raised  in  Otis,  Colo.,  Mr. 
Langley  joined  the  Bureau  at  Yuma,  Ariz.,  in  1946. 
He  was  Chief  of  Operations  at  the  Yuma  Projects 
Office  prior  to  transfer  to  Washington  in  January 
1959.  In  December  of  that  year,  he  was  promoted 
to  the  position  of  Chief,  Irrigation  Branch.  His 
membership  in  professional  societies  includes  the 


American  Society  of  Agriculture  Engineers, 
American  Society  of  Soil  Science,  the  Interna- 
tional Commission  on  Irrigation  and  Drainage, 
and  the  International  Society  of  Soil  Science. 

William  H.  Keating  was  appointed  Chief,  Divi- 
sion of  Power,  in  July,  succeeding  John  W.  Muel- 
ler who  transferred  to  the  Regional  office  at  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah. 

Keating,  a  15 -year  veteran  career  employee  and 
native  of  Trenton,  Mo.,  joined  the  Bureau's  staff 
at  the  North  Platte  River  District  Office  at  Casper, 
Wyo.,  shortly  after  graduation  in  mid-1949  from 
the  University  of  Missouri.  After  an  assignment 
at  the  Denver,  Colo.,  Regional  Office,  he  was  made 
Chief,  Power  Contract  and  Marketing  Branch,  at 
the  Sacramento  office.  He  became  Assistant  Re- 
gional Supervisor  of  Power  at  the  latter  office  in 
May  1962.  #     #     # 


Shown  in  the  photo  from  the  left  are  Reclamation  Commissioner 
Floyd  E.  Dominy,  Secretary  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udali,  and 
Vice  President  J.  Sharp  Queener,  of  the  National  Safety  Council. 

Two  Highest  Awards  for  the 
Bureau 

The  Award  of  Honor,  highest  recognition  given 
by  the  National  Safety  Council,  was. presented  to 
the  Bureau  on  June  24  in  recognition  of  its  excel- 
lent safety  record — a  66-percent  improvement. 

Presentation  of  the  inscribed  Award  of  Honor 
plaque  was  made  to  Commissioner  of  Reclama- 
tion Floyd  E.  Dominy  by  J.  Sharp  Queener,  vice 
president  of  the  National  Safety  Council.  Sec- 
retary of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall  was  pres- 
ent at  the  ceremony  which  was  held  in  his  office. 

Also,  an  Interior  Award  Committee,  after  re- 
viewing data  submitted  for  consideration  of  the 
Department's  1963  Safety  Award  in  competition 
with  other  bureaus  and  offices,  selected  Reclama- 
tion for  the  annual  Department  laurel.  Reclama- 
tion's 1963  frequency  rate  of  4.5  disabling  injuries 
per  million  man-hours  worked  is  the  Bureau's  low- 
est, and  marked  the  third  consecutive  year  that  an 
improvement  was  recorded  over  the  preceding 
year.  In  1962  the  rate  was  5.2,  and  in  1961  it 
was  7.6.  #    #    # 


ALASKA.     {Continued  from  page  82) 

tailrace,  and  reconstruction  of  the  gate  section 
of  Old  Eklutna  Dam,  built  by  private  interests 
about  1929,  which  was  rendered  unsafe  by  the 
quake.  These  permanent  repairs  are  programmed 
for  completion  by  the  fall  of  1966. 

The  cost  of  repairs  to  date  and  the  estimated 
cost  of  the  balance  of  the  work,  including  per- 
manent repairs,  are  now  estimated  at  nearly  $4 
million.  This  is  a  sharp  financial  blow  to  this 
little  project,  which  had  developed  a  fine  financial 
record  in  its  first  9  years  of  operation.  Up  to  the 
time  of  the  quake,  the  payout  of  the  project  at 
present  rates  was  scheduled  to  occur  9  years  earlier 
than  the  50-year  period  normally  adopted  for  such 
projects.  If  the  total  costs  are  to  be  reimbursed  by 
the  purchasers  of  the  power,  the  present  rates 
will  now  be  no  more  than  sufficient  to  return  all 
costs  to  the  treasury  with  interest  in  50  years. 

The  Alaska  earthquake  was  registered  as  a 
wracking  8.6  on  the  Richter-Guttenberg  scale — 
comparable  in  magnitude  to  the  San  Francisco 
quake  in  1906  and  other  great  disasters.  While 
this  huge  force  of  nature  was  devastating,  there 
was  one  measure  of  satisfaction — to  quote  from 
the  Powerplant  operator's  report: 

I  believe  that  the  extra  effort  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
put  forth  in  designing  and  building  these  structures,  so 
that  they  would  be  as  earthquake  proof  as  possible,  paid 
off.  Without  it,  this  project  would  probably  have  been 
damaged  beyond  repair.  #  #  # 


November  1964 


107 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Specifica- 
tion No. 


Project 


Award 
date 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Contractor's  name  and 
address 


Contract 
amount 


DC-6100 
DC-6110 
DS-6117 
DS-6119 
DC-6120 
DC-6126 
DS-6127 
DC-6129 
DC-6130 

DC-6134 

DS-6137 
DC-6139 
DS-6142 

DC-6143 
DS-6144 
DC-6155 
200C-562 

200C-563 
400C-267 
400C-270 


Colorado  River  Storage, 

Ariz. 
Fry Ingpan- Arkansas 

Colo. 
Colorado  River  Storage, 

Ariz. 
Missouri  River   Basin, 

Mont. 
Silt,  Colo 


Missouri  River  Basin, 

Wyo. 
Colorado  River  Storage, 

Ariz. 
Central  Valley,  Calif 

Canadian  River,  Tex.  _  _ 


Missouri   River   Basin, 
S.  Dak. 

Central  Valley,  Calif... 

Missouri  River   Basin, 

Nebr. 
Missouri  River   Basin, 

Mont. 

Missouri   River  Basin, 

Kans. 
Missouri   River   Basin, 

Mont. 
Teton  River  Mont 


Central  Valley,  Calif. 


.do. 


Colorado  River  Storage, 

Colo. 
Central  Utah,  Utah 


July  9 

July  15 

July  9 

July  15 

Aug.    1 

(Sat.) 

July  31 

Aug.  11 

...do 

Aug.  13 

Aug.  24 

Aug.  25 
Aug.  20 
Sept.    9 

Sept.  25 

...do 

Sept.  4 
Sept.    3 


...do 

Sept.  11 
Sept.  10 


Construction  of  the  124-mile  Glen  Canyon-Flagstaff  345-kv 

transmission  line  No.  2. 
Construction  of  Ruedi  Dam 


Four  345-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Flagstaff  substation 

Three  26,000/34,667/43,333-kva  autotransformers  for  Yellowtail 

switchyard. 
Construction  of  Rifle  Gap  Dam  and  road  relocation 


Construction  of  Lyman  substation,  stage  01;  and  4.51  miles  of 

Lyman  taplines. 
One  450,000/600,000-kva  autotransformer  for  Pinnacle  Peak 

substation. 
Construction  of  flood  bypass  for  Red  Bluff  diversion  dam 


Construction  of  140  miles  of  pipelines  for  Main  aqueduct 

(Lubbock  to  Lamesa),  Southwest  aqueduct  and  pumping 

plants  No.  8,  9,  10,  and  11. 
Construction  of  the  18.8-mile  New  Underwood-Rapid  City 

115-kv  transmission  line  No.  2  and  extensions  to  Rapid 

City-Midland  115-kv  transmission  line. 
Seven  63,000/84,000/105,000-kva  power  transformers  for   San 

Luis  pumping-generating  plant  and  Mile  18  pumping  plant. 
Construction  of  Dunlap  substation,  stage  01 ._ 


Four  230-kv  and  four  116-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Yellow- 
tail  switchyard.  Schedules  1  and  2. 

Construction  of  Downs  protective  dike,  Sta.  ll-|-64  to  44-1-15- . 

Six  51,000-kva  power  transformers  for  Yellowtail  powerplant.. 

Reconstruction  of  Bynum  diversion  dam,  Teton  Co-Operative 

Reservoir  Co.    (Negotiated  contract). 
Removal  of  existing  timber  bridges  and  rehabilitation  of  37 

timber  bridges  along  Delta-Mendota  canal  between  Mile 

3.50  to  70.01. 
Rehabilitation  of  nine  timber  bridges  along  Friant-Kern  canal 

between  Mile  4.12  and  111.32. 
Construction  of  machine  shop  and  service  garage  for  Montrose 

power  operations  center. 
Construction  of  1.75  miles  of  earth  lining,  riprap  protection, 

and  miscellaneous  structures  for  Stelnaker  service  canal, 

High  Line  canal,  and  Fort  Thornburgh  diversion  dam. 


Ets-Hokin  Corp.,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Calif. 

Puget  Sound  Bridge  and  Dry 
Dock  Co.,  Seattle,  Wash. 

Westtnghouse  Electric  Corp., 
Denver,  Colo. 

General  Electric  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 

Northwestern  Engineering 
Co.,  Commerce  City,  Colo. 

Reiman-Wuerth  Co.,  Chey- 
enne, Wyo. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 
Denver,  Colo. 

Talbot  D.  Bailey,  Inc.,  Oak- 
land, Calif. 

R.  H.  Fulton,  Contractor, 
Lubbock,  Tex. 

Malcolm  W.  Larson  Con- 
tracting Co.,  Denver,  Colo. 

General  Electric  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 

C.S.P.  Engineering  Co.,  Cas- 
per, Wyo. 

McGraw-Edison  Co.,  Penn- 
sylvania Transformer  Divi- 
sion, Canonsburg,  Pa. 

Alexander  Construction  Co., 
Inc.,  Littleton,  Colo. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 
Denver,  Colo. 

A  &  B  Construction  Co., 
Helena,  Mont. 

Murphy  Pacific  Corp.,  Oak- 
land, Calif. 

Kaweah  Construction  Co., 
Visalia,  Calif. 

H.  E.  Whitlock,  Inc.,  Pueb- 
lo, Colo. 

United  Engineers,  Inc.,  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah. 


$6, 314, 816 

10, 477, 886 

728. 645 

229,  343 

2,  727, 178 

278, 930 

550, 484 

112,153 

8,785,519 

236,709 

1,345,716 
129, 336 
337,631 

414, 581 
497, 196 
430, 655 
613,  430 

117, 058 
552, 172 
157,  693 


Major  Construction  and  Materials  for  Which  Bids  Will  Be  Requested 

Throush  November  1964 


Project 


Bureau    of    Reclamation 
Denver,  Colo. 


Arbuckle,  Okla. 


Canadian  River,  Tex. 


108 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  a  14-story  (including  basement), 
110-  by  210-ft  office  building,  a  lightweight 
prestressed  and  poststressed  concrete  structure 
with  movable  partitions;  concrete  floors  with 
vinyl  asbestos,  ceramic,  quarry  tile,  and  ter- 
razzo  floor  covering;  aluminum  frame  windows; 
metal  and  wood  doors;  built-up  tar  and  gravel 
roofing;  and  concrete  caisson  foundations. 
Work  will  include  complete  lighting  system; 
electric  power  system;  complete  plumbing 
system;  heating  and  air-conditioning  system 
(steam  heat  will  be  provided  from  an  existing 
plant) ;  five-passenger  elevators  and  one  freight 
elevator;  and  cafeteria  space  in  basement. 
Chief  Engineer's  Office,  Denver  Federal  Center 
near  Denver. 

Four  3-ft  by  6-ft  6-in.  high-pressure  gate  valves; 
and  two  2-ft  9-ln.  by  2-ft  9-in.  high-pressure 
gate  valves  for  the  Arbuckle  Dam.  Estimated 
weight:  180,0001b. 

Constructing  about  34  miles  of  20-  to  36-in.- 
diameter  pipeline  for  hydrostatic  heads  of  from 
25  to  500  ft.  pipe  to  be  either  reinforced-concrete 
pressure  pipe,  pretensioned  concrete  steel- 
cylinder-type  pipe,  noncylinder  prestressed 
concrete  pipe,  steel  pipe  or  asbestor-cement 
pipe.  Work  will  also  include  excavating  a 
34-acre-ft  reservoir  to  be  lined  with  compacted 
earth  lining,  and  constructing  two  pumping 
plants  of  about  24-  and  14-cfs  capacities.  East 
Aqueduct,  near  Borger  and  Pampa. 


Project 


Central  Valley,  Calif. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  about  30  miles  of  10-  to  54-in.- 
diameter  pipelines  and  a  steel  tank.  Pipelines 
are  to  be  constructed  of  either  noncylinder 
prestressed  concrete  pipe,  pretensioned  steel- 
sylinder  concrete  pipe,  steel  pipe,  or  asbestos- 
cement  pipe.    Cow  Creek  Unit,  near  Redding. 

Completion  work  for  the  San  Luis  Pumping- 
Generating  Plant  will  consist  of  placing  con- 
crete for  pump-turbine  embedment  and  motor- 
generator  support;  installing  eight  2-speed, 
vertical-shaft,  hydraulic  pump-turbines  -ated 
at  63,000  hp  at  150  rpm  and  34,000  hp  at  120  rpm, 
transformer  bank,  and  other  mechanical  and 
electrical  equipment;  and  applying  architec- 
tural finishes.  Completion  work  for  the  service 
yard  will  require  final  grading  and  surfacing. 
Constructing  the  San  Luis  Switchyard  will 
consist  of  constructing  concrete  foundations; 
constructing  a  38-  by  62-ft  brick  veneered 
concrete  masonry  unit  control  building; 
furnishing  and  erecting  steel  structures;  install- 
ing eight  230-kv  circuit  breakers,  and  associated 
electrical  equipment,  major  items  of  which  will 
be  Government  furnished;  and  surfacing  and 
fencing  the  area.  Constructing  the  Forebay 
Switchyard  will  consist  of  constructing  con- 
crete foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting  steel 
structures;  installing  four  single-phase,  10,000- 
kva,  70-4.16-kv  transformers  and  one  69-kv 
circuit  breaker,  and  associated  electrical 
equipment,  major  items  of  which  will  be 
Government  furnished;  and  surfacing  and 
fencing  the  area.    Near  Los  Banos. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE  :  1964     O— 743-007 


Major  Construction  and  Materials  For  Which  Bids  Will  Be  Requested 
Through  November  1964  — Continued 


Project 


Central  Valley  Calif. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Do 

Do 

CRSP,  Arizona 

CRSP,  Colorado 

Do 

Do 

Do 

Do 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash. . 


Earthwork  and  concrete  for  raising  the  concrete 
lining  about  18  inches  on  about  66  miles  of  the 
Delta-Mendota  Canal  and  modifying  turnouts, 
drainage  inlets,  checks,  siphon  transitions,  etc. 
From  near  Tracy  to  near  Los  Bancs. 

Constructing  Little  Panoche  Creek  Detention 
Dam  and  appurtenant  features.  The  dam 
will  be  about  120  ft  high,  1,440  ft  long,  and  will 
contain  about  1,100,000  cu  yd  of  earthflll.  The 
outlet  works  will  be  an  uncontrolled  conduit 
near  stream  level  and  the  spUlway  an  uncon- 
trolled glory-hole-type  structure.  On  Little 
Panoche  Creek,  about  18  miles  southwest  of 
Firebaugh. 

Constructing  about  1,900  lin  ft  of  80-ft  bottom 
width  San  Luis  Forebay  Intake  Channel  which 
will  be  lined  with  4-in.-thick  unreinforced  con- 
crete; constructing  about  2,200  lin  ft  of  relocated 
Delta-Mendota  Canal  with  bottom  width  of 
48  ft,  lined  with  4-in.-thick  unreinforced  con- 
crete; and  constructing  about  3,500  lin  ft  of 
Forebay  Dam  Wasteway  Channel  with  bottom 
width  of  120  ft,  including  a  reinforced-concrete 
baffled  apron  droo  and  a  reinforced-concrete 
culvert  drop  under  the  Delta-Mendota  Canal. 
Near  Los  Banos. 

Constructing  about  8  miles  of  42-  and  45-in.- 
dlameter  pipeline  for  hydrostatic  heads  of 
from  200  to  600  ft.  Pipelines  are  to  be  con- 
structed of  either  noncylinder  prestressed  con- 
crete pipe,  pretensioned  steel-cylinder  concrete 
pipe  or  steel  pipe.  Work  will  also  include 
constructing  one  steel  tank  30  ft  in  diameter 
and  50  ft  high.  Clear  Creek  South  Pipelines, 
near  Redding. 

Constructing  about  63  miles  of  6-  to  48-in.-diam- 
eter  pipelines  of  either  reinforced-concrete 
pressure  pipe  or  asbestos-cement  pipe.  Work 
will  also  Include  excavating  two  small  reser- 
voirs and  constructing  nine  steel  tanks  and  six 
pumping  plants  ranging  from  23.5-  to  80-cfs 
capacity.    Corning  Canal  near  Corning. 

Six  30-in.  siphon  breakers  for  Forebay  Pumping 
Plant;  and  twelve  30-in.  siphon  breakers  for 
Mile  18  Pumping  Plant.  Estimated  weight: 
54,0001b. 

Eight  14.4-kv,  station-type  switchgear;  15-kv, 
isolated-phase  bus;  two  2,000-kva,  13.8-kv  to 
480-volt,  station-service  transformers;  and  600- 
volt,  non-segregated-phase  bus.  All  for  San 
Luis  Reservoir  Pumping-Qenerating  Plant. 

Eight  230-kv,  1,600-amp,  20,000-mva,  power 
circuit  breakers  for  San  Luis  Switchyara;  and 
one  69-kv,  1,200-amp.  2,500-mva,  power  circuit 
breaker  for  Forebay  Switchyard. 

Furnishing,  installing,  and  testing  six  40,000-hp, 
0.95-pf,  13,200-volt  vertical-shaft,  synchronous 
motors  for  the  Mile  18  Pumping  Plant. 

Four  10-mva,  72.5-grd  wye/41.9  to  4.16-delta-kv, 
single-phase,  power  transformers  for  the  Fore- 
bay  Pumping  Plant  Switchyard. 

Four  230-kv,  1,600-amp,  20,000-mva  power  circuit 
breakers  for  Pinnacle  Peak  Substation,  Stage 
02. 

Clearing  trees,  brush,  fences,  and  other  structures 
from  about  9,000  acres,  and  furnishing  and 
installing  protective  buoy  system.  About  20 
miles  west  of  Gunnison. 

Three  115-kv,  1,200-amp,  5,000-mva  power  circuit 
breakers  lor  Blue  Mesa  Switchyard. 

One  46,800/62,400/78,000-kva,  3-phase,  115-kv- 
high,  11-kv-low,  OA/FA/FA  generator  voltage, 
power  transformer  for  the  Blue  Mesa  Switch- 
yard. 

Two  13.6-  by  16.07-ft  fixed-wheel  gates  for  pen- 
stock intakes  for  the  Morrow  Point  Dam  and 
Powerplant.    Estimated  weight:  100,000  lb. 

Two  metal-clad  switchgear  assemblies;  bus 
structures;  two  1,000-kva  12,000/480-volt,  sta- 
tion-service transformers;  and  two  13.8-kv, 
1,000-mva  circuit  breakers  all  for  Blue  Mesa 
Powerplant. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  about  20  miles  of 
laterals,  wasteways,  and  drains  with  bottom 
widths  varying  from  16  to  2  ft,  of  which  about 
2  miles  will  be  lined  with  compacted  earth 
lining  and  about  2.5  miles  will  be  lined  with 
concrete  lining.    Blocks  21  and48,near  Othello 


Project 


Emery  County,  Utah. 


MRBP,  Montana - 


MRBP,  Wyoming. 


Do. 


Do. 


Navajo  Indian  Irrigation, 
New  Mexico. 


Pacific  Northwest-South- 
west Intertie,  Nevada. 


Do. 


Silt,  Colo. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  the  earthflll  Huntington  North 
Dam  and  dikes  and  appurtenant  features. 
The  dam  will  be  about  65  ft  high  and  2,570  ft 
long,  the  East  Dike  about  20  ft  high  and  1,100 
ft  long,  and  the  West  Dike  about  10  ft  high 
and  1,960  ft  long.  The  combined  spillway  and 
outlet  works  will  consist  of  an  approach 
channel,  a  concrete  intake  structure,  a  3.5-  by 
3.5-ft  cut-and-cover  conduit,  a  concrete  gate 
structure  containing  a  crest  structure  for  the 
spillway  and  gates  for  the  outlet  works,  and  a 
concrete  stilling  basin  with  wave  suppressor. 
At  an  offstream  site  about  1  mile  northeast  ot 
Huntington. 

Schedule  No.  1:  Two  14.4-kv,  isolated-phase, 
generator  voltage  bus  structures;  two  600-volt, 
station-service,  feeder  busways;  and  three 
750-kva,  13.8-kv  to  480-volt,  3-phase,  station- 
service  transformers. 

Schedule  No.  2:  Four  protective  equipment 
assemblies  with  appurtenant  equipment;  four 
14.4-kv,  segregated-phase,  generator  voltage  bus 
structures;  and  four  14.4-kv,  station-type, 
cubicle  switch-gear  assemblies.  All  for 
Yellowtail  Powerplant. 

Constructing  about  54  miles  of  230-kv,  single- 
circuit  transmission  line  of  which  about  17 
miles  will  be  wood-pole  construction  with  a 
few  steel  towers,  and  37  miles  will  be  steel- 
tower  construction.  The  work  will  consist  of 
clearing  right-of-way;  constructing  access 
roads;  furnishing  and  installing  fence  gates; 
constructing  concrete  footings;  furnishing  and 
erecting  steel  towers  and  wood-pole  structures; 
and  furnishing  and  stringing  three  1,400  MCM 
aluminum  alloy  conductors  and  two  0.5-in. 
steel-strand,  overhead  ground  wires.  Glenrock- 
Stegall  Transmission  Line  (Qlenrock-Glendo 
Section)  from  the  Pacific  Power  and  Light 
Company  Substation,  near  Qlenrock,  to  a 
point  north  of  Glendo. 

Constructing  about  3.7  miles  of  115-kv,  wood-pole 
transmission  line  with  three  477  MCM,  26/7, 
ACSR  conductors,  and  two  %-iii.  steel  strand 
overhead  ground  wires.  Constructing  about 
2.4  miles  of  115-kv,  wood-pole  transmission  line 
with  three  No.  4/0  AWG,  6/1,  ACSR  conduc- 
tors, and  two  ^i-in.  steel  strand  overhead 
ground  wires.  Furnishing  and  stringing  three 
477  MCM,  26/7,  ACSR  conductors  for  about 
7.8  miles  of  line;  furnishing  and  stringing  two 
?^-in.  steel  strand  overhead  ground  wires  for 
about  1.4  miles  of  line;  removing  three  No.  4/0 
AWG,  6/1,  ACSR  conductors  from  about  6.2 
miles  of  line;  removing  three  336.4  MCM, 
ACSR  conductors  from  about  2.9  miles  of  line; 
removing  two  ?^-in.  steel  strand  overhead 
ground  wires  from  about  1.1  miles  of  line; 
removing  structures  from  about  1.1  miles  of 
line.  The  work  will  consist  of  clearing  land; 
installing  gates  and  fence  grounds;  furnishing 
and  erecting  wood-pole  structures;  furnishing 
and  stringing  conductors  and  overhead  ground 
wires;  and  removing  existing  conductors  and 
overhead  ground  wires.  Archer  Area  Taplines, 
about  5  miles  east  of  Cheyenne. 

Additions  to  the  Lovell  Substation,  Stage  03, 
will  consist  of  regrading  the  substation  area; 
constructing  concrete  foundations;  furnishing 
and  erecting  steel  structures;  and  furnishing 
and  Installing  one  115-kv  circuit  breaker,  and 
associated  electrical  equipment.    Near  Lovell. 

Constructing  about  5  miles  of  concrete-lined 
tunnel  No.  2  of  either  17-ft  6-in.  diameter 
horseshoe  section  or  18-ft-diameter  circular 
section.    Near  Farmington. 

Detailing,  fabricating,  and  testing  a  Bureau- 
designed  750-kv,  d-c  transmission  line  tower 
for  the  Oregon-Nevada  border  to  Hoover  Dam 
Transmission  Line. 

Designing,  detailing,  fabricating,  and  testing  a 
tangent  suspension  structure  for  the  750-kv, 
d-c,  Oregon-Nevada  border  to  Hoover  Dam 
Transmission  Line. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  about  7.5  miles  of 
Silt  canal  with  bottom  width  varying  from  6 
to  2  ft,  of  which  about  0.5  mile  will  be  lined 
with  compacted  earth  lining.    Near  Silt. 


♦Subject  to  change. 


IF   NOT  DELIVERED  WITHIN    10    DAYS 
PLEASE  RETURN  TO 

SUPERINTENDENT  OF  DOCUMENTS 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 

WASHINGTON.  D.C.     20402 


PENALTY   FOR   PRIVATE   USE  TO  AVOID 
PAYMENT  OP   POSTAGE.  SSOO 


OFFICIAL  BUSINESS 


What's  Coming: 


SAFETY  IN  DAMS 
PRODUCING  MORE  WITH    LESS 
LAND 


In  its  assigned  function  as  the  Nation's  principal  natural  re- 
source agency,  the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special 
obligation  to  assure  that  our  expendable  resources  are  con- 
served, that  renewable  resources  are  managed  to  produce  opti- 
mum yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  full  measure 
to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  America,  now  and  in 
the  future. 

Bureau   of  Reclamation 
U.S.   DEPARTMENT  OF  THE   INTERIOR 


February  1965 


BCL  AMATION 


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Cowiniowtr  Domiiiy  rincls  Spain  Also  Stepping-Up  Water  Developments 
A  Huge  Practical  Dam  Is  Shaping  (Ip  Across  a  Normally  Dry  Creek  Bed 
An  Expert  Speaks  on  Safety  in  Dams  and  Defeating  the  Worst  in  Water 

Reclaraatlon 

ERA 


FEBRUARY    1965 
Volume  51,  No.  1 


OTTIS    PETERSON,    Assistant   to   the   Com- 
missioner— Information 
GORDON  J.   FORSYTH,   Editor 


1.  SPAIN  INCREASES  DAM 

BUILDING 

by  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy 

4.  BUILDING      A      RECLAMATION 
GIANT  IN  CALIFORNIA 

8.  SAFETY  IN  DAMS 

by  Chief  Engineer  B.  P.  Bellport 

12.  SO    THAT    HISTORY    MAY    NOT 
REPEAT 

by  Ida  Mae  Ellis 

14.  DREDGING        THE        BRAIDED 
COLORADO 

by  Paul  A.  Oliver 

16.  WEED       EMPHASIS       DAY       IN 
MINIDOKA 

by  Terrance  A.  Gulley 

18.  RIO  GRANDE  AREA  AIDED  BY 
WATERSHED  WORK 

by  Herbert  I.  Jones 

22.  PRODUCING  MORE  WITH  LESS 
LAND 

by  R.  E.  Dorothy 

27.  BOOKSHELF  FOR  WATER  USERS 

28.  "MERMAIDS"      STUDIED      FOR 

DEWEEDING 

30.  SOLONS  VISIT  GLEN  CANYON 

31.  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  A  TROUT 

by  Don  Peterson 


THE  SIZZLING  FIREWORKS  PHOTO  on  the  cover  was  a  prize- 
winner in  a  recent  exhibit  by  the  American  Society  for  Testing 
and  Materials.  It  shows  a  test  like  the  action  of  a  real  lightning 
bolt — one  of  the  many  possible  tests  of  the  Bureau's  new  mobile 
laboratory  now  in  use.  Soon  after  the  lab  first  arrived,  it  was 
described  in  the  May  1 964  issue  of  the  Era. 


United   States   Department  of  the   Interior 
Stewart  L.   Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau   of   Reclamation,    Floyd   E.    Dominy,   Commissioner 

Washington  Office:  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Wasliington,  D.C.j. 20240. 

Commissioner's   StafF 

Assistant  Commissioner _ N.  B.  Bennett,  Jr. 

Assistant  Commissioner O.  Q.  Stamm 

Assistant  Commissioner W.  P.  Kane 

Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado --_ --  B.  P.  Bellport 

REGIONAL   OFFICES 

REGION  1:  Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  937,  Reclamation  Building,  Fairgrounds,  Idaho,  83701. 

RE(JION  2:  Robert  J.  Pafford,  Jr.,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacramento,  Calif.,  95811. 

REGION  3:  A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  Citv,  Nev.,  89005. 

RECJION  4:  Frank  M.  Clinton,  Regional  Director,  32  Exchange  Place,  P.O.  Box  300,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  84110. 

RE(iION  5:  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Office  Building,  7th  and  Taylor,  Amarillo,  Tex.,  79105. 

REGION  6:  Harold  E.  Aldrich,  Regional  Director,  7th  and  Central,  P.O.  Box  2553,  Billings,  Mont.,  59101. 

RE(JION  7:  Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo.,  80225. 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Washington,  D.C.,  20240.     Use  of  funds  for  printing  this 

publication  has  been  approved  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31, 1961. 

For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.C.,  20402.    Price  15  cents  (single  copy).    Subscription 
price:  Eight  issues  (2  years)  for  $1.00  ($1.50  for  foreign  mailing). 


SPAIN 


Increases  Dam  Building 


by  Reclamation  Commissioner 
FLOYD  E.  DOMINY 


THE  construction  of  large  dams  in  Spain  has 
greatly  accelerated  over  the  past  30  years. 
Although  two  dams  built  by  the  Romans  are  still 
in  operation  and  four  others  were  completed  be- 
fore the  beginning  of  the  18th  century,  the  total 
number  of  dams  completed  and  in  operation  in 
Spain  in  1934  was  only  97.  Since  that  time  247 
dams  have  been  completed — a  tremendous  tribute 
to  the  vision,  ingenuity,  and  skills  of  our  Spanish 
contemporaries. 

The  greatest  motivation  for  such  increased  ac- 
tivity in  dam  construction  has  been  the  increasing 
critical  need  for  electrical  energy  for  industrial 
growth.  Because  Spain  is  not  rich  in  deposits  of 
fossil  fuels,  hydropower  is  of  special  importance 
to  the  national  economy.  As  a  result,  70  percent 
of  the  electricity  now  generated  in  Spain  is  of 
hydro  origin,  and  more  hydro  projects  are  under 
construction  or  being  planned. 

Prior  to  1934,  water  supplies  were  developed 
primarily  for  irrigation  and  domestic  purposes, 
consequently,  storage  and  regulating  reservoirs  on 
the  arid  Mediterranean  watershed  outnumbered 
those  on  the  Atlantic  watershed  where  year-round 
water  supplies  are  more  abundant. 

Recent  industrial  advancement  and  the  result- 
ing ascending  economic  and  social  standards  have 
greatly  affected  the  Spanish  concept  of  water  re- 
sources development.  At  present,  while  not  ig- 
noring the  necessary  further  development  of 
available  water  supplies  in  the  Mediterranean 
watershed,  more  emphasis  is  being  placed  upon 
the  utilization  of  the  large  quantities  of  water 
that  flow  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean  for  produping 
electrical  energy.  This  is  well  demonstrated  by 
the  following  chart  on  the  location  of  that  coun- 
try's dams; 

February   1965 


Dams  constructed  in 
waterslied 

Total 

Spanish 

dams 

97 

December  1934 ._ 

Mediterranean     Atlantic 
58             39 

1934  to  1964 

82           165 

247 

Total,  Apr.  30,  1964.  . 


140 


204 


344 


Torrential  flows  over  the  ages  have  cut  deep, 
narrow  gorges  into  even  the  hardest  of  rock.  In 
this  way  Nature  has  provided  sites  which,  when 
properly  developed  by  man,  result  in  benefits  far  in 
excess  of  the  cost  of  development.  Such  physical 
characteristics  of  much  of  the  Atlantic  watershed 
are  conducive  to  construction  of  high  dams,  which 
are  the  economical  producers  of  electrical  energy. 

The  topography  and  geology  of  hydropower 
damsites  have  favored  construction  of  concrete 
dams  and,  in  many  instances,  underground  power- 
plants.  One-fourth  of  the  total  completed  power- 
plant  capacity  is  installed  underground. 

Spanish  engineers,  intent  on  deriving  optimum 
benefits  from  available  water  resources,  have 
achieved  excellence  in  all  technological  aspects  of 
design  and  construction  of  dams  and  hydropower 
installations.  From  preliminary  studies  and  in- 
vestigations through  all  phases  of  design  and  con- 
struction, the  latest  engineering  techniques  have 
been  scrutinized,  applied  where  suitable,  and  ex- 
tended as  necessary  to  solve  specific  problems. 
Competent  specialists  in  the  fields  of  hydrology, 
hydraulics,  rock  mechanics,  stress  analysis,  me- 
chanical and  electrical  equipment,  concrete  tech- 
nology, construction  techniques,  and  operation  and 
maintenance  have  been  developed.  Supporting 
facilities  such  as  field  testing  equipment,  hydraulic 
and  structural  laboratories,  and  electronic  com- 
puter installations  are  widely  utilized. 

1 


Spain's  double  curvature,  thin,  concrete-arch  Eume  Dam  has  an  overflow  spillv/ay. 


Last  September  I  made  an  inspection  tour  of 
dams,  hydroelectric  powerplants,  and  irrigation  in 
Spain  under  the  auspices  of  the  Spanish  National 
Committee  of  the  International  Commission  on 
Large  Dams,  Accompanying  me  were  two  design 
engineers  on  my  staflp,  Harold  G.  Arthur  and 
Alfred  T.  Lewis,  also  my  son  Lt.  Charles  E. 
Dominy  who  is  an  engineer  with  the  U.S.  Corps 
of  Engineers  stationed  in  Germany. 

It  was  discernible  throughout  the  country  that 
rapid  technological  advances  had  been  made  by 
Spanish  engineers.  Two  examples  of  that  coun- 
try's modem  hydropower  technology  are  the  re- 
cently completed  Aldeadavila  Dam  and  Belesar 
Dam  and  their  powerplants. 

Aldeadavila  Dam 

This  dam,  one  of  the  major  structures  in  Spain, 
is  located  on  the  reach  of  the  Duero  River  which 
forms  the  international  boundary  between  Spain 
and  Portugal.  The  project  completed  the  develop- 
ment of  the  international  stretch  allocated  to  Spain 
by  the  Spanish-Portuguese  treaty  of  1927. 

The  dam  is  an  imposing  concrete  arch  structure 
453  feet  high  with  a  crest  length  of  820  feet.    An 


overflow  spillway  with  a  maximum  capacity  of 
413,000  cubic  feet  per  second  is  located  in  the  cen- 
tral portion  of  the  dam.  Flows  are  controlled  by 
eight  gates  on  the  crest,  contained  on  the  down- 
stream face  by  four  converging  chutes,  and  dis- 
charged into  the  river  slightly  above  channel  level 
by  a  ski-jump  apron.  To  supplement  the  overflow 
spillway,  a  tunnel  controlled  by  automatic  gates 
is  located  in  the  right  abutment.  The  total  spill- 
way capacity  is  one-half  of  that  of  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation's  famed  Grand  Coulee  Dam  on  the 
Columbia  River. 

The  underground  Aldeadavila  powerplant  with 
an  installed  capacity  of  718,000  kilowatts  is  the 
largest  in  Western  Europe  and  is  more  than  one- 
half  the  size  of  the  Hoover  Dam  Powerplant  on 
the  Colorado  River.  Six  16.4-feet-diameter  pen- 
stock tunnels  supply  six  l70,000-h.p.  Francis 
turbines  operating  under  a  maximum  head  of  456 
feet.  Two  tailrace  tunnels — each  provided  with  a 
174-feet-high  surge  tank — return  the  water  to  the 
Duero  River. 

Housing  the  turbines  and  generators  is  a  ma- 
chine hall  excavated  in  hard,  massive  granite.  The 
excavation  was  456  feet  long,  59  feet  wide,  and  133 
feet  deep.    The  walls  and  roof  of  the  hall  are  not 


The  Reclamation  Era 


The  graceful   lines  of  Belesar  Dam  show  one  of  its  ski-jump  spillways  in  right-center  of  the  picture. 


lined  nor  supported  by  concrete,  but  pleasing 
architectural  effects  are  achieved  by  ceiling  panels, 
reinforced-concrete  trusses  which  support  crane 
girders,  and  effective  interior  lighting.  The  trans- 
former vault  is  also  an  excavated  chamber  bringing 
the  total  volume  of  underground  excavation  at  the 
Aldeadavila  installation  to  785,000  cubic  yards. 


available  water  supply  and  power  head,  however, 
dictated  the  dam's  height.  Narrowing  the  canyon 
walls  artificially  by  the  gravity  sections  served 
dual  purposes;  it  provided  the  space  to  incorpo- 
rate the  spillways  and  allowed  construction  of  an 
economical  thin- arch  dam. 

{Continued  on  page  17) 


Belesar  Dam 

Located  on  the  Mino  Kiver  in  extreme  north- 
western Spain,  Belesar  Dam  and  powerplant  is  an 
important  hydropower  installation  which  feeds  the 
aluminum  plant,  oil  refinery,  and  other  industries 
located  at  the  seacoast  city  of  La  Coruna. 

It  is  a  mammoth  and  impressive  dam  with  ski- 
jump  spillways.  The  main  portion  has  a  double 
curvature  arch  423  feet  high  and  788  feet  long. 

Belesar  Dam  displays  not  only  the  graceful  lines 
of  a  thin  arch  but  also  the  massive  look  associated 
with  gravity  sections.  This  combination  of  struc- 
ture types  was  necessary  because  of  the  geologic 
and  topographic  characteristics  of  the  site.  It  is 
a  relatively  wide  valley  with  geological  weaknesses 
in  the  upper  reaches  of  the  canyon  walls,  particu- 
larly on  the  left  abutment.     Full  utilization  of  the 


The  American  study  team  which  visited  Reclamation  works  in  Spain 
are  from  left,  Lt.  C.  E.  Dominy,  Harold  G.  Arthur,  Commissioner 
Dominy,  and  Alfred  T.  Lewis. 


February   1965 


BUILDING   A  RECLAMATION 
GIANT  in  CALIFORNIA 


THE  Bureau  of  Reclamation  is  building  one  of 
the  largest  dams  in  the  world  across  one  of  the 
smallest  creeks  in  California. 

When  completed  in  1967,  San  Luis  Dam  will 
stand  320  feet  high  and  stretch  3i/^  miles  across 
the  normally  dry  bed  of  San  Luis  Creek. 

But  the  water  to  fill  San  Luis  Reservoir  won't 
come  from  tiny  San  Luis  Creek.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  runoff  from  the  creek  won't  match  even 
the  annual  evaporation  from  the  more  than  2.  mil- 
lion acre- feet  of  water  that  will  eventually  be 
stored  behind  the  dam. 

These  anomalies  provide  a  unique  background 
for  San  Luis  Dam,  but  the  practical  structure  and 
its  related  works  will  have  a  high  payoff  from 
multiple-use  operations. 

San  Luis  Dam  is  part  of  the  half-billion-dollar 
San  Luis  Unit  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's 
Central  Valley  Project. 

The  San  Luis  Unit  is  being  constructed  by  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation.  Since  its  major  features 
are  to  be  used  jointly  with  the  State  of  California, 
the  State  is  paying  a  proportionate  share  of  the 
costs.  This  is  the  first  such  Federal-State  project 
in  the  history  of  the  Bureau. 

By  connecting  the  facilities  of  the  Federal  Cen- 
tral Valley  Project  with  the  California  Water 
Project,  the  San  Luis  Unit  will  make  it  possible 
for  water  originating  in  the  watersheds  of  the 
Trinity  and  Sacramento  Rivers  to  be  used  as  far 
south  as  San  Diego.  This  is  the  geographical 
equivalent  of  taking  water-f  rom  New  York's  Hud- 
son River  for  use  in  Charleston,  S.C. 

Key  features  of  the  unit  are  rapidly  assuming 
recognizable  shape  on  the  west  side  of  the  San 
Joaquin  Valley,  12  miles  west  of  Los  Banos  and 
100  miles  from  the  unit's  water  supply  in  the  Sac- 
ramento-San Joaquin  River  Delta. 

Huge  machines,  some  of  them  especially  de- 
signed for  the  challege  of  moving  the  75  million 
cubic  yards  of  material  that  will  be  packed  into 
the  dam,  are  digging,  hauling,  and  compressing 
thousands  of  tons  of  earth  24  hours  a  day. 


Towering  above  the  valley  floor,  like  a  ferris 
wheel  in  a  parking  lot,  is  the  giant  excavator 
built  to  dig  and  load  more  than  100  tons  of  earth 
a  minute. 

Instead  of  seats,  this  "ferris  wheel"  has  10  bucket 
shovels  which  scoop  more  than  21^  tons  of  earth 
at  a  bite  from  an  embankment  of  earth.  As  the 
wheel  turns,  the  buckets  empty  onto  a  conveyor 
belt. 

At  the  other  end  of  the  belt  are  two  loading 
chutes.  As  the  gate  on  one  of  the  chutes  bangs 
closed,  one  truck  pulls  forward  with  its  100-ton 
load  and  makes  a  30-mile-per-hour  run  to  the  dam- 
site.  At  the  same  time,  the  other  chute  opens, 
sending  earth  cascading  down  into  a  second  truck 
already  in  place.  At  blaring  horn  signals  from 
the  excavator  operator,  the  second  truck  moves 
ahead  in  quick  starts  and  stops  so  that  the  load 
may  be  evenly  distributed — and  still  another  truck 
pulls  into  place  beneath  the  closed  chute. 

Munching  Embankments 

Every  45  seconds  a  truck  is  loaded  and  moves 
out.  The  wheel  excavator  slowly  moves  forward, 
munching  its  way  through  the  embankment  as 
though  it  were  a  chocolate  bar. 

At  the  damsite,  the  bottoms  of  the  truck  beds 
drop  open,  spilling  the  earth  material  on  the  dam. 
Bulldozers  crawl  in  to  spread  it,  followed  by 
sheepsfoot  rollers — heavy  drums  with  hundreds 
of  tiny  cylindrical  "feet" — which  roll  over  and 
over  and  over  it,  tamping  it  into  sure  compactness. 
This  places  the  "zone  1"  and  "zone  2"  material  for 
the  dam — the  material  that  is  most  nearly  imper- 
vious to  water  and  makes  up  the  core  of  earthfill 
dams. 

The  heavier  material  used  to  anchor  the  dam  in 
place  and  protect  it  from  the  elements  is  being 
blasted  from  the  earth  in  the  hills  overlooking  the 

Workers'  cars  parked  in  lower  left  are  in  the  bottom  of  the  pump- 
generator  plant  area  just  below  the  main  San  Luis  Dam.  In  a  few 
months  the  dam  will  be  built  up  as  high  as  the  top  of  the  morning 
glory  spillway  tower  at  right. 


The  ReclamaHon  Era 


Building  a  huge  form  for  the  spillway  inlet  of  the  Forebay 
Pumping  Plant. 

damsite.  There  an  electric  shovel  with  a  15-cubic- 
yard  bucket  goes  through  a  monotonous  day-long 
ritual — scoop,  lift,  swing  and  dump;  scoop,  lift, 
swing  and  dump;  scoop,  lift,  swing  and  dump. 

After  each  three  cycles,  a  loaded  truck  leaves 
carrying  65  tons  of  rock  and  an  empty  truck  comes 
to  rest  beneath  the  shovel.  Loaded  trucks  hurry 
a  few  hundred  yards  down  the  hill  and  dump  their 
loads  at  a  rock  separation  plant. 

Smaller  rocks,  those  less  than  8  inches  in  diam- 
eter, plunge  through  a  screen  of  thick  steel  bars — 
the  grizzly — onto  a  conveyor  belt  and  down  3,500 
feet  to  the  bottom  of  the  hill.  Other  trucks  drive 
through  a  tunnel  beneath  the  cone  of  rocks  spill- 
ing from  the  conveyor,  are  loaded,  and  speedily 
moved  to  the  damsite. 

The  larger  rocks  bounce  off  the  grizzly  and  roar 
their  way  through  a  series  of  baffles  that  guide 
them  into  the  reinforced  beds  of  still  more  trucks 
waiting  below.  Steel  chains,  resembling  the 
tracks  used  on  combat  tanks,  flap  like  sheets  in  the 
wind  as  they  prevent  the  bouncing  boulders  from 
flying  out  of  the  separation  chutes. 

These  larger  chunks  of  rocks,  known  as  riprap, 
are  placed  on  the  outside  of  the  dam  on  the  up- 
stream face.  A  24-inch  blanket  of  rocks  less  than 
8  inches  in  diameter  goes  on  the  downstream  face. 


At  the  north  end  of  the  downstream  face  of  the 
dam,  construction  is  well  along  on  the  pumping- 
generating  plant  through  which  the  water  will 
pass  into  and  out  of  the  reservoir  by  means  of 
pump  turbines. 

Tunnels  have  been  bored  through  the  natural 
rock  that  will  serve  as  the  core  of  the  dam  at  this 
point.  Sections  of  steel  pipe  are  neatly  stacked, 
waiting  for  a  specially  designed  rig  which  will  roll 
through  them,  then  lift  and  carry  them  into  place 
in  the  tunnels.  Concrete  will  be  poured  between 
the  pipes  and  the  walls  of  the  tunnels  to  hold  them 
in  place. 

A  mixture  of  water  and  cement  making  a  mortar 
called  grout  has  been  forced  through  drilled  holes 
into  the  natural  nooks  and  crannies  of  the  rock 
bed  under  the  dam  and  around  the  tunnels  to  solid- 
ify it  and  prevent  any  leakage. 

Pump-Turbine  Operation 

Giant  combination  pump  turbines  will  be  placed 
in  the  pumping-generating  plant  when  it  is  com- 
pleted. These  eight  pump  turbines  will  be  one 
of  the  structure's  most  interesting  features.  The 
plant  will  pump  the  water  brought  to  the  forebay 
of  the  dam  by  the  Bureau  of  Eeclamation's  Delta- 
Mendota  Canal  and  the  State's  California  Aque- 
duct into  the  San  Luis  Reservoir  for  storage.  The 
pumps  will  have  a  capacity  of  500,000  horsepower, 
more  than  three  times  that  of  the  Bureau's  huge 
pumping  plant  at  Tracy. 

When  the  water  is  needed  for  use  by  the  Bureau 
along  the  San  Luis  Canal  or  by  the  State  on  the 
southern  coast  of  California,  it  will  be  released 
through  the  pump  turbines  which  will  turn  the 
generators  in  the  plant.  The  generators  will  be 
able  to  produce  up  to  424,000  kilowatts,  greater 
than  the  capacity  of  the  Bureau's  Shasta  Dam 
powerplant. 

From  the  forebay,  the  water  will  flow  into  the 
San  Luis  Canal,  which  also  is  under  construction. 
The  largest  piece  of  equipment  working  on  the 
canal  is  a  walking  dragline.  It  throws  out  a  15- 
cubic-yard  bucket  from  its  165-foot  boom,  reels  it 
back  and  lifts  and  dumps  it  over  the  side  of  the 
canal.  A  fleet  of  self-loading  scrapers  with  pow- 
erful electric  motors  on  each  of  their  eight  wheels 
helps  remove  the  earth  from  the  canal. 

Working  behind  the  dragline  and  the  scrapei-s 
is  a  giant  trimmer,  which  shapes  the  sides  of  the 
canal  to  the  correct  angle.  Next  comes  the  liner 
with  its  movable  form  for  use  in  placing  the 
canal's  concrete  lining. 


The  Reclamation  Era 


At  Mile  18  Pumping  Plant,  also  under  construc- 
tion, the  water  will  be  lifted  to  flow  by  gravity 
through  the  final  four  reaches  of  the  canal. 

The  San  Luis  Canal  will  be  one  of  the  major 
waterways  in  the  West,  with  a  width  in  the  first 
reach  of  257  feet  and  a  depth  of  more  than  36  feet. 
It  will  run  103  miles  south  through  the  Bureau's 
San  Luis  service  area  to  Kettleman  City.  From 
that  point,  more  than  half  of  the  water  carried 
through  the  canal  will  enter  the  southern  section 
of  the  State's  California  Aqueduct.  This  water 
will  be  lifted  over  the  Tehachapi  Mountains  and 
used  for  irrigation,  municipal  and  industrial  sup- 
plies in  the  southern  coastal  region. 

About  25  miles  above  Kettleman  City,  a  pump- 
ing plant  will  lift  a  portion  of  the  water  138  feet 
into  the  Bureau's  Pleasant  Valley  Canal,  which 
will  carry  in  to  a  Federal  service  area. 

Preliminary  excavation  of  the  dam's  two  foun- 
dation trenches  uncovered  archeologically  impor- 
tant remains  of  pre-Columbian  Indians  and  such 
prehistoric  animals  as  the  mammoth.  Helped  by 
Bureau  of  Reclamation  employees.  State  archeo- 
logists  and  students  from  the  University  of  Cali- 
fornia at  Los  Angeles  removed  relics  from  Indian 


burial  grounds  1,500  years  old. 

Most  of  the  facilities  in  the  unit  on  which  con- 
struction first  started  in  early  1963  will  be  com- 
pleted by  1967.  The  estimated  total  cost  of 
construction  is  $481  million.  Cost  of  the  joint 
facilities  is  estimated  at  more  than  $354  million. 
Fifty-five  percent  of  the  joint  costs  will  be  paid  by 
the  State  of  California. 

Construction  of  the  joint  facilities  for  mutual 
use  will  save  the  Federal  Government  and  the 
State  of  California  $30  million  each  in  construc- 
tion costs  alone.  This  mutually  advantageous 
financial  accomplishment  stands  as  a  record-break- 
ing example  of  Federal-State  cooperation.  Many 
more  millions  of  dollars  will  be  saved  for  both 
agencies  in  operations  and  maintenance  expenses 
over  the  years. 

When  completed,  the  San  Luis  Unit  will  serve 
more  than  half  a  million  irrigable  acres.  The  ad- 
dition of  a  firm  supply  of  irrigation  water  to  these 
rich  lands  will  result  in  a  diversification  of  crops 
which  will  tremenduously  increase  the  economic 
benefits  both  to  the  local  community  and  the  Na- 
tion at  large.  #     #     # 


Man  in  low  center  is  pulling  on  the  trip-ring  to 
release  another  bucket  of  concrete  at  Mile  18 
Pumping  Pl<int. 

February  1965 


'-^'■^  ■>:     ^ 


^.9 


No  Halfway  Measure  for — 

SAFETY  IN  DAMS 


hf  B.  P.  BEUPORT,  Chief  Engineer 

"AN^S  straggle  to  control  and  store  water 
dates  back  to  the  dawn  of  history.  He  has 
built  dams  of  nearly  every  size  and  description,  in 
Mjearly  ev^y  comer  of  the  globe.  Ancient  cultures 
have  disappeared  leaving  behind  remains  of  such 
stn^ctures,  some  of  them  nearly  60  feet  high — an 
impressive  height  in  the  light  of  the  crude  con- 
struction methods  of  that  early  time. 

Unfortunately,  history  also  tells  us  that  many 
of  these  dams  did  not  perform  as  planned.  Dam 
failures  when  mentioned  by  engineers  include  those 
which  may  have  failed  partially  or  completely, 
some  of  which  required  unanticipated  remedial 
work.  Statistics  show  at  least  1,800  such  incidents 
dating  back  to  the  12th  century. 

The  loss  of  life  and  suffering  from  some  dis- 
asters have  been  strangers  to  no  part  of  the  world 
or  time  in  history.  Prominent  dam  failures  in  this 
country  include  Mill  River  Dam  in  Massachusetts 
in  1874,  drowning  140;  the  Johnstown  Flood  in 
Pennsylvania  in  1889,  causing  a  loss  of  life  totaling 
2,200 ;  St.  Francis  Dam  in  California,  killing  426 
in  1928 ;  and  the  Baldwin  Hills  Dam  in  California 
last  December,  killing  5  persons. 

This  long  and  dramatic  history  of  devastation 
as  related  to  controlling  and  storing  water  has 
served  to  shock  the  public  into  an  awareness  of 
the  need  for  safety — an  awareness  and  need  we 
have  long  felt  in  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation. 

The  Bureau  is  now  in  its  64th  year  of  bringing 
out  the  best  and  defeating  the  worst  in  water. 
During  these  many  years,  the  Bureau  has  built  176 
storage  dams  with  a  capacity  of  more  than  120  mil- 
lion acre-feet. 

Providing  safe  storage  of  huge  bodies  of  water 
is  a  great  responsibility.  As  a  result,  each  of  its 
structures  has  been  invested  with  the  greatest  en- 
gineering skills  and  experience  in  investigation, 
planning,  testing,  research,  design,  construction, 
and  maintenance  to  provide  the  maximum  durable 
safety  for  dams,  people,  and  property.    The  struc- 

8 


tures  must  perform  reliably,  not  for  years  or  dec- 
ades, but  for  centuries. 

Building  a  dam  today  involves  the  work  of 
varied  technical  specialists.  The  combined  capa- 
bilities and  talents  of  the  engineer,  hydrologist, 
chemist,  physicist,  petrographer,  geologist,  and 
scientist  are  needed  to  work  in  concert  with  the 
designer.  Skilled  in  electronics,  automatic  data 
processing,  and  scores  of  other  tools  of  their  spe- 
cialties, they  evaluate,  test,  and  solve  the  problems 
of  design  and  construction. 

The  smallest  details  can  sometimes  make  the 
biggest  differences  in  quality  and  durability  of 
construction.  For  example,  the  concrete-making 
materials — cement,  rock,  and  sand — ^are  minutely 
analyzed  by  X-ray,  whereby  even  the  atomic  struc- 
ture of  crystals  is  identified  and  measured. 

The  Safe  Foundation 

No  dam  is  more  sound  than  the  foundation  on 
which  it  is  built.  One  tabulation  indicates  that 
40  percent  of  all  dam  failures  have  been  caused  by 
inadequate  foundations.  The  foundation  must 
have  adequate  strength  even  when  wet  and  under 
the  load  of  the  dam  and  water  in  the  reservoir. 

If,  for  example,  the  foundation  is  a  clay  ma- 
terial, its  strength  can  be  measured  by  a  specially 
developed  vane  shear  test  apparatus.  This  bladed 
device  is  inserted  in  the  foundation  material  and 
the  torque  required  to  turn  the  blades  gives  a  meas- 
urement of  the  soil  strength. 

Should  the  foundation  be  of  rock,  the  engineer 
wants  a  clear  picture  of  the  types  of  rock  that 
lie  beneath  the  surface  to  a  depth  of  possibly 
several  hundred  feet.  Traditionally,  he  calls  for 
the  drilling  of  rock  cores.  Now,  he  can  call  for  a 
new  aid  to  take  his  critical  eye  to  the  parent  rock 
as  it  lies  in  place.  The  Bureau  uses  a  recently  de- 
veloped compact  television  camera  which  is  lowered 
in  the  small-diameter  drill  holes  for  direct  visual 
examination  of  the  foundation  rock  deep  beneath 

The  Reclamation  Era 


Large  radial  gates,  which  control  the  flow  of  water  over  the  spill- 
way of  a  dam,  are  periodically  inspected. 


Concrete  is  freshly  poured,  strainmeters  and  their  cables  are  placed 
by  hand — this  is  early  in  the  construction  of  Glen  Canyon  Dam. 


the  surface.  This  is  the  only  such  television 
camera  in  the  United  States.  With  this  device  he 
can  "see"  the  cracks  and  seams  that  must  be  sealed 
by  grouting.  He  can  locate  and  measure  such 
characteristics  as  the  "strike  and  dip"  of  the  beds 
of  rock  and  he  can  detect  the  presence  of  "geologic 
faults." 

A  variety  of  drilling  and  sampling  methods, 
exploration  tunnels,  and  geophysical  techniques 
are  also  used.  The  Bureau  is  now  able  to  determine 
in  the  field  the  elastic  properties  of  foundation  rock 
with  load  bearing  or  "jacking"  tests.  These  tests 
are  conducted  in  exploration  tunnels  in  the  founda- 
tion area  where  the  jacks  apply  pressure  of  up  to 
800  pounds  per  square  inch.  The  application  and 
relief  of  these  pressures  allow  the  measurement  of 
the  rock's  elasticity,  permitting  a  more  accurate 
prediction  of  rock  behavior  under  load. 

Geology  Is  Considered 

Not  only  the  local  geology  but  regional  geology 
also  must  be  considered  when  constructing  a  dam 
and  storing  a  large  amount  of  water.  Hoover 
Dam  and  Lake  Mead,  its  reservoir,  can  be  pre- 

February   1965 


These  two  men  show  how  an  inspection  reading  is  made  on  strain- 
meters  that  have  been  embedded  in  concrete. 


Geologist  Malcolm  Logan  is  shown  viewing  the  screen  of  the  TV 
borehole  telescope  which  is  in  the  ground  approximately  70  feet. 

sented  as  an  example  of  the  demands  placed  on 
the  foundation.  When  Lake  Mead  is  at  maximum 
storage  it  contains  31,047,000  acre-feet — more  than 
enough  water  to  cover  the  entire  State  of  New 
York  1  foot  deep.  This  water  in  storage  weighs 
a  total  of  42.2  billion  tons,  while  the  maximum 
water  pressure  at  the  base  of  the  dam  is  45,000 
pounds  per  square  foot.  Settlement  from  this 
imposed  weight  was  anticipated  and  caused  a  sink- 
ing of  the  earth's  crust  in  the  general  area  of 
approximately  7  inches. 

Because  each  reservoir  may  have  to  cope  with 
a  major  flood,  it  is  important  for  the  hydrologist 
to  establish  the  maximum  probable  flood  that  must 
be  carried  safely  out  of  the  reservoir  and  past  the 
dam.  The  characteristics  of  such  flows  are  deter- 
mined to  properly  design  dams,  spillways,  and 
outlet  works  by  thorough  studies  of  streamflow, 
precipitation,  watershed  runoff  experiences,  as 
well  as  a  forecast  of  major  storms. 

The  designers  lay  out  the  plans  and  arrange- 
ment of  the  dam  and  related  works,  determine  all 
the  forces  acting  on  the  structure,  and  proportion 
them  to  achieve  the  greatest  safety,  economy,  and 
efficiency.  The  Bureau  places  emphasis  on  the 
detailed  technical  specifications  and  the  drawings 
which  "spell  out"  each  aspect  of  the  work.  The 
specifications  and  drawings  for  the  San  Luis  Dam 
and  related  works  in  the  Central  Valley  of  Cali- 


fornia filled  3  volumes  and  totaled  337  pages  of 
text  and  409  detailed  drawings. 

Improvements  in  the  design,  as  well  as  new  tech- 
niques and  materials  for  use  in  construction,  up- 
keep, or  repair  are  aided  through  the  Bureau's 
research  laboratories  in  Denver.  Materials  re- 
ceive tests  for  strength,  durability,  conformity  to 
specifications,  and  methods  of  use.  Test  data  are 
obtained  on  rock,  soil,  cement,  concrete,  wood, 
metal,  asphalt,  rubber,  plastics,  paints,  and  many 
other  materials. 

Scale  models  of  certain  structures  to  be  con- 
structed or  machinery  to  be  used  are  built  and 
tested  with  water  to  verify  and  evaluate  prelimi- 
nary designs  and  solve  unique  problems. 

When  construction  actually  starts  on  the  dam, 
all  stages  of  the  work  are  visually  examined, 
measured,  or  tested  by  Bureau  inspectors.  This 
inspection  program  assures  that  all  requirements 
of  the  plans  and  specifications  are  being  met  by 
the  contractor. 

Delicate  and  exact  instruments  are  placed  in 
concrete  dams  to  provide  detailed  information  on 
the  behavior  of  the  structure  under  working  loads 
of  water.  They  indicate  how  the  dam  responds  to 
a  wide  variety  of  influences  of  loading  and  un- 
loading by  measuring  stress,  strain,  volume 
change,  joint  movements,  deflections,  temperature 
change,  and  pore  pressure.  For  example,  a  total 
of  1,100  such  instruments  have  been  placed  in 
Flaming  Gorge  Dam  recently  completed  in  north- 
ern Utah.  Information  on  the  condition  of  this 
502-foot  concrete  arch  structure  has  been  available 
beginning  with  the  placement  of  concrete  and  con- 
tinues as  the  reservoir  fills.  For  earth  dams, 
samples  of  the  different  soils  are  evaluated  for 
their  engineering  behavior  as  actual  construction 
materials.  The  material  must  demonstrate  that  it 
will  "stay  put"  and  perform  according  to  design. 

Performance  Data 

Wlien  earth  dams  are  of  unusual  size  or  involve 
particular  problems,  embedded  instruments  are 
employed  to  provide  data  on  performance  during 
and  after  construction.  For  example,  San  Luis 
Dam  in  California,  currently  under  construction, 
is  a  zoned  earthfill  dam  18,500  feet  long  with  a 
volume  of  78  million  cubic  yards.  It  will  be  the 
world's  third  largest  dam  of  its  type.  Instruments 
within  the  dam  will  measure  foundation  settle- 
ment, embankment  consolidation,  and  water  pres- 
sures within  the  embankment. 


10 


The  RedamaHon  Era 


A  powdered  rock  sample  is  being  placed  on  an  X-ray  instrument 
so  that  specialists  can  obtain  a  mineralogical  analysis  of  the 
sample. 


All  instrument  readings  are  taken  at  specified 
intervals  and  sent  to  the  engineering  headquarters 
in  Denver  for  evaluation  and  study.  The  data 
obtained  from  instrumentation  and  from  con- 
struction control  tests  are  compared  with  design 
assumptions,  making  possible  improved  design 
practices  for  future  construction. 

Responsibility  for  the  safety  of  a  dam  continues 
after  it  is  complo.ted  and  placed  in  operation. 
The  Bureau's  experienced  engineers  periodically 
examine  the  structures  as  a  part  of  a  continuing 
program  of  inspection  during  operation  and  main- 
tenance. Under  the  Bureau's  Review  of  Main- 
tenance program,  field  personnel  and  representa- 
tives of  the  Chief  Engineer  examine  principal 
structures  and  facilities  on  a  regular  schedule. 
This  program  encourages  effective  maintenance 
and  provides  the  opportunities  to  evaluate  the  per- 
formance of  the  equipment  and  structure  and  sug- 
gest improvements. 

The  safety  of  the  structure  is  further  assured 
by  the  operating  criteria  which  are  issued  for  each 
dam.  An  operator's  handbook  of  printed  instruc- 
tions is  provided  for  all  equipment.  Special  at- 
tention is  directed  to  observation  of  the  dam's 
condition  during  periods  of  changing  water  levels. 
Remedial  measures  are  taken  on  evidence  in  the 
dam  of  abnormalities  such  as  any  cracks,  slides, 
sloughs,  subsidences,  impairment  of  slope  protec- 


tion, springs,  seeps,  and  boggy  areas  caused  by 
seepage. 

Safety  is  a  continuing  activity  and  future  gen- 
erations must  be  able  to  rely  on  it.  It  starts  with 
preliminary  planning  and  has  no  end. 

Today,  the  accumulation  of  man's  knowledge 
and  skills  to  accomplish  safety  and  reliability  in 
structures  is  applied.  Constantly,  new  advances 
are  increasing  the  capabilities  and  every  tool  and 
technique  are  utilized  to  provide  safety  for  dams, 
people,  and  property.  #  #  # 

Pointing  to  the  probe  of  the  TV  boreholed  telescope  as  it  is  entering 
a  3-inch  borehole  is,  Roxy  Root,  geologist. 


February   1965 


On  the  Canadian  River  Project,  Texas  .  .  . 

so  THAT  HISTORY  MAY  NOT  REPEAT 


by  IDA  MAE  ELLIS,  Amarillo,  Texas 


Accolades  for  achievements  have  been  accorded 
20th-century  builders.  In  the  advanced  field  of 
construction  are  the  large  dams  in  the  western 
United  States  which  have  been  built  by  the  Bu- 
reau of  Reclamation. 

One  of  these  accomplishments  is  Sanford  Dam, 
now  under  construction  about  40  miles  northeast 
of  Amarillo,  Tex.  It  is  the  principal  structure  in 
the  $96  million  Canadian  River  Project,  which 
will  impound  municipal  water  for  delivery 
through  a  322-mile  aqueduct  system  to  11  partici- 
pating project  cities  in  the  Texas  Panhandle. 
These  cities  are  Amarillo,  Lubbock,  Pampa, 
Borger,  Plainview,  O'Donnell,  Brownfield,  Level- 
land,  Tahoka,  Slaton,  and  Lamesa.  Thus,  mod- 
ern man  continues  to  strive  for  survival  and 
perpetuity  through  a  more  dependable  and  im- 
proved water  supply. 

An  interesting  flashback  in  time,  however,  re- 
veals that  contiguous  to  the  Sanford  Reservoir — 
locally  referred  to  as  Lake  Meredith — one  can  be 
whisked  back  thousands  of  years,  and  see  actual 
remains  of  prehistoric  man's  habitat.  Eminent 
anthropologists,  archeologists,  geologists,  and  his- 
torians have  ascertained  that  some  12,000  years 
ago,  various  bands  of  Ice  Age  hunters,  pre-Indian 
warriors,  traveled  the  valley  of  the  Canadian 
River.  In  about  A.D.  900  the  first  group  of  pre- 
historic Stone  Age  farmers  moved  into  the  Ca- 
nadian River  Valley,  built  pueblos  with  accessory 
structures  of  stone  and  adobe,  the  remains  of  which 
are  still  evident  within  the  environs  of  the  reser- 
voir site. 

Villages  containing  100  rooms  were  built  in 
series.  Remaining  evidences  of  culture  in  the 
ruins  appear  to  be  a  northern  plains  type,  but  the 
architecture  seems  to  be  of  Puebloan  or  southwest- 
em  origin. 

On  the  perimeter  of  the  Sanford  Reservoir  is 
found  the  Alibates  Ruins  complex — possibly  of 
joint  ancient  American-Indian  ownership.  Many 
of  the  rooms  were  excavated  in  1930  by  a  Works 
Progress  Administration  crew,  but  other  rooms  are 


yet  to  be  explored.  The  walls  were  constructed  3 
or  4  feet  high  of  double  rows  of  stones,  the  space 
in  between  being  filled  with  rubble  and  adobe.  On 
top  of  these  were  horizontal  layers  of  rock  with 
adobe  binding,  usually  to  a  height  of  about  6  feet. 
Cross-beams  supported  by  the  outside  walls  and 
four  upright  posts  on  the  inside  of  the  dwelling 
formed  the  ceiling.  An  opening  on  the  roof  was 
the  entrance,  and  another  was  a  smoke  vent.  The 
interior  was  plastered  with  thin  even  coatings  of 
adobe. 

Several  thousand  identifiable  artifacts  have  been 
removed  from  the  ruins,  many  of  them  not  native 
to  this  region. 

Though  the  people  were  sedentary,  extensive  and 
permanent  habitations,  artifacts,  and  animal  re- 
mains indicate  that  their  economy  was  concerned 
with  maize  agriculture  and  the  hunting  of  bison, 
antelope,  and  deer. 

The  hunters  made  extensive  use  of  the  beautiful 
rainbow-colored,  Alibates  flint,  weapon  paints — 
indigenous  to  the  area,  as  reflected  by  the  quarries 
in  this  vicinity.  Geologists  have  noted  that  the 
browns  in  the  flint  were  chosen  in  the  first  mining, 
then  the  blue  and  white.  But  red  colors  predomi- 
nated for  trading  purposes.  Alibates  flint  was 
evidently  among  the  best  on  the  continent,  for  from 
this  material  the  Indian  settlers  fashioned  their 
hide  scrapers,  double-bladed  knives,  hammers, 
awls,  weapon  points,  and  other  such  tools.  Home 
areas  are  littered  with  flint  chips  and  chipped  arti- 
facts, some  places  several  feet  in  depth. 

The  Alibates  Flint  Quarry  consists  of  numerous 
pits  along  the  south  rim  of  a  flat-topped  ridge, 
capped  and  supported  by  the  flint  bed,  that  lies 
along  the  south  shore  of  the  future  Sanford  Reser- 
voir. Many  depressions,  now  almost  filled  with 
topsoil,  represent  prehistoric  quarry  sites.  These 
flint  quarries  were  valuable  not  only  because  they 
provided  a  source  of  material  for  home  tools  but 
also  because  the  flint  "blanks"  (ready- to- work 
chunks)  were  the  medium  of  exchange  and  barter. 
Samples  have  been  found  in  several  areas  of  the 
North  American  Continent. 


12 


The  Reclamation  Era 


A  model  of  an  ancient  Indian  village  which  contained  about  100  rooms. 


Tools  were  manufactured  from  the  blanks  and 
traded  to  other  migrating  tribes.  It  has  been  said 
that  the  Alibates  Quarries  and  workshop  area  is 
the  earliest  and  longest  lived  industry  developed  on 
the  North  American  Continent. 

Forced  to  Migrate 

When  these  early  inhabitants  lived  along  the 
Canadian  River,  climatic  conditions  were  favor- 
able, but  as  arid  conditions  developed,  the  lack  of 
rain  forced  them  to  migrate  elsewhere.  Many 
famous  aboriginal,  nomadic  Indian  tribes  roamed 
and  fought  in  this  vicinity  during  the  first  half  of 
the  19th  century,  and  had  dealings  with  such  well- 
known  characters  as  Kit  Carson,  the  Indian  scout, 
and  General  Custer,  of  the  U.S.  Army.  However, 
the  exodus  of  the  Indians  at  about  the  middle  of 
the  19th  century  motivated  white  settlement.  A 
few  Anglo-Americans  established  residence  here  in 
1874,  and  Panhandle  cattle  ranching  began.  Un- 
til railroads  were  constructed  and  farming  started, 
the  first  settlements  were  trading  posts. 

In  further  growth,  the  land  was  converted  from 
cattle  ranching  to  growing  crops,  the  production 
and  processing  of  oil  and  natural  gas,  and  the  in- 
troduction of  irrigation  wells. 

Present-day  citizens  are  aware  that  "without 
water  the  people  perish,"  and  that  there  can  be  no 
substained  economic  development  without  an  ade- 
quate water  supply.  To  obtain  a  guarantee  of 
water  was  a  prime  factor  in  prompting  the  con- 


struction of  the  Canadian  River  Project.  It  pro- 
vided the  impetus  for  the  Texas  Panhandle  cities 
to  make  investments,  both  for  the  present  and  for 
posterity.  In  addition  to  water  conservation,  the 
Sanford  Reservoir  will  provide  the  entire  area 
with  recreation  facilities,  including  all  water 
sports,  fishing,  hunting,  camping,  boating,  and 
picknicking  units.  Panhandle  enthusiasts  are 
clamoring  for  just  such  recreation  on  these  broad 
High  Plains,  and  tourists  will  have  an  additional 
vacation  spot. 

Sanford  Dam  is  scheduled  for  completion  in  the 
summer  of  1965.  But  even  now,  visitors  to  the 
area  are  sightseeing  and  visualizing  the  dam,  the 
reservoir  with  its  thousands  of  acre-feet  of  water, 
and  their  "Dream-Come-True"  project.  Also  for 
the  rock  collector,  the  photographers  and  the  tour- 
ists interested  in  history  and  Indian  lore  will  be 
the  ancient  dwellings  and  ruins  of  those  who  ex- 
plored, fought,  lived,  died,  and  were  forced  to 
depart  from  the  Canadian  River  shores.  In  the 
distance,  on  lands  nearby,  one  may  see  a  deer  or 
antelope  at  play,  or  even  a  buffalo  roam — perhaps 
reminding  him  of  the  symbol  of  the  Department  of 
the  Interior — ^the  agency  which  helped  bring  about 
the  benefits  of  this  water  resource  development. 

#    #    # 

(Historical  data  were  furnished  by  Mr.  Henry  E.  Hertner, 
vice  chairman,  Potter  County  Historical  Survey  Com- 
mittee, Amarillo.) 


February  1965 


13 


DREDGING  THE  BRAIDED  COLORADO 


by  PAUL  A.  OLIVER,  Regional   River  Control 
Engineer,  Boulder  City,  Nev. 


In  a  work  program  expected  to  extend  over  4 
to  5  years,  a  16-mile  stretch  of  the  interlacing  and 
meandering  channels  of  the  lower  Colorado  River 
in  Cibola  Valley  will  be  rechanneled  into  a  canal- 
like section  which  promises  to  repay  work  costs  in 
salvaged  water. 

The  Colorado,  a  20-inch,  hydraulic,  cutter-head 
dredge  is  named  after  the  river.  It  sits  on  the 
waters  of  the  braided  Colorado  River  and  tire- 
lessly churns  and  pumps — dredging  up  silt  and 
sand  to  salvage  water.  This  patient  creature,  and 
two  smaller  ones  of  almost  the  same  design,  can  be 
found  at  work  on  the  California-Arizona  border 
part  of  the  river  for  the  next  several  years.  The 
work  they  do  will  salvage  a  lot  of  water  which 
can  be  put  to  practical  use  in  water-short  areas. 

Credit  goes  to  The  Colorado  for  rechanneling  30 
miles  of  the  Colorado  River  completed  4  years  ago 
near  Needles,  Calif.  By  that  correction  work, 
water  tables  were  lowered  and  drainage  improved, 
resulting  in  60,000  acre- feet  of  water  salvaged  per 
year. 

Work  started  this  year  in  the  Cibola  Valley 
south  of  Blythe  will  save  approximately  36,000 
acre- feet  a  year.  In  fact,  the  total  river  improve- 
ment program,  conservatively  estimated,  is  ex- 
pected to  recover  annually  some  190,000  acre-feet 
of  water  now  being  lost  to  evaporation  and  trans- 
piration from  the  240  miles  of  river  between  Davis 
Dam  and  the  border  of  Mexico.  It  will  also  re- 
duce erosion  and  sediment  which  have  been  detri- 
mental to  downstream  irrigation  facilities. 

The  probability  of  summer  floods  up  to  the  max- 
imum level  is  always  considered  in  the  designing 
of  water  developments. 

Although  construction  of  upstream  dams  on  the 
lower  Colorado  has  reduced  floods  to  some  extent, 
a  floodflow  of  80,000  cubic  feet  per  second  could  be 
expected  from  the  drainage  basin  below  Parker 
Dam  and  above  the  Cibola  Valley  project  area. 
Seven  major  tributary  washes  having  a  total 
drainage  area  of  5,200  square  miles  teiTninate  in 
this  river  reach. 


As  a  result  of  the  construction  of  levees  along 
each  side,  the  channel  will  contain  the  floodflows 
which  probably  will  occur  seasonally. 

In  order  to  protect  the  fish  and  wildlife  habitat 
of  Cibola  Valley  from  possible  damaging  effects  of 
the  project,  several  improvements  and  modifica- 
tions in  the  designs  recommended  by  the  Bureau 
of  Sport  Fisheries  and  Wildlife  were  included  in 
the  planning  report.  Additions  to  the  program 
will  include  facilities  for  regulation  of  impounded 
water  levels  in  bypassed  reaches  of  the  river,  build- 
ing boat  ramps,  construction  of  inlet  works  for 
freshening  flows  to  bypassed  areas  and  realinement 
of  levees.  State  fish  and  game  agencies  will  be  on 
hand  to  assure  maximum  enhancement  of  wildlife 
habitat  in  the  channelization  program. 

New  Channel  Banks 

While  the  program  will  involve  dredging  in  ex- 
cess of  10  million  cubic  yards  of  material,  other 
work  will  assure  permanence  of  the  channel.  It  is 
estimated  that  a  total  of  250,000  cubic  yards  of  rip- 
rap stone  will  be  placed  along  the  new  channel 
banks  to  resist  river  erosion.  Over  50  miles  of  road 
will  be  constructed  or  regraded  for  access  from 
quarries  and  gravel  pits.  Two  timber  bridges  will 
be  constructed  over  the  river  to  provide  access  for 
operations  and  to  relieve  severance  problems  result- 
ing from  a  major  shift  in  the  channel. 

Because  of  the  scope  of  the  improvement  work 
along  the  240  miles  of  river,  two  additional  dredges 
in  the  12-inch  size  have  been  acquired,  and  a  fourth 
dredge — which  is  expected  to  be  a  16-inch  ma- 
chine— is  programed  for  acquisition.  The  size  of 
a  hydraulic  dredge  is  determined  by  the  diameter 
of  its  discharge  pipeline.  The  Bureau  operates  the 
two  12-inch  machines  at  widely  separate  points  on 
the  river  in  operations  which  intercept  the  sedi- 
ment load  carried  by  the  Colorado  River. 

One  of  the  12-inch  dredges.  Little  Colorado,  is 
stationed  on  the  new  channel  near  Needles.  Until 
fiscal  year  1966,  it  has  a  job  to  do  there  in  a  settling 


14 


The  Reclamation   Era 


basin.  This  basin  is  an  overwide  section  of 
dredged  channel  that  collects  the  finer  material 
which  the  river  is  sorting  out  from  bottom  mate- 
rial upstream.  As  the  Topock  Swamp  Area  ad- 
jacent to  the  settling  basin  provides  ample  disposal 
area,  it  is  possible  for  the  dredge  to  intercept  the 
transported  material  and  deposit  it  in  the  swamp 
before  it  reaches  the  headwaters  of  Lake  Havasu. 
To  allow  continued  deposition  in  the  upper  lake 
area,  would  not  only  cause  aggradation  in  the 
lower  reach  of  the  dredged  channel,  but  also  would 
aggravate  the  already  severe  disposal  problem  fac- 
ing the  Bureau  in  its  planned  dredging  in  Topock 
Gorge. 

60,000  More 

The  Topock  Gorge  dredging  operation  using 
Little  Colorado  will  help  drain  a  large  part  of 
Topock  Swamp  and  recover  annually  thereby  ap- 
proximately 60,000  acre-feet  of  water — almost 
two-thirds  of  the  amount  now  being  lost  through 
evaporation  and  transpiration. 

The  other  12-inch  machine,  the  Gila^  is  presently 
excavating  in  a  swamp  area  downstream,  between 
Imperial  Dam  and  Laguna  Dam.  Though  the 
dredging  of  settling  basin  and  channels  here  is 
done  to  solve  the  same  problem  prevailing  up- 
stream, the  existing  and  planned  upriver  improve- 


ments are  tackling  the  problem  at  its  source  by  the 
reduction  of  bank  erosion  and  sediment  transport. 

Not  all  channel  control  work  on  the  southern 
part  of  the  Colorado  River  is  accomplished 
through  dredging.  There  are  stretches  where  the 
natural  channel  is  well  entrenched  and  in  reason- 
ably good  alinement,  the  bed  material  being  of  a 
size  to  provide  a  natural  armor.  In  some  reaches, 
control  effort  is  directed  toward  consolidation  of 
split  channels  into  a  single  channel,  correction  of 
misalinements  and  reduction  of  bank  erosion. 
These  objectives  are  accomplished  by  construction 
of  jetties,  training  dikes  of  gravel  faced  with  rip- 
rap, or  by  placing  gravel  and  riprap  stabilizing 
material  along  the  natural  banks. 

For  the  past  3  years  a  river  bankline  stabiliza- 
tion program  has  been  in  progress  in  the  28-mile 
southerly  reach  below  Palo  Verde  Dam.  Farther 
north,  a  similar  program  is  proposed  for  the  16- 
mile  reach  of  river  below  Parker,  Ariz. 

Fish  and  wildlife  agency  review  of  the  proposed 
study  program  for  the  river  reach  between  Parker 
and  Palo  Verde  Dam  have  been  completed.  In 
order  to  obtain  maximum  benefits  in  the  total  de- 
velopment effort,  results  of  the  studies  will  be  in- 
corporated with  the  Bureau's  channel  improve- 
ment plans  directed  toward  salvaging  several  addi- 
tional thousands  of  acre- feet  of  Colorado  River 
water.  #    #    # 


At  this  stage  of  channel  construction  by  "The  Colorado"  dredge,  the  operator  walks  to  his  work  over  a  pontoon  pathway. 


WEED  EMPHASIS  DAY 

in  Minidoka 


by  TERRANCE  A.  GULLEY 

(Mr.  GuUey  is  Manager  of  the  North  Side  Irrigation 
Field  Division,  Minidoka  Project,  Rupert,  Idaho.) 

Why  should  we  emphasize  weeds  ?  Or  set  aside 
a  special  day  to  recognize  the  pests  ? 

Weeds  annually  rob  American  farmers  of  mil- 
lions of  dollars  and  steal  more  than  1.5  million 
acre-feet  of  precious  water.  The  emphasis  is 
given,  not  because  of  any  great  love  for  weeds, 
but  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  to  the  attention  of 
farmers  and  business  and  professional  people,  the 
losses  and  expense  caused  by  the  pests  and  their 
threat  to  the  future  of  agriculture. 

Through  increased  familiarity  with  the  problem, 
we  are  hoping  for  more  community  enthusiasm 
and  effort  in  combating  the  pests.  First  estab- 
lished in  1960  as  a  Weed  Indentification  Day  for 
employees  of  the  North  Side  Pumping  Division, 
its  success  generated  enthusiasm  leading  to  the 
annual  Weed  Emphasis  Day  for  all  of  Minidoka 
County. 

Under  the  leadership  of  the  Minidoka  County 
agriculture  agent.  Weed  Emphasis  Day  is  carried 
out  by  a  committee  of  local  leaders  representing 
farmers,  businessmen,  irrigation  districts,  county 
weed  districts,  the  State  extension  service,  and  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation.  Its  purpose  is  not  only 
to  encourage  greater  understanding  of  weed  prob- 
lems, but  to  adopt  improved  practices  which  will 
save  farms  and  ranges  from  weed  infestations. 

Beginning  at  9 :45  a.m.,  a  caravan  of  cars,  carry- 
ing 100  or  more  enthusiastic  men  and  boys,  leaves 
the  county  courthouse  at  Rupert,  and  visits  se- 
lected areas  where  improved  practices  in  the  use 
of  herbicides,  equipment,  and  methods  are  being 
demonstrated. 

Actually  comparing  the  use  of  herbicides  and 
methods  in  farm  fields  and  on  canal  and  lateral 
banks  is  more  convincing  than  all  the  words  at 
man's  command. 

And  believing  in  the  adage,  "Man's  interest  and 
enthusiasm  wanes  without  rest,"  ice-cold  pop  is 
served  during  short  rest  periods  by  local  weedicide 
dealers. 


Completing  the  tour  of  field  demonstrations,  the 
eager  weed  eradicators  converge  on  Rupert  where 
a  bounteous  luncheon  of  fried  chicken,  salads,  pie, 
and  ice  cream,  is  served  by  the  A.  &  B.  and  Min- 
idoka Irrigation  Districts. 

Anxious  to  learn  more  about  the  important  task 
of  weed  control,  all  participants  enter  into  a 
friendly  informal  contest  in  the  identification  of 
the  most  troublesome  weeds.  Potted  or  balled 
weed  specimens  in  their  natural  state,  numbered 
and  assembled  on  tables,  set  the  stage  for  compari- 
sons and  interesting  discussions  of  the  character- 
istics of  each  species  and  the  herbicides  and  meth- 
ods most  effective  in  their  eradication  and  control. 

Climaxing  the  program  is  a  meeting  at  which 
the  group  is  treated  to  a  summary  of  the  latest 
information  available  from  research,  field  demon- 
strations, and  successful  farmers.  Talks  are  given 
by  farmers  who  successfully  control  weeds,  and 
by  recognized  specialists.  Thus  Weed  Emqyhasis 
Day  ends  with  a  feeling  that  progress  is  being 
made  in  this  important  phase  of  our  agricultural 
program. 

Adjournment  is  at  3  p.m.  to  allow  the  farm- 
ers time  to  go  home,  change  their  irrigation  water, 
do  the  chores,  and  think  about  weeds — we  hope. 

Through  such  meetings  and  tours,  our  farmers 
and  those  who  operate  our  water  distribution  sys- 
tems are  prepared  and  encouraged  to  cooperate  to 
whip  this  big  problem. 

Weed  Emphasis  Day  is  already  reaping  results. 
Some  of  the  farmers  show  more  interest  in  the 
problem  and  are  demonstrating  recommended 
control  measures  on  their  farms.  Interest  is  grow- 
ing annually.  Eventually  it  is  hoped  that  all 
landowners  will  participate  in  this  serious  battle 
against  noxious  and  poisonous  weeds. 

Noxious  weeds  have  long  been  a  problem  in  the 
county.  Knowing  this,  the  Minidoka  Irrigation 
District,  which  has  operated  for  some  57  years,  has 
been  actively  dealing  with  it  for  a  long  time. 

The  problem  became  even  more  apparent  in  the 
county  when  the  North  Side  Pumping  Division  of 
the  Minidoka  Project,  comprising  some  77,000 
acres,  came  into  existence  and  began  the  delivery  of 
water  in  1954.  Private  development  and  lands 
leased  during  the  testing  years  had  wasted  water 
through  natural  draws  and  into  "lows"  where 
Canada  thistle  had  gained  a  tremendous  foothold 
and  had  been  seeding  for  several  years.  These 
seeds  had  been  scattered  by  wind,  and  when  water 
was  applied  to  the  thirsty  acres,  the  seeds  were 


16 


The  Reclamation   Era 


Fried  chicken,  cake,  soft  drink 
on  Weed  Emphasis  Day. 


II  the  food  you  can  get  is  served 


ready  and  Canada  thistle  plants  became  a  part  of 
the  first  year's  crop. 

After  some  discussion  by  concerned  people,  a 
county  weed  and  insect  committee  was  formed  in 
1960,  with  the  county  weed  supervisor  as  chairman 
and   the   county    agent   as   recording   secretary. 


Other  members  included  farmers  from  both  irriga- 
tion district-s,  a  representative  from  a  weedicide 
dealer  and  the  irrigation  manager  of  the  North 
Side  Pumping  Division.  The  committee  was  set 
up  as  a  steering  body  responsible  to  promulgate  a 
program  of  education  and  responsibilities  in  Mini- 
doka County  in  relation  to  the  identification  and 
control  of  noxious  weeds. 

This  committee,  in  searching  for  means  and 
methods,  studied  the  Weed  Ideniftcation  Day  plan 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  was  using  annually  on 
the  north  side  and  decided  to  adopt  and  enlarge 
the  idea.  In  this  way.  Weed  Emphasis  Day  on  a 
countywide  basis  became  the  special  feature  that 
it  is. 

Minidoka  County  insect  and  weed  committee  is 
also  using  the  radio  and  newspaper  media  for 
timely  information  dissemination,  with  the  county 
extension  service  issuing  news  releases  on  insect 
and  weed  control  methods  pertinent  to  the 
county.  #     #     # 


(SPAIN.    Continued  from  page  3) 

The  arch,  which  spans  the  major  portion  of  the 
valley,  was  designed  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion's method  of  trial-load  analysis  in  which  the 
stresses  due  to  the  weight  of  the  dam,  hydrostatic 
pressure,  uplift,  temperature  variation,  and  earth- 
quake were  considered.  The  static  behavior  of  the 
dam  was  analyzed  in  a  three-dimensional  model 
at  the  Central  Laboratory  of  Soils  and  Materials 
of  Construction  of  Madrid  and  in  models  at  the 
National  Laboratory  of  Civil  Engineering  as  Lis- 
bon, Portugal. 

The  power  installation  at  Belesar  is  also  under- 
ground. Three  13-feet-diameter  penstock  tunnels 
lead  to  an  underground  powerplant. 

Spain,  like  the  United  States,  is  taking  advan- 
tage of  many  other  new  frontiers  of  development 
and  control  of  precious  water  resources.  As  the 
importance  of  this  everyday  commodity  in  life 
looms  greater  before  growing  populations,  I  feel 
that  it  is  to  our  mutual  advantage  to  keep  the  ave- 
nues of  communications  open  between  our  two  na- 
tions, as  well  as  other  forward  looking  people  and 
governments,  and  be  ready  as  neighbors  to  improve 
our  conditions,  and  work  harder  as  friends  for 
prosperity  and  peace.  #     #     # 


A  poet  hears  the  song  of  manmade  things. 
Over  the  years,  Elma  Hill  Neal  and  her  Reclama- 
tion employee  husband  Edgar  H.  Neal  have  had 
meaningful  experience  with  irrigation  and  have 
contributed  many  articles  to  the  ReclamMion 
Era—E^. 

The  Waters  of  Idaho 

I  sing  of  my  past  as  I  sing  of  thee 

You  waters  of  Idaho ; 
You  hushed  still  lakes,  you  roaring  rivers ; 

You  little  seeps  where  the  cattails  grow. 

You  are  many  and  varied,  you  waters  that  glide 

Through  this  wild  and  tilting  terrain ; 
You  black  lava  gorges,  you  foaming  falls, 

You  rivers  that  sink  in  wide  grassy  plain. 

But  my  life  has  been  lived  by  a  lesser  stream 

That  curves  through  alfalfa  and  sage ; 
It  is  throttled  by  gates  and  meted  by  gage 

And  is  a  part  of  the  great  western  dream. 

Born  of  the  snowfields  and  mountain  fed  springs; 

Child  of  the  rivers  and  lakes  ; 
Giver  of  life  as  the  long  season  swings 

And  meadow  and  field  awakes. 

You  are  the  wide  canal ;  you  are  the  little  ditches ; 

Surging  with  brown  water,  rimed  with  green  algae; 
Soaking  the  long  furrows,  bringing  riches 

Untold,  O  you  waters  of  Idaho. 

— by  Elma  Hill  Neal. 


February   1965 


17 


Reclamation  in  the  Rio  Grande  Area 
Aided  by  Watershed  Work 


by  HERBERT  I.  JONES,  Soil  Conservation  Service, 
Denver,  Colo. 

Editor's  Note. — This  article  by  Mr.  Jones  describes 
the  Soil  Conservation  Service  effort  and  controlling  hand 
on  Nature's  wrestling  with  water  and  soil — so  meaning- 
ful to  the  security  of  the  farmers  and  urban  residents  in 
three  of  New  Mexico's  southern  counties. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  Rio  Grande  project  area 
totals  196,538  acres,  of  which  102,100  are  in  these  valley 
lands  in  New  Mexico.  Water  users  in  the  area  benefit 
substantially  by  the  contributions  of  SCS  control  of  sedi- 
ment, erosion,  and  flooding  of  project  lands.  SCS  devel- 
opments are  on  tributary  arroyos  and  creeks  adjacent 
to  Bureau  project  lands. 

In  utilizing  flows  of  the  river,  these  Reclamation  proj- 
ect facilities  produce  electric  power  for  the  area  and  irri- 
gate lands  which  in  1963,  produced  crops  valued  at 
$25,464,000. 

Along  the  100-mile  stretch  of  the  Rio  Grande 
in  southern  New  Mexico  work  is  well  underway 
in  the  protection  of  valuable  reclamation  work, 
farmland,  and  property  from  the  destructive 
floods  that  have  cost  the  rich  valley  millions  of 
dollars  in  damages  over  the  years. 

The  constant  threat  of  floods  kept  land  values 
down  and  taxes  up,  curbed  community  expansion, 
and  made  farming  an  extremely  risky  business  in 
the  vicinity  of  arroyos. 

All  this  is  changing.  And  though  the  start  of 
the  change  began  in  the  late  1940's  as  neighbors 
began  pooling  efforts  to  push  the  work,  the  big 
step  forward  can  be  traced  to  1954  when  Congress 
passed  the  Watershed  Protection  and  Flood  Pro- 
tection Act  (Public  Law  566).  Through  this  act 
Congress  authorized  the  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture to  work  with  local  sponsors  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  plans  to  design  and  construct  flood  pre- 
vention work  on  watersheds  under  250,000  acres 
in  size.  The  Soil  Conservation  Service  was 
charged  with  administering  Federal  funds  for 
planning  and  construction.  Sponsors  were  to 
take  care  of  easements,  maintenance,  land  treat- 
ment, and  varying  shares  of  the  cost  of  water 
management  improvements. 


i 


The  bill  was  hardly  enacted  when  a  flood  hit 
Garfield,  N.  Mex.,  a  village  located  along  the  Rio 
Grande  in  northwest  Dona  Ana  County.  The 
banks  of  the  Garfield  lateral  were  washed  out  de- 
laying water  delivery  to  scores  of  farms  and 
drowning  crops  on  others.  More  than  18  inches 
of  water  and  mud  swilled  across  U.S.  Highway  85, 
into  homes  and  business  places. 

Directors  of  the  Caballo  Soil  Conservation  Dis- 
trict, Garfield  folks,  and  their  neighbors  farming 
at  the  mercy  of  Velarde,  Salem,  Reed,  Ralph,  and 
Rocley  arroyos  applied  for  Public  Law  566  help 
for  what  is  known  as  the  Hatch  Valley  arroyos  • 
project.  Work  on  six  flood  water  dams,  one  on  the  fl 
Garfield  arroyo,  began  within  a  year.  The  local 
groups  agreed  to  underwrite  nearly  one-third  of 
the  estimated  $185,000  installation  cost  and  to  op- 
erate and  maintain  the  project  for  at  least  50  years. 

The  contract  for  building  the  $35,000  North 
Salem  floodwater  dam  became  the  first  in  the  Na- 
tion to  be  signed-sealed-and-delivered  under  the 
new  program.  In  all,  the  Hatch  arroyo  structures 
have  more  than  1,100  acre-feet  of  capacity  to  take 
the  brunt  of  flash  runoff  while  the  controlled  re- 
lease of  floodwaters  is  made  through  the  established 
drains  and  wasteways  of  the  Elephant  Butte 
system. 

At  the  same  time  directors  of  the  Elephant  Butte 
Irrigation  District  found  they  could  employ  law 
566  and  sponsor  projects  to  safeguard  immensely 
valuable  irrigation  improvements  built  over  a  span 
of  nearly  50  years  by  the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion. The  board  immediately  moved  to  sponsor 
the  Dona  Ana  Arroyos  watershed  project  located 
25  miles  down  river  from  the  Hatch  project  and 
north  of  Las  Cruces,  N.  Mex. 

This  7,000-acre  project  was  designed  to  protect 
24  farms  and  improvements.  It  includes  two 
flood  prevention  dams  close  by  the  Dona  Ana 
lateral  and  the  key  Leasburg  Canal,  with  a  "con- 
trolled-water"  floodway  to  the  Rio  Grande.     An- 


18 


The  Reclamation   Era 


nual  benefits  accruing  are  estimated  at  over 
$20,000 — not  a  surprising  figure  considering  crop 
\'alues  in  the  potential  damage  area  average  over 
$185,000  a  year. 

Much  of  the  upswing  in  watershed  activity  along 
the  Rio  Grande  is  attributed  to  the  progressive 
directors  of  the  Elephant  Butte  Irrigation  District, 
headed  by  president,  W.  H,  Gary,  and  assisted  by 
district  manager,  John  L.  Gregg.  Under  the 
guidance  of  these  men  a  cluster  of  small  watershed 
projects  and  individual  jobs  virtually  ring  the 
100-mile-long  valley. 

Six  authorized  projects  covering  18  arroyos  are 
either  completed  or  in  construction  with  Public 
Law  566  funding.  At  least  24  more  projects  are 
in  some  stage  of  planning.  And  the  list  of  appli- 
cations is  perhaps  double  that  figure. 

Channels  Became  Blocked 

Most  of  the  side  arroyos  causing  trouble  along 
the  Rio  Grande  probably  once  had  natural  chan- 
nels emptying  directly  into  the  river.  Deposits 
then  were  conveniently  swept  away  during  river 
floods.  But  gradual  aggradation  of  the  river 
blocked  the  channels  so  that  virtually  all  tribu- 
tary runoff  now  floods  cultivated  land. 

The  six  arroyos  making  up  the  Hatch  project 
are  probably  prime  examples.  At  least  once 
every  4  years  severe  damages  occurred  in  their 
vicinity  following  late  summer  and  fall  thunder- 
storms. About  750  acres  were  hurt  as  water 
ponded  up  to  3  feet  in  depth.  Almost  always 
the  Garfield  lateral  or  Hatch  drainage  ditch  banks 
eventually  broke  to  release  part  of  the  water.  But 
some  damages  could  occur  on  as  many  as  2,000 
acres.  Railroads,  highways,  fences,  buildings  and 
equipment,  and  stored  crops  were  subject  to  dam- 
ages.    Livestock  invariably  suffered. 

A  second  category  of  arroyos  being  treated  are 
those  that  interfere  with  irrigation  and  create  ex- 
penses by  their  direct  access  to  the  river  in  con- 
trast to  those  with  no  outlet  to  the  river. 

The  Rio  Grande  channel  through  the  Hatch- 
Mesilla  Valley  is  maintained  by  the  U.S.  Inter- 
national Boundary  and  Water  Commission  as  part 
of  our  treaty  responsibilities  with  Mexico.  Can- 
alization work  begun  in  the  thirties  prevents  the 
river's  wandering  to  and  fro,  losing  water  at  every 
turn  to  phreatophytes  and  sand  strata  as  it  once 
did.  But  the  straightening  has  intensified  the 
need  for  side  arroyo  control  in  some  special  places. 


Growth  of  a  Mesilla  Valley  cotton  crop  on  floodplain  lanci  in  Dona 
Ana  County,  N.  Mex.,  being  inspected  by  Husin  Ali,  Indonesia. 
(Soil  Conservation  Service  photo.) 

Debris  deposits  from  these  tributaries  can  do 
severe  damage  directing  the  riverflow  against  a 
levee,  by  checking  the  channel  and  by  forcing 
sediments  into  the  Elephant  Butte  irrigation 
system. 

Removal  of  the  nuisance  material  is  getting 
more  and  more  expensive.  And  there  are  fewer 
places  for  spoil  banks  as  land  use  in  the  valley 
becomes  more  intense.  Recently  it  was  necessary 
to  rent  considerable  acreage  for  waste  material 
from  one  reach  of  the  river.  Costs  of  trucking 
to  off-river  dumps  is  prohibitive,  but  it  must  be 
done  where  material  can  no  longer  be  profitably 
used. 

How  well  arroyo  watershed  projects  have  done 
their  job  of  keeping  debris  from  choking  the  canal- 
ized river  is  evidenced  by  the  IBWC's  willingness 
to  fund  planning.  The  agency  has  agreed  to  help 
with  11  arroyo  plans  and  will  contribute  about 
$10,000  toward  each.  Commission  officials  are 
convinced  that  their  work  is  sufficiently  protected 


February  1965 


19 


to  allow  the  Commission  also  to  help  with  main- 
tenance. 

If  John  Gregg,  secretary-manager  of  the  Ele- 
phant Butte  Irrigation  District,  has  a  favorite 
among  the  two  dozen  projects  he  is  helping  to 
develop,  it  is  probably  the  Tortugas  watershed. 

This  problem  watershed  originates  on  the  mesa 
slopes  east  of  the  New  Mexico  State  University 
campus,  runs  hard-by  the  college  airstrip  and  in 
its  old  ways,  took  a  wandering  course  to  spread 
floodwater  this  way  and  that,  seemingly  never 
making  any  real  attempt  to  reach  the  river. 

As  late  as  1962,  the  "distributary"  covered  sev- 
eral hundred  acres — a  tangle  of  mesquite  and  salt 
bush  hummocks.  The  area  would  have  been  big- 
ger if  the  banks  of  the  Las  Cruces  lateral  canal 
would  have  held.  But  these  washed  out  regularly 
to  drain  silt  burdened  water  through  the  irrigation 
system  that  serves  some  of  the  most  productive 
land  in  the  Mesilla  Valley.  At  least  once  every  2 
years  and  occasionally  twice  a  year,  1,000  feet  or 
more  of  the  lateral  would  be  filled  with  sediment 
and  debris. 

With  the  lateral  out  and  16  farms  flooded,  1,700 
acres  down  the  ditch  were  without  water  until 
emergency  repairs  could  be  made. 

Mr.  Gregg  pointed  out  recently  an  innocent 
enough  looking  ditch  south  of  Las  Cruces.  He 
explained  this  was  the  channel  for  the  controlled 
release  water  of  the  earthfill  Tortugas  Dam,  The 
dam  was  barely  visible  2  miles  to  the  east  where 
it  blended  in  with  the  semidesert  shrubland  that 
makes  up  the  15,584-acre  watershed. 

Traps  Flash  Floods 

The  41-foot-high  structure  traps  around  1,300 
acre- feet  of  flash  runoff,  and  through  its  always- 
open  concrete  spillway,  meters  out  floodwater 
slowly  enough  to  allow  safe  delivery  through  the 
constructed  channel.  Over  405,000  cubic  yards 
of  earthfill  went  into  the  construction  of  the  dam. 

One  interesting  facet  of  watershed  construction 
on  the  Tortugas  arroyo  is  the  way  the  project  has 
freed  New  Mexico  State  University  from  the  en- 
croaching urban  development  of  Las  Cruces  by 
providing  access  to  an  area  east  of  the  campus. 
Increased  values  of  land  now  available  to  the  uni- 
versity for  use  and  development  is  estimated  to  be 
double  the  more  than  $V3  million  cost  of  the  project. 

So  long  as  the  Tortugas  was  apt  to  run  uncon- 
trolled it  was  not  practical  to  expand  university 
developments  to  the  south. 


John  Gregg  says,  "Tortugas  paid  for  itself  the 
day  it  was  finished  by  enhancing  the  land  values 
between  the  detention  dam,  the  university  campus, 
Interstate  Highway  10,  and  the  valley  cropland." 
According  to  Gregg,  upward  of  600  acres  of  creo- 
sote bush  range  jumped  from  a  $50-an-acre  value 
to  not  less  than  $500  an  acre. 

One  important  role  of  the  watershed  dams  is 
in  timing  released  floodwater  to  the  river.  Pro- 
longing runoff  and  peak  riverflows  results  in  water 
credits  for  the  Elephant  Butte  project.  The 
slowed,  anticipated  water  is  useful  to  the  Texas 
irrigators.  But  uncontrolled  flood  runoff  with  ex- 
treme and  short-lived  peaks  is  not  counted  as  water 
delivery  below  the  dam  and  on  the  Texas  side  of 
the  State  line. 

The  structures  are  also  contributing  some  other 
interesting  side  benefits.  One  is  the  safety  pro- 
vided the  Santa  Fe  Kailroad  at  low  arroyo  bridges. 
Over  the  years  clearance  at  these  was  reduced  by 
accumulated  rock  from  the  desert  pavement  so  that 
water-activated  signal  lights  were  needed  along 
the  tracks  at  danger  points  to  warn  traincrews  of 
flood  dangers. 

Santa  Fe  officials  were  among  the  first  to  see  the 
potentials  of  Public  Law  566  arroyo  control.  To 
start  things  off,  the  railroad  contributed  $3,000 
toward  the  Hatch  project. 

Planners  working  on  Interstate  Highway  25 
visited  SCS  and  EBID  officials  numerous  times  to 
locate  routes  that  would  avoid  completed  water- 
shed structures  and  construction  sites. 

The  projects,  though  they  help  the  irrigation 
district,  the  university,  railroads,  highways,  busi- 
ness, industry,  municipal  development,  and  whole 
communities,  come  in  for  highest  praise  from  in- 
dividuals they  aid. 

Watershed  project  work  has  given  some  land- 
owners an  opportunity  to  build  better  farms  and 
perhaps  stay  in  business  in  the  face  of  stiff  com- 
petition. 

Some  of  these  men  who  have  found  themselves 
with  less  than  efficient  units  considering  the  ability 
of  modem  equipment  and  methods  have  actually 
enlarged  their  farms  and  their  abilities  by  soil 
swapping.  Under  this  scheme  they  have  taken 
old  sand-choked  channels,  not  needed  after  water- 
shed construction  or  river  canalization,  and  added 
heavy  soil  from  other  parts  of  the  farm — back- 
hauling  sand  to  the  too  heavy  land. 

The  crops  one  farmer  grew  the  first  year  after 
he  "swapped"  brought  in  a  thousand  dollars  more 


20 


The  Reclamation   Era 


than  the  job  cost.  More  important  in  the  long- 
run  conservation  effort,  was  the  economic  water 
distribution  which  reshaping  is  permitting. 

High  grade  leveling,  benching,  ditch  lining, 
pipelines,  and  other  improvements  are  now  prac- 
tical on  many  farms.  The  result  is  a  saving  and 
better  use  of  irrigation  water,  supplies,  and  labor 
where  once  the  danger  of  flooding  precluded  these 
improvements. 

The  same  enthusiasm  for  arroyo  protection  car- 
ries down  river  beyond  the  city  of  El  Paso,  Tex., 
to  the  Diablo  Canyon  and  Camp  Rice  projects  that 
were  among  the  earliest  small  watershed  treated 
in  Texas  with  Public  Law  566  help.  One  special 
benefit  of  these  projects  beyond  the  protection  of 
agriculture  and  water  resources  is  that  afforded  to 
highways  and  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad.  So 
critical  was  the  railroad's  need  that  officials  readily 
agreed  to  move  5  miles  of  mainline  trackage  to  per- 
mit the  building  of  one  dam. 

Recently  an  engineer  representing  the  Texas 
State  Highway  Department  reported  cost  of  Inter- 
state Highway  10  bridges  across  the  Alamo  and 


Diablo  arroyos  was  half  what  it  would  have  been 
without  the  floodwater  detention  structures. 

Cities  are  not  immune,  either.  A  leading  at- 
torney in  El  Paso  drowned  in  an  arroyo  near  his 
home  when  his  car  was  stalled  and  then  swept 
away  by  a  sudden  flood  of  runoff  across  a  residen- 
tial street. 

El  Paso,  taking  a  tip  from  some  of  the  smaller 
communities,  began  long-range  watershed  protec- 
tion and  flood  control  in  1960,  with  $2,149,000  of 
construction  work.  Commissioner  Joseph  Fried- 
kin  of  the  IBW  Commission  was  chairman  of  the 
mayor's  advisory  public  works  committee. 

Floods  in  the  city  are  spectacular,  affect  many 
people  simultaneously,  and  are  costly  to  correct. 
The  cost  of  flooding  in  areas  like  the  Hatch-Mesilla 
Valley  can  run  into  millions  of  dollars  each  year 
and  affect  thousands  of  people.  There  is  still  time 
for  landowners  in  the  farming  areas  to  do  some- 
thing to  help  correct  their  flood  problems.  In  the 
Rio  Grande  Valley,  citizens  aided  by  Public  Law 
566  are  sharing  the  costs  and  shouldering  the  bur- 
dens of  doing  just  that.  #  #  # 


RAIN  GOD 

This  strange  rain  god  was  captured  by  Bureau  en- 
gineers behind  Glen  Canyon  Dam  in  Arizona.  It 
measures  203  feet  from  top  to  bottom.  Its  habitat 
ranges  from  all  over  the  upper  Colorado  River 
basin,  to  Lake  Powell  behind  Glen  Canyon  Dam. 
To  liquidate  the  rain  god  naturally,  rotate  picture 
to  your  left. 


February   1965 


Demonstrating  at  the  Ransom  and 
Deep  River  Development  Farms  .  .  . 

PRODUCING  MORE  WITH  LESS  LAND 


by  R.  E.  DOROTHY,  Chief,  Irrigation   Division, 
Bismarck,  N.  Dak. 


There  is  a  whale  of  a  lot  of  difference  between 
dryland  grain  farming  and  diversified  irrigated 
agriculture,  and  North  Dakota's  two  irrigation 
development  farms  are  providing  many  of  the 
answers  that  will  be  needed  to  make  the  change- 
over as  smooth  as  possible.  Located  at  opposite 
ends  of  the  sprawling  Garrison  Diversion  Unit, 
separated  by  some  250  miles  of  prairie  farmland, 
the  two  development  farms  have  demonstrated  that 
irrigation  is  a  good  business  in  North  Dakota  and 
have  provided  on-the-spot  irrigation  demonstra- 
tions to  area  farmers. 

The  Ransom  development  farm  near  Sheldon,  in 
southeastern  North  Dakota  and  the  Deep  River 
development  farm,  located  in  the  northern  portion 
of  the  State  some  50  miles  northeast  of  Minot, 
were  established  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  in 
cooperation  with  North  Dakota  State  University, 
as  part  of  the  Missouri  River  Basin  project's  Gar- 
rison Diversion  Unit.  A  third  developm;ent  farm 
in  the  central  section  of  the  State  near  Sheyenne, 
N.  Dak.,  was  operated  for  5  years,  but  was  discon- 
tinued in  1961  after  it  had  served  its  purpose. 

Ransom  Development  Farm 

Situated  in  the  heart  of  North  Dakota's  corn 
belt,  the  Ransom  development  farm  is  providing 
firsthand  information  on  what  irrigation  can  do 
in  the  southern  portion  of  the  huge  Garrison  Di- 
version Unit. 

When  the  farm  was  established  in  1958,  Argil 
Froemke  and  his  wife.  Holly,  not  only  leased  their 
farm  to  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  for  develop- 
ment farm  purposes,  but  were  picked  from  a  field 
of  15  applicants  to  operate  it.  A  young  hard- 
working couple,  the  Froemkes  have  not  regretted 
their  decision  to  act  as  contemporary  "pioneers" 
in  their  community,  and  the  results  of  6  years  of 
irrigated  farming  tells  why.  While  their  neigh- 
bors have  been  buying  land  to  create  larger  and 
larger  units  to  meet  the  challenge  of  the  farm- 


price  "squeeze,"  the  Froemkes  have  been  able  to 
more  than  double  the  size  of  their  cattle-feeding 
operation  through  the  increased  feed  supply  pro- 
duced with  irrigation  without  adding  a  single 
acre  to  their  holdings. 

The  development  farm  site  was  selected  in  1957 
by  an  unofficial  committee  representing  the  Bureau 
of  Reclamation,  North  Dakota  State  University, 
and  a  group  of  interested  and  successful  dryland 
farmers  representing  the  southeastern  portion  of 
the  State.  After  surveying  several  possible  sites, 
and  considering  such  factors  as  soils,  topography, 
water  supply,  farm  buildings,  and  availability  for 
lease,  the  committee  selected  the  Froemke  farm  on 
the  Sheyenne  River,  6  miles  south  of  Sheldon.  The 
Bureau  then  entered  into  a  5-year  cash  lease  with 
the  Froemkes  to  use  their  property  as  a  develop- 
ment farm,  and  began  developing  the  irrigation 
system. 

After  the  site  had  been  selected,  a  talent  hunt 
was  instigated  to  locate  a  qualified  farm  operator 
who  would  be  interested  in  the  operation  on  a  crop- 
share  basis.  Since  part  of  the  justification  was  to 
show  local  farmers  what  irrigation  could  do  in 
their  area,  it  was  decided  that  the  man  operator 
should  be  a  dryland  farmer  with  no  previous  irri- 
gation experience.  The  fact  that  he  would  have 
to  learn  how  to  irrigate  put  him  on  the  same  basis 
as  all  the  potential  irrigators  in  the  State.  This, 
then,  would  be  a  true  test  of  what  an  average  "dry- 
lander"  could  do  with  an  irrigated  farm.  After 
screening  15  applicants,  and  studying  in  detail  the 
qualifications  of  the  7  finalists,  Froemke  was 
selected. 

One  hundred  and  thirty-six  acres  of  the  365- 
acre  farm  were  leveled  in  the  fall  of  1957,  and  pro- 
vided with  the  necessary  ditches,  drains,  and  struc- 
tures to  provide  a  gravity  irrigation  system.  The 
water  is  pumped  from  the  adjoining  Sheyenne 
River  using  electric  power  from  the  Cass  County  J 
Electric  Cooperative  as  an  energy  source.   All  costsTjl 


22 


The  Reclamation   Era  <i 


An  aerial  view  of  Deep  River  Development  Farm. 


of  irrigation  development  were  paid  by  the  Bureau 
of  Reclamation,  under  the  terms  of  the  farm  lease. 
In  addition,  the  Bureau  provided  a  farm  ditcher, 
float,  and  two-way  plow  for  Froemke's  use. 

With  the  farm  under  construction  and  an  opera- 
tor selected,  the  committee  was  formally  organized 
as  the  Ransom  Development  Farm  Committee. 
The  committee  turned  its  attention  toward  the 
formulation  of  annual  operating  plans.  While  its 
recommendations  have  no  official  status,  and  are 
not  binding  on  the  operator,  the  committee  has  been 
very  effective  in  assisting  with  the  year-to-year 
planning  of  farm  operations.  Earl  Sulerud,  Ran- 
som County  Extension  Agent,  acts  as  the  secretary 
of  the  committee  and  has  called  regular  meetings 
to  discuss  the  past  year's  results  and  next  year's 
plans.  Items  such  as  crop  varieties,  fertilizer 
plans,  feeding  rations,  tillage  practices,  weed  con- 
trol, and  similar  subjects  are  discussed. 

During  the  past  6  years,  the  irrigated  yields 
have  steadily  increased  and  have  surpassed  the 


most  optimistic  estimates,  due  partially  to  the  com- 
bination of  good  soil,  water,  fertilizer,  and  climate, 
but  also  due  in  a  large  measure  to  the  high  degree 
of  management  exhibited  by  the  Froemkes. 

Yields  of  corn  for  livestock  feed  have  climbed 
from  60  bushels  in  1958  to  an  average  of  108  bushels 
per  acre  for  the  past  2  years,  compared  with  the 
county  dryland  average  of  30  bushels  per  acre. 
Corn  silage  has  averaged  20.4  tons  per  acre  over 
the  past  5  years,  with  the  county  dryland  average 
amounting  to  about  5.3  tons  per  acre  for  the  same 
period.  Similar  results  can  be  shown  for  alfalfa 
hay,  where  the  irrigated  production  averaged  5.5 
tons  per  acre  against  the  county  dryland  average 
of  1.5  tons.  Durum  wheat,  used  as  a  nurse  crop 
for  alfalfa,  has  averaged  33.6  bushels  per  acre. 
The  dryand  average  for  durum  in  Ransom  County 
is  around  20  bushels. 

At  the  time  the  farm  was  established,  the 
Froemkes  maintained  a  50-cow  beef  cattle  herd, 
pasturing  the  cows  in  a  U.S.  Forest  Service  coop- 


February  1965 


23 


Was  there  ever  a  barefoot  farm  lass  who  did  not  know  how  to 
get  up  to  the  cookie  jar?  Kristen  Froemke,  age  4V2,  knows  how. 
She  is  one  of  six  Froemke  children. 


erative  pasture  during  6  months  out  of  the  year. 
They  were  able  to  produce  feed  to  maintain  the 
cowherd  over  the  winter  and  to  fatten  the  year's 
calf  crop.  With  the  increased  feed  supply  avail- 
able from  the  irrigated  production,  the  cowherd 
was  increased  to  60  head,  the  maximum  Froemke 
is  permitted  to  graze  in  the  cooperative  pasture. 
In  addition  to  placing  his  own  calves  in  the  feed- 
lot,  he  has  purchased  additional  feeders  each  year 
to  increase  his  feedlot  population  to  around  125 
head. 


Approximately  half  (70  acres)  of  the  irrigated 
acreage  on  the  farm  is  planted  to  com  for  live- 
stock each  year,  with  about  20  acres  chopped  for 
silage  and  the  remaining  50  acres  picked  for  com 
grain. 

The  use  of  preemergent  chemical  weed  spray,  ap- 
plied at  planting  time  in  14-inch  bands  in  the 
corn  rows,  has  been  practiced  for  the  past  3  years, 
and  has  resulted  in  the  elimination  of  corn  culti- 
vation except  for  the  irrigation-furrowing  opera- 
tion. Needless  to  say,  the  elimination  of  culti- 
vating has  saved  many  valuable  hours  during  the 
peak-labor-demand  period  and,  according  to 
Froemke,  has  increased  his  corn  production  by 
the  elimination  of  root  pruning  by  the  cultivator. 

The  North  Dakota  Agricultural  Experiment 
Station's  Department  of  Agronomy  has  conducted 
hybrid  corn  variety  trials  at  the  Ranson  develop- 
ment farm  since  1960,  in  conjunction  with  similar 
trials  on  dryland  farms  in  various  locations 
throughout  the  State.  These  trials  have  produced 
an  abundance  of  information  on  the  performance 
of  various  hybrid  com  varieties  that  heretofore 
was  not  available  for  irrigated  corn  in  North 
Dakota. 

At  least  one  organized  public  tour  of  the  farm 
is  held  each  year,  to  provide  the  interested  public 
with  an  opportunity  to  witness  the  resutls  ob- 
tained. 

In  addition  to  the  organized  public  tour,  there 
are  many  special  group  tours  each  year  by  such 
groups  as  the  agricultural  engineering  class  of 
North  Dakota  State  University,  local  service  clubs, 
and  others.  Many  persons  visit  all  through  the 
crop  season,  just  to  drive  around  the  roads  sur- 
rounding the  irrigated  fields  and  possibly  to  make 
mental  comparisons  of  the  lush  stands  of  irrigated 
crops  with  their  own  dryland  crops.  Each  year, 
teachers  attending  summer  school  at  the  Conserva- 
tion Camp  at  Lake  Ashtabula,  near  Valley  City, 
devote  a  half  day  of  their  curriculum  to  a  tour  of 
the  development  farm.  Many  of  the  teachers  have 
never  seen  a  gravity  irrigation  system  in  operation 
prior  to  their  visit. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  introduction 
of  irrigation  on  the  development  farm  has  re- 
sulted in  the  establishment  of  irrigation  systems  on 
several  other  farms  in  the  area  where  a  water  sup- 
ply either  from  wells  or  from  a  river  was  available. 
Two  years  after  the  project  was  established, 
Froemke's  neighbor  to  the  south  developed  200 
acres  for  irrigation  adjoining  the  development. 


24 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Froemke  has  leased  the  200  acres  for  the  1964 
season  on  a  crop-share  basis  and  will  in'igate  336 
acres  this  season. 

"I  will  have  to  hire  a  full-time  hired  man," 
Froemke  said,  "but  I  will  be  able  to  support  a 
cowherd  of  around  120  to  130  head  which  means  I 
will  be  able  to  produce  my  own  calves."  In  order 
to  provide  adequate  pasture  for  his  increased  herd, 
lie  has  seeded  30  acres  to  irrigated  pasture  this 
spring.  This,  along  with  his  dryland  pasture  and 
the  60-head  grazing  quota  in  the  cooperative  pas- 
ture, should  be  sufficient  for  his  enlarged  herd. 

Argil's  wife.  Holly,  besides  mothering  their  six 
children  (ages  nine  years  and  younger),  has  de- 
moted a  large  share  of  her  time  lately  to  planning 
and  decorating  their  new  modern  split-level  farm 
home.  Electrically  heated,  the  liouse  represents 
several  years  of  careful  planning  and  "idea  collect- 
ing." "We're  finishing  it  off  as  we  can  afford  it," 
said  Argil.  "We  lived  in  the  basement  and  first- 
floor  family  room  for  the  first  few  years,  but  last 
year  we  finished  the  kitchen  and  living  room. 
This  fall  we  will  get  the  outside  siding,  and  next 
year  we  hope  to  finish  the  job  by  completing  the 
upstairs  bedrooms  and  bath." 


The  Lisbon,  N.  Dak.,  Junior  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce selected  Froemke  as  the  Ransom  County 
Outstanding  Young  Farmer  for  1962,  and  pre- 
sented him  with  a  handsome  plaque  and  a  trip  to 
Mandan  to  compete  in  the  State  contest.  It  is 
significant  to  note  that  this  was  the  first  such  award 
ever  presented  in  Ransom  County. 

The  farm-lease  agreement  was  revised  in  1961  to 
eliminate  the  lease  payments  by  the  Bureau  and  the 
crop-share  payments  by  Froemke.  Under  the  new 
agreement  the  Bureau  furnished  the  irrigation 
water,  specialized  irrigation  equipment,  and  some 
weed-control  chemicals.  In  return,  Froemke 
agreed  to  a  development  farm  operation  to  furnish 
data  on  yields,  fertilizers,  water  use,  and  related 
items.  He  also  agreed  to  provide  research  plots 
for  irrigation  research,  and  to  cooperate  with  the 
Bureau  and  extension  service  in  making  the  farm 
available  for  public  tours. 

"It's  a  lot  of  work,"  says  Argil,  "but  with 
irrigation  water  available  I  know  I  won't  have  to 
stand  helplessly  by  and  watch  my  crops  wither 
away  in  the  dry-hot  periods.  It  would  be  very 
difficult  for  me  to  return  to  dryland  farming  after 
these  past  6  years  of  the  irrigated  type." 


Argie   Froemke  makes  good  use  of  water  for  his  com.  He  also  believes  in  good  farm  recordkeeping. 


Deep  River  Development  Farm 

The  Deep  River  development  farm  was  estab- 
lished in  1953  to  demonstrate  the  feasibility  of  ir- 
rigation in  the  Souris  area ;  a  500,000-acre  block  of 
irrigable  land  extending  south  from  the  Canadian 
border  in  the  north  central  part  of  the  State.  In 
the  early  years,  this  farm  was  operated  on  a  crop- 
share  basis  by  a  local  dryland  operator,  to  show 
what  other  local  farmers  might  accomplish  with 
irrigation  on  their  own  places.  The  lease  arrange- 
ment was  modified  in  1963  to  eliminate  the  crop- 
share  provisions  and  to  provide  for  the  farm  oper- 
ator to  pay  for  the  lease  rentals,  with  the  Bureau 
of  Reclamation  furnishing  the  irrigation  water, 
specialized  irrigation  equipment,  and  the  build- 
ings. 

In  1957,  William  H.  Sallee  moved  from  his  own 
dryland  farm  near  Granville,  N.  Dak.,  to  take  over 
the  operation  of  the  Deep  River  development.  Bill, 
as  he  is  known  throughout  the  area,  is  one  of  the 
very  few  Negro  farmers  in  North  Dakota.  Raised 
on  his  father's  homestead  near  Granville,  he  later 
took  over  the  Deep  River  farm  and  established  a 
sound  reputation  as  a  good  farmer  and  cattle 
feeder. 

Bill  learned  very  early  that  irrigation  farming 
was  different  in  many  ways  from  the  dryland 
operation  he  was  used  to,  but  it  did  not  take  long 
before  he  was  handling  the  situation  like  a  veteran 
irrigator.  Active  in  civic  and  community  affairs, 
he  is  currently  chairman  of  the  Upham  PTA  unit, 
chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Middle 
Souris  Irrigation  District,  and  represented  Mc- 
Henry  County  as  a  delegate  to  one  of  the  State 
political  conventions  in  1964. 

Irrigation  water  is  pumped  with  a  propane- 
powered  pump  unit  from  an  arm  of  Deep  Creek,  a 
part  of  the  Lower  Souris  National  Wildlife  Ref- 
uge. Four  cubic  feet  per  second  are  furnished  to 
a  distribution  box,  near  the  farm  buildings,  from 
which  it  is  turned  into  several  different  ditches 
leading  to  the  various  fields.  All  irrigation  is  by 
gravity,  with  several  different-sized  siphon  tubes 
in  common  use. 

Basically  a  cattle  feeding  and  fattening  enter- 
prise, the  farm  produces  alfalfa,  corn  silage,  and 
feed  grains  on  the  136  irrigated  acres,  to  feed  the 
125  head  of  feeder  cattle  usually  found  in  the  feed- 
lot.  Small  grains  and  potatoes  are  also  grown  as 
cash  crops. 


The  Agricultural  Research  Service  and  the 
North  Dakota  Experiment  Station  utilized  por- 
tions of  the  farm  for  irrigation  research  during 
the  period  1953-58.  ARS  produced  a  large  quan- 
tity of  valuable  data  on  fertilizers,  water  require- 
ments, crop  varieties,  tillage  practices,  irrigated 
pasture  management,  and  other  facets  of  irrigated 
agriculture  in  the  Northern  Great  Plains. 

An  unusual  problem  encountered  at  the  Deep 
River  farm  is  that  of  crop  damage  by  blackbirds 
from  the  nearby  Lower  Souris  National  Wildlife 
Refuge.  During  the  drought  year  of  1961,  when 
it  was  one  of  the  very  few  "green  spots"  in  the 
entire  county,  the  blackbirds  could  be  counted  by 
the  thousands,  feeding  on  the  grains  and  causing 
extensive  damage.  Acetylene  "cannons"  firing  at 
preset  intervals  were  later  used  with  some  success 
in  the  fields  to  scare  the  birds  away. 

However,  production  and  yields  have  demon- 
strated to  area  farmers  that  irrigation  in  the 
Souris  area  is  a  paying  proposition.  Average 
yields  during  the  1957-63  period  show  that  irri- 
gated corn  silage,  alfalfa  hay,  and  potatoes  have 
exceeded  county  dryland  yields  by  a  ratio  of  3  to 
1  or  more. 

Other  irrigated  crops  have  shown  similar  yield 
increases.  The  many  visitors,  from  all  over  the 
State,  who  tour  the  farm  each  year  attests  to  the 
interest  in  irrigation. 

As  is  the  practice  at  the  Ransom  development 
farm,  a  sense  of  local  participation  in  the  farm 
operation  is  achieved  through  a  development  farm 
committee,  composed  of  successful  local  dryland 
farmers  who  help  formulate  farm  plans  each  year, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  State  extension  service 
and  Bureau  agriculturists.  Items  such  as  cropping 
plans,  plant  varieties,  fertilizer  requirements, 
tillage  practices,  weed  control,  and  many  other 
similar  subjects  are  discussed  with  the  committee, 
and  general  recommendations  made. 

Alvin  Kramer,  Ward  County  Agent  from  Minot, 
and  who  acts  as  secretary  to  the  committee,  said 
that  the  farm  has  created  a  lot  of  interest  in  irri- 
gation in  Ward,  McHenry,  and  Bottineau  Coun- 
ties during  the  past  few  years.  #     #     # 


Bill  Sallee,  operator  of  the  Deep  River  Farm,  checks  his  cattle  being 
fattened  by  feedlot. 


26 


The  Reclamation  Era 


BOOKSHELF  for  water  users 


Laboratories   Booklet  Gets   1964   Revision 

A  revised  booklet  on  the  facilities,  work  accom- 
plishments and  organization  of  the  Engineering 
Laboratories,  Division  of  Research  of  the  Office  of 
Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colo.,  has  been  printed. 
It  is  an  illustrated  publication  containing  16  pages, 
and  is  size  6  by  9  inches.  The  booklet  is  available 
from  Bureau  distribution  centers  and  the  Superin- 
tendent of  Documents,  Government  Printing  Of- 
fice, Washington,  D.C. 

Monograph   No.  33  is   Printed  by  GPO 

Engineering  monograph  No.  33  entitled,  "Hy- 
draulic Design  of  Transitions  for  Small  Canals," 
printed  in  1964  by  the  Government  Printing  Of- 
fice, is  available  through  the  distribution  facilities 
of  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  GPO,  and 
the  Office  of  Chief  Engineer,  at  price,  35  cents. 
The  illustrated,  39-page  publication  is  the  second 
engineering  monograph  to  receive  Printing  Office 
handling.  It  is  based  upon  information  originally 
reported  in  "Hydraulics  Branch  Laboratory  Re- 
port No.  492." 

lAHR   Congress   Report  Is   Published 

A  detailed  report  of  the  proceedings  of  the  10th 


Congress  of  the  International  Association  for  Hy- 
draulic Research,  which  was  held  in  London,  Eng- 
land, has  been  published  and  deemed  valuable 
technical  reading  in  hydraulogy  matters.  The 
307-page  report  was  prepared  by  Alvin  J.  Peterka 
of  the  Office  of  Chief  Engineer.  Copies  are  avail- 
able from  that  office. 

River  Book  Translated   From   Polish 

An  English  translation  of  River  Regulation^  a 
technical  Polish  book,  has  become  available.  The 
translation  was  made  for  the  Department  of  the 
Interior  and  the  National  Science  Foundation  un- 
der provision  of  Public  Law  480,  providing  for  the 
translation  of  foreign  information  pertinent  for 
use  in  this  country.  Under  this  law,  surplus  for- 
eign currencies  from  the  sale  of  surplus  agricul- 
tural products  are  made  available  for  translating 
technical  literature.  The  380-page  volume  was 
written  by  Dr.  Wiktor  Mamak,  a  professor  at 
Warsaw  Technical  University,  and  was  published 
by  Arkady,  Warsaw.  Copies  have  been  distrib- 
uted to  the  regional  offices  and  the  Office  of  Chief 
Engineer.  Others  are  available  from  the  Office  of 
Technical  Services,  U.S.  Department  of  Com- 
merce, Washington,  D.C,  at  $3.75  each. 


n 


"   ^- 


"^Mermaids'  Studied  for 
Deweeding  Waterways 


A  3-year  study  of  manatees  and  their  usefulness 
in  controlling  aquatic  weeds  has  just  been  launched 
by  the  Central  and  Southern  Florida  Flood  Con- 
trol District. 

Scientists  from  Florida  Atlantic  University  at 
Boca  Raton  are  directing  the  study,  under  contract 
from  the  Flood  Control  District.  The  FCD  will 
pay  $34,000  to  the  university  to  find  out  just  how 
many  weeds  manatees  can  eat,  to  study  their  rate 
of  reproduction,  and  to  learn  whether  or  not  the 
beasts  can  be  used  practically  and  economically 
as  a  means  of  biological  weed  control. 

Newspaper  accounts  of  the  manatee  report  that 
it  is  the  animal  which  woman-hungry  sailors 
thought  was  fish-tailed  femininity  rising  conven- 
iently from  the  sea,  and  so  the  first  name  given 
to  it  was  sea  maiden  or  mermaid.  Later  when 
sailors  got  closer  looks,  the  animal  was  called  the 
"sea  cow." 

Unofficial  accounts  have  been  seen  to  the  effect 
that  the  United  Nations  Food  and  Agriculture  Or- 
ganization study  indicates  that  the  "sea  cow" 
probably  could  clear  some  of  the  world's  lakes, 
canals,  and  waterways. 

For  more  than  2  years  FCD  officials  have  been 
investigating  the  possible  use  of  the  mammals. 
They  have  been  gleaning  all  the  information  avail- 
able, worldwide,  via  correspondence  and  meetings 
with  university  professors,  museum  curators.  Fed- 
eral and  State  officials,  and  authorities  of  foreign 
governments. 


"Oddly,  scientists  know  very  little  about  man- 
atees," Horner  of  the  FCD  explained,  "except  that 
they  are  strict  vegetarians,  and  they  apparently 
consume  vast  quantities  of  weeds." 

It  was  reported  that  some  of  the  mammals  were 
being  used  effectively  in  canals  of  British  Guiana. 
Apparently  they  are  sensitive  to  cold  and  will  die 
in  water  colder  than  70°. 

Horner  has  been  spearheading  the  preliminary 
investigation  concerning  manatees.  He  has  met 
with  Federal  officials  in  Washington,  and  went  to 
Chicago  to  meet  with  one  of  the  world's  greatest 
authorities  on  manatees,  Dr.  Joseph  Curtis  Moore, 
Curator  of  Mammals,  Chicago  Natural  History 
Museum.  Dr.  Moore  urged  Horner  and  the  FCD 
to  sponsor  the  study,  but  cautioned  that  competent 
scientists  should  be  in  charge.  He  advised  that 
the  study  should  last  at  least  3  years  so  that  mean- 
ingful, quantitative  scientific  data  could  be  ob- 
tained. 

An  air-breathing  creature,  the  manatee  normally 
surfaces  only  once  every  10  or  15  minutes,  then 
merely  pokes  the  tip  of  its  gray  nose  out  of  the 
water.  Unless  a  person  is  looking  right  at  the 
spot  where  the  manatee  surfaces,  he  may  never  see 
one  of  the  creatures. 

The  pilot  study  as  proposed  by  Florida  Atlantic 
University,  calls  for  six  manatees.  But  the  Sea- 
quarium  boys  consider  themselves  lucky  to  have 
netted  five  on  the  expedition. 

They  struggled  for  hours  to  capture  the  beasts 


\ 


9$ 


The  Reclamation  Era 


which  fought  and  thrashed  to  escape  the  nets  and 
the  men  in  the  little  boats. 

After  the  mammals  were  brought  back  to  the 
Seaquarium,  their  lengths,  girths,  and  weights 
were  recorded  as  follows: 

1.  Female,  11'4"  in  length;  girth  9'4" ;  weight  2,170 
pounds. 

2.  Female,  7'2"  in  length;  girth  4'8" ;  weight  337 
pounds. 

3.  Female,  7'9"  in  length;  girth  5'6" ;  weight  384 
pounds. 

4.  Male,  7 '6"  in  length;  girth  7'4"  ;  weight  871  pounds. 

5.  Female,  8'9"  in  length;  girth  8'5" ;  weight  1,312 
pounds. 

The  Seaquarium  hoped  to  net  a  sixth  manatee 
later. 

Loaded  into  wooden  boxes,  filled  with  water,  the 
manatees  were  transferred  by  trucks  from  the 
Seaquarium  to  the  selected  FCD  canal.  They  are 
now  busily  at  work  eating  weeds. 


It  is  said  that  manatee  meat  makes  good  eating 
as  steaks.  But  under  Florida  law,  a  stiff  fine  and 
jail  term  await  anyone  who  molests  or  kills  one. 

It's  hoped  that  the  new  study  will  help  in  pres- 
ervation of  the  manatee — ^now  threatened  with  pos- 
sible extinction — as  well  as  providing  a  new  answer 
to  weed  control  problems  in  Florida. 

If  the  study  proves  as  successful  as  many  au- 
thorities believe,  it  may  be  that  the  homely  sea 
cow  will  be  put  to  work — not  only  in  Florida — ^but 
in  tropical  and  subtropical  countries  around  the 
world — eating  its  favorite  diet  of  water  weeds,  and 
helping  humanity  while  growing  fat  and  happy  in 
flood  control  and  irrigation  canals. 

But,  due  to  the  manatee's  environmental  require- 
ments, it  is  doubtful  that  it  would  thrive  in  the 
colder  irrigation  waters  of  the  western  United 
States.  #     #     # 


h% 


fi    ^ 


^ , 


;j^' 


Solons  View  Impressive  Red 
Sandstone  Cliffs 

Amid  expressions  of  awe  and  rapture,  11  Con- 
gressmen, a  Senator,  and  Commissioner  Floyd  E. 
Dominy  took  a  boat  trip  on  November  8  along  50 
miles  of  "the  most  incomparable  water  wonderland 
anywhere  in  the  world." 

That  is  the  way  Commissioner  Dominy  de- 
scribed Lake  Powell,  the  reservoir  created  by  Glen 
Canyon  Dam  in  Arizona.  The  party  embarked  at 
Wahweap  Marina  and  were  served  lunch  in  South 
Sea  Island  style  on  a  small  island.  Those  present, 
in  addition  to  the  Commissioner,  were  Senator 
Carl  Hayden  of  Arizona,  Congressman  Walter  E. 
Rogers  of  Texas,  Congressman  Mike  J.  Kirwan 
of  Ohio,  Congressman  Wayne  Aspinall  of  Colo- 
rado, Congressman  Joe  Skubitz  of  Kansas, 
Congressman  Laurence  J.  Burton  of  Utah,  Con- 
gressman Harold  T.  Johnson  of  California,  Con- 
gressman Craig  Hosmer  of  California,  Congress- 
man Edward  R.  Roybal  of  California,  Congress- 
man John  P.  Say  lor  of  Pennsylvania,  Congressman 
J.  Edgar  Chenoweth  of  Colorado,  and  Congress- 
man Morris  K.  Udall  of  Arizona.  Wives  and 
some  stajQP  members  also  were  in  attendance. 


30 


"Mac,"  Retired  Editor  Dies 

John  J.  McCarthy,  known  among  his  associates 
as  "Mac,"  died  last  September  17,  after  recurrent 
heart  attacks.  He  had  been  residing  with  his  wife 
at  Washington,  D.C. 

Mac  was  with  the  Bureau  from  1930  until  his 
retirement  in  1960,  working  up  from  messenger  to 
doing  a  fine  and  creditable  job  as  editor  of  the 
Reclamation  Era.  i^    if    -k 


AWARD  FOR  GLEN  CANYON  DAM 

The  Outstanding  Civil  Engineering  Achievement 
Award  for  1964,  won  in  a  national  competition  by 
Glen  Canyon  Dam,  is  presented  to  Commissioner 
Floyd  E.  Dominy,  right.  Making  the  award  last 
October  21  in  New  York  City  is  Waldo  Bowman, 
president  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engi- 
neers. The  plaque  will  be  mounted  at  Glen  Can- 
yon Dam.  First  Reclamation  Era  announcement 
of  the  award  being  won,  was  in  the  May  1964  is- 
sue. *  *  * 


The  Reclamation   Era 


Autobiography  of  a  Trout 

by   DON  PETERSON  of  the  Wyoming 
Game  and  Fish  Department 

Mr.  Peterson,  who  is  stationed  at  the  Tillett  Springs 
Rearing  Station,  near  Lovell,  has  been  employed  as  a 
hatchery  assistant  with  the  Wyoming  Game  and  Fish 
Department  since  1959.  Before  joining  Game  and  Fish, 
he  attended  Wisconsin  State  College  at  Eau  Claire,  Wis., 
for  ly^  years.  In  college,  Don  was  a  zoology  major.  He 
is  29.  This  writing  is  reprinted  by  his  permission  and 
that  of  Wyoming  Wildlife. 

The  first  thing  I  remember  as  I  emerged  from 
the  egg  in  which  I  had  lived  for  35  days  was  a 
red-shirted  giant.  He  was  leaning  over  the  basket 
my  brothers  and  sisters  and  I  had  occupied  since 
we  had  been  spawned  from  our  mother.  She  was 
part  of  the  cutthroat  brood  stock  at  one  of  the 
Wyoming  Game  and  Fish  Commission's 
hatcheries. 

After  we  were  all  hatched  out,  the  fellow  in  red 
took  us  from  the  hatching  basket  and  placed  us  in 
a  trough  of  cold  clear  water.  For  the  first  few 
days  were  were  all  content  just  to  lay  peacefully 
and  enjoy  the  comfort  of  our  new  surroundings. 
But  eventually  I  grew  restless  and  began  to  swim 
about  and  explore  my  new  home.  The  trough  I 
was  in  was  only  about  20  feet  long,  but  it  seemed 
20  miles  the  first  time  I  swam  its  full  length.  In 
a  few  days  our  red-shirted  friend  walked  along 
our  trough  in  the  hatchery  and  sprinkled  some- 
thing on  the  water  which,  to  say  the  least,  fright- 
ened us  all  rather  badly.  After  a  few  days  of  this 
I  ventured  to  see  just  what  he  was  putting  in  our 
home  and  much  to  my  surprise  I  saw  some  of  my 
friends  eating  these  small  particles,  so  I  tried  one 
myself  and  found  that  it  tasted  rather  good. 
From  then  on  I  looked  forward  to  seeing  the 
familiar  red  shirt  walk  by  our  trough  and  sprinkle 
the  feed  on  the  water. 

As  time  passed  I  kept  getting  bigger  and  bigger 
and  then  one  day  I  was  scooped  up  in  a  net  with 
the  other  fish  in  the  trough  and  placed  in  a  bigger 
trough  which  was  wider  and  deeper  and  gave  us 
more  room  to  swim  in.  Soon,  the  size  of  our  food 
was  increased. 

At  first  it  was  a  little  difficult  to  swallow  the 
larger  food  but  in  a  few  days  I  got  used  to  it.  A 
few  of  my  friends  just  couldn't  get  used  to  it  and 
they  were  beginning  to  get  a  little  hungry.  Then, 
one  day  I  overheard  two  of  our  friends  in  red  say 
that  it  was  time  we  were  graded.  I  didn't  know 
what  this  meant,  but  I  was  soon  to  find  out.     The 


next  morning  they  began  to  scoop  us  out  of  the 
trough  a  few  at  a  time  and  place  us  in  a  wooden 
box  with  slats  placed  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
apart  on  the  bottom.  They  jiggled  us  back  and 
forth  very  carefully.  Some  of  my  smaller  friends 
wriggled  through  these  openings  in  the  bottom  of 
the  box  and  fell  into  the  trough.  Those  of  us 
that  were  still  in  the  box  were  placed  in  another 
trough  separate  from  our  smaller  friends.  I  was 
kind  of  surprised  to  find  that  all  of  the  fish  in  my 
trough  were  all  the  same  size. 

All  during  the  summer  we  were  left  in  this 
trough,  but  when  the  days  began  to  get  shorter 
and  the  nights  a  little  cooler,  we  were  moved  out- 
side into  what  our  friends  in  red  called  raceways. 

It  was  quite  an  experience  to  see  the  sun  and  the 
moon  for  the  first  time  and  to  see  the  trees  that 
were  beginning  to  turn  a  beautiful  golden  color. 
About  this  time  the  size  of  our  feed  was  increased 
to  little  pellets.  We  were  getting  bigger  all  the 
time. 

I'll  never  forget  the  first  time  it  snowed.  As 
the  snowflakes  settled  on  the  water  we  all  won- 
dered what  kind  of  feed  we  were  expected  to  eat 
now. 

My  first  experience  with  enemies  came  one  day 
when  I  was  resting  near  the  surface  of  the  water 
enjoying  the  bright  sunlight.  Suddenly,  I  felt 
myself  picked  up  and  lifted  from  the  water,  but 
by  struggling  violently  I  was  able  to  wriggle  free 
from  my  captor  and  fall  back  to  the  water.  One 
of  my  finny  friends  told  me  I  was  very  lucky  in- 
deed to  escape  the  kingfisher  who  had  tried  to 
pluck  me  from  the  raceway. 

As  the  days  began  to  get  longer  and  signs  of 
spring  began  to  show,  some  of  us  were  moved  from 
the  raceways  and  placed  into  dirt  ponds  so  we 
could  have  more  room  to  grow. 

Finally,  in  early  summer,  the  big  day  arrived. 
My  friends  and  I  were  loaded  into  a  large  tank  on 
the  back  of  a  truck  and  began  the  journey  to  our 
new  home.  It  was  a  cool  clear  mountain  stream 
in  the  Big  Horn  mountains  in  north  central  Wyo- 
ming. After  many  miles  of  travel  over  rough 
roads,  I  was  dipped  out  of  the  tank  and  placed  in 
the  water  of  the  stream  and  allowed  to  swim 
away.  As  I  glanced  back  at  my  friend  in  the  red 
shirt,  I  noticed  a  pleased  look  on  his  face.  He  had 
just  released  a  fine  lot  of  fish  to  make  a  lot  of 
fishermen  happy.  As  for  myself,  I  intend  to  be- 
come the  biggest  cutthroat  trout  in  Wyoming. 
Maybe  some  day  you  may  catch  me.  So  long  for 
now,  and  good  fishing.  #  #  # 


February   1965 


31 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Spec  No. 


Project 


Award 
date 

Oct. 

6 

Oct. 

1 

Nov 

9 

Oct. 

26 

Oct. 

6 

Nov. 

13 

Nov. 

30 

Nov. 

2 

Oct. 

23 

Nov. 

12 

Dec. 

3 

Dec. 

29 

Dec. 

24 

Dec. 

7 

Nov. 

30 

Dec. 

9 

Dec. 

14 

Nov. 

27 

Oct. 

13 

Nov. 

20 

Oct. 

1 

Nov. 

10 

Oct. 

1 

Oct. 

19 

Oct. 

23 

Description  of  wOTk  w  material 


Coiitract<H-'s  name  and  address 


Contract 
amount 


DC-6140. 
DC-6147. 
DC-6148- 
DC-6150- 

D8-6151.. 
DC-6156- 
DC-6157- 
DC-6160- 
DC-6161- 
D 8-6165- . 


DS-6166. 
DS-6168- 

DS-6168. 


D&-6169- 
DC-6171. 
DC-6172. 
DC-6175. 
DS-6178. 


300C-205. 
300C-220. 

400C-273. 
600C-166. 

600C-179. 

602C-44.. 
604C-64.. 


Parker-Davis,  Aris 

Missouri     River     Basin, 
Central  Valley,  Calif. 


Missouri  River     Basin, 
Mont. 

Missouri  River     Basin, 

Wyo. 

Missouri  River     Basin, 

Kans. 
Central  Valley,  CaUf 


.do- 


Denver,  Colo 

Central  Valley,  Calif- 


Colorado   River   Storage, 
Colo. 

Missouri     River     Basin, 
Mont. 


-do- 


Central  Valley,  Calif. 
do 


Missouri     River     Basin, 

Wyo. 
Emery  Coimty,  Utah 


Pacific  Northwest-Pacific 
Southwest        IntertUe, 

Nev. 

Parker-Davis,  Calif 


Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee  Sys- 
tem, Ariz. 

Provo  River,  Utah 


Wichita,  Kans- 


Canadian  River,  Tex- 


Missourl  River  Basin,  S, 
Dak. 

Pondera  County  Canal 
and  Reservoir  Com- 
pany, Montana. 


Construction  of  the  12-mile  Coolidge-ED-2  llS-kv  trans- 
mission line. 

Construction  of  Glen  Elder  Dam,  utilizing  soil  cement  on 
upstream  slope,  Parts  A  and  C. 

Construction  of  35  miles  of  concrete-lined  San  Luis  canal. 
Reach  3. 

Completion  of  Yellowtail  powerplant,  switchyard,  dam, 
and  appurtenant  works. 

One  33,333-kva  trailer-mounted  mobile  autotransformer  for 

Region  7. 
Construction  of  1.9  miles  of  Downs  diversion  drain 


Construction  of  Wintu  pumping  plant 

Construction  of  Pacheco  inlet  channel  and  2  miles  of  tun- 
nel to  Sta.  198-1-65,  Schedule  1. 

Construction  of  the  14-story  Bureau  of  Reclamation  office 
building  at  Denver  Federal  Center. 

Four  10,000-kva  power  transformers  for  Forebay  pumping 
plant  switchyard. 

Two  generator-voltage  switchgear  assemblies  and  bus 
structures,  two  1,000-kva  station-service  power  trans- 
formers, and  two  busways  for  Blue  Mesa  powerplant. 

Two  generator-voltage,  isolated-phase  bus  structures;  two 
600- volt  station-service  feeder  busways;  and  three  750- 
kva  station-service  power  transformers  for  Yellowtail 
powerplant.  Schedule  1. 

Four  protective  equipment  assemblies;  four  generator- 
voltage,  segregated-phase  bus  structures;  and  four 
switchgear  assemblies  for  Yellowtail  powerplant. 
Schedule  2. 

Eight  230-kv  circuit  breakers  for  San  Luis  switchyard. 
Schedule  1. 

Construction  of  31  miles  of  pipelines  for  discharge  line. 
Main  aqueduct,  and  laterals. 

Construction  of  53.75  miles  of  first  section  of  Glenrock- 
Stegall  230-kv  transmission  line. 

Construction  of  Huntington  North  Dam  and  dikes 


Aerial  photographs,  surveys  and  maps,  right-of-way  plats 
and  descriptions,  geology  data  and  reports  for  the  750-kv 
direct-current  transmission  line  from  Mead  substation 
to  Beatty,  Nev.    (Negotiated  Contract) 

Construction  of  a  multi-purpose  buUdlng  for  Parker  Dam 
school,  Parker  Dam  Government  Camp. 

Hauling  and  placing  of  riprap  on  bank  protection  struc- 
tures, constructing  15  miles  of  gravel  access  and  service 
roads,  and  channel  excavation  along  the  Colorado  River. 

Construction  of  earthwork,  concrete  canal  lining,  and 
structure  revisions  for  Provo  reservoir  canal. 

Construction  of  three  comfort  stations  and  water  and 
sewage  systems  for  recreation  facilities  at  Cheney  reser- 
voir. 

Construction  of  boat  laimching  ramp,  roads,  and  parking 
areas  for  public  use  facilities  for  Blue  West  area,  Sanford 
reservoir. 

Construction  of  burled  asphaltic  membrane  lining  in 
reaches  of  Angostura  canal  and  laterals,  Schedule  1. 

Repair  of  diversion  weir  and  apron,  Bh:ch  Creek  diversion 
works  and  B.  canal. 


Ryan  Electric  Sierra  Vista, 
Ariz. 

Bushman  Construction  Co., 
St.  Joseph,  Mo. 

Peter  Kiewit  Sons'  Co.,  Ar- 
cadia, Calif. 

Wismer  &  Becker  and  Tullar 
Power  Construction,  Inc., 
Sacramento,  Calif. 

General  Electric  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 

Walters,  Kershaw  and  Morgan, 
Inc.,  Manhattan,  Kans. 

Purtzer  and  Dutton,  Reno, 
Nev. 

Dravo  Corp.,  South  San  Fran- 
cisco, Calif. 

MSI  Corp.,  Wheaton,  Md 


McGraw-Edison  Co.,  Penn- 
sylvania Transformer  Divi- 
sion, Canonsburg,  Pa. 

General  Electric  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 
Denver,  Colo. 


General  Electric  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 


General  Electric  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 

Valley  Engineers,  Inc.  of 
Fiesno,  Fresno,  Calif. 

Malcolm  W.  Larson  Contrac- 
ting Co.,  Denver,  Colo. 

W.  W.  Clyde  and  Co.,  Spring- 
ville,  Utah. 

Merrick  and  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 


Vogel-Austin  Construction 
Co.,  Phoenix,  Ariz. 

Hall  Construction  Co.,  Co- 
rona, Calif. 

E.  Arthur  HIgglns,  Salt  Lake 

City,  Utah. 
Dopps      Construction      Co., 

Wichita,  Kans. 

Tco,  Inc.,  White  Deer,  Tex... 


R.  J.  Studer  and  Sons,  BU- 
llngs,  Mont. 

Kyser  Construction  Co.,  Mis- 
soula, Mont. 


$204,972 

13,647,291 

24, 175, 381 

2,967,688 

157,522 
227,470 
864,344 
4,549,620 
5,843,036 
144,990 

104, 110 

167,440 

345, 878 

480,290 

3,510,381 

1, 491, 599 

741,286 

155,240 

159,821 
456,235 

101,717 
122,002 

157,608 

177, 439 
168.140 


Major  Construction  and  Materials  for  Which  Bids  Will  Be 
Requested  Through  February  1965* 


Project 

Description  of  work  or  material 

Project 

Description  of  work  or  material 

Canadian  River,  Tex 

Constructing  about  35  miles  of  20-  to  36-in.-dlam- 
eter    East   Aqueduct   pipeline    for   hydrostatic 
heads  of  from  25  to  500  ft,  pipe  to  be  either  rein- 
forced-concrete  pressure,  pretensioned  concrete 
steel  cylinder,  noncylinder  prestressed  concrete, 
or  asbestos-cement  pipe.    Work  will  also  Include 
excavating  a  34-ac-ft  reservoir  and  lining  with 
compacted  earth  lining,  and  constructing  two 
pumping  plants.    Near  Borger  and  Pampa. 

Central  Valley,  Cahf.-.. 
Do                    

Constructing  Little  Panoche  Creek  Detention 
Dam,  an  earthflll  structiu-e,  about  120  ft  high 
and  1,440  ft  long,  and  appurtenant  features.  On 
Little  Panoche  Creek,  about  18  miles  southwest 
of  Firebaugh. 

Constructing  about  63  miles  of  6-  to  48-in .-diameter 

Corning  Canal  pipelines  of  either  relnforced-con- 
Crete   pressure    pipe   or   asbestos-cement   pipe. 

See  footnote  at  end  of  table. 


32 


The  Reclamation  Era 


|(! 


U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE :  1965     O — 756-096 


Major  Construction  and  Materials  for  Which  Bids  Will  Be 
Requested  Through  February  1965* — (Continued) 


Project 


Dentral  Valley,  Calif- 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 


3hlef     Joseph     Dam, 
Wash. 


DRSP,  Arizona. 


Do. 


Do. 


IRSP,  Colorado. 


Do. 


;     Do. 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  about  9.4  miles  of  San  Luis  Canal, 
Reach  4,  with  a  bottom  width  of  60  ft,  to  be  lined 
with  4.5-ln.  unreinforced-concrete  lining.  Work 
will  also  include  constructing  bridges,  irrigation 
crossings,  and  turnouts.    Near  Huron. 

Furnishing  and  installing  three  123  cfs  at  60-ft  head, 
vertical-shaft,  centrifugal-type  pumping  units 
with  2,300-volt  synchronous  motors,  and  associ- 
ated control  equipment.  Corning  Canal  Pump- 
ing Plant,  three  miles  southeast  of  Red  Bluff. 

Completion  work  for  the  Mile  18  Pumping  Plant 
will  consist  of  placing  concrete  for  pump  embed- 
ment and  motor  support;  installing  three  fixed- 
flow  and  three  variable-pitch  impeller,  mixed- 
flow-type  pumps  rated  at  2,200  cfs  each  unit  at 
total  head  of  125  ft  at  120  rpm,  transformers,  and 
othernnechanlcal  and  electrical  equipment;  and 
applying  architectural  finishes. 

Six  14.4-kv,  station-type  swltchgear;  15-kv  Isolated- 
phase  bus;  two  1,500-kva,  13.2-kv  to  480-volt, 
station-service  transformers;  and  600-volt  non- 
segregated-phase  bus  for  M  ile  18  Pumping  Plant. 

Constructing  about  26.5  miles  of  Clear  Creek  South 
pipelines  ranging  in  size  from  8  through  42  in.  in 
diameter  for  hydrostatic  heads  of  from  100  through 
400  ft.    Near  Redding. 

Constructing  about  8,000  lin  ft  of  33-in.-diameter 
pipe  siphon,  of  which  about  200  lin  ft  will  cross 
a  lake  in  a  buried  trench;  and  constructing  about 
1,400  lin  ft  of  24-in. -diameter  pipelines.  The 
pip>e!lnes  will  be  either  concrete  pressure  pipe, 
pretensioned  concrete  steel  cylinder  pipe,  non- 
cylinder  prestressed  concrete  pipe^  or  steel  pipe 
for  heads  up  to  200  ft.    Near  Oroville. 

Constructing  the  Flagstaff  Substation  will  consist 
of  constructing  a  61-  by  23-ft  concrete-masonry 
service  building;  constructing  foundations;  fur- 
nishing and  erecting  steel  structures;  installing 
four  345-kv  circuit  breakers,  and  associated 
electrical  equipment;  and  grading  and  fencing 
the  area..  About  15  miles  east  of  Flagstaff. 

Constructing  the  Glen  Canyon  Dam  Visitor  Center 
complex  will  consist  of  constructing  a  one-story 
steel  frame  and  precast  Mo-Sal  panels.  An 
auditorium  seating  about  90  persons  will  be 
Included  in  the  plan  for  Schedule  No.  1  and  will 
be  omitted  in  the  plan  for  Schedule  No.  2.  Two 
elevators  each  of  about  40-passenger  capacity  will 
be  furnished  and  installed  under  a  separate 
contract.    At  Page. 

Additions  to  the  Pinnacle  Peak  Substation  will 
consist  of  constructing  foundations;  furnishing 
and  erecting  steel  structures;  installing  one 
600-mva,  345/230-kv  autotransformer,  twelve 
single-phase,  8,000-kva  shunt  reactors,  and  five 
230-kv  and  four  23-kv  circuit  breakers;  and 
furnishing  and  installing  associated  electrical 
equipment.  About  20  miles  northeast  of 
Phoenix. 

Constructing  6.3  miles  of  access  road.  Work  will 
include  grading,  structures,  and  bituminous 
surface  treatment.  About  13  miles  northeast  of 
Montrose,  and  about  5  miles  north  of  Jimction 
U.S.  60  and  Colorado  347. 

Fumishuig  and  constructing  about  9  miles  of  115- 
kv,  wood-pole  transmission  line  with  three  477 
MCM,  24/7,  ACSR  conductors  and  two  H  in. 
steel  strand  overhead  ground  wires.  From  a 
point  about  6.6  miles  northwest  of  Cimarron,  to 
a  point  about  1.5  miles  southeast  of  Cimarron. 

Furnishing,  installing,  and  testing  two  66,667-kva, 
0.9-pf,  180-rpm,  vertical-shaft  generators  with 
direct-connected  exciters  for  Morrow  Point 
Powerplant. 

Constructing  Radar  Pumping  Plant,  an  indoor- 
type  structure,  consisting  of  a  reinforced-concrete 
substructure  and  a  superstructure  of  structural- 
steel  frame  with  insulated  metal  siding;  and 
furnishing  and  installing  a  20-ton  bridge  crane  to 
service  five  electric,  motor-driven,  horizontal- 
centrifugal  pumping  units  of  256-cfs  total  capacity. 
Provision  will  be  made  for  future  installation  of 
four  additional  pumping  imits  of  206-cfs  total 
capacity.    South  of  Othello. 


Project 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Eklutna,  Alaska. 


Do. 


Mann  Creek,  Idaho. 


MRBP,  Kansas. 


Pacific    Northwest-Pa- 
cific Southwest,  Ari- 
zona. 
Do 


Do. 


Pacific    Northwest-Pa- 
cific Southwest,  Ne- 
vada. 
Do 

Do 

Do 

Pondera  County  Canal 
&  Reservoir  Co., 
Montana. 


Rogue  River  Basin, 
Oregon. 


SanJuan-Chama,  Colo.- 
N.  Mex. 


Silt,  Colo. 


Spokane  Valley,  Wash.. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  about  15.4  miles  of  Wahluke  Canal, 
of  which  about  3.4  miles  will  be  concrete  lined 
with  a  bottom  width  of  16  ft;  about  8.9  miles  will 
be  earth  lined,  with  a  bottom  width  of  42  ft;  and 
3.1  miles  will  be  imlined  with  a  bottom  width 
of  42  ft.  Near  Othello. 
Constructing  a  timnel  intake  and  trashrack  struc- 
ture consisting  of  a  reinforced-concrete  base  with 
concrete  columns  and  beams  to  support  metal 
trashrack  bars  on  three  sides  and  top  of  structure. 
The  intake  structure  will  be  in  Eklutna  Lake 
and  the  work  will  include  coflerdaming  and 
unwatering  of  the  site.  Removal  of  a  portion  of 
the  existing  precast-concrete  conduit  will  also  be 
required.    Near  Anchorage. 

Constructing  the  earthflll  Eklutna  Dam,  a  new 
dam  to  replace  the  existing  structure,  about  40 
ft  high  and  800  ft  long,  containing  about  82,000 
cu  yd.  The  spillway  will  consist  of  an  intake 
structure,  an  ogee  crest  to  be  constructed  after 
diversion,  an  18-  by  16-ft  rectangular  conduit, 
a  chute,  and  a  stilling  basin.  On  Eklutna 
Creek,  about  34  miles  northeast  of  Anchorage. 

Constructing  Spangler  Dam,  an  earthflll  structure 
about  138  ft  high  and  1,120  ft  long,  containing 
about  1,000,000  cu  yd,  and  appurtenant  features. 
The  spillway  will  consist  of  an  inlet  structure, 
an  ll-ft-diameter  conduit  and  a  stilling  basin. 
The  outlet  works  will  consist  of  an  intake  struc- 
ture, a  5-ft-diameter  pressure  conduit,  a  gate 
chamber,  a  6-ft  6-in.  diameter  horseshoe  conduit, 
and  a  stilling  basin.  Work  will  also  include 
relocating  about  3  miles  of  county  roads.  On 
Mann  Creek,  about  13  miles  north  of  Weiser. 

Constructing  the  Almena  Diversion  Dam  consist- 
ing of  a  reinforced-concrete  ogee  overfiow  weir 
about  150  ft  long;  abutment  wingwalls;  sluiceway 
with  a  6-  by  18-ft  radial  gate  and  a  constant  head 
orifice-type  turnout  to  canal  with  two  72-  by 
60-in.  orifice  gates,  and  two  60-  by  48-in.  turnout 
gates;  and  constructing  an  earth  dike  about  200 
ft  long.    Near  Norton. 

One  450/600-mva,  3-phase,  345/230-kv  autotrans- 
former for  Liberty  Substation. 

Four  230-kv,  1,600-amp,  20,000-mva  power  circuit 

breakers  for  Liberty  Substation. 
One  345-kv,  1,600-amp  switch;  and  eleven  230-kv, 

1,600-amp  switches  for  Liberty  Substation. 
One  230-kv,  600-mva  autotransformer  for  Mead 

Substation. 

One  3-phase,  460/600-mva,  345/230-kv  autotrans- 
former for  Mead  Substation. 

Nineteen  230-kv,  20,000-mva  power  circuit  breakers 
for  Mead  Substation. 

Eight  287-kv,  25,000-mva  power  circuit  breakers  for 
Mead  Substation. 

Constructing  Swift  Dam,  a  concrete  thin  arch 
structure  about  205  ft  high  and  560  ft  long,  con- 
taining about  53,000  cu  yd,  and  appurtenant 
features.  The  existing  spillway,  oft  the  left 
abutment,  will  be  rehabilitated.  A  new,  un- 
controlled, 200-ft  spillway  will  be  constructed 
over  the  crest  of  the  dam.  The  outlet  works  will 
consist  of  two  conduits  through  the  dam  con- 
trolled by  high-pressure  gates.  On  Birch  Creek, 
about  45  miles  west  of  Conrad. 

Constructing  Agate  Dam,  an  earthflll  structure 
about  77  ft  high  and  3,800  ft  long,  and  appurtenant 
features.  The  concrete  spillway  will  consist  of 
an  inlet  structure,  a  variable  width  open  chute 
and  a  stilling  basin.  Work  will  also  include 
construction  of  1,300  ft  of  7-ft  bottom  width  Agate 
Feeder  Canal  and  a  Parshall  flume.  On  Dry 
Creek,  about  13  miles  northeast  of  Medford. 

Constructing  about  8  miles  of  concrete-lined  Blanco 
Tunnel  of  either  8-ft  3-in.  diameter  horseshoe 
section  or  8-ft  7-in.  diameter  circular  section;  and 
constructing  the  reinforced-concrete  Blanco  Di- 
version Dam  consisting  of  an  ogee  overflow  weir, 
sluiceway,  and  headworks.  On  the  Rio  Blanco, 
near  Pagosa  Springs. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  reconstructing  about 
6  miles  of  Davie  Ditch  to  a  capacity  of  18  cfs,  of 
which  about  4  miles  will  be  lined  with  compacted 
earth  lining.    Near  Rifle. 

Constructing  about  84  miles  of  6-  to  24-in.-diameter 
pipeline  for  heads  up  to  about  250  ft.  Near 
Spokane. 


♦Subject  to  change. 


1 


IF   NOT  DELIVERED   WITHIN    10    DAYS 
PLEASE  RETURN  TO 

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OFFICIAL  BUSINESS 


I 


What's  Coming: 

DYE  DODGES  DRY  SPELLS 
IMPROVE  YOUR  SALTY  SOILS 


I 


In  its  assigned  function  as  the  Nation's  principal  natural  re- 
source agency,  the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special 
obligation  to  assure  that  our  expendable  resources  are  con- 
served, that  renewable  resources  are  managed  to  produce  opti- 
mum yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  full  measure 
to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  America,  now  and  in 
the  future. 

U.S.  Department  of  the  Interior 
Bureau  of  Reclamation 


/^ 


RECLAMATION 


Mo)^  1965 


Reclamation 

ERA 


MAY   1965 
Volume  51,  No.  2 


OTTIS    PETERSON,    Assistant   to   the    Com- 
missioner— Information 
GORDON  J.  FORSYTH,  Editor 


33. 


37. 


40. 


42. 


46. 


51. 


54. 


56. 


58. 


59. 
60. 


COLORADO'S    NEW   FUTURE   WITH 
THE    FRY-ARK 
hy  Eleanor  Gale 
INDIA  SENDS  THE  PATHAKS 

hy  Dorothy  Brose  Garlington 
RECLAMATION   STRUCTURES   CUR- 
TAIL PACIFIC  COAST  FLOODING 
CROPS  ARE  COAXED  FROM  A  SAND 
PILE 
hy  Ernest  Douglas 
Workshop— BETTERING    YOUR    MAN-j 
AGEMENT   OF   WATER 
hy  Theodore  Nelson 
IMPROVE  YOUR  SALTY  SOILS 

hy  J.  O.  Reuss  and  R.  E.  Gamphell  \ 

DYE  DODGES  DRY  SPELLS 

hy  F.  Elmer  Fonts 
BATTENING  DOWN  THE  HATCHES 

hy  H.  Shipley  I 

COMMISSIONER    BREAKS    GROUNK 

FOR     NEW     reclamation! 

BUILDING  I 

WITH  THE  WATER  USERS 

RECLAMATION  EMBLEM  ADOPTED 


COVER  PHOTO.  A  tunnel  might  symbolize  the  Fryingpan-Arkan- 
sas  Project's  "great  road  to  glory."  Although  the  tunnel  shown  it 
not  that  "great"  principal  structure  which  will  carry  mountain 
water  from  the  west  to  the  east  side  of  the  Divide,  it  does  illustratt 
the  progress  of  construction  on  the  project.  The  picture  is  of  the 
project's  Ruedi  Dam  diversion  tunnel,  taken  on  January  21  by 
photographer  Larry  Taylor.  Construction  on  the  other,  the  Fry-Ark 
Divide  Tunnel,  will  begin  this  spring. 


United   States   Department  of  the   Interior 
Stewart  L.   Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau   of   Reclamation,    Floyd   E.    Dominy,   Commissioner 

Washington  OfTicc;  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Washington,  D.C,  20240. 

Commissioner's   Staff 

Assistant  Commissioner N-  B.  Bennett,  Jr. 

Assistant  Commissioner ^  ^-  S^amm 

Assistant  Commissioner ^'^'^^^^  t 

Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado "■  P-  Bellport 

REGIONAL   OFFICES 

REGION  1:  Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  937,  Reclamation  Building,  Fairgrounds,  Idaho,  83701. 

REGION  2:  Robert  .1.  Pafford,  Jr.,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacramento,  Calif.,  95811. 

REGION  3:  A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  City,  Nev.,  89005. 

REGION  4:  Frank  M.  Clinton,  Regional  Director,  32  Exchange  Place,  P.O.  Box  360,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  84110. 

REGION  5:  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Ofhce  Building,  7th  and  Taylor,  Amarillo,  Tex.,  79105. 

REGION  6:  Harold  E.  Aldrich,  Regional  Director,  7th  and  Central,  P.O.  Box  2553,  IMUings,  Mont.,  59101. 

REGION  7:  Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo.,  80225. 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Washington,  D.C,  20240.     Use  of  funds  for  printing  this 

publication  has  been  approved  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31, 1961. 

For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.C,  20402.    Price  30  cents  (single  copy).    Subscrip- 
tion price:  Four  Issues  (1  year)  for  $1.00  ($1.50  for  foreign  mailing). 


Colorado's  New 
Future 

with  the 

FRY-ARK 


by  ELEANOR   GALE 

I  "SOUTHERN  CALIFOENIA  NEEDS  COL- 
ORADO RIVER  WATER."  It  was  painted 
blue  and  glittering  gold,  and  mounted  over  an 
archway  at  the  Los  Angeles  County  Fair,  in  a 
pavilion  which  housed  a  marvelous  display  of  the 
abundance  to  be  found  in  southern  California. 

I  walked  from  building  to  building,  through 
lush  gardens  planned  by  experts  and  nurtured  all 
year  for  this  one  "home  and  garden"  show,  view- 
ing many  varieties  and  mammoth  examples  of 
citrus  and  avocados,  cars  and  homes  of  the  future. 
And  I  was  struck  by  a  shocking  comparison. 

It  was  my  first  year  in  college  away  from  home, 
and  this  was  nothing  like  home !  Our  town  had 
no  palm  trees,  no  orange  groves;  our  State  fair 
exhibits  were  mostly  sheep  and  cattle,  and  dust. 
Our  town  was  in  southern  Colorado.  Southern 
Colorado,  I  decided,  also  needs  Colorado  River 
water ! 

I  remembered  the  summer  before,  when  we  were 
allowed  to  irrigate  our  lawns  every  other  day. 
Some  people  even  "rustled"  water  after  dark,  for 
their  thirsty  lawns.  Shower  baths  were  limited  in 
some  places,  and  air  coolers  were  outlawed.  Cat- 
tle were  dying  and  ranchers  and  farmers  were 
moving  out.    And  nobody  was  moving  in. 

Each  day  through  the  mail  I  received  copies  of 
my  hometown  paper,  the  Pueblo  Star  Journal  and 
Chieftain,  rolled  up  the  size  of  a  toothpick  com- 
pared to  that  of  the  L.  A.  Times.     In  it  I  read  of 


the  needs  and  support  for  the  project  which  would 
save  the  Arkansas  Valley  from  its  yearly  classifica- 
tion as  a  disaster  area.  The  Fryingpan-Arkansas 
Project  had  for  many  years  been  the  "darling"  of 
countless  organizations  throughout  southeastern 
Colorado  and  certain  partisan  legislators  in 
Washington. 

Wliat  was  this  project  with  the  unusual  name? 
It  was  a  multiple-purpose  project  which  would 
supply  supplemental  water  for  irrigation  of 
crops — also  municipal  and  industrial  water,  gen- 
eration and  transmission  of  hydroelectric  power, 
control  of  floods,  provision  for  the  preservation  and 
propagation  of  fish  and  wildlife,  and  creation  of 
new  recreational  opportunities  in  Colorado.  The 
Fryingpan-Arkansas  Project  borrows  its  name 
from  the  Fryingpan  River,  a  tributary  of  the 
Roaring  Fork  River,  from  which  water  will  be 
diverted  under  the  Continental  Divide  and  into 
the  Arkansas  Valley  in  southeastern  Colorado. 
It  is  a  name  which  stuck,  and  it  belonged  to  a 
project  which  "stuck." 

For  or  Against 

For  30  years  in  Colorado,  the  Fryingpan-Ar- 
kansas Project  was  something  you  were  for  if  you 
lived  on  one  side  of  the  divide — and  against  if  you 

Secretary  of  the  Department  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall 
speaking  at  groundbreaking  ceremonies  for  Ruedi  Dam,  July  19, 
1964. 


May  1965 


33 


People  of  Leadville,  Colo.,  a  town  famous  for  its  mining  history,   are  feeling  some  excitement  as  the  project  development  starts, 
east   portal    of   Divide    Tunnel   will    be    5    miles   from   this   town. 


The 


lived  on  the  other.  For  10  years  in  Congress, 
Pennsylvania  argued  against  it  because  it  meant 
spending  money  on  public  power.  California  ar- 
gued against  it  because  many  of  its  people  felt  it 
was  a  plan  to  rob  them  of  something  which  by 
rights  belonged  to  them.  They  felt  that  they 
owned  the  water  involved.  And  among  those  in 
Colorado  who  did  want  it  passed,  many  were 
homemakers  who  realized  the  poor  quality  and 
scarcity  of  the  water  available  to  them,  or  busi- 
nessmen who  knew  that  to  survive  economically, 
arid  parts  of  Colorado  had  to  have  more  water. 
But  they  really  didn't  know  what  was  involved 
from  a  political  standpoint,  and  certainly  not  from 
the  engineering  standpoint. 

The  western  slope  needed  water.  But  I  was 
from  the  eastern  slope.  That  night  at  the  fair  in 
California,  I  decided  to  learn  as  much  as  I  pos- 
sibly could  about  the  project,  a  subject  which  has 
held  my  interest  for  the  past  9  years.  I've  read  a 
bookshelf  full  of  background,  traveled  to  Wash- 
ington and  back,  and  even  made  myself  learn  to 
understand  engineering  principles  and  terms.  I've 
learned  Reclamation  jargon  and  the  politics  in- 
volved.   Now  "acre- feet"  is  a  household  word,  and 


I  can  recite  the  project's  legislative  history  back- 
wards. 

But  now  the  Fryingpan-Arkansas  project,  in- 
stead of  remaining  a  legislative  "case  history,"  has 
become  a  priceless  part  of  Colorado's  future.  In 
1962  it  found  its  congressional  approval — having 
been  researched,  changed,  and  planned  by  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation  people  enough  to  satisfy 
western  Colorado  interests  and  unify  Colorado  in 
its  favoring  of  the  project.  Several  sets  of  legis- 
lators had  come  and  gone  until  the  right  combina- 
tion occurred,  and  the  bill  was  passed — all  $170 
million  worth  of  it. 

What  will  those  millions  buy  ?  A  series  of  dams, 
tunnels,  canals,  reservoirs,  powerplant — the  ingre- 
dients of  a  new  era  in  Colorado. 

On  July  19,  1964,  ground  was  broken  for  the 
first  stage  of  the  project,  the  construction  of  the 
$20-million  Ruedi  Dam  and  Reservoir,  which  is 
planned  as  a  compensating  impoundment,  to  store 
100,000  acre-feet  of  water  for  western  Colorado's 
benefit.  This  initial  phase  of  the  project,  which 
will  take  about  1,300  days  to  complete,  is  the  de- 
ciding factor  which  brought  favor  to  the  bill  in 
Congress  and  consolidated  Colorado's  interest  in 


«i' 


34 


The  Reclamation  Eraj 


Eleanor  M.  Gale 

Mrs.  Gale,  born  in  and  a  resident  of  Pueblo, 
Colo.,  for  22  years,  now  lives  in  Denver  with  her 
husband  Dr.  Scott  A.  Gale  and  three  youngsters, 
ages  4,  3,  and  2.  An  aspiring  writer,  she  recently 
had  her  first  major  publication — ^a  first-person 
exi)erience  in  the  November  1964  edition  of  Red- 
hook  Magazme.  Having  majored  in  creative 
writing  at  Pomona  College,  Claremont,  Calif.,  an 
opportunity  for  her  to  write  about  something  in 
which  she  really  believed  occurred  in  her  junior 
year,  when  she  spent  6  months  in  Washington, 
D.C.,  studying  the  Fryingpan-Arkansas  Project. 
Her  voluminous  writings  on  the  project  are  now 
in  the  Library  of  Congress.  Mrs.  Gale  combines 
writing  and  homemaking  with  a  part-time  job 
doing  institutional  research  at  Colorado  Wom- 
an's College  in  Denver. 


the  project.  It  is  also  one  of  the  major  reasons  for 
the  rise  of  the  estimated  cost  of  the  project  since 
1957.  This  cost  includes  the  dam,  a  reservoir  with 
12  miles  of  shoreline,  relocation  of  many  miles  of 
county  roads,  and  buying  rights-of-way.  Work- 
ing continued  during  the  winter  to  drill  a  tunnel 
so  that  a  cofferdam  can  be  erected  this  year  to 
divert  the  Fryingpan  River,  to  allow  the  erection 
of  the  permanent  dam  to  begin  this  spring.  Ruedi 
Dam  is  expected  to  be  completed  by  February  of 
1968. 

At  this  beginning,  the  Fryingpan-Arkansas 
Project,  called  by  Interior  Secretary  Steward  L. 
Udall  "one  of  the  greatest  water-resource  develop- 
ments ever  undertaken  in  the  West,''  has  already 
begun  to  employ  workmen  and  in  other  ways  bene- 
fit the  economy  of  the  State.  It  is  expected  that 
the  project  will  require  5,000  man-years  of  labor 
alone. 

Impact  of  Recreation 

The  U.S.  Forest  Service  has  estimated  that  the 
development  of  recreational  facilities  in  the  White 
River  National  Forest  would  cost  approximately 


$1.4  million.  These  facilities  will  include  roads, 
trails,  campgrounds,  picnic  sites,  docks  and  boat 
landings,  parking  areas,  tree  and  shrub  planting 
and  grass  seeding,  costs  of  which  are  nonreimburs- 
able. The  recreational  impact  area  involves 
182,700  acres,  8,800  of  which  are  now  private  land. 
Property  values  have  begun  to  rise  impressively. 

Of  the  project  as  a  whole,  money  spent  for  irri- 
gation, power,  municipal  water  supply  and  de- 
livery systems — over  90  percent  of  construction 
cost — will  be  paid  back  to  the  Government.  And 
this,  together  with  interest,  will  result  in  a 
total  reimbursement  of  $228  million  to  the  U.S. 
Treasury. 

The  next  phase  of  the  Fryingpan-Arkansas 
Project  will  be  the  development  of  the  western 
slope  water  collection  system — drawing  from  the 
south  side  collection  area,  and  involving  the  con- 
struction of  three  major  tunnels.  One  of  these,  the 
Divide  Tunnel,  is  5.3  miles  long,  and  has  a  10l^- 
foot-diameter  bore.  It  will  carry  water  from  the 
west  to  the  east  side  of  the  Continental  Divide, 
to  Turquoise  Lake  ( also  called  Sugar  Loaf  Reser- 
voir) 5  miles  southwest  of  Leadville,  Colo.  This 
town,  famous  for  its  mining  history,  has  become 
the  scene  of  exciting  development  with  the  be- 
ginning of  the  project. 

About  70,000  acre-feet  of  water  from  Turquoise 
Lake  (enlarged  from  17,000  acre- feet  capacity  to 
117,000  acre- feet  capacity) ,  will  be  carried  annual- 
ly through  a  series  of  canals  to  Twin  Lakes  Reser- 
voir, which  will  be  enlarged  to  five  times  its 
present  size. 

From  Twin  Lakes  Reservoir,  the  water  will  be 
released  through  a  series  of  powerplants  into  the 
Arkansas  River  near  Salida.  From  this  point,  the 
water  will  flow  in  the  river  to  be  impounded  in 
Pueblo  Reservoir,  which  will  be  formed  by  the 
erection  of  Pueblo  Dam  across  the  river  west  of 
Pueblo.  Pueblo  Reservoir  will  store  400,000  acre- 
feet  of  water.  This  phase  will  involve  relocation 
of  about  20  miles  of  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Rail- 
road track,  with  a  seventh  powerplant  to  be  lo- 
cated at  Pueblo  Dam.  The  new  lake  will  have  a 
61 -mile  shoreline. 

For  most  residents  of  Colorado  it  is  impossible 
to  realize  the  great  changes  the  Fryingpan-Arkan- 
sas Project  will  make  in  the  economic  structure 
of  the  State,  and  the  types  of  businesses  which 
will  be  attracted  to  the  area.  Many  of  the  towns 
in  Colorado,  which  are  now  simply  places  to  "go 


May  1965 


35 


JjptvTs'll^  ^i^MIWJHlli^^ 


r'-m^^ 


J 


This  is  the  waterless  Colorado  Canal  photographed  In   1963.      It  is  northwest  of  Ordway  In  the  project  area. 


through,"  will  become  attractive  recreational  areas. 
Pueblo,  my  hometown,  will,  upon  completion  of  the 
reservoir,  have  a  high  tourist  potential. 

Colorado,  until  recently,  was  not  achieving  the 
amount  of  progress  which  by  rights  it  should  en- 
joy as  one  of  the  States  richest  in  natural  resources 
and  scenic  beauty.  Today,  it  has  a  reputation  of 
being  a  playground  for  the  winter  sportsman  and 
a  paradise  for  the  summer  camper.  But  this  does 
not  give  enough  attention  to  the  situation  of  the 
year-around  resident  of  Colorado — who  gives  and 
gets  all  which  is  his  within  the  State  alone. 

Colorado's  Appeal 

We've  heard  western  slogans  containing  roman- 
tic words  and  emotional  appeal,  but  we've  known 
in  the  past  that  these  could  not  apply  to  us  be- 
cause of  our  desperate  lack  of  water.  Given  Colo- 
I'ado's  space  and  beauty,  given  its  strategic  loca- 
tion as  the  real  center  of  the  United  States,  given 
its  clear  air  and  the  ease  of  transportation  within 
its  boundaries,  its  relatively  untapped  labor  re- 
sources and  its  enthusiastic,  progressive  business- 
men— given  all  these  valuable  factors,  Colorado's 
score  would  still  be  low  without  water.  With 
water  where  needed,  Colorado  will  emerge  the  im- 
portant Western  State  that  it  could  be. 

With  more  water  for  irrigation,  Colorado  land 
now  involved  in  farming  will  yield  more  varied 
crops  to  feed  the  growing  population  of  the  State. 


With  more  municipal,  domestic,  and  industrial 
water'  available,  new  and  long-term  industries  will 
join  the  already  established  and  internally  well- 
developed  industries  currently  enjoying  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  large  amount  of  undeveloped  land 
in  tlie  State.  New  cities  will  emerge,  and  well- 
rooted  cities  in  Colorado  will  grow  and  improve 
in  quality — reaffirming  the  faith  of  those  who  have 
already  invested  in  housing  developments,  apart- 
ment complexes,,  new  schools  and  shopping  centers. 
These  were  threatened  with  being  surpluses  the 
already  burdened  State  could  not  afford  to  bear, 
before  the  certainty  of  adequate  water. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  has  done  its  part 
in  honestly  and  accurately  planning  and  designing 
the  most  feasible  project  to  alleviate  the  Arkansas 
Valley's  lack  of  water;  the  Congress  has  given  its 
approval  and  appropriation  of  funds ;  now  it's  up 
to  Colorado  to  plan  wisely  for  the  many  benefits 
which  will  result  from  the  project. 

The  real  key  to  the  State's  future  development  is 
to  be  found  in  such  planning.  Colorado  should  be 
able  to  utilize  the  knowledge.  There  are  examples 
of  several  areas  within  our  United  States  which 
have  grown  without  careful  anticipation  or  co- 
ordination. But  we  have  the  years  before  the 
Fryingpan-Arkansas  Project  will  be  complete. 
Let  us  now  plan  ideal  communities. 

The  Fryingpan-Arkansas  Project  is  a  valuable 
investment  in  the  future  of  Colorado.    #    #    # 


36 


The  Reclamation  Era 


This  is  the  story  of  an  Indian  Engineer  and  his  family  who  came  to  America, 
and  whose  stay  has  been  for  the  greater  good  of  both  countries.  Denver  and 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  have  accepted  them  and  a  channel  has  been  opened 
for  two-way  traffic  of  friendliness  and  learning. 


INDIA  SENDS  THE  PATHAKS 


by  DOROTHY  BROSE   GARUNGTON 
Denver,   Colorado 


The  "spirit  of  helpfulness"  shown  by  the  United 
States  to  India  in  her  vast  dam-building  program 
has  been  warmly  praised  by  K.  S.  Pathak,  techni- 
cal attache  for  the  Embassy  of  India,  Washington, 
D.C. 

An  engineer  with  the  Irrigation  Branch  of  the 
Punjab  Public  Works  Department  prior  to  his  U.S. 
assignment  in  March  1963,  Pathak  noted  the 
friendly  relationship  that  has  existed  for  some 
20  years  between  the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
and  the  Government  of  India. 

Through  various  technical  assistance  agree- 
ments, India  is  able  to  benefit  from  the  reservoir 
of  engineering  know-how  and  experience  built  up 
by  the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Pathak  said. 

"But,"  he  emphasized,  "it  is  the  spirit  of  helpful- 
ness, the  willingness,  and  readiness  of  share  that 
far  transcends  merely  meeting  the  terms  of  an 
agreement." 

Pathak,  who  designed  the  powerplant  for  India's 
famous  Bhakra  Dam,  has  been  serving  for  nearly 
2  years  as  liaison  officer  between  the  India  Supply 
Mission  and  the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclamation. 
Since  much  of  his  time  is  spent  in  the  Bureau's 
Denver  offices  and  laboratories,  Pathak's  wife, 
Kamla,  and  their  four  children  have  made  Denver 
their  "home  away  from  home," 

Although  his  job  has  various  aspects,  Pathak's 
primary  concern  is  with  the  Beas  Project, 
which  involves  an  earth  dam  400  feet  high  (with  a 
powerplant  and  five  diversion  tunnels)  and  an- 
other 200-foot-high  dam  with  two  8-mile-long 
tunnels  connecting  the  River  Beas  with  the  River 
Sutlej,  for  power  generation  through  a  1,000-foot 
drop. 

"Our  Indian  engineers  prepare  the  designs,  serve 
as    contractors    and    inspectors,"    he    explained. 


Mr.   Pathak,  center,  checks  part  of  a  design  for 
India  with  E.  E.  Esmiol,  left,  and  Fred  C.  Walker, 


a  future  dam  in 
Bureau  engineers. 


May  1965 


37 


"But — as  our  work  progresses,  we  can  request  ad- 
vice and  information  on  highly  technical  matters 
under  terms  of  a  1951  agreement  between  our  two 
countries  for  scientific  and  technical  engineering 
services.  "And  never  once,"  he  noted,  "have  I 
ever  asked  for  assistance  that  it  wasn't  granted 
readily. 

"If  I  explain  to  Bureau  officials  that  we  are 
having  some  problems  on  which  we  need  advice  of 
their  engineers,  we  get  it.  And  if  a  firsthand  con- 
sultation on  the  spot  is  needed,  the  Bureau  ex- 
pedites arrangements  for  the  engineers  to  come  to 
India.  Thus  we  benefit  from  the  valuable  experi- 
ence built  up  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  over  a 
period  of  60-some  years  that  it  has  been  developing 
and  conserving  water  resources  throughout  17 
Western  States,"  Pathak  said. 

Officials  Visited 

Many  Bureau  engineers  and  officials  have  visited 
India  upon  invitation,  but  within  the  past  2  years 
the  list  has  included  Commissioner  Floyd  E. 
Dominy,  Chief  Engineer  B,  P.  Bellport,  and  Gen- 
eral Physical  Scientist  O.  L.  Rice. 

Having  this  exchange  of  views  and  firsthand 
experience  is  proving  "a  very  good  working  agree- 
ment," Pathak  said. 

Similar  views  were  expressed  by  Chief  Engineer 
Bellport  when  he  noted  that  the  Bureau  of  Recla- 
mation "has  been  happy  to  share  our  experience 
and  knowledge  with  India.  "K.  S.  Pathak,"  he 
added,  "has  very  effectively  provided  the  key 
liaison  so  essential  to  a  program  of  this  nature." 

General  Physical  Scientist  Rice  praised  Pathak 
as  "a  fine  engineer"  and  said :  "It  has  been  a  pleas- 
ure to  work  with  him  in  support  of  the  Beas  and 
other  water  resources  projects  in  India." 

Besides  the  Beas  Project,  Pathak  deals  with 
other  problems  referred  from  India,  such  as  the 
Khadakvasla  Dam  near  Bombay  which  breached 
and  has  had  to  be  repaired.  Two  senior  Bureau 
engineers  were  sent  to  study  and  advise,  he  said. 

Another  of  his  responsibilities  is  "trying  to  keep 
my  Government  informed  on  the  latest  technical 
advances  and  engineering  developments." 

"The  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclamation  publishes  re- 
sults of  its  work  for  the  whole  world  to  share," 
he  noted. 

"In  our  case,  we  may  not  face  exactly  the  same 
problem  today  as  is  being  worked  out  here — but 
accumulating  facts  can  be  very  useful  for  the 
future." 


Another  important  contribution  which  the  U.S. 
Bureau  of  Reclamation  makes  is  sharing  its  test- 
ing facilities — running  tests  on  concrete,  for  ex- 
ample, which  may  be  similar  to  those  being  made 
by  Indian  engineers,  but  which  will  thus  enable 
them  to  compare  results  and  get  a  double  check  on 
safety  and  effectiveness. 

Pathak  pointed  out  that  India  also  draws  from 
private  engineering  consultants,  some  of  whom 
have  been  associated  with  their  works  for  many 
years.  His  position  includes  contacts  with  them, 
as  well  as  with  manufacturing  firms  since  India 
buys  some  of  its  major  construction  equipment 
from  the  United  States. 

Pathak  recalled  an  observation  made  by  India's 
president,  Dr.  S.  Radhakrishnan,  when  he  was 
honored  in  June  1963,  by  the  University  of  Denver 
and  by  Denver's  mayor. 

In  a  dinner  speech,  Dr.  Radhakrishnan  cited  a 
visit  he  had  just  made  to  the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Recla- 
mation's Denver  laboratories  where  he  had  ob- 
served Bureau  engineers  testing  soil  brought 
10,000  miles  from  his  homeland,  and  he  had  noted, 
"how  small  is  the  world  today  when  you  look  at 
such  cooperation  and  friendship." 

Friendly  Arrival 

Friendliness  and  hospitality  described  as  "al- 
most unbelievable"  also  are  cited  by  Pathak's  gra- 
cious and  charming  wife,  Kamla,  when  she  talks 
about  the  family's  arrival  in  Denver. 

'^We  first  stayed  in  a  motel  near  my  husband's 
office,"  she  recalled.  "Right  away  a  neighbor  of- 
fered to  take  our  children  to  school  with  her  own, 
and  one  of  my  husband's  colleagues  drove  him  to 
work  until  we  could  get  a  car  of  our  own." 

"Within  2  months  we  found  a  furnished  house 
to  rent.  There  never  was  any  question — the  owner, 
who  was  going  to  the  University  of  Illinois  for  a 
year  of  advanced  studies,  just  turned  over  the 
keys  and  told  us  to  make  ourselves  at  home." 

The  Pathak's  eldest  son,  Pramod,  19,  enrolled 
at  the  University  of  Colorado  where  he  plans  to 
get  his  degree;  their  two  daughters — 17-year-old 
Sunita  and  16-year-old  Archana  entered  Lake- 
wood  Junior  High  School;  and  9-year-old  Rajiv, 
the  youngest  son,  started  classes  at  Lakewood  Ele- 
mentary School. 

The  children's  facility  with  English  made  school 
adjustment  no  problem.  Rajiv,  according  to  his 
teacher,  is  providing  stimulus  to  his  fellow  stu- 
dents. 


38 


The  Reclamation  Era 


"Prior  to  the  American  presidential  election," 
Mrs.  Pathak  commented,  "the  teacher  called  me  to 
express  amazement  at  Rajiv's  interest  in  the  Amer- 
ican political  system  as  well  as  in  the  candidates !" 

Pathak  said  that  often,  when  he  leaves  for  work 
at  7  a.m.,  he  finds  Rajiv  sitting  up  in  bed,  clipping 
the  newspaper  for  articles  pertaining  to  his  studies 
in  school. 

"He's  also  become  a  baseball  and  football  fan," 
his  father  said.  "He  plays  those  games  with  his 
friends — but  he  also  enjoys  cricket  with  the  whole 
family.  We  got  a  set  from  India,  and  when  we  all 
play  cricket  in  our  backyard,  we  have  a  regular 
audience  of  neighbors,"  he  smiled. 

The  girls  wear  American-style  clothes  to  school, 
but  at  home  and  at  parties  they  prefer  Indian-style 
outfits  of  salwar,  kameez,  and  chunni.  They  get 
frequent  requests  to  give  talks  about  India  before 
various  schools  clubs  and  groups.  When  guests 
are  entertained  in  the  Pathak  home,  Sunita  enter- 
tains with  some  traditional  Indian  dancing.  In 
keeping  with  their  national  custom,  their  mother 
said,  the  girls  never  go  to  mixed  parties — nor  have 
they  ever  asked  to  do  so. 

Carry  on  Traditions 

Mrs.  Pathak  said  that  the  family  always  speaks 
Hindi  and  Punjabi  among  themselves,  and  in  their 
family  life  they  try  to  carry  on  other  important 
Indian  traditions.  Her  husband,  for  example, 
reads  and  prays  before  a  little  Hindu  shrine  each 
morning.  She  said  she  never  wears  anything  but 
her  traditional  sari — except,  she  laughed,  when  she 
gardens  or  shovels  snow.  Then  she  self-conscious- 
ly puts  on  a  pair  of  slacks — and  hastens  to  change 
before  any  visitors  ever  see  her. 

"We  did  not  bring  a  servant  with  us,  although 
we  could  have  done  so,"  she  said.  "First  of  all, 
we  wanted  to  live  as  most  American  families  do — 
and  we  felt  it  would  be  important  training  for  our 
children  to  learn  to  help  around  the  house  and 
yard,  as  they  are  doing." 

Mrs.  Pathak  does  all  of  the  cooking — Indian 
style,  she  said.  "We  can  find  in  American  stores 
just  about  everything  we  used  in  India,  and  the 
children  and  my  husband  are  very  helpful."  She 
smiles  as  she  remembers  how  time-consuming  the 
preparation  for  their  first  meal  for  guests  seemed. 
"But  now  it  doesn't  bother  me.  In  fact,  when  I 
was  invited  to  a  church  luncheon  and  discovered 
the  ladies  wanted  to  have  Indian  curry  but  had 
never  had  any  experience  with  it,  I  volunteered  to 


Discussing  earth  samples  brought  from  India  for  testing  are  G.  E. 
Burnett,  Chief  Research  Scientist;  Krishan  Pathak,  and  Harold  J. 
Gibbs,  Chief  Soils  Engineer. 

prepare  curry  for  138  guests — and  they  observed 
and  learned." 

She  gets  many  requests  to  talk  about  India  be- 
fore various  clubs  and  organizations.  She  also 
was  invited  to  model  Indian  dress  in  an  Interna- 
tional House  style  show  and  before  an  organization 
of  Bureau  of  Reclamation  wives. 

"Sometimes  it  requires  a  whole  day  off  from  my 
home  schedule,"  she  admits,  "but  I  feel  as  though 
if  I  can  in  some  way  help  the  women  of  our  two 
nations  come  closer  in  friendship  and  understand- 
ing, then  it  is  more  than  worthwhile.  And  it  is 
stimulating  for  me,  too,  because  many  of  these 
ladies  are  well-informed  and  ask  many  questions," 
she  added. 

After  an  illustrated  article  about  the  Pathak 
family  was  published  in  The  Denver  Post,  Mrs. 
Pathak  said  they  began  receiving  many  letters — 
some  of  them  from  persons  desiring  more  informa- 
tion, some  of  them  from  Americans  who  had  visited 
India,  some  of  them  from  persons  wanting  first- 
hand contact  with  the  Hindu  religion  or  other 
aspects  of  Indian  life. 

The  Pathak  family  belongs  to  the  Colorado 
Mineral  Society,  with  rock-hunting  as  a  hobby. 
They  also  joined  the  Mount  Vernon  Country  Club, 
located  in  the  nearby  mountains,  which  has  a 
regular  waiting  list  of  hundreds  desiring  member- 
ship. 

"We  are  very  happy  and  very  busy  here  in  the 
United  States,"  Mrs.  Pathak  said.  "But  never  do 
we  forget  that  India  is  our  homeland — and 
that  we  want  to  do  everything  we  can  in  every 
way  possible  to  help  further  our  country's 
progress."  #  #  # 


May  1965 


39 


RECLAMATION  STRUCTURES 

Curtail  Pacific  Coast  Flooding 


Reclamation's  multipurpose  dams  in  northern 
California,  Oregon,  Idaho,  Washington,  and 
Nevada  figured  importantly  in  curtailing  the  de- 
vastating floods  that  struck  Pacific  coast  areas 
during  the  1964  Christmas  season.  Some  of  the 
same  stricken  areas  were  beset  again  by  the  re- 
lentless waters  during  the  first  few  weeks  of  the 
new  year. 

Excessive  precipitation  increased  storage  be- 
hind four  dams — Shasta,  Trinity,  Whiskeytown 
and  Folsom — on  the  Central  Valley  Project  in 
California,  gaining  a  total  of  1,570,000  acre-feet 
during  late  December.  Meanwhile,  Reclamation- 
operated  dams  and  reservoirs  did  yeoman  service 
in  passing  flood  crests  safely  through  the  Sacra- 
mento Valley,  with  particular  credit  going  to 
Shasta  and  Folsom  Dams. 

The  operations  at  Shasta  Dam  were  crucial 
throughout  the  threatening  period.  It  caught  and 
held  800,000  acre-feet  of  flood  runoff  in  the  Sacra- 
mento River  and  was  credited  with  saving  $40 
million  in  damages. 

A  saving  of  $45  million  in  damages  is  credited 
to  Folsom  Dam,  as  it  completely  eliminated  down- 
stream flooding.  Behind  this  dam,  Folsom  Reser- 
voir received  an  inflow  of  822  percent  above  the 
December  normal. 

The  prevention  of  damage  by  other  California 
dams — Monticello,  East  Park  and  Stony  Gorge — 
is  known  to  be  substantial. 

Approximately  $210,000  damages  were  sus- 
tained at  the  Nimbus  Fish  Hatchery,  where  the 
fish  ladder  leading  from  the  American  River  to 
the  hatchery  was  largely  swept  away  in  the  flood. 
This  facility,  constructed  and  owned  by  Reclama- 
tion, is  operated  by  the  California  Department 
of  Fish  and  Game.  Reclamation  is  making  a  new 
detailed  study  of  how  the  lower  part  of  the  ladder 
might  be  redesigned  to  prevent  similar  damage  in 

40 


the  future.  All  renovations  are  to  be  completed 
by  the  end  of  next  summer,  in  time  for  the  salmon 
run. 

Canal  Bank  Torn 

Damages  to  Coming  Canal,  on  the  Central  Val- 
ley Project,  are  estimated  at  $55,000.  Several 
hundred  feet  of  the  canal  bank  were  torn  out 
during  the  flood  by  overflow  from  Thomes  Creek, 
an  uncontrolled  tributary  of  the  Sacramento 
River. 

The  severity  of  the  floods  resulted  in  several 
locations  being  designated  by  President  Johnson 
as  disaster  areas,  with  the  cost  of  temporary  re- 
pairs to  be  borne  by  the  Federal  Government. 

Hoopa  Valley,  an  example  of  a  disaster  area, 
suffered  damages  estimated  at  more  than  $2  mil- 
lion during  Christmas  week  when  Trinity  River 
overflowed  just  south  of  its  juncture  with  the 
swollen  Klamath  River.  Most  of  this  valley  re- 
mained underwater  for  an  extensive  time  because 
of  the  overflow  from  normally  small  creeks  feed- 
ing into  the  Trinity.  The  creeks  carried  debris, 
mud,  and  shale  into  the  area,  clogged  the  channel 
and  ran  free  over  the  farmland. 

The  Office  of  Emergency  Planning  has  desig- 
nated the  Bureau  as  its  agency  in  charge  of  re- 
habilitation of  the  severely  flood-damaged  Hoopa 
Valley. 

When  this  issue  of  the  Reclamation  Era  was 
sent  to  the  printer,  winter  weather  had  prevented 
detailed  estimates  of  damages  in  some  areas  re- 
sulting from  the  December  and  January  flooding. 
However,  in  the  three  Northern  States,  total  esti- 
mated damages  both  to  areas  where  the  Federal 
Government  had  performed  construction  or  re- 
habilitation work,  and  where  it  had  not,  was 
Oregon,  $827,300;  Idaho,  $168,200;  and  Washing- 
ton, $120,500. 

The  Reclamation  Era^ 


I 


Jb^mtr 


'W^. 


•'i.,.,   ,^-o- 


Dominy  and  Committee  Inspect 

Reclamation  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy 
joined  the  Special  Subcommittee  of  the  House 
Public  Works  Committee  during  the  week  of 
January  11,  to  inspect  the  destruction  as  it  related 
to  the  Bureau  in  California  and  Oregon.  The 
review,  both  from  the  air  and  on  the  ground, 
included  detailed  observations  as  well  as  discus- 
sions of  corrective  measures  to  be  handled  by 
Reclamation. 

After  making  the  personal  inspection,  the  sub- 
committee reported  to  Congress  on  January  26, 
that  the  total  damages  will  exceed  $1  billion,  par- 
ticularly when  lost  jobs  and  employment  oppor- 
tunities are  taken  into  effect.  The  death  toll  as  of 
February  8,  was  23  persons. 

In  Oregon,  Prineville  Dam  completely  con- 
trolled the  highest  flood  of  record  on  the  Crooked 
River,  preventing  damages  that  would  have 
exceeded  the  entire  cost  of  the  dam  and  the  rest 
of  the  Crooked  Rwer  Project. 

Lucky  Peak  Dam  and  Reclamation's  Ander- 
son Ranch  and  Arrowrock  Dams  on  the  Boise 
Project  in  Idaho,  contained  a  peak  inflow  of  the 
Boise  River  of  34,000  cubic  feet  per  second — 
the  highest  in  69  years.  These  dams  limited  the 
river's  outflow  to  150  cubic  feet  per  second,  pre- 
venting estimated  flood  damages  of  $12-$13 
million. 

Cascade  Dam  and  Deadwood  Dam  on  the  pro- 
ject's section  of  the  Payette  River  near  Emmett, 
prevented  estimated  flood  damages  in  excess  of 
$3  million. 

All  Reclamation  flood-control  structures  in  the 
Columbia  River  Basin  in  Oregon  and  Washing- 
ton weathered  the  storm  without  damage.  A  ser- 
ious ice  jam  on  the  Yakima  River  in  Washington 
forced  Roza  and  Chandler  powerplants  to  go 
off  the  line. 


Storage  in  reservoirs  throughout  Oregon  in- 
cluding Emigrant,  Ochoco,  and  Prineville  Res- 
ervoirs were  filled,  or  very  nearly  filled.  How- 
ever, prompt,  but  controlled  drawdowns  there 
and  elsewhere  gave  assurance  of  adequate  stor- 
age space  for  controlling  any  further  floods  that 
might  develop. 

Also,  storage  in  Lake  Roosevelt  behind  Grand 
Coulee  Dam,  as  w^ell  as  in  most  other  reservoirs 
in  the  Pacific  Northwest  and  California,  is  well 
above  normal.  Irrigation  water  supplies  for  this 
growing  season  range  from  good  to  excellent. 

On  irrigation  structures  in  different  parts  of 
the  flood-damaged  area,  where  rehabilitation  and 
repairs  were  made  necessary,  rockwork  and 
such  repairs  not  affected  by  adverse  weather, 
were  started  as  soon  as  working  conditions  per- 
mitted. #  #  # 

Sandbagging  and  dredges  from  the  San  Francisco  Bay  area  were 
put  to  use  by  hard-worlting  emergency  crews  to  strengthen  levees 
weakened  by  storm  waters  and  high  tides  in  California. 

Though  the  swollen  American  River  did  not  reach  the  caved-in 
area  shown  here,  the  forceful  waters  undermined  such  permanent 
structures  as  the  concrete  steps  on  the  Folsom  Unit. 


May  1965 


41 


Was  It  From  Work,  Irrigation, 
Or  The  Gleam  In  Johns  Eye? 

CROPS  ARE  COAXED 
FROM  A  SAND  PILE 


by  ERNEST  DOUGLAS,  Editor, 
Arizona   Farmer-Ranchman 


In  telling  the  heart- warming  story  of  the  Cur- 
ries, first  emphasis  could  be  placed  on  the  citrus 
boom  they  started  inadvertently  and  made  their 
$300-an-acre  land  worth  $900  to  $1,000.  It  could 
be  on  the  40  acres  that  Jack  recklessly  bought  for 
a  song  because  he  needed  a  longer  runway  for 
his  airplane,  and  4  years  later  he  was  offered 
$40,000  for  it.  But  the  real  story,  the  big  story, 
is  how  he  made  a  productive  farm  out  of  soil 
that  was  hardly  more  than  blow  sand,  getting 
yields  of  cotton  and  alfalfa  comparable  to  those 
of  neighbors  fortunate  enough  to  have  some  of 
the  richest  loam  that  lies  out  of  doors. 

In  1954  John  A.  and  Joy  Currie  and  two  small 
daughters  settled  on  what  was  formally  known 
as  the  Mesa  Development  Farm,  but  other  resi- 
dents of  the  Wellton-Mohawk  Project  came  to 
know  as  "Currie's  sandpile."  Soon  they're  mov- 
ing off,  not  because  they  haven't  come  to  love 
the  place  they  once  almost  hated  but  because 
most  of  their  land  has  been  sold  for  citrus  de- 
velopment at  several  times  its  value  for  field- 
crop  production. 

Strangely,  it  was  the  Curries  who  demon- 
strated that  Wellton  Mesa  is  ideally  suited  for 
grapefruit,  oranges,  and  lemons.  They  reluc- 
tantly irrigated  but  otherwise  neglected  100  trees 
planted  around  their  home  by  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation,  and  all  but  the  lime  trees  flour- 
ished. 

"That  was  the  one  thing  the  Bureau  asked  me 
to  do  that  I  didn't  want  to  do,"  Jack  admits. 
"And  it  was  the  experiment  that  paid  off  big- 
gest." 

Delivery  of  Colorado  River  water  to  the  Well- 
ton-Mohawk    District,    through    an    all-concrete 


system  built  by  the  Reclamation  Bureau,  began 
in  1952.  About  14,000  of  the  project's  75,000 
acres  are  on  Wellton  Mesa,  above  Mohawk 
Valley,  and  their  soils  are  radically  different. 
In  their  natural  state  Mesa  soils  are  sandy,  with 
little  organic  matter  or  water-holding  capacity. 
Settlers  trying  to  make  them  produce  were  meet- 
ing problems.  So  were  farmers  on  Yuma  Mesa, 
40  miles  west,  where  conditions  were  similar. 

So  the  Mesa  Development  Farm  was  laid  out  by 
the  Bureau,  7^/2  miles  northeast  of  the  town  of 
Wellton  and  almost  at  the  edge  of  the  bluff  that 
separates  mesa  from  valley.  It  was  200  gross  acres 
but  only  157.5  were  rated  irrigable  and  roads  and 
ditches  reduced  actual  crop  acres  to  146.  The  soil 
was  classed  as  No.  2  and  No.  3. 

The  objectives  have  been  set  forth  at  length  in  a 
complete  report  compiled  by  Robert  Moody  at  the 
Bureau's  Lower  Colorado  office  in  Yuma,  Ariz. 
First  and  foremost,  could  profitable  crops  be 
coaxed  out  of  such  unpromising  earth  ?  If  so,  how 
should  it  be  irrigated,  fertilized,  and  generally 
managed  ?    What  crops  were  best  adapted  ? 

The  Bureau  got  answers  to  all  these  questions 
and  more.  It  began  getting  answers,  useful  to  all 
farm  operators  on  the  two  mesas,  almost  as  soon  as 
the  Curries  arrived.  But  it's  doubtful  if  such  a 
wealth  of  reliable  information  could  have  been 
gleaned  had  the  lessee  been  anyone  without  the 
training,  temperament,  and  tenacity  of  Jack  Cur- 
rie, backed  by  a  wife  of  Joy  Currie's  courage. 


They're  an  irrigatin'  family,  the  Curries.  From  left  are  Cindy, 
Joy,  Jack,  Diane  and  Sharon.  Diane,  now  6  and  bom  right  there 
on  the  Development  Farm,  thinks  she's  big. enough  to  take  over 
the  citrus  irrigation  chore  from  her  mother. 


42 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Jack  was  an  Arizona  farm  boy  who  grew  up  in 
Salt  River  Valley,  and  a  World  War  II  veteran. 
In  service  he  had  met  and  married  a  Tennessee 
small-town  girl  who  had  a  good  idea  of  what  farm 
life  was  like  there  but  no  idea  of  what  it  would  one 
day  be  like  on  Wellton  Mesa.  By  1954  he  had 
graduated  from  the  University  of  Arizona  College 
of  Agriculture  and  spent  over  3  years  conducting 
irrigation  studies  for  Oregon  State  College  at 
Madras,  Oreg.  That's  where  he  learned  to  keep 
the  records  that  made  him  such  a  valuable  coop- 
erator  with  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation. 

Winning  Applicant 

There  were  half  a  dozen  applicants  for  the  De- 
velopment Farm  lease  but  no  other  had  the  quali- 
fications of  long,  lean,  earnest  Jack  Currie.  "The 
hardest  part  in  winning  the  contract  was  to  prove 
that  we  could  raise  $6,000  if  we  absolutely  had  to," 
Mrs.  Currie  recalls.  "We  even  had  to  count  in  the 
cash  surrender  value  of  insurance  policies." 

So  they  moved  into  the  little  cottage  built  by 
the  Bureau  on  the  "farm"  that  had  been  ditched 
and  leveled.  Except  for  some  experimental  ditch 
lining,  and  those  citrus  trees,  no  other  improve- 
ments were  added  by  the  Bureau. 

"We  knew  about  the  sand  but  nobody  told  us 
about  the  sandstorms,"  Joy  says.  "Ugh !  They 
made  life  miserable  for  us  every  little  while,  until 


Jack  sort  of  got  the  sand  tied  down  with  alfalfa." 

Most  vivid  of  their  memories  is  of  the  "big  blow" 
that  almost  blew  the  Curries  back  to  Oregon.  All 
through  the  day  a  high  wind  raised  dust  clouds 
that  restricted  visibility  to  a  few  feet.  Despite 
every  precaution,  sand  sifted  into  the  house  and 
rippled  across  the  floor.  Joy  and  Sharon,  then  7, 
swept  madly  while  Jack  stuck  to  his  work  outside, 
reasoning  that  he  would  be  no  better  off  indoors. 
Only  family  member  who  seemed  to  be  having  a 
good  time  was  Cindy,  who  slept  and  gurgled  in  her 
crib. 

When  Jack  came  in  from  his  farm  work,  black 
and  grimy  and  eager  for  a  hot  shower,  Joy  met 
him  with  more  bad  news.  The  sand  had  got  into 
the  pump  that  pumped  water  from  the  nearby 
canal,  through  a  filter  system,  to  their  bathroom 
and  kitchen.    No  water ! 

"He  didn't  say  a  word  but  just  flopped  into  bed, 
dirty  clothes  and  all,  and  pulled  a  sheet  over  his 
head,"  Joy  relates. 

But  the  next  morning  the  wind  had  died  away 
and  a  calm  world  was  bathed  in  bright  sunlight. 
Jack  desanded  the  pump  and  the  Curries  had  wa- 
ter again.    They  stayed. 

Grass  around  the  house  would,  of  course,  re- 
duce the  sand  nuisance,  but  getting  Bermuda  es- 
tablished was  something  else  again.  It  was  im- 
possible to  keep  the  ground  surface  damp  enough 


Reclamation  and  cooperating  agencies  sponsored  a  Field  Day  at   the  Development  Farm   a  few   years  ago. 

principal   performer  at   the  microphone.      (Photos  by   E.   Douglas) 


Jack  Currie  was  the 


May  1965 


43 


that  stiff  breezes  didn't  blow  the  grass  seeds  right 
out  of  the  sand.  So  Bermuda  sprigs  were  begged 
from  valley  friends,  and  planted.  Soon  every 
sprig  was  on  a  little  mound,  the  sand  around  it 
blown  away.  Joy  replaced  the  sand  again  and 
again,  watered  it  down,  struggled  on  until  she  had 
a  lawn. 

All  this  time  Jack  was  having  trouble  with  al- 
falfa seed.  It  was  blown  out  of  the  ground,  too. 
He  bought  used  target  cloth  from  military  sur- 
plus, scrounged  old  railroad  ties,  and  improvised 
temporary  windbreaks  around  his  fields.  They 
gave  enough  protection  that  the  alfalfa  seeds  could 
germinate  and  the  seedlings  could  grow  anchor 
roots. 

Alfalfa  helped  to  make  soil  out  of  sand — that 
and  crop  residue,  for  every  cotton  stalk  and  weed 
got  turned  under  to  add  humus  and  plant  nutrients 
and  retain  moisture.  Minutely  planned  irrigation 
and  fertilization,  in  line  with  results  and  also  with 
common  sense  as  well  as  Jack  Currie's  training  and 
experience,  led  from  an  uncertain  beginning  to  ul- 
timate success. 

"It  all  worked  out  as  I  hoped  it  would  but  wasn't 
a  bit  sure  it  would,"  he  says. 

His  yields  were  above  State  averages,  seldom 
far  behind  those  of  neighbors  on  better  lands  and 
often  higher.  In  1961,  for  instance,  his  average  on 
18.2  acres  of  short-staple  cotton  was  1,263  pounds 
of  lint;  on  33.2  acres  of  long-staple,  763  pounds. 
Right  along,  on  alfalfa  cut  for  hay  throughout  the 
year,  he  has  averaged  6  to  6.5  tons — and  nearly  al- 
ways got  premium  prices  because  of  superior  qual- 
ity. In  1962  he  grew  safflower  on  46  acres,  got  a 
yield  of  a  ton  and  a  third,  grossed  $100  a  acre,  and 
dropped  that  oilseed  crop  only  because  of  an  un- 
certain market. 

Livestock,  Too 

Currie  is  a  livestock  farmer,  too.  In  1959  he 
started  a  Brangus  herd  that  now  includes  27  mother 
cows  and  a  registered  bull  owned  in  partnership 
with  another  farmer.  The  cattle  have  done  more 
than  well,  entirely  on  broken  bales  and  summer 
hay  and  on  forage  that  would  otherwise  be  wasted. 
He  has  raised  sudan  grass  for  pasture;  cotton 
stubble  is  pastured  off  before  plowing  under.  The 
calves  gain  as  much  as  2.5  pounds  a  day  through 
their  first  7  months,  a  rate  that  any  breeder  might 
envy. 

It  must  appear  to  the  outsider  that  Jack  Currie 
achieved   triumph   under   several   severe   handi- 

44 


caps  in  addition  to  those  imposed  by  nature.  He 
started  with  almost  no  ready  cash,  so  what  about 
financing  ? 

"No  problem  at  all,"  he  grins.  "The  Farmers 
Home  Administration  saw  us  through,  until  the 
county  advisory  committee  decided  that  I  could 
get  credit  elsewhere.  Then  I  was  put  on  the  com- 
mittee and  that  made  me  doubly  ineligible." 

So  he  took  his  account  sheets  to  a  bank,  and  that 
banker  had  never  seen  a  set  of  farm  records  so  com- 
plete. They  showed  what  he  had  done  every  day 
since  his  arrival,  almost  what  had  been  done  every 
hour.  How  much  water  had  been  applied,  as 
metered  by  devices  the  Bureau  had  installed,  and 
when.  Plowing,  leveling,  cultivation,  harvesting, 
costs,  sales — everthing.  Every  cent  he  had  bor- 
rowed and  repaid  was  there. 

No.  Finance  wasn't  any  obstacle.  Oh,  the  bank 
may  have  hesitated  in  1959  when  he  and  Joy  de- 
cided to  exercise  their  option  and  buy  the  farm 
at  appraised  value  for  field  crops ;  but  again  Jack 
convinced  the  directors  that  he  was  a  sound  risk 
and  they  went  along. 

The  lease  from  the  Bureau  did  lay  down  very 
rigid  requirements  as  to  records,  but  still  the  Bu- 
reau got  far  more  details  than  anyone  expected. 
"When  he  comes  in  for  lunch  he  won't  eat  a  bite 
until  he  sets  down  all  he  did  that  morning,"  Joy 
testifies.  "In  the  evening  he'll  spend  hours  with 
those  books." 

"If  every  farmer  kept  full  records,  so  as  always 
to  know  just  where  he  stands,  there  wouldn't  be 
enough  farm  failures  to  mention  above  a  whisper," 
Jack  comments. 

The  Development  Farm  project  was  organized 
with  advice  from  the  University  of  Arizona,  Agri- 
cultural Extension  Service,  U.S.  Agricultural  Re- 
search Service  and  Soil  Conservation  Service.  An- 
nually, representatives  of  those  agencies,  the  FHA, 
and,  of  course,  the  Bureau,  met  with  Mr.  Currie 
to  go  over  his  narrative  of  the  year  and  help  him 
plan  for  the  future. 

"Having  to  explain  things  to  those  fellows  was 
no  handicap,"  he  states.  "Really,  it  helped  to  keep 
me  on  my  toes,  and  I  got  many  a  good  idea  from 
them.  They  didn't  insist  on  my  making  one  move 
I  didn't  want  to  make." 

Close  relations  have  been  maintained  with  the 
Bureau,  although  the  main  experiments  were  con- 
cluded in  1958  and  the  Development  Farm  pro- 
gram was  formally  terminated  at  the  end  of  1962.  4j 

The  Reclamation  Era 


The  main  general  conclusion  is  that,  yes,  a  profit- 
able family  farm  enterprise  can  be  conducted  on 
the  thin  soils  of  Wellton  Mesa.  The  land  should 
be  precisely  leveled.  Water  should  be  applied  fre- 
quently in  large  heads,  to  get  through  quickly  and 
allow  minimum  time  for  percolation  below  the 
root  zone.    Phosphate  fertilization  is  essential. 

One  of  the  extra  experiments  that  Currie  car- 
ried on,  and  gladly,  was  in  low-cost  ditch  lining. 
The  Bure«,u  lined  some  of  his  ditches  with  various 
materials  and  he  helped  to  keep  records,  also  made 
observations  that  aided  the  technicians  in  reach- 
ing valid  conclusions.  But  he  wanted  no  part  of 
the  citrus  experiment, 

Yuma  Mesa  had  proved  ideal  for  citrus  groves, 
so  why  not  Wellton  Mesa  too?  Many  eyes  were 
turning  in  that  direction  but  general  opinion  was 
that  winter  temperatures  were  too  low.  So  the 
Reclamation  Bureau  planned  a  conclusive  test — 
at  the  Development  Farm. 

Varieties  of  Citrus 

From  1955  to  1957, 100  trees  of  16  vari^ies  were 
set  out  around  the  Currie  dwelling.  The  family 
head  had  no  time  to  spare  from  his  cotton  and  al- 
falfa, so  the  irrigation  chore  fell  on  Joy.  Those 
trees  got  no  further  attention,  not  ev^n  a  shovel- 
ful of  barnyard  fertilizer.  But  97  are  alive  today, 
all  but  three  limes  that  proved  too  tender  for  even 
mildly  chilly  nights.  The  survivors  are  in  vigor- 
ous health  and  bearing  abundantly. 

This  demonstration  converted  the  skeptics  and 
couched  off  a  veritable  boom.  Today  WeUton 
Mesa  is  dotted  with  pretty  young  orange  groves 
Mid  predictions  are  hetird  that  all  its  irrigable 
icres  will  be  in  citrus  within  3  or  4  years. 

Inevitably  the  boom  involved  its  point  of  origin. 
One  1964  day  a  developer  came  alwig  and  paid  the 
Chirries  $64,000  cash  for  80  of  their  Development 
Farm  acres.  The  new  owner  promptly  put  the  80 
uto  citrus  and  just  as  promptly  sold  the  tract  to 
nvestors  in  10-acre  blocks.  Another  buyer  paid 
Jie  same  per-acre  price  for  a  50  and  in  the  winter 
)f  1965  was  releveling  it  for  citrus. 

This  left  the  Curries  with  few  cultivable  acres 
mt  of  the  original  farm,  but  a  40  at  the  southwest 
Jomer.  There's  quite  a  story  connected  with  that 
L6th  of  a  section. 

Once  a  flyer  always  a  flyer,  and  in  military  serv- 

ce  Jack  had  been  trained  as  a  pilot.    In  1958  he 

ichieved  a  long-time  ambition  and  acquired  a 

1])essna.    But  the  longest  road  on  the  place  wasnt 

4ay  1965 

765-426- 


Jock  Curri*  is  justifiably  proud  of  his  Brangus  cotrts.  His  may  b« 
the  most  profitable  farm  herd  in  Arizona,  sine*  it  gets  along  almost 
•ntirely   on   waste   feed. 

quite  long  enough  for  a  safe  takeoff.  An  adjoin- 
ing 40  of  undeveloped,  imleveled  sand  was  for  sale 
at  $7,500.  He  didn't  have  the  money,  didn't  want 
to  do  any  more  sand  reclaiming,  but  he  did  want 
most  terribly  to  make  use  of  that  plane. 

So  the  tract  was  bought  and  10  acres  added  to 
the  Currie  runway.  The  others  were  seeded  to 
alfalfa  under  a  sprinkler  system  that  he  bought 
secondhand,  as  he  bought  most  of  the  farm  equip- 
ment he  used  in  the  early  years.  Hay  sales  have 
more  than  repaid  the  cost  of  developing  and  plant- 
ing the  30. 

The  other  day  a  realtor  came  by  and  said  he  had 
a  purchaser  for  the  whole  40,  at  $40,000  cash.  Now 
the  Curries  cant  decide  whether  to  accept  that 
offer  or  another,  at  a  comparable  price,  for  the 
remainder  of  the  Development  Farm.  For  Jack 
has  caught  the  citrus  fever,  too ;  he  means  to  have 
an  orchard  of  his  own,  on  one  block  or  the  other. 

Anyway,  the  family  looks  forward  to  early  occu- 
pancy of  a  new  home  4  miles  away,  cm  the  lip  of 
the  bluff  and  overlooking  240  acres  of  Mohawk 
Valley's  most  fertile  loam.  It  was  once  two  farms, 
bought  and  combined  by  the  Curries  right  after 
those  1964  citrus-land  sales. 

"If  I  can  almost  raise  three-bale  cotton  up  here 
I  can  raise  four  bales  down  there,"  says  Jack  Cur- 
rie with  a  faraway  gleam  in  his  eye.   "Maybe  five." 

#  #  # 


4S 


Bureau  Hosts  Fourth  Annual 
IRRIGATION  OPERATORS'  WORKSHOP 


The  Bureau  of  Keclamation's  fourth  annual 
Irrigation  Operators'  Workshop  held  in  Denver, 
Colo.,  starting  on  November  16,  1964,  drew  116 
participants  representing  all  of  the  17  Western 
Reclamation  States,  7  universities,  and  including 
9  visitors  from  foreign  countries. 

From  a  varied  and  extensive  program,  the  Rec- 
lamation Era  has  chosen  to  report  on  one  of  the 
courses  which  was  an  inviting  and  practical  ap- 


proach to  the  efficient  use  of  water  for  irrigation. 

The  article,  entitled :  "Bettering  Your  Manage- 
ment of  Wat«r,"  is  the  author's  own  slightly 
shortened  version  of  the  paper,  "Water  Manage- 
ment Facilities." 

Mr.  Nelson  is  Chief  of  the  Irrigation  Operations 
Branch  at  Reclamation's  Region  1  headquarters 
at  Boise,  Idaho. 


Bettering  your  management  of 

WATER 


by  THEODORE  NELSON 


With  the  growing  need  for  water,  it  is  be- 
coming more  apparent  that  some  of  us  have  de- 
veloped bad  habits  in  water  usage.  I  have  seen 
water  users  deliberately  overirrigate  in  an  at- 
tempt to  establish  a  high-use  record  to  insure 
their  future  rights,  and  we  have  all  seen  water 
wasted  where  the  irrigator  has  used  water  to 
conserve  labor. 

Similarly,  project  operators  have,  in  many 
instances,  carried  excessive  quantities  through 
their  system,  wasting  substantial  portions  sim- 
ply for  operating  convenience.  Other  unneces- 
sary waste  is  the  refusal  on  the  part  of  water 
users  to  irrigate  at  night  or  over  weekends.  Most 
of  this  waste  can  be  stopped  if  we  recognize  the 
value  of  water  and  that  it  can  be  controlled, 
measured,  and  distributed  equitably  with  proper 
management. 

Management's  responsibility  to  a  successful 
project  can  be  summarized  under  three  simple 
objectives: 


1.  to  deliver  adequate  amounts  of  water; 

2.  to  deliver  at  the  time  needed ;  and 

3.  to  deliver  at  a  cost  water  users  can  afford. 
The  elements  necessary  to  meet  the  objectives 

are:  (1)  adequate  storage,  carriage,  and  distri- 
bution facilities;  (2)  qualified  personnel;  and 
(3)  equipment. 

After  a  project  has  been  planned  and  con- 
structed, it  may  seem  that  the  operator  has  a 
fixed  set  of  facilities  to  carry  out  his  responsi- 
bilities to  the  water  users.  This  is  substantially 
true.  However,  the  adequacy  and  maximum 
value  of  any  set  of  facilities  is  largely  dependent 
upon  how  they  are  used.  Often  minor  modifica- 
tions, additions,  or  adjustments  can  greatly 
enhance  their  value.  If  a  given  set  of  facilities 
is  notvused  properly  nor  given  adequate  main- 
tenance, they  will  fall  far  short  of  providing 
the  service  and  life  intended.  Thus,  it  becomes 
apparent  that  once  a  project  is  built,  the  impor- 
tant factor  in  its  successful  operation  is  the  view- 


46 


The  Reclamation  Era 


point  and  attitude  of  the  people  who  operate  it. 

To  better  understand  the  factors  of  successful 
operation,  I  would  like  to  go  on  with  this  simplifi- 
cation of  the  elements  of  water  management  and 
divide  them  under  two  headings:  (1)  facilities; 
and  (2)  personnel.  Or  simpler  still,  let  us  think 
of  them  as  the  tools  and  the  people. 

To  illustrate,  it  is  best  to  talk  about  a  specific 
typical  storage  and  distribution  system,  to  dis- 
cuss the  channels,  the  control  structures,  and  the 
procedures  that  are  being  used  to  operate  this 
system  rather  than  to  use  a  hypothetical  illustra- 
tion. Because  of  its  unique  operation,  I  have  se- 
lected the  North  Unit  of  the  Deschutes  Project,  as 
the  framework  around  which  to  discuss  the  use 
of  basic  facilities  and  the  importance  of  sound 
management  practices. 

A  Typical  Project 

The  Deschutes  Project  was  completed  in  1949 
and  is  situated  east  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  in 
Jefferson  County  in  central  Oregon.  It  provides 
a  full  supply  of  water  for  50,000  acres  of  irrigable 
land.  The  average  annual  rainfall  is  8.9  inches; 
the  average  growing  season  is  about  130  days. 


The  major  crops  are  grain,  alfalfa,  grass  seed, 
potatoes,  and  peppermint. 

Water  is  stored  in  the  Wickiup  Reservoir  lo- 
cated on  the  Deschutes  River  some  90  miles  south 
of  project  lands.  Natural  riverflow  provides  ap- 
proximately 25  to  30  percent  of  the  project's  water 
supply.  All  water  for  the  North  Unit  is  diverted 
from  the  Deschutes  River  at  the  town  of  Bend 
into  a  65-mile-long  main  canal.  The  lateral  net- 
work necessary  for  delivery  of  water  to  all  the 
lands  totals  235  miles  and  begins  at  about  mile  31. 
Average  farm  unit  sizes  are  in  the  range  of  110 
acres. 

General  Plans  of  Operation 

The  project  is  operated  on  a  modified-demand 
system.  This  means  that  each  landowner  can 
draw  his  allotted  portion  of  water  from  the  be- 
ginning to  the  end  of  the  irrigation  season  or 
that  he  can  order  his  water  in  any  quantity  per- 
mitted by  his  share  of  the  system's  delivery 
ability. 

During  that  period  of  the  irrigation  season 
when  the  demand  for  water  is  greater  than  the 


Checkboards  are  pulled  from  a  check  structure  to  maintain  a  constant  water  surface  elevation  in  a  major  Deschutes  iaterdl. 


To  help  eliminate  waste,  this  ditch  rider  on  the  Deschutes  Project, 
Oreg.,  makes  an  entry  in  his  water  delivery  record  book— on 
important  part  of  good  water  management. 

system  can  carry,  deliveries  are  made  in  propor- 
tion to  the  assessed  acreage  of  each  user  in  rela- 
tion to  the  carrying  ability  of  the  system.  Ex- 
perience has  proved  that  the  per-acre  peaking 
ability  is  0.018  cubic  foot  per  second,  or  1.44  cubic 
feet  per  second,  for  each  80  irrigable  acres. 

Because  of  a  limited  supply  in  recent  years, 
each  user's  supply  has  been  handled  on  a  bank- 
account  basis.  He  has  so  many  acre- feet  of  water 
in  the  reservoir ;  he  can  draw  it  out  as  he  chooses, 
governed  by  the  ability  of  the  system  to  deliver 
the  quantities  ordered,  but  when  he  has  drawn 
his  prorated  amount,  his  irrigation  is  over  for  the 
season. 

Reservoir  to  Farm 

In  the  early  years  of  operation  of  the  North 
Unit  distribution  system,  water  was  wasted  be- 
cause of  the  difficulty  of  assuring  an  adequate 
supply  at  the  head  of  the  main  canal  to  meet  vary- 
ing weather  conditions  and  crop  needs.  It  took 
approximately  5  days  to  move  water  from  the 
reservoir  to  the  last  delivery  on  the  project.  This 
involved  60  miles  of  river  channel  and  65  miles 
of  main  canal.    In  1956,  the  Haystack  Dam  and 

48 


Reservoir  was  built,  substantially  relieving  this 
situation.  This  is  a  small  regulating  reservoir, 
located  at  about  mile  43  on  the  upper  side  of  the 
main  canal  adjacent  to  a  major  drop  structure. 

Now  water  can  be  delivered  to  nearly  all  of  the 
project  on  the  basis  of  24  hours'  notice  and  sub- 
stantial quantities  are  saved  which  were  formerly 
lost  in  regulating  river  and  canal  flows.  I  think 
this  is  one  of  the  best  examples  of  a  water-saving 
structure  in  the  Northwest.  I  recommend  you 
investigate  a  possibility  for  re-regulation  on  your 
system,  if  you  have  not  already  done  so. 

Dispatching 

Careful  and  accurate  dispatching  is  absolutely 
essential  to  good  water  management.  This  means 
that  ditchrider  orders  must  be  assembled  late  in 
the  afternoon  of  the  operating  day,  and  their 
needs  summarized  to  determine  if  additional 
water  is  needed  from  the  reserovir  or  if  the  re- 
lease should  be  reduced.  On  the  Deschutes  Proj- 
ect, all  orders  must  be  in  by  4:30  p.m.,  and  the 
reservoir  superintendent  is  contacted  for  required 
regulations  by  5  p.m. 

The  importance  of  knowing  the  quantity  of 
water  in  various  segments  of  a  distribution  system 
at  all  times  cannot  be  overstressed.  Can  you 
visualize  safe  railroad  operations  without  know- 
ing where  all  of  the  trains  on  a  certain  system 
are,  and  their  schedules?  Good  water  manage- 
ment requires  the  same  consideration  and  knowl- 
edge. 

An  essential  part  of  good  water  dispatching  is  a 
dispatch  sheet.  This  should  show  daily  gage 
readings  and  quantities  at  canal  heading  and  di- 
version points,  critical  intermediate  points  along 
the  main  distribution  system,  and  the  daily  re- 
quirements of  each  ditchrider.  It  is  a  help  to 
the  dispatcher  and  to  the  manager  if  the  daily 
information  from  each  ditchrider  includes  the 
quantity  of  water  he  drew  from  the  system,  the 
amount  he  delivered  to  the  users,  and  a  plus  or 
minus  on  his  order  for  the  next  day  or  2  days  if 
a  48-hour  notice  is  required.  Accuracy  and  de- 
pendability in  a  ditchrider  are  absolutely  essen- 
tial. He  must  realize  there  can  be  no  compromise 
and  that  he  is  expected  to  take  out  of  the  system 
exactly  what  he  ordered — no  more,  no  less. 

To  Facilitate  Management  V 

As  labor  has  become  more  costly  and  water  more 
valuable,  operators  have  learned  that  there  aregj] 

The  Reclamation  Era 


many  things  they  can  do  to  conserve  water  and  to 
reduce  labor  requirements.  The  "Little  Man" 
automatic  regulator  on  check  and  headgate  struc- 
tures is  an  outstanding  example  on  the  Deschutes 
Project.  These  float-  or  probe-operated,  electrical 
time  switch  dampened  devices  control  a  motor-op- 
erated gate  so  fluctuations  of  the  water  surface  of 
0.05  of  a  foot  up  or  down  are  the  maximum.  With 
this  control,  a  rise  or  drop  moves  through  the 
canal  rapidly,  the  change  being  by  displacement 
rather  than  by  actual  water  travel.  This  conserves 
water  by  overcoming  increased  diversions  because 
of  a  buildup  in  head  which  occurs  before  the  rider 
gets  there,  when  a  check  is  dependent  upon  manual 
regulation.  It  also  saves  water  through  the  sav- 
ing of  time  involved  in  moving  water  through  the 
main  stem  of  the  system. 

From  my  observations  of  control  structures  on 
various  irrigation  distribution  systems  in  the 
Northwest,  I  feel  there  are  many  projects  that 
could  make  greater  use  of  this  type  of  regulating 
device.  The  advantages  are  not  only  the  savings 
made  in  water  but  also  savings  made  in  man- 
power. 

Another  device  that  ha.«!  proved  to  bo  a  worth- 
while timesaver  on  some  of  our  projects  has  been 
electrically  operated,  automatic  weed  and  trash  re- 
fined degree,  such  as  the  weed  racks  in  front  of 
pumps,  siphons,  and  facilities  supplying  sprinkler 
systems. 

There  are  numerous  other  devices  for  which  the 
need  comes  to  light  after  the  operation  of  a  system 
has  begun  and  which  cannot  be  determined  dur- 
ing the  construction  period.  Some  of  these  are 
special  wells  to  facilitate  closer  reading  of  water- 
surface  elevation,  particularly  where  turbulence 
and  high  velocities  interfere  with  accurate  read- 
ings, floating  devices  to  dampen  water  surges, 
(loats  to  overcome  vortexs  in  front  of  headgates 
,nd  other  additions  that  will  save  time  and  insure 
.  steady  and  dependable  flow  of  water.  In  addi- 
ion  to  those  features  that  may  be  helpful  in  the 
I^ctual  handling  of  water,  we  must  not  overlook 
Bhe  timesaving  value  of  such  items  as  cattle  guards, 
fcood  operating  roads,  radios,  dependable  vehicles, 
^  Water  management  is  an  important  part  of 
project  management.  We  cannot  appreciably  in- 
fluence the  price  of  materials  or  equipment  and 
can  exercise  only  cautionary  control  on  wages; 
therefore,  our  value  to  the  project  rests  on  our 


I 


ability  to  make  the  most  of  the  opportunities  as 
they  arise  to  achieve  better  distribution  and  use  of 
the  water  we  have  and  to  do  this  with  the  minimum 
use  of  labor  compatible  to  adequate  service. 

Canal  Check  Structures 

Check  structures  in  the  canal  system  are  often 
misused.  It  is  not  unusual  for  a  ditchrider  to  over- 
look the  necessity  for  pulling  stoplogs  as  the  water 
is  being  raised  in  the  forepart  of  the  irrigation 
season  and  for  replacing  these  stoplogs  as  the  water 
goes  down  late  in  the  season.  It  is  necessary  to 
have  a  certain  water-surface  elevation  in  the  canal 
to  maintain  steady  flows  through  headgates.  How- 
ever, if  an  excessive  water-surface  elevation  is 
maintained,  this  means  unnecessary  loss  because  of 
additional  seepage,  and  it  also  tends  to  encourage 
waterweed  growth  and  subjects  the  bank  to  greater 
loads  than  are  necessary.  When  a  ditchrider  is 
observant,  it  is  not  difficult  to  remove  boards  as 
necessary  and  to  replace  them  when  required. 

Regulation  of  Lateral   Headings 

This  item  of  operation  goes  hand  in  hand  with 
the  regulation  of  check  structures.  It  is  necessary 
to  maintain  a  water-surface  elevation  in  a  supply 
ditch  to  provide  sufficient  head  to  insure  steady 
outflows  through  the  various  lateral  headings. 
However,  if  this  water-surface  elevation  is  higher 
than  necessary,  the  movement  of  water  is  ham- 
pered and  excessive  loss  and  waste  occur.  It  is  the 
ditchrider's  duty  to  closely  regulate  and  measure 
the  changes  of  flow  in  his  lateral  headings  from 
day  to  day  so  they  correspond  with  the  orders 
that  he  has  requested.    With  careful  handling  of 

Radio  is  a  useful  management  tool  for  informing  the  reservoir 
superintendent  of  the  total  water  releases  needed  in  the  irrigation 
system  of  the  Deschutes  project. 


May  1965 


49 


all  diversions  from  the  main  stem  of  a  system, 
water  can  be  dispatched  and  managed  with  a  low 
percent  of  waste. 

Measurement  in  Distribution  System 

Current  meter  stations  or  measuring  structures 
at  strategic  locations  in  the  main  stem  of  a  dis- 
tribution system  can  appreciably  facilitate  the 
management  of  water.  With  definite  knowledge 
of  the  quantity  of  water  at  strategic  locations,  the 
dispatcher  and  the  ditchrider  are  better  able  to 
make  downstream  regulations  without  waste. 

Day-by-day  records  of  the  quantity  of  water  at 
major  diversions  are  necessary  to  maintain  ade- 
quate flow  to  meet  all  requirements.  Records  of  the 
effects  of  previous  changes  provide  a  guide  to  close 
regulation  that  will  eliminate  unnecessary  waste. 

Farm  Measuring  Devices 

I  believe  we  all  agree  that,  to  be  successful,  a 
farm-measuring  device  should  be  simple,  one  that 
the  water  user  understands  and  one  that  requires 
a  minimum  of  time  to  obtain  an  accurate  reading. 
When  there  is  adequate  loss  of  head,  I  prefer  the 
baffled-weir  measuring  box.  The  reason  for  my 
preference  is  its  simplicity,  the  speed  with  which 
it  permits  headgate  regulation  and  the  accurate 
readings  that  result.  Where  there  is  a  minimum 
of  variation  between  the  water-surface  elevation 
in  the  supply  ditch  and  the  land  to  be  served,  sev- 
eral operators  in  region  1  have  found  that  a  front 
end  submerged  rectangular  orifice  works  very  well. 
There  are  other  devices  that  undoubtedly  work 
equally  well  such  as  the  Pend-vane,  the  constant- 
head  orifice,  and  the  Parshall  flume. 

Most  of  the  farm  deliveries  on  the  Deschutes 
Projects  are  measured  over  Cippoletti  weirs. 

Equitable  and  Steady  Deliveries 

The  secret  of  good  relations  with  the  water  user 
depends  first  upon  his  realization  that  he  is  get- 
ting his  proportionate  share  of  the  overall  project 
supply,  and  second,  that  his  flow  of  water  is  steady 
and  dependable.  The  use  of  such  control  facili- 
ties on  the  farm  as  siphon  tubes,  gated  pipes,  and 
sprinklers  has  increased  the  importance  of  uniform 
flows.  A  good  irrigator  wants  the  proper  amount 
of  water  to  make  the  best  use  of  his  facilities — no 
more,  no  less. 

In  summary,  good  water  management  is  the  de- 
livery of  an  adequate  amount  of  water  to  the  user 
when  it  is  needed  at  a  cost  that  he  can  afford  to  pay. 
As  operators,  I  feel  that  we  must  all  keep  in  mind 


there  is  only  one  purpose  for  our  being  on  the  job 
and  that  is  to  serve  the  water  user.  To  do  this 
efficiently,  we  must  understand  his  needs  and  we 
must  be  careful  so  that  we  don't  find  ourselves  do- 
ing for  one  what  we  cannot  do  for  another.  We 
must  be  able  to  disagree  agreeably  and  to  keep  in 
mind  that  structure  performance  is  not  going  to  be 
any  better  than  the  people  who  operate  them.  We 
must  be  constantly  searching  for  ways  and  means 
to  improve  our  facilities  and  procedures  and  to  be 
willing  to  make  the  changes  necessary  to  keep 
abreast  of  a  fast-moving  world.  #  #  # 


A  Poison  Weed  Warning 


This  is  the  time  of  year  to  be  careful  of  the  very  poisonous  weed — 
water  hemlock — which  likes  the  wet  conditions  along  irrigation 
ditches.  Keep  children  and  livestock  away  from  the  plants  and 
get  rid  of  all  you  find.  The  root  and  lower  portion  of  the  hollow 
stem  are  the  most  poisonous.  The  plant  has  white  flowers 
arranged  in  an  umbrella  shape  characteristic  of  the  parsnip  family. 


50 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Improve  Your 

SALTY  SOILS 


by  J.  O.   REUSS,  Assistant  in  Soils,  Montana 

Agricultural   Experiment  Station 
and   R.   E.   CAMPBELL,  former  Soil  Scientist, 

Agricultural   Research   Service,   USDA 


Research  for  this  information  was  done  on  the 
Bureau's  Huntley  Project  land,  cooperatively  by 
Montana  State  CJollege,  Bozeman;  the  Agricul- 
tural Research  Service,  and  the  Bureau  of  Rec- 
lamation. It  is  reprinted  from  Montana  State 
College  folder  No.  72,  March  1961,  by  agree- 
ment with  Torlief  S.  Aasheim,  Director  of  Ex- 
tension Service  at  the  college. 


A  large  portion  of  our  irrigated  and  irrigable 
land  is  producing  much  less  than  it  could  because 
of  too  much  salt.  Research  done  near  Worden, 
Mont.,  demonstrated  that  the  salt  can  be  removed 
and  the  land  made  productive  again. 

Those  who  did  the  research  are  soil  scientists 
of  the  Agricultural  Research  Service  and  the 
Montana  Agricultural  Experiment  Station.  The 
research  was  partially  supported  by  the  Bureau 
of  Reclamation. 

From  this  research,  the  soil  scientists  have  the 
following  recommendations  for  getting  salty  or 
alkali  land  back  into  production : 

Determine  Nature  of  Problem 

Your  problem  soil  will  fall  into  one  of  these 
three  classes : 

Saline — contains    damaging    amounts    of 

soluble  salts. 

Saline-sodic  (alkali) — contains  damaging 

amounts  of  soluble  salts  and  a  rather  high 

sodium  content. 

Nonsaline-sodic — does  not  have  damaging 

amounts  of  soluble  salts  but  does  have 

enough  sodium  to  be  troublesome. 


It 


Saline  and  saline-sodic  soils  frequently  have  a 
white,  salty  crust  when  dry.  Nonsaline-sodic 
soils  usually  take  water  very  slowly  and  are  very 
hard  and  cloddy  when  dry.  These  observations 
merely  indicate  that  the  soil  is  salty  or  sodic  and 
that  a  problem  exists. 

Therefore,  the  most  accurate  way  of  finding 
out  how  much  salt  your  soil  contains  is  to  have  it 
analyzed.  Then  you  will  know  the  seriousness  of 
your  problem  and  how  to  solve  it. 

You  need  carefully  taken  soil  samples  to  get  an 
accurate  analysis.  Take  samples  from  severely 
affected  areas  separate  from  those  less  affected. 
Never  mix  a  sample  from  one  area  with  a  sample 
from  a  less  serious  problem  area. 

Also,  take  a  surface  sample  (0  to  8  inches)  and 
a  deeper  sample  (8  to  20  inches)  from  each  loca- 
tion. Your  county  agent  can  give  you  additional 
information.  He  also  will  instruct  you  on  send- 
ing your  samples  to  the  Soil  Testing  Labora- 
tory at  Montana  State  College. 

When  salt  is  believed  present,  request  a  gen- 
eral analysis  and  an  exchangeable  sodium  percent- 
age test  on  the  samples.  The  recommendations  re- 
turned to  you  with  the  results  of  the  analyses  will 
help  you  plan  a  sound  program  of  reclamation. 

Provide  Good  Drainage 

Most  salinity  problems  are  caused  by  poor 
drainage,  either  at  present  or  in  the  past.  Good 
drainage  is  absolutely  necessary  to  reclaim  salty 
land. 

The  drainage  method  to  use  depends  upon  the 
movement  of  the  ground  water.  In  some  fields, 
you  must  have  tile  drains  or  ditches  deep  enough 
so  the  water  will  drain  away  and  not  come  to  the 
soil  surface.     Or  if  the  problem  is  caused  by 


May  1965 


51 


Thin,    spotty    crops   are   typical    of   salty   soil. 


water  moving  in  from  higher  elevations,  a  drain- 
age ditch  or  tile  drain  can  be  placed  above  the 
problem  area  to  intercept  the  water. 

Remember  though  that  the  ditches  or  tile  must 
be  deep  enough  so  the  water  doesn't  come  to  the 
surface.  You  probably  will  need  engineering 
assistance  for  this  and  your  local  soil  conserva- 
tion technician  may  be  able  to  help  you.  Also  cost 
sharing  benefits  are  usually  available  to  help 
defray  drainage  expenses. 

Apply  Water  Heavily 

Where  there  is  good  drainage,  irrigation  water 
seeps  down  through  the  soil  and  washes  salt  away 
through  the  ditches,  tile  or  natural  underground 
drainage.  Heavy  irrigations,  with  proper  drain- 
age will  wash  away  salt.  This  process  is  called 
leaching. 

There  are  two  methods  of  leaching.  If  the  soil 
is  not  too  salty,  plant  crops  that  will  produce 
in  spite  of  the  salt.  Irrigate  these  crops  heavily. 
The  advantage  of  this  method  is  that  it  costs  very 
little  relative  to  other  techniques. 

A  faster  but  more  expensive  method  is  to  pond 
the  water  on  the  soil  for  a  season  or  more.  The 
land  would  have  to  be  leveled.  Also  dikes  would 
have  to  be  built  to  hold  the  water  on  the  land. 

If  the  land  is  quite  flat,  build  large  dikes 
around  the  entire  area.    If  there  is  too  much  slope 


for  this  method,  build  contour  dikes  100  to  300 
feet  apart,  or  at  about  a  6-inch  contour  interval. 

Build  the  dikes  with  a  slope  of  3  to  1  on  the 
upper  or  deep-water  side  and  a  slope  of  2  to  1  on 
the  lower  side.    Have  the  top  at  least  2  feet  wide. 
Each  dike  must  be  at  least  a  foot  higher  than  is  ' 
necessary  to  back  the  water  to  the  next  dike  above  ; 
it.    All  the  ground  area  between  the  dikes  should  ; 
be  covered  with  at  least  3  inches  of  water.     So 
build  the  dikes  close  enough  to  each  other  to  do 
this  and  still  not  have  much  over  1  foot  of  water 
depth  on  the  upper  side  of  the  dike. 

The  dikes  must  be  well  built  to  stand  erosion 
from  wave  action.  By  seeding  the  dikes  with 
barley  the  damage  of  wave  action  on  the  dikes  will 
be  reduced.  Install  gates  or  boxes  to  let  the 
water  run  from  one  dike  to  the  next  to  prevent 
dikes  from  being  washed  out. 

Here  again  engineering  assistance  will  assure 
the  proper  layout  for  such  a  system  of  dikes. 

How  long  to  flood  will  depend  upon  the  per- 
meability of  the  soil  and  the  amount  of  salt.    Two 
to  three  months  is  enough  for  sandy  soils  and  5' 
to  7  for  clay  soils. 

Don't  take  out  the  dikes  as  soon  as  you  think 
the  leaching  is  complete.  Leave  them  in  until  you 
are  sure  the  soil  is  free  of  harmful  amounts  of 
salt.  You  can  raise  hay  or  grain  crops  while  the 
dikes  are  in  place.     The  advantage  of  leaving 


52 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Same  area  as  shown  in  the  adjoining  photo  raises  good  crops  after  leaching. 


dikes  in  place  is  that  you  can  flood  again  after 
the  crops  are  removed. 

But  remember  that  leaching  will  be  success- 
ful only  where  the  drainage  is  good.  The  salts 
will  not  return  to  adequately  leached  soils  pro- 
vided good  irrigation  practices  are  followed. 

Use  of  Chemicals 

There  are  a  number  of  chemicals  which  are 
used  effectively  on  sodic  soils.  They  are  called 
amendments.  Most  of  them  replace  harmful  so- 
dium with  calcium.  They  are  used  to  correct  a 
sodic  problem  which  may  occur  on  either  saline 
or  nonsaline  soils. 

However,  amendments  cannot  neutralize  exces- 
sive soluble  salts,  so  leaching  is  required  to  be 
certain  the  salts  are  taken  from  the  saline-sodic 
soils.  If  the  leaching  water  contains  calcium 
or  the  soil  has  free  gypsum,  amendments  are 
not  necessary. 

Nonsaline-sodic  soils  often  can  be  improved  by 
use  of  an  amendment  plus  heavy  irrigation. 

SOME  COMMON  AMENDMENTS 

Gypsum — 2  to  10  tons  per  acre. 

Sulfur — 0.4    to    2   tons    per    acre, 
presence  of  lime  to  be  effective.) 

Sulfuric   acid — 0.2   to   1   ton   per   acre 
quires  presence  of  lime  to  be  effective.) 


(Requires 
(Re- 


Sugarbeet  waste  lime,  ferric  sulfate,  and  alu- 
minum sulfate  also  can  be  used  as  amendments. 
The  soil  analysis  results  will  be  useful  in  plan- 
ning the  kind  and  amounts  of  amendment  to  use. 
Expert  advice  should  be  obtained  before  using 
amendments  on  a  large  scale. 

The  reason  many  crops  cannot  be  grown  on 
salty  soils  is  that  salts  prevent  plants  from  tak- 
ing the  water  they  normally  get  from  the  soil. 
Sugarbeets,  for  instance,  will  grow  on  quite  salty 
soil,  but  it  is  hard  to  get  a  good  stand  because 

{Continued  on  page  55) 


¥ 


Y  1965 


53 


On  the  Red-field  Farm,  South  Dakota 

DYE  DODGES  DRY  SPELLS 

hy  F.  ELMER  FOUTZ,  Chief,  Land  Use  and  Settlement 
Branch,  Huron,  South  Dakota 

One  hundred  and  twenty-eight  bushels  of  com 
per  acre,  135  bushels  of  sorghum  grain  and  700 
pounds  of  beef  per  acre — that  is  what  the  Red- 
field  Development  Farm  produced  in  1963.  The 
farm  is  a  190-acre  unit  located  about  6  miles  east 
of  Redfield,  in  Spink  County,  S.  Dak.  It  was 
established  in  1948  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion, in  cooperation  with  the  South  Dakota  State 
University  to  demonstrate  what  irrigation  will 
do  for  the  area  before  the  half -million-acre  Mis- 
souri-Oahe  Unit  of  the  Missouri  Basin  Project  is 
developed. 

In  1961,  an  agreement  was  worked  out  with  the 
State  university  to  operate  the  farm  as  an  irriga- 
tion research  substation  with  all  of  the  crop  pro- 
duction used  to  feed  livestock  instead  of  being 
sold.  Lloyd  Dye,  a  man  with  a  high  school  edu- 
cation and  good  farming  experience,  was  selected 
to  operate  the  farm. 

Cropping  plans  and  rotations  were  adjusted  to 
provide  the  necessary  feed  for  livestock.  A  small 
portion  of  the  farm  was  reserved  for  production 
of  newly  introduced  or  experimental  crops,  fer- 
tility and  soil  management,  drainage,  and  other 
research.  Rather  than  plant  only  varieties  of 
proven  high  yield,  some  experimentation  with 
new  varieties  of  crops  is  also  conducted. 

In  feeding  the  cattle,  an  experiment  using  dif- 
ferent rations  and  amounts  of  feeds  was  carried 
on,  with  some  animals  receiving  less  feed  than  was 
needed  for  maximum  gains.  Mr.  Dye  has  been 
able  to  produce  impressive  gains  per  animal  and 
even  more  impressive  pounds  of  beef  produced  per 
acre,  though  this  is  a  research  operation.  Lloyd 
is  a  crusader  for  irrigation  in  the  area  and  he 
maintains  that  anyone  on  an  irrigated  unit  could 
do  what  he  has  done,  and  probably  do  better,  if 
research  were  not  a  part  of  the  operation. 

At  least  one  formal  tour  of  the  farm  is  held 
each  year,  usually  in  the  middle  of  the  summer 
before  the  crops  are  harvested. 

Water  From  the  James 

The  Redfield  Development  Farm  receives  its 
water  supply  from  the  James  River,  pumped 
through  2,600  feet  of  12-inch  pipe.  From  the  end 
of  the  pipeline,  water  flows  by  gravity  to  the  rest 


LeRoy  Wenz  carefully  weighs  feed  as  part  of  the  cattle  feeding 
experiments  on  the  Redfield  Development  Farm.  Mr.  Wenz  lives 
on   the   farm   the   year  around. 

of  the  irrigated  fields  on  the  farm.  Because  of  , 
uneven  topography,  36  acres  were  never  developed  \ 
for  irrigation  but  are  dry-cropped.  These  fields  I 
contrast  highly  in  crop  yields  as  compared  to  the  ' 
irrigated  fields.  j 

An  annual  planning  conference  is  held  each  | 
year  with  representatives  from  the  Bureau  of  | 
Reclamation  and  the  State  university.    At  these  j 
sessions    actual    operations    on    the    farm    are  j 
planned,  including  cropping  plans  and  a  live- 
stock feeding  program.     As  far  as  possible,  the 
farm  is  operated  as  an  independent  unit,  free 
from  interference  from  technicians  and  others. 
With  so  many  activities  being  carried  on  all  the 
time,  the  place  is  a  literal  glass  house,  open  for 
all  to  see  at  any  time.    It  is  no  wonder  that  Mr. 
Dye  keeps  the  coffee  hot  most  of  the  time.    Many 
little  problems  have  been  solved  over  a  cup  of 
coffee,  and  big  ones  have  been  avoided. 

The  Redfield  Development  Farm  is  owned  by 
Roy  and  William  Deiter,  formerly  of  Redfield, 
and  now  of  Compton,  Calif.,  and  Silver  City, 
N.  Mex.,  respectively.  They  lease  the  farm  to  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation  and  maintain  the  build- 
ings and  improvements,  which  are  kept  in  good 
repair  because  they  realize  it  is  a  show  place.  The 
Bureau  subleases  the  farm  to  the  State  university. 

Dr.  Orville  G.  Bentley,  director  of  the  South 
Dakota   Experiment    Station   and   dean    of   the 


54 


The  Reclamation  Era 


School  of  Agriculture  at  South  Dakota  State 
University  at  Brookings,  is  technically  and  ad- 
ministratively responsible  for  the  operation  of 
the  irrigation  substation.  Dr.  Larry  O.  Fine, 
head  of  the  agronomy  department,  supervises  the 
agronomic  experimental  work  on  the  farm  and 
Dr.  Walter  Lembke  is  in  charge  of  drainage 
experiments. 

The  animal- feeding  experiments  are  under  the 
supervision  of  Dr.  R.  J.  Walstrom,  head  of  the 
SDSU  Department  of  Animal  Science.  Eco- 
nomic studies  and  comparisons  with  dryland  oper- 
ations are  supervised  by  Dr.  Lloyd  Glover,  head 
of  the  economics  department. 

Good  Public  Relations 

Dye  has  fun  kidding  university  staff  members 
about  the  hours  they  work  while  he  is  putting  in 
12-  and  14-hour  days  during  the  busy  season.  He 
realizes  these  hours  are  necessary  for  the  many 
duties  required  of  him  in  operating  the  farm  and 
maintaining  good  public  relations.  He  is  never 
too  busy  to  stop  and  visit  a  few  minutes  with 
visitors,  especially  if  they  are  interested  in  irri- 
gation. This  results  in  a  steady  stream  of  visitors 
at  the  farm  from  spring  until  fall,  and,  because 
the  farm  has  been  in  operation  for  15  years  and 
has  always  been  open  to  the  public,  many  people 
just  drive  around  and  look  at  the  crops  and 
cattle  to  compare  them  with  their  own. 

Lloyd  Dye,  his  wife  and  five  girls  ranging  in 
age  from  11  to  21 ;  and  LeRoy  Wenz  and  his  wife 
and  two  children  live  on  the  farm  the  year 
around.  Mr.  Wenz  is  the  equivalent  of  the  hired 
man  and  is  retained  to  assist  the  station  superin- 
tendent in  the  operation  of  the  place.  He  and 
Dye  are  able  to  handle  all  of  the  routine  work  on 
the  farm  except  the  research  activities.  Occa- 
sionally they  hire  additional  help  for  haying  or 
corn  harvest. 

Good  irrigation  practices  and  timely  cultiva- 
tion, combined  with  planned-crop  rotations,  have 
been  all  that  was  necessary  to  control  weeds  on 
the  farm.  Most  of  the  farm  ditches  are  filled 
before  harvest  and  machinery  goes  back  and 
forth  across  them  with  no  trouble.  After  the 
crops  have  been  planted  in  the  spring  and  culti- 
i  vated  a  time  or  two,  the  field  ditches  are  opened 
again.  This  arrangement  makes  it  possible  to 
plow  and  plant  larger  fields  and  control  weeds 
on  ditch  banks. 


The  Dyes  have  an  excellent  family  garden, 
with  enough  sweetcorn  and  other  vegetables  for 
friends.  Last  year  Mrs.  Dye  raised  cabbages 
that  weighed  13  pounds  each.  Tomatoes,  cauli- 
flower, cucumbers,  and  all  common  garden  crops 
and  flowers  do  exceptionally  well.  Lloyd's 
family  thinks  this  is  a  good  way  to  live  and  raise 
a  family.  Plenty  of  water  and  good  manage- 
ment add  up  to  a  dependable  yield  of  common 
crops  each  year. 

If  anyone  is  interested  in  what  irrigation  can 
do  for  the  Oahe  Unit  in  South  Dakota  they 
should  stop  in  and  visit  Lloyd  Dye.  The  coffee 
probably  will  be  hot.  #  #  # 

{'''' Improve  Your  /Salty  Soils'''' — Continued  from 
page  53) 

the  seedlings  cannot  compete  with  the  salts  for 
the  soil  moisture.  In  any  case  frequent  irriga- 
tion helps. 

Below  are  several  crops  which  can  be  grown 
on  salty  soil : 


HIGH-SALT  TOLERANT 


Field  Crops 

Barley 

Sugarbeets 

Alfalfa 

Sweetclover 


Qrassea 

Tall  wheatgrass 
Russian  wildrye 
Slender  wheatgrass 
Smooth  bromegrass 
Western  wheatgrass 


MEDIUM-SALT  TOLERANT 


Field  Crops 

Rye 

Oats 

Wheat 

Corn 


Grasses 

Crested  wheatgrass 
Intermediate  wheatgrass 
Tall  fescue 
Pubescent  wheatgrass 


Even  though  certain  grasses  have  a  high-salt 
tolerance,  they,  like  sugarbeets,  are  hard  to  get 
started.  They  seem  to  do  best  when  planted 
early  and  irrigated  frequently. 

Once  these  grasses  are  established  and  irri- 
gated heavily — provided  there  is  good  drainage — 
the  soil  may  improve  enough  in  a  few  years  to 
produce  fair  crops  of  barley,  alfalfa,  and  beets. 

Summary 

Observe  and  recognize  salt  problem. 
Consult  county  agent  and  SCS  technician. 
Test  soil  and  utilize  technical  assistance. 
Apply  corrective  measures  or  reclamation. 
Maintain  sound  soil  and  water  management 
practices.  #  #  # 


May  1965 


55 


BATTENING  DOWN  THE  HATCHES 


by  H.  SHIPLEY,  Associate  General  Manager  of  the 
Salt  River  Valley  Water  Users'  Association 


As  Bob  Mason,  Bureau  of  Reclamation  En- 
gineer, passed  by  the  Salt  Eiver  Project  office 
one  day,  he  spied  a  couple  of  the  boys  sitting 
beside  a  desk  yawning. 

"Why  don't  you  fellows  stay  home  at  night 
and  get  some  sleep?"  asked  Mr.  Mason. 

"Look,  my  friend,  if  you  were  chasing  flood- 
water  half  the  night,  you  would  probably  be 
hitting  the  sack  right  now,"  was  the  reply. 
"But  we  are  here  to  get  out  some  reports  for  the 
Bureau." 

Bob  asked  how  it  happened  that  they  were  out 
in  last  night's  storm.  So  they  told  him  how  the 
Salt  River  Project  controls  desert  floods  which 
threaten  the  irrigation  facilities  and  urban  de- 
velopment within  the  project. 

The  cities  within  the  project  area  constitute  42 
percent  of  the  population  of  the  State  of  Ari- 
zona. This  is  a  good  reason  for  having  trained 
personnel  to  put  flood-control  operations  into 
effect. 

Yesterday  afternoon's  storm  was  an  example — 

At  6  p.m.,  the  dark  thunderheads  suddenly  let 
loose  on  the  hill  areas  northeast  of  the  project. 
The  radio  operators  in  the  Association  Dispatch- 
ing Center  (referred  to  as  A.D.C.)  immediately 
sent  out  messages  for  the  zanjeros  to  evaluate  the 
extent  of  the  storm. 

Anderson  in  car  271  was  asked  by  radio  to 
head  out  to  Paradise  Valley  and  keep  A.D.C. 
posted.  At  6:06  p.m.,  Alford  in  car  206  was  to 
scout  the  washes  in  Deer  Valley  and  report  back. 

At  6:15  p.m.,  a  report  came  in  of  heavy  rain 
in  the  area  of  Granite  Reef,  and  the  forebay 
water  was  rising.  Three  minutes  later,  Ander- 
son reported  heavy  rains  in  Paradise  Valley- 
washes  beginning  to  run.     Storm  heading  west. 

By  6:20  p.m.,  A.D.C.  had  advised  the  irriga- 
tion superintendent  by  radio  of  storm  conditions. 
The  superintendent  tells  the  operator  to  call  in 
the  transmission  supervisor,  the  construction  and 
maintenance  superintendent,  and  the  recorder. 
Then  he  heads  for  A.D.C.  himself.  In  the  next 
30  to  60  minutes,  trained  personnel — one  or  two 


to  a  location — are  at  their  posts,  checked  in  by 
their  car  radios  and  awaiting  instructions. 

At  Communications 

There  also  is  emergency  activity  at  the  com- 
munication center  on  the  hillside.  This  room  is 
glassed-in  on  three  sides  and  sits  on  the  second 
story  of  the  communications  building.  In  one 
corner  is  a  river-stage  recorder  which  prints  out 
in  code  the  Salt  and  Verde  River  flows  into  the 
reservoirs.  Adjacent  to  this  is  a  remote-control 
supervisory  console  which  operates  radial  gates  8 
miles  away,  at  the  junction  of  three  main  canal 
systems.  This  remote  supervisory  control  has 
proven  to  be  invaluable  during  emergencies. 

A  long  table  in  the  center  accommodates  two 
radio  operators  with  microphones  and  receivers, 
Howard  Durst  and  Cliff  Baker.  Flanking 
them  is  a  table  that  holds  log  charts  for  recording 
the  chronology  of  events  from  all  stations.  On 
the  backwall,  facing  the  operators,  is  the  large 
project  map,  backed  with  steel  so  that  marking 
magnets  can  be  placed  to  identify  trouble  crews 
and   local   rain   and   flood   intensities. 

The  radio  operators  do  an  invaluable  job  of  re- 
ceiving and  sending  messages  to  the  field  per- 
sonnel, and  recording  data  in  accordance  with 
FCC  regulations.  If  flood  conditions  get  bad, 
they  immediately  alert  the  sheriff's  office,  local 
police  department  and  people  who  have  equip- 
ment or  buildings  in  the  river  channel  or  waste- 
ways.  In  the  event  the  storm  occurs  during  the 
day,  they  notify  the  schools  that  are  adjacent  to 
wasteways.  These  operators  handle  as  many  as 
150  calls  per  hour. 

Dunbar  Chapman,  the  recorder  from  the  Hy- 
drology Division,  puts  on  a  headset  in  emergen- 
cies, and  records  pertinent  field  data.  At  the 
end  of  the  storm  period,  he  will  summarize  the 
data  as  to  the  water  wasted  into  the  river  from 
each  wasteway  and  into  the  diversion  dam,  the 
amount  of  free  water  delivered  to  the  lands  and 
the  quantity  of  flood  water  entering  the  system. 

Bud    Simser,    the    construction    and    mainte-;' 


56 


The  Reclamation  Erai 


A  night  trouble  crew  works  on  the  walkway  above  the  steel  guard, 
raking  out  objects  which  would  impede  the  flow  of  the  heavy 
murky  waters. 

nance  superintendent,  also  listens  in.  It  is  his 
responsibility  to  determine  how  many  trouble 
crews  to  call  out,  and  if  necessary,  what  heavy 
equipment  is  needed  in  the  trouble  areas. 

Cliff  Baker  the  transmission  supervisor,  is  re- 
sponsible for  the  release  of  water  from  the  reser- 
voirs on  the  Verde  and  Salt  Rivers  into  the  main 
canals,  to  the  beginning  of  the  lateral  distribu- 
tion system.  This  is  a  key  position.  He  must 
appraise  the  field  information  continuously  to  be 
able  to  regulate  the  flow  and  not  overload  the 
canal  systems. 

Ezra  Vines,  superintendent  of  irrigation  oper- 
ations, is  responsible  for  the  overall  field  opera- 
tions in  relation  to  the  transmission  and  distri- 
bution systems.  It  also  is  his  responsibility  to 
call  out  and  assign  as  many  field  men  as  are 
needed  to  handle  distribution  of  water  within  the 
project,  and  absorb  as  much  local  floodwater  as 
possible  into  the  irrigation  system. 

The  men  who  work  on  the  various  wasteways 
have  been  trained  in  the  operation  of  the  controls 
and  in  measuring  the  amount  of  water  diverted  to 
the  river.  Recruited  from  the  engineering  depart- 
ment, they  are  able  to  follow  the  detailed  instruc- 
tions and  schematic  drawings  of  the  operating 
works. 

On  the  Main  Wash 

The  project  also  is  responsible  for  the  opera- 
tion of  Cave  Creek  Dam  which  is  a  flood-control 
structure  located  on  the  main  wash.  This  dam 
stops  a  portion  of  the  foothill  runoff  that  at  one 


time  inundated  the  State  capitol.  Frank  Cham- 
bers, superintendent  of  irrigation  services,  usually 
heads  out  there  and  keeps  A.D.C.  posted  as  to 
the  storm  intensity,  amount  of  runoff,  and  gives 
an  estimate  of  when  the  ungated  discharge  will 
hit  the  main  canal  system.  This  information  en- 
ables the  men  at  A.D.C.  to  take  the  necessary  steps 
to  turn  waste  water  out  of  the  canal  system  ahead 
of  the  main  Cave  Creek  Wash. 

Until  10  years  ago,  the  main  objective  of  the 
operating  personnel  during  a  storm  was  to  load 
the  canals  and  laterals  to  the  gunnels,  and  place 
as  much  water  upon  the  irrigated  lands  as  pos- 
sible. However,  this  has  changed.  The  original 
240,000  acres  of  irrigated  lands  are  now  160,000 
acres  of  farmlands  and  80,000  acres  of  urban 
development.  Our  main  concern  today  is  safety — 
safety  of  the  communities  within  this  Reclamation 
project.  Our  second  concern  is  to  conserve  and 
put  to  beneficial  use  as  much  water  as  possible. 

During  the  storm  period,  the  supervisors  at 
A.D.C.  have  other  responsibilities  besides  the  con- 
cern of  water  distribution. 

Relief  of  the  field  men  is  of  utmost  importance. 
Under  the  existing  union  contract,  if  a  man 
works  a  certain  number  of  hours  in  a  specified 
period,  he  doesn't  report  to  work  the  following 
day.  Since  the  operations  are  continuous,  relief 
has  to  be  provided  so  that  manpower  is  available 
the  following  day  to  carry  on  normal  activities. 
The  supervisor  also  provides  sandwiches  and  cof- 
fee to  men  in  the  field. 

Once  in  a  while  some  of  us  reminisce  about  the 
way  things  were  a  dozen  years  ago:  10-party 
telephone  lines,  communications  failure  after  a 
second  lightning  bolt,  and  no  radios.  Compare 
this  with  the  present  remote  supervisory  gate 
control,  two-car  radios,  one-party  telephone  lines 
and  first-rate  mobile  equipment. 

However,  having  replaced  yesterday's  incon- 
veniences, we  have  assumed  modern  problems. 
Urban  development,  with  its  house  roofs  and 
paved  parking  areas,  causes  II/2  times  greater 
rain  runoff  than  do  irrigated  fields  and  desert 
lands. 

So,  the  Storm  Patrol  is  up  until  2  or  3  o'clock 
in  the  morning  "battening  the  hatches,"  Mr. 
Mason — getting  ready  for  the  next  day's  routine 
operations. 

Hasta  La  Vista,  Senor  Roberto!  We're  glad 
you  came  by.  #  #  # 


May  1965 


57 


Commissioner  Breaks  Ground  For 
NEW  RECLAMATION  BUILDING 


At  ceremonies  held  November  18,  1964,  signal- 
ing start  of  construction  on  the  new  Reclamation 
Engineering  and  Office  Building  at  the  Denver 
Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo.,  Commissioner 
Dominy  told  staff  members  at  the  building  site: 
"You  have  earned  this  building  by  your  com- 
petence." 

The  Commissioner  said  that  the  Denver  staff 
had  been  "far  too  long  in  inadequate  housing," 
adding  that  the  new  building  would  compare 
favorably  with  the  housing  provided  for  any 
other  agency  in  the  Federal  Government. 

Commissioner  Dominy  was  joined  by  F.  B. 
O'Hanlon,  Sr.,  of  M.S.I,  contractors,  in  turning 
the  first  shovel  of  dirt  for  the  building.  The  Com- 
missioner was  presented  with  a  chromium-plated 
shovel,  inscribed  with  his  name,  to  commemorate 
the  event. 

An  accelerated  program  in  the  postwar  years 
of  1946-47,  imposed  an  increased  workload  on  the 
Chief  Engineer's  Office,  which  is  responsible  for 
the  technical,  design,  construction  and  research 
activities  of  the  Bureau.  In  meeting  this  in- 
creased program,  a  peak  force  of  more  than  2,600 
employees  in  the  Denver  office  was  located  in 
downtown  Denver  buildings,  such  as  the  Y5-year- 
old  Golden  Eagle  Building  and  garages  on  Wel- 
ton  Street  and  Broadway,  the  Equitable  Building, 
Continental  Oil  Building,  Film  Exchange  Build- 
ing, Patterson  Building  and  in  the  new  Custom- 
house. 

The  staff  and  employees  next  took  quarters  at 
the  Denver  Federal  Center,  then  known  as  the 
Denver  Ordnance  Plant,  following  transfer  of  the 
plant  from  the  War  Assets  Corporation  to  the 
Public  Buildings  Administration.  After  a  move, 
which  required  li/^  years,  this  has  been  the  Chief 
Engineer's  Office  for  more  than  17  years. 

Like  the  other  Reclamation  offices,  the  Denver 
office  is  now  reaching  record  levels  of  efficiency  in 
handling  a  much  larger  program  with  roughly 
half  the  staff  of  the  1947  organization.  Even  with 
this  signal  accomplishment,  the  new  building — 
to  stand  14  levels  above  Sixth  Street,  as  shown 
in  the  artist's  drawing — will  provide  efficient 
working  facilities  for  1,250  of  the  1,450  employees 


jm  mini  til  iji,  f,7 

mi  rrn  ni  rn  rrn  nr 

Mil  im  iTi  m  ilTi  m 
I II I  nil  Til  ITi  iTFi  iTi 
rili  iTTi  rTi  iTi  iTTi  m 


of  the  Denver  staff.  It  will  be  a  110-  by  210-foot 
concrete  building,  providing  372,300  square  feet 
of  space. 

The  modem  new  building  will  be  completely 
air  conditioned  and  soundproofed.  Floor  cover- 
ings will  be  vinyl  asbestos,  ceramic,  quarry  tile 
and  terrazzo.  Efficient  assignment  of  space,  high- 
speed elevator  service,  close  proximity  to  the  re- 
search facilities  in  building  56  and  a  cafeteria  in 
the  building  all  will  assist  in  streamlining  opera- 
tions. 

Prime  architects  for  the  building  are  Hellmuth, 
Obata  &  Kassabaum  of  St.  Louis,  associated  with 
two  Denver  firms:  Scott  Associates,  Architects; 
and  Ketchum,  Konkel,  Ryan  and  Fleming,  En- 
gineers. 

The  construction  contract  for  $5,825,035  was 
awarded  to  the  M.S.I.  Corp.  of  Wheaton,  Md., 
lowest  of  17  bidders.  The  time  allowed  for 
completion  of  the  building  is  2  years,  with  occu- 
pancy expected  by  the  end  of  1966.  #  #  # 


ERA  Indexes  Available 

The  index  for  all  articles  in  the  1961,  1962  and 
1963  issues  of  the  Reclamation  Era  was  printed  in 
the  November  1963  issue.  Separate  copies  of  the 
above  index  as  well  as  some  older  ones  are  avail- 
able upon  request  from  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation, 
Washington,  D.C.  20240.  Indexes  are  also  in- 
cluded with  the  November  issue  every  third  year. 


58 


The  Reclamation  Era 


WITH  THE  WATER  USERS 


Presentations  of  the  Distinguished  Service 
Award  of  the  Upper  Missouri  Water  Users  As- 
sociation were  made  at  the  annual  meeting  held 
last  December  in  Billings,  Mont.,  to  four  men  for 
their  outstanding  contribution  to  the  cause  of 
water  conservation  and  utilization  in  the  Missouri 
River  Basin.  Shown  in  the  photo  are  awardees, 
from  left,  Fred  E.  Buck,  Helena,  Mont.;  Einar 
H.  Dahl,  Watford  City,  N.  Dak.;  and  L.  F. 
Thornton,  Thermopolis,  Wyo.  Presentation  was 
by  Vernon  S.  Cooper,  right,  president  of  the 
UMWUA.  Millard  G.  Scott  of  Custer,  S.  Dak., 
not  shown,  also  received  the  award,  but  was  un- 
able to  be  present  to  receive  it. 


tk/\i 


Edward  Hillis 


George    M.    Glarborg 


J.   C.  Flood 


The  Outstanding  Farmer  Of  The  Year  196^ 
award  and  the  Grassman  Of  The  Year  award  of 
Minidoka  County,  Idaho,  were  presented  at  the 
annual  banquet  of  the  Rupert  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, held  last  November.  Two  equally  deserv- 
ing men  received  the  outstanding  farmer 
award — Edward  Hillis  and  George  M.  Glar- 
borg— where  ordinarily  only  one  person  receives 
it.  Veteran  homesteader  Joseph  C.  Flood  was 
the  recipient  of  the  grassman  award.  All  three 
winners  are  from  Reclamation's  North  Side 
Pumping  Division,  giving  that  division  a  clean 
sweep  of  such  1964  honors  in  the  county.       *  *  * 


Four  Headgate  Awards  were  presented  at  the 
14th  Annual  Four-States  Irrigation  Council 
Banquet,  held  in  Denver,  Colo.,  in  January.  In 
earning  the  award,  the  men  distinguished  them- 
selves in  service  to  irrigation  and  water  conserva- 
tion and  development.  They  are  shown  in  the 
photo,  from  left,  Fred  Wright,  Monte  Vista, 
Colo.;  Ward  Douglas,  Courtland,  Kans.;  Earl 
Lloyd,  Cheyenne,  Wyo.;  and  James  C.  Adams, 
North  Platte,  Nebr.  Reclamation  Commissioner 
Floyd  E.  Dominy,  right,  gave  the  banquet 
speech. 


Courtesy  of  the  Denver  Post 


RECLAMATION 

EMBLEM  IS 

ADOPTED 


The  official  Reclamation  emblem  shown  here 
has  been  approved  by  the  Department.  It  will 
be  used  to  identify  Bureau  facilities  and  office 
throughout  the  West. 

The  emblem  features  a  stylized  drop  of  water, 
in  which  appears  a  concrete  dam,  a  reservoir 
which  can  be  used  for  recreation  and  other  uses, 
and  water-yielding  mountains  in  the  background. 
At  the  toe  of  the  dam,  a  hydroelectric  power- 
plant  is  shown,  and  at  the  bottom  appears  an  ir- 
rigated field  of  crops,  thus  symbolizing  the  mul- 
tipurpose development  and  use  of  available 
water  resources.  The  Department  of  the  In- 
terior and  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  are  iden- 
tified in  a  circular  border. 


May  1965 


59 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Specification 
No. 


DS-6170. 


DS-6170. 
DC-6174. 
DS-6180.. 
DC-6181. 
DS-6182. 
DS-6183- 
DC-6184. 
DC-6185. 

DC-6187. 
DC-6188. 

DC-6189. 
DC-6192. 
DS-6194.. 


DS-6194. 

DS-6196. 
DS-6197. 


DC-6198. 
DC-6199. 

DC-«200. 
DC-6202. 
DS-6207.. 


D8-6209. 


D8-6209. 


DC-6212 
DC-6215 

D 8-6217. 

DC-6220 
D 8-6221. 

DC-6222 

DC-6223 

DC-6225 
D8-6230. 


D8-6230. 


D 8-6230. 


Project 


Central  Valley,  Calif. 


.do- 


-do. 


.do. 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 

Colorado  River  Storage, 

Ariz. 
Colorado  River  Storage, 

Colo. 
Central  Valley,  Calif.... 


-do. 


Navajo  Indian  Irrigation, 

N.  Mex. 
Central  Valley,  Calif 


.do. 


Missouri  River  Basin, 

Wyo. 
Pacific  Northwest  Pacific 

Southwest  Intertie, 

Ariz. 
do 


Colorado  River  Storage, 

Ariz. 
Navajo  Indian  Irrigation, 

N.  Mex. 


811t,  Colo 

Central  VaUey,  Calif. 


Rogue  River  Basin,  Oreg. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Wyo.-Nebr. 

Pacific  Northwest-Pacific 
Southwest  Intertie, 
Nev. 

Office  of  Economic  Oppor- 
tunity, lU.-Calif. 


Office  of  Economic  Oppor- 
tunity, N.  Mex. 


Eklutna,  Alaska. 


Colorado  River  Storage, 
Colo. 

Pacific  Northwest-Pacific 

Southwest  Intertie, 

Nev. 
Colorado  River  Storage, 

Ariz. 
San  Juan-Chama,  N. 

Mex. 

Canadian  River,  Texas 

Weber  Basin,  Utah 


Parker-Davis,  Ariz.. 
Office  of  Economic 
Opportunity,  Ky. 


Office  of  Economic 
Opportunity,  Idaho. 


Office  of  Economic 
Opportunity,  Ariz. 
Utah. 


Award 
Date 


Feb.  26 

Feb.  2 

Jan.  25 

Feb.  2 

Jan.  7 

Jan.  12 

Feb.  17 

Jan.  29 

Jan.  13 

Feb.  1 

Mar.  15 

Jan.  25 

Jan.  25 

Jan.  6 

Jan.  12 


Feb. 
Feb. 


Feb.  11 

Mar.  8 

Mar.  11 

Jan.  29 

Feb.  3 

Feb.  2 

Mar.  26 


Feb.     1 
Feb.  18 

Feb.   18 

Mar.    4 
Mar.    1 

Mar.  17 

Mar.    8 

Mar.  25 
Mar.  18 


Mar.  11 


Mar.  12 


Description  of  Work  or  Material 


Four  motor  generator  voltage  bus  structures,  two  600- 
volt  station-service  feeder  busways,  and  two  2,000/ 
2,300-kva  station-service  power  transformers  for  Sem 
Luis  pumping-generating  plant.  Schedule  1. 

Eight  switchgear  assemblies  for  San  Luis  pumping- 
generating  plant,  Schedule  2. 

Modification  of  Delta-Mendota  canal.  Mile  3.6  to 
69.25. 

Furnishing  and  installing  six  40,000  hp  synchronous 
motors  for  Mile  18  pumping  plant. 

Construction  of  23.2  miles  of  Wahluke  Branch  canal 
laterals,  wasteways,  and  drains.  Blocks  21  and  48. 

Four  230-kv  and  four  23-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for 
Pinnacle  Peak  substation. 

One  48,000/64,000/80,000-kva  power  transformer  for 
Blue  Mesa  powerplant. 

Construction  of  8.3  miles  of  pipelines  and  structures 
for  Main  aqueduct. 

Completion  of  San  Luis  pumping-generating  plant  and 
switchyard,  and  Fore  bay  switchyard. 

Construction  of  Main  canal  and  5-mile  tunnel  No.  2, 

Schedule  3. 
Construction  of  concrete  lining  and  structures  for 

Forebay  canal  and  wasteway,  and  modification  of 

Delta-Mendota  canal. 
Designing,  furnishing,  and  erecting  one  steel  storage 

tank  for  Main  aqueduct. 
Construction  of  stage  04  additions  to  Lovell  substation. 

700,000  linear  feet  of  1,033,500-circular  mil  ACSR  con- 
ductor for  Mead-Libeity  345-kv  transmission  line 
(non  set-aside  portion.) 

2,000,000  linear  feet  of  1,033,500-circular  mil  ACSR 
conductor  for  Mead-Liberty  345-kv  transmission 
line.    (Negotiated  contract;  set-aside  poition.) 

Two  236-kv  shunt  capacitor  equipments  for  Pinnacle 
Peak  substation,  stage  02. 

Aerial  photography,  control  and  topographic  maps  for 
East  Chaco  lands  (Gallegos  Canyon  area)  (Nego- 
tiated contract). 

Construction  of  7.6  miles  of  Silt  pump  canal 


Construction  of  62  miles  of  pipelines  and  structures, 
including  reservoirs  and  six  pumping  plants,  for 
Corning  Water  District  distribution  system. 

Construction  of  Agate  Dam 


Construction  of  16  miles  of  115-kv  taplines  for  Archer 
and  Stegall  substation  areas. 

Location,  surveys,  maps,  and  geology  for  750-kv  direct- 
current  transmission  line,  Beatty  to  Luning,  Nev., 
Section  2.    (Negotiated  contract.) 

Furnishing  and  erecting  dormitory  complex,  office 
and  staff  quarters  complex,  dispensary,  supply  room 
and  commissary,  and  messing  complex  for  Crab 
Orchard  and  Toyon  Rural  Job  Corps  Conservation 
Centers,  Schedules  3  and  4.    (Negotiated  contract.) 

Furnishing  and  erecting  dormitory  complex,  office  and 
staff  quarters  complex,  dispensary,  supply  room  and 
commissary,  and  messing  complex  for  Mexican 
Springs  Job  Corps  Conservation  Center,  Schedule 
1.    (Negotiated  Contract.) 

RehabiUtation  of  intake  structure  and  conduit  for 
Eklutna  pressure  timnol. 

Construction  of  9  miles  of  Curecanti-Crystal  115-kv 
transmission  line  and  temporary  115-kv  tieline  at 
Curecanti  substation. 

250,000  linear  feet  of  2,300,000-circular  mil  ACSR  con- 
ductor for  Oregon  Border-Mead  750-kv  direct-current 
transmission  line. 

Construction  of  Flagstaff  substation,  stage  01. 

Four  5-foot  by  9-foot  high-pressure  gate  valves,  four 
hydraulic  hoists,  and  two  gate  hangers  for  outlet 
works  at  El  Vado  Dam. 

Construction  of  35  miles  of  pipelines  for  East  aqueduct, 
and  pumping  plants  No.  5  and  6. 

Construction  of  traveling  water  screen  structure  for 
Gateway  canal. 

Construction  of  stage  02  additions  to  Maricona  substation. 

Furnishing  and  erecting  dormitory  complexes,  office 
and  staff  quarters  complexes,  dispensaries,  supply 
rooms  and  commissaries,  education  and  recreation 
complexes,  and  messing  complexes  for  Great  Onyx 
Job  Corps  conservation  center  No.  285  and  Cumber- 
land Gap  Job  Corps  Conservation  Center  No.  257, 
Schedules  1  and  2. 

Furnishing  and  erecting  dormitory  complex,  office  and 
staff  quarters  complex,  dispensary,  supply  room  and 
commissary,  education  and  recreation  complex,  and 
messing  complex  for  Mountain  Home  Job  Corps 
Conservation  Center,  Schedule  5. 

Furnishing  and  erecting  dormitory  complexes,  office 
and  staff  quarters  complex,  digpensary,  supply 
room  and  commissary,  education  and  recreation 
complex,  and  messing  complex  for  Winslow  Job 
Corps  conservation  center  and  Price  Job  Corps  Con- 
servation Center  No.  327,  Schedules  3  and  6. 


Contractor's  Name  and 
Address 


Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 
Denver,  Colo. 


Brown  Boveri  Corp.,  New 

York,  N.Y. 
Granite  Construction  Co., 

Watson ville,  Calif. 
ASEA  Electric,  Inc.,  San 

Francisco,  Calif. 
Kenneth  E.  Beck  &  Sons, 

Inc.,  Moses  Lake,  Wash. 
Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 

Denver,  Colo. 
ASEA  Electric,  Inc.,  San 

Francisco,  Calif. 
Baker-Anderson  Corp.,  Santa 

Ana,  Calif. 
Gunther  &  Shirley  Co.  and 

E.  V.  Lane  Corp.,  Sherman 

Oaks,  Calif. 
Shea-Kaiser-Macco  Redding, 

Calif. 
R.  A.  Wattson  Co.,  Panorama 

City,  Calif. 

Chicago  Bridge  &  Iron  Co., 
San  Francisco,  Calif. 

Capitol  Electric  &  Engineer- 
ing Co.,  Denver,  Colo. 

Reynolds  Metals  Co.,  Rich- 
mond, Va. 

Southwire  Co.,  Inc.,  Carroll- 
ton,  Ga. 

Sangamo  EletStric  Co., 

Springfield,  111. 
Kucera  &  Associates,  Inc., 

Denver,  Colo. 

Western  States  Construction 
Co.,  Inc.,  Loveland,  Colo. 

Valley  Engineers,  Inc.  of 
Fresno,  Fresno,  Calif. 

Sandkay  Construction  Co., 
Inc.,  Ephrata,  Wash. 

Patrick  Harrison,  Inc., 
Golden,  Colo. 

R.  W.  Millard  &  Associates, 
Inc.,  Ely,  Nev. 

Magnolia  Mobile  Homes  Sales 
Corp.,  Vicksburg,  Miss. 


G.  T.  Wolfe  Mobile  Homes, 
Inc.,  Corona,  Cahf. 


Manson-Osberg  Co.,  Seattle, 
Wash. 

Malcolm  W.  Larson  Con- 
tracting Co.  Denver,  Colo. 

Kaiser  Aluminum  &  Chemi- 
cal Sales,  Inc.,  Oakland, 
Calif. 

Howard  P.  Foley  Co.,  Inc., 
Tucson,  Ariz. 

Steward  Machine  Co.  Inc., 
Birmingham,  Ala. 

Allison  &  Haney,  Inc.,  Albu- 
querque, N.  Mex. 

E.  Arthur  Higgins,  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah. 

Douglass  Bros.,  El  Paso,  Tex.. 

Magnolia  Mobile  Homes 
Sales  Corp.,  South  Hill, 
Va. 


Bunting  Tractor  Co.,  Inc., 
Tel  Star  Division,  Boise, 
Idaho. 


Utah  Mobile  Homes,  Inc., 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


60 


The  Reclamation  Era 


U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE :  1965     O — 765-425 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS— Continued 


Specification 
No. 


Project 


Award 
Date 


Description,  of  Work  or  Material 


Contractor's  Name  and 
Address 


Contract 
Amount 


DC-6240_ 
DS-6244.. 


lOOC-743- 

300C-219. 

f        300C-223- 

300C-225- 

400C-279. 
DS-6235.. 


Eklutna,  Alaska. 

Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Nev. 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee  Sys- 
tem, Ariz. 

do 


.do. 


Colorado  River  Storage, 

Colo. 
Central  Valley,  Calif.... 


Mar.  26 

Mar  18 

Mar.  15 

Feb.  18 

Jan.  11 

Feb.  18 

Jan.  IS 

Mar.  30 


Replacement  of  Eklutna  Dam 

750,000  linear  feet  of  2,300,000-circular  ACSR  conductor 
for  Oregon  Border-Mead  750-kv  direct-current  trans- 
mission line. 

Construction  of  11  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  for  D20- 
61  and  D20-61-1  drain  systems  and  deepening 
WB5WW2  and  WB5HHWW  wasteways,  Block  20. 

Construction  of  0.6  mile  unlined  channel,  2.8  miles  of 
cast-in-place  concrete  pipeUnes,  and  structures  for 
drainage  pump  outlet  channel  No.  4,  Schedule  1. 

Extension  of  riprap  for  Yuma  Valley  Levee 


Construction  of  haul  roads  and  bank  protection  struc- 
tures for  Palo  Verde  Division. 

Clearing  9,180  acres  of  Blue  Mesa  reservoir 


DC-6238. 


Colorado  River  Storage, 
Ariz.-Utah. 


Eight  unit  control  boards,  one  control  console,  one 
main  control  board,  one  desk,  one  switchyard  control 
and  relay  board,  and  two  carrier  relaying  trans- 
mitt«r-receiver  for  San  Luis  pumping-generatlng  plant. 

Constructing  69-kv  and  microwave  power  supply  addi- 
tions to  Glen  Canyon  switchyard. 


A  &  B  Construction  Co., 

Helena,  Mont. 
Rome  Cable  Corp.,  Rome, 

N.Y. 

Sandkay  Construction  Co., 
Inc.,  Ephrata,  Wash. 

Concrete  Ditch  Lining 
Service,  Inc.,  Phoenix, 
Ariz. 

Wennermark  Co.  and  Emmet 
J.  Harris,  San  Bernardino, 
Calif. 

Karl  A.  Dennis,  d.b.a.  Den- 
nis Construction  Co., 
Yuma,  Ariz. 

Humphrey  Contracting 
Corp.,  Wichita,  Kans. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 
Denver,  Colo. 


Tide-Bay,  Inc.,  Tacoma, 
Wash. 


1.233,470 
692,  250 

204,928 

171, 328 

327, 100 

517, 890 

110,000 
223,079 

108, 016 


Major   Construction   and   Materials   For   Which   Bids  Will   Be   Requested 

Throush  Ausust  1965* 


Project 


Arbuckle,  Okla. 


Central  Valley, 
Calif. 
Do 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do_ 


CRSP,  Arizona. 


Description  of  Work  or  Material 


CRSP,  Arizona. 


Constructing  the  Wynnewood  Pumping  Plant  with  a 
capacity  of  9.5  cfs  and  a  190-ft  head;  and  constructing 
about  20  miles  of  10-,  21-,  24,-  and  27-in.-diameter 
pipelines  for  heads  up  to  about  200  ft.  Near  Davis 
and  Wynnewood. 

Completion  work  for  the  Mile  18    Pumping   Plant. 

Constructing  about  17  miles  of  unreinforced-concrete- 
lined  canal  with  bottom  width  varying  from  52  to 
24  ft,  including  monolithic  concrete  box  siphons, 
bridges,  culverts,  pipe  irrigation  crossings,  drainage 
inlets,  etc.  Tehama-Colusa  Canal,  Reach  2,  near 
Corning. 

Constructing  about  9.4  miles  of  San  Luis  Canal,  Reach 
4,  with  a  bottom  width  of  60  ft,  to  be  lined  wlth4.5-in. 
unreinforced-concrete  lining.  Work  will  also  include 
constructing  bridges,  irrigation  crossings,  and  turn- 
outs.   Near  Huron. 

Constructing  about  3,000  lln  ft  of  the  Delta-Mendota 
concrete-lined  canal  with  a  bottom  width  of  48  ft 
and  lining  height  of  19  ft  2  in.,  canal  to  be  lined  with 
4-in.  unreinforced  concrete;  and  constructing  a  state 
highway  bridge  215  ft  long,  50  ft  wide,  with  pre- 
stressed  concrete  end  spans  and  one  structural-steel 
plate  girder  central  span  with  reinforced-concrete 
deck;  and  concrete  footings  and  concrete  piles  for 
two  piers  for  each  of  five  other  bridges  to  be  con- 
structed across  the  canal  by  others  at  a  later  date. 
Near  Tracy. 

Work  will  consist  of  removing  a  reinforced-concrete 
bridge  abutment  and  one  116-ft-long  steel  girder 
span  with  concrete  deck,  both  of  which  have  been 
damaged  by  flood  flows  in  the  Trinity  River,  and 
reconstructing  a  new  reinforced-concrete  abutment 
and  one  116-ft-long  steel  girder  span  with  concrete 
deck  to  be  connected  to  an  existing  cantilever  span 
with  a  hanger.  Work  will  also  include  constructing 
an  earth  embankment  along  river  channel  with 
riprap  protection.    Near  Carrvllle. 

Six  14.4-kv,  station-type  switchgear;  15-kv  isolated- 
phase  bus;  two  1,500-kva,  13.2-kv  to  480-volt,  station- 
service  transformers;  and  600-volt  non-segregated - 
phase  bus.    All  for  Mile  18  Pumping  Plant. 

Additions  to  the  Pinnacle  Peak  Substation  will  consist 
of  constructing  foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting 
steel  structures;  installing  one  600-mva,  345/230-kv 
autotransformer,  12  single-phase,  8,000-kva  shunt 
reactors,  and  five  230-kv  and  four  23-kv  circuit 
breakers;  and  furnishing  and  installing  associated 
electrical  equipment.  About  20  miles  northeast  of 
Phoenix. 

Constructing  the  Glen  Canyon  Dam  Visitor  Centel 
complex  will  consist  of  constructing  a  one-story  steer 
frame  and  precast  Mo-Sai  panels  Visitor  Center 
building  of  about  11,250  sq  ft,  a  parking  area  for  about 
120  cars,  a  vertical-shaft  in  rock  for  housing  elevators 
descending  about  100  ft  to  a  lobby  and  horizontal 
tunnel,  also  in  rock,  to  provide  access  to  the  crest  of 
the  dam.    An  auditorium  seating  about  90  persons 


Project 


CRSP,  Arizona- 
Continued 


CRSP  Colorado. 


Do. 


Fryingpan-Ar- 
kansas,  Colorado 


MRBP,  Kansas 

MRBP,  South 
Dakota. 


Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Calif. 


Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Nevada. 

Pondera  Coimty 
Canal  and  Reser- 
voir Co.,  Mon- 
tana. 

San  Juan-Chama, 
Colo.-N.  Mex. 


Spokane  Valley, 
Wash. 


Description  of  Work  or  Material 


will  be  included  in  the  plan  for  Schedule  No.  1  and  will 
be  omitted  in  the  plan  for  Schedule  No.  2.  Two 
elevators  each  of  about  40-passenger  capacity  will  be 
furnished  and  installed  under  a  separate  contract. 
At  Page. 

Completion  work  for  the  Blue  Mesa  Powerplant  and 
Switchyard  will  consist  of  placing  concrete  for  turbine 
embedment  and  generator  support;  installing  two 
41,500-hp,  200-rpm,  vertical-shaft,  hydraulic  turbines, 
the  transformer  bank,  switchyard  and  other  mechani- 
cal and  electrical  equipment;  constructing  interior 
masonry  wall  partitions;  placing  concrete  floor  surfac- 
ing, and  applying  architectural  finishes.  About  25 
miles  west  of  Gunnison. 

Three  single-phase,  230/12-kv,  53-mva,  FOW  transform- 
ers for  Morrow  Point  Switchyard. 

Constructing  the  Divide,  South  Fork,  and  Chapman 
Tunnels.  The  Divide  Tunnel  will  have  about  a 
10-ft  6-in.  diameter  concrete-lined  section  and  will  be 
about  5.3  miles  long;  the  South  Fork  Tunnel  will  have 
about  an  8-ft-diameter  concrete-lined  section  and  will 
be  about  3.1  miles  long;  and  the  Chapman  Tunnel 
will  have  about  a  7-ft-diameter  concrete-lined  section 
and  will  be  about  2.6  miles  long.  Work  will  also  in- 
clude constructing  three  small  ogee  weir  diversion 
dams  and  buried  free-flow  conduit  and  pressure 
pipelines.    Near  Aspen. 

Twelve  50-  by  21.76-ft  radial  gates  for  Glen  Elder  Dam. 
Estimated  weight:  1,066,000  lb. 

Additions  to  the  Sioux  Falls  Substation  will  consist  of 
constructing  foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting 
steel  structures;  furnishing  and  installing  three, 
single-phase,  230/115/13.2-kv,  33,333-kva  autotrans- 
formers,  one  3-phase,  115-kv,  75,000-kva  regulating 
transformer,  three  13.2-kv,  4,000-kva  reactors,  two 
230-kv,  one  115-kv,  and  one  13. 2-kv  circuit  breakers, 
and  associated  electrical  equipment.  About  4  miles 
northeast  of  Sioux  Falls. 

Constructing  the  single-unit,  3-phase,  500-kv  Oregon 
border- Roimd  Mountain  Transmission  Line  about 
94  miles  long.  Extending  from  the  vicinity  of  Round 
Mountain,  Calif.,  to  a  point  on  the  Calif.-Oregon 
border  about  7  miles  east  of  Tulelake,  Calif. 

Twenty-two  230-kv,  20,000-mva  power  circuit  breakers 
for  Mead  Substation. 

Constructing  Swift  Dam,  a  concrete  thin-arch  structure, 
about  205  ft  high  and  560  ft  long,  and  appurtenant 
features.  On  Birch  Creek,  about  45  miles  west  of 
Conrad,  Montana. 

Constructing  about  8  miles  of  concrete-lined  Blanco 
Tunnel  of  either  8-ft  3-in.  diameter  horseshoe  section 
or  8-ft  7-in.  diameter  circular  section;  and  constructing 
the  reinforced-concrete  Blanco  Diversion  Dam 
consisting  of  an  ogee  overflow  weir,  sluiceway,  and 
headworks.    Near  Pagosa  Springs. 

Constructing  about  85  miles  of  6-  to  24-in.-diameter 
pipelines  for  hydrostatic  heads  up  to  260  ft.  The 
pipelines  will  be  either  pretensioned  concrete  pipe, 
asbestos-cement  pipe,  or  steel  pipe.    Near  Spokane. 


'Subject  to  change. 


IF   NOT  DELIVERED  WITHIN    10    DAYS 
PLEASE  RETURN  TO 

SUPERINTENDENT  OF  DOCUMENTS 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 

WASHINGTON.  DC.     20402 


POSTAGE  AND   FEES   PAID 
U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 


OFFICIAL  BUSINESS 


In  its  assigned  function  as  the  Nation's  principal  natural  re- 
source agency,  the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special 
obligation  to  assure  that  our  expendable  resources  are  con- 
served, that  renewable  resources  are  managed  to  produce  opti- 
mum yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  full  measure 
to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  America,  now  and  in 
the  future. 

U.S.  Department  of  the  Interior 
Bureau  of  Reclamation 


L  AM ATI  ON 


Aiwust  1965 


In  This  Special  Issue — 

New  Impetus  lor  the  West: 

The  Electric  Power  PNW-PSW  Intertie 


The  most  exciting 

transmission 

system 

in  history  .  .  . 


"This  intertie  which  is  the  result  of  so  many  brains 
and  so  much  work,  and  such  great  efforts,  is  the  most 
exciting  transmission  system  in  history.  It  will  make 
us  world  leaders  in  direct  current  transmission.  It 
will  carry  from  the  Peace  River  to  the  Mexican  bor- 
der enough  power  for  five  San  Franciscos.  So  I  come 
here  to  tell  you,  and  to  tell  each  of  you,  that  all 
America  is  proud  of  all  of  you. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  this  cooperation  of  private  power 
with  public  power.  The  public  power  yardstick  is 
essential.  Private  power  will  always  play  a  substantial 
and  a  vital  role  in  the  future  of  this  great  land.  This 
system  is  also  proof  of  the  power  of  cooperation  and 
unity.  You  have  proved  that  if  we  turn  away  from 
division,  if  we  just  ignore  dissension  and  distrust,  there 
is  no  limit  to  our  achievements. 

".  .  .  But  we  must  do  more  than  continue.  Our 
problems  are  changing  every  day  and  we  must  change 
to  meet  them.  ...  By  the  year  2000,  more  than  300 
million  Americans  will  need  10  times  the  power  and 
two-and-one-half  times  the  water  that  we  now 
consume. 

".  .  .  The  eyes  of  the  Nation  are  looking  to  you  to 
provide  the  leadership  that  will  not  just  make  this  the 
best  conservation  Congress  we  have  ever  had,  but  that 
will  help  us  to  bring  our  dreams  of  a  more  beautiful 
America,  a  safer  America,  a  healthier  America  avail- 
able to  our  children  as  it  has  been  available  to  us." 

President  Lyndon  B.  Johnson 
September  17,  1964 
Portland,  Oregon 


The  full  benefits  of  electrical  integration  .  .  . 

"In  the  truest  sense,  the  Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  Intertie  is  a  conservation 
measure.  It  will  conserve  energy,  capital,  manpower,  and  materials — the  ingredients  of  a 
strong,  healthy  economy.  The  plan  brings  together  the  forces  of  public  and  private  power 
for  the  welfare  of  our  Nation.  With  this  kind  of  cooperative  spirit,  we  will  move  forward 
together  to  give  the  American  j>eopIe  the  full  benefits  of  electrical  integration  and  maximum 
efficiency." 

Stewart  L.  Udall 

Secretary,  Department  of  the  Interior 

July  1,  1964 

Washington,  D.C. 


Reclaraation 

ERA 


AUGUST   1965 
Volume  51,  No.  3 


OTTIS   PETERSON,   Assistant  to  the  Commissioner — 
information 

GORDON  J.   FORSYTH,   Editor 


cX?    Quotation  by  THE  PKESIDENT 

61    Quotation  by  THE  SECRETARY 

63    A  NEW  POWER  GIANT 

MATERIALIZES  ON  THE 
WEST  COAST 

hy  C om/missioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy 

68    RESEARCHING  THE  INTERTIE 

hy  E.  V.  Lindseth 

71,  90   WHAT'S— TF^rr  NOTES 

72    A  NEW  ERA  OF  POWER 
TRANSMISSION 

hy  Newcomh  B.  Bennett  Jr. 

75,76-77    MAPS  OF  THE  INTERTIE 

78    IT  CAN  BE  DONE 

hy  Bernard  P.  Bell'port 

82    ITS  BENEFITS  ARE  BIG 

hy  William  H.  Keating 

86   DC  DEVELOPMENTS  IN  OTHER 
COUNTRIES 

hy  T.  ~W .  Mermel 

91    POWER  OFFICIALS  HAIL 
INTERTIE  EFFORT 


COVER  PHOTOS.  Signaling  a  final  stage  of  agreement  on  ttie 
plans  for  the  Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  Intertie,  Presi- 
dent Lyndon  B.  Johnson  voiced  his  wholehearted  endorsement 
of  it.  His  speech  is  printed,  in  part,  on  the  inside  of  the  cover. 
Also  representing  the  precedent-setting  Intertie,  is  the  spec- 
tacular photograph  of  a  transmission  facility,  and  the  picture 
of  Grand  Coulee  Dam  and  Powerplant,  Washington. 


United  States  Department  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.   Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau   of   Reclamation,   Floyd   E.    Dominy,   Commissioner 

Washington  Office:  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Washington,  D.C.,  20240. 

Commissioner's  Staff 

Assistant  Commissioner N.  B.  Bennett,  Jr. 

Assistant  Commissioner O.  O.  Stamm 

Assistant  Commissioner W.  P.  Kane 

Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado ; B.  P.  Bellport 

REGIONAL  OFFICES 

REGION  1:  Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  937,  Reclamation  Building,  Fairgrounds,  Idaho,  83701. 

REGION  2:  Robert  J.  Pafford,  Jr.,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacramento,  Calif.,  95811. 

REGION  3:  A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  City,  Nev.,  89005. 

REGION  4:  Frank  M.  Clinton,  Regional  Director,  32  Exchange  Place,  P.O.  Box  360,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  84110. 

REGION  5:  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Office  Building,  7th  and  Taylor,  Amarillo,  Tex.,  79105. 

REGION  6:  Harold  E.  Aldrich,  Regional  Director,  7th  and  Central,  P.O.  Box  2553,  Billings,  Mont.,  59101. 

REGION  7:  Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo.,  80225. 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Washington,  D.C.,  20240.     Use  of  funds  for  printing  this 

publication  has  been  approved  )jy  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31, 1961. 

For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.  S.  Government    Printing  Office,  Washington,  B.C.,   20402.     Price  30  cents   (single 
copy.)     Subscription  price :    $1.00  ;  25  cents  additional  for  foreign  mailing. 

62 


ABOUT  THE  AUTHORS  .  .  .  The  special  articles  on  these  pages  were  written  by  eminent 
scientists  and  technical  leaders  in  the  field  of  electric  power  and  high  voltage  transmission. 
The  six  authors  did  very  well  in  attempting  to  adapt  technical  language  to  terms  understood 
by  the  average  reader.  The  editor  is  indebted  to  these  men  for  their  efforts  and  hopes  that 
the  further  simplification  in  final  editing  w^ill  not  lead  to  an  inaccurate  impression  of  the  sub- 
ject they  know  so  well. 

After  noting  this  editor's  confession  to  the  problems  involved  in  communication  of  a  very 
complex  subject,  we  hope  even  our  most  distinguished  contemporaries  will  find  interest  at  each 
turn  of  the  page.     This  is  a  story  of  modern  engineering  achievement  in  our  time. 


1 


A  New  Power 


One  of  the  key  officials  in  planning  and  develop- 
ment of  the  Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Commissioner  Dominy  tells  the  story  of 
the  evolution  of  the  transmission  giant  capable 
of  carrying  the  output  of  two  Grand  Coulee 
Power  plants. 


Giant  Materializes  on  the  West  Coast 


by  COMMISSIONER  FLOYD  E.  DOMINY 


THE  Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  In- 
tertie is  the  biggest  single  electrical  trans- 
mission project  ever  undertaken  in  this  country. 

Stretching  from  the  Columbia  River  to  Hoover 
Dam  and  Los  Angeles,  four  big  gleaming  lines 
of  the  new  system  will  carry  more  than  4  million 
kilowatts,  southward  or  northward.  This  is  the 
equivalent  of  the  output  of  two  present  Grand 
Coulee  Powerplants! 

The  lines  will  tie  together  electric  systems — 
public  and  private — all  the  way  from  Vancouver, 
B.C.,  and  Seattle  to  Phoenix,  Arizona,  and  Cali- 
fornia points,  including  the  biggest  Federal  hydro 
system  in  America,  the  biggest  municipal  system, 
and  the  biggest  group  of  private  systems  in  the 
West.  These  systems  are  respectively:  the  Fed- 
eral Columbia  River  Power  System,  the  Los  An- 
geles Department  of  Water  and  Power,  and  the 
private  California  Power  Pool. 

The  Intertie  system  will  benefit  the  people  in  11 
western  States,  especially  the  customers  of  many 


small  rural  electric  cooperatives,  municipal  sys- 
tems and  other  public  agencies — about  250  distrib- 
utors in  all.  Also,  it  will  reduce  the  waste  of  hy- 
droelectric kilowatt-hours  over  dam  spillways  in 
the  Pacific  Northwest,  and  will  promote  a  maxi- 
mum of  electrical  efficiency  throughout  those 
States. 

Two  of  the  four  big  Intertie  lines  will  be  direct 
current  lines,  America's  first  and  the  world's  long- 
est. This  project  will  make  our  Nation  the  world 
leader  in  an  exciting  new  transmission  technique. 

Precedent  Broken 

For  many  years  there  has  been  general  agree- 
ment on  the  need  for  a  great  new  power  tie  line  in 
the  far  West.  However,  conflicts  in  regard  to  con- 
trol and  sharing  of  benefits  long  delayed  progress 
on  it.  With  the  conflicts  now  largely  resolved,  the 
PNW-PSW  Intertie  has  become  a  precedent- 
breaking  joint  endeavor  of  Federal,  public  and  pri- 


AuGUST  1965 


63 


The  U.S.  Congress  appropriated  funds  to  initiate  construction  of 
the  Federal  portions  of  the  Intertie  on  August  14,  1964. 

port  stated  that  one  230-kilovolt  circuit  would 
yield  the  largest  revenue  as  compared  to  cost. 

Governors  Request  Time 

At  public  hearings  of  the  Senate  Interior  Com- 
mittee, the  Governors  of  California,  Oregon,  and 
Washington  made  their  interest  known  on  the 
matter  and  requested  time  for  further  study. 

The  State  of  California,  in  1S60,  made  an  ex- 
amination of  a  possible  Pacific  Northwest- Pacific 
Southwest  tie,  including  all  uses  and  benefits  of 
such  an  interconnection,  rather  than  just  the  sale 
of  surplus  secondary  energy  from  the  Pacific 
Northwest.     A  high-capacity   intertie   from  the 

In  early  years  of  the  United  States-Canadian  Treaty,  power  from 
the  joint  Upper  Columbia  River  developments  will  be  marketed  in 
the  Southwest — a  valuable  agreement. 


UNITED   STATES 


system  of  Bonneville  Power  to  Southern  Califor- 
nia was  recommended. 

In  his  message  to  the  Congress  on  natural  re- 
sources on  February  23,  1961,  the  late  President 
John  F.  Kennedy  stated : 

"Finally,  I  have  directed  the  Secretary  of  the 
Interior  to  develop  plans  for  the  early  interconnec- 
tion of  areas  served  by  that  Department's  market- 
ing agencies  with  adequate  common  carrier 
transmission  lines ;  to  plan  for  further  national  co- 
operative pooling  of  electric  power,  both  public  and 
private ;  and  to  enlarge  such  pooling  as  now  exists." 
Within  a  few  weeks  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.  Udall  appointed  a  special  Task  Force 
to  indicate  studies  to  implement  the  President's  in- 
structions. And  in  its  report  of  December  15, 1961 
this  Task  Force  recommended  construction  of  the 
PNW-PSW  Intertie  at  the  earliest  practicable 
time  and  specified  the  features,  uses,  and  purposes 
of  the  development. 

Negotiations  were  to  commence  by  the  Bonne- 
ville Power  Administration  and  the  Bureau  of 
Keclamation  with  utilities,  public  and  private,  that 
desired  to  participate  in  the  program. 

In  the  spring  of  1964,  Assistant  Secretary 
Kenneth  Holum  established  the  criteria  for  an 
important  Federal  yardstick  to  be  used  in  evaluat- 
ing Intertie  construction  proposals. 

Thus  the  technological  problems  inherent  in  an 
electrical  intertie  transmitting  power  between  the 
Pacific  Northwest  and  the  Pacific  Southwest  ap- 
peared capable  of  solution.  However,  in  the 
Northwest  strong  opposition  developed  to  the 
building  of  such  a  distribution  system  without  a 
reservation  of  a  future  power  supply  to  the  area 
of  origin.  On  the  other  hand,  a  regional  prefer- 
ence clause  of  this  sort  was  unacceptable  to  some 
supporters  of  the  Intertie . 

Senator  Henry  Jackson  of  Washington  stepped 
into  this  seeming  impasse  and  introduced  in  the 
Senate  a  bill  to  guarantee  electric  consumers  of  the 
Northwest  first  call  on  electric  energy  generated 
at  Federal  hydroelectric  plants  in  that  region  and 
to  give  consumers  in  other  regions  reciprocal  prior- 
ity. While  the  measure  was  under  consideration, 
Congress  appropriated  funds  to  initiate  construc- 
tion of  the  Federal  portions  of  the  Intertie,  sub- 
ject to  enactment  of  some  such  legislation. 

Under  Senator  Jackson's  outstanding  leader- 
ship, both  as  chief  sponsor  of  the  preference  bill 
and  as  Chairman  of  the  Senate  Committee  on  In- 
terior and  Insular  Affairs,  a  version  of  the  measure 


66 


The  Reclamation  Era 


The  $20  million  shown  wasting  in  the  sea  is  the  value  of  the 
potential  electric  power  that  could  have  been  obtained,  had  there 
been  a  market  for  it— a  market  the  PNW-PSW  Intertie  will  pro- 
vide in  the  Southwest. 

finally  passed  both  houses  of  Congress  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1964,  and  was  signed  into  law  by  President 
Lyndon  B.  Johnson.  Thus  the  path  was  cleared 
for  the  building  of  the  long-heralded  Pacific 
Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  Intertie. 

Starting  almost  immediately  after  the  plan  was 
approved  by  Congress,  geologic  and  aerial  surveys 
began  for  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  lines  and 
terminals  at  actual  field  locations.    And  in  the  last 
several  months.  Reclamation  has  awarded  contracts 
for  several  million  feet  of  conductor  cable  for  high 
voltage  lines  to  firms  in  New  York,  Virginia,  and 
in  Oakland,  California.    A  contract  for  two  di- 
rect-current terminals — the  first  in  the  United 
States — was  awarded  to  two  cooperating  American 
and  Swedish  manufacturers. 
■    Other  milestones  between  now  and  next  Feb- 
ruary will  be  the  awarding  of  the  first  contracts 
Kor  constructing  spans  of  the  Reclamation  lines. 
With  such  work  already  underway,  a  new  power 
transmission  giant  will  materialize  in  a  few  short 
years  in  the  American  West.  #  #  # 


Floyd  E.  Dominy.  An  internationally  recog- 
nized authority  on  land  and  water  resource  de- 
velopment, Floyd  E.  Dorainy  has  served  in  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation  nearly  20  years,  as  Com- 
missioner since  1959.  Under  his  stewardship 
the  Bureau  has  made  great  strides  in  the  field  of 
hydropower.  Commissioner  Dominy  has  visited 
various  hydroelectric  facilities  in  foreign  coun- 
tries, comi>aring  them  with  ours  and  has  pre- 
sented numerous  papers  and  addresses  on 
hydro-power  to  international,  as  well  as  national, 
professional  and  lay  audiences. 


Although   the  men  who  construct  the  Intertie  may  not  have  this  view   when   they  get   to   the  Death   Valley   National   Monument,   they 

will   build  a   750-kilovolt,  d-c  line  nearby. 


August  1965 


vate  power  organizations.  In  addition,  area  rig'hts 
have  been  spelled  out  in  special  legislation,  while 
agreements  by  agencies  have  been  reached  on  the 
distribution  of  benefits  to  all  power  consumers. 
Construction  is  now  in  progress,  and  the  first  kilo- 
watts will  shoot  through  the  new  Intertie  in  late 
1967. 

The  primary  purpose  of  the  Pacific  Intertie  is 
to  coordinate  operation  of  all  utility  systems  in  the 
area  so  as  to  obtain  maximum  overall  utilization 
and  efficiency  of  the  generating  capacity.  And 
even  the  smaller  utilities,  which  might  otherwise 
face  strong  economic  competition,  will  receive 
maximum  benefits. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  United  States-Cana- 
dian Treaty,  power  from  joint  Upper  Columbia 
River  developments  will  be  marketed  in  Califor- 
nia, Nevada,  and  Arizona.  This  power  will  not 
only  be  available  to  the  residents  of  those  States 
who  are  increasingly  using  air-conditioning  in 
their  homes  and  offices,  but  the  kilowatts  also  are 
now  being  contracted  for  by  irrigators  in  the  giant 
Central  Valley  Project,  presently  being  enlarged 
and  improved.  The  Bonneville  Power  Adminis- 
tration (BPA),  which  acts  as  a  balance  wheel  in 
marketing  Federal  power  in  the  Northwest,  will 
give  aid  to  other  agencies,  and  will  itself,  receive 
aid. 

Bureau  of  Reclamation  projects  on  the  Colorado 
River  almost  completely  control  that  stream  for 
water  and  power  production  and  are  tied  into  a 
large  power  network  of  mainly  steam-electric 
plants.  In  this  regard,  the  Intertie  will  result  in 
savings  of  installed  steam-electric  capacity,  fur- 
ther use  of  surplus  Northwest  energy  to  save  fuel. 


The     giant     structural     webbing     of     this     transmission     facility] 
luminesces  startlingly  beautiful  at  night. 

and  power  and  energy  exchanges  from  the  Soutl 
west  to  firm  up  capacity  in  the  Northwest. 

Early  Program  Expands 

The  earliest  plans  for  a  Federal  transmissioi 
line  between  the  BPA  grid  and  the  northern  CalU 
f  ornia  systems  envisioned  the  same  important  gen' 
eral  purposes  as  today's  larger  PNW-PSW  Inter- 
tie system.  However,  a  greater  load  growth  and 
technological  advances  of  recent  years  have  added 
other  major  uses  to  be  considered,  and  have  re- 
quired redesigning  of  facilities.  Where  only  one 
230,000-volt  line  with  a  capacity  of  about  150  thou- 
sand kilowatts  was  planned  back  in  1935,  four  ex- 
tra-high voltage  lines  are  now  being  constructed 
with  a  total  capacity  of  up  to  4.6  million  kilowatts. 

I  remember  in  1935,  when  Grand  Coulee  and 
Bonneville  Dams  were  under  construction,  that 
there  was  talk  about  interconnecting  electrical 
energy  from  those  dams  and  non-Federal  plants 
to  California's  Central  Valley  power,  a  few  hun- 
dred miles  south.  It  was  anticipated  that  the  Cen- 
tral Valley  system  would  expand  northward  and 
meet  the  other  grid  part  way.  This  idea  was  in- 
cluded in  a  report  called  ."The  Columbia  Basin," 
1935,  by  the  Pacific  Northwest  Regional  Planning 
Commission,  a  Federal  agency. 

The  possibility  of  such  interregional  movements 
of  power  also  was  discussed  in  a  Corps  of  Engi- 
neers' Review  Report  on  the  Columbia  River,  pub- 
lished in  1918.  "Such  interconnections,"  the  En- 
gineers" report  said,  "will  obtain  economies  from 
diversity  of  loads  and  streamflows  and  the 
exchange  of  surplus  energy  or  power." 

Reclamation  Finds  Plan  Feasible 

A  report  on  the  first  detailed  investigation  of  at 
possible  intertie  between  the  Bonneville  (BPA) 
system  and  the  Central  Valley  Project  was  re- 
leased by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  in  1949. 
The  Bureau  found  that  an  interconnection  to  close 
the  gap  of  217  miles  which  then  separated  the  two^ 
systems — that  is,  from  Roseburg,  Oregon,  to  the 
Shasta  switchyard — was  economically  feasible  and 
desirable. 

Diversity  of  loads  and  resources  made  the  Bon- 
neville and  Central  Valley  systems  complemen- 
tary.    By  a  process  of  displacement  from  one  areai 


64 


The  Reclamation  Eras 


n 

II 


All  the  electric  utility  systems  in  the  1 1  -State  area,  shown  in 
the  meandering  blue  lines,  will  be  coordinated  operationally 
when  the  Intertie,  shown  in  black,  is  completed. 

to  another,  large  blocks  of  power  could  be  shifted 
up  and  down  the  Pacific  Coast. 

The  Bureau  cited  as  another  major  benefit  of 
the  interconnection  standby  service  to  be  provided 
by  each  system  for  the  other.  In  case  of  failure 
of  a  substantial  amount  of  generation  or  trans- 
mission in  one  region,  the  other  could  make  up  all 
or  part  of  the  deficiency  from  its  reserve  or  other 
available  resources. 

A  basic  assumption  of  the  Bureau  report  was 
that  no  energy  would  be  exported  f-rom  either  area 
which  could  be  used  at  home.  And,  once  im- 
ported, the  energy  was  not  to  be  used  to  expand  a 
market,  but  only  to  offer  more  reliable  and  more 
economical  service  to  the  already  existing  market. 

In  May  1952,  the  Federal  Power  Commission 
was  requested  by  the  Defense  Electric  Power  Ad- 
ministration to  study  the  feasibility  of  a  Bonne- 
ville-California  interconnection.  The  Commis- 
sion report,  issued  in  March  1953,  reaffirmed  the 
economic  feasibility  of  an  intertie  between  the  two 
regions.  The  FPC  proposed  an  interconnection 
of  one  or  two  230-kilovolt  lines.  Dollar  benefits 
would  exceed  the  cost  by  appreciable  amounts. 

Development  Plans  Stalled 

Despite  the  reports  of  Reclamation  and  the  Fed- 
eral Power  Commission  show^ing  the  economic  and 
engineering  feasibility  of  a  Pacific  Northwest- 
California  intertie,  the  proposal  made  no  headway. 
The  idea  became  impractical  when  Bonneville's 
Yamsay-Klamath  Falls  line  was  sold  to  the  Cali- 
fornia Oregon  Power  Company,  thus  preventing 
the  Bonneville  system  from  reaching  the  Califor- 
nia border  as  originally  contemplated. 

Although  the  Bonneville  system  had  grown, 
;here  was  no  new  power  market  in  the  Pacific 
Northwest,  and  this  resulted  in  a  waste  of  poten- 
tial power  generation.  At  the  same  time,  rising 
costs  of  power  facilities  and  decrease  of  secondary 
energy  sales  brought  growing  financial  deficits  to 
Bonneville  Power  Administration,  so  that  it  be- 
came urgent  to  find  outlets  for  surplus  power,  or 
resort  to  rate  increases. 

In  1959,  Bonneville  negotiated  for  a  California- 
Oregon  power  line,  with  the  Pacific  Gas  and  Elec- 
tric Company  as  the  builder.  When  this  proposal 
was  made  public,  various  groups  questioned  the 
desirability  or  adequacy  of  such  a  plan. 


The  projected  contract  was  held  in  abeyance  at 
the  request  of  the  Subcommittee  on  Irrigation  and 
Reclamation  of  the  Senate  Interior  and  Insular 
Affairs  Committee,  which  held  hearings  on  the 
proposed  intertie  in  April  1959.  At  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  hearings,  the  Committee  adopted  a  reso- 
lution requesting  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  to 
direct  the  Bonneville  Power  Administration  and 
Bureau  of  Reclamation  to  make  a  study  of  the 
California  tie,  for  the  "disposal  of  surplus  sec- 
ondary energy." 

An  Interior  report  issued  in  February  1960  in- 
dicated the  feasibility  of  an  interconnection  for 
the  sale  of  surplus  energy  in  California.    The  re- 

The   late   President   John   F.    Kennedy,    directed    Interior  Secretary 
Udall  to  develop  final  plans  for  the  Intertie. 


August  1965 


65 


Researching 
the 
Intertie 

by  E.  V.  LINDSETH 


Experimental  work  in  extra  high  voltage  trans- 
mission has  been  done  by  the  Bureau  of  Recla- 
mation, and  by  others  in  this  country  and  in 
Europe.  Specific  research  on  problems  associ- 
ated with  the  Intertie  has  been  and  is  being  done 
in  Bureau  laboratories — and,  as  is  usual  in 
construction  of  a  new  electrical  system,  more 
will  he  done  as  the  giant  Intertie  is  being  built. 


ONE  of  the  most  exciting  fields  of  research  is  in 
the  transmission  of  extra-high  voltage  electric 
power — 500  to  750  kilovolts. 

Since  the  early  discoveries  on  distribution  of 
electricity,  advancements  in  the  use  of  this  great 
unseen  energy  have  been  occurring  at  an  increasing 
rate.  Higher  and  higher  voltages  have  become 
very  important  to  industrial  production  and  to  the 
daily  needs  of  modern  living. 

Improvements  have  been  needed  continually  in 
design  and  construction  of  transmission  lines,  and 
in  operation  of  power  facilities.  The  experiences 
of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  and  many  other 
groups  concerned  with  electrical  energy  produc- 
tion and  transmission  have  proven  most  useful 
through  the  years. 

Researching  the  Pacific  Northwest-Pacific 
Southwest  Intertie  has  called  for  the  use  of  sci- 
ence's most  intricate  tools.  Such  equipment  as  net- 
work analyzers  and  computers  have  been  employed 
in  planning  and  designing.  The  Bureau's  network 
analyzer  electronically  duplicates  aspects  of  power 
systems  in  miniature.  With  this  miniaturization, 
it  is  possible  to  determine  the  functional  character- 
Bureau  of  Reclamation  crews  making  preliminary  surveys  near  the 
proposed  Mead  Substation  near  Boulder  City,  Nev.,  in  preparation 
for  construction  of  an  Intertie  line. 

Intertie  experiments  in  the  Bureau  laboratories  at  Denver,  Colo, 
involve  considerable  work  with  models.  Paul  Ottens  is  attachinc 
a  string  of  insulators  on  this  miniature  of  a  162-foot-high  tower 
while  Roger  Robert  Dorcas,  a  section  chief,  observes. 

The  Reclamation  Er/ 


mmh 


Initial    drilling,    sampling,    and   testing    of    foundation    conditions    for  steel    tower   transmission   lines  and   substations, 
taking  a  sample  of  materials  removed  from  the  hole  with  a  bucket  auger. 


Geologists  are 


istics  of  the  alternating-current  system  before  it  is 
even  built. 

A  model  of  the  direct-current  circuitry  of  the 
Intertie  was  built  in  the  Bureau's  laboratories  and 
tested  for  compatibility  with  the  alternating-cur- 
rent system. 

Bureau  engineers,  working  in  cooperation  with 
engineers  of  the  Bonneville  Power  Administration 
j  and  other  utilities  from  the  Canadian  border  to 
southeastern  Arizona,  will  solve  problems  involv- 
ing transmission  distances  two  to  three  times 
greater  than  those  previously  experienced. 

Existing  technology  must  be  extended,  and  the 
new  direct-current  transmission  must  be  designed 
to  work  compatibly  in  parallel  with  the  alternat- 
ing-current system. 

Mercury  Still  Best 

A  major  advance  in  direct-current  transmission 
technology  occurred  when  the  mercury  rectifier 
provided  a  means  of  converting  alternating-cur- 
rent to  direct-current.  This  was  done  by  P.  C. 
Hewitt,  and  the  mercury  type  still  is  best  for  high 
voltage.  In  1905,  Dr.  C.  P.  Steinmetz,  then  of  the 
General  Electric  Company,  developed  mercury 
rectifiers  to  supply  street  lighting  in  Schenectady, 
New  York.  That  company's  l7-mile-long  direct- 
current  transmission  line  from  Mechanicville,  to 
Schenectady,  New  York,  operated  from  1936  to 

j     1945. 

At  one  time,  direct-current  was  the  established 
means  of  delivering  and  using  electric  power,  but 
technical  difficulties  limited  its  use. 

II 

I     August  1965 

i  I774r-147  O — ^65 2 


Direct-current  has  had  limited  use  because  it 
could  not  be  readily  changed  from  one  voltage  to 
another  to  meet  the  consumer's  needs  and  require- 
ments for  transmission. 

Alternating-current  voltage,  on  the  other  hand, 
could  be  increased  or  decreased  through  the  use  of 
relatively  inexpensive  transformers.  Largely  for 
this  reason,  the  commercial  and  industrial  use  of 
electricity  in  this  country  began  long  ago  switch- 
ing over  to  alternating-current.  Among  the  last 
holdovers  were  low-voltage  direct-current  distri- 
bution systems  serving  the  trolley  cars  and  buses 
then  in  operation. 

As  the  name  implies,  direct-current  is  a  steady 
flow  of  current  in  one  direction  only.  Alternating- 
current  is  basically  a  current  of  electricity  which 
reverses  (or  alternates)  its  direction  of  flow  at 
established  intervals. 

Back  To  D-C 

And  now,  becoming  involved  in  one  of  the  great- 
est electric  transmission  programs  in  history,  we 
find  ourselves  turning  to  direct-current,  to  help  get 
the  job  done.  It  may  be  asked,  "Why  do  we  bother 
with  d-c  if  it  has  such  limited  use  ?"  The  answer  is 
that  it  also  has  advantages.  Actually,  we  will  be 
using  the  best  features  of  both  systems. 

With  the  reintroduction  of  direct-current  into 
the  electric  transmission  field,  the  Bureau  under- 
took a  number  of  technical  studies  to  increase  the 
available  knowledge  of  d-c  and  obtain  firsthand 
experience  with  its  use,  particularly  in  the  areas  of 
very  high  voltages. 


69 


Direct-current  transmission  normally  operates 
with  all  current  circulating  through  the  two  metal 
conductors.  However,  a  great  advantage  of  this 
system,  not  practical  with  alternating-current,  is 
that  by  using  earth  return,  it  can  carry  half  cap- 
acity between  terminals  when  one  of  the  conduc- 
tors is  out  of  operation,  either  by  malfunction  or 
for  maintenance. 

During  preliminary  tests  conducted  in  1963  and 
more  detailed  tests  in  1964,  direct-current  was  cir- 
culated through  the  earth  between  points  at  Shasta 
Dam  and  a  point  near  Tracy  in  California;  and 
between  Hoover  Dam  and  points  throughout  the 
vicinity  into  southern  California,  The  Hoover 
Dam  tests  were  utilized  by  the  U.S.  Geological 
Survey  to  supplement  its  data  on  electrical  prop- 
erties of  the  earth's  crusts  in  the  region,  and  the 
U.S.  Air  Force  collected  similar  data. 

Eesults  of  these  tests  will  be  used  by  the  Bureau 
to  protect  against  corrosion  of  such  buried  struc- 
tures as  gas,  oil  and  water  lines  in  the  proximity  of 
the  transmission  line.  Corrosion,  or  rusting  of 
buried  metal,  is  fundamentally  an  electrical  or  elec- 
tro-chemical process.  Certain  metals,  reacting  to 
dissolved  salts  in  the  soil,  set  up  destructive  electric 
current  which  will  dissolve  portions  of  the  metal. 
This  dissolved  metal,  upon  exposure  to  air  or  ox- 
ygen, produces  rust. 

Electrically  induced  corrosion  can  be  controlled 
by  burying  metal  rods  with  a  greater  elec- 
tric potential  than  the  metal  to  be  protected,  which 
attracts  the  destructive  currents,  protecting  the 
structure.  Occasionally,  these  metal  rods,  or  the 
metal  to  be  protected,  are  connected  to  an  external 
source  of  low- voltage  direct-current  to  cancel  out 
ground  currents.  These  techniques  are  known  as 
"cathodic  protection." 

Bureau  tests  revealed  that  direct-current  fed 
into  the  earth  will  not  produce  higher  currents 
than  the  capacity  of  cathodic  protective  devices 
currently  in  general  use. 

More  D-C  Advantages 

Grounding  of  high-voltage  direct-current  lines 
would  not  adversely  affect  railroad  safety  or  signal 
systems,  and  it  is  now  known  that  normal  design 
provisions  for  filtering  will  prevent  telephone  and 
radio  interference.  Further  investigations  are 
being  conducted  to  determine  design  criteria  to 
protect  other  power  transmission  systems  from 
disturbance  by  the  grounding  of  high-voltage  di- 
rect-current. 


The  Bureau  designed  a  new,  self-supporting 
steel  tower  for  a  direct-current  line,  contracted  for 
construction  this  October.  The  agency  also 
invited  others  to  submit  designs  predicated  on  the 
use  of  two  single  conductors,  with  one  overhead 
ground  wire  for  lightning  protection,  and  an 
anticipated  spacing  of  1,100  feet  between  towers. 
The  tower  for  this  line  was  thoroughly  and  suc- 
cessfully tested  in  Italy  by  world-renowned  ex- 
perts under  the  watchful  eye  of  Bureau  designers 
and  engineers. 

Design  requirements  of  the  towers  were  revised 
when  engineers  found  that  greater  current-carry- 
ing capacity  can  be  provided  with  the  "bundle" 
conductor.  Spacing  the  towers  50  feet  further 
apart  was  also  recommended  to  reduce  the  number 
of  towers  and,  in  turn,  conserve  time  and  money. 
All  of  these  changes  called  for  a  stronger  tower  to 
support  the  added  load. 

In  all  but  the  southernmost  areas,  heavy  winter 
storms  form  ice  on  transmission  lines.  The  record 
shows  that  the  added  weight  of  ice  has  snapped 
insulators  and  damaged  the  tops  of  towers.  How- 
ever, through  temporarily  transmitting  a  con- 
trolled high  current  through  the  d-c  conductors, 
they  are  warmed;  this  helps  eliminate  the  prob- 
lems of  icing. 

The  final  tower  design  for  the  first  of  four  con- 
struction contracts  for  the  750,000-volt,  direct- 
current  line  probably  will  be  chosen  from  the  three 
presently  considered  structures.  These  are :  a  self- 
supporting  steel  tower,  a  guyed  aluminum  tower, 
or  a  guyed  steel  tower.  Selection  of  the  tower  for 
construction  will  be  determined  on  the  basis  of 
comparable  costs  and  construction  time. 

As  work  and  construction  progresses,  the  Bureau 
will  employ  its  unique  mobile  electric  test  labora- 
tory for  performance  testing.  The  completely! 
equipped  laboratory  will  prove  invaluable  in  test- 
ing the  performance  of  the  electrical  apparatus  at 
any  needed  point  of  the  Intertie.  #  #  # 


Emil  v.  Lindseth.  Mr.  Lindseth,  Assistant 
Chief  Engineer  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation, 
is  well  known  in  the  electrical  engineering 
community  for  his  contributions  to  advances  in 
the  technology  of  extra  high  voltage  direct-cur- 
rent transmission  of  electric  power.  He  has 
been  in  the  Bureau  since  1934  and  has  worked  in 
structural  design  as  well  as  in  different  phases  of 
the  engineering  aspects  of  power  marketing. 


'i 


70 


The  Reclamation  Era  v 


What's  Watt  Notes 


A  Bureau  Triangular  Tower 

A  flattened  triangular  (three-legged)  tower  has 
been  adopted  by  Reclamation  for  the  94-mile  sec- 
tion from  the  California-Oregon  border  to  Round 
Mountain  Substation.  This  span  of  the  Pacific 
coast  tie  is  500-kv.  The  uncommon  triangular 
design  will  result  in  a  saving  of  steel  without 
sacrificing  strength. 


About  Conductor  Cable 

Conductor  cable  for  a  345-kilovolt  a-c  power  sys- 
tem has  seven  strands  of  steel  wire  reinforcement 
in  the  center  and  a  conductor  covering  of  45  strands 
of  aluminum  wire,  as  shown  in  the  drawing  above. 
The  Hoover  Dam-Phoenix  line  will  be  equipped 
with  this  type  of  cable. 

The  number  of  strands  of  both  aluminum  and 
steel  vary  with  the  amount  of  current  to  be  carried. 
The  above  cable  has  a  diameter  of  1.2  inches,  while 
a  direct-current  conductor  is  2.3  inches  across. 

To  Make  Use  of  D-C 

D-c  power  differs  from  common  house  current, 

but  it  is  the  same  type  as  that  from  the  automobile 

battery  commonly  having  only   about  12  volts. 

Making  use  of  d-c  in  very  high  voltages  (such  as 

y   the  750,000  volts  of  the  Intertie)    involves  two 

[H 

August  1965 


differences  from  the  use  of  the  small  battery.  The 
d-c  must  be  transmitted  to  other  points,  and  must 
be  converted  to  alternating  current.  Both  func- 
tions require  precision  use  of  several  pieces  of  com- 
plex but  essential  equipment  such  as  converters, 
rectifiers  and  transformers. 


A.C. 


Comparing  A-C  and  D-C  Towers 


A-C 

600  kilovoUs 

85.6  feet.... 

64  feet 

14.4  tons 


D-C 

760  (±575) 
kUovolts 

HEIGHT 84.6  feet. 

LENGTH  OF  CROSSARM..     38  feet. 
WEIGHT 9.7  tons. 


The  Part  Dams  Will  Play 

Hydroelectric  power  from  many  powerplants 
located  at  dams  in  the  West  will  be  used  during 
periods  of  peak  use  of  electricity  in  the  Pacific 
Northwest- Pacific  Southwest  Intertie  area.  Power 
from  the  Southwest  will  come  partially  from  Rec- 
lamation's multipurpose  dams,  but  mostly  from 
the  large  thermal  generating  plants  in  California. 
Practically  all  of  the  transported  Northwest  power 
will  be  from  hydroelectric  plants,  including  the 
two  at  Reclamation's  Grand  Coulee  Dam. 

The  principal  hydroelectric  suppliers  at  other 
locations  will  be  Reclamation's  Hoover  Dam, 
Shasta  Dam,  Trinity  Dam,  Hungry  Horse  Dam, 
Flaming  Gorge  Dam,  Glen  Canyon  Dam,  Cure- 
canti  Dam,  Davis  Dam,  and  Parker  Dam.  Other 
main  hydro  suppliers  will  be  John  Day  Dam, 
The  Dalles  Dam,  and  the  Reclamation-operated 
Folsom  Dam. 


Continued  on  page  90 


71 


/ 


Direct  current  has  not  been  commonly  used  to 
transport  quantity  or  bulk  electric  current  in  the 
United  States.  This  article  presents  the  reasons 
for  its  use  in  the  Pacific  Intertie.  Mr.  Bennett 
also  covers  some  aspects  of  alternating-current 
transmission,  and  briefly  describes  the  Intertie. 


A  NEW  ERA 
OF  POWER 
TRANSMISSION 


by  N.  B.  BENNETT,  JR. 


HPhe  Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  Inter- 
^  tie,  linking  two  progressive,  growing  sections 
of  the  Nation,  represents  a  most  important  achieve- 
ment in  the  history  of  electrical  development  in  the 
United  States.  It  will  place  this  country  in  a  posi- 
tion of  world  leadership  in  the  furtherance  of 
transmission  technology. 

From  the  viewpoint  of  an  engineer,  it  is  an 
important  milestone  in  the  field  of  electrical 
development. 

The  aspect  of  the  Intertie  which  lends  it  such 
significance  in  the  eyes  of  engineers  is  its  use  of 
high-voltage  direct  current. 

Direct  current  permits  breaking  the  distance 
barrier  in  transmission,  and  like  the  modern  turn- 
pike for  transportation,  it  makes  possible  the 
movement  of  large  quantities  of  power  for  great 
distances  at  low  cost.    It  opens  the  door  to  feasible 

An  artist's  conception  of  a  direct  current  tower  designed  by  Rec- 
lamation is  to  support  two  pair  of  "bundle"  conductors  and  two 
single  overhead  ground  wires  on  the  575-mile  line  of  the  Intertie. 
Structural  steel  and  cable  requirements  are  less  for  direct  current 
than  for  a-c. 


uVi'^' 


The  Reclamation  Era 


power  generation  at  remote  and  isolated  localities, 
tliroiigh  efficient  and  economical  bulk  movement  to 
wherever  it  is  needed. 

Direct  current  was  used  in  the  earliest  trans- 
mission facilities  carrying  power  from  generating 
source  to  users,  but  was  soon  abandoned  in  favor 
of  alternating  current.  The  former  received  fresh 
impetus  through  use  of  high- voltage  transmission 
in  France  near  the  turn  of  this  century.  Since 
World  War  II  it  has  been  used  in  Europe. 

Here  in  the  United  States,  however,  only  low- 
voltage,  direct-current  transmission  has  been  used, 
and  that  in  scattered  operations.  High-voltage 
d-c  development  has  lagged,  although,  in  general, 
American  power  systems  are  the  most  advanced 
in  the  world.  Now,  with  the  Intertie,  rapid  prog- 
ress will  doubtless  be  made  in  this  field,  triggering 
inew  and  greater  accomplishments  in  delivery  of 
great  quantities  of  electricity. 

Direct-Current  Economics 

Direct  current  has  some  appreciable  advantages 
over  alternating  current.    It  is  more  economical  in 
both  dollar  costs  and  in  the  amount  of  power  ac- 
tually delivered  to  the  user.    For  example,  the  de- 
pendable power-carrying  ability  of  an  a-c  line  is 
related  to  the  volume  of  power  carried,  the  size  of 
the  wire,  and  the  length  of  the  line.    On  lines  as 
long  as  300  miles,  special  and  expensive  equipment 
must  be  installed  at  intervals  to  maintain  a  depend- 
able capacity,  increasing  the  price  tag  of  the  sys- 
[tem  considerably.     In  the  case  of  direct  current, 
I  the  length  of  the  line  has  much  less  bearing  on  the 
dependable  carrying  capacity  of  the  system,  so  it 
[is  possible  to  build  and  operate  very  long  lines 
1  without  any  intermediate  compensating  stations  or 
[equipment. 

Considering   these  characteristics  of   the   two 
[types  of  transmission,  a  general  rule  of  thumb  is 
bhat  with  900,000  kilowatts,  d-c  becomes  more  eco- 
nomical for  distances  greater  than  500  miles. 

Direct-current  transmission  requires  costly  ter- 
minal equipment  to  convert  the  alternating-current 
input  into  direct  current  for  transmission  and  then 
back  to  a-c  for  integration  into  the  receiving  sys- 
tem. Hence,  where  the  terminals  are  close  to- 
gether, its  use  for  transmission  is  not  economical. 
However,  the  long  direct-current  line  is  practical 
and  economical.  As  its  utilization  increases,  we 
may  expected  advances  in  manufacturing  tech- 
niques, less  expensive  converter  facilities,  and  over- 
all decreases  in  future  costs. 


One  interesting  and  very  useful  characteristic 
of  d-c  conversion  and  transmission  has  to  do  with 
a  phenomenon  known  as  system  stability.  Two 
large  independent  power  systems,  each  internally 
stable,  operating  entirely  on  alternating  current, 
cannot  always  be  interconnected  by  the  simple 
expedient  of  building  a-c  transmission  lines  be- 
tween them.  If  this  is  done,  the  systems  may  up- 
set each  other  and  fail  to  operate  in  a  synchronous 
fashion.  As  long  as  a  power  system  is  in  electrical 
and  mechanical  balance  within  itself,  it  will  con- 
tinue to  generate,  transmit,  transform  and  distrib- 
ute power.  It  is  said  to  have  stability,  and  the 
protective  devices  such  as  breakers  and  switches 
are  not  in  need  of  operating. 

There  are  no  stability  problems  when  the  sys- 
tems are  interconnected  by  converters  and  d-c 
transmission.  The  situation  may  be  compared 
to  two  motors  having  different  characteristics.  If 
these  two  motors  are  connected  by  a  stiff  shaft  and 
attempted  to  be  operated  together,  the  shaft  will 
likely  rupture.  If,  however,  they  are  connected  by 
fluid  drive,  they  can  be  operated  simultaneously 
without  harm  to  the  connection  of  either  motor. 
With  its  similar  flexibility,  d-c  should  prove  ex- 
ceptionally helpful  in  interconnected  operation. 
The  two  d-c  lines  of  Pacific  Intertie  would  require 
only  two  pair  of  converters,  over  800  miles  apart, 
to  deliver  power  efficiently  from  generator  to  con- 

A  workman  is  assembling  windings  of  a  100  MVA  (1,000  volt 
amperes),  hydrogen-cooled  synchronous  compensator.  Compensa- 
tors for  the  PNW-<PSW  Intertie  will  resemble  this  one.  The  one 
shown  is  manufactured  by  English  Electric  Co.  for  the  200-kv  d-c 
scheme  between  Sardinia  and  the  Italian  mainland. 


August  1965 

774-147  0—65 3 


73 


PUBLIC 


^cooperating  in 
Design \\      \v      •  Marketing  (sales) 


Construction 


Maintenance 


PRIVATE 


FEDERAL 


It  is  a  significant  accomplishment  that  Federal,  public,  and  private 
groups  cooperate  in  all  phases  of  the  Intertie  including  design, 
construction,  marketing,  and  maintenance. 

sumer,  and  each  receiving  system  could  continue 
to  operate  at  its  own  pace,  or  without  synchroniza- 
tion. 

Conductor,  Towers,  Land 

Among  the  other  major  economies  resulting 
from  use  of  direct  current  are  lower  costs  for  con- 
ductor, towers,  and  land  acquisition  for  right-of- 
way.  Direct  current  is  conveyed  by  means  of  two 
conductors,  as  compared  with  three  for  a-c,  thereby 
saving  approximately  one-third  of  these  costs  to 
carry  the  same  amount  of  power.  Less  insulation 
is  needed  for  d-c  lines  than  for  a-c.  These  factors 
result  in  two  other  economies :  smaller  towers  and 
less  land  for  right-of-way. 

The  efficiency  of  d-c  for  transmitting  electric 
energy  long  distances  is  evident  in  statistics  on 
losses.  When  the  measurements  are  equal  in  the 
amount  of  power,  the  distance,  size  of  conductor, 
and  peak  voltage,  a-c  line  losses  are  about  33  per- 
cent greater  than  d-c  line  losses. 

Also,  a  d-c  line  with  two  conductors,  and  its 
ground  connection  (electrode),  will  lose  about  one^ 
half  its  transmission  capacity,  should  one  conduc- 
tor become  inoperative.    On  an  a-c  circuit,  how- 


ever, if  one  conductor  breaks  down,  all  transmis- 
sion ceases.  The  fact  that  the  earth  can  be  used  as 
a  return  conductor  for  the  d-c  line,  whether  per- 
manently or  temporarily,  can  be  a  great  advantage. 

There  is,  of  course,  some  risk  of  damage  to 
buried  facilities  in  the  area  near  the  electrodes. 
Such  risk  can  be  minimized  by  normal  corrosion 
prevention  techniques,  and  by  placing  the  elec- 
trodes in  an  isolated  area.  No  comparable  use  can 
be  made  of  the  earth  with  a-c  systems  because  of  its 
undesirable  influence  on  adjacent  facilities,  such  as 
communication  circuits.  This  is  further  explained 
in  Mr.  Lindseth's  article  on  page  68. 

The  Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  Inter- 
tie will  interconnect  directly  or  indirectly  the 
major  Federal,  public,  and  private  electric  systems 
in  the  11  western  States  of  Arizona,  California, 
Colorado,  Idaho,  Montana,  Nevada,  New  Mexico, 
Oregon,  Utah,  Washington,  and  Wyoming. 

The  Intertie  system  will  consist  of  four  long 
extra-high-voltage  lines  and  four  lesser  supporting 
lines,  plus  related  terminal  facilities.  The  two 
750-kilovolt,  (d=375)  kilovolt — (See  expJmiation 
on  page  90)  direct-current  lines  will  be  the  Nation's 
first  and  the  world's  longest  high- voltage  d-c  lines. 
The  Intertie  also  will  include  two  long-distance, 
500-kilovolt,  alternating-current  lines;  a  shorter 
750-kilovolt,  d-c  tieline;  two  345-kilovolt,  a-c  lines; 
and  a  shorter  230-kilovolt,  a-c  line. 

From  The  Dalles 

One  of  the  750-kilovolt,  direct-current  lines  of 
1,300,000-kilowatt  capacity  will  be  built  from  The 
Dalles  Dam,  Oregon,  via  Nevada,  to  Sylmar  Sub- 
station near  Los  Angeles,  a  distance  of  830  miles. 
The  Oregon  portion  will  be  constructed  by  the 
Bonneville  Power  Administration  and  the  Nevada- 
California  section,  by  the  city  of  Los  Angeles. 

Another  750-kilovolt,  d-c  line  will  stretch  from 
The  Dalles  Dam,  about  830  miles  south,  to  Mead 
Substation  near  Hoover  Dam,  and  will  be  con- 
nected to  the  Sylmar  Substation  by  another  750- 
kilovolt,  d-c  line  and  to  Liberty  Substation  near; 
Phoenix,  Arizona,  by  two  345-kilovolt,  a-c  lines. 

Bonneville  will  build  the  northern  section  south ' 
to  the  Oregon  border  and  the  Bureau  of  Recla- 
mation, the  section  from  the  border  to  Mead.  The 
builder  of  a  tieline  between  Hoover  and  the  Syl- 
mar Substation,  or  an  equivalent  California  point, 
had  not  yet  been  finally  determined  when  the  Era 
went  to  press. 


74 


The  Reclamation  Era 


One  of  the  500-kilovolt,  a-c  lines,  with  a  1  mil- 
lion-kilowatt capacity,  will  be  constructed  by 
BPA  from  the  John  Day  Dam  to  the  California- 
Oregon  border,  and  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion, from  the  border  to  the  Eound  Mountain  Sub- 
station in  California.  From  there,  the  California 
Power  Pool  will  construct  the  line  to  the  city  of 
Los  Angeles.  In  addition,  the  Bureau  of  Recla- 
mation will  string  a  short,  connecting  230-kilovolt, 
a-c  line,  from  Round  Mountain  to  Cottonwood,  33 
miles  south. 

The  second  500-kilovolt,  a-c  line,  also  with  a 
capacity  of  1  million  kilowatts,  will  be  constructed 
from  John  Day  Dam  to  Round  Butte,  Oregon,  by 
the  BPA.  From  that  point  to  the  California- 
Oregon  border,  the  facility  will  be  built  by  the 
Portland  General  Electric  Company.  The  Pa- 
cific Power  and  Light  Company  will  take  it  from 
the  border  to  about  50  miles  south,  where  it  will 
connect  with  the  California  Power  Pool — con- 
structed line  to  Los  Angeles  via  Round  Mountain. 

One  Hoover- Phoenix  345 -kilo volt  line  will  be 
built  by  the  Reclamation  Bureau,  another  by  the 
Arizona  Public  Service  Company.  Near  Hoover 
Dam,  suitable  interconnection  and  terminal  facili- 
ties for  existing  transmission  lines  as  well  as  for 
the  new  345-kilovolt,  a-c  and  750-kilovolt,  d-c  lines 
will  be  constructed.  Mead  Substation,  located 
near  the  dam,  will  be  the  principal  terminal 
installation. 

Purpose 

Purpose  of  the  gigantic  Intertie  is  to  permit  sur- 
plus Northwest  secondary  power  to  be  sold  in  the 
Southwest  and  to  make  possible  exchanges  of 
Northwest  summertime  surplus  peaking  capacity 
for  Southwest  energy,  with  resultant  substantial 
savings  in  powerplant  investment  in  both  regions. 
In  addition,  it  will  allow  surplus  Canadian  Treaty 
Power  to  be  sold  in  the  Southwest. 

Surplus  Northwest  secondary  hydropower  will 
be  used  to  displace  steam-generated  power  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  thermal  power  from  the  Southwest 
will  be  made  available  to  "firm  up"  a  portion  of 
the  Northwest's  surplus  energy.  One  result  of  the 
Intertie  will  be  larger  steam  plants,  since  surplus 
from  such  an  installation  could  be  transmitted  to 
the  other  region  until  the  plant's  full  generation  is 
required  for  loads  in  the  plant's  own  area.  Thus, 
the  simultaneous  building  of  high-cost,  low-capac- 
ity steam  plants  in  both  areas  can  be  avoided. 

Studies  show  ample  surplus  power  supplies  in 

August  1965 


the  Northwest  and  sufficient  markets  in  the  South- 
west to  fully  load  The  Dalles-Hoover  d-c  line  by 
1978.  It  is  scheduled  to  be  completed  in  1971, 
when  200,000  kilowatts  will  go  on  the  line.  The 
load  is  expected  to  increase  to  600,000  kilowatts  in 
1972,  to  900,000  in  1973,  and  to  build  up  gradually 
to  full  capacity  of  1,300,000  kilowatts  by  1978. 

As  we  develop  this  great  electrical  facility  to 
utilize  our  power  resources  more  fully,  we  can 
look  into  the  future  and  see  the  Northwest- South- 
west Intertie  as  the  first  section  of  a  possible  giant 
electric  grid  of  private  and  public  transmission 
turnpikes  covering  the  entire  Nation  and  bringing 
multiple  blessings  to  every  segment  of  the  Great 
Society  of  tomorrow.  #  #  # 


Newcomb  B.  Bennett.  Mr.  Bennett,  Assistant 
Commissioner  of  Reclamation  for  engineering 
and  power,  is  by  profession  a  civil  engineer. 
After  a  short  tour  with  the  Bureau  in  the  30's 
he  engaged  in  private  practice  and  served  as 
Assistant  State  Engineer  for  Wyoming  before 
returning  to  the  Bureau  in  1942.  Having  be- 
come a  specialist  in  hydropower  and  the  Bu- 
reau's activities  in  this  area,  in  addition  to 
general  engineering,  he  was  six  years  ago  named 
to  his  present  position  as  the  chief  administra- 
tive assistant  to  the  Commissioner  on  power 
operations. 


-^  PACIFIC  NORTHWEST- PACIFIC  SOUTHWEST 
INTERTIE  TRANSMISSION  LINES 


Every  power  transmission  line  is  custom  made 
and  requires  something  new  and  different.  The 
engineer  and  a  team  of  other  specialists  have  to 
solve  many  problems  as  they  come  to  them. 
This  article  tells  about  a  few  of  the  Intertie's 
entirely  new  characteristics  and  problems  that 
will  be  encountered  and  solved. 


It  can  be  DONE 


by  BERNARD   P.  BELLPORT 


WHEN  Congress  gave  the  green  light  for  the 
Pacific  Northwest- Pacific  Southwest  Inter- 
tie,  Reclamation  launched  extensive  design  and 
construction  programs.  Seven  other  cooperating 
power  agencies — public,  Federal  and  private — put 
their  Intertie  programs  in  motion,  too. 

The  job  for  the  engineer  is  huge  and  challeng- 
ing. The  PNW-PSW  Intertie  will  be  the  longest 
power  system  in  the  wor]  d ;  it  will  be  big  or  biggest 
in  various  other  ways.  And  it  is  on  its  way.  For 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  plans  call  for  con- 
struction of  three  sections  of  extra-high-voltage- 
transmission  lines,  one  section  being  our  Nation's 
first  such  direct-current  line. 

Other  real  challenges  are  meeting  dates  for  in- 
terconnecting with  the  lines  of  partner  agencies, 
as  well  as  the  actual  completion  and  operation  of 
the  various  units,  not  to  mention  new  designing 
for  the  direct-current  terminals. 

For  over  5  decades,  the  Bureau  has  been  engi- 
neering and  building  alternating-current  trans- 
mission facilities,  including  12,000  miles  of  lines 
ranging  up  to  345,000  volts.  With  Reclamation's 
experience,  it  is  prepared  to  engineer  and  con- 
struct, effectively  and  economically,  a  575-mile- 
long,  750,000-volt,  direct-current  line;  a  95-mile, 
500,000- volt,  altematmg-current  line;  and  a  240- 
mile,  345,000-volt,  alternating-current  line. 

These  new  lines  required  the  design  and  con- 
struction of  special  towers.    And  complex  testing 


substations  were  designed  to  meter  electric  cur- 
rent, to  convert  current  (a-c  to  d-c  and  d-c  to  a-c), 
and  to  switch  the  power  to  other  transmission  lines 
for  delivery  to  the  consumer. 

To  locate  the  lines,  routes  were  surveyed  and 
aerial  photographs  made  of  the  topography. 
Careful  field  and  geologic  investigations  are  in 
progress  for  the  land  rights-of-way  and  for  locat- 
ing individual  tower  sites. 

A  total  of  approximately  4,410  towers  will  be 
required  to  complete  the  Bureau's  four  transmis- 
sion lines,  covering  nearly  950  miles. 

First  major  work  by  the  Bureau  has  already  be- 
gun on  the  ^5-mile  line  from  the  Oregon-Califor- 
nia border  to  the  Round  Mountain  Substation  in 
California.  This  line,  scheduled  for  completion 
in  December  1966,  features  entirely  new  tower  de- 
signs. Like  most  such  large  transmission  towers, 
they  will  be  made  of  steel  and  will  vary  in  height, 
some  reaching  as  high  as  a  16-story  building,  162.5 
feet.  A  total  of  4,750  tons  of  steel  will  go  into  the 
construction  of  these  towers,  enough  metal  to  build 
3,200  medium-sized  American  automobiles. 

The  conductors  will  consist  of  a  bundle  of  1.6- 
inch  diameter  cables  spaced  18  inches  apart.  These 
bundle  conductors  will  be  strung  below  27  porce- 
lain insulators  allowing  a  minimum  clearance  of 
35  feet  over  uncultivated  land,  and  40  feet  over 
cultivated  land,  roadways,  etc. 


78 


The  Reclamation  Era 


From  the   Sylmgr  terminal   facility  shown   here  under  construction,  power  will  be  conveyed  to  users  in  the  Metropolitan  area  of  Los 
Angeles  and  throughout  the  Southwest.     (Los  Angeles  Water  &  Power  photo). 


Rugged  Topography 

Aerial  photographs  of  rights-of-way  reveal 
dense  forests  which  will  require  extensive  clearing 
and  road-making  for  nearly  the  entire  length.  The 
construction  also  will  involve  proper  clearance  of 
existing  roads,  railroads,  rivers  and  towns. 

The  route  of  this  Bureau  line  is  alongside  that 
of  another  intertie  line.  Both  are  constructed  un- 
der a  cooperative  agreement  with  the  Pacific  Gas 
and  Electric  Company.  The  centers  of  the  two 
lines  will  be  150  feet  apart  on  a  350-foot-wide  strip. 

The  surveying  and  exact  plotting  of  the  loca- 
tion for  each  individual  tower  are  followed  by  an 
analysis  of  the  earth  materials  to  verify  a  strong 
foundational  support  for  the  steel  structures. 

Elevations  of  the  right-of-way  vary  from  2,200 
to  5,000  feet,  with  an  average  of  about  4,300  feet. 

Designing  has  taken  into  account  all  weight  and 
stress  problems:  icing  on  the  lines,  wind  loads, 
geologic  conditions  in  the  foundation  areas,  rock- 
slide  areas,  seasonal  flashflooding,  passage  over 
other  smaller  transmission  lines,  clearance  over 


planned  future  roads,  and  numerous  other  con- 
tingencies. 

In  about  September,  the  Bureau  will  issue  con- 
tract specifications  on  a  230,000-volt  transmission 
line  from  Round  Mountain  to  the  Cottonwood  Sub- 
station, 33  miles  away.  This  line  will  tie  together 
the  extensive  facilities  of  the  Central  Valley  Proj- 
ect and  the  Columbia  River  Power  System.  It  will 
cross  about  16  miles  of  heavily  wooded,  mountain- 
ous terrain  at  an  elevation  of  2,200  feet  at  Round 
Mountain,  descending  to  approximately  420  feet  at 
Cottonwood. 

This  relatively  short  section  will  cross  three 
highways,  the  Sacramento  River,  one  railroad,  a 
230,000-volt  transmission  line,  and  several  small 
creeks  and  streams  subject  to  intermittent  high 
waterflows.  Approximately  160  towers  will  be  in- 
cluded in  this  tap  line,  to  carry  the  three  single 
conductors. 

By  far  the  largest  phase  of  the  Bureau's  con- 
struction program  involves  the  Oregon  Border- 
Mead  Substation  750,000- volt,  direct-current  trans- 


AuGUST  1965 


79 


Using  the  gin  pole  tower  technique,  the  Pacific  Gas  &  Electric  Co. 
force's  schedule  calls  for  erecting  an  average  of  seven  towers  a 
day  during   1965  and  1966.     (P.G.  &  E.  photo). 

mission  conveyance.  This  entire  575-mile-long  line 
is  to  be  completed  in  January  1971. 

Final  specifications  on  the  design  of  the  towers 
are  still  being  drawn  up.  However,  the  prelimi- 
nary location  of  the  line  has  been  made,  calling  for 
the  construction  of  approximately  2,650  towers 
extending  across  nearly  the  entire  north-south 
length  of  the  State  of  Nevada.  Contracts  have 
been  awarded  for  the  first  one  million  feet  of  con- 
ductor for  this  line. 

Even  the  detailed  aerial  and  ground  surveying 
for  this  unusual  development  are  being  conducted 
under  four  separate  contracts.  The  areas  crossed 
include  open  desert,  lava  beds,  desolate  rock  ranges, 
and  forested  mountains. 

Examinations  have  resulted  in  some  minor  re- 
location to  satisfy  tower  safety.  One  of  the  most 
serious  of  these  problems  would  be  placing  installa- 
tions at  sites  near  banks  of  large  stream  channels 
which  might  be  undercut  or  eroded  by  flash- 
flooding.  Some  tower  reloctaions  also  were  in- 
fluenced by  nearby  steep  slopes  where  large  boul- 
ders may  dislodge  and  strike  the  structures.  Other 
potential  hazards  considered  are  areas  of  possible 
snowslides,  landslides,  swampy  conditions,  high 
water  tables,  and  possible  extreme  land  settling. 


Guyed  towers  of  P.G.  &  E.'s  500-kv  a-c  system  are  already  in 
place  near  Round  Mountain,  Calif.^-a  segment  of  the  Pacific 
Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  Intertie.     (P.G.  &  E.  photo). 

Larger  Hoover  Facility 

The  specialized  equipment  making  up  the  four 
direct-current  terminals  of  the  Intertie  constitutes 
the  system's  heart.  One  of  these  terminals  will  be 
located  at  Hoover's  Mead  Substation.  The  ex- 
ploratory drilling  into  the  earth,  necessary  prior 
to  construction,  was  completed  several  months  ago. 

Although  there  are  many  large  electric  power 
headquarters  in  this  country,  the  one  at  Hoover 
Dam  will  be  one  of  the  most  unusual  when  the 
Intertie  becomes  established  there.  Hoover 
Powerplant's  1,344,800  kilowatts  already  are  dis- 
tributed through  a  huge  substation.  But  by  1971 
a  direct  current  terminal  at  Mead  Substation  will 
include  alternating-current  facilities  such  as  trans- 
formers, lightning  arresters,  circuit  breakers,  and 
other  equipment. 

The  critical  direct-current  components  in  the 
Mead  Substation  terminal  are  the  converter  valves. 
These  valves  convert  the  alternating  current  at  the 
originating  end  of  the  transmission  line  to  direct 
current.  At  the  receiving  end  of  the  line,  these 
same  rectifiers  work  in  reverse  direction,  convert- 
ing the  direct  current  back  to  alternating  current 
for  use  by  the  consumer. 


80 


The  Reclamation  Era 


In  April  a  contract  was  awarded  to  General 
Electric,  and  a  Swedish  firm  (Allmanna  Svenska 
Electriska  Aktiebolaget,  ASEA)  to  build  two 
terminals,  the  first  high-voltage  direct-current 
terminals  ever  to  be  installed  in  the  United  States. 
The  first  terminal  at  The  Dalles,  Oregon,  scheduled 
for  operation  in  1969,  will  employ  133-kilovolt 
valves.  Six  of  these  valves  in  series  will  be  re- 
quired to  accomplish  the  total  line  voltage  of  750 
to  800  kilovolts. 

For  the  Mead  terminal  at  Hoover  Dam,  Nevada, 
scheduled  for  operation  in  1971,  the  contractor 
offered  200-kilovolt  valves,  the  largest  and  most 
powerful  ever  built. 

Because  each  of  the  terminals  must  perform 
compatibly  with  each  other,  they  are  extremely 
technical  in  nature.  A  committee  of  special  Inter- 
tie  representatives  is  negotiating  with  contractors 
to  obtain  the  exacting  equipment. 

The  Mead  Substation  will  serve  as  a  terminus 
for  the  new  345,000-volt  alternating-current  line 


450 
Towers  =  ^Steel 

4750Tons 


'^^^ 


Bernard  P.  Bellport.  Mr.  Bellport  is  Chief 
Engineer  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  and  as 
such  heads  one  of  the  world's  leading  engineer- 
ing centers,  the  Bureau's  Denver  facility.  He 
has  been  with  the  Bureau  for  nearly  30  years 
and  has  been  closely  associated  with  construc- 
tion of  its  powerplants  and  power  distribution 
systems,  as  well  as  with  research  in  the  electric 
energy  field,  which  is  carried  on  at  the  Bureau 
Research  Center  in  Denver. 


3200  Autos 


This  drawing  shows  the  amount  of  steel^-4,750  tons — needed  in 
the  towers  which  carry  500-l<v  a-c  cables  for  95  miles,  the  dis- 
tance from  the  Oregon-California  border  to  Round  Mountain  Sub- 
station in  California. 

being  built  by  the  Bureau  to  serve  the  Phoenix, 
Arizona  area.  This  phase  of  the  Intertie  is  sched- 
uled for  completion  in  1967. 

Bureau  construction  on  the  Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest  Intertie  is  well  on  its  way,  and 
a  challenge  in  the  history  of  electric  power  trans- 
mission is  being  met.  #  #  # 


The  straight  deforested  strip  in  this  aerial  photograph  shows  the  right  of  way  in  Northern  California  for  the  500-kv  line. 


This  article  describes  how  the  PNW-PSW  Intertie 

will  benefit  some  of  the  key  elements  of  the  U.S. 

community,  and  will  bring  more  values  by  its 

construction. 

We  think  you'll  agree  that  .  .  . 


ITS  BENEFITS 
ARE  BIG! 

by  WILLIAM   H.  KEATING 


When  the  sun  glances  off  the  snow  and  ice  of 
Western  mountain  peaks,  it  is  a  flashing  gleam 
with  prophetic  meaning  to  the  observer  miles  away. 
Sparkling  rivulets  run  away  from  the  melting  snow 
and  ice,  and  join  each  other  at  lower  elevations 
where  people  build  communities. 

Before  man  lets  the  precious  water  pass  in  rivers 
to  the  ocean,  he  does  his  best  to  make  multiple  use 
of  it.  He  enjoys  its  fresh  beauty,  gets  nourish- 
ment from  it,  and  uses  it  to  generate  electricity, 
to  light  his  buildings,  and  turn  the  wheels  of  his 
industries. 


It  was  not  by  candlelight,  nor  by  power  from 
the  lowly  storage  battery  that  man  has  supplied  the 
needs  of  crowded  cities,  of  the  farmer,  or  of  the 
high  production  of  modern  industry.  Most  mod- 
ern power  generation  is  from  plants  which  utilize 
jets  of  steam,  or  plants  which  harness  tons  of  fall- 
ing water.  The  billions  of  kilowatts  of  energy 
these  plants  produce,  and  the  highly  developed 
metal  cable  that  transports  the  energy,  are  mainly 
responsible  for  our  progressive  standard  of  living. 

The  world's  most  advanced  carrier  of  such  bulk 
electric  current,  soon  to  be  a  reality,  is  the  Pacific 
Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  Intertie,  which  is  de- 
scribed in  other  articles  in  this  issue  of  the 
Reclamation  Era. 

The  benefits  to  be  derived  from  this  massive  in- 
terstate grid  will  exceed  the  cost  of  the  facilities  by 
a  ratio  of  2.5  to  1.  But  some  benefits  are  so  far- 
reaching  as  to  be  almost  incalculable. 

The  Federal  investment  will  be  $294  million  out 
of  a  total  of  $697  million  invested.  Over  a  50- 
year  amortization  period,  the  development  will 
produce  benefits  of  at  least  $2.6  billion,  of  which 
two-thirds  will  accrue  to  electric  utility  preference 
customers  in  11  Western  States. 

Geographically,  direct  dollar  benefits  will  be  di- 
vided as  follows :  the  Pacific  Northwest,  $1  billion ; 
California,  $869  million ;  and  Arizona  and  Nevada, 
$724  million. 

Although  the  above  returns,  in  such  great 
amounts,  are  bound  to  bolster  the  economy,  the 
project  will  also  create  thousands  of  jobs  through- 
out the  country.  An  estimated  10,000  man-years 
of  direct  employment  at  or  near  the  job  sites  will  be 
required  for  erecting  towers  and  conductors  and 
for  related  construction.  This  is  the  equivalent  of 
a  city  of  10,000  workers  all  working  an  entire  year 
on  the  Intertie.  Another  30,000  man-years  will  be 
required  in  the  Nation's  factories  to  produce  the 
materials  for  the  lines  and  terminal  equipment. 

The  four  major  lines  will  require  about  118,000 
tons  of  cable  of  the  aluminum  conductor,  steel  re- 
inforced type.  Preliminary  estimates  for  the  tow- 
ers indicate  a  requirement  for  230,000  tons  of  steel, 
if  only  steel  towers  are  used,  or  47,000  tons  of 
aluminum  plus  110,000  tons  of  steel,  if  both  kinds 
of  towers  are  used.  Obtaining  these  materials 
will  involve  some  $350  million  in  contracts  with 
large  manufacturers  in  different  parts  of  the  Na- 
tion, Another  $240  million  will  be  spent  for  con- 
verter equipment,  transformers,  series  capacitors, 
circuit  breakers,  and  communications  equipment. 


I 


82 


The  Reclamation  Era 


The  Pacific  coast  area  has  been  supplying  about  59  percent  of  all 
the  softwood  lumber  produced  in  the  United  States  and  virtually 
all  of  the  softwood  plywood. 

The  first  direct  current  terminals  ever  to  be  in- 
stalled in  the  U.S.  will  cost  about  $52  million  and 
will  be  furnished  by  a  contract  awarded  last  April 
J  to  an  American  firm,  General  Electric  Company, 
working  cooperatively  with  a  well-known  Swedish 
Company. 

From  Small  Manufacturers 

The  Intertie  also  will  require,  from  small  manu- 
facturers, vast  amounts  of  porcelain  for  insula- 
tors, con(5rete  for  foundations,  and  copper  for 
switches.  They  also  will  supply  many  wiring,  de- 
vices, relays,  instruments,  switchgear,  transformers 
and  other  items. 

Of  the  proposals  submitted  to  construct  all  or 
portions  of  the  Intertie,  those  of  seven  non-Federal 
agencies  were  selected  and  will  share  in  construc- 
tion, financing,  and  operation  of  the  lines. 

Starting  in  1967,  Intertie  power  generated  by 
Federal  powerplants  will  be  needed  at  pumping 
plants  for  irrigation,  municipal  and  industrial 
water  supply  in  California.  Without  the  Intertie, 
preference  customers  now  using  this  power  would 
face  a  dwindling  supply  of  electricity  which  could 
only  be  replaced  at  much  higher  costs. 

The  principal  way  the  irrigation  farmer  will 
be  aided  by  the  coming  of  the  Intertie  is  the 
greater  abundance  of  electric  power,  permitting 
more  efficient  utilization  of  his  irrigation  systems 
that  are,  or  may  be,  operated  by  electric  pumping. 
It  also  appears  likely  that  the  present  cost  to  irri- 
gators who  may  be  using  power  sources  other  than 
electricity  could  be  lowered  by  converting  to  elec- 
tricity, when  the  abundant,  low  cost  supply  is 
available. 

With  the  greater  availability  and  growing  use 
of  electricity  by  the  farmer  in  the  West,  the  De- 


partment of  Agriculture  reports  that  irrigation 
pumps  use  more  electric  energy  than  any  other 
farm  motor.  In  1950  there  were  156  thousand 
irrigation  pumps  in  19  Western  States  and  Flor- 
ida. Electric  motors  provided  power  for  67.3  per- 
cent of  them.  Since  that  time,  28  thousand  pump 
installations,  of  which  5  thousand  were  electric, 
were  made  in  the  Texas  panhandle. 

In  the  Pacific  Northwest,  water  which  other- 
wise could  be  put  through  turbines  to  create  low- 
cost  power  is  spilled  into  the  Pacific  Ocean  in  the 
summer  for  lack  of  markets.  However,  in  the 
winter,  power  demands  often  soar  to  one  million 
kilowatts  in  eight  hours. 

Conversely,  in  the  Pacific  Southwest,  power  de- 
mand in  the  summer  frequently  increases  by  one 
million  kilowatts  in  a  few  hours — ^taxing  steam 
plants  which  principally  bum  natural  gas,  a  high- 
value,  nonrenewable  natural  resource.  Yet,  in  the 
winter  these  plants  are  not  operated  at  full  capac- 
ity and  lie  partially  idle. 

In  both  instances,  there  is  waste  of  natural  re- 
sources and  capital  investment. 

The  Intertie  will  provide  a  practical  pattern 
for  effective  and  efficient  utilization  of  our  coun- 
try's power  resources,  as  envisioned  in  the  Federal 
Power  Commission's  National  Power  Survey. 

In  the  Northwest,  the  Intertie  will  increase  Bon- 
neville Power  Administration's  net  revenues  by  as 
much  as  $20  million  annually  and  by  $11  to  $12 
million  on  the  average  over  50  years — thus  help- 
ing to  keep  BPA's  rates  lower  than  otherwise 
possible. 

Just  preceding  construction  of  the  northern 
reaches  of  the  Intertie,  700  to  900  miles  of  rights- 
of-way  will  be  cleared  by  lumber  contractors,  the 
job  will  be  of  a  magnitude  equal  to  the  most  am- 
bitious in  lumbering  history.  The  total  amount 
of  timber  to  be  removed  will  be  extremely  large 
in  Oregon  and  very  siza;ble  in  California.  Lum- 
bering is  already  underway  on  one  section  of  the 
line  in  California. 

Most  of  the  forested  routes  in  both  states  are  in 
rugged  mountain  terrain,  which  will  be  difficult  for 
lumbermen  to  traverse,  but  that's  part  of  his  work 
and  the  resulting  benefits  will  be  worthwhile. 

Roads  and  Trails 

There  never  again  can  be  an  Oregon  trail  like 
the  Oregon  Trail  of  pioneer  heritage,  but  there 
will  be  an  Intertie  venture  of  modern  trail  building 
through  steep,  defiant  terrain. 


August  1965 


83 


230,000  tons  of  steel,  if  only  steel  towers  are  used,  will  be  required  in  towers  for  the  four  major  lines,  or   110,000  tons  of  steel 

if  both  steel  and  aluminum  towers  are  used.     (U.S.  Steel  photo) 


Local    Electric    Public   Agencies    With    Direct 
Dollar  Benefits 


State 

Rural 
cooper- 
atives 

Other 

public 

agencies 

Arizona. 

9 

1 

17 

4 

1 

17 

11 

23 

California 

32 

Idaho _   _ 

8 

Montana _   .   .   _ 

Nevada 

3 

Oregon.  _   _   _    

14 

Washington 

31 

Total. 

60 

111 

Local  Electric  Public  Agencies  to  Receive 
Increased  Power  Supply 


State 

Rural 
cooper- 
atives 

Other 

public 

agencies 

Arizona ._ _.      

1 

Colorado. 

2 

2 
5 

1 

18 

New  Mexico 

5 

Utah 

37 

Wyoming 

6 

Total 

10 

67 

Some  rough  graded  trails  and  roads  on  which 
surveyors  and  line  builders  will  travel  will  be 
scraped  out  of  desert.  On  the  other  extreme,  some 
roads  will  cut  through  low  forest  valleys  and  high 
mountain  saddles  at  5,000  or  6,000  feet  elevations, 
providing  awesome  scenic  views.  Scores  of  the 
new  back-country  roads  will  end  at  the  tieline  site 
and  never  be  used  again,  but  many,  no  doubt,  will 
be  used  in  powerline  maintenance. 

Some  Intertie  vehicle  trails  will  be  valued  by  the 
forest  manager  in  his  efforts  to  protect  good  trees, 
salvage  dead  ones  and  grow  new  ones.  According 
to  the  U.S.  Forest  Service,  basic  access  road  sys- 
tems in  northern  California  have  been  only  half 
completed;  in  Oregon,  one-third  are  inadequate 
for  use. 

The  Interties  roads  in  at  least  those  two  states 
will  be  utilized  by  the  sportsman  for  hunting  and 
fishing — and  by  the  many  who  enjoy  a  picnic  in 
the  forest. 

For  years  the  Federal  hydroelectric  program 
and  the  anti-monopoly  clause  in  Federal  law  have 
buttressed  and  supported  the  small  local  com- 
munity that  wished  to  own  its  own  electric  system, 
or  the  farm  community  that  organized  a  rural  elec- 


84 


The  Reclamation  Era 


trie  cooperative  to  serve  its  widely  scattered  mem- 
ber-owners with  reasonably  priced  electric  power. 

In  regard  to  the  benefits  and  funds  for  repaying 
construction  costs  of  various  water  resource  devel- 
opments, it  has  been  the  marketing  of  hydroelec- 
tric power  that  has  made  recent  Keclamation  proj- 
ects possible. 

The  Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  Inter- 
tie,  as  approved  by  President  Johnson,  the  Con- 
gress and  Secretary  Udall,  will  result  in  more 
benefits  to  more  public  agencies  in  more  States  than 
any  other  single  intertie  proposal  submitted  to  the 
Department  of  the  Interior.  Most  important  of 
all,  it  will  provide  untold  benefits  for  the  public 
and  will  bolster  the  economy  of  the  most  progres- 
sive section  of  the  Nation — the  West.  #  #  # 


William  H.  Keating.  Mr.  Keating,  chief  of 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  power  division, 
has  been  identified  with  electric  power  oper- 
ations during  practically  his  entire  15  years  of 
service  in  the  Bureau.  An  electrical  engineer, 
he  was  assistant  regional  supervisor  of  power  in 
Region  2,  headquartered  in  Sacramento,  Califor- 
nia, before  assuming  his  present  post  in  Wash- 
ington, D.C. 


The   Intertie    rights-of-way  are   cleared   of   logs   like  this  32-foot 
Ponderosa  pine. 


This  machine  is  stranding  aluminum  wire  into  high-voltage  electrical 
cable.  The  four  major  Intertie  lines  will  require  about  1 1 8,000 
tons  of  cable  of  the  aluminum  conductor  steel  reinforced  type. 
(Reynolds  Metals  Co.  photo) 


August  1965 


85 


ENGLAND 


HKden 

^R^iin^g       I 

^^^^^^Klldal 

SaebyjB 

B^^^Bb 

^^^^^b 

& 

Aal^h^H 

^^ 

KATTEGAT      H 

DENlMi 

^jHiiiii^lfl 

There  were  early  experiments  during  the  19th  century  in  direct-current  electricity 
in  this  country  as  well  as  across  the  Atlantic.  However,  for  experience  in 
major  transmission  of  d-c,  we  have  turned  to  Europe  and  learned  from  the 
progress  made  there. 


D-C  Developments  in  Other  Countries 


by  T.  W.  MERMEL 


THE  debate  on  the  merits  of  direct-current  elec- 
tricity, as  opposed  to  alternating  current,  has 
been  going  on  since  the  1880's  when  Thomas  Edison 
pioneered  on  a  direct-current  system  of  distri- 
bution. 

Early  Results.  After  Edison,  came  a  definite 
shift  to  a-c  when  the  French  engineers,  Gaulard 
and  Gibbs,  invented  the  a-c  transformer.  This  per- 
mitted the  voltage  of  a-c  to  be  changed  to  any 
desired  value,  and  made  electric  transmission  volt- 
ages independent  of  generator  voltages.  Never- 
the-less,  the  d-c  advocates  continued  their  work, 
and  in  France,  Marcel  Deprez  pursued  the  study 
and  use  of  direct  current  and  actually  built  a  2- 
kilovolt  d-c  transmission  line  25  miles  long.  This 
line  used  iron  telegraph  wire.  By  1886  he  had  built 
a  6-kilovolt  direct-current  line  which  transmitted 
power  35  miles. 

Work  continued  in  Italy  and  Switzerland,  with 
Rene  Thury  building  d-c  systems,  some  as  long  as 
35  miles  at  voltages  as  high  as  27  kilovolts.    Gen- 


erators were  placed  in  series  on  insulated  bed  plates 
and,  when  lines  failed,  ground  return  was  used. 
By  1905  Thury  had  a  57-kilovolt  d-c  system  112 
miles  long  from  Moutiere  to  Lyon,  France.  In 
England,  J.  S.  Highfield  adapted  a  d-c  system  in 
the  London  area  and  placed  the  two  100,000-volt 
transmission  cables  underground  so  as  to  preserve 
the  attractiveness  of  the  landscape. 

At  the  same  time,  credit  for  transmission  tech- 
nology accrued  to  the  United  States  when  F.  C. 
Hewitt  successfully  converted  a-c  to  d-c  by  means 
of  the  mercury  rectifier  (converter).  Further  de- 
velopment of  this  type  of  rectifier  was  made  by  the 
General  Electric  Company  in  1905,  and  was  used 
by  that  company  in  a  street  lighting  development 
in  the  State  of  New  York  until  20  years  ago.  It 
also  is  significant  that  before  World  War  II,  Gen- 
eral Electric  Company  had  experimented  with  25- 
kilovolt  line  using  the  mercury  rectifier. 

Continuing  with  higher  voltages  of  direct  cur- 
rent in  Europe,  Switzerland  made  some  early  ex- 


* 


86 


The  Reclamation  Era 


lingtori 
istchurch 

I 
W  ZEALAND 


perimental  advances  in  the  field,  and  Germany 
built  a  100-kilovolt  experimental  line  in  the  1930's 
to  carry  15  megawatts  for  3  miles  between  Moabit 
and  Charlottenburg. 

Germany.  During  the  second  World  War,  de- 
spite the  proximity  of  battle,  German  researchers 
were  building  an  experimental  400-kilovolt  system 
to  transmit  60  megawatts  for  the  75  miles  from  the 
Marenfeld  terminal  in  the  city  of  Berlin  to  a 
terminal  at  the  Elbe  power  station.  The  system 
consisted  of  a  2-cable,  440-kilovolt  line  (±220 
kv). — {Term  is  explained  in  Note  on  page  90.) 
This  is  the  same  principle  that  will  be  applied  in 
construction  of  our  Pacific  Northwest-Pacific 
Southwest  Intertie,  though  the  750-kilovolt  Inter- 
tie  capability  is  considerably  greater. 

Following  the  war,  the  researchers  were  dis- 
persed, the  equipment  removed  and  further  re- 
search in  Germany  was  discontinued. 

Seeking  Solutions 

According  to  reports,  the  German  efforts  in  this 
field  were  motivated  primarily  by  limitations  on 
the  load-carrying  capacity  of  overhead  transmis- 
mission  lines  requiring  many  circuits  and  rights- 
of-way  through  heavily  industrialized  centers. 
They  were  seeking  a  solution  to  the  long-distance 
transmission  problem  and  were  interested  in  d-c 
because  underground  cables  could  be  used.  A  1942 
German  report  outlined  four  interesting  advan- 
tages of  underground  cables  over  transmission  cir- 
cuits carried  on  towers,  as  noted : 

"1.  Cable  is  safe  from  atmospheric  dis- 
turbances, such  as  storms,  ice,  rain,  and 
lightning. 

"2.  'Cable  can  be  laid  in  places  where  there  is 
little  space;  e.g.,  in  mountains,  main  city 
streets,  and  in  buildings. 


"3.  Cable  is  laid  underground  and,  therefore 
is  not  visible;  thereby  planned  attacks 
from  the  air  and  through  sabotage  are 
hindered;  the  landscape  is  not  disfigured 
for  the  same  reason. 

"4.  Cable  does  not  interfere  with  air  traffic  or 
telephone  circuits." 

These  same  statements  could  be  made  just  as 
well  today. 

After  World  War  II,  advances  in  high- voltage 
alternating-current  technology  pushed  aside  fur- 
ther work  on  d-c  systems,  although  the  advantages 
still  were  recognized  by  engineers. 

Sweden.  In  Sweden,  research  resulted  as  early 
as  1929  in  patents  by  ASEA  (Allmanna  Svenska 
Elektriska  Aktiebolaget) ,  and  was  further  pur- 
sued under  the  leadership  of  Dr.  Uno  Lamm, 
which  culminated  in  a  decision  to  deliver  power 
by  d-c  to  Gotland  in  the  Baltic  Sea  some  70  miles 
off  the  coast  of  Sweden.  In  1954,  a  single  direct- 
current  100-kilovolt  underwater  cable  was  used  to 
deliver  about  20  megawatts.  Ground  return  was 
by  sea.     The  successful  application  at  Gotland  Is- 

(From  top,  left  to  right).  France  and  England  are  connected  by  a 
double  circuit,  direct-current  line,  running  32  miles  under  the 
English  Channel.  *  Sweden  and  Denmark  send  kilowatts  back 
and  forth  over  112  miles  of  high-voltage  direct-current  line  that 
lies  undersea  for  47  miles.  ^Gotland  Island  receives  power  from 
the  Swedish  mainland  70  miles  away  by  direct-current  under- 
water cable  with  an  earth  (sea)  return.  *  Sixty-one  miles  of  under- 
sea cable  is  included  in  the  278  miles  of  direct-current  lines 
transmitting  power  from  LaSpezio  on  the  Italian  mainland  to 
Sassari  on  Sardinia.  *A  35-mile-long  high-voltage  direct-current 
transmission  line  conveys  power  back  and  forth  between  the  two 
New  Zealand  Islands,  utilizing  25  miles  of  submarine  cable. 
^Having  a  different  need,  Japan  uses  direct  current  in  a  back-to- 
back  frequency  changer  (no  transmission  line  is  used  to  connect 
converters)  that  has  a  potential  force  of  430  kilovolts.  *ln  1967 
Vancouver  and  Vancouver  Island,  Canada,  will  be  linked  by  d-c 
between  Stratford  Terminal  Station,  Arnott  and  Newton  Station. 


August  1965 


87 


Renowned  engineer  in  direct  current  technology.  Dr.  Uno  Lamm, 
right,  Electrotechnical  Director  of  ASEA,  Sweden,  escorts  an  Ameri- 
can study-team  through  his  manufacturing  firm.  Shown  making 
the  1 963  visit  are,  from  left,  author  Mermel;  Paul  E.  Shad,  General 
Manager  and  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Sacramento  Municipal  Utilities 
District;  and  Charles  F.  Luce,  Bonneville  Power  Administrator. 

land  revitalized  potential  applications  of  d-c  trans- 
mission. 

France- England.  In  1961,  using  Dr.  Lamm's 
system  (ASEA),  a  submarine  cable  connection 
was  made  across  the  English  Channel  between  the 
225-kilovolt  a-c  system  at  Echinghen,  France,  and 
the  275-kilovolt  a-c  system  at  Lydd,  England. 
Two  single-core  cables  make  this  40-mile  span, 
transferring  160  megawatts  of  power  each  operat- 
ing at  100  kilovolts,  one  positively  charged  and  the 
other  negative.  Ground  return  can  be  used  in  case 
one  cable  is  damaged,  thereby  carrying  one-half 
of  the  power  in  an  emergency. 

U.S.S.R.  In  the  U.S.S.K.  an  experimental  line 
has  been  built  from  Moscow  to  Kashira. 

This  is  an  underground  single-core  cable  oper- 
ating at  100  kilovolts  with  ground  return.  Based 
on  the  research  connected  with  this  project,  the 
Russians  developed  their  d-c  technology  and  mer- 
cury-arc converter  valves,  and  subsequently  added 
an  overhead  return  to  boost  the  capacity  to  200,000 
volts.  This  work  led  to  their  decision  to  build  a 
294-mile  full-scale  system  from  Volgograd  to  Don- 
bass. Reports  have  been  received  that  the  first 
operation  of  this  line  on  steel  towers  at  800  kilo- 
volts was  made  in  November  1964  and  that  it  is 
able  to  carry  750  megawatts.  Earlier  operation 
was  at  reduced  voltage. 

Longer  Distances 

Russia's  interest  in  long  d-c  transmission  lines 
stems  from  the  fact  that  many  of  its  huge  hydro- 


plants  are  located  great  distances  from  load  cen- 
ters. The  Soviets  are  doing  research  on  plans  to 
construct  a  1,400-kilovolt  d-c  line  to  carry  power 
more  than  1,000  miles. 

New  Zealand.  In  New  Zealand,  a  500-kilovolt 
d-c  system  is  under  construction  which  will  extend 
385  miles  from  Benmore  on  South  Island  to  Hay- 
wards,  a  southern  point  of  North  Island.  An  un- 
derwater portion  of  this  development  will  cross 
the  25-mile  Cook  Strait. 

Sardinia- Italy.  In  Italy,  a  200-megawatt  trans- 
mission system  is  under  construction  which  will 
extend  from  Sassari  on  the  Island  of  Sardinia, 
across  Corsica,  and  connect  with  the  Italian  main- 
land at  LaSpezia.  The  system  will  operate  at 
200  kilovolts  with  ground  (sea)  return.  Two  sub- 
marine cables  will  be  installed  which  can  be  oper- 
ated in  parallel,  or  one  cable  can  be  used  as  a  spare. 
English  Electric  Company  is  supplying  the  con- 
verter stations,  using  Swedish  ASEA  equipment 
for  the  system,  which  will  be  submarine  for  about 
61  miles  and  overhead  across  land.  It  is  sched- 
uled for  operation  in  late  1965. 

Japan.  In  Japan,  d-c  transmission  is  being 
adopted  to  interconnect  two  a-c  power  systems  of 
different  frequencies,  one  operating  at  50  cycles 
and  the  other  at  60  cycles.  The  link,  referred  to 
as  a  back-to-back  system,  will  be  situated  entirely 
within  a  converter  station  at  Sakuma  and  will  be 
in  operation  this  year.  It  permits  a  nonsyn- 
chronous  connection  of  high  efficiency  between  two 
systems  and  removes  many  of  the  stability 
problems. 

Sweden-Dennmrk.  A  Sweden-Denmark  link, 
which  was  talked  about  as  early  as  1913,  is  now 
underway.  It  is  known  as  the  Konti-Skan  Proj- 
ect (Kontinent-Skandinavia),  and  was  planned 
for  completion  by  the  summer  of  1965.  This  105- 
mile-long  single-cable  will  provide  a  link  between 
a  400-kilovolt  a-c  system  in  Gothenburg,  Sweden, 
and  a  150-kilovolt  a-c  system  in  Alborg,  Denmark. 
During  the  first  few  years,  the  link  will  be  used  to 
export  surplus  power  from  Sweden.  The  con- 
verter stations  at  both  ends  also  are  being  supplied 
by  ASEA  of  Sweden. 

Canada.  A  d-c  link  between  Stratford  on  the 
Island  of  Vancouver  and  Amott  on  the  mainland 
will  be  made  by  17  miles  of  submarine  cable  and 
26  miles  of  overhead  lines  to  be  in  operation  by 
1967. 

London.  A  500-kilovolt  d-c  London  cable  is 
planned  to  provide  a  link  between  a  new  2,000 


88 


The  Reclamation  Era 


megawatt  generating  station  on  the  Thames  ]River 
and  two  substations  on  the  132,000-volt  a-c  trans- 
mission system  within  the  London  area.  It  will 
involve  a  250,000-volt  underground  cable  carry- 
ing 250  megawatts  for  37  miles  to  a  point  where  it 
will  be  tapped.  The  cable  will  then  continue  for 
another  16  miles  to  a  132-kilovolt  substation  lo- 
cated on  the  south  London  network. 

The  experience  gained  from  this  operation  will 
demonstrate  that  high-voltage  direct-current  in- 
terconnections have  other  important  applications, 
even  though  a  few  years  ago  it  was  thought  that 
d-c  would  be  used  purely  for  long-distance  bulk 
transport  of  power.  While  alternating-current 
was  studied  for  this  application,  it  was  not  en- 
tirely satisfactory  because  it  introduced  many  sys- 
tem stability  problems  not  associated  with  a  d-c 
system.  Another  advantage  is  that  the  transmis- 
sion capacity  of  a  d-c  cable  is  twice  that  of  an  a-c 
cable  of  equivalent  size  and  voltage. 

Many  other  proposals  for  d-c  systems  are  under 
discussion.  Growth  and  experience  in  the  field 
have  been  phenomenal.  From  1955  to  1965,  di- 
rect-current systems  expanded  from  20  megawatts 
to  more  than  1,500  megawatts  (including  United 
States,  but  excluding  the  Russian  projects) .  This 
figure  will  double  in  the  next  6  years.  #  #  :#: 


Thaddeus  W.  Mermel.  With  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  for  more  than  30  years,  T.  W. 
(Ted)  Mermel,  an  electrical  engineer,  partici- 
pated in  the  preparation  of  designs  and  studies 
for  the  epoch-making  Hoover  and  Grand 
Coulee  Dam  pmverplants  in  the  30's  and  40's. 
Today  he  is  Assistant  to  the  Commissioner  for 
Research,  and  also  Chief  of  the  Bureau's  Gen- 
eral Engineering  Division. 


This  equipment  is  for  protecting  and  controlling  electric  current  for 
an  a-c  harmonic  filter  in  a  d-c  transmission  scheme.  They  are 
oil  cooleci  resistors  for  a  55  MVA  (1,000-volt  amperes),  230-kv 
harmonic  filter. 


Used  to  measure  current  is  the  pole-mounted  device  in  the  fore- 
ground—a European-made  direct  current  transductor. 


This  European  a-c-d-c  switchyard  and  terminal  was  studied  by 
Bureau  engineers  before  designing  and  starting  construction  on 
the  Pacific  Intertie.     (ASEA  Electric  photo) 


August  1965 


^''Whafs  Watt  Notes'''  Continued  from  page  71 

Major  World  D-C  Installations 


System 

Year  of 
service 

Kilovolts 

(thousands 

of  volts) 

Power  in 

megawatts 

(mw.) 

(millions 

of  watts) 

Length 
in  miles 

Remarks 

Moutiers-Lyon,  France 

Mechanicville-Schenectady,  U.S.A.. 
Moabit-Charlottenburg,  Germany.. 

Moscow-Kashira,  U.S.S.R 

Sweden- Gotland- .   

1905 
1936 
1940 
1950 
1954 
1961 

1964 
1965 
1965 
1965 
1965 

1967 

1968 
1971 

57 
27 
100 
200 
100 
200 

800 
250 
500 
430 
200 

*260 

750 
750 
750 
500 

4 

5 

15 

30 

20 

160 

750 
250 
600 
300 
200 

*310 

1350 
1350 

112 

17 
3 
70 
70 
41 

294 

105 

385 

0 

278 

43 

827 

830 

270 

53 

Overhead  cable. 

Do. 

Do. 
Underground  and  overhead  cable. 
Earth  (sea)  return. 

English  Channel   

Double   circuit,    32-mile   undersea 

Volgograd-Donets,  U.S.S.  R 

Sweden-Denmark                           .   _ 

cable. 
All  overhead. 
47-mile  undersea  cable. 

Haywards-Benmore,  N.Z 

Sakuma,  Japan 

Italian  Mainland-Sardinia 

25-mile  undersea  cable. 
Back-to-back  frequency  changer. 
Double  circuit,  61-mile  undersea 

Vancouver- Vancouver  Island, 
Canada. 

The  Dalles-Los  Angeles,  U.S. A 

The  Dalles-Hoover,  U.S.A. 

cable. 
17-mile  undersea  cable. 

Los  Angeles-Hoover,  U.S. A 

Capacity  to  be  determined. 
Proposed  underground. 

London-Thames,  England. 

500 

♦Ultimate,  initial  stage  130-kilovoIt,  78  megawatts. 

Note  on  (±375)  KILOVOLTS— 

A  d-c  transmission  circuit  usually  consists  of  two 
cables ;  the  voltage  of  one  cable  being  375  kilovolts 
BELOW  a  voltage  median  (median  is  zero  or 
"ground"),  and  the  other  cable  being  375  kilovolts 
ABOVE  the  median.  This  results  in  a  total  volt- 
age of  750  kilovolts,  as  in  the  PNW-PSW  Intertie. 

Insulators  for  High  Voltage  Lines 

Before  individual  insulators  are  adjoined  to- 
gether and  attached  in  a  string  near  the  top  of 
a  tower,  their  bell-like  shape  is  evident.  Ten  inches 
across  the  bottom  width  is  a  standard  size  insulator 
for  a  345-kilovolt  power  line  as  well  as  some  other 
high  voltage  lines.  One  insulator  costs  about  $3.50 
and  will  support  a  load  of  more  than  10  tons. 
Twenty  units  complete  a  normal  sized  string.  The 
alternating  current  tower  with  three  single  strings 

bOraiS  DU.        (photo  below  shows  BSO  k-v  insulators) 


In  the  construction  of  this  tower,  notice  the  high  position  of  the 
four  workmen.     This  is  not  an  Intertie  tower. 


90 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Power  Officials  Hail  the  Intertie  Effort 


"The  construction  of  this  extra  high  voltage  in- 
tertie will  be  a  significant  forward  step  in  tech- 
nological advancement  for  America  in  the  power 
field.  It  has  profound  beneficial  implications  for 
your  systems  and  your  consumers,  as  well  as  all 
American  power  consumers. 

"I  am  proud  of  the  leadership  we  have  given  in 
this  effort.  It  clearly  demonstrates  that  the  Fed- 
eral Government  has  a  very  vital  role  to  play  in 
providing  resource  development  leadership." 

Kenneth  Holum, 

Assistant  Secretary/, 
Water  and  Power  Developtnent, 

Department  of  the  Interior. 


"This  great  high-voltage,  power  transmission  in- 
tertie is  a  major  development  in  a  dream  that  has 
spanned  three  decades.  We  who  live  in  the  North- 
west owe  the  region's  industrial  firms  and  the  pri- 
vate and  public  utilities  a  large  debt  of  gratitude 
for  their  work  on  behalf  of  the  electrical  project 
that  will  benefit  so  many  fellow  Americans." 

Charles  F.  Luce, 

Administrator^ 
Bonneville  Power  Administration. 


The  Other  Participants 

Through  the  Federal  multipurpose  dams  and  transmission  lines  in  the 
Intertie  area,  there  is  substantial  Federal  Government  interest  and  partici- 
pation in  the  PNW-PSW  Intertie  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  and  the 
Bonneville  Power  Administration. 

However,  with  major  portions  of  the  plan  being  accomplished  by  private 
companies  and  a  public  agency,  the  Reclamation  Era  extends  congratulations 
to  these  participating  organizations  and  their  top  officials: 


I 


SAMUEL  NELSON,  General  Manager  and  Chief  Engineer 
Department  of  Water  and  Power 
City  of  Los  Angeles,  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 

THOMAS  W.  DELZELL,  Chairman  of  the  Board 
and  Chief  Executive 
Portland  General  Electric  Company,  Portland,  Oreg. 

ROBERT  H.  GERDES,  President 

Pacific  Gas  and  Electric  Company 
San  Francisco,  Calif. 

August  1965 


J.  K.  HORTON,  President 

Southern  California  Edison  Company 

Los  Angeles,  Calif. 
WALTER  T.  LUCKING,  President 

Arizona  Public  Service  Company,  Phoenix,  Ariz. 

DONALD  McCLUNG,  President  and  Chief 
Executive  Officer 

Pacific  Power  and  Light  Company,  Portland,  Oreg. 
J.  F.  SINNOTT,  President 

San  Diego  Gas  and  Electric  Company,   San  Diego, 

Calif. 

91 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Spec. 
No. 


Project 


Award 
date 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Contractor's  name  and  address 


DC-6111-A. 
DS-6190-_.. 
DS-6226.--. 


DC-6232. 
DC-6236. 
DS-6239.. 


DC-6241- 

DC-6242. 
DC-6248. 

DC-6250. 

DS-6252. 

DC-6255. 

DS-6257.. 
DC-6258- 
DS-6260-. 

DC-6261.. 

DC-6262.. 
DC-6263.. 

DC-6265.. 
DS-6266.. 
DC-6271.. 
DC-6272.. 

DC-6272.. 

DC-6275.. 
DC-6277.. 

DC-6289.. 
DC-6301.. 
lOOC-745.. 
lOOC-747.. 
100S-753._ 
lOOC-755.. 
lOOC-770.. 

200C-587.. 
400C-288.. 

500C-199.. 

600C-210.. 


Colorado-Big  Thompson,  Colo 

Paciflc  Northwest-Pacific  South- 
west Intertie,  Nev. 
do 


Central  Valley,  Calif, 
-.-.do 


Paciflc  Northwest-Pacific  South- 
west Intertie,  Nev. 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash 


Silt,  Colo 

Colorado  River  Storage,  Colo. 

Central  Valley,  Calif 


Paciflc  Northwest-Pacific  South- 
west Intertie,  Ariz. -Nev. 
Central  Valley,  Calif 


Paciflc  Northwest-Paciflc  South- 
west Intertie,  Ariz. 
Chief  Joseph  Dam,  Wash 


Office  of  Economic  Opportunity, 
North     Carolina,     Oklahoma, 
New  York,  Nebraska,  New 
Mexico,  and  Idaho. 

San  Juan-Chama,  Colo 


Pondera  County  Canal  and  Res- 
ervoir Company,  Montana. 
Central  Valley,  Calif 


Chief  Joseph  Dam,  Wash- 
Central  Valley,  Calif 

do 

Spokane  Valley,  Wash 


.do. 


Colorado  River  Storage,  Ariz... 
Frylngpan-Arkansas  Colorado. 


Ofl3ce  of  Emergency  Planning, 

Oregon. 
Delivery  of  Water  to  Mexico, 

New  Mexico. 
Columbia  Basin,  Wash 


.do. 


Spokane  Valley,  Wash.. 
Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Office  of  Emergency  Plaiming, 
Oregon. 


Office   of    Emergency    Planning, 

California. 
Weber  Basin,  Utah 


Canadian  River,  Tex. 


Missourl    River    Basin,    Wyo.- 
Mont. 


June  7 
Apr.  30 
Apr.     7 

Apr.  23 
Apr.  27 
June    7 

May  28 

Apr.  30 
Apr.  28 

May  12 

May  19 

June    3 

May  10 
May  13 
May    4 

May  11 

May  7 
May  17 

May  14 
May  7 
May  12 
June  11 

June    3 

June  18 
May  26 

June  17 
June  3 
Apr.  29 
Apr.  23 
Apr.  14 
June  10 
Apr.  22 

Apr.  2 
May    4 

May  19 

May  19 


Completion  of  Granby  dam  spillway,  modi- 
fication. 

High-voltage  a-c  d-c  converter  terminal. 
Mead  substation.  (Negotiated  contract). 
Aerial  photographs,  maps,  and  surveys  for 
750-kv  d-c  transmission  line,  Luning  to 
Nightingale,  Nev.,  Section  3.  (Negotia- 
ted Contract). 

Furnishing  and  installing  three  vertical- 
centrifugal-type  pumping  units  for  com- 
pletion of  Corning  canal  pumping  plant. 

Construction  of  Little  Panoche  Creek  deten- 
tion dam  utilizing  riprap  on  upstream 
slope. 

Location,  surveys,  maps,  and  geology  for 
750-kv  d-c  transmission  line.  Nightingale, 
Nev.,  to  Oregon  line.  Section  4.  (Nego- 
tiated contract). 

Construction  of  Radar  pumping  plant  and 
discharge  lines  WB3A  and  WB3B,  Sched- 
ule 1. 

Construction  of  Davie  ditch 

Construction  of  the  Crystal  dam  access 
road. 

Construction  of  27  miles  of  pipelines  for 
Main  aqueduct  and  lateral  system. 

Two  450,000/600,000-kva  autotransformers 
for  Liberty  and  Mead  substations. 

Completion  of  Mile  18  pumping  plant, 
switchyard,  and  appurtenant  works. 

Twelve  shunt  reactors  for  Liberty  sub- 
station. 

Construction  of  1.7  miles  of  pipeline  for 
Upper  Okanogan  siphon. 

Furnishing  and  erecting  portable  family 
dwellings  at  Job  Corps  centers:  Ocona- 
luftee  Treasure  Lake,  Iroquois,  McCook, 
Snake  River,  and  Mexican  Springs. 

Construction  of  the  8.5-mile  Blanco  tunnel, 
diversion  dam,  and  appurtenant  struc- 
tures. Schedules  1  and  4. 

Construction  of  Swift  Dam  on  Birch  Creek.. 

Construction  of  concrete  lining,  and  one 
concrete  bridge  for  realinement  of  Delta- 
Mendota  canal. 

Construction  of  headworks  and  Main  canal 
extension. 

Structural  steel  for  trashrack  and  girders  for 
San  Luis  dam. 

Repair  of  Trinity  River  bridge  and  channel 
improvement  Carrville  to  Cedar  Creek. 

Construction  of  86.2  miles  of  pipelines  for 
Spokane  Valley  distribution  system. 
Schedules  2,  3,  and  4. 

Furnishing  and  installing  11  50,000-gallon 
steel  tanks  for  Spokane  Valley  distribu- 
tion system.  Schedule  5. 

Construction  of  stage  02  additions  to  Pin- 
nacle Peak  substation. 

Construction  of  11  miles  of  Divide,  South 
Fork,  and  Chapman  tunnels,  three  di- 
version dams,  and  appurtenant  structures, 
South  Side  collection  system. 

Rehabilitation  of  Main  canal 


Extension  of  Well  ton-Mohawk  outfall  drain 
to  Morelos  Dam.    (Negotiated  contract). 

Construction  of  buried  pipe  drains  for  D20- 
235  drain  system,  Block  20. 

Construction  of  drains  for  Blocks  86,  87,  and 
881. 

Deepwell  pumping  units  for  water  supply 
wells. 

Construction  of  pipelines,  laterals  and 
wasteway,  and  pumping  plant.  Block  161. 

Furnishing  and  operating  temporary  pump- 
facilities  for  the  Dee  Irrigation  District 
and  the  Farmers  Irrigating  Co.  (Nego- 
tiated contract.) 

Emergency  repair  to  roads  in  the  Hoopa 

Valley  Indian  Reservation. 
Construction    of    recreational    facilities    for 
Willard  South  recreation  site  and  gravel 
surfacing  for  roads. 

Construction  of  boat  launching  ramp  and 
public  use  facilities  for  Sanford  reservoir 
area. 

Construction  of  boat  ramps  and  roads  for 
three  Yellowtail  reservoir  areas. 


Syblon-Reid  Co.,  Ogden,  Utah.... 

General  Electric  Co.  and  ASEA, 

Schenectady,  N.Y. 
E.  H.   Schmidt  and  Associates, 

Inc.  and  Sprout  Engineers,  Inc., 

Tulsa,  Okla. 

Remsco  Associates,  Matawan,  N.J. 


Darkenwald  Construction  Co., 
Inc.,  and  Morrison-Knudsen 
Co.,  Inc.,  Sacramento,  Calif. 

Thomas  Engineering  and  Survey- 
ing Co.,  Columbus,  Ohio. 


Sivers  Construction  Co.,  Port- 
land, Oreg. 

Crown,  Inc.,  Hot  Springs,  S.  Dak.. 
H-E    Lowdermilk    Co.,    Engle- 

wood ,  Colo. 
Baker -Anderson     Corp. ,     Santa 

Ana,  Calif. 
General    Electric    Co.,    Denver, 

Colo. 
Gunther    and    Shirley    Co.    and 

E.    V.    Lane    Corp.,   Sherman 

Oaks,  Calif. 
Westinghouse     Electric      Corp., 

Denver,  Colo. 
B  &  B  Contracting  Corp.,  Ana- 

cortes.  Wash. 
The  Commodore  Corp.,  Omaha, 

Nebr. 


Colorado  Constructors,  Inc.  and 

A.  S.  Horner  Construction  Co., 

Inc.,  Denver,  Colo. 
Al  Johnson  Construction  Co., 

Minneapolis,  Minn. 
Service  Construction  Co.  of 

Southern  California,  Sun 

Valley,  Calif. 
Roger  E.  Holmes,  Olympia, 

Wash. 
Barmock  Steel  Corp.,  Boise,  Idaho. 

Myers  Construction  Co., 

Redding,  Calif. 
Lester  N.  Johnson  Co., 

Spoakne,  Wash. 

Chicago  Bridge  and  Iron  Co., 
Seattle,  Wash. 

Jelco,  Inc.,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.. 

Winston  Brothers  Co.,  etc., 
Minneapolis,  Minn. 


Coast  Contractors,  Inc.,  Lake 
Oswego,  Oreg. 

Morrison-Knudsen  Co.,  Inc., 
South  Gate,  Calif. 

George  A.  Grant,  Inc.,  Richland, 
Wash. 

Vern  Haisch  Construction  Co., 
Pasco,  Wash. 

Layne  and  Bowler,  Inc., 
Memphis,  Tenn. 

John  M.  Keltch,  Inc.,  Pasco, 
Wash. 

Carl  M.  Halvorson,  Inc.,  Port- 
land, Oreg. 


Tonkin  Construction  Co.,  Willow 
Creek,  Calif. 

Olsen  Construction  and  Engi- 
neering Co.,  Ogden,  Utah. 

E.D.  Baker  Corp.,  Borger,  Tex.... 


Weaver  Construction  Co.,   Iowa 
Falls,  Iowa. 


92 


August  1965 


U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE :  1965     O — 774-147 


Major    Construction  and  Materials  for    Which    Bids    Will    Be 
Requested  Through  August  1965* 


Project 


A r buckle,  Okla. 

Do 

Baker,  Oreg 


Blackfeet  Indian 
Irrigation, 
Mont. 


Canadian  River, 

Tex. 
Central  Valley, 
Calif. 


Do. 


Do. 


Columbia  Basin, 
Wash. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Chief  Joseph 
Dam,  Wash. 

Do 

CRSP,  Ariz.... 
CRSP,  Colo... 


Do. 


Constructing  the  Wynnewood  Pumping  Plant  and  about 
18  miles  of  pipelines.  Work  will  also  include  construct- 
ing a  small  reservoir.    Near  Davis  and  Wynnewood. 

Constructing  roads  and  recreational  facilities  at  Arbuckle 
Reservoir.    Near  Sulphur. 

Constructing  Mason  Dam,  an  earth  and  rock  fill  structure 
about  170  ft  high,  880  ft  long,  containing  about  800,000 
cu  yd  of  materials,  and  appurtenant  features.  The 
spillway  will  consist  of  an  ogee  crest  and  open  chute  in 
the  left  abutment  and  a  stilling  basin.  The  tunnel 
outlet  works  will  be  located  in  the  left  abutment. 
Work  will  also  include  constructing  0.8  mile  of  access 
road.  On  the  Powder  River,  about  18  miles  southeast 
of  Baker. 

Constructing  Lower  Two  Medicine  Dam  with  a  concrete 
overflow  ungated  center  section  about  35  ft  high  and 
185  ft  long,  earth  dike  embankments  on  both  abutments 
about  150  and  750  ft  long,  resepectively,  and  an  outlet 
works  consisting  of  two  3-ft  by  3-ft  6  in.  conduits  dis- 
charging into  a  stilling  basin.  Work  will  also  include 
constructing  a  bridge  downstream  from  the  dam.  On 
Two  Medicine  Creek,  about  14  miles  southwest  of 
Browning. 

Constructing  roads  and  recreational  facilities  at  Sanford 
Reservoir.    Near  Fritch. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  about  20  miles  of  concrete- 
lined  canal  with  bottom  width  of  50  ft  and  side  slopes 
about  70  ft  long.  Canal  is  to  be  lined  with  4.5-in.-thick 
unreinforced  concrete.  San  Luis  Canal,  Reach  5, 
north  of  Kettleman  City. 

Constructing  six  turnouts  in  the  San  Luis  Canal  with 
inlets  and  precast  concrete  barrels  to  vary  from  24- 
to  60-in.  diameter.    Near  Los  Banos. 

Reshaping  6.4  miles  of  Main  Canal  and  constructing  a 
rotating  flshscreen  structure.  About  8  miles  west  of 
Oroville. 

Rehabilitating  the  Oroville-Tonasket  Main  Canal  will 
consist  of  removing  wood  flumes  and  replacing  with 
new  construction  and  about  250  lin  ft  of  78-in. -diameter 
precast  concrete  pressure  pipe  siphon.    Near  Oroville. 

Work  will  consist  of  excavating  rock  and  concrete  to  com- 
plete the  Glen  Canyon  Dam  left  spillway  tunnel,  other 
work  and  epoxy  repairs  to  existing  tunnel  lining.  Near 
Page. 

Completing  the  Blue  Mesa  Powerplant  and  Switchyard 
will  consist  of  placing  concrete  for  turbine  embedment 
and  generator  support;  installing  two  41,500-hp,  200- 
rpm,  vertical-shaft,  hydraulic  turbines,  the  transformer 
bank,  switchyard,  and  other  mechanical  and  electrical 
equipment;  constructing  interior  masonry  wall  parti- 
tions; placing  concrete  floor  surfacing,  and  applying 
architectural  finishes.  About  25  miles  west  of 
Gunnison. 

Constructing  the  Skito  Substation,  Stage  1,  will  consist 
of  constructing  foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting 
steel  structures;  furnishing  and  installing  switches, 
instrument  transformers,  and  associated  electrical 
equipment.    About  1  mile  west  of  Gunnison. 

Earthwork,  culverts,  and  bridges  for  several  short  access 
roads  from  existing  roads  into  the  Cortez-Curecanti 
Transmission  Line  right-of-way.  Between  Cortez  and 
Cimarron. 

Constructing  about  26  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains.  Block 
46.    East  of  Othello. 


Project 


Fryingpan- 
Arkansas, 
Colorado. 


Lyman, 
Wyoming. 


MRBP,  Iowa 

MRBP,  Kansas.. 
MRBP,  Nebraska 

Do 


Do- 


MRBP,  South 
Dakota. 


MRBP,  Wyo- 
ming and 
Nebraska. 


Parker-Davis, 

Ariz. 
Rogue  River 

Basin,  Oreg. 
Silt,  Colo 


Spokane  Valley, 
Wash. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  Sugar  Loaf  Dam,  an  earth  and  rock  fill 
structure,  about  134  ft  high  and  2,130  ft  long,  containing 
1,650,000  cu  yd  of  materials,  and  appurtenant  features. 
The  spillway  will  consist  of  a  morning  glory  inlet  struc- 
ture, a  20-ft-diameter  conduit  in  the  left  abutment  and  a 
stilling  basin.  The  outlet  works  will  consist  of  an  in- 
take structure,  a  7-ft-diameter  upstream  conduit,  a  gate 
chamber,  and  an  11-ft-diameter  downstream  conduit  In 
the  right  abutment  and  a  control  structure.  On  Lake 
Fork  Creek,  about  5  miles  west  of  Leadville. 

Constructing  Meeks  Cabin  Dam,  a  rolled  earthfiU  struc- 
ture about  175  ft  high  and  3,100  ft  long,  containing  about 
3,500,000  cu  yd  of  materials,  and  appurtenant  features. 
The  spillway  will  consist  of  an  intake  and  crest  struc- 
ture, a  30-  by  15-ft  closed  conduit  in  the  embankment, 
and  a  stilling  basin.  The  outlet  works  will  consist  of  an 
Intake  structure,  an  8-ft-diameter  upstream  pressure 
conduit,  a  gate  chamber,  a  9-ft  6-In. -diameter  horseshoe 
conduit  containing  a  62-in. -diameter  pipe,  a  control 
structure,  and  a  stilling  basin.  On  Blacks  Fork,  33 
miles  southwest  of  Urie. 

One  3-phase,  30,000-kva,  154-115-69-13.8-kv  mobile  power 
autotransformer. 

Twelve  motor-driven  hoists  for  50-  by  21.76-ft  radial  gates 
for  Glen  Elder  Dam.    Estimated  "weight:  183,000  lb. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  about  13  miles  of  Farwell 
Main  and  Central  open  laterals  with  a  bottom  width  of 
3  ft,  of  which  about  0.6  mile  will  be  lined  with  com- 
pacted earth.    Near  St.  Paul. 

Stage  02  additions  to  the  Alliance  Substation  will  consist 
of  constructing  foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting 
steel  structures;  transporting  three  single-phase,  20,000- 
kva  transformers  from  Gering,  Nebr.,  and  installing  the 
transformers;  and  furnishing  and  installing  associated 
electrical  equipment.    Near  Alliance. 

Installing  about  3,200  steel  jacks  along  Frenchman  Creek 
for  erosion  control.  Between  Enders  Dam  and 
Hamlet. 

Stage  07  additions  to  the  Sioux  Falls  Substation  will 
consist  of  constructing  foundations;  furnishing  and 
erecting  steel  structures:  furnishing  and  installing  tliree 
single-phase,  230/115/13.2-kv,  33,333-kva  autotrans- 
formers,  one  3-phase,  115-kv,  75,000-kva  regulating 
transformer,  three  13.2-kv,  4,000-kva  reactors,  two 
230-kv,  one  115-kv,  and  one  13.2-kv  circuit  breakers, 
and  associated  electrical  equipment.  About  4  miles 
northeast  of  Sioux  Falls. 

Constructing  the  Glendo-Stegall  single-circuit,  3-phase, 
230-kv  transmission  line  about  74  miles  long.  Work 
will  consist  of  clearing  right-of-way;  constructing  foot- 
ings; furnishing  and  erecting  steel  towers;  and  furnish- 
ing and  stringing  three  1,272  MCM,  ACSR  conductors 
and  two  0.5-in.  high-strength,  steel-strand  overhead 
ground  wires.  (Extending  from  the  vicinity  of  the 
Glendo  Reservoir,  Wyo.,  to  a  point  near  Stegall,  Nebr.) 

One  3-phase,  54/72/90-mva,  220/115/13.8-kv  autotrans- 
former for  Stage  04,  Coolidge  Substation. 

Constructing  a  5-ft-high,  60-ft-long,  reinforced  concrete 
diversion  dam.    About  22  miles  northeast  of  Medford. 

Constructing  Silt  Pumping  Plant,  a  sump-type,  four- 
unit  plant,  consisting  of  a  reinforced  concrete  sub- 
structure, a  superstructure  of  structural-steel  frame 
with  concrete-masonry  unit  walls,  and  a  bridge  crane 
for  servicing  the  pumping  units.  The  pumps,  electric 
motors,  and  controls  will  be  contractor  furnished. 
Near  Silt. 

Constructing  concrete  structures  at  ground  surface  and 
installing  pumps  and  motors  for  34  wells.  Near 
Spokane. 


'  Subject  to  change. 


In  its  assigned  function  as  the  Nation's  principal  natural  re- 
source agency,  the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special 
obligation  to  assure  that  our  expendable  resources  are  con- 
served, that  renewable  resources  are  managed  to  produce  opti- 
mm  yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  full  measure 
to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  America,  now  and  in 
the  future. 


U.S.  Department  of  the  Interior 
Bureau   of  Reclamation 


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WILDLIFE    •    HISTORY    •    WATER 
FORESTS    •    RECREATION    •    MINERALS 

Whether  your  interest  in  a  State  is  for  travel,  recreation,  or  general  information, 
these  State  resource  booklets  fit  your  needs.  Generously  illustrated  and  descriptively 
written,  they  take  the  reader  on  a  statewide  tour  of  scenic  beauty,  industrial  develop- 
ment, varied  natural  resources,  and  recreational  opportunities. 

For  the  outdoor  enthusiast,  the  outdoor  recreation  guides  in  these  booklets  are  a 
must.  Major  recreation  areas  in  the  State  are  listed  with  facilities  available  to  the 
fisherman,  hunter,  camper,  and  picnicker.  Each  area  is  located  on  an  accompanying 
State  map. 

For  the  student,  these  State  resource  booklets  cover  a  wealth  of  facts  about  the 
State's  history,  present  development,  and  future  progress. 

Published  by  the  U.S.  Department  of  the  Interior,  the  booklets  also  contain  a  sum- 
mary of  Federal  programs  in  the  State  that  are  devoted  to  natural  resources. 
Booklets  now  available  are  listed  on  the  order  form  below. 


MAIL  ORDER  FORM  TO: 

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Washington,  D.C.     20402 

Enclosed  find  $ {check,  money  order,  or  Supt.  of  Documents  coupons). 

indicated  below: 

Natural  Resources  of : 

.  .  .  .  ARIZONA.     I  1.91:Ar41 
.  .  .  .  COLORADO.    I  1.91  :C  71 
.  .  .  .  IDAHO.    I   1.91:  Id    1 
....  MASSACHUSETTS. 

I   1.91:M  38 
.  .  .  .  MONTANA.     I  1.91  :M  76 


45^ 

....  NEW    MEXICO. 

500 

I   1.91  :N  42   M 

500 

500 

....  OHIO.     I  1.91  :Oh  3 

450 

....  OREGON.     I   1.91:  Or  3 

500 

450 

....  NEVADA.     I   1.91  :N  41 

450 

500 

Please  send  me  the  copies  I  have 


WASHINGTON. 

I   1.91  :W  27  500 

WEST  VIRGINIA. 

I   1.91  :W   52   V  450 

UTAH.     I  1.91  :Ut  1  450 


Name. 


Street  Address. 


FOR  USE  OF  SUPT.  DOCS. 

L  A  M ATI  ON 


November  1965 


r-^ 


.  Coi^ef  /'/»(9^(?  caption  inside. 

Job  Corps  Youths  Are  Commended  for  Their  Accomplishments 

Story:  ^ 'These  Young  Men' 

Pioneer  Spirit  Remains  in  the  Celebrating  75- Year-Old  State  of  Wyoming 


ur^A^_  CI A- 


93.  WYOMING    "Home  on  the  Range" 
by  Dr.  T.  A.  Larson 

98.  IRRIGATION   TO   THE   NAVAJO 
TRIBE 
hy  Harold  J.  Boyd  and  Shirley  A. 
Allison 

102.  "THESE  YOUNG  MEN" 


WILLARD  RESERVOIR 


T^i^r^^fPi  m  i:^  t  i  O-n  ^^^-  HYDROPLANES  EXCITE 

-*^"        ™~~^  CROWD  AT  BUREAU'S  NEW 

E^^P        ^H  109.  RETARDING  EVAPORATION  IN 

■K  ^^B  SMALL  RESERVOIRS  ' 

H  ^B  ^^^^L  hy  Wilmon  W.  Meinke  and  William 

m  m  mm  j.  waidrip 

112.  FLOODS   HIT    COLORADO   AND 
EASTERN  SLOPE  AREAS 

NOVEMBER  1965  ^^^    LAND    DRAWING,    THEN    AND 

Volume  51,  No.  4  NOW 

115.  LONG-AWAITED  UNIT  IS 
AUTHORIZED 

OTT.S  PETERSON,  A ont  .o  ,he  Co.-  US.  KEY  PERSONNEL  CHANGED 

missioner — Information 

GORDON  J.  FORSYTH,  Editor  COVER  PHOTO.     Spraying  50-foot  "rooster  tails"  behind  them,  13 

unlimited  hydroplanes  raced  last  August  over  a  thrill-packed,  3- 
mile  course  on  the  reservoir  behind  the  Bureau's  new  Willard  Dam, 
Utah.     See  the  story  on  page  108.     Photos  by  Mel  Davis. 


United  States  Department  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.  Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,   Floyd   E.   Dominy,  Commissioner 

Washington  Office:  United  States  Department  of  tiie  Interior,  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Washington,  D.C.,  20240. 

Commissioner's  Staff 

Assistant  Commissioner _ - N.  B.  Bennett,  Jr. 

Assistant  Commissioner --- O.  G.  Stamm 

Assistant  Commissioner W.  P.  Kane 

Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado B.  P.  Bellport 

REGIONAL  OFFICES 

REGION  1:  Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  7648,  Fairgrounds,  Boise,  Idaho,  83707. 

REGION  2:  Robert  J.  Paflord,  Jr.,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacramento,  Calif.,  95811. 

REGION  3:  A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  City,  Nev.,  89005. 

REGION  4:  David  L.  Crandall,  Regional  Director,  125  South  State  Street,  P.O.  Box  11568,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  84111. 

REGION  5:  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Office  Building,  7th  and  Taylor,  Amarillo,  Tex.,  79105. 

REGION  6:  Harold  E.  Aldrlch,  Regional  Director,  316  North  26th  Street,  P.O.  Box  2553,  Billings,  Mont.,  59103. 

REGION  7:  Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo.,  80226. 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Washington,  D.C.,  20240.     Use  of  funds  for  printing  this 
publication  has  been  approved  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31, 1961. 

For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.C.,  20402.    Price  30  cents  (single  copy).     Subscrip- 
tion price:  $1.00  per  year  (25  cents  additional  for  foreign  mailing). 


75  Years  of  Statehoad  for  .  .  . 


WYOMING 

"Home  on  the  Range 


59 


by  DR.  T.  A.  LARSON 


WHEN  statehood  for  Wyoming  passed  the 
U.S.  House  of  Representatives  in  March 
1890,  almost  2,000  miles  west  of  Washington,  D.C., 
jubilation  erupted  in  all  towns  of  the  would-be 
State.  Church  bells  rang,  firebells  clanged,  train 
whistles  shrieked,  trumpets  blared,  bonfires  blazed, 
and  citizens  cheered. 

A  former  Governor,  George  W.  Baxter,  de- 
clared :  "It  means  the  dawning  of  a  brighter  day, 
the  beginning  of  an  era  of  unparalleled 
prosperity." 

That  Wyoming  should  have  achieved  statehood 
so  soon  after  the  winter  of  1886-87  bordered  on 
the  miraculous.  In  that  bitterly  cold  and  blustery 
winter  3  years  earlier,  Wyoming  ranchers  had  suf- 
fered cattle  losses  variously  estimated  at  from  15 
to  75  percent.  Many,  of  course,  were  wiped  out; 
most  of  them  stoically  started  to  rebuild  their 
herds,  exhibiting  that  rugged  perseverance  and 
pride  which  have  since  become  trademarks  of  the 
Equality  State  and  its  people. 

The  admission  to  the  Union  of  Wyoming  as  a 

State  at  such  a  low  ebb  of  its  economy,  as  well 

as  the  admission  of  the  Dakotas  and  Montana  the 

'    previous  year,  is  said  to  have  been  due  to  political 

considerations.     However,  the  politics  were  far 

[■    away  in  Washington,  and  did  nothing  to  dampen 

'     the  enthusiasm  of  the  settlers  on  the  plains  who 

celebrated  the  great  event  in  1890. 

This  year,  three-quarters  of  a  century  later,  the 
descendants  of  those  first  Wyomingites  are  again 

'    November  1965 


exhibiting  the  same  colorful  and  lusty  pioneer 
spirit. 

The  State  has  traveled  a  long  road  since  state- 
hood. 

During  much  of  the  19th  century,  Wyoming 
was  "a  thoroughfare  rather  than  a  destination." 
It  is  true  that  trappers  had  lingered  while  they 
pursued  beaver  in  lush  and  beautiful  valleys,  but 
with  the  decline  of  the  fur  trade,  people  passed 
through  as  quickly  as  possible  on  their  way  to 
Oregon  and  California. 

While  large  areas  of  sagebrush  and  outcrops  of 
barren  rock  repelled  farming  in  many  locations, 
other  areas  were  fertile  and  rewarding  to  the 
sturdy  and  resourceful  hand.  And  while  pros- 
pectors searched,  mostly  in  vain,  for  valuable 
deposits  of  precious  metals,  wild  game  and  spectac- 
ular mountain  scenery  intrigued  sportsmen  and 
attracted  a  few  permanent  settlers. 

Reached  by  Railroad 

The  laying  of  the  rails  for  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  across  the  area  led  Congress  to  establish 
Wyoming  Territory  in  1868.  Thus,  people  who 
considered  themselves  pioneers  rode  to  their  fron- 
tier homes  in  Wyoming,  not  in  covered  wagons, 
but  in  railway  coaches  or  pullman  cars. 

As  the  railroad  advanced,  several  towns — Chey- 
enne, Laramie,  Rawlins,  Green  River  and  Evans- 
ton — were  strung  like  beads  on  a  string  across 


93 


i 


the  southern  part  of  the  Territory.  Then  com- 
pletion of  the  railroad  was  followed  by  an  eco- 
nomic setback  which  threatened  to  erase  the  young 
Territory ;  even  President  U.  S.  Grant,  in  Decem- 
ber 1872,  favored  distributing  the  land  among 
surrounding  Territories  and  States. 

This  debacle  was  averted,  however,  and  the  pop- 
ulation increased  to  20,000  by  1880,  enough  to  keep 
the  struggling  Territory  from  being  sidelined. 
Then  in  the  1880's  came  a  spectacular  boom  in  the 
open-range  cattle  business,  as  hundreds  of  entre 
preneurs  arrived  with  vast  herds  from  Texas  and 
other  places.  Where  there  had  been  only  450,00 
cattle  in  1879  there  were  1,500,000  in  1885.  As 
the  range  became  overcrowded,  the  cattlemen,  who 
had  been  depending  almost  entirely  on  public  land, 
realized  that  they  must  acquire  title  to  more  of  the 
land  they  used.  More  land  was  filed  on  in  1884 — 
549,386  acres — than  in  all  the  previous  14  years 
taken  together,  and  the  number  of  filings  in  1885 
and  1886  approached  those  of  1884.  The  picture 
in  the  middle  1880's  was  one  of  big  cattlemen 
grabbing  up  what  land  they  could  by  fair  means 
or  foul. 

Winter  losses  were  a  part  of  the  open-range  cat- 
tle business.  The  common  view,  said  a  Laramie 
editor  in  1876,  was  that  it  is  cheaper  to  lose  3  or 
4  percent  than  to  put  up  hay,  provide  shelter  and 
hire  herders.  Ten  years  later,  the  winter  of  1886- 
87  took  its  grim  toll  and  picking  up  the  pieces 
afterward  took  time.  Genuine  rehabilitation 
would  take  many  years  and  would  involve  smaller 
herds,  improved  management  and  greater  atten- 
tion to  the  need  for  shelter,  feed,  and  water. 

Statehood  brought  with  it  almost  universal  op- 
timism. In  the  newborn  State  of  62,555  people 
(including  1,850  Indians  on  the  Wind  River  Res- 
ervation) joy  soon  gave  way  to  gloom,  as  economic 
growth  proved  elusive.  The  State's  property  val- 
uation for  tax  purposes  held  steady  at  about  $30 
million  every  year  in  the  period  1890-98.  No  im- 
portant industrial  development  occurred,  although 
there  was  a  small  expansion  in  coal  mining.  Dele- 
gate to  Congress  Joseph  M.  Carey  had  assured 
the  U.S.  House  of  Representatives  in  1890  that 
Wyoming  had  unsurpassed  mineral  resources,  but 
nevertheless  most  of  the  State's  minerals  were  what  I 
economists  call  "neutral  stuff"  which  could  not, 


Built  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Buffalo  Bill  Dam  on  the  Sho- 
shone River  7  miles  west  of  Cody,  Wyo.,  is  one  of  the  first  high 
concrete  dams  constructed  in  this  country. 


94 


The  Reclamation  Era 


for  the  time  being  at  least,  be  marketed  at  a 
profit. 


Reclamation  Possibilities 

At  first  Mr.  Carey  also  was  overoptimistic  about 
the  possibilities  of  reclamation.  When  private 
enterprise  irrigated  only  hay  meadowland  near 
streams,  Wyoming's  first  State  engineer  Elwood 
Mead  and  his  close  associates  Senators  Francis  E. 
Warren  and  Carey  turned  to  the  State  and  Fed- 
eral Governments  for  aid. 

In  1894,  Congress  passed  the  famous  Carey  Act, 
which  was  named  after  its  author.  Several  years 
later,  dissatisfied  with  the  slow  progress  under 
the  Carey  Act,  irrigation  promoters  went  again  to 
the  Federal  Government.  Wyoming's  Senator 
Warren  and  Eepresentative  Frank  W.  Mondell 
worked  hard  for  passage  of  the  Newlands  Act  of 
1902.  Soon  reclamation  claimed  the  combined  in- 
terest of  private.  State,  and  Federal  effort. 

Wyoming's  first  Federal  project,  the  Shoshone 
in  1904,  took  over  a  stalled  Carey  Act  project 
which  had  been  started  by  William  F.  Cody.  By 
1910,  Buffalo  Bill  Dam  was  completed  and  crops 
were  growing  on  15,000  acres  of  the  project  in  the 
vicinity  of  Ralston,  Powell,  and  Garland.  Com- 
pletion of  the  State's  second  Federal  project,  the 
North  Platte,  soon  followed,  involving  construc- 
tion of  the  Pathfinder  Dam,  40  miles  southwest 
of  Casper. 

As  reclamation  was  pushed  with  vigor  in  the 
years  just  before  the  first  World  War,  so  also  was 
dryfarming.  "All  crops  must  be  irrigated,"  the 
Station  Agriculturist  at  the  University  of  Wy- 
oming Experiment  Station  had  warned  in  1891. 
Yet  the  temptation  to  try  dryfarming  proved  irre- 
sistible, and  where  only  a  few  bold  spirits  had 
tried  it  before  1900,  a  few  thousand  set  to  work 
in  the  next  decade,  especially  in  the  eastern  coun- 
ties where  normal  rainfall  approached  16  inches 
annually. 

After  the  legislature  in  1907  appropriated  $5,000 
for  dryfarming  experiments,  the  State  employed 
a  Director  of  Dryfarming  Experiments,  who 
traveled  all  over  the  State  giving  advice  and  assist- 
ance. Congressman  Mondell  aided  the  cause  by 
introducing  and  ushering  through  Congress  the 


P^^. 


Today  oil   production   is   Wyoming's   leading   industry,   accounting 
for    more    than    one-third    of    her    income.      (U.W.    Library    Photo) 

November  1965 


^'^<mt^ 


95 


Established  as  a  land-grant  college  3  years  before  Wyoming  became  a  State,  the  University  of  Wyoming  has  a  96-acre  campus, 
attended  by  more  than  5,000  students.     (U.W.  Photo) 


It  is 


320-acre  homestead  law  of  February  1909.  Un- 
happily, in  1910  and  1911  came  drought,  wide- 
spread crop  failures,  and  reduced  dry  farming 
acreages. 

Land  Patenting 

Inflation  and  prosperity  in  1917  and  1918  per- 
suaded many  rural  people  to  enlarge  their  holdings 
by  exhausting  whatever  unused  rights  they  had 
under  the  various  land  laws,  and  townspeople 
joined  in  the  homesteading  spree.  Almost  10 
million  acres  of  land  were  patented  in  the  1920's, 
nearly  doubling  the  amount  in  private  ownership, 
and  bringing  the  total  up  to  40  percent  of  the 
State's  area.  Another  million  and  a  half  acres 
passed  to  patent  in  the  1930's  before  vacant,  un- 
reserved, and  unappropriated  lands  were  with- 
drawn by  Executive  order  in  1934. 

Despite  the  land  rush  of  the  1920's,  the  number 
of  farm  and  ranch  units  and  the  rural  farm  and 
ranch  population  increased  only  slightly.  People 
already  on  the  land  in  1919  sooner  or  later  came 
into  possession  of  most  of  the  newly  homesteaded 
land.  Moreover,  they  did  not  plow  up  much  of 
the  newly  acquired  land.  Cropland  harvested  in- 
creased only  from  1,153,624  acres  in  1919  to  2,00Y,- 
751  acres  in  1929.    The  acreage  harvested  in  1929 


represented  only  3  percent  of  the  State's  area, 
illustrating  once  again  the  persistent  dominance 
of  livestock. 

Congress  frowned  on  new  reclamation  starts  in 
the  1920's  as  emphasis  shifted  to  sa^lvaging  did 
projects.  In  1920  the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
was  persuaded  to  try  rehabilitating  the  Riverton 
Project.  After  much  pleading.  Senator  John  B. 
Kendrick  in  1933  won  President  Franklin  D. 
Roosevelt's  approval  for  the  Casper- Alcova  Proj- 
ect, known  as  the  Kendrick  Project  after  1937. 

In  the  20  years  since  World  War  II,  Wyoming 
people  have  enjoyed  good  times.  And  yet  there 
has  been  no  spectacular  economic  growth.  The 
State's  increase  in  population  in  the  decade  1950- 
60  was  only  13.6  percent,  which  may  be  compared 
with  18.5  percent  for  the  United  States.  In  1965 
the  State  is  what  it  has  always  been,  mainly  a 
producer  of  raw  materials  to  be  exported  for  proc- 
essing elsewhere. 

In  terms  of  present  cash  receipts,  production 
of  minerals  is  the  leading  industry,  agriculture- 
livestock  is  second,  and  tourism  is  third.  Oil  and 
gas  (mostly  piped  out)  bring  in  as  much  money  as 
agriculture-livestock  and  tourism  taken  together, 
while  uranium,  coal,  trona,  and  iron  ore  bring  in 
additional  millions. 


i 


96 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Cash  value  of  product,  however,  does  not  tell 
the  whole  story.  Economic  multiplier  studies  sug- 
gest that  the  minerals  dollar  has  less  impact  on  the 
State  than  the  agriculture  or  tourist  dollar,  since 
so  many  of  the  minerals  dollars  go  to  outside  own- 
ers. A  University  of  Wyoming  economist  has  cal- 
culated that  minerals  in  1963  were  responsible  for 
30.9  percent  of  the  State's  total  economic  activity ; 
agriculture-livestock,  20.3  percent;  the  Federal 
Government,  11.5  percent;  out-of-State  travelers, 
10.1  percent ;  investment  in  construction  including 
that  of  the  Federal  Government,  8.6  percent,  and 
manufacturing,  5.9  percent. 

Results  of  Multiple  Purpose 

In  postwar  years  the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion has  spent  more  than  $150  million  on  multiple- 
purpose  projects  in  the  State.  These  projects  pro- 
vide power,  recreation,  supplementary  irrigation 
water,  and  a  small  number  of  new  irrigated  farms. 
About  2  million  acres  of  the  State's  62  million 
acres  are  irrigated,  the  main  crops  being  hay, 
sugarbeets,  and  dry  edible  beans. 

Outstanding  among  the  newer  Reclamation 
projects  are  Glendo  and  Boysen.  Also  the  Flaming 
Gorge  Dam  in  Utah  has  made  a  reservoir  which 
extends  almost  as  far  north  as  Wyoming's  city  of 
Green  River. 

Wyoming  became  a  great  oil-producing  State  in 
the  years  after  the  Second  World  War,  as  produc- 
tion rose  fourfold,  leveling  off  at  about  140  million 
barrels  annually  in  the  1960's.  Unhampered  by 
proration,  Wyoming  ranks  fifth  among  the  States 
in  petroleum  production. 

The  fastest-growing  industry  in  the  1960's  is 
tourism,  with  Grand  Teton  National  Park  and 
Yellowstone  National  Park  each  welcoming  about 
2  million  visitors  annually. 

Expanded  iron  ore  output,  production  of  trona 
and  uranium,  two  huge  coal-burning  steam  power- 
plants  at  Glenrock  and  Kemmerer,  and  installa- 
tion of  intercontinental  missiles  around  Cheyenne 
have  bolstered  the  economy  without  satisfying  the 
urge  for  faster  growth.  Various  State  and  local 
agencies  have  been  trying  to  diversify  the  econ- 
omy and  to  reduce  the  considerable  loss  in  em- 
ployment which  comes  in  winter.  At  present,  the 
State  has  the  smallest  manufacturing  employment 
of  the  50  States  (6,500  in  April  1965). 

Industrialization  and  diversification  (and 
court-ordered  reapportionment),  if  they  come, 
could  weaken  the  influence  of  the  Wyoming  Stock 


Dr.   T.   A.   Larson,   author   of   the   article,    is   head  of   the  history 
department  at  the  University  of  Wyoming  in  Laramie. 


Growers  Association,  which  has  always  been  very 
powerful  in  the  State's  politics.  Conceivably  the 
State  might  then  even  lose  its  Cowboy  State  image. 

Wyoming  has  another  name  besides  that  of  Cow- 
boy State.  It  is  also  called  the  Equality  State 
because  it  was  first  among  the  States  to  give 
women  full  rights  to  vote  and  hold  office.  Al- 
though all  States  are  now  equality  States,  Wyo- 
ming will  ever  keep  fresh  the  memory  of  its  pio- 
neering in  the  realm  of  women's  rights. 

Meanwhile,  the  people  of  Wyoming  continue  to 
be  fiercely  proud  of  the  record  they  have  made  in 
the  face  of  obstacles  which  would  have  stopped 
less  energetic,  less  hard-working  folk.  Until  new 
payrolls  come  and  bring  great  changes,  the  350,- 
000  people  of  the  Cowboy  State  will  treasure  the 
privilege  of  living  in  an  uncrowded  common- 
wealth— the  Old  West's  home  on  the  range.  #  #  # 


November  1965 


97 


A  Wait  of  Many  Moons  For  .  .] 


Irrigation  to  the 
Navajo  Tribe 


by  HAROLD  J.  BOYD  and  SHIRLEY  A.  ALLISON 
Bureau   of  Reclamation 
Farmington,  New  Mexico 


In  barren  northwest  New  Mexico,  one  of  the 
West's  long-awaited  irrigation  projects  is  taking 
shape.  More  than  100,000  acres  of  the  parched 
but  fertile  desert  will  be  transformed  by  the  mir- 
acle of  water  for  a  group  of  resourceful  native 
Americans — the  Navajo  Indians. 

Calling  themselves  "Dineh"  (The  People),  the 
Navajos  and  their  existence  in  a  formidable  moun- 
tain-desert area  is  an  amazing  paradox.  While 
other  tribes  have  vanished  or  are  vanishing,  the 
Navajo  has  not.  Numbering  over  85,000 — and 
still  growing — they  are  this  country's  largest 
Indian  tribe. 

Other  Indians  have  deserted  the  log  house  and 
the  tepee  for  more  modern  housing.  But  some 
Navajo  families  still  live  in  hogans,  often  miles 
from  the  nearest  water  and  neighbor.  And  their 
ancient  language  is  still,  in  many  cases,  the  only 
language  they  speak. 

The  People  first  came  into  the  light  of  history 
while  they  were  living  in  an  area  along  the  Colo- 
rado-New Mexico  boundary  between  the  Chama 
and  upper  San  Juan  Kivers. 

This  was  in  the  late  14th  or  early  15th  century. 
From  there  they  spread  south  and  west  into  what 
is  now  known  as  the  Navajo  country,  the  largest 
Indian  reservation  in  the  United  States,  encom- 
passing about  24,000  square  miles  of  rugged  land 
in  arid  parts  of  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  Utah. 

In  the  early  1600's  the  Navajos  were  an  aggres- 
sive and  powerful  tribe.  They  acquired  sheep  and 
horses  from  the  Spaniards  and  learned  from  them 
to  work  with  metal  and  wood.  The  Navajos  are  fa- 
mous for  their  adaptability  and  early  culture. 


98 


And  while  they  copied  much  from  their  neighbors, 
they  improved  on  the  things  they  copied. 

Until  the  arrival  of  white  soldiers  in  Navajo 
territory,  these  Indians  were  seminomadic.  They 
lived  in  loosely  defined  areas,  were  not  friends 
with  other  tribes,  and  regarded  the  oncoming 
white  settlers  as  enemies.  They  retaliated  against 
their  enemies  with  all  their  strength,  making 
Navajo  country  dangerous  for  anyone  but  a 
Navajo. 

The  first  military  expedition  against  The 
People  was  in  the  winter  of  1846,  when  Colonel 
Doniphan  and  350  soldiers  met  with  them  at  Bear 
Springs,  later  known  as  Fort  Wingate,  and 
signed  a  nominal  treaty. 

Since  there  was  no  acknowledged  head  of  all 
the  Navajos,  any  Navajo  leader  who  signed  a 
treaty  was  responible  for  his  own  people  only. 
This  fact  was  not  understood  by  the  Army,  which 
held  all  Navajos  responsible  for  all  treaty  prom- 
ises. This  led  to  retaliation,  further  treaties,  in- 
creased misunderstanding,  and  more  raids  for  the 
next  20  years.  Finally,  it  was  decided  to  round  up 
The  People  and  send  them  to  Fort  Sumner,  N. 
Mex.,  where  they  were  to  settle  down,  learn  the  art 
of  farming,  and  become  peaceful  citizens  insofar 
as  they  were  able. 

Submission  Wrested 

Colonel  Kit  Carson  was  given  the  task  of  locat- 
ing and  rounding  up  the  Navajos.  They  hid  in 
such  strongholds  as  Canyon  de  Chelly  where  they 
defied  the  troops'  advances.  It  became  necessary 
to  kill  their  sheep,  destroy  their  cornfields,  devas- 

The  Reclamation  Era 


The  giant  tunneling  "Mole"  looms  into  the  portal  to  take  over  its 
work  on  the  already  started  Tunnel  No.  1  of  the  water  develop- 
ment project. 


tate  their  orchards,  and  to  literally  starve  them 
into  submission.  Even  then,  not  all  the  Navajos 
surrendered.  Bands  of  them  fled  and  eluded  the 
troops  until  they  were  finally  left  unmolested. 

After  4  heartbreaking  years,  those  who  had  been 
taken  to  Fort  Sumner  petitioned  the  Peace  Com- 
mission to  be  allowed  to  return  to  their  old  homes 
and  promised  they  would  cause  no  more  trouble. 
The  historic  treaty  of  1868,  which  resulted,  re- 
corded the  promises  made  by  the  white  men. 

A  provision  of  major  interest  in  the  treaty  is 
that  productive  land  would  be  provided  for  each 
Navajo  family.  Since  the  land  already  is  fertile 
the  development  of  irrigation  is  the  ingredient  of 
principal  need. 

When  freeid  of  their  captivity,  the  Navajo  peo- 
ple made  a  new  start  toward  progress.  They  ex- 
hibited stamina,  and  an  urge  to  work  and  succeed. 

In  the  first  part  of  this  century,  came  encourage- 
ment. The  communities  of  Aztec  and  Blanco, 
N.  Mex.,  received  an  irrigation  project  survey  crew 
headed  by  the  Turley  Brothers,  Jay  and  Guy.  The 
crew,  including  two  local  men,  Albert  "Bert" 
Jacquez  and  Joe  Lujan,  battled  problems  of  the 
rugged  terrain  around  the  Pine  and  San  Juan 
Rivers  centering  around  the  present  Navajo  Dam. 

On  their  trips  into  town  the  men  fired  the  dreams 
of  the  people  with  their  visions  of  an  irrigation 


dam  on  the  San  Juan  that  might  turn  desert  into 
fertile  land.  The  determined  crew  continued  their 
work  through  blazing  summer  sun.  Winter  nights 
were  freezing,  but  the  survey  went  on. 

These  men  lived  off  the  country  and  crossed 
spring-flooded  rivers  on  rafts.  Guy  Turley  spent 
16  hours  a  day  for  weeks  compiling  maps  and  de- 
tails of  the  survey  to  comply  with  demands  of  a 
financing  group. 

Jay  made  preliminary  filings  in  late  1909,  but 
failed  to  interest  private  capital  or  the  Federal 
Government  in  developing  the  project. 

In  1920,  and  again  in  1925,  Turley's  proposal 
was  investigated  by  the  Bureau  of  Indian  Affairs, 
but  each  time  it  was  rejected  as  not  being  feasible 
under  the  existing  economic  conditions.  The  pres- 
ent layout  for  canals  and  reservoirs,  however,  re- 
sembles that,  in  an  extensive  survey  made  in  the 
late  1920's  by  Herbert  W.  Yeo,  State  Engineer  of 
New  Mexico. 

The  Governor's  Request 

Additional  studies  were  made  for  a  number  of 
years,  but  nothing  was  resolved  until  the  Gov- 

Rugs  made  by  the  hand  machine  such  as  is  used  by  the  Navajo 
woman,  provide  a  source  of  income. 


November  1965 


99 


emor  of  New  Mexico,  in  a  letter  of  March  4, 1953, 
asked  the  Federal  Government  to  develop  a  proj- 
ect that  would  utilize  the  waters  of  the  San  Juan 
River  to  irrigate  lands  adjacent  to  and  within  the 
Navajo  Indian  Reservation.  The  Secretary  of  the 
Interior  promptly  directed  the  Bureaus  of  Recla- 
mation and  Indian  Affairs  to  cooperate  in  an  in- 
vestigation of  the  project  as  the  Governor 
proposed. 

The  two  Bureaus  prepared  a  report  proposing 
construction  of  a  dam  on  the  San  Juan  River, 
and  an  irrigation  system  for  lands  of  both  Indian 
and  non-Indian  farmers. 

The  New  Mexico  Interstate  Stream  Commission 
recommended  that  the  project  be  developed  pri- 
marily for  the  Navajo  Indians,  and  that  non- 
Indian  lands  be  excluded. 

After  concurrence  of  the  Navajo  Tribal  Council, 
a  supplemental  report  prepared  by  the  Bureau 
of  Indian  Affairs,  proposed  development  of 
110,630  acres  of  land. 

Authorization  of  the  project  by  the  act  of  June 
13,  1962,  by  the  87th  Congress,  finally  brought  to 
reality  the  provisions  of  the  treaty  of  1868  and 
included  development  for  irrigation.  In  the  best 
possible  fulfillment  of  the  national  obligation  to 
the  Navajo  Tribe,  modem  machinery  and  methods 
are  now  employed  in  constructing  the  long- 
awaited  project. 

While  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  will  construct 
the  dams,  tunnels,  and  other  major  features,  it 
is  a  Bureau  of  Indian  Affairs'  project.  That 
agency  will  develop  the  farm  units  with  the  Nav- 


ajo Tribe.  This  BIA  responsibility  not  only  in- 
cludes the  training  of  Navajo  farmers,  but  also  the 
leveling  of  the  farm  units,  construction  of  irriga- 
tion ditches,  erection  of  buildings,  and  construc- 
tion of  farm-to-market  roads. 

With  elevation  differences  of  nearly  2  miles  be- 
tween the  highest  and  lowest  points,  the  San  Juan 
River  Basin  is  one  of  extreme  contrast  in  both 
topography  and  climate.  Several  mountain  peaks 
on  the  northeast  rim  of  the  Basin  reach  more  than 
13,000  feet  above  sea  level. 

From  these  heights  the  peaks  slope  to  a  basin 
of  3,260  feet  at  the  confluence  of  the  San  Juan 
and  the  Colorado  Rivers.  The  tree-clad  moun- 
tain areas  also  have  clear,  fish-stocked  streams  and 
small  lakes.  The  foothill  valleys  are  barren,  but 
fertile  and  picturesque. 

With  an  average  precipitation  of  only  8  inches 
a  year,  stored  water  is  necessary  for  successful 
crop  production  in  the  San  Juan  River  basin. 
Under  irrigation,  it  is  expected  the  lands  will  be 
devoted  primarily  to  alfalfa,  beans,  and  irrigated 
pasture,  with  some  acreage  devoted  to  com,  oats, 
and  barley.  At  present,  however,  all  the  lands 
in  the  project  area  are  undeveloped  and  are  used 
only  for  grazing. 

Population  Increase 

Although  the  Navajo  reservation  population  is 
now  over  85,000,  it  is  expected  to  approximate 
200,000  by  the  year  2000.  Hence,  one  of  the 
strongest  needs  for  this  beneficial  project  is  to  help 
take  care  of  the  Navajo's  fast  growth.    In  bring- 


This  is  a  typical  flock  of  sheep  in  Navajo  land.     Sheep  raising  is  the  largest  source  of  income  to  the  Navajo  family. 


Shiprock 


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NAVAJO  INDIAN  IRRIGATION  PROJECT 

NEW  MEXICO 

»  0  2  4  6  >         10 


ing  them  a  better  standard  of  living,  the  Navajo 
Indian  Irrigation  Project  will  provide  a  means  of 
self-support  for  1,120  families  on  the  farm  units 
and  create  employment  for  an  additional  2,240 
families. 

Construction  of  the  project  will  generate  an  esti- 
mated 7,000  man-years  of  work  at  the  project  site 
and  an  equivalent  of  more  than  12,000  man-years 
of  work  in  other  areas  throughout  the  country 
which  will  provide  the  necessary  services,  mate- 
rials, and  equipment. 

Families  on  the  project  lands  will  require  more 
schools,  housing,  farm  buildings,  roads,  fences,  and 
utility  installations.  There  also  will  be  increas- 
ing demands  for  farm  machinery,  trucks,  and 
automobiles. 

A  relatively  large  municipal  and  industrial 
water  supply  also  will  be  provided  by  the  project. 

By  the  spring  of  1964,  the  time  had  finally  come 
to  actually  undertake  construction  of  the  $135  mil- 
lion resource  development  project.  Work  started 
immediately  on  Tunnel  No.  1  and  the  main  canal 
headworks,  the  first  major  feature.  The  next  ma- 
jor feature,  a  5-mile  tunnel,  was  started  in  the 
early  part  of  1965. 

An  ultramodern  machine,  "The  Mole,"  perhaps 
the  most  efficient  equipment  ever  developed  for 
large  tunnel  excavation,  is  at  work  in  the  20-foot- 

NOVEMBER  1965 
786^295 ' 


diameter  No.  1  tunnel.  This  huge  burrower 
weighs  about  280  tons  and  is  64  feet  long.  It  is 
one  of  the  first  developed  to  excavate  such  a  large 
tunnel  in  hard  rock  and  is  arousing  considerable 
engineering  interest  among  those  who  do  tunnel- 
ing work. 

Keclamation  will  construct  approximately  600 
miles  of  canals  and  laterals,  40.8  miles  of  siphons, 
and  a  total  of  13.1  miles  of  tunnels  to  deliver  water 
from  the  existing  Navajo  Dam  and  reservoir  on 
the  San  Juan  River.  Reclamation  also  will  con- 
struct a  powerplant  and  pumping  plant  to  serve 
project  lands  situated  aibove  the  main  canal.  Off- 
stream  balancing  reservoirs  that  will  be  filled  by 
pumping  during  the  off-irrigation  season  will  be 
formed  by  earthfill  dams. 

After  the  initial  delivery  of  water  is  made  to 
project  lands  in  1971,  approximately  10,000  acres 
for  farming  will  be  developed  annually.  Comple- 
tion of  construction  will  be  in  1980. 

As  for  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  and  its  record 
of  accomplishments  in  the  field  of  water  resource 
development,  this  sister  agency  to  the  Bureau  of 
Indian  Affairs  is  proud  to  take  its  know-how  and 
experience  to  Indian  country  and  to  assist  the 
Nava  jos  in  obtaining  the  basic  ingredient — water — 
for  building  the  firmer  economy  they  so  justly  de- 
serve. #  #  # 


101 


THE  LEWISTON  CENTER 

"These  Young  Men" 


Reclamation   Commissioner  Floyd   E.  Dominy  gives  the  dedication 
address  at  an  outdoor  stage  built  by  Corpsmen. 


As  half-time  students,  the  Corpsmen  study  and  receive  individual 
help  from  instructors  in  the  education  room. 


James  M.  Benge,  automotive  mechanic,  explains  the  parts  of  the 
truck  motor  to  Bruce  K.  Day,  20,  from  Seattle,  Wash.,  and  Bob 
Van  Camp,  1 8,  from  Hayward,  Calif. 


Two  years  ago,  President  John  F.  Kennedy, 
speaking  at  the  dedication  of  Whiskeytown  Dam 
in  northern  California,  said :  '"''Whenever  we  'bet  on 
the  future  of  this  country^  we  wi/n.''^ 

In  another  dedication  in  the  same  area  last  May 
27,  Reclamation  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy 
repeated  the  lines  uttered  by  President  Kennedy, 
and  added :  "I  feel  certain  he  (President  Kennedy) 
would  have  agreed  with  President  Johnson  and  all 
of  us  here  today  that  when  we  bet  on  the  future 
of  these  yowng  men,  we  will  win  again." 

This  was  the  reassuring  theme  at  the  dedioation 
of  the  first  two  Job  Corps  Conservation  Centers 
in  California,  also  the  first  under  the  sponsorship 
of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation.  Commissioner 
Dominy  dedicated  the  Centers — ^Lewiston  and 
Toyon — at  ceremonies  attended  by  Job  Corps  offi- 
cials from  Washington,  D.C.,  State  and  local  lead- 
ers and  townspeople. 

After  the  dedication  of  these  antipoverty  Cen- 
ters, the  youthful  Job  Corps  enrollees,  who  hailed 
from  disadvantaged  homes  in  diverse  States,  served 
as  ushers  and  guides  to  the  many  guests  and  offi- 
cials who  stayed  to  shake  hands  with  tliem  and 
inspect  their  facilities. 

Useful  work  for  the  300  trainees  at  Lewiston  and 
Toyon  is  the  rewarding  kind — mainly  conserva- 
tion, recreation,  and  beautification.  Under  spe- 
cially selected  supervisors,  these  young  men  have 
been  clearing  hazardous  debris  from  around  Shasta 
Lake,  and  working  to  control  soil  erosion  and  sta- 
bilize soil  at  various  projects.  In  a  continuing 
program,  supplementing  academic  and  vocational 
instruction,  they  will  develop  recreation  areas,  and 
improve  access  roads  and  trails,  and  fish  and  wild- 
life areas. 

Firefighters 

The  eagerness  of  the  boys  to  get  to  a  brush  fire 
and  prevent  its  spread  in  agricultural  areas — also 
one  of  their  jobs — already  has  been  noted  in  a 
July  issue  of  the  "Redding  Record  Searchlight" 
newspaper. 

The  article  recounted  that  the  Lewiston  enroll- 
ees had  put  out  a  roadside  brush  fire  which  they 
happened  upon  while  en  route  to  other  assign- 
ments. In  the  effort,  two  of  the  young  men,  Clin- 
ton Brown  and  William  Hale,  were  burned  on  the 
hands  and  treated  at  Lewiston  Center  infirmary. 
However,  the  fire  had  been  set  by  a  flaming  can 
of  gasoline  which  a  passing  motorist  had  thrown 
out  of  the  back  of  his  pickup  truck  when  he  die 

Photos  hy  Wea  W.  Nell 

The  Reclamation  Era 


covered  it  burning.  Serious  trouble  was  averted 
when  vehicles  loaded  with  trainees  arrived  on  the 
scene  and  the  young  Corpsmen  helped  extinguish 
the  blaze  with  axes,  shovels,  and  fire  extinguishers. 

Their  work  in  conservation  normally  occupies 
about  20  hours  a  week.  Fifteen  to  twenty  hours  of 
schooling  in  basic  and  vocational  subjects  is  given 
either  by  the  Center's  instructors,  or  through  the 
school  systems  of  a  nearby  community. 

One  such  community  training  program  has 
brought  Corpsmen  from  both  the  Toyon  and  Lew- 
iston  Centers  to  night  courses  in  auto  mechanics 
and  carpentry.  These  courses  are  conducted  by 
the  Shasta  Junior  College  and  held  at  the  Redding 
High  School  building. 

tSuch  courses  from  educational  institutions  are 
nly  part  of  the  cooperation  provided  by  com- 
munity organizations.  The  community  businesses 
and  churches  helped  the  JCCC  staff  and  their  fam- 
ilies and  the  enroUees  to  get  settled,  and  made 
them  welcome  to  the  various  social  and  business 
services  available. 

In  demonstrating  conununity  spirit,  the  enroU- 
ees, on  off-duty  Saturdays,  cleaned  up  a  town 
cemetery,  and  then  went  to  work  on  the  city  parks, 
also  on  their  own  time. 

Directors  Are  Qualified 

The  principal  person  contributing  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  JCCC  is  the  man  filling  the  position 
of  Director  of  the  Center.  Directors  are  between 
30  and  45  years  of  age.  They  are  required  to  have 
special  leadership  experience,  as  well  as  an  interest 
in  and  an  affinity  for  working  with  young  men. 

The  Director's  Deputies  for  Work  Programs 
and  Education  and  the  Administrative  Officer  also 
are  well-trained  and  skillful  leaders.  Competing 
the  well-rounded  staff — which  numbers  about  26 
for  a  center  of  100,  and  36  for  a  200-man  Center — 
are  competent  cooks,  clerks,  instructors,  resident 
workers,  and  work  leaders. 

Added  to  the  basic  program  of  worthwhile  out- 
door work  projects  and  patient  teaching  are  plenty 
of  good  food  and  recreation.  This  includes  a  few 
hours  of  basketball,  checkers,  or  table  tennis,  or 
other  such  sport  in  the  living  area  or  a  comparable 
recreation  activity  in  town.  Part  of  this  new  life, 
or  all  of  it,  is  an  improvement  over  a  dismal  past. 
And,  the  boys  who  apply  themselves  are  advancing 
the  way  they  have  often  wanted  to — in  a  better 
present  and  toward  a  better  future. 

November  1965 


THE  TOYON  CENTER 


A  group  of  new  arrivals  pose  at  the  entrance  of  their  new  home 
with  John  A.  Dell,  instructor,  standing  at  far  left. 


An  issue  of  clothing  is  being  completed  with  both  work  and  dress 
shoes.  From  left  to  right  are:  the  one  partially  hidden  and  David 
Richardson,  1 7,  Indianapolis,  Ind.;  Instructor  Thomas  and  Gordon 
Sewell,  auto  mechanic. 


The  array  of  tools  that  they  will  have  opportunities  to  use  are 
being  looked  over  by  John  Sonnik,  17,  Fred  Smithgall,  18,  and 
Skip  Saunders,  1  8,  all  from  Pennsylvania,  and  instructor  Thomas. 


THE  CASPER  CENTER 

Happenings  to  the  Corpsmen  from  Casper,  are 
well  described  in  "Job  Corps  Express"  reproduced 
in  part  on  this  page.  Although  the  young  writers 
in  the  "Express"  tell  their  story  very  well,  we  feel 
the  reader  would  want  to  know  that  50  percent 
of  the  youths  at  the  Center  are  opening  savings 
bank  accounts  in  Casper,  and  80  percent  send 
money  home. 

Also,  attendance  at  churches  in  Casper  reached 
80  percent  of  the  Corps  personnel,  and  the 
churches  are  running  a  pickup  service  and  trans- 
porting a  number  of  volunteers  to  their  events. 

A  letter  of  thanks  for  their  2  weeks  of  flood 
work  in  the  city  of  Denver  during  June  was  re- 
ceived from  Mayor  Tom  Currigan.  They  did  a 
magnificent  job,"  the  Mayor  wrote. 

Another  letter  from  Joe  Ciancio,  Jr.,  manager 
of  the  Denver  Department  of  Parks  and  Recrea- 
tion said : 

"It  is  impossible  for  me  to  express  in  words  the 
city  of  Denver's  thanks  and  appreciation  for  the 
work  of  the  Job  Corps'  group  of  boys  from  Casper, 
Wyo.,  in  their  attitude,  effort,  and  work  produc- 
tion at  the  Overland  Park  Municipal  Golf  Course. 
This  work  experience  should  have  been  valuable 
to  this  group  of  boys,  because  of  the  variety  of 
work  encountered." 


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Congressman  Wayne  Aspinall  of 
Colorado,  and  Kenneth  Holum,  As- 
sistant Secretary  of  the  Interior, 
visit  with  Corpsmen. 


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Corpsmen  in  the  foreground,  and  the  general  public  attend 
the  dedication  ceremonies  of  the  Casper  Center. 


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THE  COLLBRAN  CENTER 


Photos  by  Stan  Kaamuaaen  and  L.  C.  Axthelm 


A  woman  reporter  for  the  Lamar,  Colo.,  newspaper,  shoots  a  photograph  of  the  arriving  floodworkers. 


Against  a  backdrop  of  mountains  and  greenery, 
Corpsmen  of  Collbran  attended  the  outdoor  dedi- 
cation of  their  Center  on  June  19. 

Most  of  their  work  also  will  be  in  such  inviting 
scenery,  but  a  change  to  the  opposite  within  the 
week  was  due  for  some — and  30  volunteers  were 
chosen.  To  take  up  shovels  and  buckets  and  clean 
up  truckloads  of  muck  and  debris  in  the  wake  of 
a  ruinous  flood  is  not  very  pleasant  work.  How- 
ever, after  they  spent  7  arduous  days  at  the  end 
of  June  doing  it.  Mayor  R.  E.  Northrup  of  Lamar, 
wrote  a  letter  saying: 

"As  you  know,  we  detailed  half  of  the  boys  to 
Holly  and  Granada  as  those  two  communities 
were  flooded  worse  than  Lamar  and  had  smaller 
city  organizations  with  which  to  start  making  a 
recovery. 

"The  Corps  worked  with  our  city  crews  at  clean- 
ing silt  and  debris  off  public  property  and  city 
streets.  They  cleaned  the  basement  of  our  city 
library  and  this  was  a  big  job. 

"Also,  through  our  chamber  of  commerce,  they 
helped  elderly  and  disabled  people  and  I'm  sure 
this  was  greatly  appreciated. 

"All  in  all,  I  consider  the  project  a  success  and 
of  material  aid  to  our  three  Communities  in 
Prowers  County,  and  we  thank  you. 

"As  you  know,  the  boys  were  housed  in  the  Colo- 
rado National  Guard  Armory  and  were  fed  by 
guard  personnel.  We  all  owe  this  organization  a 
great  debt  of  gratitude." 


The  flood  emergency  required  drastic  and  cou- 
rageous adjustments  for  the  youthful  workers. 

Courage  and  Stamina 

But  that  response  was  expected  because  it  re- 
quired courage  and  stamina  for  this  heterogenous 
group  of  boys  to  make  the  adjustment  from  a  life 
of  deprivation  and  frustration  to  the  positive  role 
of  Corpsmen. 

"Homesickness  dampens  the  enthusiasm  of  a 
few,"  said  the  Center  Director,  Murray  Durst,  "as 
does  the  barrage  of  inoculations."  Few  of  them 
had  experienced  any  contact  with  shots  or  planned 
medical  care.  Because  of  the  required  inocula- 
tions, seven  dropped  out  of  the  program  and  went 
home.  However,  the  episode  of  the  shots  and  sore 
arms  did  a  lot  to  weld  together  those  who  stayed. 

At  the  Collbran  Center,  and  in  nearby  areas, 
the  work  crews  have  accomplished  several  proj- 
ects. They  helped  to  prepare  Vega  Dam  recrea- 
tion area  for  summer  visitors.  They  installed 
skirts  around  their  dormitory  houses,  cleaned  up 
construction  debris,  planted  trees,  and  made  other 
landscaping  improvements. 

Meals,  abundant  and  varied,  are  one  of  the  big- 
gest attractions.  Despite  differences  in  geograph- 
ical origin  and  eating  habits,  there  has  been  no 
major  problem  in  getting  them  to  accept  new 
foods. 

Psychological  and  physical  tests  were  made 
early,  in  the  academic  phase  of  the  pro- 
gram. #  #  # 


106 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Ceremonies  dedicating  the  scenic  Collbran  Center  on  June  19,  are 
underway  at  lower  right.  The  Center's  buildings  are  convenient 
to  the  trout-stocked   pond. 


Appetizing   food  at  Collbran  is  served  by  cooks  Bob  Oliver,  Jo 
Wegner,  and  John  Rodriquez. 


Making  one's  own  bed  is  part  of  the  Corpsman's  daily  routine. 

Medic  Michael  Rodriguez  is  giving  an  inoculation  to  Jess  Munoz. 
Looking  on  are  Gary  Horsman,  J.  C.  Butler,  Ray  Shackelford,  and 
Earl  Poindexter. 


The  helpers  taking  part  in  this  outfitting  are  from  left,  Jess  Munoz 
and  Ray  Shackelford,  enroilees,  resident  youth  worker,  Oliver 
Archuleta  and  supply  clerk  Jim  Rooks. 


On  a  landscaping  project  at  the  Center,  Instructor  Robert  Emberty, 
right,  and  Medic  Rodriguez,  left,  work  with  Garry  Mull  and  Ron 
Dunn. 

Part  of  the  30  Collbran  men  who  did  flood  cleanup  were  these  at 
work  in  the  Lamar  Library.  They  are,  from  left,  Jim  Evans  of 
California,  Robert  Tallent  of  Texas,  Tommy  Martinez  of  New  Mexico, 
and  Jess  Munz  of  California. 


-•  »»-.-*»''.4*v* 


An  estimated  12,000  fans  turned  out  to  view  the  first  annual  Bonneville  Regata  on  August  14  and  15,  and  found  that  the  large  boulders 
on  the  rockface  of  the  nev^ly  completed  Willard  Dam  provided*  grandstand  seating.     Hydro  speeds  reached  1 70  miles  per  hour. 

Hydroplanes  Excite  Crowd 

at  Bureau's  New  Willard  Reservoir 


Thirteen  of  the  world's  largest  racing  boats — 
unlimited  hydroplanes — thrilled  big  crowds  at  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation's  new  Willard  Reservoir 
near  Ogden,  Utah,  on  August  14  and  15.  These 
large  boats,  which  weigh  from  3  to  5  tons  each, 
skimmed  over  the  choppy  waters  at  speeds  up  to 
170  miles  per  hour,  and  even  with  180-degree  turns 
averaged  105  miles  per  hour.  The  event,  which  was 
sponsored  by  the  South  Ogden  and  Brigham  City 
Lions  Clubs,  was  titled  the  "First  Annual  Lions 
Bonneville  Regatta,"  and  it  drew  crowds  as  large 
as  12,000.  The  hydroplane  named  "Miss  Bardahl" 
won  most  of  the  races.  The  driver,  Ron  Musson, 
was  presented  trophies  by  Utah  Governor  Calvin 
L.  Rampton. 

Willard  Reservoir  is  one  of  Utah's — indeed,  one 
of  Reclamation's — most  unusual  bodies  of  water. 
It  is  actually  a  broad  arm  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake 
that  has  been  dammed  by  a  15-mile-long  structure 
called  Willard  Dam.  Spring  floodwaters  of  the 
Weber  River,  which  used  to  be  lost  in  the  Great 
Salt  Lake,  are  now  diverted  into  Willard  Reser- 


108 


voir.  Each  year  the  water  can  be  pumped  back  to 
the  irrigation  distribution  systems  for  use  on 
Weber  Basin  Project  lands. 

Although  storage  of  water  in  Willard  Reser- 
voir began  only  a  year  ago,  the  unusually  high 
runoff  of  1965  almost  filled  the  reservoir  to  capac- 
ity, which  permitted  the  Bonneville  Regatta  to  be 
held.  Present  plans  call  for  making  the  regatta 
an  annual  event.  #  #  # 


Large  cranes  lifted  the  3-  to  5-ton  hydros  in  and  out  of  the  water 
between  each  heat  of  the  race  so  the  crews  could  make  the  fine 
tuneup  necessary  for  the  speeds  attained  in  this  kind  of  regatta. 
In  this  photo,  pit  mechanics  gas  up  the  25-foot-long  "Notre  Dame." 


Ma  iffinft'iBirrii 


-^ 


Retarding  Evaporation  in  Small  Reservoirs 

by  WILMON  W.  MEINKE  and 

WILLIAM  J.  WALDRIP,  of  the  Texas  Agricultural   Experimental  Station 

Much  has  been  written  in  recent  years  about  m^mn^ 
the  increasing  water  problem  in  the  United  States. 
Sources  of  water  under  the  ground  are  no  longer 
adequate  to  meet  the  needs  of  a  growing  popula- 
tion, so  more  and  more  surface  water  is  used  each 
year. 

As  a  result  of  the  increased  use  of  surface  water, 
there  was  a  71  percent  increase  in  reservoir  capac- 
ity between  1947  and  1954,  And  it  has  been  esti- 
mated that  the  total  reservoir  capacity  will  double 
during  the  next  25  years. 

For  efficient  use,  millions  of  acres  of  rangeland 
depend  on  the  proper  amount  and  distribution  of 
livestock  water.  Many  range  areas  also  rely  pri- 
marily upon  stock  ponds  for  household  water. 
Researchers  have  safely  concluded  that  there 
would  be  many  more  potential  water  pond  sites 
if  the  water  could  be  maintained  in  shallow  ponds, 
or  on  limited  watersheds  by  a  reduction  of  evap- 
oration losses. 

By  far  the  biggest  thief  of  water  from  ponds  or 
small  reservoirs  is  evaporation.  As  much  water 
is  lost  each  year  to  this  surface  water  culprit  as 
is  consumed  by  all  water  users.  On  farm  and 
ranch  ponds  in  the  Southwest,  evaporation  losses 
may  be  as  much  as  10  times  the  amount  consumed 
by  livestock.  This  loss  in  the  11  Western  States 
averages  11.5  million  acre-feet  per  year.  The 
value  of  the  loss  ranges  from  a  few  cents  to  sev- 
eral dollars  per  thousand  gallons.  For  example, 
costs  for  hauling  livestock  water  in  Throckmorton 
County,  Tex.,  during  the  drouth  of  the  1950's  av- 
eraged $6  per  thousand  gallons. 

Expenditures  of  money  on  conservation  by  evap- 
oration control  measures  should  be  based  on  the 
replacement  costs  of  reservoir  supplies  from  other 
sources,  and  on  an  estimated  insufficient  rainfall. 

Funds  for  Research 

Recognizing  the  need  and  possible  opportunities 
for  reducing  the  tremendous  evaporation  losses 
from  farm  and  ranch  ponds  in  Texas,  the  Water 
Commission  for  the  State  made  research  funds 
available  to  the  Texas  A.  &  M.  Research  Founda- 
tion in  1958.  The  resulting  research  was  a  joint 
effort  by  the  Texas  Agricultural  and  Engineering 


Two  copper  mesh  bags  are  used  in  this  experiment  to  properly 
confine  the  chunks  of  solid  emulsion  evaporant. 


Experiment  Stations.  Field  testing  was  carried 
out  on  the  Texas  Experimental  Ranch  in  Throck- 
morton County. 

In  reservoir  evaporation  work,  various  ways 
have  been  recommended  to  reduce  water  losses. 
Two  of  the  more  practical  methods  are:  the  re- 
duction of  surface  area  by  making  the  reservoir 
deeper  and  eliminating  shallow  areas;  and  the 
construction  of  windbreaks  to  reduce  wind 
velocity. 

A  third  method,  however,  which  is  the  subject 
of  this  article,  is  the  application  of  a  chemical 
film  on  the  reservoir  surface. 

Since  farm  or  ranch  ponds  present  problems 
not  encountered  with  larger  reservoirs,  test  condi- 
tions have  been  built.  Twin  ponds,  each  with  a 
water  surface  75  feet  by  100  feet  when  filled  to  a 
depth  of  5  feet,  were  constructed  for  tests  at  the 
Texas  Experimental  Ranch.  A  single  large  sheet 
of  polyethylene  was  placed  on  the  floor  and  sides 
of  each  pond  to  prevent  seepage,  and  dikes  were 


November  1965 


109 


constructed  around  the  ponds  to  reduce  runoff  in- 
take to  a  minimum. 

One  of  the  twins  was  treated  with  antievaporant 
and  the  other  served  as  a  check.  A  larger  pond 
just  above  the  twin  ponds  supplied  water  for  the 
tests.  Evaporation  losses  were  computed  by  daily- 
measurements  of  water  levels  in  stilling  wells. 

The  most  commonly  used  evaporation  control 
chemical  is  hexadecanol  (or  cetyl  alcohol)  a  16 
carbon  straight  chain  normal  alcohol.  When  it 
is  applied  as  a  mono  molecular  film  on  the  water's 
surface,  evaporation  may  be  reduced  by  60  per- 
cent or  more  under  favorable  conditions.  Hex- 
adecanol is  produced  mostly  from  fats  and  oils, 
and  it  costs  approximately  30  cents  per  pound. 

There  are  alcohol  mixtures  which  may  be  more 
effective  than  hexadecanol  alone.  For  example, 
laboratory  tests  by  the  Texas  Engineering  Experi- 
ment Station  indicated  that  a  50-50  mixture  of 
hexa-  and  octa-alcohols  gave  better  results.  Also 
by  adding  other  substances,  better  spreading  and 
protection  against  bacterial  decomposition  is 
obtained. 

Organism  Life  Unaffected 

Hexa-  and  octa-decanol  are  odorless,  tasteless, 
and  nontoxic  to  plant  and  animal  life.  Although 
the  material  may  change  the  biological  balance 
in  the  water  by  serving  as  a  food  source  for  bac- 
teria, observations  of  bacteria  in  the  tanks  on  the 
Experimental  Ranch  showed  no  appreciable  dif- 
ference between  the  treated  and  untreated  water. 

Unlike  large  reservoirs,  small  ponds  are  not 
usually  near  sources  of  electric  or  mechanical 
power.  But  economic  considerations  dictate  that 
film  distribution  systems  be  cheaply  powered  and 
easily  maintained  by  nontechnical  labor. 

In  addition,  film  movement  by  wind  necessitates 
.constant  release  from  multiple  points  on  the  up- 
wind shoreline.  A  chemical  film  travels  ap- 
proximately 3.4  feet  for  each  100  feet  of  sur- 
face wind  travel.  Based  on  this,  approximately 
one-half  pound  of  film  chemical  per  day  must  be 
applied  continuously  to  each  100  feet  of  upwind 
shoreline  for  each  mile  per  hour  of  wind  travel. 

A  number  of  systems,  using  both  liquid  and  solid 
mixtures,  were  tested  at  College  Station  and  on 
the  twin  ponds  in  Throckmorton  County.  A 
"controlled-environment  chamber"  designed  and 
used  by  Dr.  Morris  E.  Bloodworth,  Head  of  the 
Department  of  Soil  and  Crop  Sciences  at  Texas 


A.  &  M.  University,  provided  an  opportunity  to 
study  various  aspects  under  fixed  climatic  condi- 
tions. The  controlled  environment  chambers  were 
extremely  valuable  in  determining  the  effects  of 
wind,  temperature,  and  relative  humidity  upon 
evaporation.  This  phase  of  the  study  also  pro- 
vided a  basis  for  calculating  the  cost  of  film  chem- 
ical in  saving  a  unit  volume  of  water  under  a 
variety  of  climatic  conditions. 

Fourteen  tests,  ranging  in  length  from  a  few 
days  to  more  than  2  months,  were  conducted  dur- 
ing the  5-year  period  on  the  twin  ponds.  The 
trials  were  based  upon  information  derived  from 
laboratory  studies  at  College  Station,  and  con- 
sisted basically  of  four  systems  of  application: 
solid  emulsions,  solutions,  liquid  emulsions,  and 
powder. 

Solid  Emulsions  Tests 

The  initial  field  test  series  consisted  of  floating 
rods  of  solid  emulsion  attached  to  each  other  by 
heavy  twine  and  placed  on  the  water  surface. 
Each  rod  was  prepared  by  heating  the  hexaocta- 
decanol,  emulsifier,  soap,  and  mineral  oil  and  pour- 
ing them  into  a  given  amount  of  water.  The  mix- 
ture was  then  poured  into  a  mold  forming  a  rod 
approximately  1  foot  long.  Within  the  mold,  each 
emulsion  rod  solidified  around  a  i/^-inch-diameter 
polyethylene  tube  float.  Although  these  rods 
worked  satisfactorily  under  laboratory  tests,  no 
water  was  saved  when  they  were  tested  in  the 
field.  Tests  indicated  no  release  of  the  film  ma- 
terial from  the  rods,  possibly  because  of  the  hard 
water  at  the  field  site.  It  is  believed  that  calcium 
and  magnesium  in  the  water  of  the  twin  ponds 
sealed  the  rods  in  a  film  of  insoluble  soap. 

Several  more  solid  emulsions  containing  the 
fatty  alcohols,  emulsifiers,  copper  oleate,  water 
and,  in  some  cases,  mineral  oil  were  tested.  Rather 
than  forming  rods,  the  solid  was  cut  into  1-inch 
squares  one-quarter  inch  thick,  and  the  squares  or 
chunks  were  placed  in  nylon-mesh  bags.  The  mesh 
bags  were  later  discarded  for  cylinders  of  i/4-  or 
%-inch  hardware  cloth  equipped  with  plastic 
floats.  Evaporation  savings  with  the  chunks  of 
solid  emulsion  averaged  approximately  19  per- 
cent of  the  evaporated  total  from  the  untreated 
pond,  and  the  dispensing  system  was  relatively 
trouble-free.  Material  cost,  per  thousand  gallons 
of  water  saved  from  a  1-acre  surface,  was  abou^ 
48  cents. 


110 


The  Reclamation  Ef 


Solutions  Tests 

A  20-percent-by-weight  solution  of  the  film  ma- 
terial in  isopropanol  was  released  through  capil- 
lary drippers  placed  near  the  upwind  shore.  These 
drippers  were  attached  to  a  55-gallon  supply  drum 
through  a  constant  head  chamber  by  i/^-inch  poly- 
ethylene tubing. 

Although  the  drippers  were  calibrated  to  de- 
liver approximately  3  pounds  of  hexa-octadecanol 
per  day,  malfunction  of  the  dripper  units  re- 
sulted in  the  dispensing  of  varying  amounts  aver- 
aging 1  pound  per  day. 

Low  temperatures  (below  54°  F.)  caused  crys- 
tallization in  the  feed  lines  and  capillary  dippers. 
Even  with  a  return  to  higher  temperatures,  it  was 
necessary  to  overhaul  the  distribution  system  in 
order  to  restore  operation.  Also,  small  foreign 
particles  frequently  lodged  in  the  capillaries. 

Despite  the  problems  with  material  supply,  the 
dripper  method  resulted  in  a  water  saving  of  23 
feet,  or  about  22.5  percent  of  the  total  evaporated, 
during  a  YO-day  test  period.  For  a  1-acre  surface, 
material  cost  would  have  been  approximately  83 
cents  per  1,000  gallons  of  water  saved. 

The  same  solution  applied  from  constant-pres- 
sure dispenser  cans  suspended  over  the  water  re- 
sulted in  similar  savings.  However,  the  individ- 
ual can  drippers  were  more  trouble-free  than  the 
drippers  attached  to  the  supply  drum  by  poly- 
ethylene tubing. 

A  1-to-l  ratio  of  hexane  with  isopropanol  pre- 
vented crystallization  of  the  film  material  at 
temperatures  above  32°  F.  However,  at  high  tem- 
peratures the  highly  volatile  hexane  caused  an 
increase  in  pressure  in  the  can  and  a  jetting  of  the 
material  onto  the  water  through  drippers  (or  air 
vents) . 

Liquid  Emulsions 

A  liquid  emulsion  containing  approximately  10 
percent  hexa-  and  octa-decanol  in  water  produced 
significant  water  savings  when  applied  through  a 
constant  head  emulsion  dripper  system  similar  to 
that  described  above.  Clogging  was  not  serious 
because  of  larger  discharge  jets.  However,  low 
temperatures  and  the  difficulty  in  producing  emul- 
sions with  constant-flow  characteristics  are  dis- 
advantages. Variable  flow  rates  of  different 
batches  of  emulsion  require  changes  in  calibration 
of  the  dripper  system.  Cost  of  materials  only, 
l)ased  upon  a  1-acre  water  surface,  amounted  to 
about  34  cents  per  thousand  gallons  of  water  saved. 


This  specialist  is  checlcing  tlie  operation  of  the  dispenser  can,  which 
is  the  constant  pressure  type,  another  variety  used  in  experimental 
retardation  tests. 


Powder  Packages 

A  commercially  prepackaged  powder  mixture 
of  hexa-  and  octa-decanol  was  tested  both  at  Col- 
lege Station  and  Throckmorton.  The  powdered 
material  was  supplied  in  1-  and  2-ounce  quantities 
packaged  in  a  water-soluble  plastic  bag.  When 
placed  in  the  water  the  bag  dissolved  and  the 
freed  fatty  alcohol  mixture  which  it  contained  dis- 
persed to  the  water  surface.  Bags  deposited  on 
the  upwind  side  of  the  experimental  pond  at  Col- 


NOVEMBER  1965 


111 


lege  Station  dissolved  and  dispersed  in  10  to  15 
minutes ;  however,  in  this  period  of  time  the  film 
and  small  agglomerates  of  powder  were  blown 
across  the  surface  of  the  lake  settling  along  the 
downwind  shore. 

In  the  test  run  on  the  twin  ponds  at  Throck- 
morton, a  package  of  chemical  was  placed  into 
each  of  three  copper  screen  wire  baskets  fixed  in 
the  water  near  the  upwind  shoreline.  Evapora- 
tion savings  during  an  8-day  test  with  this  ma- 
terial totaled  20  percent,  at  a  cost  of  only  17  cents 
per  1,000  gallons. 

The  concept  of  the  soluble  plastic  package 
affords  no  advantage  to  an  evaporation  control 
program  except  a  convenient  means  of  storing  and 
adding  the  chemical.  The  water  saving  potential 
arises  from  the  fatty  alcohols  and  not  the  soluble 
package.  It  is  the  opinion  of  some,  who  have  tried 
the  soluble  package  method,  that  the  chemicals 
added  by  the  soluble  package  weaken  or  make 
holes  in  the  fatty  alcohol  film. 

Results  Compared 

As  a  result  of  the  four  methods  of  film-chemical 
application  about  20  percent  water  saving  is  possi- 
ble. A  comparison  of  the  20-percent  water  savings 
with  the  40-to-50-percent  savings  obtained  with 
these  same  preparations  in  small-tank  laboratory 
studies  (2.77  square  feet  of  water  surface)  indi- 
cates that  only  40  to  50  percent  effective  pond  cov- 
erage was  obtained  by  "upwind  addition"  of  film 
chemical  in  the  field  tests.  Variable  prevailing 
winds  in  reference  to  the  shoreline  of  application 
can  create  conditions  of  essentially  0  to  100  per- 
cent film  cover. 


This  report  on  the  use  of  the  fatty  alcohols, 
hexa-  and  octa-decanol,  or  the  reported  emulsion 
preparations  (which  contain  cosmetic  grade  emul- 
sifiers),  does  not  imply  an  endorsement  of  the 
process  by  the  Food  and  Drug  Administration. 
However,  the  control  pond,  receiving  these  prep- 
arations at  intervals  over  a  period  of  5  years,  pro- 
vided water  for  cattle  use  without  apparent  dam- 
age to  them. 

The  small  test  pond,  about  one-sixth  acre,  used 
in  this  study  gave  costs  ranging  from  $1.02  to  $8.45 
per  1,000  gallons  of  water  saved.  Eliminating  the 
high  costs  experienced  with  the  solvent-addition 
method,  the  range  is  from  $1.02  to  $2.45  per  1,000 
gallons  of  w^ater  saved.  Assuming  that  the  same 
quantity  of  chemical  would  be  adequate  for  a 
1-acre  pond  (100  feet  of  shoreline  normal  to  the 
prevailing  wind  by  435.6  feet  long) ,  the  latter  fig- 
ures range  from  17  to  43  cents  per  1,000  gallons  of 
water  saved. 

The  figures  for  each  1-acre  surface  of  the  up- 
wind dimension  of  the  pond  have  been  considered 
a  standard  for  comparison.  The  longer  the  pond 
in  a  downwind  direction  for  a  given  upwind  shore- 
line, the  greater  will  be  the  residence  time  of  the 
film  on  the  water,  and  therefore  the  greater  will  be 
the  volume  of  water  saved  per  weight  of  evapora- 
tion retardant  added. 

At  the  conclusion  of  7  years  of  the  tests,  it  is 
felt  that  a  cost  of  $1  per  1,000  gallons  of  water 
saved  is  a  realistic  figure  for  the  farm  pond  up  to 
one-half  acre.  As  pond  size  increases  to  2  or  3 
acres,  the  cost  will  vary  from  50  cents  to  a  mini- 
mum of  20  cents  per  1,000  gallons  of  water  saved. 

#  #  # 


FLOODS  HIT  COLORADO  AND  EASTERN  SLOPE  AREAS 


In  the  middle  of  June  and  again  in  July,  heavy 
rains  in  the  Eastern  slope  areas  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  caused  one  of  the  most  disastrous  floods 
of  record  in  Colorado,  some  serious  flooding  in 
Kansas,  and  some  in  New  Mexico. 

Denver  was  the  hardest  hit  city  in  the  path  of 
the  uncontrolled  waters  that  raged  down  the  South 
Platte  River  Basin.  Damages  to  all  types  of  irri- 
gation structures  in  the  river  basin,  including  the 
Cache  la  Poudre  and  the  Big  Thompson  Rivers 
amounted  to  nearly  $21/4  million.  In  the  Arkansas 
River  Basin  including  those  at  Fountain,  Colo- 


112 


rado,  and  along  the  Purgatoire  River  in  the  south- 
west, damages  amounted  to  $1%  million. 

The  Bureau  survey  and  estimate  of  damages 
was  requested  by  the  Office  of  Emergency  Plan- 
ning in  cooperation  with  the  State  of  Colorado. 
Reclamation  engineers  and  specialists  from  sev- 
eral Region  7  offices  were  on  practically  around- 
the-clock  duty  surveying  damages  and  estimating 
costs  for  repairs  to  diversion  dams,  dikes,  canals, 
flumes,  and  other  irrigation  facilities.  Prelimi- 
nary investigations  reports  were  promptly  pre- 
pared and  submitted  to  about  175  ditch  companieMJ 

The  Reclamation  Era 


,^^ 


Five-foot-deep  floodwaters  passed  through  this  area  on  the  Colorado-Big  Thompson  Project,  Colo.     Several  emergency  outages  of  electric 
power  and  widespread  and  costly  damage  resulted  in  several  areas.     One  of  the  hazards  was  flood  debris  and  trash,  such  as  is  shown  here. 


Also,  assistance  to  applicants  for  funds  and  aid 
in  the  details  of  accomplishing  emergency  repairs 
were  provided  without  delay. 

As  soon  as  floodwaters  receded,  repair  work 
progressed  so  that  crop  loss  would  be  minimized 
during  the  dry  summer  months.  Emergency  funds 
totaling  about  $4i/2  million  were  promptly  made 
available  for  this  work  in  35  counties  in  Colo- 
rado and  21  counties  in  Kansas. 

Three  proposed  dams,  which  have  not  been  built 
because  of  local  disagreements,  would  have  cap- 
tured floodwaters  along  the  South  Platte  River 
greatly  reducing  damages,  and  would  have  stored 
the  disastrous  runoff  for  many  beneficial  uses. 
These  are  the  Two  Forks  Dam  to  be  below  the  con- 
fluence of  North  and  South  Forks  of  the  South 
Platte ;  Chatfield  Dam  below  the  point  where  Plum 
Creek  enters  the  river ;  and  Narrows  Dam  about  7 
miles  upstream  from  Fort  Morgan  in  northeastern 
Colorado. 

Interest  in  building  these  control  structures  is 
now  high  (interest  also  has  been  high  in  some 
former  years),  as  a  result  of  this  year's  disaster. 

Structures  of  the  Bureau's  Fryingpan-Arkansas 
Project,  now  underway,  will  store  such  high  run- 
off as  was  along  the  Arkansas  River. 

Damage  to  Vermejo 

In  New  Mexico,  major  Reclamation  irrigation 
structures  were  undisturbed  by  the  flood,  but  there 
was  considerable  damage  to  the  Bureau's  Eagle 
Tail  Canal  and  the  Diversion  Canal  on  the  Ver- 
mejo Project  on  the  Vermejo  River.  Through 
rapid  repair  of  the  damaged  works,  all  of  these 


project  lands  were  made  ready  for  service  of  irri- 
gation water. 

Some  communities  in  Colorado  were  subjected 
to  electric  power  interruptions.  It  became  appar- 
ent early  in  the  morning  of  June  18,  that  flood- 
waters  would  reach  the  circuit  breakers  at  the  sub- 
station which  serves  electricity  to  the  town  of  Fort 
Morgan.  In  this  emergency.  Bureau  power  spe- 
cialists gave  undaunted  action  and  prompt  service. 
Working  in  w^ater,  silt  and  muck.  Reclamation 
personnel  deenergized  the  substation,  cleaned  it 
up  and  bypassed  the  circuit  breakers  to  prevent 
damage  from  short  circuiting.  Electric  service 
was  restored  soon  after  12  noon  the  same  day. 

A.  P.  Hall,  city  electrician  for  Fort  Morgan 
said,  "The  Bureau  personnel  are  to  be  highly  com- 
mended for  their  valiant  work  cleaning  up  the 
substation  by  working  in  4  to  5  feet  of  water  so 
the  substation  might  be  energized  and  power  re- 
stored to  Fort  Morgan." 

The  Bureau  also  promptly  helped  to  restore 
electric  service  at  other  stricken  facilities  in  Mor- 
gan and  Washington  Counties. 

As  floodwaters  receded,  the  urgent  need  for 
cleanup  manpower  was  eased  by  the  arrival  of 
Job  Corpsmen  from  the  new  Bureau  Centers  at 
Casper,  Wyo.,  and  Collbran,  Colo.  The  young 
men  from  Casper  worked  in  and  around  Denver, 
and  those  from  Collbran  were  flown  to  one  of  the 
hardest  hit  communities  in  eastern  Colorado — 
Lamar.  The  service  of  these  men  was  commend- 
able in  cleaning  up  both  public  and  private 
properties.  #  #  # 


November  1965 


113 


LAND  DRAWING 

Then  and  Now 


Sixteen  years  ago  the  first  land  drawing  was 
held  for  lands  to  be  irrigated  on  the  Columbia 
Basin  Project  in  central  Washington  State.  Fif- 
teen farm  units  were  offered. 

Preceding  the  first  drawing,  approximately 
1,500  applications  were  received  from  more  than 
half  the  States.  For  many  it  was  a  long-awaited 
day. 

A  representative  from  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion, the  South  Irrigation  District,  and  Melvin 
Mclnturf,  an  area  landowner  and  veterans'  rep- 
resentative, officiated.  A  comely  4-year-old  girl — 
Susan  McGahey — was  selected  to  do  the  drawing. 

Involved  in  the  first  event  were  1,478  irri- 
gated acres  of  farmland  just  northwest  of  Pasco 
that  would  be  irrigated  by  relift  pumping  from 
the  adjacent  Columbia  River.  At  that  time  work 
had  only  recently  begun  on  the  necessary  water- 
ways and  works  needed  to  deliver  water  to  the 
projects  prospective  1,029,000  irrigable  acres,  an 
area  once  referred  to  as  fit  for  little  but  sagebrush 
and  jackrabbits — providing  the  latter  carried 
canteens. 

Thirty-five  land  drawings  later,  in  February 
1965,  another  drawing  was  held,  this  time  for  12 
farm  units  north  of  Pasco.  And  now,  close  to 
half  of  the  project  is  developed  for  irrigation 
farming,  and  last  year's  gross  crop  value  was  $64 
million.  Residents  have  had  ample  opportunity 
to  judge  the  project's  worth,  and  their  response 
to  the  opportunity  to  secure  a  unit  can  be  inter- 
preted as  their  decision. 

Residents  Applied 

For  the  12  new  available  units  in  the  newly  de- 
veloped irrigation  block,  899  formal  applications 
were  received  at  the  project  office  in  Ephrata,  an 
average  of  almost  75  applications  per  unit.  More 
than  half  of  these  were  from  project  area  residents. 

Besides  the  enthusiasm  for  the  irrigated  lands 
there  was  another  pleasantly  repetitious  aspect  to 
this  drawing.  This  was  the  presence  of  the  same 
Susan  McGahey,  now  a  coed  at  Eastern  Washing- 


Susan  McGahey,  who  drew  lucky  names  when  she  was  4  years 
old,  is  now  making  another  drawing.  But  this  time  she  is  a  coed. 
Board  members  seated  at  the  table  are,  from  left,  Clinton  Amo, 
secretary  and  Bureau  representative;  Melvin  Mclnturf  of  Kenne- 
wick,  Wash.,  member-at-large,  and  Ervin  Easterday,  of  South 
Columbia   Basin   Irrigation   District. 


ton  State  College  in  Cheney,  again  performing  the 
drawing  honors. 

The  drawing  was  held  at  the  Pasco  Elks  Club. 
A  luncheon  just  prior  to  the  drawing  was  spon- 
sored by  the  Pasco  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Chief 
speaker  at  the  ceremonies  was  Gus  Hokanson, 
Franklin  County  Extension  Agent.  The  audi- 
ence was  estimated  at  300,  primarily  farmers  and 
local  businessmen. 

In  his  capacity  as  extension  agent  in  the  project 
area,  Mr.  Hokanson  has  worked  closely  with  the 
lands  and  landowners  of  the  southern  project  area 
and  knows  the  agricultural  problems  and  poten- 
tials of  the  area  as  well  as  anyone.  This  back- 
ground made  his  remarks  on  the  favorable  eco- 
nomical aspects  of  irrigation  farming,  as  con- 
trasted to  dryland  operations,  very  meaningful  to 
the  audience.  Apart  from  the  statistics,  perhaps 
the  most  significant  statement  to  the  listening  pro- 
spective project  farmers  was :  "most  any  crop  can 
be  grown  on  Columbia  Basin  Project  lands  .  .  . 
and  as  the  project  develops  its  farm  units  will 
become  still  more  productive." 

And  it  is  just  possible  that  the  Pasco  Chamber 
of  Commerce  is  keeping  Susan's  name  in  their  files 
for  future  drawings  as  the  area's  remaining  po- 
tential irrigable  land  is  developed.  #  #  # 


114 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Long-A waited  Garrison  Diversion  Act  Is  Signed 


President  Lyndon  B.  Johnson  is  pre- 
senting a  signing  pen  to  Interior 
Secretary  Stewart  L.  Udall  as  a  me- 
mento of  the  authorization  on  Au- 
gust 5  of  the  Garrison  Diversion 
Unit,  MRBP.  Assistant  Commis- 
sioner G.  G.  Stomm,  not  shown  in 
the  photograph,  also  received  a 
pen  on  behalf  of  Reclamation. 
Others  are  from  left.  Representative 
Rolland  Redlin  (N.  Dak.),  Roy  H. 
Holand,  President  of  the  Garrison 
Diversion  Conservancy  District; 
Representative  Wayne  N.  Aspinoll 
(Colo.),  Clyde  Ellis,  General  Man- 
ager of  the  National  Rural  Electric 
Cooperative  Association;  Oscar 
Berg  representing  a  North  Dakota 
water  users  association,  Representa- 
tive Leo  W.  O'Brien  (N.Y.),  Repre- 
sentative Mark  Andrews  (N.  Dak.), 
Assistant  Secretary  Kenneth  Holum, 
Senator  Quentin  N.  Burdick  (N. 
Dak.),  Senator  Milton  R.  Young  (N. 
Dak.)  who  is  hidden  from  view, 
Gordon  Gray  of  the  North  Dakota 
Water  Commission,  Miio  Hoisveen, 
State  Engineer  and  Secretary  of  the 
North  Dakota  Water  Commission; 
Senator  Karl  E.  Mundt  (S.  Dak.), 
who  is  partly  hidden;  Senator 
George  S.  McGovern  (S.  Dak.),  and 
William  E.  Welsh,  Secretary-Man- 
ager of  the  National  Reclamation 
Association. 


Key  Personnel  Changed 


Crandall  Named  Director; 
Clinton  Retires 

With  the  retirement  of  F.  M.  Clinton,  long-term 
Reclamation  employee,  was  the  appointment  of 
David  L.  Crandall  of  Burley,  Idaho,  as  his  suc- 
cessor as   Director  of  Reclamation's  Region  4, 


effective  September  6. 

Since  1960,  Mr.  Clinton  has  headed  Region  4 
with  headquarters  in  Salt  Lake  City.  He  has 
completed  over  30  years  of  Federal  service,  the 
last  28  of  which  have  been  continuously  with  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation.  Clinton  also  had  been 
Director  of  Region  6  with  headquarters  at  Bil- 
lings, Mont. 

Mr.  Crandall  has  been  with  the  Bureau  since 
1946  and  moves  to  his  new  assignment  from  the 
position  of  Superintendent  of  the  Minidoka  Proj- 
ect in  southern  Idaho.  A  native  of  Idaho  Falls, 
Crandall  graduated  from  Stanford  University  as 
a  civil  engineer  in  1941.  He  is  a  registered  pro- 
fessional civil  engineer  and  an  associate  member 
of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers.  He 
comes  from  an  illustrious  water  family  as  the  son 
of  the  late  Lynn  Crandall  who  was  District  Geol- 
ogist for  the  Geological  Survey  and  Watermaster 
of  the  Upper  Snake  River  for  30  years. 


November  1965 


115 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Spec.  No. 


Project 


Award 
Date 


Description  of  Work  or  Material 


Contractor's  Name  and 
Address 


DC-6273. 
DS-6283. 


DS-6283. 
DS-6284. 


DS-6284. 


DS-6287. 
DS-6291. 


DC-6294. 

DC-629S. 
DS-6296. 


DC-6299. 
DC-6304.. 
DS-6305.. 


DS-6305- 


DC-6310. 

DS-6311. 
DC-6314. 


DC-6315. 
DC-6316. 
DC-6317. 
DC-6319. 
DC-6320. 
DC-6322. 
DS-6323- 


DC-6325. 
DC -6328. 

DC-6334. 

DC-6349. 
200C-600. 
200C-601- 
200C-606. 
300C-233. 

400C-^5. 
400C-306. 


Seedskadee,  Wyo 

Central  Valley,  Calif. 


-do. 


Office  of   Economic   Op- 
portunity, N.Y. 


Office  of  Economic.  Op- 
portunity, Minn. 


DS-6286 Missouri     River     Basin, 

Kans. 
DS-6287 Pacific  Northwest-Pacific 

Southwest      Intertie, 

Nev. 
...do.-.- 


July     6 
July   14 

July     6 
Sept.    3 

July   19 

July    16 
July   27 

.-.do 


Atmospheric  Water 
Resources  Program, 
Park  Range,  Colo. 

Emery  County,  Utah- 


Colorado  River  Storage, 

Colo. 
do 


San  Juan-Chama, 

N.  Mex, 
Missouri  River  Basin, 

Nebr. 
Office  of  Economic 

Opportunity,  Ohio. 


.do. 


Missouri  River  Basin, 
Nebr. 

Central  Valley,  Calif.. 

Silt,  Colo 


Gardena  Farms  Irrigation 
District  No.  13,  Wash. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Kans. 

Colorado  River  Storage, 
Ariz. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Nebr. -Wyo. 

Blackfeet  Indian  Irriga- 
tion, Mont. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
S.  Dak. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Kans. 

Arbuckle,  Okla 


Office  of  Emergency 
Planning,  Colo. 

Canadian  River,  Tex. 


Seedskadee,  Wyo 

Central  Valley,  Calif. 
...,do 


.do. 


Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Leveee  Sys- 
tem, Ariz. 

Silt,  Colo 


Weber  Basin,  Utah. 


July 

27 

Aug. 

2 

Aug. 

13 

July 

22 

July 

27 

July 

22 

July 

21 

Aug. 

5 

Aug. 

10 

Sept. 

29 

Aug. 

10 

Aug. 

23 

Aug. 

6 

Sept. 

7 

Sept. 

2 

Sept. 

22 

Aug. 

30 

Aug. 

27 

July   10 

(Satur- 
day) 
Sept.  27 

Sept. 

24 

July 

9 

July 

21 

Sept. 

8 

Aug. 

19 

Sept. 

7 

Sept. 

24 

Repair  of  river  outlet  works  stilling  basin  at  Fonte- 
nelle  Dam. 

Two  motor-voltage  bus  structures,  two  600-volt  sta- 
tion-service feeder  busways,  and  two  1,600/1, 725-kva 
power  transformers  for  Mile  18  pumping  plant. 
Schedule  1. 

Six  switchgear  assemblies  for  Mile  18  pumping  plant. 
Schedule  2. 

Furnishing  and  erecting  dormitory  complexes,  office 
and  dispensary  complex,  and  education,  messing 
and  recreation  complex  for  Iroquois  Job  Corps  con- 
servation center.  Schedule  3.  (Negotiated  Con- 
tract.) 

Furnishing  and  erecting  dormitory  complexes,  office 
and  dispensary  complex,  education  complex,  and 
messing  and  recreation  complex  for  Tamarac  Job 
Corps  conservation  center.  Schedule  5. 

Twelve  50-foot  by  21.76-foot  radial  gates  for  spillway 
at  Glen  Elder  Dam. 

Twenty-two  230-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Mead 
substation.  Schedules  1  and  2. 

Two  230-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Mead  substa- 
tion. Schedule  3. 

Application  of  weather  modification  techiques  to 
mositure -transporting  air  masses  east  of  Steamboat 
Springs,  Colo.    (Negotiated  Contract.) 

Construction  of  5  miles  of  Huntington  North  service 
and  North  reservoir  feeder  canals,  and  construction 
of  a  3,600-foot  earth  dike. 

Construction  of  115-kv  additions  to  Salida  substation. 

Supervisory  control  and  digital  telemetering  with 
automatic  data  logging  equipment  for  Montrose 
power  operations  center  and  Blue  Mesa  powerplant. 

Construction  of  El  Vado  Dam  outlet  works 


Construction  of  stage  02  additions  to  Sidney  substa- 
tion. 

Furnishing  and  erecting  dormitory  complexes,  office 
and  dispensary  complex,  and  education,  messing, 
and  recreation  complex  for  Ottawa  Job  Corps  Con- 
servation Center,  Schedule  1. 

Furnishing  and  erecting  dormotiry  complexes,  office 
and  dispensary  complex,  education  complex,  and 
messing  and  recreation  complex  for  Weber  Basin  Job 
Corps  Conservation  Center,  Schedule  2. 

Construction  of  15  miles  of  Farwell  Main  laterals 
M-6.3  to  M-9.1  and  Farwell  Central  laterals 
C-0.6  to  C-6.3,  Section  3. 

Three  230-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Mile  18  switch- 
yard. 

Construction  of  Silt  pumping  plant  and  appurtenant 
works,  utilizing  steel  pipe  for  discharge  line. 
Schedule  2. 

Construction  of  Burlingame  Diversion  Dam 

Construction  of  Almena  Diversion  Dam 


Completion  of  left  diversion  tunnel  plug  and  spillway 

elbow  at  Glen  Canyon  Dam. 
Construction  of  the  73-mile  Glenrock-Stegall  230-kv 

transmission  line,  second  section. 
Construction  of  Lower  Two  Medicine  Dam 


Construction  of  stage  07  additions  to  Sioux  Falls  sub- 
station. 

Twelve  75,000-pound  radial-gate  hoists  and  12  gate 
position  indicators  for  spillway  at  Glen  Elder  Dam. 

Construction  of  18  miles  of  pipelines  for  Wyimewood 
aqueduct  and  Wynnewood  pumping  plant. 

Repair  of  Model-John  Flood  Diversion  Dam  and 
Antonio  Lopez  Diversion  Dam  on  the  Purgatoire 
River  near  Trinidad,  Colo.    (Negotiated  Contract.) 

Construction  of  chlorination  stations  for  Main  aque- 
duct at  pumping  plant  No.  1  and  Sta.  1884+50  and 
5080+10  sites. 

Foundation  grouting  at  Fontenelle  Dam.  (Nehoti- 
ated  Contract.) 

Collection  and  disposal  of  debris  within  Clair  Engle 
Lake. 

Rehabilitation  of  the  fish  ladder  and  adjacent  area  at 
Nimbus  Fish  Hatchery. 

Rehabilitation  of  10  timber  bridges  on  Delta-Mendota 
Canal  between  Mile  70.01  and  90.54. 

Construction  of  levee  and  bank  protection  of  the 
Colorado  River. 

Construction  of  2  miles  of  Dry  Elk  Valley  lateral  and 

rehabilitation  of  1  mile  of  Grass  Valley  Canal. 
Repair  of  Gateway  Canal,  sta.  188+50  to  441+50 


Saguaro    Construction    Co., 

Phoenix,  Ariz. 
I-T-E  Circuit  Breaker  Co., 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 

Denver,  Colo. 
Benderson  Development  Co., 

Inc.,  and  Admiral  Homes, 

Inc.,  Buffalo,  N.Y. 


Frontier      Homes 
Omaha,  Nebr. 


Corp., 


Johnson  Machine  Works, 
Inc.,  Chariton,  Iowa. 

General  Electric  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 

Cogenel,    Inc.,    New    York, 

N.Y. 
E.  Bollay  Associates,  Inc., 

Boulder,  Colo. 

E.  V.  Chettle,  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah. 

Sturgeon  Electric  Co., 

Denver,  Colo. 
Gulton  Industries,  Inc., 

Schiller  Park,  111. 

Peter  Kiewit  Sons'  Co., 

Omaha,  Nebr. 
Lindstrom  Construction  Co., 

Grand  Forks,  N.  Dak. 
DeRose  Industries,  Inc., 

Bonham,  Tex. 


Utah  Mobile  Homes,  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah. 


Bushman  Construction  Co., 
St.  Jospeh,  Mo. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 

Denver,  Colo. 
Varulco,  Grand  Junction, 

Colo. 

Federal  Construction  Co., 

Spokane,  Wash. 
Bushman  Construction  Co., 

St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
S.  S.  Mullen,  Inc.,  Seattle, 

Wash. 
Lindberg  Construction  Co., 

Jamestown,  N.  Dak. 
Sletten  Construction  Co., 

Great  Falls,  Mont. 
C.  L.  Electric  Co.,  Pocatello, 

Idaho. 
McGee  and  Hogan  Machine 

Works,  Salt  Lake  City, 

Utah. 
Amis  Construction  Co., 

Oklahoma  City,  Okla. 
Sharpe  Construction  Co., 

Trinidad,  Colo. 

Brown-McKee,  Inc.,  Lub- 
bock, Tex. 

Boyles  Bros.  Drilling  Co., 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

Sanders  Construction  Co., 
Shasta,  Calif. 

Judson  Pacific-Murphy  Corp., 
Oakland,  Calif. 

Kaweah  Construction  Co., 
Visalia,  Calif. 

Karl  A.  Dennis,  d.b.a.  Den- 
nis Construction  Co., 
Yuma,  Ariz. 

Lee  Johnson  Construction, 
Rifle,  Colo. 

Weyher  Construction  Co., 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 


147, 920 


116 


The  Reclamation 

U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE:  1965     O — 786-295 


Ef 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS— Continued 


Spec.  No. 

Project 

Award 
Date 

Description  of  Work  or  Material 

Contractor's  Name  and 
Address 

Contract 
Amount 

500C-207       

Arbuckle,  Okla 

Aug.  13 
Sept.  14 

Construction  of  boat  launching  ramps,  road  and  park- 
ing areas  for  recreation  facilities  for  Arbuckle  Res- 
ervoir. 

Construction  of  roads,  parking  areas,  and  boat  ramp 
for  puolic  use  facilities  for  Plum  Creek,  Sanford, 
Reservoir. 

Amis  Construction  Co., 
Oklahoma  City,  Okla. 

TOO,  Inc.,  White  Deer,  Tex.- 

159,000 

600C-209 

Canadian  River,  Tex 

127, 166 

Major    Construction   and    Materials   for   Which   Bids    Will   Be 
Requested  Through  November  1965* 


Project 


Baker,  Oreg 

Do 

CVP,  Calif. 

Do 

Do 

Do 

Do 


Colo.  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee 
System,  Calif. 


Do. 


;rsp,  Colo. 


I 

^Vrymgpa 
^H  sas,  Colo. 

^MRBP,  lowa. 


y'ryingpan-Arkan- 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  Mason  Dam,  an  earth  and  rock  fill  struc- 
ture about  170  ft  high,  890  ft  long,  containing  about 
900,000  cu  yd  of  materials,  and  appurtenant  features. 
The  spillway  will  consist  of  an  ogee  crest  and  open 
chute  in  the  left  abutment  and  a  stilling  basin. 

Clearing  about  2,500  acres  in  Mason  Ressrvoir  site. 
About  18  miles  coutheast  of  Baker. 

Constructing  about  23  miles  of  8-  to  30-in-. diameter 
Colusa  County,  Unit  IB  pipelines  for  heads  varying 
from  25  to  150  ft.    Near  Arbuckle. 

Constructing  13  floatwells  at  various  locations  along  the 
canal  and  installing  electrical  cable  and  controls 
between  the  floatwells  and  check  structures.  Near 
Coming  on  the  Corning  Canal. 

Twelve  230-kv,  1,200-amp  air  switches  for  Mile  18 
switchyard. 

Constructing  about  64  miles  of  8-  to  84-in. -diameter 
pipelines  for  heads  varying  from  25  to  175  ft.  West- 
lands  Pipelines,  Laterals  1-3,  near  Fresno. 

Constructing  fish  facilities  in  the  Tehama-Colusa 
Canal  immediately  downstream  from  the  Red  Bluff 
Diversion  Dam.  Work  will  consist  of  constructing 
a  reinforced  concrete  louvered  fish  structure,  a  settling 
basin  with  bottom  width  of  260  ft  and  about  2,000  ft 
long,  and  a  reinforced  concrete  check  velocity  barrier 
structure  with  three  14-  by  10-ft  radial  gates.  Near 
Red  Bluff. 

Constructing  access  roads,  quarrying  rock,  clearing  and 
shaping  banks,  constructing  training  structures,  and 
placing  rock  in  structures  for  bank  protection  on  the 
California  and  Arizona  sides  of  the  Colorado  River. 

Hauling  and  placing  riprap  on  bank  protection  struc- 
tures, and  constructing  gravel  access  and  service 
roads.  Along  the  Colorado  River,  about  4  miles 
south  of  Palo  Verde. 

Constructihg  about  87  miles  of  single-circuit,  3-phase, 
230-kv  Poncha-Midway  Transmission  Line.  Ex- 
tending from  Salida  to  vicinity  of  Midway. 

Constructing  7.7  miles  of  relocated  county  road  includ- 
ing earthwork,  culverts,  and  surfacing.  Around 
Ruedi  Reservoir,  about  20  miles  east  of  Basalt. 

Two  3-phase,  14,000-kva,  154/115/69/13.8-kv  mobile 
power  auto  transformers,  or  as  alternate,  three  single- 
phase,  10,000-kva,  154/115/69/13.8-kv  mobile  power 
autotransformers. 


Project 


MRBP,  Kans. 
MRBP,  Mont. 


Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Ariz. 

Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Nev.- 
Ariz. 

Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Calif. 


Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Nev. 


Do. 
Do. 


San  Juaa-Cbama, 
New  Mex. 


Weber  Basin,  Utah. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  the  Downs  Dike,  Section  2,  an  earthflll 
structure  about  40  ft  high,  15,000  ft  long,  containing 
about  2,400,000  cu  yd  of  materials,  an  outlet  works, 
and  a  drain  system.    Near  Downs. 

Constructing  the  Yellowtail  Dam  Visitor  Center  will 
consist  of  constructing  a  one-story  reinforced  concrete 
masonry  and  precast  Mo-Sai  panel  building  of  about 
4,600  sq  ft  on  the  main  floor  and  about  1,600  sq  ft  in 
the  basement.    Southeast  of  Hardin. 

One  230-kv,  20,000-mva,  1,600-amp  power  circuit  breaker 
for  Liberty  Substation. 

Constructing  about  240  miles  of  single-circuit,  3-phase, 
345-kv  Mead-Liberty  Transmission  Line.  Extend- 
ing from  vicinity  of  Boulder  City,  Nev.,  to  a  point 
near  Liberty,  Ariz. 

Constructing  about  34  miles  of  single-circuit,  3-phase, 
230-kv  Round  Mountain-Cottonwood  Transmission 
Line.  Work  will  consist  of  clearing  right-of-way; 
constructing  footings;  furnishing  and  erecting  steel 
towers;  and  furnishing  and  stringing  three  795  MCM, 
ACSR  conductors.  Extending  from  vicinity  of 
Round  Mountain  to  vicinity  of  Cottonwood,  Calif. 

Constructing  about  145  miles  of  single-circuit,  2-pole, 
750-kv,  d-c  Beatty-Mead  Transmission  Line.  Work 
will  consist  of  clearing  right-of-way;  constructing 
footings;  furnishing  and  erecting  steel  towers;  and 
furnishing  and  stringing  two  2,300  MCM,  ACSR 
conductors  per  pole,  and  one  0.486-in.-diameter 
alumoweld  strand  overhead  ground  wire. 

Fifty-three  230-kv  and  one  345-kv  disconnecting 
switches  for  Mead  Substation. 

Rebuilding  or  replacing  two  230-kv,  1,600-amp,  10,000- 
mva  power  circuit  breakers  for  Mead  Substation. 

Constructing  the  5-mile-long,  concrete-lined  Osa  Tun- 
nel of  either  8-ft  7-in.  diameter  circular  section  or 
8-ft  3-in.  diameter  horseshoe  section;  constructing  two 
96-in. -diameter  siphons  totaling  about  1,200  ft  in 
length  of  either  precast  concrete  pressure  pipe  or 
monolithic  concrete.  Southeast  of  Pagosa  Springs, 
Colo. 

Cleaning,  reshaping  canal  prism,  and  repairing  com- 
pacted earth  lining  in  about  12,000  ft  of  canal  with 
finished  canal  prism.  Ogden  Valley  Canal,  near 
Ogden. 


*  Subject  to  change. 


In  its  assigned  function  as  the  Nation's  principal  nature  re- 
source agency,  the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special 
obligation  to  assure  that  our  expendable  resources  are  con- 
served, that  renewable  resources  are  managed  to  produce  opti- 
mum yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  full  measure 
to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  America,  now  and  in 
the  future. 

U.S.   Department  of  the  interior 
Bureau  of  Reclamation 


United  States 
Government  Printing  Office 

DIVISION  OF   PUBLIC  DOCUMENTS 

Washington,  D.C.   20402 


OFFICIAL   BUSINESS 


POSTAGE  AND   FEES   PAID 
U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 


Here  is  a  publication  as  important 
as  tomorrow  to  every  American 


Ques^ 


/or  Q^^ 


aUtV 


Quest 

(Jor 

Quality 


MANY  OF  OUR  NATIOM 
MOST  BEAUTIFUL  NATURN 
RESOURCES,  PARKS,  AM 
WILDLIFE    IN    FULL    COL( 


OO 


a  copy 


MSgSaiE^.    ' 


This  big,  colorfully  illustrated  Conservation  Yearbook  out- 
lines the  challenges  and  problems  created  by  a  rapidly  growing 
America.  The  use  we  make  today  of  our  Natural  Resources, 
and  the  demands  of  tomorrow,  will  have  far-reaching  effects 
on  every  American's  way  of  life.  How  the  U.S.  Department 
of  the  Interior  is  meeting  these  challenges  is  presented  in  an 
easy-to-read,  informative  manner. 


send  check  or  mona 
order  with  your 
request  for  "Quest  f 
Quality"  to: 

Superintendent  of  Documents 
Government  Printing  Office 
Washington,  D.C,  20402 


February  1966 


Historic  Milestone :  English  Royalty  Visits  Glen  Canyon  Dam 


Reclaraation 

ERA 


FEBRUARY  1966 
Volume  52,  No.  1 


1.  INTERNATIONAL  TRAINING  PRO- 
GRAM PROVES  ITS  WORTH 
by  Gordon  K.  Ebersole 

6.  ROYAL    COUPLE    THRILLED    BY 
POWELL  SCENE 

8.  RECLAMATION'S  11-CITY  WATER  PIPE 
by  Gordon  J.  Forsyth 

11.  THE  MIRACLE  LEAK  SEALER 

12.  STYLING  FOR  BEAUTY 

by  Paul  Selonke 

18.  NORTH    DAKOTA'S     "PLAN    AHEAD'^ 
FARM 
by  R.  E.  Dorothy 

22.  THAT    GORGEOUS    FLAMING    GORGE 
26.  &  27.  BRIEF  ITEMS 


OniS   PETERSON,    Assistant  to  the   Com- 
missioner— Information 
GORDON  J.  FORSYTH,  Editor 


COVER  PHOTO.  Princess  Margaret  and  her  husband  the  Earl  of 
Snowdon  of  British  royalty  take  time  out  of  their  busy  U.S.  tour 
last  November  to  relax  at  Glen  Canyon  Dam — an  historic  milestone 
and  gratifying  tribute  to  the  recreational  benefits  of  a  Reclamation 
structure.  See  Mel  Davis'  other  Princess  photos  at  Lake  Powell 
on   page  6. 


United  States  Department  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.  Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,   Floyd  E.   Dominy,  Commissioner 

Washington  Office:  United  States  Department  of  tlie  Interior,  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Washington,  D.C.,  20240.  .- 

Commissioner's  StafF 

Assistant  Commissioner -- N.  B.  Bennett,  Jr. 

Assistant  Commissioner --- -- O.  O-  Stamm 

Assistant  Commissioner - W.  P.  Kane 

Chief  Engineer,  Denver,  Colorado.... B.  P.  Bellport 

REGIONAL  OFFICES 

REGION  1:  Harold  T.  Nelson,  Regional  Director,  Box  7648,  Fairgrounds,  Boise,  Idaho,  83707. 

REGION  2:  Robert  J.  Paflord,  Jr.,  Regional  Director,  Box  2511,  Fulton  and  Marconi  Avenues,  Sacramento,  Calif.,  95811. 

REGION  3:  A.  B.  West,  Regional  Director,  Administration  Building,  Boulder  City,  Nev.,  89005. 

REGION  4:  David  L.  Crandall,  Regional  Director,  125  South  State  Street,  P.O.  Box  11568,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  84111. 

REGION  5:  Leon  W.  Hill,  Regional  Director,  P.O.  Box  1609,  Old  Post  Office  Building,  7th  and  Taylor,  Amarillo,  Tex.,  79105. 

REGION  6:  Harold  E.  Aldrich,  Regional  Director,  316  North  26th  Street,  P.O.  Box  2553,  Billings,  Mont.,  59103. 

REGION  7:  Hugh  P.  Dugan,  Regional  Director,  Building  46,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo.,  80225. 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Washington,  D.C.,  20240.     Use  of  funds  for  printing  this 
publication  has  been  approved  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31 ,  1961 . 

For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.S.  Goveriunent  Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.C.,  20402.    Price  30  cents  (single  copy).     Subscrip- 
tion price:  $1.00  per  year  (25  cents  additional  for  foreign  mailing). 


International  > 
Training  Program 

Proves  its  Worth 


by  GORDON  K.  EBERSOLE 


IN  recent  elections  in  Turkey,  one  of  the  Bureau 
of  Reclamation's  former  trainees,  Suleyman 
Demirel,  was  swept  to  power  as  Premier  of  that 
progressive  country. 

Mr.  Demirel  was  one  of  the  first  two  Marshall 
Plan  participants  sent  to  the  United  States  in  1949 
for  technical  training.  He  had  received  his  B.S. 
and  M.S.  degrees  from  the  University  of  Istanbul, 
and  had  become  Project  Manager  of  Turkey's 
Electric  Power  Resources  Administration.  Like 
many  hundreds  of  other  foreign  nationals,  this 
brilliant  25-year-old  man  was  assigned  to  the  Bu- 
reau of  Reclamation  where  a  specialized  program 
was  developed  to  fit  his  needs  and  the  plans  of  his 
government. 

Turkey,  under  the  leadership  of  Mustafa  Kemal 
Ataturk,  decided  in  the  early  part  of  this  century 
to  break  with  the  past  and  to  begin  an  era  of  en- 
lightened modernization.  New  schools  and  uni- 
versities were  built,  women  dropped  their  veils 
and  were  permitted  to  vote,  resources  planning  and 
development  were  started  with  water  and  power 
basic  to  the  needs  of  the  nation. 


Suleyman  Demirel  was  an  eager  young  techno- 
crat who  seemed  to  carry  the  ideals  of  the  great 
Ataturk  in  building  a  modem  Turkey.  On  his 
arrival  in  Denver,  Colo.,  Suleyman  was  given  as- 
signments in  the  various  major  divisions  of  the 
Bureau.  He  also  studied  construction  practices  on 
visits  to  the  Colorado-Big  Thompson  project  in 
Colorado,  the  Central  Valley  project  in  California, 
and  on  the  Columbia  River  works  in  Washington 
and  Oregon. 

Though  Suleyman's  alertness  was  evident  from 
the  first  meeting,  it  is  quite  probable  that  his  new 
associates  in  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  gave  little 
thought  to  the  possibility  that  he  would,  in  the 
near  future,  succeed  to  the  position  of  Premier  of 
Turkey.  And  now,  in  retrospect,  Americans  re- 
view a  15-year-old  friendship,  and  recall  a  bygone 
foreign  training  program  that  was  intended  to  in- 
struct in  technical  development  and  to  advance 

"Your  efforts  will  be  a  vital  part  of  the  foundation  for  a  stronger, 
more  prosperous  era  of  Turkish  progress,"  said  President  Johnson 
on  a  visit  to  Ankara,  Turkey,  on  August  28,  1962.  He  was  then 
U.S.  Vice  President  and  was  photographed  with  Mr.  Demirel. 


February  1966 


Suleyman  Demirel,  Prime  Minister  of  Turlcey,  once  a  Reclamation 
trainee.      (Courtesy  of  International  Engineering  Co.,  Oct.   1965.) 

international  brotherhood.  Such  a  program  wisely 
includes  contact  with  our  country's  best  technical 
talent  and  neighborly  relations  with  local  and  na- 
tional leaders. 

After  his  return  to  Turkey  in  late  1950,  Suley- 
man was  appointed  Chief  Bureau  Engineer  for 
the  construction  of  Seyham  Dam.  Although  little 
is  known  of  his  other  assignments,  in  1954,  Mr. 
Demirel's  outstanding  abilities  won  him  the  first 
Eisenhower  Exchange  Fellowship  to  a  man  from 
his  country.  On  arriving  at  the  writer's  office  in 
Washington,  D.C.,  his  second  U.S.  Reclamation 
program  was  put  into  effect. 

Demirel  Was  Eager 

Since  Suleyman  already  was  familiar  with  Rec- 
lamation's water  resources  development  programs 
in  the  West,  it  was  not  difficult  to  develop  an  addi- 
tional schedule  to  suit  his  wishes.  He  was  eager 
to  get  Reclamation's  help  on  how  water  and  power 
were  marketed  and  how  rates  for  these  resources 
were  established. 

In  addition  to  his  receiving  more  technical  ori- 
entation, Mr.  Demirel  and  his  wife,  like  other 
foreign  participants,  were  invited  to  the  homes  of 


some  Americans.  We  remember  them  as  delight- 
ful company.  Mrs.  Demirel  spoke  very  little  Eng- 
lish and  Suleyman  was  careful  to  interpret  for  her. 
However,  the  most  enjoyable  international  pro- 
gram of  the  evening  was  the  refreshing  under- 
standing resulting  from  the  sign  language  and  the 
visual-aid  vocabulary  between  Mrs.  Demirel  and 
me.  Had  I  thought  of  Suleyman  in  terms  of  a 
future  Premier  of  Turkey,  however,  perhaps  out 
of  deference  I  would  have  encouraged  more  of  his 
able  English-Turkish  translations. 

In  1958  Demirel  was  appointed  by  Prime  Min- 
ister Menderes  to  the  important  post  of  Director 
General  of  the  State  (Turkey)  Planning  Office 
where  he  was  an  adviser  on  a  broad  program  (in- 
cluding water  resource  planning)  of  the  first  5- 
year  plan. 

After  1962  Demirel  assumed  a  partnership  with 
his  two  brothers  in  contracting  and  consultant 
engineering  and  in  representing  a  large  U.S.  firm. 
He  also  taught  a  course  in  hydraulic  engineering 
at  the  Middle  East  Technical  University. 

Demirel  became  involved  in  politics  at  the  Jus- 
tice Party's  National  Congress  in  December  1962, 
when  he  was  elected  to  the  party's  24-man  Admin- 
istrative Board.  He  was  named  Vice  President 
General  for  the  Organization,  but  resigned  in 
1963.  In  November  1964  Suleyman  by  a  wide 
margin,  was  elected  President  General  of  the  party 
at  the  national  convention. 

In  heralding  friendly  relations  with  the  United 
States,  in  the  fall  of  1962,  Suleyman  together  with 
the  2,000th  participant  in  the  U.S.  training  pro- 

At  the  dedication  of  Tracy  Pumping  Plant,  California,  on  August  4, 
1951,  Chief  Justice  Earl  Warren,  then  Governor  of  that  State,  is 
photographed  with  Adolfo  Orive  Alba,  then  a  water  official  for  the 
Mexican  Government  and  a  strong  contender  for  Mexico's  presi- 
dency. Alba  was  a  Bureau  trainee  of  1928.  A  group  of  30 
representatives  from  14  countries  were  remembered  in  entertain- 
ment at  the  dedication. 


The  Reclamation  Era 


gram  posed  for  pictures  with  Lyndon  B.  Johnson, 
then  Vice  President  of  the  United  States  on  a  tour 
of  Turkey. 

Prime  Minister  Demirel  is  one  of  many  former 
technical  trainees  who  has  risen  to  positions  of 
eminence  in  their  organizations  and  in  their  coun- 
tries.   This  brings  up  an  important  question: 

To  Be  a  Friend 

How  often  do  we  miss  opportunities  to  fellow- 
ship and  to  be  a  real  friend  w^ith  a  participant? 
It  is  quite  possible  that  an  interesting  variety  of 
person-to-person  experiences  are  as  important  to 
the  participant  as  the  technical  aspects  of  his  pro- 
gram. To  provide  a  liberal  amount  of  both,  might 
well  balance  the  scales  for  a  favorable  situation 
in  years  to  come. 

I  remember  a  conversation  I  had  with  Julian 


Buendia,  who  for  many  years  was  Director  of 
Public  Works  in  the  Philippines.  Julian  told  of 
a  train  ride  he  had  in  the  United  States  when  he 
was  a  young  trainee  on  the  Kittitas  project  in 
Washington  State.  Sitting  in  front  of  him  were 
a  woman  and  her  small  child.  Becoming  restless, 
the  child  wandered  down  the  aisle  toward  Mr. 
Buendia  and  they  began  a  friendly  chat.  The 
mother,  looking  around  and  seeing  her  little  one 
talking  to  a  dark-skinned  person,  rushed  back  and 
snatched  the  child  back  to  their  own  seat.  This 
deeply  hurt  the  sensitive  young  Buendia  whose 
destiny  w^as  to  include  rising  to  top  positions  in 
the  Philippine  Government  and  become  known  in- 
ternationally in  his  professional  field  of  engineer- 


inff. 


Many  years  later  an  international  conference  on 
water  developments  was  held  in  Manila,  which  was 
organized  by  Mr.  Buendia  and  sponsored  by  the 
Economic  Commission  for  Asia  and  the  Far  East 


Many  foreign  specialists  visiting  this  country  have  become  better  acquainted  at  friendly  American  square  dances.  The  men  shovtrn 
in  this  1952  photo  are  from  left,  Mr.  Buendia  who  is  mentioned  in  this  article,  the  late  Frank  Banks  (then  a  Bureau  consultant),  the 
author  Gordon  Ebersole,  and  three  foreign  irrigation  specialists:  Luis  J.  Medina  of  Venezuela,  Ezzat-Ollah  Eskandari  of  Iran,  and  Amin 
Hamza  of  Iraq. 


February  1966 


(ECAFE) .  A  12-maii  U.S.S.R.  delegation  of  spe- 
cialists and  technicians  was  making  a  considerable 
impression  upon  the  delegates  of  other  countries 
by  presenting  a  variety  of  technical  films  and  pub- 
lications on  developments  in  the  U.S.S.R.  and  in- 
viting representatives  to  accept  expense-paid  ob- 
servation trips  to  their  projects. 

Sensing  the  unmatched  preparation  of  the  two- 
man  U.S.  delegation,  Mr.  Buendia  arose,  and  using 
the  authority  of  his  position  as  host  to  spare  a 
burden  of  embarrassment  for  the  United  States,  he 
publicly  expressed  appreciation  and  thanks  to  the 
United  States  for  its  help  in  the  reconstruction  of 
the  Philippines  after  World  War  II  and  for  its 
training  and  economic  assistance  efforts — no 
strings  attached ! 

The  man  had  risen  above  the  train  incident. 
How  differently  Mr.  Buendia  might  have  reacted 
if  the  racial  slight  of  20  years  before  had  not  been 
erased  by  later  incidents  of  genuine  American 
friendship. 

It  is  very  clear  that  a  welcome  to  our  country 
for  foreign  participants  is  an  important  responsi- 
bility. Just  as  it  pays  for  neighbors  to  be  friendly 
and  hospitable  to  each  other,  real  friendship  to  our 
guests  from  other  countries  pays  off  too. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  can  be  proud  of  its 
roles  in  bringing  success  to  foreign  training  pro- 
grams, and  in  helping  foreign  populations  to  be- 
come rejuvenated  and  rise  up  with  pride  and  am- 
bition. But  just  so  you'll  be  on  guard — ^you  can 
never  be  sure  that  you  don't  have  a  potential  Di- 
rector of  Public  Works  Julian  Buendia,  Prime 
Minister  Sulleyman  Demirel  or  other  outstanding 
trainee  and  ally  in  your  midst.  #  #  # 


Reclamation  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy  and  Congressman  B.  F. 
Sisk  of  California  chaf  informally  with  visiting  engineers,  Luciano 
Decourt  of  Brazil,  Natib  Faquiri  of  Afghanistan,  and  Hilmi 
Yagcioglli  of  Turkey,  following  the  dedication  of  Los  Banos  Creek 
Detention  Dam  on  November  4,  1965. 


Gordon  K.  Ebebsole.  Mr.  Ebersole,  a  civil  engi- 
neer, joined  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  as  a 
"chainman"  in  November  1935  on  the  Columbia 
Basin  project  in  Washington.  He  progressed  to 
the  position  of  Assistant  Chief  of  Foreign  Activi- 
ties, Washington,  D.C.,  then  left  Reclamation  in 
1959  for  2  years  of  service  in  Korea  with  AID. 
In  1961  he  was  appointed  Staff  Assistant  for  Area 
Redevelopment  in  the  Ofllce  of  the  Secretary, 
Department  of  the  Interior,  where  he  pioneered 
on  approaches  leading  to  the  Appalachian  Act  of 
1965  and  the  Economic  Opportunity  Act  of  1964. 
For  almost  a  year  before  Mr.  Ebersole's  retire- 
ment from  Federal  service  last  December,  he  was 
on  special  detail  as  a  consultant  to  the  OflSce  of 
Economic  Opportunity.  Continuing  in  his  pro- 
fession, he  recently  has  been  organizing  the  Hu- 
man and  Natural  Resources  Institute  (HANRI), 
a  nonprofit  group  of  retired  professional  Federal 
employees  whose  skills  will  be  of  value  in  assist- 
ing the  distressed  areas  of  the  Appalachian 
region. 


Outstanding  Allies  in  Our  Midst 

A  few  years  ago  an  extensive  tour  of  Northwest  power  and  irriga- 
tion projects  was  given  to  four  Afghan  dignitaries  included  in 
group  standing  in  front  of  the  airplane.  The  men  from  Afghani- 
stan and  the  positions  they  held  at  that  time  are:  His  Excellency 
Hashim  Maiwandwal,  counselor  of  embassy  and  charge  d'affaires 
in  Washington,  D.C.;  The  Honorable  Abdussattar  Shalizi,  honorary 
consul  at  San  Francisco;  His  Excellency  Abdullah  Khan,  general 
president  of  the  Helmand  River  Valley  Authority  In  his  country; 
and  Dr.  A.  Kayeum,  vice  president  of  the  Helmand  authority.  The 
three  American  guides  are  Fred  J.  Huber,  then  vice  president  of 
International  Engineering  Co.,  Don  Stoops,  then  a  division  chief  in 
the  U.S.  Foreign  Operations  Administration;  and  Gordon  K. 
Ebersole,  then  head  of  the  Bureau's  foreign  training  branch. 

L.  Rochanasiri  "Rocky"  Warindr,  right,  Administrative  Officer  of 
the  Royal  Irrigation  Department  of  Thailand,  stops  while  inspect- 
ing a  dam  to  chat  with  Mr.  Ebersole,  author  of  the  foregoing 
article. 


A  6-month,  in-service  training  program  will  be  completed  in  early 
1 966  for  Mrs.  Parween  Azize.  Learning  secretarial  work  at  the 
Columbia  Basin  Project  office  in  Ephrata,  Wash.,  Mrs.  Azize  was 
bettering  her  qualifications  as  an  employee  in  the  Ministry  of 
Finance  in   Kabul,   capital  city  of  Afghanistan. 

February  1966 


vw&MWEAP  MARINA  ^^ 


yjEH  NAM  M  00 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Royal  Couple  Thrilled 
by  Powell  Scene 


ENGLAND'S  beautiful  Princess  Margaret  and 
her  husband  the  Earl  of  Snowdon,  while  on 
the  real  vacation  part  of  their  official  visit  last 
November,  took  a  good  look  at  Glen  Canyon  Dam 
and  boated  for  5  hours  on  Lake  Powell. 

Perfect  weather  complimented  the  royal  2-day 
visit  by  remaining  in  the  80's.  The  sky  was  blue 
and  slightly  hazed  by  trailing  cirrus  clouds. 

Warmly  greeted  when  she  arrived  by  plane  at 
the  Page,  Ariz.,  airport  on  November  12,  Princess 
Margaret  and  her  official  party  were  escorted  with- 
out formal  ceremonies  to  the  upper  floor  suite  of 
motel  rooms  commanding  a  breathtaking  view  of 
the  surrounding  countryside. 

"I've  been  practicing  for  weeks  what  to  say  to 
her,"  recalls  Lake  Powell  motel  operator.  Art 
Greene,  who  for  nearly  30  years  was  a  river  boat 
guide  on  the  turbulent  Colorado  River.  "But  all  I 
could  think  of  when  I  met  her  was  'Howdy, 
ma'am'." 

When  walking  over  the  top  of  the  dam,  the  spir- 
ited Princess  seemed  deeply  interested  in  the  710- 
foot-high  structure,  and  at  one  time  ran  from  one 
side  of  the  dam  to  the  other  to  look  down,  then 
commented  to  her  husband.  Lord  Snowdon,  plac- 
ing his  hands  on  the  4-foot-high  concrete  parapet, 
leaned  to  the  edge  for  a  better  view  of  the  river 
far  below. 

While  dozens  of  photographers  and  television 
cameramen  zeroed  in  from  a  boat  ramp,  the  Prin- 
cess boarded  a  34- foot  cruiser  at  the  Wahweap  boat 
docks.  The  boat  pulled  away  into  the  grandeur 
of  Lake  Powell,  as  shown  in  the  accompanying 
photograph,  with  the  Princess  standing  in  the 
shaded  area  in  the  stem. 

Just  outside  the  harbor,  the  VIP  party  received 
a  unique  aloha  welcoming  as  they  neared  a  rustic, 
flower  decorated  "Hawaiian  Island."  Near  the 
water's  edge.  Page  and  Wahweap  residents  dressed 
in  Hawaiian  costumes  danced  a  hula  and  sang  to 
guitar  music. 

The  5  hours  on  the  blue  lake  included  trips  into 
scenic  side  canyon's  water  skiing  and  a  lunch  stop 
I  near  Kane  Creek. 


"That's  fabulous,"  exulted  the  Princess  as  their 
cruiser  explored  the  lake's  scenic  wonders.  "That's 
just  gorgeous." 

On  arriving  back  at  the  dock,  the  chestnut- 
haired  Princess  is  shown  carrying  sprigs  of  desert 
plants  which  she  had  collected  from  along  the 
shore  areas.  Bill  Greene  of  Canyon  Tours  assist- 
ed her  in  leaving  the  boat. 

"I  want  to  tell  you  that  we  are  coming  back,"  the 
Princess  promised  Art  Greene. 

"Yes,"  added  Lord  Snowdon,  "and  next  time  I'll 
do  a  better  job  of  water  skiing."  Lord  Snowdon 
had  earned  a  hearty  round  of  applause  and  a  bou- 
quet for  his  stint  on  the  skis. 

Others  making  the  Lake  Powell  tour  with  the  re- 
nowned pair  included  actress  Dorothy  McGuire 
and  her  husband,  famed  photographer  John 
Swope ;  actress  Hope  Lange  and  her  husband,  pro- 
ducer Alan  Pakula,  actor  Roddy  McDowall, 
and  host  for  the  royal  stay  in  Arizona,  former 
Ambassador  Lewis  E.  Douglas  and  his  daughter 
Sharman. 

In  informal  presentations  the  Princess  received 
a  floral  key  to  the  town  of  Page.  She  also  was 
presented  with  the  bronze,  copper-coated  Utah 
State  Medal  and  other  gifts  from  Utah  Supreme 
Court  Justice  J.  Allan  Crockett  representing  the 
Governor  of  Utah.  #  #  # 


February  1966 


Reclamations  11 -City  Water  Pipe 


by  GORDON  J.  FORSYTH,  Editor 


THEKE  is  no  mistaking  that  recreation  at  the 
new  Lake  Meredith  in  Texas  got  off  to  a  good 
start  last  summer.  One  of  the  reasons  for  the 
.  early  enjoyment  might  have  caused  a  catastrophe 
instead.  The  Canadian  River  had  swollen  dan- 
gerously because  of  heavy  spring  rains. 

There  are  two  other  good  reasons:  A  big  new 
dam  was  in  the  right  place  at  the  right  time  to 
catch  and  store  this  water.  And  a  good  many 
tow^nspeople  stood  ready  for  the  starting  day  with 
boats  and  fishing  tackle. 

Suddenly  it  was  Opening  Day  at  Lake  Meredith ! 

It  was  like  the  answer  to  a  dinner  bell.  Even 
though  the  manmade  lake  opened  to  the  public 
nearly  a  year  earlier  than  scheduled,  well-outfitted 
and  eager  residents  sped  to  the  reservoir  from  all 
directions.  Roads  and  ramps  were  not  yet  com- 
plete, but  hundreds  of  shiny  new  boats  were 
brought  to  the  water's  edge  and  swished  out  on 
their  maiden  voyages. 

On  the  first  full  weekend  of  use,  in  the  middle 
of  June,  there  were  about  3,200  surface  acres  of 
majestic  w^ater  available.  The  single  boat  ramp  in 
the  Sanford  Yake  Recreation  area  of  the  Cana- 
dian River  project  got  a  severe  workout.  The 
ramp  was  so  burdened  with  the  jam  of  traffic  that 
it  would  rival  any  which  New  York  City  might 
create. 

People  also  flocked  to  the  new  waters  to  ski 
and  picnic.  Many  inlets  and  coves  proved  fine 
for  fishing,  since  the  lake  also  had  been  stocked 
early  with  catfish,  bass,  and  crappie. 

It  is  quite  likely  that  this  enthusiastic  initiation 
of  the  new  reservoir  would  have  pleased  the  late 
A.  A.  Meredith,  for  whom  the  new  body  of  water 
was  named.  As  a  most  energetic  backer  of  the 
Canadian  River  project  since  the  dream  stage, 
"Double  A"  Meredith,  as  he  was  called,  worked 
undaunted  for  the  project  now  in  use.  Not  only 
were  his  many  years  of  leadership  climaxed  by 
seeing  construction  of  Sanford  Dam  start  in  1962, 
but  for  his  years  of  unselfish  effort,  he  was  pre- 
sented with  Interior's  highest  honor  award,  the 
Conservation  Award  by  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.  Udall. 


The  20-mile-long  Meredith  reservoir,  when  full, 
will  have  a  1.4  million  acre-foot  capacity — the 
largest  in  the  Texas  Panhandle.  It  will  be  con- 
fined by  the  almost  6,380-foot-long,  Reclamation- 
built  Sanford  Dam.  Approximately  15.3  million 
cubic  yards  of  embankment  materials  were  re- 
quired to  build  this  earthen  structure  up  to  its  200- 
foot  height. 

The  dam  and  reservoir  located  on  the  Canadian 
River  about  41  miles  from  Amarillo  will  supply 
the  storage  needed  for  the  largest  municipal  and 
industrial  water  supply  development  in  Reclama- 
tion history. 

By  July  4,  there  were  two  locations  near  the 
reservoir  that  had  camping,  picnic  tables,  shelters, 
water,  and  sanitation  facilities.  With  continuous 
development,  six  other  scenic  sites  will  provide 
camping  for  a  variety  of  outdoor  use.  All  eight 
such  public  facilities  will  be  operated  by  the  Na- 
tional Park  Service. 

Having  a  tributary  population  of  about  4  mil- 
lion residents  within  only  a  few  hours'  drive  of  the 
new  dam  and  reservoir,  plus  additional  tourists 
passing  through  the  area,  it  is  considered  probable 
that  the  annual  use  of  the  facilities  for  recreation 
will  be  an  impressive  1.5  million  visitor-days. 

Completed  on  Time 

In  keeping  with  Reclamation  traditions,  and 
with  the  cooperation  of  contractor  H.  B.  Zachry 
Co.,  Sanford  Dam's  construction  was  on  schedule. 
Even  with  the  interruptions  last  spring,  when  men 
and  machines  were  pulled  off  their  jobs  and  moved 
to  Colorado  and  Kansas  to  rebuild  washed  out  rail- 
roads and  highways,  Sanford  Dam  was  completed  t 
on  time. 

In   the  early   planning,   however,   an  unusual  ' 
Texas-sized  problem  was  imminent :  the  site  for  i 
the   Panhandle's   prospective  dam  and  body  of  ( 
water  was  in  the  heart  of  a  major  natural  gas 
field. 

To  avoid  damage  to  the  rich  gas  production  area, 
and  still  bring  the  advantages  of  water  where  it 


8 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Row  upon  row  of  large  concrete  pipe  at  this  manufacturing  plant  and  storage  yard  of  Cen-Vi-Ro  of  Texas,  Inc.,  near  Plainview,  were 
installed  in  the  322-mile  aqueduct. 


had  been  short  for  generations,  required  the  most 
modern  technology  and  considerable  savoir  faire. 
What  started  out  as  almost  an  insurmountable  job, 
became  an  exciting  challenge  of  engineering,  nego- 
tiation, and  cooperation. 

Setting  its  sights  on  obtaining  satisfying  results, 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  executed  46  contracts 
with  owners  of  gas  pipelines  and  producing  wells, 
under  which  the  companies  relocated  their  pipe- 
lines and  either  capped  wells  and  redrilled  them 
vertically  from  outside  the  reservoir  area — or  they 
drilled  the  gas  wells  by  means  of  slant  drilling 
from  above  the  high  watermark. 

In  the  case  of  wells  near  the  reservoir's  edge, 
Reclamation  had  portions  of  the  shoreline  diked 
off  to  keep  well  areas  dry. 

Waiting  along  the  322  miles  of  the  new  water 
artery  for  the  first  flows  to  come  in  early  1968  are 
the  11  member  cities  of  the  Canadian  River  Mu- 

[nicipal  Water  Authority:  Borger,  Pampa,  Ama- 
rillo,  Brownfield,  Lamesa,  Levelland,  Lubbock, 
O'Donnell,  Plainview,  Slaton,  and  Tahoka.  ^Vhen 
this  big  day  arrives,  water  from  the  area's  biggest 

twatering  hole  will  climb,  via  concrete  aqueduct,  to 
Amarillo  and  then  begin  its  gravity  fall  south  to- 

[ward  Lubbock  and  Lamesa. 

As  a  water  carrier  of  Lone  Star  State  magni- 
tude this  is  the  longest  pipeline  ever  built  by  the 
:  Bureau    of    Reclamation.      The    main    aqueduct 

February  1966 


ranges  up  to  8  feet  in  diameter  and  has  a  capacity 
of  118  million  gallons  a  day.  The  average  size  of 
the  pipe  at  the  different  city  outlets  is  about  20 
inches  in  diameter. 

The  largest  water  user,  Amarillo,  will  take  its 
new  supply — ^up  to  41  million  gallons  daily — from 
the  aqueduct  and  move  it  through  a  water  treat- 
ment plant  owned  by  the  city.  The  quantity  sup- 
plied to  each  city  varies  according  to  population. 

Contractor  Praised 

One  construction  milestone  was  noted  last  Sep- 
tember when  the  first  reach  of  the  aqueduct  was 
completed.  C.  O.  Crane,  Reclamation's  construc- 
tion engineer  for  the  project  praised  the  firm  of 
R.  H.  Fulton  saying:  the  construction  activity 
was  pursued  "diligently  and  in  a  workmanlike 
manner  and  completed  8  months  ahead  of  sched- 
ule." 

Fulton,  in  turn,  applauded  the  Bureau  of  Recla- 
mation for  its  cooperation  in  the  project : 

"If  all  aspects  of  the  Grovernment  were  run  on  as 
economical  a  basis  and  businesslike  manner  as  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation  handles  its  construction  busi- 
ness," Fulton  said,  "the  people  of  the  Nation  would  be 
very  proud  of  Government  operation.  In  my  opin- 
ion, in  construction  projects  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion is  probably  one  of  the  best-engineered  organiza- 
tions in  the  world. 


704-ss^  n-tkfi.—-) 


CANADIAN  RIVER  PROJECT 
TEXAS 


He  added,  "I  definitely  feel  that  the  taxpayers  are 
getting  dollars  received  for  all  work  supervised  by 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation." 

At  various  points  in  the  system,  other  structures 
will  assure  complete  operation.  These  include  10 
pumping  stations,  2  regulating  reservoirs,  and 
chlorination  facilities. 

Three  of  the  four  largest  pumping  plants  located 
between  the  dam  and  the  city  of  Amarillo  will  have 
a  forebay  to  permit  free  discharge  from  the  pre- 
ceding section  of  the  system.  A  surge  tank  will  be 
erected  near  each  pumping  plant.  These  tanks 
will  vary  in  height  from  75  to  192  feet  and  will 
prevent  damage  along  the  line  from  high  water 
pressures. 

The  pumping  stations  will  be  operated  by  re 
mote  control  using  a  telemetering  system. 

The  flood  control  outlet  works  at  Sanford  Dam 
are  at  the  base  of  the  left  abutment  and  include  a 
three-barrel  conduit  which  will  permit  36,400  cu- 
bic feet  of  flowing  water  per  second.  A  61-foot- 
wide  morning  glory  spillway   also   will  release 

10 


water  from  Lake  Meredith  at  the  left  side  of  the 
dam. 

Of  the  total  reservoir  space,  462,100  acre-feet 
are  for  flood  control  levels.  All  floods  of  histori- 
cal record  will  be  controlled  to  nondamaging  pro- 
portions with  discharges  below  the  dam  limited  to 
25,000  cubic  feet  per  second.  The  greatest  flood 
on  record  had  a  peak  of  257,000  cubic  feet  per 
second. 

In  the  right  abutment,  water  will  be  started 
through  the  huge  aqueduct  and  pumps. 

Like  many  other  water  reclaiming  projects  in 
our  Nation,  plans  for  the  Canadian  River  project 
survived  their  early  years  only  on  the  stanchness 
of  strong  and  resilient  men.  But  now,  as  the  con- 
struction era  of  the  CRP  nears  its  end,  precious 
water  becomes  available  for  long-term  multiple 
uses  including  the  growing  municipal  and  indus- 
trial needs.  And  another  water  project  proves  its 
worth  in  present  and  future  opportunities. 

#  #  # 


E.  L.  White 
Appointed 
Planning  Officer 


A  new  Columbia-North  Pacific  Planning  Office 
has  been  established  at  Portland,  Oreg.,  effective 
last  November,  to  provide  representation  for  the 
Department  and  the  Bureau  in  that  area,  with 
Elwyn  L.  White  of  region  1  as  head.  Mr.  White 
leaves  the  position  of  Regional  Project  Develop- 
ment Engineer  in  the  Bureau  headquarters  at 
Boise,  Idaho. 

This  is  the  second  such  full-time  office  created  by 
Reclamation.  A  similar  assignment  is  held  by 
Bruce  Johnson,  the  Missouri  River  Basin  Plan- 
ning Officer  whose  office  was  established  at  Omaha 
in  1964. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


The  Miracle  Leak  Sealer 


It  has  been  said  that  "miracles  are  propitious 
accidents." 

Quite  a  miraculous  discovery — one  of  good  omen 
and  surely  by  accident — is  a  new  technique  for 
sealing  of  leaking  concrete  pipes  in  irrigation 
systems. 

Announcement  of  the  discovery  was  made  by 
H.  V.  Eastman,  secretary-manager  of  the  Chow- 
chilla  Water  District,  Chowchilla,  Calif.  East- 
man explained  that  through  the  use  of  the  fer- 
tilizer, anhydrous  ammonia  (NHg),  seals  in  con- 
crete pipelines  are  made  economically  and  with 
relative  ease. 

Eastman  indicated  that  his  district,  which  re- 
ceives its  water  from  Friant  Dam  of  the  Bureau's 
Central  Valley  project,  completed  the  construc- 
tion of  many  miles  of  concrete  pipelines  and  other 
facilities. 

When  the  pipeline  was  placed  in  operation  in 
March  of  1964,  several  hundred  leaks  appeared  al- 
most immediately.  He  said  that  a  survey  of  irri- 
gation district  engineers  and  managers  showed 
that  this  was  not  uncommon  when  comparatively 
cold  water  is  carried  in  concrete  pipes.  Past  ex- 
perience had  been  to  patch  pipes  by  hand,  or 
putting  fine  sawdust  in  the  water  to  stop  most 
leaks. 

The  experience  of  a  large  landowner  with  a 
similar  problem  has  been  reported  and  verified. 
The  landowner  used  anhydrous  ammonia  for  fer- 
tilizing certain  crops;  and  this  material  had  been 
applied  with  irrigation  water  through  a  30-inch 
monolithic  pipeline  (cast-in-place  line) .  He  noted 
that  the  pipeline,  which  had  been  subject  to  severe 
1  leaking,  stopped  leaking  after  the  use  of  the  amaz- 
|ing  product.  The  pipeline  has  been  used  for  3 
I  full  years  without  any  recurring  leaks. 

On  April  1,  1964,  Mr.  Eastman's  Chowchilla 
[Water  District  started  an  experiment  with  the 
Inew  technique  in  3  miles  of  30-inch  and  36-inch 
monolithic  concrete  pipeline.  The  line  was  laid 
[during  the  previous  year,  employing  the  usual 
[practices. 

There  were  171  leaks  in  the  3  miles  of  line.  Since 
[here  was  no  information  as  to  how  much  NH3 
7SiS    required,    application    was   begun   with   80 


units  an  hour  and  cut  to  40  units  an  hour  after  3 
days.  After  a  period  of  14  days  all  but  12  leaks 
had  stopped  completely.  These  12  leaks  were 
patched  by  hand  after  the  lines  were  drained. 
Later  experience,  Eastman  said,  indicated  that  the 
leaks  could  have  been  sealed  by  continued  applica- 
tion of  the  new  leak  stopper. 

NH3  was  delivered  to  the  Chowchilla  District  in 
pressure  tanks,  and  the  amount  used  could  be  de- 
termined at  all  times  by  the  gages  on  the  tanks. 

Three  Miles  for  $300 

Eastman  indicated  that  about  $300  worth  of 
NH3  was  used  in  the  experimental  repair  work  in 
the  first  3  miles  of  line.  It  would  have  cost  more 
than  $1,000  to  patch  the  particular  lines  by  hand. 

"Undoubtedly,  good  results  can  be  obtained  with 
the  use  of  much  smaller  quantities  of  the  product 
than  were  used  in  the  Chowchilla  experiments," 
Eastman  declared.  "In  some  cases  as  little  as  20  to 
40  units  an  hour  will  get  good  results,  and  water 
with  a  high  content  of  calcium  carbonate  will  re- 
duce the  quantities  of  NH3  necessary  for  success- 
ful use." 

In  cases  where  the  calcium  content  is  not  ade- 
quate in  the  water  in  the  pipes,  a  means  of  adding 
proper  amounts  of  calcium  and  NH3  to  the  water 
is  needed.  Treatment  at  Chowchilla  was  extended 
to  precast  concrete  lines  running  from  14  to  24 
inches  in  diameter  and  in  monolithic  lines  from  24 
to  48  inches  in  size.  These  results  were  uniformly 
good,  according  to  Eastman.  Certain  pipelines 
which  had  persisted  in  leaking  after  continuous 
hand  patching  were  made  tight  with  the  new 
sealer.  There  was  some  concern  as  to  whether 
any  leaks  would  reopen  due  to  waterflow  or  with- 
drawal of  water  from  lines,  but  no  difficulty  was 
experienced. 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  may  not  be  familiar 
with  the  pipeline  terms:  Precast  pipe  is  concrete 
pipe  which  is  made  in  various  lengths  and  is  then 
hauled  to  a  construction  location  and  installed  to 
make  a  continuous  pipeline.  Millions  of  miles  of 
this  pipe  are  in  use. 

Monolithic  pipe  is  made  in  the  location  where  it 
is  to  be  used.  The  process  is  to  excavate  a  trench 
with  the  bottom  rounded  like  the  shape  of  pipe; 
and  with  the  use  of  forms  and  equipment,  con- 
crete is  poured  into  the  movable  form  to  make  a 
continuous  pipeline  which  may  be  a  few  feet  long 

{Continued  on  page  25) 


February  1966 


11 


STYLING  FOR  BEAUTY 


PAUL  SELONKE,   Editor  of  The  "Current"  News 


This  bank  is  graded  for  honeysuckle  planting  in  the  cooperative  Scottsdale  beautiflcation  program. 


'"''Salt  River  Project  Assumes  Major  Role  in 
Beautiflcation  Program  in  Phoenix^  Arizona'''' — 
'■'■Operation  Facelift.''''  This  is  how  writers  have 
described  the  Salt  River  project's  new  "Commu- 
nity Styling"  program  which  was  announced 
shortly  after  the  White  House  Conference  on  Nat- 
ural Beauty  in  Washington,  D.C.,  last  summer. 

Actually,  it  is  more  than  a  "facelift."  It  might 
better  be  called  the  "new  look  of  tomorrow"  among 
Reclamation  irrigation  and  power  projects  in  the 
swift-growing  metropolitan  areas  of  the  West. 

As  conceived  by  the  Salt  River  project,  "Com- 
munity Styling"  is  the  title  of  its  all-out  program 
to  make  its  power  and  irrigation  facilities  more 
attractive  and  compatible  with  the  natural  beauty 
of  a  burgeoning  Salt  River  Valley,  which  has  the 
city  of  Phoenix  as  its  hub. 


The  styling  program  wasn't  triggered  by  the 
White  House  Conference.  It  had  been  under  study 
for  several  years.  With  the  studies  completed, 
plus  the  availability  of  new  methods  and  equip- 
ment, the  Salt  River  project  announced  its  "Com- 
munity Styling"  concept.  It  is  a  plan  for  the 
project  to  enlarge  on  the  efforts  of  other  groups 
to  beautify  Phoenix  and  the  Valiey  areas.  Spe- 
cifically, it  puts  new  emphasis  on  the  appearance 
of  Salt  River  project  facilities  during  new  con- 
struction and  the  modernization  of  the  older 
facilities. 

"We  at  the  Salt  River  project  have  always  em- 
phasized low-cost  power  and  water,"  Project  Gen- 
eral Manager  Rod  J.  McMullin  said  in  regard  to 
the  program.  "We  realize  that  the  new  styling 
program  will  impose  much  greater  responsibility : 


12 


The  Reclamation  Era 


This  decorative  stone  facing  makes  the  irrigation  structure  func- 
tional as  well  as  pleasing  to  the  eye  and  permanent.  (All  photos, 
by  courtesy  of  the  Salt  River  Project.) 

This  is  a  povt^er  transformer  on  a  pad  sitting  neatly  by  the  service 
entrance  of  an  apartment  being  served  by  an  underground  electric 
power  system.      Some  transformers  are  placed  underground. 


Precast  slabs  faced  with  flagstone  give  beauty  to  the  superstructure 
of  this  underground  lateral.  The  creations  attract  much  favorable 
comment. 


By  cooperative  agreements  with  builders  during  the  past  4  years, 
there  are  20  subdivisions  in  SRP  areas  served  with  underground 
distribution  lines  to  enhance  the  skyline. 


This  new  type  of  decorative,  attractively  painted  Meyer  pole 
supports  the  230-kilovolt  transmission  line  from  Papogo  Buttes 
Substation  into  the  Phoenix  area. 


in  the  fields  of  construction  and  maintenance,  and 
yet  we  are  not  forgetting  that  service  to  the  cus- 
tomer has  first  priority." 

He  emphasized,  too,  that  this  new  styling  pro- 
gram may  not  mean  instant  beauty  in  all  areas  of 
the  Salt  River  Valley.  "Many  years  were  re- 
quired to  build  our  present  system,"  he  added,  "and 
considerable  time  will  be  necessary  to  make  ad- 
justments in  the  appearance  of  our  facilities." 

Nonetheless,  considerable  progress  has  been 
made  in  improving  design  of  new  facilities  and  in 
modernizing  those  already  in  existence.  The  proj- 
ect breaks  down  "Community  Styling"  into  two 
categories:  "Power  Styling" — improvements  in 
power  facilities;  and  "Hydro  Styling" — ^beautifi- 
cation  of  irrigation  structures. 

Power  Styling 

With  the  recent  growth  in  the  Phoenix  area, 
there  has  been  a  trend  toward  beautification.  This 
includes  a  growing  interest  in  reducing  the  num- 
ber of  overhead  powerlines  dnd  in  improving  the 
appearance  of  substations  within  urban  districts. 

Salt  River  project  has  made  a  long-term  study 
of  these  problems  and  has  examined  the  various 
known  methods  of  making  improvements.    Tradi- 

Shrubbery  placed  around  old-style,  tall  substation  structures  such 
as  this,  helps  in  beautification.  However,  by  replacing  them  with 
more  attractive  low-profile  substations,  the  old  ones  will  become  a 
thing  of  the  past  in  SRP  neighborhoods. 


14 


The  Reclamation  Era 


A  conduit  painted  with  light-color  paint  attracts  no  undue  atten- 
tion to  the  power  going  underground  at  the  edge  of  a  subdivision. 
Arrow  points  to  conduit  by  pole. 

tionally,  need,  function,  and  cost  must  be  taken 
into  consideration  when  appearance  is  a  factor. 

The  project  has  been  placing  distribution  lines 
underground  in  residential  areas  where  cost  is 
feasible.  In  fact,  underground  distribution  serv- 
ice has  been  made  for  the  last  4  years  under  a  co- 
operative arrangement  with  home  developers  and 
builders.  Twenty  subdivisions  and  residential 
areas  are  now  being  served  underground. 

Such  underground  installations  were  not  finan- 
cially feasible  a  short  time  ago,  but  the  Salt  River 
project  adopting  various  technological  advances, 
has  been  able  to  serve  residential  and  some  com- 
mercial areas  with  underground  conductors  and 
related  equipment. 

Scientific  technology  has  not  reached  the  stage 
of  permitting  underground  construction  of  rela- 
tively long  distribution  feeders  and  high-voltage 
transmission  lines.  Although  it  is  economically 
impossible  at  this  time,  Assistant  General  Manager 
Glenn  Brandow  in  charge  of  the  project  power  op- 
erations, feels  that  the  needed  breakthroughs  may 
be  around  the  corner  insofar  as  distribution  feeders 
are  concerned — that  is,  if  research  and  scientific 

L  February  1966 


advancements  can  be  accelerated. 

"Underground  high-voltage  transmission,  how- 
ever, cannot  be  expected  in  the  near  future,"  Mr. 
Brandow  predicted. 

Meanwhile,  the  Salt  River  project  is  using  every 
means  to  provide  a  more  pleasing  appearance  to 
both  transmission  and  distribution  lines.  This  in- 
cludes the  use  of  gray  steel  and  gray-stained  wood 
poles  which  are  fitted  with  similarly  colored  hard- 
ware so  that  they  appear  to  fade  into  the  sky. 

To  avoid  congested  appearance,  crossarms  are 
being  eliminated  whenever  possible,  and  trans- 
formers are  being  mounted  in  ways  that  make  them 
as  inconspicuous  as  possible. 

Old  substations  are  being  replaced  with  new  low- 
profile  gear  which  doesn't  protrude  conspicuously. 
In  these  cases,  colored  block  fences  rather  than  the 
old  chain-link  type  enclose  the  substation,  and 
trees  and  shrubery  are  planted  around  the  wall  to 
give  the  substation  a  parklike  appearance  and  one 
that  breaks  the  straight  lines  against  the  skyline. 

These  are  a  few  of  the  many  innovations  in  the 
Salt  River  project's  styling  program. 

Hydrostyling 

Hydrostyling  of  the  Salt  River  project's  water 
and  irrigation  facilities  is  a  rather  dramatic  styl- 

This  kind  of  irrigation  feature  is  a  thing  of  the  past  on  the  Salt 
River  Project. 


15 


ing  concept.  Eleven  examples  on  both  new  and  ex- 
isting structures  can  be  found  in  various  parts  of 
the  valley. 

For  years  the  Salt  River  project's  water  and  ir- 
rigation facilities  were  controlled  by  cost  and  ef- 
ficiency alone.  They  were  designed  simply  to  ful- 
fill the  purpose  of  distributing  water.  Today,  in 
order  to  cooperate  with  the  community  effort,  the 
Salt  River  project  is  designing  more  picturesque 
structures. 

"From  an  engineering  standpoint,  we  engineers 
were  trained  to  consider  first  the  functional  char- 
acteristics of  a  concrete  structure,  placing  very 
little  emphasis  on  the  aesthetic  value,"  explained 
Assistant  General  Manager  Henry  Shipley,  who 
is  in  charge  of  the  Salt  River  project  water  opera- 
tions. "However,  with  a  little  ingenuity  and 
imagination  we  have  been  able  to  add  considerable 
attractiveness  to  the  conventional  concrete  irriga- 
tion structure.  A  dressing  up  of  the  outward  ap- 
pearance, costs,  in  some  cases,  only  $35  a  structure". 

The  present  precasting  of  structures,  using  key- 
ways,  are  the  most  modem  types  in  use  and  it 
wasn't  until  late  in  1964  that  hydrostyling  was  in- 
cluded in  the  precasting  effort.  Decorative  flag- 
stones are  cemented  into  that  part  of  a  slab  which 
is  exposed  above  the  ground.  These  hydrostyled 
structures  are  attractive,  and  have  resulted  in  con- 
siderable favorable  public  comment. 

Salt  River  project  is  cooperating  with  various 
beautification  committees.  It  has  approved  plant- 
ing of  trees  and  other  forms  of  landscaping  on 
some  canal  banks.  In  preparing  for  such  a  plant- 
ing, the  project  first  levels  and  shapes  the  banks. 

One  project  of  this  kind  was  recently  completed 
with  the  cooperation  of  the  Salt  River  project,  the 
Scottsdale  chapter  of  DeMolay  and  Boy  Scout 
Troop  241.  At  the  request  of  the  city  of  Scotts- 
dale and  the  Valley  Beautiful  Citizens  Committee, 
the  Salt  River  project  cleared  and  graded  more 
than  a  mile  of  canal  bank  for  a  planting.  Scotts- 
dale purchased  some  1,100  purple-stemmed  honey- 
suckles and  the  boys  set  out  the  flowering  vines 
under  the  skillful  direction  of  Gwin  Hendrix, 
head  gardener  for  the  Hotel  Valley  Ho  in  Scotts- 
dale. 

Beautification  has  become  an  important  factor  in 
the  future  of  the  Salt  River  Valley — and  the  Salt 
River  project  is  playing  its  part  in  the  many 
styling  and  modernizing  efforts.  #  #  # 


^^  i?/VER  T^®^^ 


16 


The  Reclamation  Era 


More  Ideas  for  Face  Lifting 


This   group   of   drawings  are  suggested  variations  for  lending   a  pleasing  design  to  the  aboveground  portions  of  irrigotion  turnouts. 


February  1966 


On  the  Garrison  Diversion  Unit  .  .  . 

North  Dakota's  "Plan  Ahead"  Farm 

by  R.  E.  DOROTHY,  Chief,  Irrigation   Division,  Bismarck,  N.  Dak. 


Since  the  operation  started  6  years  ago,  research 
at  the  Carrington  Station  has  supplied  answers  to 
many  irrigation  questions  for  farmers  in  the  north- 
central  part  of  North  Dakota.  The  Carrington 
Research  Farm  is  located  in  Reclamation's  new 
250,000-acre  Garrison  Diversion  Unit  area,  which 
was  authorized  for  construction  in  August  1965. 

With  the  acreage  of  this  new  unit,  which  will  be 
developed  to  support  an  additional  700  new  farm 
families,  irrigation  know-how  will  be  in  even 
greater  demand.  The  research  farm's  knowledge 
of  a  more  varied  farm  production  through  irriga- 
tion than  was  possible  before,  will  open  the  gates 
to  more  opportunities  and  profits  for  North  Da- 
kotans. 

The  Carrington  Irrigation  Branch  Station  is 
part  of  the  State  University's  Agricultural  Ex- 
periment Station.  To  find  the  most  suitable  site 
for  the  irrigation  experiment  farm,  specialists 
from  the  Agricultural  Station,  with  the  aid  of  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation,  inspected  12  potential  sites 
in  1957,  all  within  the  Garrison  Diversion  Unit 
area. 


Since  the  proposed  station  would  depend  in  its 
early  years  upon  well  water  for  irrigation,  test 
wells  were  drilled.  When  results  of  the  test  wells 
at  a  site  4  miles  from  Carrington  proved  in  1958 
to  be  more  than  adequate,  this  location  was  selected 
and  the  State  of  North  Dakota  purchased  the 
farm. 

A  second  factor  that  influenced  the  selection  of 
the  site  was  its  excellent  location.  There  are  ap- 
proximately 330,000  acres  of  potentially  irrigable 
land  within  a  radius  of  60  miles  of  the  station. 

Containing  580  tillable  acres,  the  section  has  380 
acres  classified  as  irrigable.  The  soils  are  a  Kief 
loam  which,  under  dryland  farming  operations, 
rapidly  show  the  effect  of  drought  and  a  decrease 
in  crop  production. 

At  a  cost  of  17.5  cents  per  cubic  yard,  155  acres 
were  leveled  for  irrigation  by  a  commercial  con- 
tractor in  1959.  An  additional  50  acres  were  lev- 
eled during  the  fall  of  1960  with  station  labor  and 
equipment  consisting  of  a  rented  8-yard  elevating 
scraper  pulled  by  a  5-plow  farm  tractor.  Addi- 
tional land  was  leveled  in  1961  by  station  forces 


The  irrigated  sugarbeet  crop,  part  of  the  research  program  at  the  Carrington  Station  is  being  inspected  by  Superintendent  Olson,  left, 
and  a  neighboring  farmer. 


U^-^ 


s  r  y 


■;^^^W^-' 


,Cv^'. 


and  more  will  be  as  the  needs  increase  at  the  sta- 
tion. At  a  cost  of  only  11  cents  per  cubic  yard, 
this  technique  of  leveling  has  impressed  the  irriga- 
tors as  a  potential  for  their  offpeak  work. 

Well  Water  Supply 

The  irrigation  water  supply  for  the  station  is 
from  two  concrete  cased  wells,  each  slightly  over 
90  feet  deep,  having  a  static  water  level  some  30 
feet  below  ground  surface  and  a  drawdown  of 
about  20  feet.  The  well  in  the  southeast  quarter  of 
the  section  pumps  1,100  gallons  per  minute  for  90 
irrigable  acres,  while  the  well  in  the  northeast 
quarter  produces  1,700  gallons  per  minute  for  150 
acres.  The  southeast  well  is  driven  by  a  34  horse- 
power gasoline  engine  and  the  other  is  powered 
by  a  30  horsepower  electric  motor. 

A  third  well  added  recently  will  provide  a  wa- 
ter supply  for  a  self-propelled  sprinkler  system  to 
be  used  on  120  acres  of  land  not  suited  to  gravity 
irrigation. 

Faced  with  increasing  demands  for  funds  from 
all  departments  of  the  State  government,  the 
North  Dakota  Legislature  has  found  it  difficult  to 
provide  all  of  the  requested  funds  for  the  station 
facilities  as  rapidly  as  may  have  been  desired; 
however,  the  station  is  being  developed  in  an  order- 
ly and  logical  manner. 

To  date  the  facilities  include  the  superintend- 
ent's house,  crop  storage  and  laboratory  building, 
machine  shed,  a  combination  crop-threshing  and 
potato  storage  building  and  a  well-equipped 
farm  shop,  representing  an  investment  of  nearly 
$120,000.  Still  to  be  constructed  are  additional 
housing  for  station  employees,  livestock  feeding 
facilities  and  miscellaneous  minor  structures. 

It  is  one  thing  to  have  the  land,  the  facilities  and 
the  irrigation  water,  but  the  catalyst  who  can 
weld  all  of  these  elements  into  a  successful  re- 
search center  is  a  good  station  superintendent.  At 
Carrington,  this  is  .Howard  M.  Olson,  a  native 
North  Dakotan  who  graduated  from  the  State  Uni- 
versity with  a  degree  "in  Agricultural  Engineering. 
He  completed  his  work  for  a  Master's  Degree  in 
Irrigation  at  Utah  State  University.  Howard's 
excellent  background  includes  his  former  work 
with  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation'  at  the  Minot 
office.  He  also  has  been  with  the  Agricultural 
Research  Service  Field  Station  in  Mandan,  and 
Superintendent  of  the  North  Dakota  Williston 
Branch  Station. 


The  discharge  from  this  concrete  cased  well  produces  1,700  gal- 
lons of  water  per  minute. 

At  Williston  Station,  Howard  was  responsible 
for  the  small  irrigation  research  program  carried 
on  along  with  the  usual  dryland  farm  research. 
The  location  of  the  Williston  Station  within  the 
Garrison  Reservoir  site  was  a  factor  in  prompt- 
ing the  establishment  of  the  new  Carrington 
Station. 

The  objective  of  the  Carrington  Irrigation  Sta- 
tion is  to  determine  which  crops  and  crop  varieties 
provide  the  greatest  increase  in  yield  and  farm 
income  from  the  application  of  irrigation  water. 
This  involves  not  only  a  study  of  crop  varieties 
but  also  of  tillage,  seeding  methods,  weed  control, 
fertilizer  levels,  and  water  requirements. 

The  questions  the  station  operator  hopes  to  an- 
swer are :  "What  crop  varieties  are  best  for  irri- 


February  1966 


19 


gation  in  North  Dakota?"  "How  does  irrigated 
corn  silage  compare  with  forage  sorghums  in  total 
yield  and  feed  value?"  "What  specialty  crops  can 
be  put  under  irrigation  in  this  area  ?" 

To  make  many  of  the  crop  yield  measurements 
at  Carrington,  it  is  necessary  to  have  comparison 
plantings  of  nonirrigated  (dryland)  and  irrigated 
crops.  The  nonirrigated  results  can  be  considered 
typical  of  some  of  the  surrounding  area  and  form 
a  basis  for  some  of  the  decisions  the  dryland 
farmer  will  have  to  make  on  his  own  farm. 

Specialty  Crops 

At  the  "plan  ahead"  farm  specialty  crops  like 
safflower,  peppermint  and  tame  yellow  mustard 
are  being  tried.  An  interesting  planting  of  flow- 
ers, fruit  trees  and  woody  ornamentals  was  started 
in  1964  in  cooperation  with  the  Horticultural  De-r 
partment  of  the  State  University.  This  has  cre- 
ated a  lot  of  interest  among  visitors,  especially 
women  who  tour  the  Station. 

In  1963,  trial  plantings  of  five  garden  tomato 
varieties  commonly  known  in  North  Dakota  gar- 
dens were  made.  With  irrigation  water  and  fer- 
tilizer, three  of  the  five  varieties  produced  over 
25  tons  per  acre,  and  the  remaining  two  topped  20 
tons. 

Although  it  is  not  in  the  principal  sugarbeet 
producing  area  of  North  Dakota,  the  station  grows 
30  to  40  acres  of  sugarbeets  each  year  on  an  ex- 
perimental basis  through  the  cooperation  of  sugar 
companies  and  railroads.  The  beets  are  shipped 
by  rail  to  Sidney,  Mont.,  for  processing.  In  spite 
of  a  handicap  year  in  1963,  the  yield  was  14.4  tons 
an  acre  with  a  sugar  content  of  16.3  percent.  How- 
ard feels  that  yields  of  20  tons  or  more  an  acre  are 
possible. 

While  the  accumulated  data  on  crop  varieties, 
yields  and  other  factors  are  highly  desirable,  per- 
haps the  most  important  research  activity  of  the 
station  has  not  yet  started — livestock  feeding. 


Holum  Said  More  Beef 

Last  October,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Inte- 
rior Kenneth  Holum  said  in  a  speech  at  Grand 
Forks,  N.  Dak.,  about  the  greater  potential  in  this 
part  of  the  State:  "The  Garrison  Diversion  proj- 
ect, and  similar  units  that  follow  will  permit  our 


20 


high,  semiarid  prairie  country  to  diversify  its 
economy  and  our  farmers  to  diversify  their  crop- 
ping patterns.  The  Nation's  breadbasket  will  be- 
come an  urgently  needed  new  source  of  meat  and 
animal  products.  We  will  raise  less  wheat  and 
more  beef." 

The  irrigation  system  of  the  huge  new  multi- 
purpose unit  includes  construction  of  1,865  miles 
of  canals  and  laterals,  4  regulating  reservoirs,  141 
pumping  plants,  and  about  2,813  miles  of  drains 
for  this  plains  region.  It  also  will  bring  long- 
awaited  supplies  of  municipal  and  industrial  wa- 
ter, enhance  fish  and  wildlife  resources,  and  pro- 
vide recreation  opportunities. 

The  livestock  feeding  program  at  the  Carring- 
ton Station  will  relate  forage  and  feed  production 
to  pounds  of  finished  meat  or  dairy  products.  Be- 
cause of  climatic  conditions  and  the  short  growing 
season.  North  Dakota  irrigation  farmers  will,  in  a 
large  degree,  depend  on  producing  livestock  feed 
on  their  farms  and  marketing  the  feed  through 
livestock.  Approximately  60  percent  of  the  irri- 
gated land  on  the  Garrison  Diversion  Unit  will  be 
devoted  to  growing  feed  crops,  such  as  alfalfa  hay, 
corn  silage,  and  feed  grains.  For  this  reason  the 
Carrington  Station  management  is  anxious  to  start 
the  livestock  feeding  program. 

Superintendent  Olson  has  proposed  that  the 
station's  feeder  calves  and  yearlings  be  obtained 
from  local  dryland  ranchers  on  a  share  basis,  since 
the  station  is  not  interested  in  a  breeding  herd  and 
would  prefer  not  to  use  the  feedlot  stock.  To  ex- 
periment with  the  forage  utilization  in  the  feed 
lot  as  related  to  irrigated  feed  crops  is  preferred, 
believing  that  the  share  plan  would  also  have  ad- 
vantages for  the  local  ranchers. 

The  Agricultural  Engineering  Department  of 
North  Dakota  State  University  is  conducting  tests 
on  sections  of  concrete  canal  and  buried  concrete 
irrigation  pipe  to  determine  their  durability  to 
.the  climatic  conditions  of  that  region.  Also  the 
Agricultural  Eesearch  Service  of  the  Department 
of  Agriculture  is  carrying  out  tests  using  sprinkler 
systems  to  determine  the  maximum  crops  possible 
from  minimum  amounts  of  water. 

Annual  Tours 

Tours  of  the  station  are  given  to  many  groups 
and  individuals.  At  the  annual  "Field  Day,"  spe- 
cial demonstrations  of  irrigation  methods,  land 

The  Reclamation  Era 


/ 


Howard  mixes  insecticide  for  field  spraying,  as  his  son,  Paul,  "supervises"  operations. 


leveling  and  well  drilling  supplement  the  usual 
station  tour. 

Commenting  on  what  he  thought  were  the  most 
significant  results  of  the  first  4  years  at  the  station, 
Olson  said,  "It  has  created  an  awareness  and  in- 
terest in  irrigation  by  the  people  of  North  Dakota 
that  did  not  exist  before.  Several  farmers  in  this 
area  alone  have  gone  into  irrigation  since  seeing 
this  operation.  A  surprising  number  drive  great 
distances  each  year  to  inspect  it." 

Two  well  remembered  visitors  were  Congress- 
men Wayne  Aspinall  of  Colorado  and  Walter 
Rodgers   of   Texas,    who   toured   the   station   as 


part  of  a  visit  to  the  Garrison  Diversion  Unit. 

"We  have  accumulated  some  basic  data  on  ir- 
rigated crop  varieties,  yields,  general  water  re- 
quirements, fertilizer  levels  and  similar  aspects  of 
irrigation  research,"  Olson  continued,  "but  it  will 
be  a  few  years  yet  before  the  real  value  of  the 
station  will  be  apparent." 

Everyone  who  knows  Howard  Olson  and  who 
is  familiar  with  the  work  underway  at  the  Car- 
rington  Irrigation  Branch  Station  knows  that  tre- 
mendous strides  have  been  taken  in  these  first  few 
years  and  are  confident  that  greater  progress  will 
be  made  in  the  next  five.  #  #  # 


February  1966 


21 


THAT  GORGEOUS  FLAMING  GORGE 


The  remote  northeast  comer  of  Utah  has  become 
quite  a  center  of  attention.  It's  because  of  that 
Gorgeous  Flaming  Mountain  Gorge — Flaming 
Gorge.  (A  bit  thickly  poured  on,  you  may  say. 
But  it's  typical  of  the  way  many  like  to  describe 
this  beauty  spot.) 

Of  course,  the  spectacular  area  of  precipitous 
canyons  has  been  there  for  several  eons,  but  be- 
cause of  the  new  Flaming  Gorge  Dam,  which 
blocks  the  Green  River  in  awesome  magnitude, 
more  and  more  people  go  there. 

They  want  to  see  the  502-foot-high  concrete  dam 
and  the  beautiful  reservoir.  They  want  to  see  the 
reason  for  naming  that  part  of  the  Uinta  Moun- 
tains, Flaming  Gorge.  In  addition  to  the  raving 
over  the  exotic  views,  people  are  amazed  at  how 
well  known  the  area  already  is  for  its  vast  re- 
sources of  fishing,  camping,  and  boating. 

Attesting  to  this  has  been  the  increasing  stream 
of  traffic  on  roads  north  from  Vernal,  Utah,  or 
south  from  Green  River,  Wyo. 

At  the  end  of  the  drive,  the  visitors  stop  for  a 
few  minutes  of  welcoming  and  orientation  at  the 
new  Visitor  Center.  This  modern  building  is  con- 
veniently nestled  near  one  end  of  Flaming  Gorge 
Dam.  It  is  the  principal  structure  resulting  from 
a  unique  interagency  recreation  program  of  han- 
dling visitors.  Inside,  are  many  visuals  that 
heighten  one's  interest  plus  a  sign  explaining  the 
recreational  offering.     The  sign  says: 

"YOUR  FEDERAL  AGENCIES,  WORKING 
WITH  THE  STATES  OF  WYOMING  AND  UTAH, 
OFFER  AN  ENRICHED  RECREATION  EXPERI- 
ENCE CENTERING  ON  MAN-MADE  FLAMING 
GORGE  LAKE." 

The  sign  sums  up  the  recreational  effort  brought 
to  fruition  jointly  by  the  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture's Forest  Service  and  the  Department  of  the 
Interior's  National  Park  Service,  Bureau  of  Land 
Management,  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service,  and  Bu- 
reau of  Reclamation. 

Flaming  Gorge  Dam  has  changed  the  scenic,  but 
isolated,  mountain  valley  into  a  summer  haven  for 


many  thousands  of  outdoor  sports  enthusiasts. 
But  its  history  is  interesting  too. 

Outlaws  used  to  hide  out  in  the  Flaming  Gorge 
area  because  of  the  valuable  protection  of  its  re- 
mote wilderness.  The  settlers  who  moved  into 
the  valleys  were  hardy  specimens  able  to  slug  it 
out  with  a  severe  winter  climate,  staggering  trans- 
portation problems,  and  both  wary  and  ferocious 
animals.  In  those  early  days,  the  six-shooter  and 
the  saddle-hung  carbine  were  needed  as  much  for 
life  in  this  country  as  the  pioneer  axe  and  grub- 
stake. 

To  Tame  Wilderness 

In  helping  to  tame  the  Flaming  Gorge  wilder- 
ness, President  Theodore  Roosevelt  established  the 
Ashley  National  Forest,  comprising  much  of  the 
high  Uinta  Mountains,  in  1908.  The  Grazing 
Service,  later  the  Bureau  of  Land  Management, 
established  stock  quotas  on  land  outside  the  Na- 
tional Forest  to  control  overgrazing.  Roads  were 
cut  through  the  rock  ridges  and  slashed  through 
the  forest.  They  weren't  good  roads  by  today's 
standards,  but  they  were  a  boon  to  village  folk. 

When  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  moved  in  to 
build  Flaming  Gorge  Dam  in  1957,  we  didn't  find 
many  people  packing  six-guns.  But,  we  found 
individualists  to  the  core — strong,  resilient,  and 
resourceful.  Some  of  the  friendliest  people  in  the 
world.  Not  many  lived  there  year-around.  And 
Daggett  County  was  populated  with  only  about 
500  people,  about  half  of  whom  lived  in  the 
county's  only  town,  Manila. 

When  planning  the  story  to  be  told  at  the  Flam- 
ing Gorge  Visitor  Center  at  the  dam,  one  must 
take  into  account  the  tremendous  changes  that 
were  caused  by  the  building  of  the  dam.  The  im- 
portant role  of  the  structure  in  the  Colorado  River 
storage  project  is  only  part  of  the  picture.  The 
introduction  of  about  2,000  construction  workers 

Some    boaters    take    a    wind-powered    ride    for   a    quiet,    pleasant 
change  on  the  glistening  waters  of  Flaming  Gorge  reservoir. 


22 


The  Reclamation  Era 


I 


-^^tlt^mi  ' 


February  1966 


23 


and  families  to  the  area  was  an  event  of  major 
proportions. 

A  serene  Red  Canyon  was  rent  by  the  roar  of 
blasting,  the  noise  of  bulldozers  and  shovels,  and 
later  by  the  nimble  of  concrete  mixers  and  pound- 
ing of  air  compressors.  New  paved  highways  en- 
abled heavy  trucks  to  carry  equipment  and  sup- 
plies from  all  parts  of  the  Nation. 

Before  anyone  could  think  that  the  region  would 
settle  back  into  its  old  ways  after  the  dam  was  fin- 
ished in  1963,  they  reckoned  with  Flaming  Gorge 
Lake.  Fortunately,  both  the  Forest  Service  and 
the  National  Park  Service  prepared  for  great 
numbers  of  visitors  to  come  to  the  lake.  Recrea- 
tion development  on  the  downstream  30  miles  of 
the  lake,  bordered  by  Ashley  National  Forest,  was 
logically  the  responsibility  of  the  Forest  Service. 

Lake-oriented  recreation  north  of  the  forest, 
about  60  miles  (mostly  in  Wyoming) ,  was  assigned 
to  the  National  Park  Service.  Both  agencies  be- 
gan construction  of  boat  ramps  and  campgrounds 
even  before  the  lake  w^as  formed.  After  elimi- 
nating trash  fish  in  the  Green  River,  the  Fish  and 
Wildlife  Service,  working  with  the  States  of  Utah 
and  Wyoming,  planted  some  6  million  trout  in  the 
lake  and  in  the  river  below  the  dam. 

Visit  the  Lake 

Recreation  facilities  didn't  go  in  a  minute  too 
soon.  The  gates  of  the  diversion  tunnel  of  the 
dam  were  closed  in  November  1962,  In  1963  there 
were  400,000  visitors  to  the  young,  rising  lake ;  in 
1964  there  were  571,000. 

The  year,  1965,  saw  a  phenomenal  743,000  visi- 
tors at  the  dam  and  on  the  lake.  On  the  last  July 
Fourth  weekend,  there  were  more  than  40,000  peo- 
ple on  and  around  the  lake.  Campgrounds  were 
chock  full.  Ranchers  and  townspeople  around 
Manila  helped  out  in  a  neighborly  fashion  by  let- 
ting visitors  camp  in  their  yards.  Many  tourists 
simply  gave  up  looking  and  camped  in  unim- 
proved areas.  All  agencies  had  worked  long  and 
hard  to  make  recreation  as  successful  as  hydro- 
power  generation  and  other  multipurpose  river 
regulation. 

Early  in  the  joint-agency  planning  of  the  exhibit 
for  the  Visitor  Center  it  was  agreed  that  a  large 
relief  model  of  the  lake  and  adjacent  areas  would 


About  59,000  people  in  1965  received  guidance  information  at 
the  Flaming  Gorge  Visitor  Center  shown  in  the  center  of  the  photo. 

be  the  central  exhibit.  To  tell  the  story  of  the 
combined  facilities,  three  large  wall  panels  were 
painted,  and  titled:  "YEARS  OF  PLANNING, 
YEARS  OF  BUILDING,  and  YEARS  OF 
SERVICE." 

Expert  exhibit  builders  at  the  National  Park 
Service's  Western  Museum  Laboratory  in  San 
Francisco  constructed  the  panels.  Artist  Ernest 
Norling  of  Seattle  painted  a  6-  x  10- foot  mural- 
montage  depicting  the  activities  of  Indians,  fur 
trappers.  Government  explorers,  outlaws,  settlers, 
and  others.  When  his  effort  exceeded  the  highest 
expectations,  we  again  called  upon  Mr.  Norling  to 
show  the  naming  of  Flaming  Gorge  in  the  grace- 
ful, vermilion-colored  canyon.  Below  the  painting 
appears  a  quotation  from  Major  John  Wesley  Pow- 
ell's diary  on  his  naming  the  gorge  on  his  1869 
river  exploration : 

"The  river  glides  on  in  a  quiet  way  as  if  it  thought 
a  mountain  range  no  formidable  obstruction  to  its 
course.  It  enters  the  range  by  a  flaring,  brilliant, 
red  gorge,  that  may  be  seen  from  the  north  a  score 
of  miles  away  .  .  .  This  is  the  head  of  the  first  can- 
yon we  are  about  to  explore  ...  an  introductory  one 
to  a  series  made  by  the  river  through  this  range.  We 
name  it  Flaming  Gorge." 

It  is  perhaps  unimportant  to  the  casual  visitor, 
but  the  well-qualified  guides  at  the  Visitor  Center 
carry  no  agency  identification.  But  they  do  sup- 
ply interesting  identification  of  the  area's  points 
of  curiosity.  Their  service  is  provided  by  the 
Forest  and  the  National  Park  Services. 

By  taking  a  few  minutes  at  the  Visitor  Center 
last  year,  nearly  59,000  people  were  aided  in  reach- 
ing special  scenic  areas  and  campgrounds,  and 
were  given  an  appreciation  for  the  Flaming  Gorge 
reclamation  project.  :^  #  # 


24 


The  Reclamation  Era 


{Contlrmed  from  '''■The  Miracle  Leak  Sealer^'' 
yage  11.) 
or  extend  for  miles.  The  equipment  is  moved  for- 
ward constantly  so  that  the  pipe  is  generally  made 
without  joints  and  is  a  continous  structure.  Cast- 
in-place  pipe  is  generally  less  expensive  than  other 
pipe  and  is  used  in  larger  sizes,  generally  from  30 
to  48  inches  in  diameter. 

Eastman  exp-lained  that  the  addition  of  NH3  to 
water  precipitates  or  frees  the  calcium  carbonate, 
gives  it  a  milky  look  and  carries  it  to  the  cracks 
and  seals  them.  "Nothing  further  is  done  to 
apply  the  material.  The  practice  of  draining  the 
pipelines  after  treatment  to  permit  the  calcium 
carbonate  in  the  cracks  3  or  4  days  to  dry  up 
and  harden,  may  or  may  not  be  a  necessary  pre- 
caution," said  Eastman. 

Some  of  the  product  covers  the  entire  inside  of 
the  pipeline  and  will  cure  large  cracks  as  well  as 
small  ones. 

Well  Water  Used 

It  was  explained  that  in  the  Chowchilla  experi- 
ment, river  water  was  used  at  first,  but  it  became 
necessary  to  use  water  from  wells  because  of  short- 
age of  canal  water  at  the  time,  and  the  amount  of 
calcium  available  varied  from  different  wells. 
Treatment  with  water  from  one  well  could  cure 
all  leaks  in  12  hours,  it  was  reported,  and  from 
other  wells  it  would  take  3  or  4  days,  and  no  seal- 
ing could  be  obtained  with  water  from  two  wells. 

The  best  results  were  obtained  using  water 
which  carried  85  parts  NH3  per  million  of  calcium, 
but  satisfactory  cures  also  were  made  with  smaller 
amounts  of  calcium. 

One  ton  of  NH3  has  1,640  pounds  of  ammonia 
and  360  pounds  of  water.  A  pound  of  this  mixture 
is  called  a  unit.  As  little  as  20  units  an  hour  at 
a  cost  of  $1  has  been  used,  by  the  Chowchilla  Dis- 
trict.   The  district's  use  of  80  units  cost  $4. 

Either  the  quality  of  water  or  the  efficiency  of 


the  treatment  can  be  determined  by  running  a  trial 
treatment  for  24  hours.  However,  it  is  more  prac- 
tical to  get  a  half  gallon  of  the  water  tested  for  cal- 
cium content  in  a  laboratory.  Generally,  water 
commonly  called  "hard"  water  will  contain  ade- 
quate calcium,  while  "soft"  water  does  not. 

It  is  desirable  to  move  water  through  the  lines 
at  a  constant  but  moderate  rate  in  order  to  obtain 
sealing  throughout.  Caution  was  necessary  in 
draining  lines  or  permitting  farmers  to  use  the 
drain  water  because  of  the  high  amount  of  nitro- 
gen present,  which  can  damage  some  crops.  Most 
of  the  drain  water  was  used  on  crops  which  needed 
nitrogen  and  no  difficulty  was  experienced  in  dis- 
posing of  all  treatment  water. 

Eastman  says  that  quicker  action  will  result  if 
the  pipeline  is  treated  in  short  sections,  no  more 
than  one-half  mile  long.  The  NH3  supply  tank 
should  be  moved  and  the  material  put  in  at  the 
higher  end  of  each  new  length.  Delivery  from  the 
supply  tanks  into  pipelines  is  through  short  pres- 
sure hoses  into  standpipes  or  other  elevated  pipe 
connections. 

"We  have  been  asked  whether  use  of  the  new 
sealer  will  damage  the  pipelines,  and  we  have  been 
assured  by  chemists  that  this  treatment  will  not 
deteriorate  the  concrete  in  pipelines  in  any  degree," 
he  said.  "Possibly  there  may  be  some  strengthen- 
ing of  the  pipe ;  however,  it  is  assumed  that  cracks 
may  occur  in  new  places  if  conditions  are  such  that 
the  pipe  would  normally  crack. 

"The  pipelines  being  treated  should  be  com- 
pletely filled  with  water  so  that  the  top  as  well  as 
the  sides  and  bottom  will  be  contacted  by  the  cal- 
cium. Then  a  thin  coating,  not  much  thicker  than 
paint  or  whitewash,  will  cover  the  entire  inside  of 
the  pipeline,"  he  said. 

Because  of  NHa's  liquid  state  and  strong  am- 
monia odor,  a  person  should  exercise  care  in  enter- 
ing large  pipelines  after  treatment.  #  #  # 


Leaky  water  pipes  can  be  repaired  economically  before  they  get  as  bad  as  this,  as  is  told  in  this  article. 


Diver  Checks  Spillway  Bucket 
at  Grand  Coulee  Dam 

The  annual  subsurface  check  on  the  spillway 
"bucket"  and  the  riverbed  immediately  on  the 
downstream  side  of  Grand  Coulee  Dam  in  Wash- 
ington was  made  last  fall  by  Seattle  diver,  Harley 
King.  As  shown  in  the  photograph,  he  is  helped 
into  his  diving  gear  by  tender  Ed  Snyder  of 
Grand  Coulee.  The  depth  of  the  inspection  is 
about  75  feet.  In  spite  of  the  estimated  10,000 
tons  of  pounding  water  that  plunge  into  the  bucket 
during  summer  releases,  wear  has  been  minor. 

Col.  A.  E.  Howse  Gets  Conservation  Award 

Col.  A.  E.  Howse,  former  mayor  of  Wichita, 
Kans.,  was  presented  the  Department's  Conserva- 
tion Award  last  November  by  Regional  Director 
Leon  W.  Hill  of  the  Region  5  headquarters  at 
Amarillo,  Tex.  Col.  Howse  earned  the  award  for 
his  leadership  in  planning  for  Cheney  Dam  and 
Reservoir  in  Kansas.  He  is  shown  on  the  left  in 
the  accompanying  photograph  receiving  congratu- 
lations from  Mr.  Hill. 

In  a  letter  to  the  awardee.  Secretary  of  the  In- 
terior Stewart  L.  Udall  said:  "During  the  past 
several  years  you  have  been  a  key  figure  in  de- 
veloping a  sound,  long-range  water  program 
for  the  Wichita  area.  You  played  a  major 
role  in  nearly  all  the  important  decisions  and 
negotiations." 

Fifth  Job  Corps  Center  Is  Dedicated 

The  Marsing  Job  Corps  Conservation  Center — 
the  fifth  such  Reclamation-operated  center — was 
dedicated  on  December  11,  1965.  An  audience  of 
about  600,  which  exceeded  expectations  by  about 
200  persons,  attended  the  ceremonies.  On  the  pro- 
gram were  officials  of  the  community,  the  State 
of  Idaho  and  the  Federal  Government.  Cleve 
Bolingbroke  is  director  of  the  center. 

As  a  memento  of  the  dedication,  each  of  the  112 
Corpsmen  were  given  a  copy  of  a  county  news- 
paper, "The  Owyhee  Nugget,"  which  devoted  its 
entire  front  and  back  pages  to  articles  about  the 
center's  programs  and  goals,  and  printed  the  name 
and  hometown  of  each  enrollee. 


The  Morsing  High  School  band,  playing  for  the  ceremonies,  was 
one  example  of  the  considerable  community  participation  in  the 
event. 


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26 


The  Reclamation  Era 


CALIFORNIA  FLOOD  WORK  NOMINATED  FOR  1966 

OUTSTANDING  AWARD 


One  Example 
Before  Rehabilitation 


After  Rehabilitation 


The  Northern  California  Flood  Rehabilitation 
Work,  in  which  the  Bureau  had  a  major  role,  has 
been  entered  in  the  competition  for  the  1966  Out- 
standing Civil  Engineering  Achievement.  The 
annual  contest  is  sponsored  by  the  American 
Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  a  55,000-member  pro- 
fessional society. 

Won  by  Glen  Canyon  Dam  in  Arizona  in  1964, 
the  award  is  given  "to  the  project  which  demon- 
strates the  greatest  engineering  skills  and  repre- 
sents the  greatest  contribution  to  civil  engineering 
progress  and  mankind."  Six  additional  projects 
also  will  be  considered  by  a  committee  composed  of 
leading  engineering  magazine  editors. 

The  Northern  California  Flood  Rehabilitation 
Work  followed  the  disastrous  Christmas  floods  of 
December  1964  which  wrought  great  damage  in 
the  northern  half  of  the  great  Central  Valley  and 
along  northern  California  coastal  streams.  Flood 
control  works  in  the  Central  Valley  prevented 
what  might  have  been  one  of  the  Nation's  worst 
natural  disasters.  Approximately  $200  million 
worth  of  damage  was  done  in  a  six-county  area. 
The  5-day  storm  was  marked  by  precipitation 
totals  as  high  as  30  inches,  and  exceeded  20  inches 
over  large  areas. 

Rehabilitation  work,  organized  and  conducted 
by  civil  engineers  in  every  level  of  responsibility. 


February  1966 


was  a  key  effort  in  the  unparalleled  work  that  had 
to  be  done  to  revive  the  stricken  region. 

Other  projects  which  have  been  nominated  in 
the  competition  to  name  the  Outstanding  Civil  En- 
gineering Achievement  are:  the  Harris  County 
domed  stadium  at  Houston,  Tex. ;  Complex  39,  the 
Apollo-Saturn  V  assembly  and  launch  facility  at 
Kennedy  Space  Center,  Fla.;  the  Trans-Sierra 
Freeway  Project  between  Sacramento,  Calif,  and 
the  Nevada  State  line ;  the  Chicago  Circle  Campus 
Development  of  the  University  of  Illinois;  the 
Seattle  metro  comprehensive  sewerage  program; 
and  the  hurricane  barrier  at  New  Bedford  Harbor, 
Mass. 

The  winner  of  the  1966  award  will  be  announced 
by  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers  fol- 
lowing its  national  meeting  early  in  February. 

By  honoring  projects  themselves  the  top  award 
recognizes  the  part  played  by  all  who  are  asso- 
ciated with  the  project. 

Previous  winners  of  the  award  are :  The  Chesa- 
peake Bay  Bridge-Tunnel,  1965 ;  the  Glen  Canyon 
Dam,  1964;  the  Ohio  River  Valley  clean  streams 
program,  1963 ;  the  intercontinental  ballistic  mis- 
sile program,  1962;  John  F.  Kennedy  Interna- 
tional Airport,  1961 ;  and  the  St.  Lawrence  Power 
and  Seaway  Project,  1960. 

27 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Spec.  No. 


Project 


Award 
date 

Nov 

12 

Oct. 

29 

Oct. 

27 

Oct. 

14 

Oct. 

28 

Dec. 

2 

Nov. 

17 

Nov. 

17 

Nov. 

5 

Oct. 

28 

Dec. 

9 

Dec. 

9 

Dec. 

1 

Dec. 

9 

Nov. 

15 

Dec. 

17 

Dec. 

23 

Oct. 

1 

Oct. 

15 

Oct. 

22 

Nov. 

15 

Oct. 

6 

Nov. 

12 

Dec. 

1 

Dec. 

1 

Nov 

10 

Dec. 

17 

Description  of  work  or  material 


Contractor's  name  and  address 


DS-6298. 
DC-6302. 

DC-6333. 
DC-6335. 
DS-6340-. 
DC-6342. 
DC-6343. 
DC-6344. 

DC-6345. 

DC-«346.. 

DC-6350. 
DC-6355.. 
DC-fi359.. 

DC-6360.. 
DC-6361.. 

DC-6369.. 
DS-6383-. 

lOOC-798.. 

lOOC-803.. 
lOOC-808.. 
lOOC-819.. 
200C-614.. 

200C-618.. 

200C-622.. 
300C-238.. 

500S-216. . 
500C-217. 


Central  Valley  Calif. 
do 


-do. 


Missouri  River  Basin, 

Kans. 
Parker-Davis,  Ariz 


Colorado  River  Storage, 

Colo. 
Mann  Creek,  Idaho 


Central  Valley,  Calif. 


Frylngpan- Arkansas , 
Colo. 

Lyman,  Wyo 


Chief  Joseph  Dam,  Wash. 
Baker,  Oreg 

Central  Valley,  Calif 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash.. 

Office  of  Emergency  Plan- 
ning, Colo. 


Central  Valley,  Calif. 


Boulder    Canyon,    Ariz.- 
Calif.-Nev. 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash.. 


.do. 


-do. 


-do. 


Central  VaUey,  Calif. 
do 


.do. 


Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee  Sys- 
tem, Aiiz.-Calif. 

Lower  Rio  Grande  Reha- 
bilitation, Texas. 

Canadian  River,  Texas.  . 


Spare   impeller  for  pumps  for  Tracy  pumping  plant. 

(Negotiated  contract.) 
Construction  of  23.5  miles  of  pipelines,  1.2  miles  of  canal, 

five  reservoirs,  and  five  pumping  plants  for  Colusa 

Coiuity    Water    District,    Unit    lA,    Tehama-Colusa 

canal  distribution  systems. 
Construction  of  seven  turnouts,  canal  drain,  and  pump 

sump  covers  for  San  Luis  canal,  Reach  1. 
Construction  of  39.3  miles  of  Almena  Main  and  Almena 

South  canals  and  laterals,  and  6.7  miles  of  drains. 
One  54,000/72,000/90,000-kva  autotransformer  for  Coolidge 

substation,  stage  04. 
Completion  of  Blue  Mesa  powerplant  and  construction 

of  Blue  Mesa  switchyard. 
Construction  of  Spangler  dam 


Construction  of  20  miles  of  concrete-lined  San  Luis  canal, 
Reach  5. 

Construction  of  Sugar  Loaf  dam  androads 


Construction  of  utilities ,  s  tree  ts,  walks ,  and  laboratory  and 
field  office  building  for  temporary  Government  camp 
near  Mountain  View,  Wyo. 

Rehabilitation  of  Main  canal 


Construction  of  Mason  dam 

Construction  of  23  miles  of  pipelines  for  Colusa  County 
Water  District,  Unit  IB,  Tehama-Colusa  canal  distri- 
bution systems. 

Construction  of  Wahluke  Branch  canal  and  White  Bluffs 
wasteway,  Schedule  3.' 

Construction  of  Plum  Creek  and  Sand  Creek  siphons  for 
High  Line  canal,  utilizing  precast  concrete  pipe  for 
Plum  Creek  siphon  barrel,  for  city  afid  county  of  Denver, 
Board  of  Water  Commissioners,  Schedule  2. 

Construction  of  62.1  miles  of  piplelines  for  Westlands 
Water  District  distribution  systems.  Laterals  1,  2,  and  3. 

Turbine  model  and  model  tests  and  replacement  turbine 
runners  for  Units  Nl  to  N4,  Hoover  powerplant.  (Ne- 
gotiated contract.) 

Gravel  protection  for  erosion  control  on  Potholes,  Wah- 
luke Branch,  Eltopia  Branch,  East  Low,  West,  and 
Royal  Branch  canals. 

Construction  of  21.7  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  for  south 
part  of  Block  46. 

Drilling  and  grouting  behind  concrete  lining  of  Main  and 
East  Low  canals. 

Construction  of  8.6  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  for  Blocks 
44  and  45. 

Remodeling  Upper  Vista  house  at  Shasta  dam 


Construction  of  two  field  office  and  laboratory  buildings, 
and  other  buildings  for  Tranquillity  and  Huron,  Calif., 
Westlands  Water  District  distribution  system. 
Modification  of  Doney  Creek  and  Charley  Creek  bridges- 
Construction  of  7.1  miles  of  roads  and  bank  protection 
structures  A-14,  A-15,  and  C-9  through  C-14. 

222,000  linear  feet  of  unreinforced  concrete  pressure  pipe, 
32,400  linear  ieet  of  reinforced  concrete  pressure  pipe. 

Construction  of  roads  and  parking  areas  for  recreation 
facilities  for  Fritch  Fortress  and  Sanford-Yake  areas. 
Lake  Meredith. 


Worthington  Corp.   Denver, 

Colo. 
Wittman    Contracting    Co., 

Phoenix,  Ariz. 


Syblon-Reid  Co.,  Granby, 

Colo. 
Bushman  Construction  Co., 

St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
Legnano  Electric  Corp.,  New 

York,  N.Y. 
Eagle  Construction  Corp., 

Loveland,  Colo. 
Murphy  Brothers,  Inc., 

Spokane,  Wash. 
Granite  Construction  Co.,  and 

Gordon  H.  Ball  Enterprises, 

Watsonville,  Calif. 
Colorado  Constructors,  Inc., 

and  A.  S.  Horner  Construc- 
tion Co.,  Inc.,  Denver,  Colo. 
Harold  Newland,  Contractor, 

Evanston,  Wyo. 

A&B  Construction  Co., 

Helena,  Mont. 
Osbere  Construction  Co., 

Seattle,  Wash. 
United  Nations  Constructors, 

Inc.,  Santa  Monica,  Calif. 

R.    A.   Heintz   Construction 

Co.,  Portland,  Oreg. 
Clarke-Pacific,  Inc.,  Denver, 

Colo. 


Granite  Construction  Co., 

Watsonville,  Calif. 
Allis-Chalmers  Mfg.  Co., 

York,  Pa. 

S  &  S  Sand  &  Gravel,  Inc., 
Ephrata,  Wash. 

George  A.  Grant,  Inc.,  Rich- 
land, Wash. 

Federal  Construction  Co., 
Spokane,  Wash. 

Sandkay  Construction  Co., 
Inc.,  Ephrata,  Wash. 

Robert  S.  Bryant,  General 
Contractor,  Inc.,  Redding, 
Calif. 

Lloyd  Pipes  Construction 
Co.,  Fresno,  Calif. 

Mountain  States  Construc- 
tion Co.,  Concord,  Calif. 

Dispatch  Contractors,  El 
Monte,  Calif. 

W.  T.  Liston  Co.,  Harlingen, 

Tex. 
E.  D.  Baker  Corp.,  Borger, 

Tex. 


28 


The  Reclamation  Era 


U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE:  1966      O — 794-585 


Major  Construction  and  Materials  for  Which   Bids   Will   Be 
Requested  Through  February  1966* 


Project 


Central  Utah,  Utah. 


Do — 

Central  Valley,  Calif.. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 


Do 
Do. 
Do. 


Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee  Sys- 
tem, Arizona. 


Colorado  River  Storage, 
Colo. 


Do. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  Starvation  Dam,  an  earthfill  structure 
about  170  ft  high,  2,670  ft  long,  containing  about 
4,800,000  cu  yd  of  material,  an  outlet  works,  and 
a  spillway.  Work  will  also  include  constructing 
abo  ut  2  miles  of  access  and  service  roads.  On  the 
Strawberry  River,  about  4  miles  northwest  of 
Duchesne. 

C  onstructing  the  7-ft-diameter,  5,000-ft-long  Starva- 
tion Feeder  Tunnel.     Near  Duchesne. 

Constructing  Contra  Loma  Dam,  an  earthfill 
structure  about  85  ft  high  and  1,000  ft  long,  three 
small  dikes,  and  appurtenant  features.  The 
spillway  is  to  be  an  uncontrolled  chute  with  a 
stilling  basin  in  the  right  abutment.  Costa 
Canal,  about  2  miles  south  of  Antioch. 

Constructing  about  82  miles  of  8-  to  84-in.-dlameter 
pipelines  for  heads  varying  from  25  to  200  ft. 
Pipe  alternatives  will  include  precast  concrete 
pressure  pipe,  asbestos-cement  pipe,  or  pre- 
stressed  noncylinder  pipe.  Westlands  Pipelines, 
Laterals  4-6,  near  Fresno. 

Constructing  13  floatwells  at  various  locations  along 
the  Corning  Canal  and  installing  electrical  cable 
and  controls  between  the  floatwells  and  check 
structures;  constructing  precast  concrete  pipe 
overflow  bypasses  at  3  existing  check  structures; 
adding  a  second  barrel  to  1  siphon  consisting  of 
about  270  lin  ft  of  42-in.-diameter  precast  concrete 
pipe;  and  enlarging  about  0.4  mile  of  canal  from  a 
10-ft  bottom  width  to  a  16-ft  bottom  width.  Near 
Corning. 

Cleaning  and  filling  longitudinal  and  transverse 
contraction  grooves  in  the  San  Luis  Canal,  Reach 
1,  which  is  about  16  miles  long  and  will  involve 
about  600  miles  of  grooves.  Work  will  include 
removal  of  plastic  form  from  the  grooves  prior  to 
filling.  Grooves  are  to  be  filled  with  round  rub- 
ber rod  and  mastic  cover.    Near  Los  Banos. 

Reconstructing  11  bridges  including  piers,  caps, 
sills,  stringers,  and  decking.  Along  Friant-Kern 
Canal,  near  Bakersfield. 

Constructing  about  1  mile  of  relocated  county  road 
including  earthwork,  structures,  and  surfacing- 
Near  Antioch. 

Supervisory  control  and  digital  telemetering  equip- 
ment forremote  controlfrom  Tracy  Switchyard  to 
Forebay  Pumping  Plant  and  13  checks  and  3 
wasteways  on  Delta-Mend ota  Canal. 

Constructing  two  bridges  across  the  Colorado 
River,  one  a  500-ft-span  timber  deck  and  timber 
foundation  piles,  the  other  a  50O-ft-span  timber 
deck  and  timber  foundation  piles  with  structural 
steel  removable  center  span.  Work  will  also 
include  earthwork  for  road  approaches.  Near 
Parker. 

Constructing  Crystal  Dam,  an  earthfill  structure 
about  220  ft  high,  730  ft  long,  containing  about 
1,900,000  cu  yd  of  materials,  and  outlet  works,  and 
a  spillway.  Work  will  also  include  constructing 
a  powerplant,  to  house  one  28,000-kw  generator, 
and  a  switchyard,  contractor  to  furnish  all  equip- 
ment. On  the  Gunnison  River,  21  miles  east  of 
Montrose. 

Constructing  about  87  miles  of  single-circuit,  3- 
phase,  230-kv,  Poncha-Midway  Transmission 
Line.  Work  will  consist  of  clearing  right-of-way; 
constructing  footings;  furnishing  and  erecting 
steel  towers;  and  furnishing  and  stringing  three 
1,272  MCM,ACSR  conductors  and  two  J^in.- 
diameter  high-strength,  steel  strand,  overhead 


Project 


Colorado  River  Storage, 
Colo. 


Do. 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Do. 


Do. 


MRBP.  Iowa. 


MRBP.  Kansas. 


Do. 


Do 

MRBP.  Montana. 


Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Ariz.-Nev. 


Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Nevada. 

Parker-Davis,  Ariz_. 


Weber  Basin,  Utah. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


ground  wires.    Extending  from  Salida  to  vicinity 
of  Midway. 

Constructing  about  85.3  miles  of  single-lane,  un- 
sur faced  access  roads ,  including  culverts ,  a  bridge , 
and  fence  gates.  Along  the  Curecanti-Shiprock 
Transmission  Line,  between  Cortez  and  Cimar- 
ron. 

Furnishing,  installing,  and  testing  two  66,667-kva, 
0.9-pf,  180-rpm,  vertical-shaft  generators  with 
either  direct-connected  exciters  or  static  excita- 
tion at  Morrow  Point  Powerplant. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  about  19  miles  of 
Wahluke  Canal  of  which  about  15  miles  will  be 
lined  with  compacted  earth  with  a  32-ft  bottom 
width  and  about  4  miles  will  be  lined  with  un- 
reinforced  concerte  with  a  10-ft  bottom  width. 
Near  OtheUo. 

Constructing  about  28  miles  of  laterals  and  waste- 
ways  of  which  about  12  miles  will  be  lined  with 
concrete  with  6-  and  5-ft  bottom  widths  and 
about  11  miles  will  be  lined  with  compacted 
earth  With  bottom  widths  varying  from  10  to  3  ft. 
Blocks  36  and  55,  near  Othello. 

Constructing  about  550  lin  ft  of  14-ft-8-in.-diameter 
monolithic  concrete  siphon  barrel  crossing  a 
future  highway  location.  Weber  Coulee  Siphon, 
near  Warden. 

Additions  to  the  Sioux  City  Substation  will  consist 
of  constructing  foundations;  furnishing  and 
erecting  steel  structures;  and  furnishing  and 
installing  three  13.2-kv,  12-mva  reactors,  one 
14.4-kv  circuit  breaker,  and  associated  electrical 
equipment.    About  2  miles  southwest  of  Hinton. 

Constructing  the  earthfill  Downs  Dike,  Section  2, 
about  40  ft  high,  15,000  ft  long,  containing  about 
2,400,000  cu  yd  of  materials,  an  outlet  works,  and 
a  drain  system.  Work  will  also  include  additions 
to  the  Downs  sewage  system  and  miscellaneous 
road  work.    Near  Downs. 

Constructing  the  earthfill  Cawker  City  Dike  about 
50  ft  high,  15,100  ft  long,  containing  about  1,870.000 
cu  yd  of  material,  and  a  small  combines  outlet 
works  and  pumping  plant.  Work  will  also 
include  relocating  about  4.6  miles  of  Mitchell 
County  Road  C-705.    Near  Cawker  City. 

Constructing  about  2.6  miles  of  canals  and  laterals. 
Near  Scandla.    (Courtland,  Pumps  3A  and  3B.) 

Constructing  the  Yellowtail  Dam  Visitor  Center 
will  consist  of  constructing  a  one-story  reinforced 
concrete  masonry  and  precast  Mo-Sal  panel  build- 
ing and  a  parking  area  for  about  100  cars. 
Southeast  of  Hardin. 

Constructing  the  Mead  Substation  will  consist  of 
clearing  right-of-way,  constructing  concrete 
footings,  and  furnishing  and  erecting  steel  struc- 
tures for  the  taplines  in  the  substation;  construct- 
ing a  service  building,  major  items  of  which  will 
be  Government  furnished;  and  grading  and 
fencing  the  substation  area.  Near  Boulder 
City,  Nev. 

Four  23-kv,  1,200-amp,  500-mva  power  circuit 
breakers  for  Mead  Substation. 

Additions  to  the  Coolidge  Substation  will  consist 
of  constructing  concrete  foundations;  furnishing 
and  erecting  steel  structures.    North  of  Coolidge. 

Constructing  about  4  miles  of  6-  to  24-in.-diameter 
pipelines  for  heads  up  to  225  ft.  West  Farming- 
ton  Pipelines,  near  Ogden. 


♦Subject  to  change. 


I 


In  its  assigned  function  as  the  Nation's  principal  nature  re- 
source agency,  the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special 
obligation  to  assure  that  our  expendable  resources  are  con- 
served, that  renewable  resources  are  managed  to  produce  opti-* 
mum  yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  full  measure 
to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  America,  now  and  in 
the  future. 

U.S.  Department  of  the  Interior 
Bureau  of  Reclamation 


United  States 
Government  Printing  Office 

DIVISrON   OF   PUBLIC  DOCUMENTS 

Washington,  D.C.    20402 


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1 

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L  AM  ATI  ON 

1 

Eha 

MAY  1966       •       Vol.  52,  No.  2 


RECLAMATION 


GORDON  J.   FORSYTH,   Editor 

CONTENTS 

SIXTY  YEARS  OF  TUNNEL 
DRIVING 29 

by  John  DeWitt 

CZECHS    PLAN    26     DAMS 

FOR  THE  60'S i33 

by  Floyd  E.  Dominy 

THE  ASSAULT  ON  SALT  IN 

THE  PECOS 37 

by  George  L.  Loomis 

RECREATION    SOARS    AT 
RESERVOIRS 40 

MOVING       AHEAD       IN 

WEATHER  RESEARCH 

41 

REAL   ECONOMIES   FROM 
REHABILITATION.-  44 
by  B.  A.  Prichard 

WORKING    AND     LEARN- 
ING   JOB    CORPS-.  47 
by  Randy  Miller 

WIND      SOCKS      FLY      AT 
LAKE  CACHUMA---  52 


United  States   Department  of  the   Interior 

Stewart  L.   Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Floyd  E.  Dominy 

Commissioner 


Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation, 
United  States  Department  of  the  Interior, 
Washington,  D.C.,  20240.  Use  of  funds  for 
printing  this  publication  approved  by  the  Di- 
rector of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31, 
1966. 

For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents, 
U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington, 
D.C.,  20402.  Price  30  cents  (single  copy).  Sub- 
scription price:  $1.00  per  year  (25  cents  additional 
for  foreign  mailing). 


Commissioner's  Page 


FOR  ALL  TO  USE 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  hails  the  new  endeavor 
for  total  conservation  and  wise  use  of  our  natural  re- 
sources. We  continue  our  work  with  a  keen  aware- 
ness that  water,  in  any  nation,  is  the  giant  heart  mus- 
cle of  civilization — and  is  basic  to  health  and  wealth. 

It  is  good  that  the  values  and  problems  of  water 
conservation  and  development  are  being  illuminated 
for  all  to  see.  The  voices  of  leaders  and  men  of  good 
will  are  being  heard.  The  country  is  ready  and  im- 
patient for  water  resource  plans  to  move  ahead. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  has  kept  pace  tvith  to- 
day's great  technical  advances  and,  indeed,  has  set 
the  pace  in  massive  development  in  the  arid  Western 
States  where  water  supply  has  been  a  perpetual  prob- 
lem. As  a  practical  working  model,  this  water  devel- 
opment agency  has  been  eagerly  studied  for  decades 
by  thousands  of  experts  from  more  than  a  score  of 
foreign  countries. 

Creating  multiple  benefits  in  Reclamation's  vari- 
ous project  areas  are  tireless  structures  of  earth,  rock, 
concrete,  and  steel.  Our  dams  and  other  works  con- 
structed of  these  materials  provide  storage  for  135 
million  acre-feet  of  water,  enough  to  cover  the  State 
of  Massachusetts  with  27  feet  of  water. 

To  people  of  the  West,  these  143  cooperative  water 
control  projects  mean  maximum  uses.  To  the  Nation 
they  mean  a  vast  increase  in  wealth  productivity  and 
economic  stability. 

Though  no  country  ever  made  more  efficient  use 
of  water  or  produced  food  and  goods  in  such  abmi- 
dance,  we  feel  that  prospective  conservation  needs  an 
unlimited.  We  and  fellow  human  beings  the  world 
over  need  water  for  our  very  lives.  The  challenges 
are  monumental.  To  avoid  accepting  them  would 
be  inviting  disaster. 


FLOYD  E.  DOMINY, 

Reclamation  Commissioner. 


Sixty  Years  of  Tunnel  Driving     ] 

J^^       Tr. 


by  JOHN   DeWITT, 
Washington,  D.C. 


ENTHUSIASM  ran  high  among  the  citizens  of 
Montrose,  Colo.,  as  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion's first  tunnel  construction  job — the  Gunnison 
Diversion  Tunnel,  begun  in  1905 — at  last  neared 
completion.     It  was  1909. 

Irrigation  water  would  soon  be  flowing  under 
the  mountainous  ridge  separating  the  water-rich 
Gunnison  River  from  the  comparatively  dry  Un- 
compahgre  Valley. 

As  with  most  pioneering  works,  construction  of 
the  tunnel  had  been  beset  with  difficulties.  High 
temperatures,  gas  fumes,  shattered  rock,  and  water 
collecting  in  the  tunnel  had  caused  many  delays. 
But  on  September  23,  1909,  the  welcome  banners 
were  flying  for  President  William  Howard  Taft, 
who  was  arriving  to  dedicate  the  opening  of  the 
Gunnison  Diversion  Tunnel. 

Posters  told  of  the  dawn  of  a  new  agricultural 
era.  The  potato  yield  of  $225,000  in  1909,  the 
signs  said,  was  expected  to  exceed  $1  million  in 
1910  "with  Gunnison  water."  Fruit  and  vege- 
table crops  and  livestock  in  the  Uncompahgre 
Valley  would  grow  in  proportion.  The  promised 
bounties  of  plentiful  irrigation  water  were  soon 
to  be  a  reality. 

Water  imported  through  the  5.8-mile  tunnel 
from  the  Gunnison  River — the  key  link  in  the  Un- 
compahgre Project,  then  considered  one  of  the 
wonders  of  the  New  West — would  irrigate  more 
than  100,000  acres  of  dry  lands  at  a  cost  of  $25 
an  acre. 

Although  the  Gunnison  Diversion  Tunnel  was 
the  first  to  be  started  by  the  fledgling  Reclamation 
Service — as  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  was  then 
called — it  was  not  the  first  to  be  completed.  That 
honor  went  to  the  3.29-mile  Corbett  Tunnel  in 
Wyoming,  which  was  begun  late  in  1905  and  com- 
pleted in  1907.  The  Corbett  Tunnel,  together  with 
other  Shoshone  Project  works,  brought  a  reliable 
water  supply  to  150,000  acres  for  irrigable  lands 
in  Bighorn  County,  in  northern  Wyoming. 


This   drawing    shows   the   removal   of   diggings   by  a   horse-drawn 
mining    car    from    the    East    Portal    of    Gunnison    Tunnel    in    1905. 

144  Major  Tunnels 

Now,  10  decades  after  these  pioneering  tunnels 
were  started,  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  has  added 
144  major  tunnels  to  its  project  works  for  a  total 
of  879,835  feet— more  than  166  miles.  This  total 
excludes  outlet  tunnels  associated  with  Reclama- 
tion dams. 

During  1965,  the  60th  anniversary  of  Reclama- 
tion's first  tunnel  driving  work,  construction 
started  on  two  major  tunneling  jobs — one  for  the 
$l70-million  Fryingpan-Arkansas  Project  in 
Colorado;  the  other  for  the  $135-million  Navajo 
Indian  Irrigation  Project  in  New  Mexico. 

The  Fryingpan-Arkansas  work  involves  three 
separate  tunnels,  all  being  drilled  about  2  miles 
above  sea  level. 

Two  of  the  tunnels,  with  a  combined  length  of 
5.7  miles,  will  divert  water  from  Colorado  River 
tributaries  high  up  on  the  western  slope  of  the 
Continental  Divide  to  a  point  where  the  water  can 
flow  into  the  major  tunnel  of  the  three:  a  5.3  mile 
tunnel  piercing  the  Divide  to  bring  badly-needed 
water  supplies  to  the  Arkansas  River  valley  on  the 
eastern  slope  of  the  Rockies. 

On  the  Navajo  Indian  Project,  a  giant  mechani- 
cal "mole"  was  put  to  work  last  summer  to  drill  a 
20-foot  diameter  tunnel  through  2  miles  of  sand- 


May  1966 


29 


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It  was  a   happy  day  of  celebration  at  Montrose,   Colo.,  In   1909,  when    President    William    H.    Taft    dedicated    Gunnison    Tunnel    of   the 
Uncompahgre    project,    one   of   the   first   projects   to   be  constructed   under  the   Reclamation   Act  of    1902. 


stone,  guided  by  a  lasar  beam.  The  tunnel  will 
be  part  of  a  152-mile  system  of  tunnels  and  canals 
that  will  eventually  convey  508,000  acre-feet  of 
water  a  year  from  Navajo  Reservoir  to  Navajo 
Indian  lands  in  northwestern  New  Mexico.  The 
280-ton  mole,  most  powerful  horizontal  drilling 
machine  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  applies  about  1.4 
million  pounds  of  force  to  its  cutting  head  which 
chews  into  the  sandstone  at  a  rate  up  to  10  feet 
per  hour. 


This  historic  1905  photo  shows  a  booted  and  brave  crew  of  rugged 
tunnel  workmen  in  Gunnison  Tunnel,  Colo.  Note  the  work  dirt 
on  their  clothes  and  the  lack  of  safety  helmets,  now  essential. 
Some  of  the  men  are  holding  small  lighted  candles  and  some  are 
wearing  stylish  mustaches  of  that  day. 


A  similar  machine,  though  smaller,  was  put  to 
work  in  1964,  to  drill  a  12.7-mile,  13  foot  diameter 
tunnel  on  Reclamation's  San  Juan-Chama  Project, 
also  in  New  Mexico.  In  1  month,  it  pushed  itself 
through  as  much  as  4,000  feet  of  sandstone.  It 
is  expected  that  both  these  tunnels  will  be  com- 
pleted more  quickly,  and  for  less  money,  than 
would  have  been  possible  by  conventional  drilling 
methods. 

The  rock  hungry  monster  is  pretty  difficult  to 
photograph  because  of  the  cramped  area  at  its 
business  end,  but  the  accompanying  photographs 
are  evidence  that  there  has  long  been  a  high  in- 
terest in  men  going  in  at  one  side  of  a  mountain 
and  coming  out  the  other. 

Roman  Work 

The  basic  idea  of  tunneling  remains  the  same  as 
in  the  days  of  the  Romans :  to  break  up  the  rock 
by  one  means  or  another,  remove  it  by  hand  or 
machine,  supporting  unstable  sections  of  roof  and 
sides  as  you  go  along,  provide  ventilation  and 
drainage  when  necessary,  and  repeat  the  process 
until  you  break  through  into  daylight  again.  The 
Romans  used  slave  labor  to  build  fires  against 
the  rock  face  and  then  douse  water  against  the 
heated  rock  to  shatter  it.     How  many  slaves  suc-jj 


The  Reclamation  Era 


i 


cumbed  to  the  smoke  and  fumes  is  not  known  to  us. 

Early-day  American  tunnels  were  driven  by 
hand-held  drills,  chipping  with  hand  tools,  and 
blasting  with  black  powder.  The  first  real  step 
forward  came  with  the  advent  of  dynamite  and 
power  drills  during  the  latter  half  of  the  19th 
century.  But  even  with  such  aids  available,  it 
was  mainly  back-breaking  labor  for  the  miners 
who  built  the  Gunnison  Diversion  Tunnel  and  the 
other  tunnels  of  early  Reclamation  days.  Com- 
monplace tunneling  terms  of  today — such  as 
slusher  train,  jumbo,  California  switch,  cherry 
picker  rock  bolts — would  be  meaningless  to  dig- 
gers of  that  era. 

Low-cost  ammonia  powders  are  now  replacing 
gelatin  dynamites;  and  long  solid  steel  drills  are 
giving  way  to  tougher  detachable  bits.  Timber 
and  steel  are  being  replaced  with  rock  bolts  for 
supports.  Diesel-powered  locomotives  and  trucks 
with  scrubbers  to  purify  exhaust  gases  now  move 
large  volumes  of  rock  underground  in  places  where 
internal  combustion  engines  would  have  created 
intolerable  exhaust  fumes  a  few  decades  ago. 

Today's  engineers  and  designers  use  highly 
technical  rock  mechanics  studies  and  are  familiar 
with  faults,  fractures,  popping,  and  other  rock 
characteristics. 

They  anticipate  dangers  and  conditions  ahead 
by  seismic  methods ;  whereas  the  men  of  the  Gun- 
nison tunnel  era  had  to  rely  on  surface  geology 
and,  at  best,  some  diamond-core  drilling. 

Such  new  methods  and  techniques,  unheard  of  a 


The  inflow  of  hot  water  at  Tecolote  Tunnel  caused  so  much  difficulty 
that  drillers  could  only  work  in  very  short  shifts  and  were  then 
hauled  in  and  out  of  the  tunnel  in  mine  cars  filled  with  cool  water. 

few  decades  ago,  have  drastically  reduced  the  acci- 
dent and  mortality  rate  among  tunnel  workers 
today.  But  tunneling  remains  a  hazardous  occu- 
pation. Dangers  are  ever-present  from  dust,  fall- 
ing rock,  incursions  of  gas  and  water,  squeezing 
ground,  and  other  unpredictable  conditions. 

No  two  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  tunnels 
are  alike.  Nor  are  foundation  conditions  in  any 
single  tunnel  the  same  throughout  its  length.  The 
watchword  of  a  tunnel  digger  is  always  to  expect 
the  unexpected.  Naturally  enough,  the  history  of 
Reclamation's  tunneling  jobs  is  packed  with 
drama. 


By    1912    residents  in  the  Uncompahgre  project  area  could  be  proud  of  their  new  land  development  as  a  result  of  tunnel  water. 

lOriginal  from  Uncompahgre  Water  Diitrict,  Montrose,  Colo.) 


^.^mSi^^^C^:  ^.^^^^M 


Tecolote — A  Battle 

Digging  the  6.3-mile  Tecolote  Tunnel  on  the 
Cachuma  Project  in  California,  proved  to  be  a 
protracted  battle  between  man  and  the  elements. 
Begun  in  1950  to  bring  irrigation  and  municipal 
water  supplies  from  the  Santa  Ynez  River  through 
the  coastal  mountains  to  the  region  around  Santa 
Barbara,  the  tunnel  was  not  completed  until  1956. 

The  tunnel  had  to  pass  through  the  notorious 
Santa  Ynez  fault  where  treacherous  shales  and 
sandstones,  weighted  and  weakened  by  water, 
brought  on  the  collapse  of  heavy  supports.  Then 
at  9,000  feet  into  the  mountain,  seepages  of  meth- 
ane gas  caused  an  explosion  that  hospitalized 
11  men.  Work  was  suspended  for  3  months  while 
the  contractor  drilled  a  700-foot  ventilation  hole 
down  to  the  shaft  for  removal  of  the  poisonous 
gas. 

After  work  was  resumed  considerable  under- 
ground water  was  encountered.  Over  9,000  gal- 
lons a  minute  flowed  from  the  rock  at  high  pres- 
sures and  at  temperatures  reaching  113  degrees. 
Work  stopped  again — this  time  for  6  months. 
Grouting  operations  were  performed  to  seal  off 
some  of  the  inflow,  and  20  pumps  were  installed 
to  take  water  out  of  the  shaft.  Bigger  compres- 
sors were  placed  in  service  to  push  more — and 
drier — air  up  near  the  hearing,  to  make  working 
conditions  more  bearable. 

When  work  resumed  again  more  inflows  of  hot 
water  were  encountered,  this  time  at  temperatures 
as  high  as  117  degrees,  producing  air  temperatures 
of  108  degrees. 

Conditions  were  so  difficult  the  drillers  could 
work  only  in  very  short  shifts,  and  were  then 
hauled  in  and  out  of  the  tunnel  in  mine  cars  filled 
with  cool  water.     These  unexpected  conditions, 

Continued  on  page  53. 

Believe  it  or  not,  this  tunnel-boring  machine  is  "taking  a  walk" 
toward  the  tunnel  portal.  It  moves  by  setting  down  alternate 
sets  of  jacks  connected  to  intersliding  frames.  It  is  on  the  Navajo 
Indian    Irrigation    project. 

The  reinforcing  steel  rods  being  installed  along  the  sides  and  top 
of  this  tunnel  are  important  in  strengthening  the  concrete  that 
later  was  poured  around  them  and  hardened  to  serve  as  the 
tunnel  lining.  The  pipe  which  is  supported  by  scaffolding  in  the 
center  of  the  picture  carried  fresh  concrete  to  the  "hardhaf"  work- 
men near  the  left  wall.  This  is  a  large  gate  chamber  on  the 
Navajo   Indian   Irrigation   project  in   New  Mexico. 

This  photo,  taken  in  1965  on  the  Navajo  Indian  Irrigation  project, 
shows  that  tunnel  work  is  still  strenuous. 


32 


The  Reclamation  Era 


IP 


/ 


> 


1^1 


Czechs  Plan  26  Dams  for  the  60's 


by   RECLAMATION  COMMISSIONER 
FLOYD   E.  DOMINY 


WATER  supplies  in  any  land  are  essential  for 
people,  for  industry,  and  for  crops.  And  be- 
cause Czechoslovakians  know  this,  they  are  very 
concerned  with  developing  water  resources  to  sup- 
port their  plans  for  progress  and  growth.  In  15 
years  they  have  achieved  record  development,  and 
they  ambitiously  plan  for  26  dams  for  the  1960's, 
as  shown  in  the  chart  on  page  35. 

With  progress  as  a  primary  objective,  a  delega- 
tion of  Czech  engineers  asked  our  State  Depart- 
ment for  permission  to  visit  the  U.S.  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  and  see  pertinent  dams  in  this 
country. 

In  early  1965,  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  con- 
ducted a  Czech  delegation  on  a  10-day  tour  of 
Reclamation  and  Corps  of  Engineers  dams.  We 
discussed  technical  problems  associated  with  dam 
construction,  and  in  cooperation  with  the  Corps 
of  Engineers  showed  them  several  structures  at 
first  hand.  These  included  Barkley  Dam  on  the 
Cumberland  River  in  Kentucky,  Dardenelle  Dam 
on  the  Arkansas  River  in  Arkansas,  Big  Bend  on 
the  Missouri  in  South  Dakota,  Yellowtail  Dam  on 
the  Big  Horn  in  Montana,  Flaming  Gorge  on  the 
Green  River  in  Utah,  Morrow  Point  Dam  on  the 
Gunnison  River  in  Colorado,  and  Glen  Canyon 
and  Hoover  Dams  on  the  Colorado  River  in  Ari- 
zona and  Nevada. 


The  visitors  saw  major  construction  operations 
still  underway  at  Morrow  Point  and  Yellowtail 
Dams,  Also  a  visit  was  made  to  the  Engineering 
Design  and  Research  Center  of  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  in  Denver,  Colo.  Here  the  Czech 
engineers  were  able  to  discuss  with  our  experts 
their  problems  in  design  of  dams. 

In  exchange  for  this  U.S.  tour,  the  Department 
of  State  made  arrangements  through  its  cultural 
and  technical  exchange  program,  for  a  U.S.  dele- 
gation to  visit  Czechoslovakia.  This  delegation 
included  Edward  Soucek  of  the  Corps  of  Engi- 
neers, F.  Stewart  Brown  of  the  Federal  Power 
Commission,  and  T.  W.  Mermel  who  is  on  my  staff 
as  Assistant  to  the  Commissioner — Research. 
With  myself  as  Chairman  of  the  group,  we  studied 
Czechoslovakian  water  resource  developments  last 
September  after  I  had  attended  a  meeting  of  the 
International  Commission  on  Large  Dams  in 
Switzerland. 

Czechoslovakia  is  one  of  the  most  industrialized 
countries  in  eastern  Europe.  Before  World  War 
II  it  had  a  nearly  balanced  and  self-sufficient  econ- 
omy.    A  Socialist  Republic  since  1948,  Czecho- 


Power   supply   is   the    main    purpose    of   Orlik   Dam.      It   has    four 
transformers   which   generate   90,000   kilowatts  each. 


May  1966 


33 


Many  water  development  works  caught  Commissioner  Dominy's 
eye  and  were  photographed  by  him  for  later  examination  as  a 
result   of    last    September's    study    tour   of    Czechoslovakia. 

Slovakia  has  nationalized  its  industry,  trade,  bank- 
ing, transportation,  and  services.  With  its 
population  of  14  million  people,  there  is  a  strong 
labor  force  and  high  employment  of  women,  many 
of  whom  are  married  and  have  children.  The 
Czechs  are  traditionally  skilled  and  efficient. 

The  U.S.  delegation  was  officially  and  warmly 
received  at  the  Ministry  of  Construction  in  Prague, 
the  capitol  city,  where  our  impressive  study-tour 
started. 

Institute  in  Prague 

Prague  is  Czechoslovakia's  largest  city  having 
close  to  1,100,000  inhabitants.  In  that  center  is 
the  hydraulic  Research  Laboratory,  where  many 
scientific  tests  are  underway.  Their  specialists 
were  using  several  models  of  spillways  and  outlet 
works,  and  a  large  model  of  a  river  channel  for 
making  studies  of  river  regulation.  Even  though 
the  natural  resources  of  that  Nation  are  quite 
abundant,  there  are  major  river  channel  problems, 
and  their  rivers  flow  through  flat  valleys  and  de- 
posit silt.  Their  laboratories  were  well  equipped 
and  showed  ample  evidence  that  they  are  pursuing 
scientific  investigations  of  some  magnitude.  Sev- 
eral technical  reports  were  given  to  us,  and  their 
library  contained  many  technical  publications  on 


water  resources  from  various  sources  throughout 
the  world. 

Slapy  Dam  is  on  the  Vltava  River  about  25 
miles  south  of  Prague.  This  dam,  a  concrete 
gravity  type,  is  218  feet  high  with  a  central  over- 
flow section  controlled  by  gates.  Completed  in 
1956,  the  structure's  design  reflects  considerable  ad- 
vanced practice  for  that  time. 

Since  Slapy  Dam  is  in  a  steep-walled  canyon, 
almost  all  of  its  width  is  required  for  the  ski- 
jump  spillway  of  the  type  originally  designed  by 
Andre  Coyne  of  France.  An  outstanding  feature 
of  the  spillway  at  this  project  is  that  the  power- 
house and  high  voltage  transformers  are  located 
under  it. 

Paper-insulated  cables  extending  from  the  110- 
kilovolt  transformers  to  the  switchyard  on  the  left 
bank  are  underground. 

Large  splitter  blocks  are  at  the  bottom  of  the 
spillway  to  split  and  dissipate  the  force  of  the 
cascading  water.  The  water  strikes  the  blocks 
and  disintegrates  into  a  spray. 

Located  20  miles  downstream  from  Slapy  is 
Orlik  Dam,  a  concrete  gravity-type  dam  277  feet 
high.  This  structure  backs  up  the  largest  reser- 
voir of  the  entire  Vltava  Cascade  area.  The  lake 
is  approximately  35  miles  long  and  has  a  capacity 
of  720  million  cubic  meters,  which  is  of  slightly 
less  capacity  than  our  Lake  Havasu  on  the  Colo- 
rado River. 

The  powerplant  at  the  foot  of  Orlik  Dam  con- 
tains four  turbine-generator  units  with  a  total 
output  of  360,000  kilowatts.  This  dam  was  com- 
pleted in  1962.  The  upstream  face  of  the  dam  is 
protected  by  hand-placed  precast  hexagonal  blocks 
which  formed  excellent  alignment  and  appearance. 
Arrangements  are  underway  for  the  passage  of 
boats  over  this  structure  by  an  inclined  railway 
which  will  be  capable  of  lifting  vessels  weighing 
up  to  300  tons. 

13  Dams  Planned 

Orlik  and  Slapy  Dams  are  but  2  of  7  completed 
and  13  planned  for  the  Vltava  River  Cascade  which 
flows  northward  from  the  southern  border  of  the 
country,  through  Prague,  and  into  the  Lauve  River 
at  Melinck  some  15  miles  north  of  Prague.  The 
dams  in  operation  have  a  total  capacity  of  750,000 
kilowatts  of  power  and  an  annual  energy  produc- 
tion of  1,100  million  kilowatt  hours. 

Important  in  considering  the  height  of  the  res- 
ervoir behind  Orlik  Dam,  was  the  preservation  of 


34 


The  Reclamation  Era 


<!p^r 


two  castles  dating  back  to  the  14th  century.  Orlik 
Castle,  now  a  museum,  occupied  a  spot  on  a  sheer 
wall  some  230  feet  above  the  river  level.  To  pre- 
vent damage  from  the  reservoir  as  it  filled,  exten- 
sive protection  had  to  be  performed  on  the  founda- 
tion rock.  Now  the  castle  and  its  impressive 
setting  is  protected  from  any  possible  damage  as  a 
result  of  project  operation. 

Another  castle,  named  Zvihov,  required  similar 
protection. 

Spanning  Orlik  reservoir  a  short  distance  up- 
stream from  the  Orlik  Castle  is  a  steel  arch  high- 
way bridge,  with  a  span  of  about  1,100  feet,  which 
was  still  under  construction.  It  is  claimed  to  be 
the  longest  of  its  type  in  the  world,  an  indica- 
tion of  the  advanced  bridge  technology  in 
Czechoslovakia. 

Nechranice  Dam,  now  under  construction,  is  on 
the  Ohre  River  near  the  town  of  Kadan.  The 
primary  purf>ose  of  this  project  is  to  provide  a 
reservoir  to  serve  as  a  source  of  boiler  and  cooling 
water  for  several  steam-electric  generating  plants 
which  are  being  planned  for  this  region.  This  is 
a  highly  developed  industrial  area,  with  many  ex- 
isting power  plants  operating  on  steam  produced 
by  a  plentiful  supply  of  brown  coal.  Such  plants 
demand  large  amounts  of  water  for  cooling. 

One  of  the  largest  earthfill  dams  in  Europe, 
Nechranice  Dam  is  10,500  feet  long  and  245  feet 
high.  The  embankment  volume  is  9  million  cubic 
meters,  which  approaches  the  volume  of  Palisades 
Dam  in  Idaho.  The  outlet  works  are  of  unusual 
design  employing  a  circular  intake  tower  about 
35  to  40  feet  in  diameter  located  in  the  reservoir 
area.  A  powerplant  is  located  in  the  base  of  the 
intake  tower  and  contains  two  turbines  of  6,000 
kilowatts  each. 

The  River  Vah  Cascade,  in  the  Slovakian  part  of 
Czechoslovakia,  is  highly  developed  and  provides 
that  country's  most  important  source  of 
hydropower. 

A  complex  of  some  30  dams  will  be  built,  15  of 
which  are  already  in  operation,  with  a  combined 
installed  capacity  of  600,000  kilowatts  and  an 
average  yearly  production  of  1,600  million  kilo- 
watt hours.  We  inspected  Hricov  and  Nosice 
Dams  and  saw  Miksova  Dam  from  a  distance. 
Future  plans  include  installation  of  locks  to  make 
the  river  navigable. 

Danube  River  Project 

Czechoslovakian  engineers  rated  their  Danube 

May  1966 


The  powerplant  with  its  three  transformers  of  60,000  kilowatts 
each  is  located  under  the  ski-jump  spillway  of  Slapy  Dam,  seen 
directly  behind  the  tour  group.  Behind  the  dam,  Slapy  Lake  is 
used   considerably   for   recreation. 


River  Project  next  in  importance.  This  project 
was  designed  to  prevent  flooding  of  the  Danube 
Valley  near  Bratislava.  (Bratislava  is  the  third 
largest  city  with  250,000  people.)  Here  the  river 
flows  through  alluvial  deposits,  causing  the  river- 
bed, in  some  areas  to  be  higher  than  the  adjacent 
valley  land.  For  a  short  distance  near  Bratislava, 
the  Danube  River  is  entirely  in  Czechoslovakian 
territory  and  further  below,  it  forms  the  boundary 
between  Czechoslovakia  and  Hungary.  Because 
of  this  location,  the  development  of  the  Danube 
will  be  an  international  undertaking. 

Two  international  projects — one  above  Brati- 
slava with  Austria,  and  one  below,  with  Hun- 
gary— are  planned  for  construction  within  the 
next  few  years.  The  projects  will  involve  dams, 
levies,  and  powerplants. 


PROGRESS  OF  DAM  CONSTRUCTION 
IN  CZECHOSLOVAKIA 


Tbtal  Dams  with 

Period                   dams  hydropower 

Prior  to  1920 17  2 

1921-1930 6  1 

1931-1940 10  7 

1941-1950 2  1 

1951-1960 27  12 

1961-1970* 26  10 

Total  1970* 88  33 

Planned  for    1971- 

1975 10  3 

*Completed  or  in  progress. 


Total  storage 
capacity 
(acre-feet) 

Highest  dam 

of  the  period 

(feet) 

32,  400 

82 

9,730 

121 

163,  760 

184 

8,920 

72 

934,  750 

256 

1,  353,  880 

299 

2,  503,  440 

731,  260 


35 


The  right  side  of  this  drawing  shows  the  lower  end  of  the  ski- 
jump  spillway  over  top  of  the  powerplant,  a  cross-section  view 
of  Slapy  Dam.  Water  enters  the  powerplant  from  the  left  through 
the  sloping  conduit  shown  by  the  shaded  stripe. 

The  only  hydraulic  turbine  factory  in  Czecho- 
slovakia, at  Blansko,  is  renowned  throughout  the 
world  by  engineers,  because  the  first  conception 
and  development  of  the  Kaplan  turbine  occurred 
there.  The  plant  is  very  busy,  with  much 
work  underway  and  much  to  be  done.  Not  only 
are  Czechoslovakians  noted  for  their  skills  in 
handling  machine  tools,  but  they  also  pride  them- 
selves on  their  turbine  factory  and  their  turbine 
technology.  Many  of  the  turbines  are  built  for 
export.  Founded  in  1698,  the  Blansko  factory  re- 
cently celebrated  its  260th  anniversary. 

In  the  20  years  since  World  War  11,  about  half 


of  the  25  dams  constructed  have  been  the  earthen 
type,  and  the  remainder  concrete  gravity.  The 
Czechs  expect  to  construct  about  26  additional 
dams  by  1970. 

Construction  of  high  dams  is  carried  out  by  spe- 
cialized national  enterprises,  Vodnistavvy  and 
Ingstav  and  Vahostav.  These  firms  also  provide 
engineering  services  to  Ghana,  China,  Ceylon, 
Egypt,  Iraq,  Brazil,  and  other  countries.  Re- 
search on  construction  problems  is  carried  out 
mainly  by  the  Research  Institute  of  Engineering 
Structures  in  Bratislava,  and  at  the  Hydraulics 
Institute  in  Prague. 

Czechoslovakia's  land  area  is  49,000  square  miles, 
somewhat  larger  than  the  State  of  New  York. 
About  one- third  of  the  land  is  agricultural,  with 
grain  crops  predominating.  It  is  famous  for  hops 
and  the  export  of  Pilsen  beer.  Coal,  iron,  and  oil 
resources  are  in  considerable  quantity  and  that 
country's  uranium  deposits  are  Europe's  richest. 

Our  delegation  was  cordially  received  at  every 
turn,  and  on  the  concluding  day  of  the  inspection 
tour,  U.S.  Ambassador  and  Mrs.  Outerbridge 
Horsey  joined  us  in  our  travel  along  the  Vah 
River  valley  from  Zelina  to  Bratislava. 

With  continued  cooperation  and  additional 
exchanges  of  technical  specialists  from  one  nation 
to  another,  I  believe  the  outlook  is  optimistic  for 
increasing  prosperity  and  freedom.  #  #  # 


This  is  Nosice  Dam,  one  of  the  most  important  structures  on  the  Vah  River.      The  large  building  at  right  is  the  powerplant. 


The  Reclamation  Era 


The  Assault  on  Salt 
in  the 

PECOS 


by  GEORGE  L.  LOOMIS,  Agricultural  Economist  at 
Amarillo,  Tex. 


This  photo  made  in  the  summer  of  1965  shows  some  of  the  en- 
crustation of  salt  that  has  been  pumped  from  the  brine  aquifer. 


THERE  seems  little  chance  that  a  spring  of 
murky  salt  brine  is  soon  to  be  in  popular  de- 
mand. At  least  not  by  irrigation  farmers  in  west 
Texas. 

For  30  to  40  years  they  haven't  enjoyed  an 
abundance  of  fresh  water  from  the  Pecos  River 
because  of  a  malady  a  few  miles  north  at  Malaga 
Bend,  N.  Mex.  An  aquifer  there  has  been  dis- 
charging up  to  370  tons  of  concentrated  sodium 
chloride  brine  daily  into  the  river.  Needless  to 
say,  this  would  have  an  adverse  effect  on  the 
quality  of  irrigation  water. 

The  dissolved  brine  rises  through  sand,  silt,  and 
clay  from  depths  of  about  200  feet.  It  has  only 
been  because  of  an  assault  of  technical  coopera- 
tion for  several  years,  and  a  construction  program 
by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  from  1962-63,  that 
downstream  farms  have  prospects  of  again  getting 
reasonably  good  water  for  irrigation. 

As  early  as  1937,  studies  by  the  U.S.  Geological 
Survey  in  cooperation  with  various  other  con- 
cerned agencies  have  pinpointed  the  problems. 


From  1951  to  1954,  the  USGS  and  the  Pecos 
River  Commission  completed  measurements  show- 
ing the  magnitude  of  the  problem.  The  1937  to 
1938  effort  with  the  New  Mexico  State  Engineer 
revealed  that  the  source  of  salt  at  Malaga  Bend 
was  not  leakage  from  Laguna  Grande  de  la  Sal 
(a  nearby  salt  lake),  but  rather  it  was  discharge 
of  an  artesian  brine  aquifer.  Additional  studies 
from  1939  to  1941  were  published  in  the  "Reports 
of  the  Participating  Agencies,  the  Pecos  River 
Joint  Investigation."  This  report  prompted 
other  studies  and  presented  some  preliminary 
computations  and  suggestions  on  eliminating  the 
salt  contamination  from  Malaga  Bend. 

In  1958,  an  experimental  salinity  alleviation 
program  was  authorized  by  Congress  under  Public 
Law  85-333.  The  plan  was  to  lower  the  head  of 
the  brine  aquifer  below  river  level  by  pimiping. 
This  required  experiments:  (1)  To  determine  the 
effectiveness  of  a  pumping  system;  (2)  to  deter- 
mine the  effects  on  the  quality  of  water  in  the 
river;  and  (3)  to  evaluate  the  effectiveness  of  the 
disposal  system. 


May  1966 


37 


The  floor  of  a  94-acre  field,  the  Northeast  Depression,  was 
compacted  with  large  machinery  in  1963,  and  test  plots  were 
sprinkler-irrigated  to  examine  the  permeability  of  the  soil  for 
holding   salt  brine. 


One  of  two  possibilities  was  to  inject  the  brine 
back  into  the  ground  into  deep-lying  aquifers. 
But  tests  showed  that  brines  from  the  two  dif- 
ferent aquifers  w^ould  form  chemical  precipitates 
plugging  an  injection  well  which  was  not  treated 
with  an  expensive  chemical. 

The  other  plan,  and  the  one  adopted,  was  to 
divert  the  brine  into  a  natural  surface  depression 
w^here  the  water  would  evaporate  leaving  a  solid 
salt  residue. 

Doubt  was  expressed  as  to  whether  the  earthen 
disposal  area  would  retain  the  pumped  brine  long 
enough  for  an  appreciable  amount  of  evapora- 
tion to  take  place,  because  of  the  high  permeability 
of  the  soil  in  the  area. 

There  also  was  a  possibility  that  the  brine  would 
make  the  soil  much  more  porous. 

Construction 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  started  a  2-year 
construction  program  of  the  salinity  works  in  May 
1962.  The  first  contract  covered  the  rehabilita- 
tion of  an  observation  well  drilled  in  1939,  This 
well,  located  abovit  100  feet  from  the  terrace  form- 
ing Malaga  Bend  and  proving  to  be  the  only  one 
satisfactory  for  brine  production  was  enlarged. 

In  developing  the  well,  the  brine  aquifer  was 
protected  by  pulling  a  5-inch  liner  from  the  bot- 
tom 30  feet,  filling  that  section  with  gravel  and 
sealing  it  off  with  clay.  The  old  well  casing  was 
then  pulled  and  the  hole  reamed  to  a  diameter  of 
16  inches  to  the  clay  seal.  A  12-inch  plastic  casing 
was  inserted  and  the  annular  space  outside  the 


casing  filled  with  grout. 

The  bottom  30-foot  section  was  then  redrilled 
to  11-inch  diameter  and  a  43-foot  length  of  8-inch 
diameter  perforated  steel  liner  was  installed  to 
the  bottom  of  the  well. 

After  packing  this  annular  space  with  pea-sized 
gravel,  the  well  was  tested  for  a  capacity  of  at 
least  600  gallons  per  minute.  The  well  casing  was 
then  extended  from  the  ground  surface  to  the  ele- 
vation of  the  adjacent  terrace. 

The  plastic  casing  is  expected  to  last  at  least 
20  years. 

A  second  contract  was  for  constructing  the 
brine-disposal  system,  including  mainly  the  pump 
and  pipeline  to  a  disposal  area.  The  pump  in- 
stalled at  the  well  was  a  submergible-type  capable 
of  pumping  a  minimum  of  450  gallons  per  minute. 
However,  when  this  pump  failed  after  only  10 
months  of  operation,  it  was  replaced  with  a  tur- 
bine pump  wdth  a  50  horsepower  electric  motor, 
bowls  set  at  70  feet,  5  impellers,  and  a  10- foot  suc- 
tion. Capable  of  pumping  in  the  range  of  300  to 
600  gallons  per  minute,  this  pump  is  still  perform- 
ing satisfactorily. 

The  2-mile  pipeline  is  an  8-inch-diameter,  asbes- 
tos-cement, epoxy-lined  type.  Through  this  pipe 
the  brine  is  pumped  to  a  terminal  structure  on  the 
rim  of  the  disposal  area. 

It  then  flows  by  gravity  through  a  6-inch  flexible 
plastic  pipe,  into  the  disposal  area.  The  terminal 
is  an  open  concrete  box  that  allows  gasses  (mainly 
nitrogen)  associated  wnth  the  brine  to  escape. 

Because  of  the  uphill  grade  and  continuous 
pump  pressure,  there  is  no  need  for  air  relief 
valves  and  aboveground  structures  of  any  type. 
By  avoiding  contact  with  the  air  the  salt  does  not 
plug  the  line. 

A  third  contract  included  clearing  and  compact- 
ing the  floor  of  a  natural  depression,  locally  known 
as  the  Northeast  Depression,  to  be  used  as  the 
brine-disposal  area. 

To  Retard  Leakage 

An  18-inch  blanket  of  compacted  earth  lining 
was  placed  in  the  Northeast  Depression  to  retard 
leakage.  It  was  estimated  that  the  natural  capa- 
city of  the  reservoir  of  about  1,300  acre-feet  and 
a  surface  area  of  about  94  acres,  would  be  filled 
sometime  between  the  third  and  seventh  year  of 
operation  depending  on  the  pumping  rate  and  tlie 
leakage.  If  dikes  were  constructed  in  low  points 
of  the  rim,  the  volume  of  the  depression  could  be 


38 


The  Reclamation  Era 


increased  to  about  1,700  acre-feet.  Present  stor- 
age of  salt  and  brine  is  at  about  500  acre- feet. 

Total  cost  of  the  project,  completed  in  June 
1963,  was  about  $276,000,  exclusive  of  land  ac- 
quisition and  operation  and  maintenance  costs. 

All  necessary  rights-of-way  for  the  project  were 
furnished  by  the  State  of  New  Mexico,  with  reim- 
bursement of  these  costs  made  by  the  Eed  Bluff 
Water  Power  Control  District  of  Texas.  The 
District,  as  the  principal  beneficiary  of  the  project 
and  in  accordance  with  terms  of  a  contract  exe- 
cuted by  it  with  the  New  Mexico  Interstate  Stream 
Commisison  and  the  United  States,  assumed  re- 
sponsibility for  operation  and  maintenance  of  the 
salinity  works  after  completion  of  construction. 
The  experiment  is  being  evaluated  by  the  Geologi- 
cal Survey  and  the  Pecos  River  Commission. 

Operation  and  Maintenance 

Pumping  at  560  gallons  per  minute  was  started 
in  July  1963.  The  rate  was  decreased  to  325  gal- 
lons per  minute  in  November  and  continued  at 
about  this  rate  to  March  23,  1964,  when  the  rate 
was  increased  to  about  450  gallons  per  minute,  for 
experimental  reasons. 

Meanwhile  at  Malaga  Bend,  samples  from  upper 
and  lower  ends  of  the  bend  indicate  that  the  gain  in 
chloride  in  the  Pecos  River,  originally  over  200 
tons  per  day,  was  reduced  to  about  100  tons  per 
day.  By  October  30,  1964,  the  head  in  the  brine 
aquifer  had  been  lowered  8.2  feet  and  the  inflow 
of  salt  into  the  river  decreased  about  70  percent. 
Before  pumping  began,  the  brine  springhead  was 
10.8  feet  above  river  level. 

Measurements  at  the  depression  showed  by  the 
end  of  September  1965,  about  1.545  acre-feet  of 
brine  containing  571,650  tons  of  salt  had  been 
pumped  in,  covering  an  area  of  60.5  acres. 

The  salt  crystals,  98.6  percent  pure,  encased  the 
bottom  and  sides  of  the  depression  with  a  thick, 
hard  encrustation.  The  crust  varied  from  1.6 
to  11.7  feet  thick. 

With  the  annual  operation  and  maintenance 
estimated  at  $10,000-$15,000  a  year,  the  District 
hopes  to  pay  these  costs  by  selling  the  huge  valley 
of  salt. 

In  the  summer  months  of  the  second  year  of 
operation,  the  brine  solution  in  the  Northeast 
Depression  developed  a  reddish  hue  which  deep- 
ened as  the  season  progressed.  This  color  was 
caused  by  a  red  algae  or  "bloom."  During  the  fall, 
winter,  and  spring  months  the  color  faded  out  but 


A  view  of  the  highly  salty  Malaga  Bend  of  the  Pecos  River  in  1963. 


reappeared  again  late  in  1965.  A  report  from 
the  White  Sands  area  of  New  Mexico  explains  the 
phenomenon  this  way : 

"RED  LAKES — Stockmen  in  the  vicinity  of  White 
Sands  have  for  many  years  had  knowledge  of  the 
fact  that  their  waterholes  and  the  rainwater  lakes 
sometimes  turn  red  as  blood.  This  usually  happens 
in  the  fall  of  the  year.  Spanish  legends  recount  the 
anniversaries  of  bloody  battles  while  the  more  scien- 
tific minds  apply  various  reasons  for  the  strange 
phenomenon.  It  was  not  until  the  United  States 
Park  Service  chemists  came  along  a  few  years  ago, 
that  the  mysterious  stranger  who  turns  these  waters 
red  was  identified  as  an  alga  or  microscopic  plantlife 
which  thrives  on  sulphur  water.  The  usual  appear- 
ance in  the  fall  of  the  year  indicates  that  he  waits 
for  the  lakes  and  waterholes  to  evaporate  down  to 
the  right  consistency  of  sulphur  to  his  liking  .  .  ." 

Still  being  watched  with  considerable  interest 
is  how  well  the  earthen  depression  retains  the 
brine,  particularly  since  the  filling  is  now  above 
the  compacted  earth  level.  Other  items  to  be  de- 
•termined  are:  Will  the  pipeline  and  pumping 
plant  resist  the  salt  corrosion ;  will  the  precipitate 
build  up  on  the  inside  of  the  line  eventually  plug- 
ging it?  What  results  will  continued  pumping 
have  on  the  aquifer  and  how  pure  can  the  Pecos 
River  be  made,  also  are  questions  that  can  only 
be  answered  through  continued  experimentation. 

Since  the  present  collection  of  salt  is  already  of 
considerable  quantity,  it  is  evident  that  new  dis- 
posal sites  eventually  will  be  needed,  or  the  present 
one  emptied  to  make  more  room. 

Though  this  salinity  alleviation  program  has 
been  a  pioneering  effort,  it  is  restoring  usefulness 
to  the  Pecos  River,  and  may  prove  valuable  in 
solving  other  such  problems.  #  #  # 


May  1966 


39 


WW^'fVfm^ 


^~^*^. 


i 


m^^:-^- 


Beach  and  camping  facilities  were  rushed  at  Brandy  Creeic  Beach  by  Whisl<eytown  Lake,  Calif.,  to  take  care  of  enthusiastic  recreationists. 

Recreation  Use  Soars  at  New  Reservoirs 


RECREATION  areas  on  newly  created  Recla- 
mation reservoirs  attracted  nearly  70  percent 
more  visitors  in  the  1964  season  than  in  1963. 
When  statistics  are  compiled  for  the  1965  season 
they  are  expected  to  show  another  large  gain. 

Nearly  2.4  million  persons  fished,  boated,  swam, 
camped,  picnicked,  or  just  enjoyed  the  scenery 
and  unpolluted  air  at  eight  manmade  lakes  that 
have  been  established  since  1960.  In  1963,  visitors 
to  the  same  spots  numbered  about  1.4  million. 

Visitors  to  the  202  older  recreation  spots  on 
Reclamation  areas  throughout  the  17  Western 
States  totaled  about  32  million  last  year.  In  all, 
the  Bureau  provides  nearly  1.4  million  acres  of 
water  surface  and  approximately  10,000  miles  of 
shoreline  for  outdoor  recreation. 

The  rapid  increase  in  visitors  to  the  eight  newest 
reservoirs  indicates  the  growing  importance  of 
Reclamation  projects  in  providing  recreation  op- 
portunities as  a  supplemental  benefit  to  their  basic 
purposes  of  harnessing  water  for  irrigation,  power 
production,  flood  prevention,  and  municipal  and 
industrial  purposes. 

One  of  the  youngest  of  the  reservoirs  rapidly  is 
becoming  a  most  popular  recreation  area  in  the 
West.  It  is  beautiful  Lake  Powell,  behind  Glen 
Canyon  Dam  on  the  Colorado  River  in  northern 
Arizona.  Lake  Powell  drew  688,000  visitors  in 
1964,  compared  with  443,000  in  1963. 

Two  other  reservoirs  developed  at  main  units 
of  the  Colorado  River  Storage  Project  are  proving 
to  be  major  magnets  for  the  tourist  trade. 

These  are  Flaming  Gorge,  behind  the  dam  of 

40 


the  same  name  on  the  Green  River  in  northern 
Utah,  and  Navajo  Reservoir,  impounded  by  Nav- 
ajo Dam  on  the  San  Juan  River  in  New  Mexico. 
The  1964  visitors  to  Flaming  Gorge  totaled  571,000 
up  from  410,000  the  year  before.  At  Navajo, 
197,000  persons  participated  in  outdoor  sports, 
while  in  1963  some  132,000  visitors  were  recorded. 
The  largest  increase  in  recreation  use  at  a  new 
Reclamation  reservoir  occurred  at  Whiskeytown 
Reservoir  on  Clear  Creek  in  northern  California. 
The  number  of  visitors  to  this  area  of  blue  water 
and  green,  wooded  hills,  multiplied  six  times.     In 

1963,  only  63,000  traveled  to  the  reservoir;  last 
year,  390,000  visited. 

Nearby  Clair  Engle  (formerly  Trinity)  Lake 
on  the  Trinity  River  supplied  outdoor  recreation 
opportunities  for  323,000  in  1963  and  388,000  in 

1964.  At  Lewiston  Lake,  a  few  miles  south  on  the 
same  river,  60,000  visitors  were  recorded  in  1963 
and  107,000  in  1964. 

Recreation  use  of  Twin  Buttes  Reservoir  on  the 
Concho  River  in  Texas  more  than  tripled  in  the 
1963-1964  period,  the  number  of  visitors  swelling 
from  8,500  to  26,700. 

And  in  1963  hardly  anyone  penetrated  into  the 
rough  country  above  Yellowtail  Dam,  which  is 
being  built  across  the  steep-walled  canyon  of  the 
Bighorn  River  in  Montana.  But,  with  a  few  ac- 
cess roads  completed  in  1964,  about  17,400  persons 
made  their  way  to  the  area  where  the  reservoir 
will  form.  Set  in  some  of  the  world's  most  spec- 
tacular scenery,  this  manmade  lake  is  sure  to  be- 
come a  prime  tourist  attraction.  #     #     #_ 

The  Reclamation  Ef 


Moving  Ahead 

in  Weather  Research 


THE  Bureau  of  Reclamation  is  accelerating  its 
atmospheric  water  resources  research  program 
to  find  ways  to  increase  the  water  supply  in  arid 
Western  States.  The  program  is  essentially  a  co- 
ordinated attack  on  the  problems  of  augmenting 
snow  and  rainfall  on  Reclamation  project  water- 
sheds in  chronically  water-short  areas. 

Much  of  the  West  now  has  water  shortages,  not 
just  periodic  droughts.  The  Bureau's  role  in  the 
field  of  weather  modification  is  "practical  re- 
search" to  determine  how  the  "pure  research" 
already  done  by  other  scientific  groups  can  be  uti- 
lized to  effect  an  actual  increase  in  precipitation. 

Pure  research  in  cloud  formation  and  behavior 
is  a  necessary  foundation  on  which  to  base  research 
looking  toward  methods  to  milk  those  clouds  of 
additional  moisture. 

Reclamation's  atmospheric  water  research  pro- 
gram began  in  1961,  when  Congress  appropriated 
$100,000  for  modest  studies  in  this  field.  Pioneer- 
ing the  new  program  was  a  small  group  of  Bureau 
scientists  headed  by  Walter  U.  Gartska,  who  sub- 
sequently retired  and  was  succeeded  in  January 
1966  by  Dr.  Archie  M.  Kahan,  the  new  Chief, 
Office  of  Atmospheric  Water  Resources  in  the 
Office  of  Chief  Engineer  at  Denver,  Colo. 

Dr.  Kahan,  nationally  known  expert  in  the  at- 
mospheric sciences  relating  to  water  supplies, 
joined  the  Bureau  in  February  1965,  as  general 
research  scientist  in  the  Office  of  Atmospheric 
Water  Resources  which  had  been  established  in 
September  1964.  Previously,  Dr.  Kahan  was  Ex- 
ecutive Director  at  the  University  of  Oklahoma 
Research  Institute. 

His  academic  background  includes  a  B.A.  de- 
gree in  mathematics  and  chemistry  from  Denver 
University  in  1936 ;  an  M.A.  degree  in  mathematics 
from  the  same  university  in  1940;  an  M.S.  degree 
in  meteorology  from  the  California  Institute  of 
Technology  in  1942;  and  a  Ph.  D.  in  meteorologi- 
cal oceanography  from  Texas  A  &  M  College  in 
1959. 

May  1966 

205-385  0-66— 2 


$3  Million  for  1966 

During  its  first  session,  the  89th  Congress  ap- 
propriated $2,980,000  for  the  Atmospheric  Water 
Resources  Research  program  during  fiscal  1966. 
Contracts  with  seven  colleges  and  universities,  five 
private  firms,  one  State,  and  five  Federal  Govern- 
ment agencies  provide  for  field  studies  at  strategic 
locations.  A  minimal  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
staff  in  Denver  is  concerned  primarily  with  ad- 
ministering the  program  and  evaluating  the 
results. 

The  Bureau's  program  is  not  aimed  at  causing 
rain  to  fall  on  croplands  during  drought,  since 
under  drought  conditions,  there  would  not  be 
enough  moisture-bearing  clouds  in  the  vicinity. 
Rather,  the  goal  is  to  enhance  precipitation  when 
the  atmosphere  contains  large  quantities  of  water 
vapor. 

This  can  be  accomplished  by  introducing  nuclei 
into  the  clouds — usually  silver  iodide  from  ground 

Zinc  sulphide  tracing  material  is  inserted  in  the  top  of  this  ma- 
chine and  kept  as  a  light  powder  in  the  upper  sections  by  the 
action  of  electric  fans.  After  the  tracing  material  is  forced  out 
through  the  tubular  protrusion  at  right,  scientists  are  able  to 
detect  the  drifting  materials  as  far  as  1 5  miles  away. 


Specialists  in  atmospheric  research  cover  difficult  terrain  by  wide-track  snow  vehicles  in  order  to  check  snow-rate  measuring  instruments 

(one  in  foreground)  at  isolated  stations. 


or  airborne  generators.  The  procedure  is  known 
as  artificial  nucleation,  commonly  called  "cloud 
seeding."  Increasing  precipitation  at  the  head- 
waters of  streams,  by  nucleation  during  winter 
and  early  spring  storms  when  atmospheric  condi- 
tions are  most  favorable,  would  yield  more  runoff 
water  to  store  in  reservoirs  for  release  and  use 
during  dry  periods. 

Only  about  a  dozen  winter  storms  a  year  feed 
the  headwaters  of  the  Colorado  River.  If  each 
could  possibly  be  induced  to  drop  5  to  10  percent 
more  moisture  than  it  naturally  does,  it  would 
assure  the  Colorado  River  Basin  of  much-needed 
additional  water  for  its  farms,  cities,  and  indus- 
tries. Experiments  are  being  conducted  to  ascer- 
tain the  practicability  of  seeding  the  clouds  of 
these  storms  and  the  outlook  is  said  to  be 
"encouraging." 

Programs  Named 

The  Colorado  River  Basin  Research  Program 
is  being  carried  on  in  the  Park  Range  area,  near 
Steamboat  Springs,  Colo.,  where  mountains  rise 
from  a  valley  floor  elevation  of  6,800  feet  to  heights 
from  10,000  to  12,500  feet. 

Silver  iodide  nucleation  experiments  are  being 
conducted  by  the  firm  of  E.  Bollay  and  Associate, 
Inc.,  under  contract  with  the  Bureau.     Other  Fed- 


eral agencies  and  Colorado  State  University  are 
conducting  supporting  experiments  in  this  area. 

In  another  section  of  the  Colorado  Basin,  near 
Flagstaff,  Ariz.,  studies  are  being  made  by  Meteor- 
ology Research,  Inc.,  of  the  behavior  of  mountain- 
induced  convective  clouds.  These  are  cumulus 
clouds  formed  downwind  of  isolated  peaks  by  con- 
verging air. 

At  the  University  of  Wyoming,  a  Cap  Cloud 
Research  program  of  several  years'  standing  is 
continuing.  The  cap  cloud  is  a  persistent  station- 
ary formation  which  gives  the  appearance  of  being 
stationary,  but  which  rarely  produces  precipita- 
tion naturally.  Thus,  it  is  a  most  satisfactory 
site  for  seeding  studies.  Experiments  already 
carried  on  by  the  university,  in  cooperation  with 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  have  demonstrated 
that  cap  clouds  can  be  more  easily  manipulated 
than  most.  On  Elk  Mountain,  west  of  Laramie, 
Wyo.,  a  natural  laboratory,  well-suited  to  study- 
ing various  techniques  for  seeding  of  cap  clouds, 
has  been  established. 

The  Bureau's  Interior  Basin  Program  is  being 
carried  on  by  the  University  of  Nevada  and  Utah 
State  University.  The  University  of  Nevada  is 
conducting  experiments  ranging  from  theoretical 
studies  of  cloud  physics  to  actual  weather  modifi- 
cation and  the  development  of  an  instrumentation 
and  data  acquisition  system.     At  Utah  State,  prc- 


42 


The  Reclamation  Era 


liminary  work  is  underway  to  develop  a  statisti- 
cally designed  seeding  experiment  in  the  Wasatch 
Mountain  to  determine  the  effect  of  seeding  from 
high-and-low  altitude,  ground-based  generators. 

Under  the  Bureau's  Southern  Sierra  Program  a 
mathematical  statistician  at  Taft  College  in  Cali- 
fornia will  develop  an  experimental  design  for 
evaluating  seeding  efforts  conducted  by  Bureau 
collaborators  in  the  area.  The  Bureau  has  also 
retained  Fresno  College  to  study  whether  it  is 
feasible  for  seeding  groups  in  the  area  to  coordi- 
nate their  work. 

In  the  Pacific  Northwest  Program,  an  entirely 
different  study  is  being  undertaken. 

There,  under  a  contract  with  the  Weather  Modi- 
fication Board  of  the  State  of  Washington,  plan- 
ning has  begun  on  a  program  which  seeks  to  de- 
velop techniques  for  shifting  precipitation  from 
areas  of  surplus  to  areas  of  deficit.  A  group  of 
meteorologists  is  being  organized  to  work  on  the 
necessary  experiments  to  determine  if  such  diver- 
sion is  possible. 

Under  the  Northern  Great  Plains  Program  the 
South  Dakota  School  of  Mines  and  Technology 
is  working  on  climatological  studies,  numerical 
model  studies,  cumulus  cloud  penetrations  by  air- 
craft, and  random  seeding  methods. 

"All  these  projects  comprise  a  concerted  drive," 


Reclamation  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy  said, 
"to  find  practical  answers  to  the  many  questions 
confronting  the  Bureau  in  its  efforts  to  increase 
water  supply  by  weather  modification." 

An  advisory  committee  on  Atmospheric  Water 
Resources  has  been  established  to  assist  in  the 
program. 

It  is  composed  of  experts  in  the  fields  of  cloud 
physics,  engineering,  meteorology,  hydrology, 
snow  surveying,  and  forestry.  Members  include : 
Chief  Engineer  B.  P.  Bellport,  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion, Chairman ;  Dr.  Vincent  J.  Schaefer,  Director 
of  Research,  Atmospheric  Sciences,  Research 
Center,  State  University  of  New  York;  Dr. 
Thomas  Bates,  Science  Adviser  to  the  Secretary  of 
Interior;  Dr.  John  C.  Calhoun,  Jr.,  Vice  Chancel- 
lor for  Programs,  Texas  A  &  M  University;  Dr. 
Walter  Orr  Roberts,  Director,  National  Center  for 
Atmospheric  Research;  Dr.  Earl  G.  Droessler, 
Head  of  Atmospheric  Sciences  Section,  National 
Science  Foundation;  Dr.  Charles  Anderson,  En- 
vironmental Science  Services  Administration,  De- 
partment of  Commerce;  Max  Kohler,  Chief 
Weather  Bureau  Hydrologist;  Jack  S.  Barrows, 
Director  of  Forest  Fire  Research,  U.S.  Forest 
Service ;  and  William  G.  Shannon,  Head  of  Snow 
Survey  and  Water  Supply  Forecasting,  Soil  Con- 
servation   Service,    Department    of    Agriculture. 

#  #  # 


Seeded  Clouds  Produce 
R-Shaped  Snowstorm 

Considerable  control  and  precision  is  resulting 
in  the  production  of  desired  patterns  of  snowfalls 
in  Nevada.  Made  with  the  help  of  radar,  the 
photograph  on  this  page  shows  a  Morse  code  "R", 
dot-dash-dot,  at  top  left.  The  effort  is  evidence 
of  the  success  of  recent  cloud  seeding  experiments 
in  the  Reno-Lake  Tahoe  areas  of  Nevada.  The 
photo  was  shown  to  the  U.S.  Senate  Subcommittee 
on  Water  and  Power  Resources  during  hearings, 
by  Wendell  A.  Mordy,  Director  of  the  University 
of  Nevada  Desert  Research  Institute. 


May  1966 


43 


From  the  Fifth  Annual  Irrigation  Operators'  Workshop 

Real  Economies  From  Rehabilitation 


by  B.  A.  PRICHARD 

Irrigation  structures  which  are  old  and  in  poor 
condition  generally  become  problems  to  the  sys- 
tem. The  irrigation  districts  operating  these  sys- 
tems are  faced  either  with  a  continuing  expensive 
maintenance  program  and  piecemeal  structure  re- 
placements or  an  extensive  rehabilitation  program. 

Some  older  projects  also  have  had  changes  in 
land  use,  in  methods  of  irrigation,  and  in  types  of 
of  crops  raised.  Such  projects  may  benefit  not 
only  from  rehabilitation  of  deteriorated  struc- 
tures but  also  from  modernization. 

An  example  of  rehabilitation  and  betterment 
work  may  be  found  on  the  North  Platte  Project 
in  Nebraska  and  Wyoming.  The  Fort  Laramie 
Division  of  this  project  is  operated  by  two  irriga- 
tion districts — Goshen  Irrigation  District  in  Wyo- 
ming and  the  Gering  and  Fort  Laramie  Irriga- 
tion District  in  Nebraska. 

In  1963,  Goshen  Irrigation  District  irrigated 
51,076  acres ;  Gering  and  Fort  Laramie  Irrigation 
District  irrigated  51,904  acres.  With  the  major 
crops  of  beans,  sugar  beets,  alfalfa  hay,  and  corn, 
the  project's  average  crop  value  was  about  $132 
per  irrigated  acre. 

Construction  of  project  facilities  was  completed 
in  the  early  1920s  and  the  district  has  operated 
them  since  1927. 

Goshen  Irrigation  District  has  recently  com- 
pleted a  rehabilitation  and  betterment  program 
placing  about  92  miles  of  its  245-mile  lateral  sys- 
tem in  precast  concrete  pipe.  The  flow  capacity 
of  most  of  these  laterals  is  20  cubic  feet  per  second 
or  less.  The  nominally  reinforced  mortar-joint 
pipe,  which  the  district  manufactures  in  its  own 
plant,  is  30  inches  or  less  in  diameter. 

Gering  and  Fort  Laramie  Irrigation  District 
has  a  rehabilitation  and  betterment  program  in 
process  under  which  they  are  replacing  about  95 
miles  of  their  270-mile  lateral  system  with  pre- 
cast concrete  pipe  or  asbestos-cement  pipe.  The 
district  is  using  8-  to  16-inch-diameter,  asbestos- 
cement  pipe,  and  18-  to  30-inch-diameter,  com- 
mercially made  precast  concrete  pipe. 

Each  district  is  lining  a  considerable  portion  of 
their  canals  and  large  laterals.     The  lining  used 


is  primarily  buried  asphaltic  membrane.  Both  of 
these  rehabilitation  projects  have  been  financed 
under  the  Rehabilitation  and  Betterment  Act  of 
1949  Federal  Reclamation  Laws. 

Other  R  &  B 

Some  of  this  same  type  of  R  &  B  work  is  being 
done  in  almost  every  Reclamation  region. 

The  Salt  River  Project  in  Arizona  now  has  about 
270  out  of  870  miles  of  laterals  in  pipe,  much  of 
which  is  cast-in-place. 

The  South  San  Joaquin  Irrigation  district  in 
California  is  improving  about  120  miles  of  unlined 
laterals  with  cast-in-place  concrete  pipe.  The 
Lower  Rio  Grande  Rehabilitation  Project  in  Texas 
has  a  major  construction  program  for  canal  lining 
and  placing  laterals  in  pipe. 

The  Mercedes  Division  of  the  latter  project, 
which  has  68,000  irrigable  acres,  is  more  than  50 
years  old.  It  now  has  replaced  over  200  miles  of 
open  lateral  with  precast  concrete  pipe,  with 
rubber-gasket-type  joints,  ranging  in  diameters 
from  15  to  36  inches.  Unreinforced  pipe  was  used 
up  to  30-inch  diameter  and  heads  up  to  20  feet. 

The  district  also  placed  about  50  miles  of  un- 
reinforced concrete  lining  in  laterals  with  capaci- 
ties from  22  to  187  cubic  feet  per  second.  Of  the 
district's  300  miles  of  laterals,  only  about  9  miles 
remained  unlined  at  the  end  of  June  1965.  There 
will  be  little,  if  any,  unlined  or  unpiped  laterals 
when  this  job  is  completed. 

On  new  construction,  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion generally  has  found  it  appropriate  to  provide 
an  unlined  open  lateral  system,  which  has  the 
least  first  cost.  Lining  or  pipe  have  been  used  only 
in  those  reaches  where  soils  investigations  have 
indicated  such  measures  are  required  to  reduce 
water  loss  and  seepage. 

Growing  concern  with  potential  water  shortages 
and  the  continuing  change  in  construction  and 
operation  and  maintenance  procedures  have  caused 
the  Bureau  to  take  another  look  at  conventional 
practices.  As  a  result,  improved  procedures  have 
been  developed  for  determining  case  by  case 
whether  or  not  to  line  or  place  a  particular  system 


44 


The  Reclamation  Eka 


in  pipe.  It  is  not  believed  that  a  pipe  distribution 
system  is  justified  for  every  project. 

The  intention  is  to  provide  for  each  project  the 
system  which  meets  as  nearly  as  possible  the  needs 
and  economic  limitations  of  the  irrigation  district. 

An  older  project  in  need  of  rehabilitation  and 
betterment  should  be  examined  in  the  same  eco- 
nomic terms  as  a  new  project  to  determine  wheth- 
er one  should  consider  lining  or  piping  an  open 
lateral  system. 

In  preparing  for  rehabilitation  of  his  distribu- 
tion system,  each  district  manager  should  consider 
the  cost  aspects  of : 

1.  Water  Conservation 

2.  Land  Utilization 

3.  Operation  and  Maintenance 

4.  Other  Considerations 

Water  Conservation   Economics 

Assuming  that  the  district  has  adequate  measur- 
ing devices  and  keeps  good  records  of  diversions 
and  deliveries,  one  can  readily  determine  water 
losses.  For  example,  the  Gering  and  Fort  Lara- 
mie Irrigation  District  determined  that  of  105,600 
acre- feet  diverted  to  their  laterals,  17,700  acre- 
feet,  or  roughly  17  percent,  was  lost  to  seepage  and 
evaporation. 

The  amount  of  water  savings  will  be  the  dif- 
ference between  the  measured  water  losses  in  the 
present  open  laterals  and  the  estimated  losses  in 
the  proposed  pipe  system.  The  amount  of  seep- 
age from  a  pipe  system  is  about  2  to  3  percent. 
As  the  average  canal  measuring  device  does  not 
measure  that  accurately,  for  practicable  purposes 
these  losses  in  a  pipe  system  will  be  negligible. 

Having  estimated  the  amount  of  water  saved, 
one  then  estimates  its  value.  This,  of  course,  will 
vary  greatly  among  projects.  In  instances  where 
water  is  purchased  under  a  service  contract,  the 
saving  can  be  easily  determined.  Other  deter- 
minations will  require  an  estimate  of  the  benefits 
derived  by  using  this  water  for  irrigating  addi- 
tional lands.  In  some  instances  the  benefits  and 
costs  for  irrigating  additional  lands  can  be  com- 
bined with  those  for  lining  the  system  in  deter- 
mining the  feasibility  of  the  project. 

In  any  case,  water  savings  will  be  one  of  the 
major  benefits  derived  from  conversion  to  a  pipe 
system.  For  example,  the  Gering  and  Fort  Lara- 
mie District  estimated  that  its  rehabilitation  would 
salvage  10,700  acre-feet  of  the  17,700  acre-feet  of 
measured  losses. 


JS^SiK«fe««l«*.Si'fe^¥^tMa^m« 


Goshen  Irrigation  District  installing  cast-in-place  concrete  pipe  on 
the  North  Platte  project,  Wyo.,  in  1959 — financed  by  Rehabilitation 
and    Betterment    Funds. 


May  1966 


45 


The  value  of  water  was  determined  by  using 
the  established  $1.90  per  acre-foot  irrigation  water 
service  rate  at  Glendo  Reservoir,  a  short  distance 
above  the  project.  By  this  yardstick,  the  esti- 
mated value  of  water  saved  was  $20,330  per  year, 
or  about  $200  per  mile  per  year  for  the  95  miles 
of  pipe  and  8  miles  of  lining  to  be  installed. 

Land  Utilization 

Land  utilization  after  conversion  of  an  open 
lateral  to  pipe  may  include  farming  of  the  right- 
of-way  and  increased  crop  production.  On  North 
Platte  and  Lower  Rio  Grande  Rehabilitation 
Projects,  for  example,  new  pipe  laterals  parallel 
county  roads;  hence  operating  roads  are  not  re- 
quired. Here  crops  also  are  being  produced  di- 
rectly over  some  of  the  pipe. 

In  one  instance  at  least,  on  the  North  Platte 
Project,  a  farmer's  head  ditch  runs  directly  over 
the  pipe  lateral.  A  few  project  managers  indi- 
cate that  there  have  been  some  problems  with 
roots  entering  pipe  joints  when  orchards,  vine- 
yards, or  alfalfa  are  produced  too  close  to  or 
directly  over  the  pipes. 

However,  one  manager  suggests  that  bare  cop- 
per wire  placed  in  the  pipeline  seems  to  alleviate 
the  root  problem.  This  is  probably  because  cop- 
per is  toxic  to  many  plants. 

Land  utilization  may  also  involve  reclaiming 
drainage  areas.  On  the  North  Platte  Project,  the 
Goshen  Irrigation  District  has  reclaimed  a  num- 
ber of  seeped  acres  adjacent  to  laterals  or  canals 
by  backfilling  some  deep  drains  no  longer  required. 
Some  of  the  water  saved  by  lining  the  laterals  may 
be  utilized  to  irrigate  these  reclaimed  areas  or 
other  nonirrigated  lands. 

Benefits  probably  are  best  measured  by  crop- 
ping experiences  on  adjacent  lands.  Wyoming 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station  Bulletin  310, 
shows  the  net  profit  per  acre  per  year  of  irrigated 
farmlands  in  Goshen  County  to  be  $32.14.  This 
value  has  been  used  to  determine  benefits  derived 
from  land  utilization  on  the  Fort  Laramie  Divi- 
sion of  the  North  Platte  Project. 

Operation  and  Maintenance  Costs 

Lateral  cleaning  and  weed  control  are  common 
to  all  projects.  However,  the  methods  of  accom- 
plishing this  required  work  and  the  costs  for 
doing  it  vary  greatly  among  projects.  There  are 
O  &  M  road  maintenance,  cleaning  of  drains,  pest 

46 


control,  repair  of  ditch  breaks,  and  structure  re- 
pair and  replacement. 

Although  these  items  are  easy  to  identify,  it  is 
often  difficult  to  determine  from  your  records  the 
actual  expenditures.  If  you  were  to  conduct  an 
economic  study  of  the  project  you  probably  «vould 
find  it  helpful  to  know  what  percentage  of  the 
laterals  you  clean  each  year  and  the  average  rate 
of  accomplishment.  Then,  you  will  want  to  know 
the  hourly  costs  for  equipment. 

Similarly,  one  may  need  to  segregate  average 
weed  control  costs  of  laterals  from  canals,  the 
frequency  and  cost  of  maintaining  roads,  and 
others. 

A  pipe  system  may  also  save  in  operating  time 
or  increase  the  length  of  the  ditchrider's  beat  over 
an  open  system.  One  manager  estimates  an  in- 
crease of  roughly  33  percent  in  size  of  ditchride. 
He  attributes  this  difference  to  the  increased  speed 
of  delivery  and  the  reduced  time  for  weed  and 
trash  removal.  However,  some  other  districts 
have  indicated  no  change  in  their  ditchrides. 

On  a  rehabilitation  project,  funds  that  would 
have  been  spent  for  replacement  of  old  structures 
that  have  outlived  their  usefulness  can  be  spent  on 
the  betterment  program. 

There  are  undoubtedly  some  types  of  mainte- 
nance expenditures  for  a  pipe  or  lined  system  that 
would  not  be  experienced  on  an  unlined  open  sys- 
tem. Pipe-joint  leaks  are  the  most  common. 
The  North  Platte  Project,  however,  reports  no 
joint  repair  expenditures  on  their  mortar-joint 
lines. 

On  the  Mercedes  Division  of  the  Lower  Rio 
Grande  Rehabilitation  Project,  it  has  been  esti- 
mated that  a  minimum  of  five  leaks  per  mile  per 
year  have  been  repaired  in  the  mortar- joint  pipe 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH 

Benjamin  A.  Prichard  received  his  B.8.  degree 
in  Civil  Engineering  from  Montana  State  Uni- 
versity in  194-i,  and  after  2  years  in  the  Navy, 
he  started  work  for  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation. 
The  first  15  years  of  his  Bureau  service  was  spent 
in  designing  canal  and  lateral  structures,  and 
since  that  time,  he  has  worked  in  the  Division 
of  Irrigation  Operations  in  the  Chief  Engineer's 
Office  in  Denver,  Colo.  Mr.  Prichard  recently 
completed  a  study  similar  to  this  to  determine 
the  economics  of  pipe  and  open  lateral  irrigation 
systems. 


The  Reclamation  E 


R^ 


but  essentially  no  leaks  in  the  joints  which  utilize 
round  rubber  gaskets. 

Repair  of  concrete  lining  involves  repair  of 
cracks  or  ruptures.  Operation  and  maintenance 
costs  for  open  ditch  and  pipe  laterals  vary  greatly 
among  projects.  It  was  estimated  that  the  Gering 
and  Fort  Laramie  Irrigation  District's  rehabilita- 
tion of  small  laterals  would  reduce  annual 
operation  and  maintenance  costs  about  $170  per 
mile. 

Other  Cost  Considerations 

There  are,  of  course,  many  other  minor  bene- 
fits which  are  more  difficult  to  evaluate.  Never- 
theless, they  are  real  and  should  be  evaluated  if 
at  all  possible.  There  will  be  a  reduction  in  weed 
seed  distribution,  pest  damage,  weed  chemical  con- 
tamination, and  damage  claims.  There  will  also 
be  improvements  in  safety,  farm  operation,  ap- 
pearance, and  tax  base. 

Examples  of  these  benefits  may  be  found  on 
the  Owyhee  Project  in  Idaho  and  Oregon  where 
some  laterals  have  been  improved  by  placing  them 


underground.  Generally  speaking,  these  improve- 
ments have  been  initiated  by  landowners  wanting 
to  eliminate  a  lateral  or  to  change  it  from  mean- 
dering through  a  field. 

The  pipe  is  purchased  by  the  individual  farmer 
who  considers  some  of  the  above-mentioned  bene- 
fits of  sufficient  magnitude  that  he  is  willing  to 
buy  the  pipe  and  contract  its  laying.  The  district 
usually  does  the  excavation  and  backfill. 

Most  of  the  type  of  work  in  this  discussion  is 
beyond  the  district's  means  of  financing  from  their 
O  &  M  budgets,  and  has  been  financed  under  the 
Rehabilitation  and  Betterment  Act  or  the  Small 
Reclamation  Projects  Act.  Inquiries  about  fi- 
nancing a  water  improvement  project  under  either 
of  these  plans  may  be  made  at  Reclamation  Re- 
gional Officas. 

Under  either  program,  the  need  for  the  par- 
ticular work  must  be  shown  and  an  economic 
evaluation  made  of  the  district's  capability  to  re- 
pay the  loan.  In  general,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  indicate  the  savings  from  water  utilization,  bet- 
ter land  utilization,  reduction  in  O  &  M  costs, 
and  other  benefits  to  show  the  repayment 
capability.  #    #    # 


A  Conservation  Story  at  Lewiston 


WORKING  AND 
LEARNING  JOB  CORPSMEN 

by  RANDY  MILLER,  of  the  Lewiston 
Job   Corps  Staff 


THE  first  job  corpsmen  began  to  arrive  last 
April  at  Lewiston,  Calif.,  in  the  heart  of  Trin- 
ity National  Forest.  This  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
center,  whic^h  for  years  had  been  home  base  for 
thousands  of  construction  employees,  was  to  begin 
a  new  era  of  construction — that  of  building  the 
talents,  minds,  and  attitudes  of  another  important 
resource,  the  young  men  of  America. 

Corpsmen  helped  keep  roads  clear  of  trees  that  fell  during  heavy 
January  snows.  Many  hours  of  work  in  the  cold  were  credited 
to  the  Lewiston  and  other  Centers  during  last  winter's  emergencies. 


May  1966 


47 


Clair  Engle  Lake  Vista  House  will  be  in  even  a  more  beautiful  setting  as  a  result  of  these  hole-digging  Corpsmen.  The  two  on  the 
right  are  making  postholes  for  a  guard  rail,  the  others  are  installing  a  sprinkler  system  on  the  bank,  which  on  another  day  they  planted 
with    ivy .  to   prevent  erosion. 


Any  staff  member  present  in  those  first  formative 
days  and  weeks  of  the  Lewiston  Conservation  Job 
Corps  Center  will  admit  his  apprehension.  There 
was  introspection  and  many  questions.  It  was  one 
of  those  wonderful  ambiguous  times  when  a  person 
could  ask  honestly  "How  are  we  going  to  do  it?", 
knowing  inwardly  that  somehow  the  program 
would  take  shape. 

As  the  staff  began  living  with  the  young  men 
and  their  problems  day  and  night,  they  found  an- 
swers to  some  questions  daily.  They  are  still  look- 
ing for  some. 

You  ask  yourself,  "What  is  a  corpsman?"  and 
answer  that  he  is  a  unique  individual,  but  defies 
generalization.  He  is  a  high  school  dropout,  but 
he  is  different  because  he  is  asking  again  for  help 
with  his  education.  He  is  unskilled,  but  instead  of 
walking  the  streets  feeling  sorry  for  himself,  he 


seeks  to  be  trained. 

A  corpsman  may  be  undisciplined,  yet  he  chooses 
the  Job  Corps  environment  where  social  discipline 
is  necessary  and  self-discipline  is  the  basis  of  the 
entire  program. 

He  is  sometimes  a  loner,  but  now  has  to  face  the 
facts  of  teamwork  and  getting  along  with  others, 
regardless  of  race  and  background,  religion  and 
ability. 

Sometimes  he  is  sullen  and  withdrawn,  but  hopes 
desperately  that  his  worth  will  be  recognized. 

While  the  emphasis  is  on  vocational  training,  a 
great  deal  of  the  program  is  devoted  to  group  liv- 
ing and  character  development.  In  order  to  realize 
success  in  any  one  of  these  areas,  there  must  be 
balance  in  all  thre6. 

Conservation  Projects 

Most  of  the  work  program  so  far  has  been  in  the 


48 


The  Reclamation  Era 


area  of  Lewiston.  Landscaping,  construction,  soil- 
erosion  prevention,  and  beautification,  in  different 
combinations,  have  been  the  basic  instructional  aim 
of  each  project. 

In  October  1965,  the  corpsmen  completed  the 
landscaping  of  the  Clair  Engle  Lake  Vista  House 
ill  cooperation  with  the  Forest  Service. 

They  spread  top  soil,  planted  hundreds  of  trees 
and  shrubs,  installed  a  permanent  sprinkler  sys- 
tem, dug  drainage  ditches,  and  seeded  the  steep 
slopes  to  prevent  erosion. 

The  physical  aspect  of  the  project  was  com- 
pleted successfully  and  beautifully,  but  there  was 
much  more  to  it  than  a  grateful  visitor  sees.  Some 
of  the  corpsmen  learned  to  follow  directions, 
[  others  to  show  their  initiative.  Some  became  lead- 
I  ers,  others  learned  not  to  gripe  even  when  the 
temperature  rose  above  100  degrees.  The  boys 
found  satisfaction  in  seeing  the  project  through 
from  beginning  to  end.  They  knew  the  work  they 
were  doing  was  good  and  was  going  to  be  beautiful 
in  the  spring. 

One  corpsman  asked  the  work  foreman,  "What 
color  will  the  blossoms  be  on  the  Chinese  pistachio 
trees?"  On  a  lunch  break,  another  corpsman  sat 
on  the  hill  overlooking  the  lake  below  and  enjoyed 
tlie  beauty  around  him. 

All  this  must  have  been  a  change  in  awareness 
for  a  boy  who  comes  from  a  big-city  slum.  Such 
incidents,  however  small,  seem  to  mark  success  for 
a  project. 

All  of  the  corpsmen,  of  course,  do  not  under- 
stand nature  at  first.    The  presence  of  a  deer  in  the 
forest  is  as  strange  to  them  as  it  would  be  in  the 
heart  of  Los  Angeles  or  Chicago.    He  begins  to 
appreciate  such  life  around  him  when  the  work 
foreman's  job  doubles  with  the  role  of  instructor. 
The  planting  of  a  tree,  the  digging  of  a  run-off 
ditch,  the  building  of  a  fireplace,  the  gathering  of 
roadside  beer  cans,  and  the  construction  of  a  fire 
,,  break  must  be  given  true  significance. 
j      Since  the  work  and  the  results  of  most  conserva- 
I  tion  projects  are  separated  by  the  course  of  time, 
'  it  is  often  difficult  for  the  corpsmen  to  get  excited 
about  work  that  never  appears  to  be  completed. 
He  must  be  helped  to  the  realization  that  the  main 
results  of  his  work  are  not  immediate. 

Several  projects  have  been  completed  in  the 
:  short  history  of  the  work  program.    Thousands  of 
trees  have  been  planted  on  local  hillsides  being 
eaten  by  erosion ;  several  campsites  have  been  com- 
pleted;  almost  20  miles  of  roadside  have  been 


cleared  of  debris;  a  thousand  picnic  tables  are 
being  built;  many  fire  hazards  have  been  elim- 
inated in  addition  to  destroying  rodent  habitat; 
and  the  center  itself  has  been  developed  to  provide 
better  working  and  living  conditions. 

Wintertime  Emergencies 

The  results  of  some  projects  are  immediately 
apparent. 

The  center  awoke  last  January  4,  for  instance 
to  find  that  overnight  a  storm  had  dumped  over 
12  inches  of  snow  and  it  was  still  falling.  Power 
and  telephone  lines  were  down  all  over  Trinity 
County.  At  Lewiston,  the  Job  Corps  Center  was 
without  heat,  lights,  or  a  workable  kitchen. 

The  center's  cooks  prepared  a  good  meal  on  gas 
camping  stoves,  and  eating  was  by  candlelight. 
Fortunately,  only  21  of  the  center's  200  corpsmen 
had  returned  from  their  Christmas  vacations. 

After  breakfast,  reports  began  funneling  in  of 
the  seriousness  of  the  snowstorm.  A  group  of 
corpsmen  was  already  helping  out.  They  returned 
from  an  all-night  stint  on  a  local  mountain  road 
helping  motorists  put  chains  on  their  vehicles  as  a 
courtesy  of  the  center.  They  were  cold,  wet,  tired, 
and  hungry.  After  breakfast,  they  volunteered  to 
go  right  back  out. 

Following  lunch,  word  came  that  the  roof  of  the 
supermarket — the  only  source  of  food  in  the  com- 
munity— was  about  to  collapse  from  the  weight  of 
almost  18  inches  of  wet  snow.  Within  15  minutes, 
corpsmen  and  staff  members  were  shoveling  the 
heavy  snow  to  prevent  a  collapse.  A  hermit  in  the 
community  had  been  caught  without  food.  Sev- 
eral of  the  boys  took  him  groceries.  One  staff 
member  loaded  a  pickup  with  groceries  and 
fuel  to  play  a  belated  Santa  to  others  in  the  com- 
munity who  were  caught  short. 

With  it  still  snowing  hard,  the  center's  heavy- 
equipment  operator  continued  to  open  streets  and 
roads  in  the  area  wherever  he  could. 

Since  many  local  people  depend  on  electricity 
for  their  cooking,  the  center  decided  to  prepare  a 
meal  for  the  community  with  the  cooperation  of 
the  Moose  club.  With  the  help  of  Moose  Lodge's 
wood-burning  stoves,  over  90  people  were  fed,  in- 
cluding Job  Corps  staff  families  and  local 
residents. 

Shortly  after  six,  electrical  power  returned,  but 
it  was  still  snowing.  The  center  provided  a  corps- 
man  crew  to  help  remove  fallen  trees  from  a  high- 
way.   The  men  returned  late  at  night.    One  corps- 


May  1966 


49 


'    ""'■^ 


When  this  project  is  finished,  a  firm  blacktop  will  provide  the  Center  with  an  improved  area  for  outdoor  sports  and  physical  education. 


man  worked  almost  18  hours  on  the  grader  clearing 
roads  and  streets  with  barely  a  stop.  He  made  no 
complaint  and  probably  never  considered  stopping 
until  he  was  finished.  Another  appeared  incon- 
spicuous because  he  was  in  so  many  places.  Seeing 
one  job  completed  he  moved  on  to  the  next.  When 
the  emergency  w^as  over,  it  was  discovered  he  had 
w^orked  almost  48  hours  straight  without  a  rest. 

A  staff  work  instructor  stayed  with  the  road 
crew^s  from  the  early  to  the  late  hours. 

As  residents  at  the  center  finally  dropped  on 
their  beds,  a  satisfying  sleep  came  quickly,  but  first 
they  still  were  hearing  soft  rain  falling  and  the 
occasional  noise  of  the  grader  at  work. 

It  had  been  a  long  day  and  a  rewarding  one. 
This  timely  extension  of  Job  Corps  effort  into  the 
life  of  the  Lewiston  community  was  appreciated 
and  won't  soon  be  forgotten  by  the  corpsmen  or 
the  local  residents. 

Learning   in   Class 

The  instructors  in  the  educational  program  are 
faced  with  many  of  the  same  problems  that  con- 
front the  work  staff.  The  main  emphasis  may  be 
on  reading  and  mathematics  but  to  sink  in,  class- 
room work  must  be  related  to  everyday  problems. 
As  in  the  field,  there  must  be  encouragement  to- 


50 


w^ard  self-confidence  and  a  great  deal  of  patience. 

A  young  man  drops  out  of  high  school  for  many 
reasons — social,  economic,  and  emotional.  Each 
corpsman's  reason  is  different,  but  each  story  has 
the  same  sense  of  tragedy.  Generally,  he  thinks 
that  his  academic  weakness  is  the  main  reason  for 
his  failure  to  get  a  job  and  lead  a  normal  adult 
life. 

He  often  blames  his  former  teachers  or  school 
system  for  not  meeting  his  specific  problems  in 
learning.  Sometimes  he  brings  his  disillusionment 
and  mistrust  of  teachers  with  him  to  the  class- 
rooms of  the  Job  Corps. 

Approximately    30    percent    of    the    Lewiston 
corpsmen  were  nonreaders  on  arrival.    It  is  more  ^ 
than  inspiring  to  see  a  young  man  of  18  or  19  h 
again  learning  to  read,  working  desperately  and  ' 
enthusiastically  to  destroy  this  greatest  single  bar- 
rier to  his  leading  a  normal,  useful  life. 

The  majority  of  the  academic  training  is  pro- 
gramed; the  student,  for  the  most  part,  teaches 
himself.  He  completes  problems  presented  to  him 
in  a  systematic  and  meaningful  sequence,  and 
checks  the  answers  himself.  Cheating  is  prac- 
tically nonexistent. 

Though  the  educational  personnel  are  still  find- 
ing more  and  better  ways  to  meet  the  academic 

The  Reclamation  Er^ 


needs  of  the  corpsmen,  the  program  has  already 
been  very  successful.  In  addition  to  the  basic  pro- 
gram of  reading  and  mathematics,  other  courses 
are  presented  that  prepare  the  corpsman  more 
fully  to  find  a  job  and  keep  it. 

He  receives  training  in  job  interviews,  for  in- 
stance, and  in  filling  out  a  job  application  form. 
Work  attitudes  are  discussed,  and  the  concept  of 
responsibility  is  made  more  meaningful. 

Basically,  the  program  is  designed  so  that  corps- 
men  from  many  backgrounds  and  with  a  wide  dif- 
ference in  abilities  can  fit  into  it  comfortably  with 
a  minimum  of  frustration.  Perhaps  upon  finish- 
ing the  program,  the  boy  will  not  be  a  scholar; 
but,  he  will  be  able  to  read  a  newspaper,  a  maga- 
zine, a  work  manual,  compute  his  income  tax,  and 
face  a  new  job  with  confidence. 

Learning  from  Each  Other 

At  Lewiston,  there  are  approximately  six  or 
seven  corpsmen  to  each  dormitory.  Since  no  con- 
sideration is  given  to  race  in  the  makeup  of  each 
dorm,  it  is  the  first  time  in  the  lives  of  many  that 
they  are  forced  to  understand  a  human  of  another 
color  or  religion.  There  has  been  extremely  little 
conflict,  and  a  great  sense  of  tolerance  and  com- 
radeship has  developed. 

This  fact  becomes  particularly  significant  when 
one  considers  the  wide  variation  in  ethnic  back- 
grounds of  the  corpsmen. 

The  men  take  pride  in  the  upkeep  of  the  dorms 
and  compete  each  week  for  honors  for  the  cleanest 
and  best-kept  dorm.  The  winners  are  generally 
given  a  small  reward,  such  as  a  special  trip  to  go 
camping,  or  a  special  privilege.  The  dorms  are 
supervised  by  the  resident  counselor  staff,  who  act 
as  big  brothers,  fathers  in  some  cases,  to  the  corps- 
men.  Some  of  the  corpsmen,  the  younger  ones 
particularly,  become  homesick  and  discouraged  at 
times  and  need  the  special  attention  and  guidance 
of  a  counselor  they  have  learned  to  trust. 

Finally,  there  is  that  large  and  important  block 
of  time  when  the  corpsmen  are  not  sleeping,  work- 
ing, or  going  to  class.  Fortunately,  Lewiston  has 
good  facilities  for  recreation.  In  the  center,  there 
must  be  enough  things  to  do  to  involve  almost 
every  corpsman  in  an  area  of  his  specific  interest. 

If  interest  does  not  exist,  then  the  program 
must  be  adapted  to  draw  him  to  it.  Some  of  the 
staff  and  their  wives,  for  instance,  run  an  arts 
and  crafts  program  on  a  volunteer  basis  in  the 
evenings.     Their  program  is  tremendously  suc- 


cessful. When  one  considers  the  life  some  of  the 
corpsmen  led  such  a  short  while  ago,  it  is  even 
more  amazing  to  see  them  painting  a  delicate  plas- 
ter cast,  stitching  a  wallet  in  leather  class,  working 
with  skill  in  the  photo  lab,  or  transferring  their 
love  of  cars  to  the  scale  models  on  the  center's 
slot  car  track. 

The  center  has  a  baseball  and  a  softball  field, 
volley  ball  court,  archery  range  (both  indoor  and 
outdoor) ,  weight-lifting  and  boxing  facilities,  and 
a  recreation  hall  for  ping-pong,  pop  records, 
snacks,  and  conversation.  Almost  all  of  the  in- 
struction and  supervision  of  these  areas  is  done 
voluntarily  by  the  staff  as  well  as  the  corpsmen. 

Challenge  of  Center  Life 

The  Job  Corps  life  has  to  be  a  complete  one 
as  much  as  possible.  New  standards  of  living  must 
be  accepted  by  the  corpsmen.  In  some  cases,  better 
health  and  moral  standards  must  be  provided  by 
example  and  guidance.  Little  can  be  forced  upon 
them,  but  a  great  deal  can  be  given.  Their  friend- 
ship cannot  be  taken  for  granted,  butls  the  product 
of  sensitive  understanding  on  the  part  of  them  and 
the  staff.  The  staff  constantly  faces  the  respon- 
sibility of  setting  an  example  and  showing  under- 
standing. 

There  is  an  intensity  in  a  Job  Corps  Center  that 
requires  constant  self-appraisal,  and  a  realization 
of  human  limits  when  one  is  working  desperately 
to  alleviate  inadequacy.  The  human  drama,  the 
interplay  of  personalities,  and  the  heroic  efforts 
generally  go  unnoticed.  Yet  the  staff  has  the  re- 
ward of  seeing  progress  and  the  presence  of  ability 
that  was  once  just  latent  potential. 

Director  John  C.  Schaumburg  has  coined  the 
phrase  for  the  Lewiston  Conservation  Center: 
"You  come  to  the  Job  Corps  a  boy,  you  graduate 
a  man." 

The  change  in  the  boys  as  they  become  men  is 
evident  to  the  staff  members  and  to  their  families. 
The  mother  of  one  of  the  Lewiston  Job  Corps- 
men  wrote  to  the  staff  over  the  holidays  to  wish  the 
members  a  Merry  Christmas  and  to  thank  them 
for  what  they  were  doing  for  her  son. 

"Our  son,  who  once  couldn't  write  his  own  name, 
now  writes  to  us,"  she  said.  "When  we  talk  to  him 
on  the  phone,  we  notice  the  improvement  in  his 
speech,  his  attitude  toward  his  fellows,  and  we 
thank  God  for  folks  like  you  who  care  enough  to 
help  a  boy  whose  parents  could  not  help  him  finan- 
cially and  otherwise."  #  #  # 


May  1966 


51 


When  the  windsocks  are  raised,  such  as  the  one  being  raised  here, 
no  boats  are  allowed  to  leave  the  dock  and  those  on  the  lake  are 
warned   to   seek   safety. 


Take  15  Seconds  For  Safety — 

Wind  Socks  Fly  at  Lake  Cachuma 

During  the  11  years  of  operation  of  the  Lake 
Cachuma  Kecreation  Area  by  the  county  of 
Santa  Barbara,  Calif.,  five  persons  have  lost 
their  lives  in  boating  accidents  on  the  lake.  A 
major  cause  of  these  accidents  is  the  high  winds 
which  frequently  sweep  across  the  lake.  The 
winds  are  strong  in  all  coastal  valleys  and  partic- 
ularly in  Santa  Ynez  Kiver  Valley  because  of 
its  proximity  to  the  cool  ocean. 

In  an  effort  to  prevent  drownings  due  to  boats 
capsizing  in  the  heavy  winds,  the  county  has 
installed  a  storm-warning  system  which  has 
proven  very  effective.  The  system  is  briefly  pre- 
sented on  a  sign  at  the  boat-launching  ramp. 
The  sign  is  headed:  ^''Take  16  Seconds  To  Save 
Tour  Life.  Reading  The  Following  May  Do  The 
Tvich^''  and  it  is  followed  by  safety  instructions 
and  a  drawing  of  the  lake. 

Three  storm  flags  (large  yellow  wind  socks)  are 
hoisted  to  the  top  of  poles  when  the  wind  exceeds 
20  miles  per  hour.  One  of  the  flags  is  at  Tequepis 
Point,  one  is  at  the  launching  ramp,  and  one  is 
on  the  Tecolote  Tunnel  inlet  tower.  At  least  one 
of  the  flags  is  visible  from  nearly  any  position  on 
the  lake.  When  the  storm  flags  are  flying,  no 
boats  are  allowed  to  leave  the  dock  area  and  those 
boats  on  the  lake  are  warned  to  seek  shelter  in 
coves  or  proceed  to  the  dock  area  with  extreme 
caution. 

Regarding  boats  which  might  already  be  on  the 
lake  when  the  signals  are  raised,  the  flag  system 
also  helps  avoid  liability  responsibility. 

A  recent  storm  front  at  Lake  Cachuma  caused 
a  seaward  flow  of  air  in  excess  of  25  miles  per 
hour,  making  it  necessary  to  raise  the  flags  from 
9  a.m.  to  3  p.m.  Some  fishermen  had  been  able 
to  get  out  on  the  lake  prior  to  the  hoisting  of  the 
flags,  and  they  gradually  made  their  way  back. 
However,  the  gate  at  the  launching  ramp  was 
locked  against  boats  leaving. 

Upon  request  or  in  an  emergency,  a  boat  com- 
ing in  can  be  escorted  to  the  dock  by  the  park- 
patrol  vessel. 

The  county  managing  agency  of  the  Lake 
Cachuma  Recreation  Area,  Cachuma  Project,  has 
done  a  commendable  job  in  establishing  this  sys- 
tem and  seriously  attempting  to  make  this  water 
surface  safer  for  boaters.  #  #  # 


FEDERAL 

ENTRANCE 

PERMITS 


Golden  Eagle  Support  Means  Funds  for  More 
Recreation 

Approximately  7,000 
Federal  recreation 
areas  throughout  the 
country  are,  or  will  be 
posted  with  a  sign  like 
this  one,  which  means 
that  the  area  is  in  the 
Operation  Golden  Ea- 
gle program.  A  wal- 
let-sized permit  called 
"Golden  Passport"  may 
be  purchased  for  $7  en- 
titling the  purchaser  and  everyone  in  his  car  to 
enter  the  designated  areas  an  unlimited  number 
of  times  during  the  12-month  valid  period— from 
March  1966  to  March  1967. 

Wide  support  of  the  program  is  urged,  inas- 
much as  revenues  from  sale  of  the  passports  go 
into  a  fund  for  more  recreation.  "Golden  Pass- 
ports" are  on  sale  at  many  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion offices,  national  parks,  monuments,  wildlife 
refuges,  other  Federal  offices,  and  the  American 
Automobile  Association. 


VALID  HERE 


BE  A  GOLDEN  EAGLE  FAMILY 


52 


The  Reclamation  Era 


The  cutter  head  of  the  20-foot  diameter  tunnel-boring  machine  is 
Navajo    Indian    Irrigation    project,    N.    Mex.,    on   March    19,    1966. 

''''Sixty  Years  of  Tunnel  Driving'''' 
Cont.  from  page  32. 

and  the  emergency  measures  taken  to  surmount 
them,  raised  the  cost  of  the  tunneling  from  $44  a 
cubic  yard  of  excavation  to  $447  a  cubic  yard. 

Another  dramatic  tunneling  job,  operation 
"Grand  Valley  Rescue,"  involved  a  race  against 
time  to  save  some  orchardists  on  the  Grand  Valley 
Project  in  Colorado  from  an  impending  $2  million 
loss  of  their  1950  fruit  crop.  A  landslide  had 
demolished  500  feet  of  an  old  diversion  tunnel  that 
conveyed  irrigation  water  to  the  threatened 
orchards. 

In  early  March,  a  few  days  after  the  slide, 
Reclamation  negotiated  a  contract  for  a  2,240  foot 
tunnel  around  the  damaged  section.  Two  con- 
struction firms,  operating  as  a  joint  venture,  set 
to  work  with  a  72-day  deadline  for  completion. 
The  tunnelers  met  with  no  adversities,  beat  their 
deadline  by  24  days,  and  water  was  delivered  in 
I  time  to  save  the  orchards. 

Usually  tunnels  are  driven  from  as  many  faces. 


shown   here  as   it  completed   "holing-through"  Tunnel   No.   1    on  the 

or  headings,  as  access  and  economy  permit,  through 
auxiliary  shafts  or  adits  excavated  from  the  sur- 
face. But  Reclamation's  longest  tunnel  to  date — 
the  13-mile  Alva  B.  Adams  Diversion  Tunnel 
through  the  Continental  Divide  in  Colorado — was 
driven  with  no  auxiliary  adits  or  ventilation  shafts 
at  all.  The  9.75-foot  diameter  tunnel  had  to  tra- 
verse the  entire  width  of  the  Rocky  Mountain 
National  Park,  and  any  shafts  from  the  surface 
would  have  marred  the  park's  natural  beauty. 
The  job  was  completed  successfully  without  them, 
though  it  took  longer. 

In  closing  its  61st  year  as  a  tunnel-building 
organization,  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  has  over 
40  miles  on  eight  major  tunnel  jobs  in  progress  or 
under  contract  on  four  water  resources  develop- 
ment projects  in  California,  Colorado,  and  New 
Mexico.  As  the  years  pass,  and  as  Reclamation 
must  look  to  more  distant  sources  of  water  sup- 
plies to  meet  the  increasing  needs  of  the  arid  and 
semiarid  Western  States,  the  Bureau's  tunneling 
activities  can  be  expected  to  grow  in  size  and 
complexity.  #     #     # 


iMay  1966 


53 


RubinofF  and  his  violin— a  Stradivarius  insured  for  $100,000 — 
has  set  the  Lake  Powell  wonderland  behind  Glen  Canyon  Dam, 
Ariz.,  to  music.  The  Lions  Club  of  the  town  of  Page  recently 
sponsored  the  famous  violinist  to  play  at  the  high  school  audi- 
torium. In  the  concert  following  a  tour  of  the  area,  RubinofF  told 
how  impressed  he  was  at  the  beauty  of  the  area. 


Livestock  Increase  in 
the  Columbia  Basin 

The  young  lady  smiling  beside  the  spotted  cal 
is  Jannette  Pearce  of  Moses  Lake,  Wash.,  in  tb 
center  of  the  Columbia  Basin  project  irrigat«(' 
area.  A  couple  of  years  ago,  Jannette  was  crownec 
Washington  State  Dairy  Princess,  the  first  chosei 
from  the  project  area. 

Miss  Pearce  found  the  lucky  calf  on  her  grand 
parents  farm  where  180  cows  produce  about  10,00< 
pounds  of  milk  a  day.  In  the  last  few  years  th- 
Columbia  Basin  project  has  become  an  importan 
dairying  area,  and  a  good  producer  of  other  live 
stock  as  well.  Just  over  103,000  cattle  wer 
counted  on  the  project  farms  last  fall,  a  full  26,00< 
head  over  1964's  count.  This  sharp  increase  wa  ■ 
due  to  a  technical  change  in  census  procedures  a 
well  as  the  year-by-year  increase  in  cattle. 

More  than  50  percent  of  the  cattle  fattened  on  th( 
project  were  shipped  to  the  coast,  while  15  percent 
were  sold  locally.  Cattle  for  slaughter  usually  I 
average  1,060  pounds  each. 


54 


The  Reclamation  Er^ 


I.  J.  Coury  Receives 
Conservation  Award 

Secretary  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall  pre- 
sented the  Department's  Conservation  Service 
Award  on  March  15,  to  I.  J.  Coury,  Chairman  of 
the  New  Mexico  Interstate  Stream  Commission 
and  director  and  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  New 
Mexico  State  Reclamation  Association.  He  also 
represents  his  State  on  the  National  Reclamation 
Association  Board  of  Directors. 

Mr.  Coury,  who  is  from  Farmington,  is  well 
known  in  the  field  of  reclamation  for  his  liaison 
work.  He  was  successful  in  a  variety  of  water- 
use  negotiations  and  was  praised  for  "outstanding 
service  as  a  leader  in  water  resources  development 
and  conservation." 


Convenient  Order  Form  for  Reclamation  Era 

This  official  publication  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  is  designed  to  answer  your  questions  on 
water  resources  development,  give  you  new  ideas,  and  keep  you  up  to  date. 

In  its  4  issues  a  year  the  Reclamation  Era  will  bring  the  authoritative  information  that  it  has 
carried  on  its  pages  since  1905.  If  you  are  not  now  a  subscriber,  and  would  like  to  be,  this  order  form 
nay  be  clipped  for  your  convenience. 


vlAIL  ORDER  FORM  TO: 

Superintendent  of  Documents, 
Government  Printins  Office, 
Washinston,  D.C.,  20402 


FOR  USE  OF  SUPT.  DOCS. 

Enclosed  find  $ (check,  money  order,  or  Supt.  of  Documents  coupons).    Please  enter  my  subscription  to  THE  RECLA- 

vlATION  ERA,  for  1  year,  at  a  cost  of  $1 .00  ($1 .25  for  foreign  mailing). 


Name. 


Street . 


City  and  State ZIP  Code 


vIaY  1966 


55 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Spec.  No. 


Project 


DC-6300A. 

DS-6348.- 
DS-6362... 

DC-6364— 

DC-636S— 
DC-63C8... 
DC-6370... 
DC-6374.._ 
DC-6380-.. 

DC-6381.  . 
DC-6385._- 
DC-6387... 
DC-6389... 
DC-6390.- 
DC-6392... 
DC-6399... 
lOOC-820-.. 
lOOC-822... 
lOOC-830— 
200C-«28... 
300C-243... 
500C-223... 


Pacific  Nortliwest-Pa- 
cific  Soutliwe.st  Inter- 
tie,  Calif.,  Oreg. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Iowa. 

Pacific  Intertie,  Nev... 


Offlce  of  Emergency 
Planning,  N.Mex. 

Central  Valley,  Calif.. 

Fryingpan- Arkansas, 

Colo. 
Pacific  Intertie,  Nev.- 

Ariz. 
Eden,  Wyo 


San  Juan-Chama,  Colo. 


Colorado  River  Storage, 

Colo. 
Columbia  Basin,  Wash.. 

Central  Valley,  Calif.... 

Front  Work  &  Levee 
System,  Calif-Ariz. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Mont. 

Central  Valley,  Calif.... 


MUk  River,  Mont 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash.. 
Baker,  Oreg 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash.. 

Central  Valley,  Calif.... 

Front  Work  &  Levee 
System,  Ariz.-Calif. 
Canadian  River,  Texas. 


Award 
date 

Feb. 

8 

Jan. 

3 

Feb. 

14 

Jan. 

24 

Jan. 

3 

Jan. 

3 

Jan. 

17 

Jan 

21 

Feb. 

1 

Feb. 

8 

Feb. 

9 

Mar. 

14 

Mar. 

14 

Mar. 

10 

Mar. 

17 

Mar. 

23 

Jan. 

7 

Jan. 

21 

Feb. 

8 

Jan. 

25 

Jan. 

7 

Mar. 

11 

Description  of  work  or  material 


Construction  of  the  94-mile  Malin-Round  Mountain  500-kv 
transmission  line  No.  2. 

Three  10,000-kva  trailer-mounted  mobile  autotransformers  for 

Region  6,  Schedule  lA. 
Fifty-three  230-kv  disconnecting  switches  for  Mead  substation. 

Schedule  2. 

Reconstruction  of  Ponil  diversion  dam,  Antelope  Valley  Irri- 
gation District. 

Construction  of  fish  diverter,  settling  basin,  and  check  and  fish 

barrier  for  Tehama-Colusa  canal. 
Relocation  and  improvements  for  9.84  miles  of  county  road  104, 

Section  2,  Ruedi  reservoir. 
Construction  of  the  238-mile  Mead-Liberty  345-kv  transmission 

line. 
Modification  of  Means  canal  and  West  lateral  and  sublaterals-. 

Construction  of  the  5-mile  Oso  tunnel,  two  diversion  dams,  and 
appurtenant  structures  with  8-foot  7-inch  diameter  circular 
section  for  tunnel  and  monolithic-concrete  pipe  siphons. 
Schedules  2  and  5. 

Construction  of  the  86.7-mile  Poncha-Midway  section  of  Cure- 
canti-Midway  230-kv  transmission  line. 

Construction  of  the  second  barrel  of  Weber  Coulee  siphon  for 
East  Low  canal. 

Modification  of  Coming  canal  and  installation  of  controls 

Construction  of  two  timber  bridges 

Construction  of  Yellowtail  dam  visitor  center,  parking  areas, 

and  retaining  wall. 
Construction  of  Contra  Loma  Dam 

Construction  of  Paradise  Diversion  Dam 

Construction  of  4.9  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains,  0.6  mile  open 

ditch  drain,  and  pumping  plant.  Blocks  13,  16,  and  20. 
Clearing  Mason  reservoir  area 

Construction  of  7.1  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  for  DW81  drain 

system.  Block  87. 
Rehabilitation  of  11  timber  bridges  along  the  Friant-Kern  canal. 

Construction  ofroads  and  bank  protection  structures 

Construction  of  163  picnic  shelters  and  170  fireplaces  for  recrea- 
tion areas  for  Lake  Meredith. 


Contractor's  name  and  address 


Power  City  Construction  and 
Equipment,  Inc.  and  Meva 
Corp.  Spokane,  Wash. 

General  Electric  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 

H.  K.  Porter  Co.,  Inc.,  Elec- 
trical Division-Chicago 
Works,  Chicago,  111. 

Severino  E.  Martinez  Con- 
struction Co.,  Espanola, 
N.Mex. 

Purtzer  and  Dutton,  Reno, 
Nev. 

Schmidt  Construction,  Inc., 
Arvada,  Colo. 

Power  Line  Erectors,  Inc., 
NcA'  York,  N.Y. 

Brasel  and  Sims  Construction 
Co.  Lander,  Wyo. 

Boyles  Brothers  Drilling  Co., 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 


Dominion  Construction  Co., 

Scottsbluflf,  Nebr. 
Paul  E.  Hughes  Construction 

Co.,  Inc.,  Pasco,  Wash. 
Myers  Construction  Co., 

Redding,  Calif. 
Clifford  C.  Bong  &  Co., 

Arcadia,  Calif. 
Brezina  Construction  Co., 

Inc.,  Minot,  N.  Dak. 
Parish  Brothers,  Inc.,  Benicia, 

Calif. 
A.  H.  Sandall  and  Don 

Francis,  Spokane,  Wash. 
B  &  B  Contracting  Corp., 

Anacortes,  Wash. 
MacQregor  Triangle  Co., 

Boise,  Idaho. 
A.  G.  Proctor  Co.,  Inc., 

Aurora,  Colo. 
Kaweah  Construction  Co., 

Visalia,  Calif. 
Dennis  Construction  Co., 

Inc.,  Yuma,  Ariz. 
High  Plains  Building  Co., 

Amarillo,  Tex. 


Contract 
amount 


$9, 160, 466 

243, 525 
231,  734 

314,867 

1, 446, 513 

1,  070,  (MC 

13,  602, 662 

461, 981 

6, 340, 987 

4,  563, 700 
248, 746 
215,400 
447, 490 
527, 976 

1,  781, 628 
298,191 
142, 231 
103,840 
121,999 
135, 987 
569.233 
134, 611 


Major  Construction  and  Materials  for  Which   Bids   Will   Be 

Requested  Through  May  1966* 


Project 


Bostwick  Park,  Colo 


Bureau  of  Indian 
Affairs  (Blackfeet 
Indian  Irrigation 
project),  Montana. 


Canadian  River,  Texas. 
Central  Utah,  Utah 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  Silver  Jack  Dam,  an  earthfill  struc- 
ture about  140  ft  high,  1,100  ft  long,  containing 
about  1,100,000  cu  yd  of  materials,  and  appurten- 
ant features.  The  spillway  will  be  an  ungated 
concrete  structure  with  a  stilling  basin  in  the 
right  abutment.  On  Cimarron  Creek,  about  35 
miles  east  of  Montrose. 

Constructing  Two  Medicine  siphon,  a  96-in.- 
diameter  siphon  about  375  ft  long  with  either  pre- 
cast concrete  pipe  or  monolithic  concrete  barrel 
for  heads  up  to  75  ft.  Work  will  also  include  con- 
structing concrete  transitions  at  each  end  of  the 
siphon  and  about  100  ft  of  20-ft  bottom  width 
canal  connecting  each  end  of  the  siphon  to  the  ex- 
isting canal.    Near  Browning. 

Constructing  water  and  sewer  systems  for  Fritch 
Fortress  Recreation  Area.    Near  Fritch. 

Constructing  Starvation  Dam,  an  earthflll  structure 
about  155  ft  high,  3,000  ft  long,  containing  about 
4,500,000  cu  yd  of  materials.  The  spillway  will 
consist  of  a  "bathtub"  type  intake  structure,  a 
chute,  and  a  stilling  basin  in  the  right  abutment. 


See  footnote  at  end  of  table. 


Project 


Central  Utah,  Utah 
(cont.) 


Central  Valley,  Calif.. 


Do. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


The  outlet  works  will  consist  of  an  intake  struo- 
tiu-e,  a  7-ft-6-in.  diameter  pressure  tunnel  u; 
stream,  a  gate  chamljer  and  shaft  with  elevator 
a  modified  horseshoe  free-flow  tunnel  and  stilling 
basin  all  in  the  left  abutment.  Work  will  also 
include  constructing  1.2  miles  of  service  road.  On 
the  Strawberry  River,  about  4  miles  northwest  of 
Duchesne. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  about  12  miles  of 
unreinforced  concrete-lined  Tehama-Colusa  Ca- 
nal, Reach  3,  about  5  miles  of  which  will  have  a 
52-ft  bottom  width  and  about  9  miles  will  have  ;> 
bottom  width  of  24  ft.    Near  Orland. 

Constructing  about  22  miles  of  12-  through  72-iii 
diameter  pipeline,  including  a  water  screen  anu 
recirculating  structure  and  other  appurtenant  ] 
control   facilities.    Westlands    Laterals  6,   near 
Fresno. 

Constructing  eight  buildings  of  exposed  structural 
steel,  split-faced  concrete  block,  precast  concrete 
panels  and  glass.    The  approximate  size  of  the  < 
buildings  will  be:  administration  building— 6,900 


COVER  PHOTO.      A.  G.  D'Alessandro  caught  this  shot  of  a  thirsty  young    deer  which    had   familiarized   itself   with   the  visitors'   drinking  ' 
fountain   at   the   Shasta   Dam   Visitor's   Center,    Calif.      He   (or  she)   is    from  a  herd  that  grazed  on  the  lawn  early  this  year,  to  the  delight 
of   many   visitors. 


56 


The  Reclamation  Era 


U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE  :  1966      O — 205-385 


Major    Construction    and   Materials   for    Which   Bids    Will   Be 
Requested  Through  May  1966* — Continued 


Project 


("entral  Valley,  Calif, 
(oont.) 


Colo.  River  Storage, 
Arizona. 


Do- 


Do. 


Colorado  River  Storage, 
Colorado. 


Colorado  River  Storage, 
New  Mexico. 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash, 


Do 

Do 

Do 

Do 

Crooked  River,  Oreg... 

Fryingpan- Arkansas , 
Colo. 
Do 

MRBP,  Colorado 

MRBP,  Kansas 


Do. 


Do. 


MRBP,  North  Dakota. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


sq  ft,  general  maintenance  headquarters— 6,000 
sq  ft,  general  maintenance  warehouse — 8,000  sq 
ft,  vehicle  storage  building— 3,350  sq  ft,  mobile 
equipment  storage  building — 5,270  sq  ft,  heavy 
equipment  storage  building — 2,360  sq  ft,  electrical 
shop  and  warehouse — 6,710  sq  ft,  water  treatment 
building— 1,560  sq  ft.  San  Luis  Dam  head- 
quarters buildings,  about  12  miles  south  of  Los 
Banos. 

Constructing  a  reinforced  concrete,  air-conditioned 
visitor  building,  having  an  area  of  3,450 sq  ft,  with 
observation  and  concession  areas  and  an  elevator 
tower.  A  structural  steel  covered  walkway  will 
connect  the  existing  right  abutment  walkway 
with  the  top  of  the  elevator  tower.  The  plaza 
area  will  contain  concrete  walks,  benches,  and 
reflecting  pool  with  fountain.  Glen  Canyon 
near  Page. 

Furnishing  material  and  placing  0.5-in.  bonded 
terrazzo  finish  on  floors  and  stairs  in  powerplant; 
furnishing  and  applying  polyurethane  resin 
coating  to  walls  in  elevator  tower  and  some 
powerplant  walls.    Glen   Canyon   Powerplant. 

Designing,  furnishing,  installing,  and  testing  a 
floodlighting  system  for  illuminating  the  down- 
stream face  of  Glen  Canyon  Dam. 

Constructing  Crystal  Dam,  an  earthfiU  and  rockfill 
structure  about  220  ft  high,  750  ft  long,  containing 
about  1,900,000  cu  yd  of  materials,  with  a  26-ft- 
diameter  radial  gate  controlled  spillway  in  the 
right  abutment,  steel  pipelined  pressure  tunnel; 
powerplant  consisting  of  a  reinforced  concrete 
substructure  and  intermediate  structure  and  a 
steel-framed  superstructure;  a  switchyard;  com- 
munications and  telemetering  systems.  On  the 
Gunnison  River,  21  miles  east  of  Montrose. 

Constructing  a  cofferdam,  unwatering,  cleaning, 
modifying  and  extending  the  outlet  works 
stilling  basin  as  required.  Work  will  also  include 
constructing  a  cofferdam,  unwatering,  examining 
and  possibly  rehabilitating  the  spillway  stilling 
basin.  Navajo  Dam,  about  39  miles  east  of 
Farmington. 

Constructing  about  28  miles  of  laterals  and  waste- 
ways  of  which  about  12  miles  will  be  lined  with 
concrete  with  6-  and  5-ft  bottom  widths  and  about 
11  miles  with  compacted  earth  with  bottom 
widths  varying  from  10  to  3  ft.  Blocks  36  and 
55,    near    Othello. 

Constructing  about  33.5  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains. 
Block  46,  east  of  Othello. 

Constructing  about  16.3  miles  of  buried  pipe 
drains  and  0.9  mfle  of  open  drain.  Block  78, 
south  of  George. 

Constructing  about  16  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains. 
Block  15,  north  of  Pasco. 

Constructing  about  12  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains 
and  deepening  existing  drain  for  about  1  mile. 
Block  20,  west  of  Mesa. 

Constructing  six  small  pumping  plants  and  22 
miles  of  4-  to  2-ft  bottom  width  laterals.  Near 
Prineville. 

Clearing  about  775  acres  of  Ruedi  Reservoir  area. 
About  13  miles  east  of  Basalt. 

Constructing  roadbed  and  structures  for  about 
16  miles  of  relocated  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
Western  Railroad.  Adjacent  to  and  west  of 
Pueblo. 

One  110/69/12.47-kv,  20,000/26,667/33,333-kva  auto- 
transformer  for  Sterling  Substation,  Stage  06. 

Constructing  a  500-ft-long  bridge  with  four-span 
continuous-welded  steel  girders  and  concrete 
deck  slab  on  concrete  piers  and  abutments. 
Work  will  also  include  some  chaimel  excavation 
and  embankment  for  bridge  approaches. 
Mitchell  County  Road  C-705,  near  Cawker  City. 

Constructing  about  2.6  miles  of  canals  and  laterals 
with  bottom  widths  of  4  and  3  ft;  and  constructing 
two  pumping  plants,  one  \vith  three  units  of 
3.34-cfs  capacity  each  and  one  unit  of  6.68-cfs 
capacity,  and  the  other  plant  with  three  units  of 
3.34-cfs  capacity  each.  Courtland,  Pumps  3A 
and  3B,  near  Scandia. 

Constructing  the  earthfiU  Cawker  City  Dike  about 
50  ft  high,  15,000  ft  long,  containing  about  1,870,000 
cu  yd  of  material  and  a  small  outlet  works  and 
pumping  plant.    Near  Cawker  City. 

Stage  07  additions  to  Jamestown  Substation  will 
consist   of   constructing    concrete    foundations; 


Project 


MRBP,  North  Dakota 
(cont.) 


MRBP,  South 
Dakota. 


Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Arizona. 


Pacific  Intertie, 

Nevada. 


Do. 


Do. 


Pacific  Intertie,  Ari- 
zona-Nevada. 


Pacific  Intertie, 
Nevada. 
Do 

Do 

Do 

Parker-Davis,  Arizona 

Seedskadee,  Wyo 

Do 


Washoe,  Calif.-Nev. 


Weber  Basin,  Utah. 


Do. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


furnishing  and  erecting  steel  structures;  and 
furnishing  and  installing  one  230/115/13.2-kv 
autotransformer,  three  230-kv  and  two  115-kv 
circuit  breakers,  and  associated  electrical  equip- 
ment.   About  2  miles  southeast  of  Jamestown. 

Three  single-phase,  220/115/13.2-kv,  20,000/26,667/ 
33,333-kva  autotransformers  for  Jamestown  Sub- 
station, Stage  07. 

Constructing  Stages  05  and  06  additions  to  Huron 
Substation  will  consist  of  constructing  concrete 
foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting  steel  struc- 
tures; and  furnishing  and  installing  two  115-ky 
circuit  breakers,  and  associated  electrical  equip- 
ment.   About  8  miles  northwest  of  Huron. 

Constructing  the  Liberty  Substation  will  consist 
of  constructing  concrete  foundations  and  a  con- 
crete masonry  unit  service  building;  furnishing 
and  erecting  steel  structures;  installing  one  345/ 
230-kv,  3-phase,  450/600-mva  autotransformer, 
six  230-kv  and  four  23-kv  breakers,  12  miles  of 
double  circuit  transmission  line.  Near  Liberty, 
to  a  point  near  Estrella. 

Two  230-kv,  1,600-amp,  20,000-mva  power  circuit 
breakers  for  Liberty  Substation. 

Four  23-kv,  1,200-amp,  500-mva  power  circuit 
breakers;  and  twelve  25-kv,  8,000-kva,  single- 
phase.  Type  AA  shunt  reactors  for  Mead  Sub- 
station. 

Detailing,  fabricating,  and  testing  steel  towers  for 
the  Oregon  Border-Mead  750-kv,  d-c  Transmis- 
sion Line.  The  work  will  include  preparing  and 
furnishing  shop  detail  and  erection  drawings; 
fabricating  and  erecting  test  towers;  furnishing 
all  equipment  for  and  performing  all  required 
tower  tests;  and  preparing  and  furnishing  copies 
of  comprehensive  test  reports. 

Designing,  detailing,  fabricating,  and  testing  a 
guyed  aluminum  tower  for  the  Oregon-Border- 
Mead  750-kv,  d-c  Transmission  Line.  The  work 
will  include  preparing  and  furnishing  shop  detail 
and  erection  drawings;  fabricating  and  erecting  a 
test  tower;  furnishing  all  equipment  for  and  per- 
forming all  required  tower  tests;  and  preparing 
and  furnishing  copies  of  a  comprehensive  test 
report. 

Constructing  the  Mead  Substation  will  consist  of 
clearing  right-of-way,  constructing  concrete  foot- 
ings; and  furnishing  and  erecting  steel  structures 
for  the  taplines  to  the  substation;  constructing  a 
service  building.    Near  Boulder  City,  Nevada. 

One  345-kv,  15,000-mva  power  circuit  breaker  for 
Mead  Substation. 

Modifying  six  287.5-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for 
Mead  Substation. 

One  135-mva  transformer  for  Mead  Substation. 

One  voltage  and  phase  shifting  230-kv,  135-mva 
regulating  transformer  for  Mead  Substation. 

One  115-kv,  20-mvar  shunt  capacitor  and  equip- 
ment for  Coolidge  ED-4  Substation. 

Replacing  about  100,000  cu  yd  of  embankment  ma- 
terials for  repair  of  existing  Fontenelle  Dam. 
About  24  miles  southeast  of  La  Barge. 

Constructing  a  cofferdam,  unwatering  and  cleaning 
the  outlet  works  stilling  basin,  excavating  slide 
material  from  the  channel,  replacing  backfill, 
and  repairing  eroded  concrete  surfaces.  Work 
will  also  include  erecting  safety  fencing.  Fonte- 
nelle Dam,  about  24  miles  southeast  of  La  Barge. 

Constructing  Stampede  Dam,  an  earth  and  rock 
fill  dam  about  230  ft  high  and  containing  about 
5,000,000  cu  yd  of  materials,  and  appurtenant 
features  consisting  of  a  spillway  and  an  outlet 
works.  On  the  Little  Truckee  River,  about  11 
miles  northeast  of  Truckee. 

Completing  Lost  Creek  Dam,  a  portion  of  which 
has  been  constructed  under  another  contract. 
The  principal  item  of  work  will  be  placing  about 
1,225,000  cu  yd  of  materials  in  the  embankment. 
Other  work  will  include  completing  roadwork, 
constructing  concrete  outlet  works  shaft  house, 
and  cleanup  and  installation  of  metalwork  and 
miscellaneous  items  of  cleanup.  On  Lost  Creek, 
about  30  miles  east  of  Ogden. 

Enlarging  :Woods  Cross  Equalizing  Reservoir  1.8 
will  consist  of  removing  one  bank  and  extending 
the  length  of  the  reservoir  from  180-  to  595-ft  base 
length  and  160  ft  wide,  concrete  lining,  and 
appurtenant  faciUties.    Near  Salt  Lake  City. 


♦Subject  to  change. 


i 


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THE  U.S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  INTERIOR'S 
CONSERVATION  YEARBOOK  NO.  2 

the  POPULATION  CHALLEN6E 


Presents  in  vivid  color  the  dramatic  story  of  the  demands  oxxr  expand- 
ing population  is  placing  on  our  natural  resources  .  .  .  contrasts  « 
America  the  beautiful  with  America  the  wasteland  .  .  .  illustrates  ^ 
the  necessity  to  preserve  and  stretch  our  resources  if  the  future  is  to  ■ 
see  our  way  of  life  continue.  Must  reading  for  those  who  care  about  i 
America's  tomorrow. 


83  PAGES.  ILLUSTRATED 
38  PHOTOS  IN  FULL  COLOR 


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RECLAMATION 


I 


PS^»m 


AUGUST   1966 'Vol.  52,  No.  3 


RECLAMATION 


Gordon  J.  Forsyth,  Editor 


CONTENTS 

TWO  TOP  AWARDS 

FOR  DOMINY 57 

POLLUTION  CONTROL 

WELCOMED 58 

60  YEARS  OF  PRODUC- 
ING POWER 62 

by  Floyd  E.  Dominy 

THE  "FARM  OF 
TOMORROW" 
WORKS 67 

by  Lionel  Harris 

CONSERVATION  OF 

WATER  CHART 70 

STILL  IMPROVING 

SWEET  CORN 72 

NUCLEAR  PROBE 

SAVES 73 

WHITTLING  AWAY 

WORK  INJURIES—     75 

BOOKSHELF 77 

BETTER  THAN 

BUCKETS 79 

CELEBRATION  BY 

WATER  USERS 80 

United  States  Department  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.   Udall,   Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Floyd  E.  Dominy 
Commissioner 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation, 
United  States  Department  of  the  Interior, 
Washington,  D.C.,  20240.  Use  of  funds  for 
printing  this  publication  approved  by  the  Di- 
rector of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31, 
1966. 

For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents, 
U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington, 
D.C.,  20402.  Price  30  cents  (single  copy).  Sub- 
scription price:  $1.00  per  year  (25  cents  additional 
for  foreign  mailing). 


Commissioner's  Page 


Water,  People  and  Conservation 

We  in  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  readily  share  the 
viewpoint  that  the  preservation  of  much  scenic  land  and 
water  in  their  natural  state  is  desirable.  However,  con- 
servation for  useful  purposes  also  is  essential  to  economic 
growth,  national  strength  and  security.  The  problem  is 
to  determine  when  conservation  and.  use  of  a  vital  water 
resource  becomes  more  important  than  merely  having  it 
on  standby. 

It  is  a  matter  of  being  a  true  conservationist.  We 
cannot  afford  to  be  only  dedicated  preservationists, 
refusing  practical  facts  and  figures  about  human  needs 
and  ways  of  meeting  those  needs. 

When  we  look  at  the  growth  and  the  continued  migration 
of  people  to  the  larger  cities,  our  present-day  problems 
appear  small  in  comparison  to  what  we  will  face  in  just 
a  few  years. 

The  population  of  the  United  States  approximately 
doubled  from  1900  to  1960.  During  this  period  the 
water  used  for  all  purposes  increased  about  six  times. 
With  the  population  expected  to  again  double  in  only 
35  years  and  the  rate  of  water  use  to  continue  high  or  even 
increase,  it  is  plain  that  development  of  some  areas  will  t 
be  severely  restricted  unless  measures  are  taken  now. 

It  is  obvious  that  we  must  not  delay  Reclamation's 
practical  water  projects  which  are  clearly  necessary  and 
clearly  feasible  under  policies  enunciated  by  the  Congress. 
No  possible  means  of  increasing  our  useable  water 
supplies  should  be  overlooked.  Desalinization  and  pollu- 
tion correction  also  will  play  key  roles. 

These  things  we  must  do  within  a  framework  of  pre- 
serving and  enhancing  a  beautiful  America  for  the  enjoy- 
ment and  well-being  of  future  generations. 


Floyd  E.  Dominy 
Reclamation  Commissioner 


.  Two  Top  Awards 
for 

Commissioner 
Dominy 


Photon  hy  Jim  Aycock 


He  probably  does  not  have  Spanish  ancestry — 
not  Nebraska-born  Floyd  E.  Dominy.  But  the 
amenity  and  hearty  responsiveness  between  him 
and  the  personable  people  of  Spain  make  it  look 
like  he  is  one-of-the- family.  It  seemed  so  at  the 
Spanish  Embassy  last  June  2. 

Because  he  is  like  the  Spanish — convinced  that 
water  developments  are  vital  to  a  growing  nation, 
Reclamation  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy  is 
in  the  same  corral  with  water  officials  in  the  Gov- 
ernment of  Spain. 

Ever  since  his  welcoming  in  Madrid  and  suc- 
cessful study-tour  of  Spain's  important  dams  and 
water  developments  in  1964,  even  the  language  bar- 
rier seems  minimized. 

When  he  left  at  the  end  of  his  one-week  stay, 
the  Spaniards  said:  "Maiiana."  Not  Goodbye. 
One  day  soon,  they  would  meet  for  a  fiesta. 

This  was  what  led  to  the  honoring  event  in  June ; 
one  of  the  capstones  in  Mr.  Dominy's  life.  At  a 
reception  at  the  Embassy,  he  was  decorated  with 
the  highest  civil  order  in  Spain,  the  C omendadas 
de  la  Order  de  Isabella  Catolica.  The  Great  Cross 
was  pinned  on  him  by  the  Ambassador,  the  Mar- 
quis de  Merry  del  Val,  while  Jose  Toran,  President 
of  the  Spanish  Commission  for  Great  Dams  and 
his  traveling  companion  in  Spain,  looked  on. 

August  1966 


This  was  the  second  high  honor  in  a  3-week 
period  for  Commissioner  Dominy.  On  May  13, 
he  was  announced  as  one  of  the  Top  Ten  Public 
Works  Men-of -the- Year.  The  award  is  sponsored 
by  Kiwanis  International  and  the  American  Pub- 
lic Works  Association. 

Commissioner  Dominy  was  the  only  Federal 
employee  of  the  10  who  received  the  award. 


57 


THE  FEDERAL  Water  Pollution  Control  Ad- 
ministration has  a  new  home  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Interior. 

The  pollution  control  agency  was  born  10  years 
ago  in  the  Department  of  Health,  Education,  and 
Welfare  where  it  had  grown  to  1,500  employees. 
It  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  the  In- 
terior as  a  result  of  President  Lyndon  B.  John- 
son's reorganization  plan  announced  in  February 
and  was  welcomed  by  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.  Udall  at  a  press  conference  on  May  10. 

Appearing  at  the  Interior  Building  himself  on 
May  20,  President  Johnson  commended  Secretary 

This  stream  typifies  the  l<ind  of  clean,  fresh  water  the  new  Interior 
antipollution  agency  is  striving  for  all  over  the  Nation.  It  is 
Plateau  Creek,  cJownstream  from  Vega  Dam  in  Colorado.  Photo 
by   Stan    Rasmussen. 


58 


Reclamation  To  Help,  Says  Sec.  Udall 


Pollution  Control 

Agency 
Welcomed  to  Interior 


Udall  and  challenged  the  Department  with  vigor- 
ous water  related  responsibilities.  Pertinent 
parts  of  the  President's  speech  follow : 

"I  am  proud  to  be  here  today  with  a  Department 
whose  mission  I  applaud  and  whose  Secretary  I  so 
greatly  admire  .  .  . 

"The  work  is  now  your  work  more  than  ever.  The 
transfer  of  Water  Polluition  Control  to  this  Department 
gives  you  new  responsibility  and  opportunity.  I  hope 
you  are  excited  by  that  prospect.  Your  President  is. 
Your  Congress  is.  I  know  your  Secretary  is — ^and  that 
he  will  give  every  ounce  of  his  great  energy  and  imag- 
ination to  this  new  challenge. 

"But  it  is  you  who  must  meet  it  and  surmount  it.  It 
is  your  energy,  your  imagination,  your  minute-by-min- 
ute enthusiasm  that  will  decide  whether  we  master 
change,  or  are  mastered  by  it. 

"The  tides  of  change  are  running  deep  and  swift 
today.  There  are  questions  which  you  must  help  to 
answer.     Must  our  progress  engulf  us?     Shall  we  choke 

The  Reclamation  Era 


i 


on  our  own  success?  Does  our  society  have  to  tolerate 
filthy  rivers,  poisoned  air,  strangled  cities,  tangled 
roads?  Too  few  parks?  Too  few  beaches?  Too  little 
wildlife?     Too  much  ugliness?    Too  little  beauty? 

"There  is  only  one  answer.  No — we  must  not. 
No — we  will  not. 

"That  ansfwer  has  already  been  aflBrmed  .  .  ." 

Secretary  Udall  Concerned 

Secretary  Udall  has  had  an  active  concern  for 
the  Nation's  water  values  and  problems^ — both  as 
a  Congressman  and  Cabinet  officer.  He  was  ap- 
pointed Chairman  of  the  President's  Water  Re- 
sources Council  in  1965.  Since  that  time,  he 
headed  a  task  force  to  find  solutions  to  the  Eastern 
drought  situation,  and  has  been  working  closely 
with  Governors  and  Mayors  in  the  East. 

Secretary  Udall  said  that  Reclamation's  anti- 
pollution work  and  that  of  other  Interior  agencies 
will  be  fully  coordinated  with  existing  and  future 
pollution  control  programs  under  the  FWPCA. 

"The  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  with  its  multiple 
purpose  water  resources  development  program 
covering  the  Western  half  of  the  United  States, 
has  a  tremendous  opportunity  to  help  out  in  this 
effort,"  said  the  Secretary. 

Under  Secretary  Udall's  administration,  the 
basic  attack  on  the  water  pollution  cr'isis  in  this 
country  will  be  to  prevent  pollution  before  it  starts 
and  to  clean  it  up  where  it  already  exists,  he  said. 
The  program  of  the  new  agency  will  relate  closely 
not  only  to  Interior's  continuing  efforts  of  water 
conservation  and  wise  use  throughout  the  Nation, 
but  also  to  the  total  conservation  of  all  natural 
resources. 

To  Urban  Areas 

"In  updating  conservation,  we  have  had  a  new 
philosophy  of  not  just  protection",  said  Secretary 
Udall,  "but  to  taking  conservation  into  urban 
areas.  We  have  kept  on  with  reclamation,  build- 
ing dams,  and  power  facilities.  But  it  is  raising 
the  quality  of  the  environment  for  all  people  that 
now  has  become  one  of  the  main  issues  of  the 
country." 

In  launching  the  agency.  Secretary  Udall — 

•  Invited  the  Governors  of  Maryland,  Virginia, 
West  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  to  discuss 
plans  for  an  interstate  agency  to  map  pollu- 
tion control  steps  for  the  Potomac  River. 

•  Planned  a  similar  meeting  with  Governors 
of  this  Delaware  River  Basin  States  on  that 
river's  water  quality. 


•  Sent  to  Governoi-s  of  all  50  States  general 
guidelines  for  use  in  drawing  up  water  qual- 
ity standards  by  June  30, 1967. 

The  Water  Pollution  Control  Act,  passed  in 
1956,  was  established  to  combat  water  pollution 
through  grants  to  communities  to  help  build  waste 
treatment  works,  enforcement  actions,  long-range 
planning  for  river  basin  pollution  control,  and 
r-esearch. 

In  1965  the  Federal  Water  Quality  Act  was 
passed  enlarging  and  strengthening  the  former 
act.  At  signing  ceremonies  President  Johnson 
said: 

"This  moment  marks  a  very  proud  beginning  for  the 
United  States  of  America.  Today,  we  proclaim  our  re- 
fusal to  be  strangled  by  the  wastes  of  civilization.  To- 
day, we  begin  to  be  masters  of  our  environment." 

FWPCA  Operations 

Now  in  Interior,  the  FWPCA  will  operate  lab- 
oratories, regional  program  offices,  headquarters 
of  river  basin  studies,  and  projects  located 
throughout  many  States.  More  than  1,500  engi- 
neers, chemists,  biologists,  mathematicians  and 
workers  in  many  other  scientific  fields  will  carry 
on  the  work  of  the  Administration. 

The  Commissioner  of  the  agency  is  James  M. 
Quigley — a  former  Congressman  from  Pennsyl- 
vania who  also  had  been  Assistant  Secretary  of 
Health,  Education,  and  Welfare  for  5  years. 

One  key  section  of  the  new  Water  Quality  Act 
provides,  as  previously  noted,  for  the  establishment 
of  Federal  standards  of  water  quality,  which  are 
to  be  set  up  in  consultation  with  State  and  local 
agencies  and  groups.  It  authorizes  an  $80  million 
program  to  develop  ways  of  correcting  the  pollu- 
tional  effects  of  old-fashioned  combined  storm  and 
sanitary  sewers.  A  third  provision  increases  the 
Federal  Government's  financial  assistance  to  com- 
munities which  need  to  build  sewage  treatment 
facilities. 

The  New  Federal  Program 

The  expanded  Federal  water  pollution  control 
program  includes  six  main  activities. 

Aid  to  Communities. — United  States  cities  are 
spending  an  average  of  $700  million  annually  on 
new,  enlarged,  or  modernized  treatment  plants. 
To  help,  the  Federal  Government  can  pay  up  to 
$1,200,000  for  a  single  project,  and  $4,800,000  for 
a  multi-municipal  project.  It  can  pay  even  more 
if  the  State  contributed  an  equal  share. 


August  1966 


59 


Secretary  Udall,   right,   and   FWPCA   Administrator  Quigley  discuss  the    awarding    of    the    first    contract    for    pollution    correction    under 
Interior. 


It  is  also  authorized  to  spend  $20  million  a  year 
during  fiscal  years  1966  through  1969  to  help 
public  and  private  groups  find  better  ways  of 
combatting  pollution  from  storm  water  that  over- 
flows, carrying  with  it  the  wastes  from  streets 
and  sanitary  sewers. 

Enforcement. — Because  water  respects  no  politi- 
cal boundaries,  interstate  law  enforcement  is  neces- 
sary. A  poor  neighbor  upstream  can  pollute  and 
contaminate  a  river  miles  below.  If  pollution  from 
one  State  endangers  the  health  or  welfare  of  people 
in  another  State,  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  can, 
on  his  own,  take  Federal  enforcement  action. 

Any  Governor  can  request  Federal  enforcement 
assistance  to  deal  with  pollution  problems  which 
are  completely  within  his  State.  Federal  enforce- 
ment actions  have  now  involved  more  than  7,500 
miles  of  rivers,  1,200  municipalities,  and  a  like 
number  of  industries. 


Research. — To  find  out  what  pollutants  are 
dangerous  and  how  they  can  be  kept  out  or  re- 
moved from  our  waterways,  much  more  research 
is  needed.  Federal  scientists  are  studying  ways  of 
renovating  waste  water,  of  transforming  it  into 
pure  clean  water  again.  Twelve  new  laboratories 
are  being  built  or  planned  to  meet  regional  and 
national  water  quality  problems. 

Conducting  River  Basin  Programs. — Water 
uses  and  water  pollution  problems  vary  in  the 
different  river  basins.  This  is  one  factor  that 
makes  river  basin  water  pollution  control  pro- 
grams and  comprehensive  studies  necessary. 

Federal  projects  in  10  major  river  basins  are 
now  seeking  to  preserve  water  quality  there,  not 
only  for  the  present  but  for  years  to  come.  In  the 
years  ahead,  these  long-range  river  basin  programs 
will  be  developed  in  all  of  this  country's  major 
basins. 


60 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Other  Major  Activities 

EstahlisMng  Water  Quality  Standards. — Such 
standards  make  it  possible  for  municipalities,  in- 
dustries, and  other  water  users  to  know  in  advance 
what  their  responsibilities  are  for  keeping  clean 
waters  clean,  and  for  restoring  polluted  waters  to 
a  reasonable  degree  of  purity.  Standards  are  set 
by  the  Federal  Government  only  after  affected 
States  have  failed  to  establish  them,  and  after 
they  and  all  other  affected  interests  have  had  full 
opportunity  to  be  heard.  When  municipal,  in- 
dustrial, or  other  wastes  reduce  the  quality  of 
water  below  the  adopted  standards,  the  Secretary 
of  the  Interior  can  take  remedial  action. 

Technical  Assistance. — Each  year,  hundreds  of 
communities,  industries.  State  and  interstate  agen- 
cies call  upon  Federal  scientists  to  provide  them 
with  technical  assistance  to  prevent  or  abate  pol- 


lution. To  meet  these  demands,  the  scientists 
engage  in  a  wide  variety  of  activities,  ranging 
from  solving  the  complicated  problems  required 
for  cleaning  up  tidewater  estuaries  to  determining 
the  cause  of  widespread  fish  kills  or  monitoring  a 
stream  after  an  accidental  industrial  spill. 

In  addition  to  these  six  major  activities,  the 
Federal  water  pollution  control  program  includes 
the  collection  of  basic  data,  the  awarding  of  dem- 
onstration grants,  and  the  advanced  training  of 
scientists  either  through  university  fellowships 
or  through  classroom  instruction  in  Federal  lab- 
oratories. 

These  activities  make  up  the  Federal  program. 
For  truly  effective  pollution  control,  citizens,  com- 
munities, and  States  must  not  only  take  advan- 
tage of  the  Federal  aids  available  but  must  take 
action  on  their  own — in  the  fields  of  public  works 
construction,  enforcement,  planning,  and  research. 

#  #  # 


"The  clear,  fresh  waters  that  were  our  national  heritage  have  become    (Jumping   grounds  for  garbage   and   filth,"   said  President  Johnson 
on  Oct.  2,  1965.     The  scene  typifies  what  the  FWPCA  is  working  to  correct. 


August  1966 


61 


A  Look  at  History 
and  a  Look  Ahead 


ON  MARCH  28, 1906  Al  THE  SITE  OF     <*-^ 

THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  DAM, A 

900 -KILOWATT  GENERATOR  PRODUCED      '  -^ 

RECLAMATION'S  FIRST  HYDROELECTRIC  POWER 

THIS  POWER  HELPED  BUILD  THE  DAM, 
WHICH  NOW  HAS  A  20,000  KILOWATT 
GENERATING  PLANT.  THE  SALT  RIVER 

PROJECT AMERICA'S  FIRST  MULTI 

PURPOSE  RECLAMATION  DEVELOPMENT 
•••■ESTABLISHED  THE  PRINCIPLE  THAT 

POWER  IS  THE  PAYING  PARTNER  OF  WATER 

U.S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  INTERIOR. 
BUREAU   OF   RECLAMATION 


60  YEARS  OF  PRODUCING  POWER 


by  RECLAMATION  COMMISSIONER 
FLOYD   E.  DOMINY 


NINETEEN-SIXTY  six  is  a  real  milestone 
year  in  the  generation  of  electric  power.  In 
fact  in  only  an  S-month  period  this  Federal  Recla- 
mation agency  marks  four  major  anniversaries  of 
early  kilowatt  production,  and  for  good  measure, 
adds  on  a  couple  of  new  research  milestones 
besides. 

These  are  the  anniversaries  that  have  led  to 
meaningful  growth  and  wealth  productivity  to 
our  Nation : 

60th  Anniversary  of  Power  Generation — March 
28  (1906) 

30th   Anniversary   of   Hoover   Dam    Power — 
October  26  (1936) 

25th  Anniversary  of  Grand  Coulee  Power — 
March  22  (1941) 

10th  Anniversary  of  authorization  of  the  Colo- 
rado River  Storage  Project — April  11  (1956) 

62 


The  two  significant  plusses  in  power  research 
are  the  proposal  for  a  $30  million  research  fund  on 
underground  transmission,  and  the  invention  by  a 
Bureau  engineer  of  "Schleif's  black  box."  More 
will  be  told  about  these  further  on. 

Meanwhile,  back  to  the  historic  first  genera- 
tion of  power.  Actually  it  was  a  modest  event 
in  1906  which  the  Nation  paid  little  attention  to 
at  the  time  and  did  not  get  headlines  anywhere 
outside  of  Arizona.  However,  to  meet  an  emer- 
gency need  for  power,  a  900-kilowatt  hydroelectric 
unit  was  put  into  operation  on  the  Roosevelt 
Power  Canal  in  a  rocky,  isolated  canyon  79  miles 
east  of  Phoenix.  This  first  small  hydro  unit  was 
installed  by  the  Bureau  to  help  construct  what  was 
destined  to  be,  and  still  is,  the  world's  largest 
masonry  dam. 

Provision  Corrected 

There  was  no  provision  in  the  basic  Reclamation 


The  Reclamation  Era 


1 


ThU  h  l,«„.vel,  Dan,  in  Ja„„.,y  |.<,k,ng  like  I,  „o„ud  ,.  .p<„<rte   „,  ,<,p  c.p„.|„  ,.  „teb™.e  IH  ond   R„l.„,a.l.„-,  ,|,  decades  of 


August  1966 


63 


These  junior-sized  people  are  learning  that  the  junior-sized  electric  generator  is  like  the  giant  generators  that  improve  their  living 
conditions  as  it  has  their  parents,  grandparents,  and  millions  of  others  for  about  the  last  60  years.  The  children  are  fifth  graders 
from   Lasley  School,  Lakewood,  Colo.,  and  the  model  is  at  the  Denver  power  laboratories.      Photo  by  Friend  Slote. 


Act  of  1902  for  the  utilization  of  the  energy  po- 
tential of  stored  waters.  This  deficiency  was  cor- 
rected in  amendatory  legislation  of  1906  to  au- 
thorize the  fledgling  Reclamation  Service  to 
develop  feasible  hydroelectric  energy  on  its 
projects. 

As  a  result,  the  permanent  plant  at  Roosevelt 
Dam  today  has  a  generating  capacity  of  almost 
20,000  kilowatts,  and  the  huge  Salt  River  Project 
area  is  flourishing. 

Honors  for  the  first  commercial  production  of 
Reclamation  power,  however,  did  not  go  to  the 
first  plant  of  the  still-expanding  Salt  River  sys- 
tem. The  Upper  Spanish  Fork  Powerplant  about 
3  miles  from  Spanish  Fork,  Utah,  on  the  Straw- 
berry Powercanal  took  credit  for  this  in  1908,  and 
the  unit  is  still  operating  today.  First  commercial 
power  from  the  Theodore  Roosevelt  Powerplant 
was  generated  that  fall,  for  sale  to  the  Phoenix 
(xas  &  Electric  Company. 

Although  the  900-kilowatt  powerplant  in  a 
riverside  cave  was  vital  to  operate  a  cement  mill, 
to  hoist  the  giant  blocks  of  stone  to  be  quarried  by 
the  Apache  Indians,  and  to  operate  the  tramway 
and  other  construction  equipment,  this  is  not  its 
greatest  claim  to  fame. 

Its  primary  importance  lay  in  its  use  of  the 
energy  of  the  river  and  as  the  first  utilization  of 
hydroelectric  power  in  a  federally  built  multi- 
purpose water  resource  development  program  for 


the  West.  And  that  fast-growing  section  of  the 
Nation  ultimately  would  come  to  rely  heavily  upon 
the  whirring  turbines  as  "cash  registers"  to  help 
repay  the  capital  costs  of  the  internationally- 
known  water  development  programs. 

Today,  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  operates  47 
powerplants  with  a  total  capacity  of  6,470,800 
kilowatts.  These  plants  produce  more  than  34 
billion  kilowatt-hours  of  electricity  annually,  for 
transmission  over  a  system  of  nearly  14,000  cir- 
cuit miles  of  transmission  line.  Gross  power  rev- 
enues recently  exceeded  $100  million  annually. 

But  more  significantly,  some  two-thirds  of  the 
revenues  required  to  return  to  the  Treasury  the 
reimbursable  capital  costs  of  the  $7i/2  billion  in- 
vestment in  Reclamation  facilities  will  come  from 
hydroelectric  power  revenues.  This  explains  why 
hydroelectric  power  is  described  as  Reclamation's 
"paying  partner." 

Hoover  Dam  Power,   1936 

Commercial  power  generation  in  the  Hoover 
Powerplant  was  begun  in  1936  when  the  first  gen- 
erating unit  was  placed  in  operation  to  serve  the 
Los  Angeles  metropolitan  area.  The  last  of  19 
generating  units  was  installed  in  1961,  giving  the 
plant  a  total  generating  capacity  of  1,344,800 
kilowatts,  and  making  it  one  of  the  world's  largest 
powerplants. 


64 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Annual  energy  deliveries  during  the  past  15 
years  have  averaged  4  billion  kilowatt-hours. 
During  its  first  year  of  operation,  it  was  estimated 
that  Hoover  energy  resulted  in  a  saving  of 
$1,320,000  to  the  consumers  in  the  Los  Angeles 
metropolitan  area.  This  one  plant  saves  the 
country  annually  about  6  million  barrels  of  oil 
that  otherwise  would  have  to  be  used  for  the  gen- 
eration of  electrical  energy.  Tremendous  other 
contributions  in  flood  control,  municipal  and  in- 
dustrial water  supply  for  8  million  residents  of 
the  Pacific  Southwest,  defense  production,  recrea- 
tion, and  other  benefits  have  accrued  from  this 
structure,  a  renowned  man-made  wonder  of  the 
world. 

Grand  Coulee  Dam,   1941 

Also  still  regarded  as  one  of  the  man-made 
wonders  of  the  world,  Grand  Coulee  Dam  has 
produced  250  billion  kilowatt-hours  of  electric 
energy  during  the  past  quarter  century,  making  it 
the  world's  largest  total  power  producer.  Com- 
pletion of  the  powerplant  was  timely;  America 
was  on  the  threshold  of  World  War  II,  during 
which  Grand  Coulee  contributed  to  the  war  effort 
more  than  15  billion  kilowatt-hours — the  equiva- 
lent of  a  million  men  working  an  eight -hour  day 
for  78  years. 


PRESIDENT   SIGNS   THIRD    POWERPLANT   BILL 

President  Johnson  h  signing  the  law  authoriz- 
ing construction  of  a  third  jwicerplant  for 
Grand  Coulee  Darn  on  June  IJf  «•  of  major  sig- 
nificance to  this  review  of  the  fi'istory  of  Bureau 
poiner.  It  hapyened  after  the  printer  iv^a^  at 
work  on  this  issue  of  the  Reclamation  Era. 

Sipeaking  of  the  several  years  of  productivity 
of  the  dam,  and  the  Columbia  Basin  project,  the 
President  said:  ''''New  industries  have  been  cre- 
ated. Neui  toions  have  been  establi-sJied.  Thou- 
sands of  homes  and  farms  have  been  modernized 
with  modern  electricity.  Tens  of  thousands  of 
neio  jobs  have  been  created. 

'"'•All  this  came  as  a  surprise  to  some  people 
who  originally  opposed  the  concept  of  Grand 
Coulee  Dam.  There  is  a  famous  quotation  from 
one  of  those  early  skeptics.  ^Up  in  the  Grand 
Coulee  country,^  he  said.,  ''there  Is  no  one  to  sell 
potoer  to  except  coyotes  and  jackrabblts.,  and 
there  never  iv'dl  be.'' 

'''Today^  the  two  powerplants  of  the  Grand 
Coulee  are  straining  to  full  capacity.  This  third 
powerplant  (is)   .  .  .  desperately  needed.'''    Ed 


This  small  hydroelectric  generator  in  a  cave  at  Roosevelt  Dam 
60   years  ago  was  the   Bureau   of  Reclamation's  first  powerplant. 

This  giant  plant  also  pumps  water  from  the 
Columbia  River  into  a  water  distribution  system 
that  lias  converted  a  half  million  acres  of  sage- 
brush desert  into  fertile  farmland. 

The  Columbia  Basin  project,  of  which  the  dam 
is  the  keystone,  has  produced  crops  with  a  gross 
value  of  $407  million  since  1948.  It  also  has 
created  tremendous  recreation  values.  Earlier  this 
year.  Congress  was  considering  authorizing  a 
third  powerhouse  for  Grand  Coulee  Dam  which 
would  once  again  make  that  facility  one  of  the 

Commissioner  Dominy  unveils  the  bronze  plaque  marking  the  60th 
anniversary  of  power  generation.  Victor  I.  Corbell,  president  of 
the  Salt  River  project,  Arizona,  is  assisting.  The  celebration  was 
held  April  7,  1966,  at  Phoenix.  A  closeup  of  the  plaque  is  at 
the  head  of  this  article. 


August  1966 


65 


Ferber  R.  Schleif,  right,  is  receiving  a  cash  award  and  hearty  commendation  from  his  boss,  Chief  Engineer  B.  P.  Bellport,  for  the  "little 
black  box"  invention,  partly  in  view  just  under  the  inventor's  arm.  His  invention  has  proven  itself  just  in  time  for  Reclamation's  big 
power  year. 


largest  hydropower  installations  in  the  world  by 
adding  3,600,000  kilowatts  of  capacity  to  its 
existing  1,974,000  kilowatts. 

Authorization  of  CRSP,   1956 

Last  February,  the  900,000-kilowatt  powerplant 
at  Glen  Canyon  Dam,  largest  of  the  hydropower 
installations  in  the  5-State  Colorado  River  Stor- 
age project,  was  placed  in  commercial  operation. 
Even  though  this  great  multiple-purpose  water 
resource  development  only  reached  its  10th  birth- 
day this  year,  it  has  already  contributed  major 
infusions  in  the  economic  life  of  the  area.  Some 
$500  million  has  been  invested  in  dams,  reservoirs, 
powerplants,  transmission  lines,  and  other  facili- 
ties. First  commercial  power  was  produced  at 
Flaming  Gorge  in  1963  and  total  project  power 


revenues  have   recently   topped  the  $10  million 
mark. 

Construction  is  proceeding  on  the  Bureau's  first 
major  underground  powerplant  at  Morrow  Point 
Dam  on  the  Curecanti  Unit  in  Colorado,  on  ex- 
tensive recreational  facilities,  and  on  12  "partici- 
pating" irrigation  developments.  The  water 
and  power  to  be  produced  from  the  diverse  devel- 
opments of  this  billion  dollar  CRSP  project  insure 
continued  population  and  economic  growth  in  a 
region  larger  than  New  England. 

Schleif  s  Black  Box 

In  appreciation  for  his  invention  having  far- 
reaching  benefits  in  the  transmission  of  electric 
power,  Reclamation  engineer  Ferber  R.  Schleif  at 
Continued  on  page  69. 


66 


The  Reclamation  Era 


"THE  FARM  OF  TOMORROW"  WORKS 


by  LIONEL   HARRIS,  Superintendent, 
Scotts   Bluff  Experiment  Station 


Farmers  had  not  been  able  to  make  a  living  on 
the  78-acre  tract  of  land.  It  was  rough,  steep 
and  badly  eroded.  Rut  like  thousands  of  acres  in 
western  Nebraska,  it  is  fertile. 

Taking  over  the  tract  in  1956,  was  a  new  owner 
who  believed  that  even  this  fann — because  of  re- 
claimed Platte  River  water — could  be  made  to 
produce.  By  the  next  year  a  young  4-H  Club 
member,  Alex  Hoff,  Jr.,  of  Mitchell  won  a  contest 
and  a  cash  prize  for  naming  the  spread  "The 
Farm  of  Tomorrow."' 

The  next  few  years  would  prove  whether  or  not 
the  farm  would  be  suitable  not  only  to  produce, 
but  to  demonstrate  wise  methods  for  irrigating 
slopes. 

The  farm  is  located  in  the  Tub  Springs  Basin 
area    of   the   335,000-acre   North    Platte    project 


which  had  first  received  Reclamation  irrigation 
water  in  1908. 

Many  parts  of  the  huge  project  are  reasonably 
level  and  not  seriously  affected  by  erosion.  But 
about  40  percent  of  the  steeper  Tub  Springs  area 
was  not  prepared  for  permanent  agricultural  irri- 
gation and  needs  to  be  benched. 

Each  year  approximately  19,000  acre-feet  of 
water  from  reservoir  and  canal  seepage,  and  from 
overirrigation  of  the  land  had  been  draining 
back  to  the  North  Platte  River. 

Hardly  noticeable  at  a  first  look,  "The  Farm  of 
Tomorrow"  was  chronically  eroded  and  the  top 
soil  had  gradually  worn  thin. 

The  alfalfa  and  bromegrass  crops  in  the  foreground  are  worth  the 
"Farm  of  Tomorrow's"  experimental  efForts.  Corn  and  alfalfa 
are  growing   on  the  level   bench  terraces  in  the  background. 


August  1966 


67 


This  kind  of  gully  erosion  on  the  "Farm  of  Tomorrow"  has  been 
corrected  and  crops  are  growing  instead. 

Corrective  Program 

On  a  corrective  irrigation  program,  the  new 
owners,  the  Scotts  Bluff  Soil  and  Water  Conserva- 
tion District  spent  about  $19,000.  With  the  help 
of  Bob  Boecking  of  the  Soil  Conservation  Service, 
they  constructed  level  bench  terraces  on  the  east 
and  west  sections,  leveled  the  center  steep  rolling 
land,  installed  4,700  feet  of  12-inch  irrigation  pipe 
lines;  lined  1,500  feet  of  main  irrigation  laterals 
with  concrete,  and  built  1,700  feet  of  grass  water- 
ways. When  the  rolling  center  section  w^as  ready, 
the  district  and  the  SCS  also  seeded  it  to  alfalfa 
and  bromegrass. 

University  Operated 

The  demonstration  farm  has  been  operated  on  a 
rent  basis  by  the  Scotts  Bluff  Experiment  Station 

The  first  growth  of  alfalfa  seeded  on  the  previous  year's  cornfield 
is  coming  up.  Irrigation  water  is  supplied  by  the  Pathfinder 
Irrigation  District  on  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  North  Platte 
project. 


of  the  University  of  Nebraska,  which  conducts 
farm-size  research  projects.  Herb  Ullrich  is  the 
capable  farm  manager. 

Before  plants  would  grow  on  ''The  Farm  of 
Tomorrow"  the  top  soil  had  to  be  loosened  up. 
The  stepped  benches,  particularly  on  the  fill  side, 
had  become  tightly  compacted. 

By  working  the  compacted  areas  with  a  chisel- 
hig  machine,  the  soil  was  cut  in  24-inch  rows,  36 
inches  deep,  allowing  free  penetration  by  plant 
roots  and  water.  After  applying  zinc  sulfate  at 
85  pounds  per  acre,  plant  growth  was  rapid. 

Most  of  the  farm  was  then  operated  under  a 
5-year  crop  rotation  plan. 

1st  year — Corn  +  Alfalfa 

2d  year — Alfalfa 

3d  year — Alfalfa 


This   machine  chisels   36   inches  deep  to  break   up  the  compacted 
soil  on  bench  terraces. 


4th  year — Field  Beans 

5th  year — Sugarbeets 

Alfalfa  and  bromegrass  sown  in  corn  each  year 
on  one  part  of  the  farm  or  another  has  been  an 
important  and  ahvays  successful  practice.  The 
corn  is  seeded  to  obtain  a  population  of  20,000 
plants  per  acre  in  rows  spaced  42  inches  apart. 
When  the  corn  is  12  to  16  inches  tall,  in  about  tlie 
last  week  in  June,  a  mixture  of  bromegrass  and 


68 


The  Reclamation  Eiu 


alfalfa  is  broadcast  in  the  corn.  Alfalfa  and 
grass  seed  germinates  and  grows  rapidly  after 
the  first  irrigation  and  during  the  warm  July 
weather.  Corn  plants  provide  a  protective  en- 
^  vironment  for  the  young  seedlings  during  early 
'  growth.  Later  on  the  corn  overshadows  the  al- 
falfa and  grass,  but  not  before  they  are  established 
perennials. 

Manure  for  Crops 

Farm  manure — 12  tons  per  acre — is  applied  to 
the  bean  and  sugarbeet  crops  annually.  Phos- 
phorus and  nitrogen  are  applied  annually  on  the 
basis  of  soil  test  information  and  plant  growth 
and  production  records. 

During  the  5-year  period  from  1961  to  1965,  the 
average  annual  yield  of  sugarbeets  increased  to 
19.4  tons  per  acre  from  18.2  tons  over  the  first 
period  starting  in  1956.     It  was  a  47  percent  gain. 

The  yield  of  corn  increased  20  percent  to  90 


bushels  from  70 ;  and  the  yield  of  beans,  50  percent 
to  33  from  22  bushels  per  acre. 

Alfalfa  remained  a  steady  4  tons  per  acre  dur- 
ing the  10-year  period.  The  yield  of  alfalfa  on 
bench  terraces  has  been  higher  than  on  the  un- 
benched  center  section  of  the  farm.  In  1964  and 
1965  alfalfa  yielded  3.2  tons  per  acre  on  the  hill, 
and  4.9  tons  on  the  bench  terraces. 

In  contrast  to  the  previous  revenues,  the  sale  of 
harvested  crops  also  has  been  an  encouraging  plus. 
The  annual  income  during  the  first  5-year  period 
was  $6,440  gross.  During  the  second  period  it 
increased  15  percent  to  $7,410. 

With  its  improving  record,  "The  Farm  of  To- 
morrow" has  turned  out  to  be  a  successful  dem- 
onstrator of  slope  irrigation  and  permanent 
agriculture.  Though  the  university  feels  that  its 
increases  will  continue,  it  already  has  shown  the 
way  for  other  potential  "farms  of  tomorrow"  to 
make  gains  in  production.  #  #  # 


"60  Years  of  Producing   Power" 

( Continued  frorti  page  66 ) 

the  Chief  Engineer's  Office  at  Denver,  Colorado, 
was  awarded  a  Special  Act  award  of  $3,000  last 
May.  The  invention  establishes  harmony  and 
usability  not  otherwise  possible  when  interconnect- 
ing steam  and  hydrogeneration  systems. 

Mr.  Schleif's  principal  discovery  has  become 
known  as  "Schlief's  black  box."  Shaped  like  a 
10-inch  cube,  the  box  is  hooked  up  to  the  electrical 
control  system  of  a  powerplant  near  the  governor 
of  a  turbine. 

When  construction  of  the  Colorado  River  Stor- 
age project's  generating  and  transmission  system 
opened  up  the  attractive  prospect  of  interconnect- 
ing the  northwestern  and  southwestern  power 
pools  through  the  CRSP  facilities,  Schleif  began 
an  intensive  research  program  to  solve  the  problem 
of  incompatible  oscillation  frequencies  and  enable 
CRSP  power  to  be  marketed  either  way,  north  or 
south,  over  a  fully  integrated  power  system. 

The  fringe  control  development  enabled  Recla- 
mation to  increase  power  revenues  by  $455,800 
in  1965. 

Schleif,  a  Reclamation  Bureau  employee  for 
30  years,  has  been  Chief  of  the  Electric  Power 
Branch  since  1962. 

August  1966 

219-177  O — m 2 


Underground  Power  Report 

Meanwhile,  back  in  Washington,  D.C.,  on  May  3, 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall  trans- 
mitted a  report  to  President  Johnson  recommend- 
ing a  $30  million,  5-year  research  and  develop- 
ment program  to  advance  the  technology  of 
placing  high-voltage  electric  power  transmission 
lines  underground. 

"Our  objective,"  Secretary  Udall  said,  "is  to 
provide  creative  leadership  in  a  closely  coordinated 
and  cooperative  effort  with  all  segments  of  the 
power  industry,  so  that  important  new  beautifica- 
tion  steps  can  be  taken  around  our  cities  and  in 
the  countryside  and  the  burden  of  enormous  extra 
costs  to  both  the  power  industry  or  consumers  can 
be  reduced." 

The  research  program  grew  out  of  President 
Johnson's  instructions  to  Cabinet  members  to  re- 
view recommendations  of  the  1965  White  House 
Conference  on  Natural  Beauty  for  possible  Fed- 
eral implementation. 

With  the  successful  results  of  power  as  the 
"paying  partner,"  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
continues  to  look  forward  to  applying  its  technical 
know-how  to  solving  water  supply  problems  under 
our  increasing  population  pressures,  and  looks 
ahead  to  whatever  new  challenges  and  anniversary 
mileposts  may  be  encountered  in  the  third  portion 
of  an  eventful  century.  #  #  # 

69 


Iw.W, Snow  survey  >  vie/.-  -  j?-  -,u."-     ■■ 


Transmountc 


>5 


Conservation  and  Full  Utilization 

AVAILABLE  SEPARATELY    A  slightly  larger  size  of  this  drawing  in  2  colors  may  be  obtained  in  quantity  at  no  charge  from  the 

U.S.  Deportment  of  the  Interior,  Washington,  D.C.  20240 


This  Corn  Is  Sweet 
Not  Surplus 


They  re  Still 
Improving 
Delicious 
Sweet  Corn 


Art  Walz  and  D.  F.  Franklin  in  a  field  of  hybrid  sweet  corn  seed  on 
the  Wesley  Schober  farm.  Two  rows  of  pollen  parents  are  planted 
to  six  rows  of  seed  parents.     (Union  Pacific  Railroad  photo.) 


72 


One  truly  American  food  is  sweet  corn— the 
niontli-watering  kind  that  they  eat  right  off  the 
cob. 

Even  though  this  delicious  vegetable  (not  pro- 
duced in  surplus  like  field  corn  for  livestock)  has 
enticed  most  of  us,  it  probably  seems  that  growers 
are  trying  to  make  it  taste  sweeter  and  juicier 
every  season.  Well,  they  are  succeeding.  So 
what  can  the  captive  corn-lover  do? 

He  starts  salivating  up  again  at  the  thought  of 
even  more  lip-smackin'  servings  in  the  future. 
(May  I  have  a  napkin,  please?) 

And  a  lot  more  people  will  undoubtedly  get 
hooked  too. 

Like  many  other  food  crops,  improvements  in 
sweet  coi'u  are  made  by  the  growers  who  mass 
produce  seed.  And  it  is  just  possible  the  corn 
ears  one  knows  to  be  delicious  got  their  start  in 
the  irrigated  Caldwell,  Idaho,  area,  or  the  ad- 
joining area  in  Oregon. 

For  50  years  sweet  corn  seed  production  has 
been  a  growing  enterprise  in  those  lower  areas  of 
the  Snake  River  Valley.  It  is  reported  that  now 
over  90  percent  of  the  Nation's  requirement  is 
produced  in  that  section. 

( Continued  on  page  74 ) 

The  Reclamation  Eka 


NUCLEAR  PROBE 


Saves  Time  and  Money 


The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  is  saving  both  time 
and  money  with  an  underground  nuclear  probe  to 
survey  moisture-spread  in  unstable  soils  where 
canals  need  to  be  built. 

According  to  Chief  Research  Scientist  Graydon 
Burnett,  the  new  method  saved  $108,000  on  an  un- 
derground survey  of  just  one  16-mile  length  of 
canal  right-of-way.  Comparable  savings  have 
been  achieved  through  use  of  the  instrument  in 
construction  surveys  for  San  Luis  Unit  canals  in 
California.  The  probe  will  continue  to  prove  val- 
uable as  Reclamation's  network  of  irrigation  and 
municipal  and  industrial  water  canals  continues  to 
take  shape  in  the  West. 

In  some  semiarid  areas,  certain  types  of  soil  are 
subject  to  definite  subsidence,  or  settling,  when 
saturated  with  water  and  have  heavy  construc- 
tion built  on  the  surface.  In  severe  cases,  this  can 
be  as  much  as  a  13-foot  drop.  If  a  canal  were 
built  across  such  areas — without  first  stabilizing 
the  soil — it  would  be  liable  to  severe  damage. 

Soils  which  have  been  deposited  in  loose  layers 
over  the  centuries — and  had  a  minimum  amount 
of  moisture — are  frequently  unstable  and  unsolid. 

Reclamation  engineers  stabilize  such  soils  by 
"ponding."  A  continuous  stretch  of  shallow  pond 
along  the  canal  right-of-way  is  kept  filled  with 
water.     As  the  soil  becomes  saturated,  it  settles. 

But  it  is  a  preconstruction  necessity  to  also  know 
a  number  of  details  about  the  moisture  and  soil  set- 
tlement alongside  the  canal's  path. 

Previously,  it  would  have  been  necessary  to  sur- 
vey this  area  by  drilling  50-foot-deep  holes  at 
intervals  and  checking  a  soil  sample  every  few  feet 
for  moisture  content.  Periodically,  over  the 
months,  new  sets  of  holes  would  have  had  to  be 
drilled  to  examine  new  samples — to  know  when 
the  canal-side  underground  soil  was  stable.  This 
is  an  expensive  and  time-consuming  process. 

August  1966 


Looking  much  like  a  parking  meter  is  the  Bureau's  much-used 
nuclear  moisture  probe.  Resting  atop  the  pipe  is  the  heavy  pro- 
tective case  made  of  lead.  The  supporting  pipe  is  for  lining  test 
holes  in  the  ground.  B.  A.  Callov\^  is  a  technician  from  a 
Reclamation  unit  at  Denver,  Colo.,  vsrho  is  demonstrating  the 
instrument,  typically,  near  a  body  of  water. 


73 


Nuclear  Method 

With  the  nuclear  moisture  probe  method,  only 
one  hole  need  be  drilled  at  each  chosen  site  and 
used  again  and  again.  Moisture-content  readings 
at  periodic  time-intervals  at  various  soil  depths 
can  be  taken  in  a  matter  of  minutes. 

The  radioactive  source  in  the  li/^-inch  by  15- 
inch  probe  is  a  small  amount  of  radium-beryllium. 
When  not  underground,  the  "hot"  end  rests  in  a 
safety  shield  of  lead  and  paraffin. 

However,  when  the  sensitive  end  is  lowered  for 
work  under  the  surface,  here  is  what  takes  place. 
The  radium-beryllium  continuously  emits  millions 
of  fast  neutrons  per  minute — which  travel  about 
15  thousand  miles  a  second.  The  detector  at  the 
opposite  end  of  the  probe  counts  only  slow  neu- 


trons— traveling  i  mile  per  second. 

Water  in  soil  contains  hydrogen — but  the  soil 
itself  does  not.  When  a  fast  neutron  collides  with 
a  hydrogen  atom,  it  loses  energy  and  after  a  few 
collisions  becomes  a  slow  neutron  and  is  reflected 
back  to  the  detector  aboveground  and  counted  by 
a  technician  reading  a  "scaler." 

The  more  water,  the  more  slow  neutrons.  The 
more  slow  neutrons,  the  higher  the  moisture  con- 
tent of  the  soil.  When  the  slow-neutron  count 
does  not  increase  between  periodic  time-checks,' 
the  soil  is  known  to  be  saturated  and  stable  and 
ponding  is  stopped. 

This  knowedge  is  taken  into  account  before  con- 
struction begins  on  that  particular  ground  surface. 

#  #  # 


I 


They're  Still  Improving  Delicious  Sweet  Corn 

( Continued  from  page  72 ) 

Practically  all  sweet  corn  seed  is  of  hybrid  va- 
rieties. The  first  commercially  important  hybrid 
was  named  "Golden  Cross  Bantam"  and  was  in- 
troduced by  the  late  Professor  Glenn  M.  Smith 
of  Purdue  University.  This  hybrid  is  still  a  fa- 
vorite by  the  users  of  sweet  corn  seed  for  the 
ultimate  in  yield,  uniformity,  and  quality. 

Requires  Irrigation 

The  five  seed  companies  who  operate  in  the  area 
furnish  the  contract  farmers  with  foundation 
seed.  This  seed,  grown  under  contract,  requires 
about  7,000  acres  of  irrigated  land.  In  the  vicin- 
ity of  Caldwell  are  four  large  sweet  corn  nurseries 
which  handle  the  greatest  selection  of  sweet  corn 
seed  ever  assembled  in  one  place. 

Many  of  the  strains  are  derived  from  some  ob- 
scure parent  which  showed  a  particularly  good 
trait.  The  seed  parents  are  planted  at  the  rate  of 
four  seed  rows  to  one  pollen  row.  Local  youths  do 
most  of  the  detasseling  of  the  plants  which  supple- 
ments their  summer  income. 

Harvesting  is  done  mechanically  and  the  high- 
moisture  seed  is  rushed  into  forced-air  dryers 
operated  by  technical  men  of  the  seed  companies. 
New  studies  in  seed  vitality  have  shown  that  seed 
produces  the  highest  vitality  at  8  percent  moisture. 


Like  the  Midwest  J 

The  processing  consists  of  sizing,  sorting,  and 
treating  in  much  the  same  manner  as  major  corn 
crops  of  the  Midwest. 

A  crop  failure,  as  such,  has  never  been  experi- 
enced in  a  half  century  of  operation,  and  present- 
day  knowledge  and  methods  continue  to  minimize 
the  production  risk.  Many  new  exciting  develop- 
ments are  on  the  horizon  for  better  sweet  corn  for 
the  future.  Kernels  with  higher  sweetness  and 
greater  retention  of  that  sweetness  is  one  of  the 
major  breakthroughs. 

Sweet  corn  appears  on  most  menus  in  the  United 
States.  It  could  have  been  growing  any  place,  but 
in  all  likelihood  the  seed  was  produced  in  western 
Idaho  or  eastern  Oregon  where  the  climate  and 
soil  are  favorable  and  irrigation  water  is  in  good 
supply. 

This  favored  American  crop  has  not  reached 
any  sizable  proportion  for  export,  but  the  uses  of 
sweet  corn  have  approached  year-round  availabil- 
ity and  have  found  favor  as  a  frozen  product  for. 
multi-season  consumption  in  both  kernel  and:'  ] 
whole  ear  markets. 

#  #  # 

(Adapted  from  an  article  by  E.  Boyd  Baxter  in  "Tracks 
Ahead,"  Nov.-Dec,  1965,  Union  Pacific  Railroad.  Mr. 
Baxter  is  Agricultural  agent  for  UP  in  Boise,  Idaho.) 


74 


The  Reclamation  Eka 


A  Plan  for  Accomplishment  and  .  .  . 


WHITTLING  AWAY 


MISSION  SAFETY-!  0  A  plan  to 
cut  the  accident  rate  'by  SO  percent 
among  Qovernment  employees  by 
1970. 


WORK  INJURIES 


A  few  hundred  members  of  a  working  force 
can — when  they  find  out  how — whittle  down  work 
injuries  to  rock  bottom.  With  production  and  all- 
out  efficiency  in  mind,  an  accident  frequency  rate 
(number  of  disabling  injuries  per  million  man- 
hours  worked) ,  has  been  trimmed  to  zero  in  7  years 
and  then  kept  at  zero  for  2  additional  years. 

That  is  the  kind  of  progress  that  everyone  looks 
forward  to,  and  it  is  whittling  in  the  prescribed 
place — among  part  of  the  Federal  employee  force. 

President  Johnson's  challenge  is  for  the  Federal 
force  to  reduce  work  injuries  30  percent  by  1970. 
This  is  the  Mission  SAFETY-70  program. 

Needless  to  say,  the  Parker-Davis  project — the 
group  that  made  the  7-year  record  above — is  more 
than  well  on  its  way.  During  the  2  additional 
years  after  the  7 — from  March  1964  to  March 
1966 — this  organization  in  the  Arizona,  Nevada 
and  California  area  worked  1,400,000  man-hours 
without  a  disabling  injury. 

The  elements  of  need  and  design  in  a  safety  pro- 
gram are  basic,  according  to  Hubert  S.  Jerrell, 
safety  officer  for  the  project.  "But  the  real  chal- 
lenge for  a  safety  eifort,"  says  Jerrell,  "is  the 
implementation:  breathing  life  into  a  pro- 
gram .  .  .  taking  raw  printed  material  and  con- 
verting it  to  a  way  of  life  for  employees  ...  to 
rlieir  physical  and  mental  well-being." 

Must  Appeal 

The  basic  aspects  of  motivating  employees  must 
appeal  to  personal  emotions : 


1.  /Social  Favor.  Approval  for  working  safely. 

2.  Conformity.  Accidents  can  call  unwanted 
attention  to  you. 

3.  Achievement.  A  winner  gets  favorable  pub- 
licity. 

4.  Security.  Being  safe  results  in  continued 
maximum  earning  power. 

5.  Belonging.  The  safety  program  belongs  to 
the  employees.     It  is  their  program. 

6.  /Self-expression.  Employees  like  to  express 
themselves  and  display  their  abilities,  some 
in  "toolbox"  meetings,  some  in  various  other 
ways. 

7.  Interest.  One's  off -the- job  interests  can  be 
associated  with  accident-free  operations. 

8.  Prestige.  Successes  are  recognized  with  safe- 
ty awards  and  commendations. 

Although  the  safety  officer  works  behind  the 
scenes,  he  tackles  the  program  in  the  areas  where 
it  is  measurable,  such  as  man-hours,  dollar  costs, 
injury  figures  and  accident  frequency  rates. 

Time  Period  on   Chart 

During  the  period  of  time  shown  on  the  chart 
(on  next  page),  the  eight  actions  which  were  most 
significant  to  the  safety  program  are  marked  with 
numbered  arrows. 

Arrow  1— March  1.  1957. — An  Administrative 
Safety  Committee  was  formed.  Not  yet  being 
familiar  with  the  operation  of  a  dynamic  program, 
progress  was  slow  for  a  few  years.    In  fact,  they 


August  1966 


75 


2      2     2  wS 


600 


500 


>400 
O 


300 


00  200 


100 


ACCIDENT 

FREQUENCY 

RATE 


I> 


^ 


18.79 


1951    '52      '53      '54      '55       '56      '57       '58       '59       '60       '61      '62      '63      '64       '65 
Action  Meetings  Marked  With  Arrows  Caused  the  Injury  Line  To  Fall. 


24 


16  •" 


met  three  or  four  times  a  year  at  times  when  mem- 
bers were  "not  too  tied  up."-  Copies  of  the  minutes 
were  sent  to  each  member  only. 

Arrow  2 — October  11^  1960. — At  this  time,  the 
chairmanship  only  was  changed  from  the  safety 
officer  to  the  division  heads  on  a  rotating  basis, 
but  the  safety  officer  still  prepared  an  agenda  for 
meetings.  How^ever,  the  chart  line  shows  the 
stepped  up  safety  efforts  were  beginning  to  pay 
off. 

Arrow  3 — Jiine  1 96 l.-r-TooX-hox  safety  meet- 
ings were  initiated  by  each  field  and  shop  crew. 

Arrow  If,. — Documentation  of  all  tool-box  safety 
meetings  was  initiated.  Minutes  were  to  be  routed 
to  the  branch  chiefs  and  division  chiefs  for  infor- 
mation and  reply  or  action,  then  to  the  safety 
officer. 

Arrow  5. — The  safety  officer  was  reassigned 
from  the  personnel  brancli  to  the  project  man- 
ager's staff. 

Arroto  6. — A  permanent  chairman  was  estab- 
lished in  the  Administrative  Safety  Committee. 
Changes  in  Committee  policy  resulted  in  a  copy 
of  the  more  interesting  and  detailed  minutes  of 
each  meeting  being  distributed  to  each  project 
employee. 

Arrow  7. — All  41  of  the  first-line  supervisors 
were  brought  in  from  the  project's  3- State  area 
for  16  hours  of  intensified  training  in  "Safety  and 
Supervision."    Now  that  the  chart  line  was  low, 


there  was  a  great  deal  of  importance  in  keeping  it 
low. 

Arroui  8 — October  28, 1965. — All  employees  who 
supervised  the  action  of  others  declared  in  writing 
and  in  their  own  words,  to  the  Kegional  Director, 
their  intent  to  furtlier  the  safety  effort.  The  pro- 
gram had  caught  on.  The  safety  motivating  forces 
had  triggered  the  milestone  dates  on  the  chart,  and 
resulted  in  an  encouraging  accident-free  record. 

Concentration  of  Effort 

The  shaded  area  on  this  chart  delineates  the 
l)roject  record.  The  sharp  reduction  to  a  zero 
frequency  rate  was  due  to  the  stepped-up  concen- 
tration of  effort.  The  project's  average  annual 
frequency  rate  prior  to  1957  was  18.7.  Had  there 
been  no  emphasis  added  to  accident  preyention 
and  the  frequency  rate  had  remained  the  same,  the 
project  would  have  experienced  104  disabling  in- 
juries between  February  1957  and  March  1966, 
rather  than  the  actual  52  such  injuries — exactly 
half  of  the  project  total. 

Now,  how  about  cost?  This  could  be  another 
"motivator"  in  a  safety  program.  Fifty-two  in- 
juries multiplied  by  a  direct  cost  estimate  of  $671 
per  unit  results  in  a  direct  saving  of  $35,000./* 
AVhen  assuming  an  average  indirect  saving  of  3 
times  the  direct  saving,  the  reduction  to  52  injuries 
is  equal  to  a  combined  savings  of  $140,000.     This 


76 


The  Reclamation  Era 


figure  does  not  represent  a  profit — safety  is  not  a 
business  of  profit.  But  it  does  indicate  a  very 
effective  method  of  reducing  the  cost  of  doing 
business. 

The  most  important  "cost"  however,  has  not 
been  charted.  It  has  to  do  with  human  suffering, 
anguish,  hunger,  etc.,  which  often  result  from  acci- 
dental death  or  severe  injury.     Human  emotions 


are  not  well  shown  in  numerical  values  but  they 
are  meaningful. 

Neither  as  individuals  or  as  a  Nation,  can  we 
allow  ourselves  the  needless  loss  of  life  and  dollars 
of  ineffective  safety  programs. 

#  #  # 
(Adapted  from  a  speech  by  Mr.  Jerrell,  entitled,  "Men 
and  Motivations,"  to  the  Safety  Congress  and  Exposition 
in  Phoenix,  Arizona,  February  24-25,  1966.) 


The  Story  of  the 

>^  COLUMBIA 
*  ^:^  BASIN 
PROJECT 


BOOKSHELF 

for  water  users 


The  Story  of  the  Columbia   Basin   Project 

This  65-page  booklet  describes  and  illustrates 
the  story  of  the  Columbia  Basin  Federal  Reclama- 
tion Project,  Grand  Coulee  Dam  and  Powerplant, 
and  the  1-million-acre-plus  irrigation  development 
in  the  State  of  Washington.  The  6  by  9-mch  pub- 
lication  describes  the  start  of  the  project  and  which 
developments  have  been  completed.  In  addition 
to  turning  the  arid  region  into  a  fertile  farming 
area,  the  project  is  a  prime  outdoor  recreation  and 
vacation  land.    Cost  45  cents. 

Aquatic  Pests  on  irrigation  Systems 

This  pocket-sized,  water  resources  publication  is 
an  identification  guide  primarily  for  field  person- 
nel. Some  of  its  72  pages  include  full-color  draw- 
ings and  narrative  descriptions  of  some  of  the 
commonly  observed  organisms  that  become  pests 
in  irrigation  systems  in  the  Western  United 
States. 

It  includes  Submersed  Aquatic   Weeds:  Sago 

August  1966 


pondweed,  Leafy  pondweed,  American  pondweed, 
Curlyleaf  pondweed,  Richardson  pondweed, 
Whitestem  pondweed.  Giant  pondweed.  Homed 
pondweed,  Waterweed,  Waterbuttercup,  Coontail, 
Watermilfoil,  Waterplantain,  Holly-leaved  water- 
nymph,  Waterstargrass,  Watercress  and  True 
moss.  Algae:  Filamentous  green  algae.  Blue- 
green  algae  and  Stone  worts.  Floating  Aquatic 
Weeds:  Duckweeds,  Waterhyacinth  and  Alligator- 
weed.  Emersed  Aquatic  Weeds :  Cattails  and  Bul- 
rush. Tr6><>6?y  PZanz^s;  Tamarix  or  saltcedar.  In- 
vertehrate  Aquatic  Animals:  Fresh- water  sponge, 
Pipe  moss.  Fresh-water  clam  and  Black  fly. 

N.  E.  Otto  and  T.  R.  Bartley,  plant  physiologist 
and  chemist,  respectively,  in  the  Office  of  Chief 
Engineer,  Denver,  Colo,  are  authors.  Cost  is 
$1.75;  1965. 

Central  Valley  Project 

In  addition  to  including  the  1965  annual  report 
of  this  huge  joint-State  and  Federal  project  in 

77 


Oalifornia,  this  28-page  booklet  describes  and  il- 
lustrates progress  of  construction.  It  is  the  25th 
Anniversary  of  the  CVP,  and  the  completed  works 
already  have  had  use  of  a  variety  of  recreational 
activities. 

Color  drawings  show  the  overall  plan  as  well 
as  the  details  of  the  Auburn  Dam  and  Reservoir 
areas  and  the  Folsom  South  Canal.    No  charge. 

Copies  Available 

The  Story  of  the  Columbia  Basin  Project^ 
Acquatic  Pests  on  Irrigation  Systems  from  the 
Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.S.  Government 
Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.C.,  20402,  and  from 
the  Chief  Engineer,  Bureau  of  Reclamation, 
Denver,  Federal  Center,  Denver,  Colo.,  80225. 

Central  Valley  Project  from  the  latter  address. 

MOTION   PICTURE  NOTES 

Great  River 

The  spectacular  scenery  of  the  Pacific  Northwest 
provides  a  colorful  backdrop  for  this  presenta- 
tion of  how  the  whole  Columbia  River  System  is 
put  to  work  serving  the  needs  of  the  people  of  the 
region  for  power,  irrigation,  flood  control,  naviga- 
tion, recreation,  and  fish  and  wildlife  protection. 

Water  for  the  Valley 

This  film  tells  the  story  of  the  Central  Valley 
Federal  Reclamation  project  in  California,  depict- 
ing the  early  beginnings  of  irrigation  in  the 
Central  Valley  and  showing  the  need  for  large- 
scale  conservation  and  utilization  measures,  and 
the  manner  in  which  the  project  fulfills  these 
needs. 


Power  for  a   Nation 

The  picture  recalls  the  birth  of  the  incandes- 
cent lamp  in  the  laboratories  of  Thomas  A.  Edison 
in  New  Jersey  and  follows  through  to  recent  major 
developments  including  the  Columbia  Treaty  with 
Canada  which  will  enhance  the  already  rich  hydro- 
power  resources  of  the  Pacific  Northwest  and 
Pacific  Southwest  in  which  public  and  private  util^ 
ities  and  the  Federal  Government  are  participat 
ing.  Narration  is  by  Frederic  March  and  ai 
original  music  score  is  played  by  the  United  State 
Air  Force  orchestra. 

Flaming   Gorge 

The  Flaming  Gorge  is  a  red  canyon  on  the  Green 
River  in  northeastern  Utah.  It  is  also  the  name 
of  a  new  concrete  dam  and  a  new  lake,  both  of 
which  have  caused  substantial  changes  for  the  peo- 
ple that  live  in  an  adjacent  valley.  This  remote 
valley,  a  deep  canyon,  and  a  small  village  are 
backdrops  to  the  dramatic  construction  of  Flam- 
ing Gorge  Dam.  The  film  story  is  told  through 
the  eyes  of  an  "old  timer"  who  witnessed  both  the 
long  and  slow  development  of  his  valley  and  the 
sudden  and  dramatic  change  wrought  by  the  con- 
struction of  Flaming  Gorge  Dam.  Mrs.  Lyndon 
B.  Johnson  is  shown  dedicating  the  dam,  and  the 
late  President  Kennedy  is  depicted  on  his  last  visit 
to  the  West  in  September  1963,  when  he  threi«||j 
a  switch  starting  the  first  generator  at  the  ■ 
powerplant. 

To  Obtain  Films 

These  28-minute,  16  mm.,  color  films  may  be 
borrowed  free  from  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation, 
Film  Management  Center,  Building  53,  Denver, 
Colo.,  80225. 


Large  Water  System  in  California 
Receives  First  Water 

The  first  delivery  of  water  through  the  $46 
million  Arvin-Edison  distribution  system  in  Cali- 
fornia's San  Joaquin  Valley  was  made  on  July  8 
near  Bakersfield. 

It  was  the  largest  such  system  ever  financed  un- 
der the  Distribution  System  Ix)ans  Act  (Public 
Law  130)  administered  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion. 

As  part  of  the  Central  Valley  project,  the  Ar- 
vin-Edison Water  Storage  District  includes  some 
of  the  richest  farmland  in  the  Nation.     But  over 


78 


the  years,  ground  water  levels  have  been  dropping 
until  pump  lifts  of  600  feet  and  more  have  become 
necessary.  The  receding  water  table  has  allowed 
intrusion  of  water  with  a  high  boron  content  re- 
sulting in  the  removal  from  production  of  some  of 
the  rich  agricultural  lands. 

Facilities  already  completed  will  allow  the  dis- 
trict to  accept  delivery  of  40,000  acre-feet  of  water 
this  year. 

After  the  system  is  completed,  water  deliveries 
will  also  be  made  to  another  spreading  ground  and 
through  200  miles  of  laterals  for  surface  irriga- 
tion. Eventually,  113,000  acres  of  Arvin-Edison 
land  will  be  served  by  the  distribution  system. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


Better  Than  Buckets 


Dragline  operators  are  enthusiastic  about  a 
simply  constructed  implement  that  has  been  used 
since  1964  as  an  eifective  canal  weed  rake.  Shown 
on  this  page,  the  10-foot  wide  tool  resembles  a  con- 
siderably oversized  garden  rake  operated  with  a 
small  dragline. 

Though  weed-killing  chemicals  have  their  ad- 
vantages, the  use  of  this  rake  eliminates  coping 
with  unsolved  chemical  problems  in  water. 

The  300-pound  weed  rake  clears  canals  in  much 
less  time  than  the  bucket  that  is  in  common  usage. 
In  1964,  using  the  bucket,  15  days  were  required 
to  remove  the  weeds  from  4  miles  of  a  drain  in  the 
Truckee-Carson  Irrigation  District,  Nevada. 
With  the  rake,  it  took  approximately  3  days  to 
clear  pondweeds  from  1  mile  of  canal  resulting  in 
85  to  90  percent  effectiveness. 

Again  in  1965  the  rake  removed  weeds  from  5 
miles  of  a  drain  and  I/2  mile  of  an  adjacent  canal  in 
4^  days,  and  has  since  been  used  where  both 
weeds  and  other  debris  need  to  be  removed. 


Clearing  when  the  plant  growth  is  near  matu- 
rity is  most  effective,  and  it  can  be  used  with  the 
water  still  in  both  lined  and  unlined  canals. 

In  the  spring  of  last  year,  after  a  very  windy 
wnnter,  it  was  decided  to  ti-y  the  rake  on  a  drain 
that  had  caught  an  unusually  large  amount  of 
alkali  weeds.  The  rake  operation  was  dramatic 
in  pulling  the  weeds  out  on  the  bank  where  they 
could  be  burned.  It  also  has  proven  effective  in 
ripping  up  silt  bars  that  are  holding  quantities  of 
weeds  in  the  bottom  canals. 

Originally,  it  was  built  from  scrap  iron  on  hand, 
but  with  field  trials  revealing  weak  points,  it  was 
rebuilt  with  heavier  metal  as  shown  in  the  draw- 
ing. The  teeth  spaced  9  inches  apart  work  well 
for  general  removal  work,  but  7-inch  spacing  will 
probably  prove  better  for  pondweeds. 

#  #  # 

(The  weed  rake  suggestion  is  credited  to  V.  Carroll  Don- 
ner  of  the  Bureau  of  Sports  Fisheries  and  Wildlife.  This 
article  was  adapted  from  information  in  "irrigation  Op- 
eration and  Maintenance  Bulletin"  No.  55,  1966,  Bureau 
of  Reclamation.) 


Arbuckle  Center  Dedicated 

The  Arbuckle  Job  Corps  Conservation  Center  at 
Sulphur,  Okla.,  was  dedicated  April  23.  Con- 
gressman Carl  Albert  of  Oklahoma  gave  the  dedi- 
jatory    speech,    and    Reclamation    Commissioner 

oyd  E.  Dominy  was  present. 

Edward  C.  Rodriguez,  Jr.,  is  Director  of  the 

enter,  which  is  the  sixth  Bureau  center  to  be 
ledicated.  A  plaque  noting  community  appreci- 
ation was  presented  to  Rodriguez  by  Glen  Key  of 
he  Sulphur  Chamber  of  Commerce,  sponsors  of 
he  event. 

kuGUST  1966 


79 


\N  1  itii;   K- 1  \  II 

A  /  TO  1  hi:  ORDtR  or 

\\   \  11   I,-    1   >.l.l,>>i 

1  All!  )N 

i^m^4iea  T  03  26  *? 

^^^.92^,^ 

CELEBRATION  BY  WATER 
USERS 

On  June  11  at  Echo  Dam  in  Utah,  officials  of  the 
Weber  River  Water  Users  Association  presented 
an  outsize  check,  as  seen  above,  to  Commissioner  of 
Reclamation  Floyd  E.  Dominy,  on  a  happy  oc- 
casion. 

The  check  for  $70,826.92  was  a  symbol  of  the 
final  installment  due  the  United  States  for  advanc- 
ing the  funds  needed  to  construct  Echo  Dam, 
principal  feature  of  the  Weber  River  project.  Re- 
ceiving Commissioner  Dominy's  congratulations 
at  right  is  H.  J.  Barnes,  vice  president  of  the 
WRWUA. 

The  ceremony  marked  the  discharge  of  the  as- 
sociation's obligation  2  years  ahead  of  its  repay- 
ment contract  schedule. 

Commissioner  Dominy  hailed  the  association's 
final  payment  as  another  example  of  how  Recla- 
mation developments  pay  for  themselves.  "The 
water  users  on  this  project  have  prospered  by  this 
development,''  Commissioner  Dominy  said,  "and 
their  prosperity  is  reflected  by  the  prompt  repay- 
ment of  their  obligation." 

"Since  Echo  Dam  and  Reservoir  were  built, 
crops  having  a  gross  value  of  almost  $289  million 
have  been  raised  on  project  farms,  and  a  good 
portion  of  this  fine  total  is  due  to  supplemental 
water  deliveries  from  Echo  Dam.  I  certainly 
congratulate  the  farmers  and  rancher's  along  the 


Weber  River  for  their  fine  financial  record,  as  well 
as  for  the  excellent  care  they  have  given  the  proj- 
ect's physical  facilities,"  said  Mr.  Dominy. 

Echo  Dam,  an  earthfill  embankment  158  feet 
high,  was  completed  in  1931  as  the  main  feature 
of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  Weber  River  proj- 
ect. The  dam  and  its  reservoir  provide  supple- 
mental irrigation  water  for  about  109,000  acres 
along  the  Wasatch  Front  near  Ogden  and  Kays- 
ville,  Utah. 

Echo  Reservoir,  with  a  surface  area  of  14,070 
acres  at  total  capacity,  has  become  a  popular  water 
recreational  area.  It  offers  overnight  camping, 
picnicking,  swimming,  fishing,  boating,  and  water 
skiing. 

Operation  and  maintenance  of  the  project  has 
been  by  the  Weber  River  Water  Users  Association 
since  1931.  The  association  had  entered  into  a 
supplemental,  30-year  repayment  contract  in  1938, 
under  w^hich  it  agreed  to  repay  in  30  annual  in- 
stallments the  total  Echo  Dam  construction  costs 
of  $2,875,872,  less  $190,000  for  enlargement  of  a 
diversion  canal  to  the  Provo  River,  which  is  re- 
payable by  the  Provo  River  Water  Users'  Asso- 
ciation, and  less  a  partial  installment  on  Echo  Dam 
in  1932. 

The  development  of  the  dam  goes  back  to  the 
early  history  of  Utah.  Irrigation  from  the  Weber 
River  started  about  1850,  3  years  after  the  orig- 
inal Utah  pioneers  settled  in  Salt  Lake  City.  The 
late  summer  natural  flow  was  sufficient  for  a  full  " 
water  supply  for  about  3,000  acres  of  land.  Be- 
fore many  years  had  passed  a  larger  area  was  de- 
veloped for  which  there  was  only  a  partial  supply 
of  water. 

The  Reclamation  Service,  now  called  the  Bu- 
reau of  Reclamation,  made  a  reconnaissance  of 
this  area  in  1904  and  1905  which  resulted  in 
establishing  stream  gaging  stations  by  the  U.S. 
Geological  Survey  in  1905.  Early  in  1922  the 
Reclamation  Service,  in  cooperation  with  the 
Utah  State  Water  Storage  Commission,  started 
investigations  for  a  storage  reservoir.  Upon  the 
selection  of  a  site  for  the  dam  and  congressioinil 
approval  an  appropriation  for  construction  oi 
Echo  Dam  was  received  in  1924.  After  2  yeai-s  oi 
detailed  investigation,  design,  and  legal  work, 
construction  of  the  dam  began.  (Adapted  fnm 
an  article  hy  D.  Earl  Harris^  secretary-maivKji  i 
of  the  Weber  River  Water  Users  Associaiion. 
Utah.)  #  #  ^ 


80 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Judy  Helps  the  Cause 
for  Natural  Beauty 

This  is  Judy  Olive,  the  lovely  Camellia  Queen 
for  Sacramento,  Calif.  Judy  seems  happy  to  help 
conserve  natural  beauty  and  was  willing  to  be  on 
hand  for  this  year's  National  Wildlife  Federation 
campaign.  Photographer  Wes  Nell  saw  one  of 
the  posters  go  up  in  the  Sacramento  regional  office 
so  he  got  this  shot  of  Judy  on  the  shore  of  Folsom 
Lake. 


Bureau  of  Reclamation 

UTAH  (Except  SW.  tip) 

Wafer  Headquarters  OfFices 

COLORADO  (Western) 

NEW  MEXICO  (NW.  tip) 

WYOMING  (SW.  tip) 

COMMISSIONER'S  OFFICE: 

IDAHO  (SE.  tip) 

C  St.  between  18th  &  19th  Sts.  NW. 

(Region  4) 

Washington,  B.C.,  20240 

P.O.  Box  2553 

125  S.  State  St. 

CHIEF  ENGINEER'S  OFFICE : 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  84111 

Bldg.  53,  Denver  Federal  Center 

Denver,  Colo.,  80225 

TEXAS 

OKLAHOMA 

IDAHO  (Except  SE.  tip) 

KANSAS  (Southern  half) 

WASHINGTON 

NEW  MEXICO  (Except  W.  third) 

MONTANA  (NW.  corner) 

COLORADO  (Southern  wedge) 

OREGON  (Except  Southern  wedge) 

(Region  5) 

(Region  1) 

P.O.  Box  1609 

Fairgrounds,  Fairview  Ave.  &  Orchard  St. 

7th  &  Taylor 
Amarillo,  Tex.,  79105 

Boise,  Idaho,  83707 

MONTANA  (Except  NW.  corner) 

CALIFORNIA  (Northern  &  Central) 

NORTH  DAKOTA 

NEVADA  (Northern  &  Central) 

SOUTH  DAKOTA 

OREGON  (Southern  wedge) 

WYOMING  (Northern) 

(Region  2) 

(Region  6) 

P.O.  Box  15011,  2929  Fulton  Ave. 

P.O.  Box  2553 

Sacramento,  Calif.,  95813 

316  N.  26th  St. 

Billings,  Mont.,  59103 

NEVADA  (Southern) 

COLORADO  (Eastern) 

CALIFORNIA  (Southern) 

NEBRASKA 

ARIZONA  (Except  NE.  tip) 

KANSAS  (Northern) 

UTAH  (SW.  tip) 

WYOMING  (SE.) 

(Region  3) 

(Region  7) 

P.O.  Box  427 

Bldg.  46,  Denver  Federal  Center 

Boulder  City,  Nev.,  89005 

Denver,  Colo.,  80225 

August  1966 


81 


Manmade  Lake  on  Milk  Cartons 

"You'll  love  it!"  could  well  be  what  such  a 
brightly  smiling  lass  just  said.  And  she  could  be 
referring  to  either  Lake  Powell  Vacation  Land, 
or  the  vitamin  D  milk  in  the  carton  she  is  holding. 
Both  would  be  healthful  for  Colleen  Higgenson 
who  just  graduated  from  a  high  school  in  Murray, 
Utah. 

In  addition  to  creating  the  outdoor  attractions 
of  Lake  Powell  in  Arizona  and  Utah,  it  also  has 
been  established  that  Reclamation's  irrigation 
waters  benefit  the  milk  producers  and  milk  drink- 
ers in  this  normally  arid  and  semiarid  area. 

The  name  of  the  dairy  is  not  shown  on  the  car- 
ton, but  it  is  known  to  distribute  milk — and  this 
advertising  of  the  Page,  Ariz.,  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce— to  thousands  of  people  throughout  much 
of  five  Rocky  Mountain  States.  The  photo  is  by 
Mel  Davis. 

Motorized  Fruit  Collector 
Tested  on  Project 

A  new  wrinkle  in  f  ruitpicking  was  tried  at  Wil- 
lard  Hess'  farm  on  the  Columbia  Basin  project 
west  of  Quincy,  Wash.  As  John  Marker  of  the 
Tree  Fruit  Experiment  Station  at  Wenatchee 
handles  the  controls  of  the  motorized  fruit  col- 
lector, Karen  Mickelson,  standing,  picks  the 
Golden  Delicious  apples  and  drops  them  into  a 
padded  stovepipelike  receptacle  that  conveys  them 
into  a  storage  crate  at  the  back  of  the  machine. 
Primary  benefit  sought  from  the  innovation, 
which  has  been  jointly  developed  by  Washington 
State  University  and  Department  of  Agricultuiv 
personnel  at  the  Tree  Fruit  Experiment  Station, 
is  a  substantial  reduction  in  picking  time  and  a 
more  careful  handling  of  the  fruit.  Normally  the 
apples  are  picked  and  carried  by  the  pickers  in  a 
bag. 

$L3    Million    Contract   Awarded    for    Morrow 
Point  Powerplant  Generators 

This  water  resource  development  agency 
awarded  a  $1,352,831  contract  June  11  to  furnish 
and  install  two  ()0,00O-kw. -capacity  generatoi-s 
for  the  Morrow  Point  Powerplant  on  the  Gunij^ 
son  River  in  western  Colorado. 


82 


The  Reclamation  Era 


The  first  such  underground  plant  installation 
in  Reclamation  history,  the  Morrow  Point  struc- 
ture is  being  carved  out  of  the  left  wall  of  the 
Gunnison  River  canyon  just  below  Morrow  Point 
Dam.  Tlie  dam — a  double  cui*vature,  thin-arch 
design  with  four  orifice-type  spillway  openings — 
is  scheduled  for  completion  during  the  summer  of 

1968.  The  powerplant  will  be  completed  in  early 

1969.  They  are  features  of  the  Curecanti  Unit 
of  the  Colorado  River  storage  project  now  being 
constructed  under  a  $15.4  million  contract 
awarded  in  May  1963. 

The  contract  for  the  Morrow  Point  generators 
went  to  Mitsui  &  Co.  (U.S.A.),  Inc.,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Calif.,  on  the  lowest  of  eight  bids. 

Calmness  at  Lake  Meredith 

A  striking  picture  of  an  elderly  couple  enjoy- 
ing the  calmness  at  Lake  Meredith  behind  San- 
^  ford  Dam,  Tex.,  was  shot  by  C.  R.  Woodrome. 
The  courtesy  boat  dock  had  only  recently  been  in- 
stalled when  the  photograph  was  made  last  spring. 

Eastern  U.S.  Firm  Gets  Atmospheric 
Water  Study  Contract 

A  2-year  contract  for  $66,500  was  awarded  last 
spring  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  for  develop- 
ing a  scientific  method  for  evaluating  the  results 
of  cloud-seeding  experiments  completed  in  the 
States  of  Masachusetts,  Maine,  New  Hampshire, 
and  Vermont.  The  contract  is  with  W.  E.  Howell 
Associates,  Inc.,  of  Massachusetts,  which  is  headed 
by  Dr.  Wallace  E.  Howell,  one  of  the  world's  lead- 
ing authorities  on  weather  modification.  The  firm 
has  undertaken  weather  modification  research 
work  for  many  years  in  the  Eastern  United  States 
and  in  Central  and  South  America. 

Most  of  Reclamation's  contracts  to  date  have 
been  in  the  general  area  of  field  experiments  to 
determine  the  efficacy  of  "milking"  various  types 
of  clouds  in  the  Western  United  States. 

Where  the  Water  for  Pigs 
Never  Freezes 

Water  is  available  at  all  times  and  will  never 
freeze  witli  this  automatic  unit  for  pigs  used  by 
Don  DeBoer  about  4  miles  east  of  Oral,  S.  Dak. 
1 11  his  marketing  program,  DeBoer  processes  about 
,.)5()  hogs  each  year  on  the  Angostura  Unit. 

August  1966 


i^%j.'^?If'i^ 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Spec.  No. 


Project 


Award 
date 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Contractor's  name  and 
address 


Contract 
amount 


DC-5935B. 

DC-6318.. 
DS-6394.. 

DC-6400... 
DC-6404... 
DC-6405.-. 
DS-6408--. 
DC-6409... 

DC-6412... 
lOOC-851... 

lOOC-852... 
lOOC-854... 
300C-239... 

300C-246... 


Weber  Basin,  Utah 

Lyman,  Wyo 

Central  Valley.  Calif.. . 

Central  Valley,  Calif... 
Central  Utah,  Utah 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Kans. 

Colorado  River  Stor- 
age, Colo. 

Weber  Basin,  Utah 

Missouri  River  Basin, 

S.  Dak. 
Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 
Columbia  Basin,  Wash 

Colorado  River  Front 

Work  and  Levee 

System,  Calif. 
Colorado  River  Front 

Work  and  Levee 

System,  Calif. 


May  19 

May  13 
June  13 

June  21 
Apr.  15 
May  11 
June  10 
Apr.  15 

June  15 
June  17 

June  14 
June  17 
Apr.     1 

June  10 


Completion  of  Lost  Creek  Dam. 


Construction  of  Meeks  Cabin  Dam  and  access  road. 


Furnishing  and  installing  supervisory  control  and  digital  tele- 
metering systems  for  Forebay  pumping  plant,  Tracy  switch- 
yard control  and  administration  buildings,  and  Delta-Men- 
dota  canal  check  and  wasteway  structures. 

Construction  of  55.5  miles  of  pipelines  for  Westlands  Water 
District  distribution  system,  laterals  4  and  5,  sciiedule  1. 

Construction  of  streets,  sidewalks,  and  water  and  sewer  lines 
for  Duchesne  government  community. 

Construction  of  Downs  protective  dike,  with  earthfull  in  dike 
embankment  and  soil-cement  slope  protection. 

Furnishing  and  installing  two  66,667-kva  generators  for  Mor- 
row Point  powerplant. 

Construction  of  3.91  miles  of  pipelines  for  West  Farmington 
laterals,  schedule  2. 

Construction  of  stages  05  and  06  additions  to  Huron  substation. 

Construction  of  12.8  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  and  1 .6  miles  of 

open  ditch  drains  for  D20-85  and  D20-123  drains  systems  and 

D20-228  drain,  block  20. 
Construction  of  35.1  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  for  north  part 

of  block  46. 
Construction  of  22.6  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  and  2.5  miles 

of  open-ditch  drains,  blocks  74  and  78. 
Construction  of  roads  and  bank  protection  structures 


Construction  of  and  surfacing  6.65  miles  of  access  roads  for 
Senator  Wash  reservoir. 


LeGrand  Johnson  Construc- 
tion Co.,  Inc.,  Logan, 
Utah. 

W.  W.  Clyde  &  Co.  Spring- 
ville,  Utah. 

Wismer  and  Becker  Con- 
tracting Engineers  Sacra- 
mento, Calif. 

Beasley  Engineering  Co. 

Emeryville,  Calif. 
Martindale  and  Blackett 

Springville,  Utah. 
Guy  H .  James  Construction 

Co.,  Oklahoma  City,  Okla. 
Mitsui  &  Co.  (U.S.A.),  Inc., 

San  Francisco,  Calif. 
Elden  H.  Knudson  Con- 
struction Co.,  Ogden, 

Utah. 
Electrical  Builders,  Inc., 

Valley  City,  N.Dak. 
A.  G.  Proctor  Co.,  Inc., 

Aurora,  Colo. 

George  A.  Grant,  Inc.  Rich- 
land, Wash. 

Equipco,  Inc.  Ephrata, 
Wash. 

Hall  Construction  Co.,  Cor- 
ona, Calif. 

Arrow  Construction  Co.,  of 
Arizona,  Inc.,  Yuma,  Ariz. 


$1,052,269 

5, 873, 395 
583,323 

6,063,895 

106,093 

2,  758, 671 

1,352,831 

298, 508 

145,905 
286, 771 

591,998 
395, 051 
177,078 

123, 758 


Reclamation  Acquires  Radioisotope 
Laboratory  on  Wheels 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  has  installed  radio- 
isotope instruments  in  a  new  panel  truck  to  create 
a  special  mobile  laboratory.  The  2,000-pound 
unit  is  for  handling  a  wide  variety  of  engineering 
research  studies  in  field  locations,  using  radio- 
isotopic tracer  techniques. 

One  such  study  will  concern  the  perfection  of 
techniques  for  measuring  the  flow  of  water  by 
dispersing  harmless  amounts  of  isotopes  in  flow- 
ing w^ater  and  then  tracing  movement  of  the  iso- 
topes with  calibrated  detectors.  The  information 
received  can  then  be  translated  into  velocities  of 
water. 

Investigations  to  be  conducted  include  research 
and  engineering  studies  of  ground  water  move- 
ment, reservoir  currents,  sediment  studies,  water 


quality  determinations,  corrosion  investigations, 
and  weed  control  evaluation. 

The  new  mdbile  unit  working  out  of  Reclama- 
tion's research  laboratory  in  Denver,  Colo.,  will 
eliminate  the  necessity  for  making  field  tests  under 
makeshift  conditions  and  wdll  provide  the  mean 
for  obtaining  more  reliable  and  complete  field 
data.    It  wdll  also  serve  as  a  "closed  ofl^"  labora 
tory  for  handling  concentrated  radioisotope  sup- 
plies.   Future  field  work  employing  radioisotopi 
techniques  holds  promise  of  greater  efficiency,  ao 
curacy,  and  safety  and  a  minimum  of  interfer 
ence  with  regular  field  office  routine. 

Radioisotope  tracers  have  been  safely  used  over 
a  number  of  years  in  scientific  tests  and  industrial 
applications.  As  an  additional  safety  precaution 
operators  of  radioisotopic  equipment  must  g< 
through  a  training  period  and  be  licensed  in  af 
cordance  with  Atomic  Energy  Commissioi 
standards. 


84 


The  Reclamation  Era 


U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE:  1966      O — 219-177 


FRONT    COVER    PHOTO.      The    spectacular    water    scene    on    the    cover    is    at    Grand 
Coulee  Dam — a  manmade  wonder  of  the  world   in   Washington   State. 


Convenient  Order  Form  for  Reclamation  Era 

This  official  publication  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  is  designed  to  answer  your  questions  on 
water  resources  development,  give  you  new  ideas,  and  keep  you  up  to  date. 

In  its  -i  issues  a  year  the  Reclaination  Era  will  bring  the  authoritative  information  that  it  has 
carried  on  its  pages  since  1905.  If  you  are  not  now  a  subscriber,  and  would  like  to  be,  this  order  form 
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In  its  assigned  function  as  the  Nation's  principal  natural  resource  agency, 
the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special  obligation  to  assure  that  our 
expendable  resources  are  conserved,  that  renewable  resources  are  managed 
to  produce  optimum  yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  full  meas- 
ure to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  Anterica,  now  and  in  the 

future. 

U.S.  Department  of  the  Interior/ Bureau  of  Reclamation 


A  M ATI  ON 


November  19 


(See  lead  story  on  International  Conference) 


NOVEMBER  1966  •  Vol.  52,  No.  4 


RECLAMATION 


Commissioner's  Page 


Gordon  J.  Forsyth,  Editor 


CONTENTS 

WATER  FOR  PEACE 85 

by  Harlan  Wood 

BIG  IRRIGATION  VAL- 
UES      87 

by  Gordon  J.  Forsyth 

COLUMBIA  BASIN  CO- 
LOSSUS      91 

by  David  F.  Schuy 

WOULD  YOU  BELIEVE 
URBAN  IRRIGA- 
TION?      95 

by  George  Martin 

WINTER  FISHING,  ANY- 
ONE?      97 

A  WATER  TRANSPORT-,   100 
by  R.  H.   Fulton  &  R.   L. 
Dragoo 

MIGHTY  PROUD  WORK- 
ERS    102 

"I  CHOSE  TO  FARM" 105 

by  Lawrence  A.  Gillett 

THIRD  YEAR  AWARDS-   106 

GLEN      CANYON       DAM 

DEDICATION-.^ 107 

United  States  Department  of  the   Interior 
Stewart  L.   Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamarion,  Floyd  E.  Dominy 
Commissioner 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Recla- 
mation, United  States  Department  of  the 
Interior,  Washington,  D.C.  20240.  Use  of 
funds  for  printing  this  publication  ap- 
proved by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of 
the  Budget,  January  31,  1966. 
For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Docu- 
ments, U.S.  Government  Printing  Office 
Washington,  D.C.  20402.  Price  30  cents 
(single  copy).  Subscription  price  :  $1.00 
per  year  (25  cents  additional  for  foreign 
mailing).  * 


Reclamation  and  Frontier  Vigor 

The  Federal  Reclamation  program  is  one  of  the 
proven  useful  tools  for  stimulating  private  invest- 
ment and  business  activity  so  as  to  encourage  re- 
gional and  national  economic  growth.  The  program 
avoids  activities  which  private  capital  can  and  does 
adequately  handle. 

Full-scale  multiple- purpose  development  of  water 
resources  is  not  attractive  in  private  sectors,  to  any 
great  extent,  because  it  is  difficult  to  identify  the 
beneficiaries  and  collect  an  appropriate  charge  for 
such  purposes  as  flood  control,  water  quality  control, 
and  fish  and  wildlife  enhancement.  Yet  these  pur- 
poses— because  of  the  widespread  pattern  occurrence 
of  their  benefits — are  highly  worthwhile  endeavors. 
The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  includes  those  purposes 
together  with  irrigation,  municipal  and  industrial 
water  supply,  hydroelectric  generation,  and  recrea- 
tional developments. 

Economics  and  social  aspects  are  dominant  in  this 
Bureau's  developmental  programs.  Broad  objec- 
tives such  as  settlement  and  commercialization  of 
sparsely  populated  areas,  stabilization  of  incomes  in 
high  risk  situations,  and  providing  key  investments 
in  economically  underdeveloped  or  slowly  emerging 
regions  have  historically  been  achieved  by  the  Recla- 
mation program. 

The  short  returns  from  these  activities  seldom  in- 
terest private  investors  because  of  the  long  time  re- 
quired for  payoff,  and  the  form  of  gain  in  terms  of 
nonreimbursable  social  improvements. 

Therefore,  full  multiple-purpose  water  resource  de- 
velopment has  fallen  into  the  sphere  of  Federal 
Reclamation  responsibility.  And  not  insignificantly, 
this  assures  continued  life  for  our  frontier  tra- 
dition and  helps  make  all  of  America  the  land  of 
opportunity. 


Floyd  E.  Dominy 
Reclamation  Commissioner 


Reclamation  given  important  roles 


International  Conference  on 

"Water  for  Peace" 

Set  for  Washington,  D.C. 


by  HARLAN  WOOD, 

Conference  Director  of  Information 


INITIALLY  conceived  by  President  Johnson 
during  the  First  International  Symposium  on 
Water  Desalination  in  1965,  a  9-day  Water  for 
Peace  conference — set  for  May — will  be  the  largest 
international  meeting  to  be  held  in  Washington, 
D.C. 

"The  earth's  water  belongs  to  all  mankind.  To- 
gether, we  must  find  ways  to  make  certain  that 
every  nation  has  its  share,  and  that  there  is  enough 
for  all,"  said  President  Johnson  at  the  desaliniza- 
tion  symposium,  "Today,  I  want  to  announce  the 
beginning  of  a  Water  for  Peace  program.  Under 
this  new  program,  we  will  join  in  a  massive,  co- 
operative international  effort  to  find  solutions  for 
man's  water  problems." 

President  Johnson  said  that  an  unlimited  supply 
of  pure  water  would  be  "an  event  in  human  history 
as  significant  as  the  harnessing  of  the  atom." 

To  pursue  that  objective,  the  President  of  the 
United  States  was  prepared  to  convene  "another 
great  conference  to  deal  with  all  of  the  world's 
water  problems." 

Planning  Starts 

Following  the  President's  mandate.  Secretary  of 

State  Dean  Rusk  and  Secretary  of  the  Interior 

[Stewart  L.  Udall  joined  to  begin  an  expansive  as- 

lult  on  the  world's  water  problems.     To  do  this 

they  established  an  interdepartmental  committee 

composed  of  all  agencies  of  the  Federal  Govem- 

lent  to  develop  a  cooperative  international  water 

)rogram. 

At  the  same  time,  an  interdepartmental  staff  also 

Iwas  assembled  to  plan  the  International  Confer- 

NOVEMBER  1966 


President  Lyndon   B.  Johnson. 

ence  on  Water  for  Peace — an  effort  which  will  lay 
the  groundwork  for  the. longer-range  cooperative 
efforts  of  the  United  States  and  other  nations. 

From  the  beginning,  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
has  been  given  important  assignments  both  in  the 
formulation  of  the  program  and  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  conference. 

Reclamation  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy 
said :  "Tlie  United  States  is  breaking  new  ground 
in  this  endeavor,  and  it  is  seeking  to  explore  all  of 
the  wells  of  thought  in  meeting  the  President's 
humanitarian  aim  of  ending  drought,  flood,  and 
famine  forever.  The  Bureau's  resources  are  fully 
committed  to  this  effort." 


COVER  PHOTO.  In  India  and  some  other  parts  of  the  world, 
camels  are  most  useful  animals.  Their  pulling  is  still  used  to 
draw  water  from  wells. 

Photo  by  Reclamation  CommisBioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy 

85 


This  canal  in  Thailand  is  used  for 
irrigation  as  well  as  for  bringing 
vegetables  to  market  in  a  boat. 
The  water  is  polluted. 

Photo  by  Assistant  Commissioner 
O.  O.  Stamm 


The  Conference 

All  nations  with  which  the  United  States  con- 
ducts diplomatic  relations  are  being  invited  to 
participate  in  the  conference.  Attendance  is  ex- 
pected to  top  5,000  representatives  from  all  over 
the  world. 

In  describing  its  purpose,  Secretary  Udall  said, 
"This  conference  will  bring  together  representa- 
tives and  experts  from  many  nations  to  discuss  and 
explore  the  world's  water  problems,  the  opportu- 
nities and  means  available  for  attacking  these 
problems,  and  the  cooperation  required  to  stimu- 
late effective  programs  of  water  development  at 
national  and  international  levels." 

The  conference  program  is  being  developed  on 
two  levels:  One  designed  for  Ministers  (Cabinet- 
level)  of  governments  responsible  for  water  policy 
and  development  in  their  nations;  the  other  for 
experts  and  observers  interested  in  specific  phases 
of  water  resource  development. 

Sessions  will  concern  various  aspects  of  plan- 
ning, organization,  financing,  education,  training, 
and  technology. 

During  6  days  of  the  conference,  an  exposition 
will  be  held  to  report  on  the  actions  and  progress 
of  nations  to  meet  man's  needs  for  water  and  their 
willingness  to  help  each  other,  and  to  demonstrate 
current  scientific  and  industrial  capabilities  of  the 
world  community  in  the  development,  conserva- 
tion, and  utilization  of  water  resources. 

The  exposition  will  feature  a  variety  of  exhibits 


by  governments,  international  organizations,  sci- 
entific and  educational  organizations,  and  U.S. 
and  foreign  industrial  firms. 

The  Agenda 

A  provisional  agenda  for  the  May  23  to  31  con- 
ference has  been  developed  around  six  broad 
categories : 

•  Planning  and  developing  water  programs. 

•  Basic  data  for  water  programs. 

•  Technological  gains  and  research  needs  in 
water  programs. 

•  Education  and  training  in  water  programs. 

•  Organization  of  national  and  international 
water  programs. 

•  Economics  and  financing  of  water  programs. 

Papers  are  being  solicited  throughout  the  world. 
About  500  papers  will  be  accepted  for  publication, 
and  about  125  will  be  given  orally.  There  will  be 
two  general  sessions — one  on  the  opening  day,  the 
other  on  the  closing  day.  To  cover  the  massive 
scope  of  the  agenda,  it  is  expected  that  five  con- 
current sessions  will  be  held  each  day  in  the ; 
remainder  of  the  conference  days. 

Further  information  regarding  the  submission 
of  papers  may  be  obtained  by  writing :  Chair- 
man, Conference  Program  Committee,  Inter- 
national Conference  on  Water  for  Peace,  Room 
1316,  Department  of  State,  Washington,  D.C 
20520.  #     #     # 


86 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Putting  Together  Reports  of  Crops  Worth 
$23.2  Billion  on  Sixtieth  Anniversary 


BIG  IRRIGATION 
VALUES  IN 
JUMBO  PACKAGE 


by  GORDON  J.  FORSYTH 

RECLAMATION-TYPE  writers  have  been  de- 
scribing the  triumphs  and  potentials  of  water 
control  developments  for  many  years  and  there 
Avill  be  a  good  many  other  such  explorations. 
But  this  year,  lo — in  a  mind's  eye  view — we  hear 
a  thumping  on  the  lid  from  within  the  confines 
of  a  jumbo  surprise  package. 

We  refer,  with  all  due  appreciation,  to  more 
than  133,000  resourceful  farm  operators  who  irri- 
gate through  the  facilities  of  water  development 
structures  built  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation. 
We  whomp  up  a  big  THANK  YOU  and  beam  it 
in  the  direction  of  those  farmers  for  their  coopera- 
tion in  providing  the  Nation  with  crop  statistics 
which  help  promote  a  better  understanding  of  the 
Federal  Reclamation  program. 

We  also  refer  to  the  60th  printing  of  our  Crop 
Report — the  publication  which  contains  the  new 
figures  of  production  by  those  farmers. 

These  sizable  items,  which  we  bring  together 
have  hereby — in  a  manner  of  speech — thumped 
open  the  jumbolike  package  for  a  look  by  our 
readers. 

Actually,  the  news  is  that  the  total  harvest 
records  of  all  previous  Crop  Report  years  have 
been  broken.  The  new  Crop  Report  shows  $1.6 
billion  worth  of  crops  from  8  million  irrigated 
acres  of  western  farmland  in  1965.     It  is  up  from 

November  1966 


This  is  Bert  Johnson  of  Montana  who  receives  his  water  for 
irrigating  beets  from  the  Yellowstone  River. 

Photo  hy  Lyle  C.  Axthelm 

the  1964  totals  of  $1.5  billion  in  crops  from  7.5 
billion  acres  of  land. 

After  the  crop  statistics  pass  through  careful 
hands  in  Reclamation  field  offices,  they  arrive  in 
Washington,  D.C.,  and  are  put  together  for  publi- 
cation and  summarization  by  the  employees  in  the 
economics  and  statistics  branch. 

"The  reports  from  those  proficient  farmers," 
said  Al  Nielsen,  branch  chief,  when  we  called  him 
about  the  story,  "shows  that  $23.2  billion  have 
been  added  to  the  U.S.  economy  starting  back  in 
about  the  year  of  the  San  Francisco  fire  and  earth- 
quake. That  is,  1906.  Of  course,  it  wasn't  the 
quake  that  caused  adding  all  that  money  to  the 
economy,"  Al  joked.  Then  he  said  seriously,  "It 
was  the  work  of  a  long  list  of  American  farmers 
and  Reclamation  irrigation  water  on  the  kind  of 
land  that  very  few  people  cared  for. 

"All  of  that  23.2  billion  dollars — is  from  irriga- 
tion alone,"  said  Al.  "It  is  about  five  times  the 
total  Federal  investment  in  Reclamation  facilities 
including  the  cost  of  construction  currently  in 
progress." 

Al's  little  speech  got  the  thing  going  for  us. 
This  did  sound  like  it  could  be  what  was  thumping 
to  get  out  of  the  package. 

So  we  let  thumper  out,  so  to  speak,  and  launched 
a  kind  of  "booklet  review"  to  commemorate  the 
anniversary  issue  of  the  Crop  Report. 


87 


*    ^fl 
^             V 

fel' 

fjk 

1 

in  1 

^^^^^^^^m 

'i     '  'f:  ■ 

/  1 

A  full  branch  of  cherries  on  The  Dalles  Project,  Oregon,  is  admired 
by  Joanne  Cimmiyotti  who  is  the  1966  Northwest  Cherry  Sweet- 
heart.    The  project  had   a  good   cherry  crop  this  year. 

Photo  by  J.  D.  Roderick 


The  Crop  Report  is  not  principally  popular 
reading  material.  It  contains  some  narrative  and 
summary  information  on  the  first  pages,  so  it  is 
not  too  much  a  technical  work  either. 

Mostly,  it  contains  charts  and  tables,  where  it  is 
intended  that  one  read  between  the  lines.  When 
a  person  studies  the  pages  in  that  way  it  comes 
close  to  being  a  you-are-there  closeup,  it  seems. 
And  it  appears  to  have  adventure  when  looking  at 
the  $23.2  billion  gain. 

Farmers  in  the  Story 

Although  their  names  don't  appear,  all  those 
farmers  on  Federal  Reclamation  projects  in  the  17 
arid  and  semiarid  States  of  the  West  are  the  story's 
principal  characters.  Those  men  provided  a  liv- 
ing for  their  families  with  their  earnings.  The 
matter  of  getting  water  to  the  land  for  an  assort- 
ment of  150  different  crops  to  grow  is  the  story's 
plot. 

A  few  days  after  our  conversation  with  Al,  he 
brought  over  some  paragraphs  that  Frank  Ellis 
had  put  together.  Frank  had  worked  here  a  few 
days  on  a  special  economic  study,  then  returned  to 
his  home  office  in  Region  T's  Denver  headquarters. 

Frank  noted  that  allowing  4  years  for  the  first 


88 


irrigation  structures  to  be  built  and  for  water  to 
be  delivered  to  feed  the  first  crops — after  Reclama- 
tion's congressional  authorization  in  1902 — the 
number  one  Crop  Report  of  1906  included  the  farm 
production  on  two  projects.  They  are  the  Klam- 
ath project  in  California  and  Oregon,  and  the 
Carlsbad  project  in  New  Mexico.  Farmers  on 
those  two  water  developments  irrigated  22,000 
acres  which  gave  them  gross  returns  of  an  impres- 
sive $244,900. 

Sixty  years  later,  growing  mostly  vegetable, 
grain  and  field  crops,  these  first  two  Federal  Recla- 
mation projects  produced  gross  crop  values  of 
$27.6  million  which  was  the  major  economy  in 
those  areas.  Their  acreages  had  expanded  ten- 
fold, but  that  increase  was  far  outdone  by  the  crop 
value  multiplying  113  times.  This  may  seem 
amazing,  but  it's  not  really  unusual  for  Reclama- 
tion projects. 

Just  like  a  watered  land  producer  assures  a 
successful  crop  number  two,  the  figure  113  comes 
up  twice  in  the  60th  Crop  Report  of  1965.  It 
shows  as  113  projects  now  operating  with  Recla- 
mation water  service. 

Though  the  projects  are  at  various  places 
throughout  the  West,  the  irrigated  land  now  totals 
the  record-setting  8  million  acres  which  are  a 
source  of  income  for  a  farm  population  of  554 
thousand  people.  Last  year  these  people  produced 
crops  valued  at  $1.6  billion,  the  highest  yet. 

Meat  and  Potatoes 

Although  the  central  office  for  compiling  the 
Crop  Report  is  in  Washington,  the  actual  adding 
up  of  the  "meat  and  potatoes"  takes  place  in  the 
field.  That  is  the  grassroots  phase  where  each 
farmer  who  uses  Reclamation  water  for  irrigation 
reports  the  quantity  and  value  of  his  irrigated 
crops.  During  the  last  few  months  of  each  year, 
a  "farm  enumerator"  collects  the  crop  census  from 
the  farmer.  These  cooperating  water  users  form 
the  backbone  of  the  Reclamation  crop  reporting 
system. 

Personal  visits  to  the  farmers  has  been  the  long- 
standing practice  for  taking  the  crop  census.  In 
the  early  times,  the  knowledgeable  enumerator, 
who  was  both  amiable  and  a  good  listener  went  in 
and  out  of  one  farm  after  another  doing  his  job  I 
on  horseback,  or  by  horse  and  buggy,  each  and  ' 
every  fall.  It  is  not  seen  that  the  personal  contact 
will  be  replaced,  but  with  the  advent  of  the  com-^B 

The  Reclamation  Era 


puter  and  automatic  data  processing,  speed  and 
accuracy  are  expected  to  soon  significantly  im- 
prove many  aspects  of  the  census  process. 

One  afternoon,  Al  showed  me  the  file  of  the 
Crop  Reports  of  former  years  in  the  office  of  Selma 
Harris.  Selma  is  a  statistician  who  maintains  the 
older  reports  and  does  much  of  the  data  processing 
in  the  Washington  office.  At  her  desk  she  works 
on  large  pages  of  figures  on  water  developments. 

Being  reminded  of  the  pleasant  appearance  of 
last  year's  booklet,  we  asked  Selma  when  the 
Bureau  started  using  attractive  project  photo- 
graphs in  the  Crop  Report  and  printing  it  with 
such  a  presentable  green  color  as  the  59th  issue. 

"The  artfulness  has  been  used  from  time  to 
time,  but  not  with  a  color  imtil  last  year,"  she  said. 
"The  new  one  is  blue  and  white.  Our  1952  issue 
was  published  with  a  quality  picture  on  the  cover, 
and  others  have  been  since.  That  was  the  year 
it  was  enlarged  to  the  format  that  it  has  at 
present." 

Selma  continued :  "For  the  first  48  yeai*s  it  was 
printed  each  time  as  one  volume,  but  two  volumes 
were  started  in  1954,  and  there  have  been  some 
changes  in  their  titles.  The  more  commonly  used 
first  volume  is  now  entitled :  'The  Crop  Report  and 


Related  Data,'  and  its  companion  volume  is  'Sta- 
tistical Appendix  to  the  Crop  Report.' 

"Though  its  distribution  is  still  mainly  in  Gov- 
ernment offices  and  water  user  organizations,"  said 
Selma,  "last  year  there  was  considerable  increase 
in  the  number  of  requests  from  college  graduate 
students,  professors  and  other  organizations  out- 
side of  Government.  I  believe  it  is  a  basic  source 
of  data  for  certain  water,  agricultural  or  economic 
studies  they  may  wish  to  make,"  she  said. 

The  High  Producers 

The  first  mentioned  volume  of  the  new  report 
named  the  high  producing  projects  which 
have  accumulated  production  totals  reaching 
the  "billionaire"  category  in  the  last  few  years. 
During  the  1964  season,  for  example,  the  multiple- 
purpose  Colorado-Big  Thompson  project  serving 
lands  in  northeastern  Colorado  became  a  member 
of  this  distinguished  group,  bringing  the  total  to 
seven  "billionaire"  projects.  The  Rio  Grande 
project  in  southern  Colorado  and  New  Mexico  also 
is  in  the  $1  billion  category  for  farm  crop  values. 

The  Salt  River  project  in  Arizona  jumped  into 
the  $2  billion  group  as  shown  by  the  most  current 


Irrigating  grapes  on  the  Salt  River  Project,  Ariz.     Photo  by  E.  E.  Hertzog 


j^r 


mMi\ 


''«f?^^5^^?' 


M 


■«i. 


figures.  It  is  now  up  with  the  Minidoka  project 
in  Idaho  and  Wyoming,  the  Boulder  Canyon  proj- 
ect in  California  and  the  Yakima  project  in 
Washington. 

California's  giant  Central  Valley  project  is  the 
top  producer  with  its  $3.6  billion  in  irrigated  crop 
returns. 

The  thicker  Statistical  Appendix  containing 
more  than  200  pages  presents  greater  detail  about 
each  Bureau  of  Reclamation  project  than  its  com- 
panion publication.  The  pages  in  both  are  pre- 
cisely typed  for  final  printing  by  Euth  Adair  and 
Thelma  Fox  in  Nielsen's  office.  A  professional 
economist  also  does  key  work,  and  Glen  Johnson 
has  held  this  position  since  last  spring. 

With  the  efforts  of  this  staff,  the  Crop  Report  is 
attentively  put  together.  Al's  boss,  Maurice 
Langley,  chief  of  the  division  of  irrigation  and 
land  use,  wrote  a  forwarding  letter  to  Reclamation 
Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy  on  page  one. 
He  wrote: 

"Forty-four  multiple-purpose  projects  provided 
546.1  billion  gallons  of  water  for  municipal,  in- 


dustrial, and  other  nonirrigation  uses,  an  increase 
of  29.0  billion  gallons  over  that  of  1964.  These 
deliveries  supplied  about  60  percent  of  the  full 
requirements  of  12.4  million  people,  an  increase  of 
1.5  million  over  that  of  1964.  This  is  equal  to  the 
requirements  of  9  cities  the  size  of  San  Francisco, 
or  16  the  size  of  Phoenix,  Ariz. 

"Public  use  of  outdoor  recreation  facilities  on 
Reclamation  projects  amounted  to  36.5  million 
visitor-days." 

It  is  not  exactly  incidental  that  in  a  recent 
10-year  period  Reclamation's  dams  and  reservoirs 
prevented  flood  damages  to  private  and  public 
property  valued  in  excess  of  $426  million,  not  in- 
cluding the  saving  of  priceless  human  lives. 

The  contributions  of  the  western  part  of  our 
Nation — in  fact  its  actual  productive  existence — 
has  not  come  just  by  the  flow  of  history.  Its  pro- 
duction grew  and  is  still  growing  because  of 
forward-looking  men  and  the  development  of  the 
indispensible  but  scarce  water  supplies.  The  Crop 
Report  is,  it  would  seem,  an  important  footnote  to 
that  history  and  development.  #  #  # 


Two  such  selfl-propelled  tomato  picking  machines  are  put  to  use  on  one  farm  on  the  San  Luis  Unit  of  the  CVP,  Cah'f. 

Photo  hy  H.  L.  Peraonius 


90 


The  Reclamation  Era 


-m  r 


M 


^^fSf 


lolossus 


This   is   it.     Th»   land   needs   only  water,   gentlemen, 
last  August. 


The    newest   successful    applicants   for   CBP   farms    made   this    soil    examination 


by  DAVID  F.  SCHUY,  Chief,  Economics  Branch, 
Ephrata,  Wash. 

IN  the  early  1930's  there  was  very  little  induce- 
ment for  anyone  to  move  into  the  dry  south- 
eastern section  of  Washington.  Occasionally  a 
settler  would  try  to  put  down  roots  in  that  vast 
wilderness,  but  he  was  not  able  to  even  settle  the 
dust. 

In  fact  the  story  is  told  that  passengers  aboard 
an  ocean  liner  600  miles  off  the  coast  of  Washing- 
ton heading  for  Honolulu  in  1931  were  suddenly 
engulfed  in  a  huge  cloud  of  fine  dust.  The  cloud — 
estimated  to  extend  from  about  300  miles  inland 
to  1,000  miles  out  to  sea — was  none  other  than 
topsoil  from  the  Pacific  Northwest. 

But  if  any  of  that  dust  was  from  the  Columbia 
Basin  area,  the  picture  has  greatly  changed  in  re- 
cent years.  A  lot  of  people  have  come  to  count  on 
the  control  of  some  of  this  rich  topsoil  by  using 
the  conquering  influence  of  irrigation  in  that  part 
of  the  Evergreen  State. 

Since  1948,  water  from  the  Columbia  River  has 

made  huge  land  sections  in  the  Columbia  Basin 

project  attractive  to  settlers.     Now  the  Columbia 

H!*  Basin — with  its  dust  areas  a  lot  fewer — is  a  part 


of  the  Great  Inland  Empire.  Modern-time  fact 
finders,  seeing  the  settlement  and  prosperity  take 
place,  tell  the  amazing  story  of  the  development 
from  1948  to  1963,  which  changed  the  scene 
entirely. 

This  project  area  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
leaped  from  232  to  380,300  irrigated  acres.  The 
population  swelled  by  47,000;  858  new  businesses 
sprang  up,  annual  pay  checks  were  fatter  by  $56.5 
million,  and  the  assessed  value  of  property  in- 
creased $75.3  million. 

Tax  Revenues  Greater 

As  reflected  by  the  major  economic  indicators, 
the  State,  local  and  Federal  tax  revenues  were  6  to 
7  times  greater  in  1963  than  at  the  start  of  the 
irrigation  development. 

Money  from  State  retail  sales  taxes  was  597  per- 
cent higher,  the  State  business  and  occupation  tax 
revenues  were  724  percent  higher,  the  county  prop- 
erty tax  brought  about  600  percent  more  revenues, 
and  the  Federal  income  tax  revenue  was  593 
percent  more. 

In  other  words,  after  only  15  years  of  develop- 
ment, the  fledgling  Columbia  Basin  project  became 
quite  a  success. 


November  1966 

230-230  O — 66- 


91 


Sugar  beets  from  the  project. 


To  insure  a  complete  picture  of  the  project's  im- 
pact, its  economy  was  measured  against  a  good 
dryland  wheat-summer  fallow  region  adjoining  its 
eastern  boundary.  The  study  was  conducted  co- 
operatively by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  and  the 
Department  of  Agricultural  Economics  at  Wash- 
ington State  University.  A  brief  preliminary  re- 
port of  the  study  under  authorship  of  Dr.  Arthur 
W.  Peterson,  university  extension  economist,  was 
entitled :  "Economic  Development  of  the  Columbia 
Basin  Project  Compared  with  a  Neighboring 
Dryland  Area." 

Both  the  irrigated  and  the  dryland  areas  in- 
cluded in  the  report  resemble  each  other  in  ways 
that  are  important  to  an  economic  study.  This 
provided  an  excellent  opportunity  to  compare 
them. 

Growth  indicators  on  the  dryland  area  showed 
only  small  increases  and  declines,  and  that  area 
averages  leS  inches  of  rainfall.  The  project  area 
with  only  8  inches  of  rain — but  with  modem  irri- 
gation— supported  from  17  to  22  times  as  many 
people,  businesses,  retail  sales  taxes,  wages,  and 
workers  not  counting  farm  operators. 


marketing  firms,  and  $101.8  million  for  wholesale, 
retail  and  service  trades. 

Previously  having  scarce  vegetation,  but  used 
anyway  as  grazing  range  for  livestock,  the  farms 
on  the  project  in  1963  had  become  worth  $212  mil- 
lion including  the  improved  land,  machinery,  live- 
stock, and  operating  capital.  Farm  debt  at  that 
time  was  $67.4  million  leaving  a  net  worth  to  farm- 
ers of  $144.4  million.  This  is  approximately  $3  in 
assets  for  each  $1  of  debt. 

Other  1963  figures  show  an  average  investment 
per  cropland  acre  to  be  $557  as  compared  to  $115 
in  the  comparison  area.  Put  on  a  single  farm 
basis,  the  total  project  farm  investment  was  $84.7 
thousand  as  compared  to  $163.3  thousand  for  the 
comparison  area  farms,  due  to  the  considerably 
larger  size  of  the  dryland  farms. 

For  equal  amounts  of  cropland,  the  project 
farmers  receive  about  $4  of  net  farm  income  for 
each  dollar  of  those  in  the  dryland  area.  The  1963 
net  income  for  all  the  farmers  in  the  project  was 
$30  million. 

Healthy  Business 

Another  study  made  in  1962  gives  a  good  idea  of 
the  healthy  economy  of  the  off-farm  businesses  in 
processing,  handling  and  packing  the  farm  prod- 
uce. For  a  total  of  1,290  man-years  of  labor,  the 
99  such  firms  paid  $6.3  million  in  wages  that  year. 
Since  1962,  with  expansion  continuing,  five  more 
potato  processing  plants  have  been  built. 

As  reported  by  the  U.S.  Census  of  Population,  ^ 
the  increase  in  average  family  income  in  the  two  ^; 
primary  counties  of  the  project  area — Grand  and 
Franklin  Counties — was  51  and  62  percent  respec- 
tively from  1949  to  1959.     The  increase  in  the  two 
comparison  area  counties  was  38  and  47  percent. 

One  can  tell  by  an  increase  in  transportation  ac-  ^ 
tivities  that  when  business  booms  in  an  area  other  « 


Irrigation  Compared 

If  attempts  at  dryland  farming  had  continued  in 
the  newly  developed  area — irrigation  being  very 
sparse — its  productivity  would  not  have  been  even 
20  percent  of  the  comparison  area  productivity. 
However,  in  1962  for  example,  its  overall  output 
was  6.9  times  greater  than  the  other  area  resulting 
in  almost  a  quarter  of  a  billion  dollars  gross  rev- 
enues to  farmers  and  businessmen  associated  with 
agriculture.  Of  such  a  total,  $62.7  million  was 
farm  revenues,  $51.1  million  from  processing  and 


92 


In   1965,  122,500  cattle  were  fed  for  slaughter. 

Photo  by  E.  Hertzog 


Set  a  siphon  right,  and  it'll  do  the  job. 


parts  of  the  country  are  going  to  benefit  as  well. 
The  project  area  received  23  times  as  many  car- 
loads of  freight  and  shipped  out  8  times  as  many 
carloads  from  an  equal  number  of  acres  as  the  com- 
parison area.  The  wholesale  value  of  inbound 
freight  to  the  project  area  was  $2.4  million  per 
10,000  acres  of  irrigated  cropland,  and  the  value  of 
the  freight  shipped  out  was  $1.8  million. 

The  higher  value  of  the  incoming  freight 
points  to  the  expansion  of  both  farm  and  business, 
and  the  attraction  of  investment  capital.  Em- 
ployment in  the  transportation  industry  generated 
by  the  project  area  in  1962  was  25  times  as  much, 
and  it  brought  23  times  as  much  revenue  as  an 
equal  number  of  acres  in  the  dryland  area's  trans- 
portation business. 

Although  growth  in  the  Columbia  Basin  project 
has  been  outstanding  when  measured  in  terms  of 
production  and  income,  there  is  another  important 
measurement,  namely  opportunity  for  farm  owner- 
ship. 

People  in  other  areas  have  their  eyes  on  the 
flourishing  Columbia  Basin  project  area.  An 
average  of  57  potential  residents  have  applied  for 
each  farming  opportunity  when  the  Government- 
owned  lands  are  offered  for  sale  each  few  months. 
But  since  1963,  the  number  of  these  applicants  is 
almost  double  that  average. 


A  Look  Ahead 

Although  water  has  been  available  in  the  Colum- 
bia Basin  project  for  a  relatively  short  time  and 
the  resulting  growth  has  been  rapid,  the  full  im- 
pact of  reclamation  is  yet  to  be  experienced.  The 
productivity  of  the  soil  will  increase  and  the  agri- 
cultural industry  has  the  prospects  of  improving 
as  it  matures.  As  this  happens,  farming  will  shift 
to  more  intensive  crops  such  as  fruit,  vegetables 
and  specialty  seeds.  There  will  be  even  more 
crops  grown  than  the  sixty-some-odd  at  present. 
Then,  in  turn,  business,  employment  and  popula- 
tion also  will  be  stimulated  extensively. 

Although  the  project  is  authorized  for  an  ulti- 
mate size  of  1,029,000  irrigated  acres,  it  is  esti- 
mated that  by  1971,  515,000  irrigated  acres  will  be 
cropped  annually.  When  the  latter  acreage  is  de- 
veloped to  full  maturity,  its  annual  crop  value  at 
1963-64  prices  is  expected  to  be  $138  million.  In- 
come from  livestock  and  their  related  products  is 
expected  to  reach  $63  million,  which  is  approxi- 
mately triple  the  1963-64  production. 

Around  1975,  with  the  project  still  in  the  devel- 
opment stage,  the  area  populaton  is  expected  to 
reach  89,000.  And  at  maturity,  154,000.  The 
nonfarm  businesses  will  rise  to.  2,200  in  1975  and 
3,600  at  maturity. 


November  1966 


93 


^^ 

^« 

i 

^  mk 

■ 

r 

Potatoes — the  project's  largest  cash  crop. 


Electric  Power  Partner 

Although  the  impact  of  irrigation  on  the  CBP 
was  a  major  subject  of  the  report,  the  electric 
power  produced  at  Grand  Coulee  Dam  has  been  an 
indispensable  partner  to  irrigation.  The  dam  is 
the  principal  feature  of  the  project  and  it  produces 
power  for  use  in  a  huge  sector  of  the  Northwest. 
Adjacent  to  the  dam  are  the  6  giant  pumps  which 
lift  the  water  about  280  feet  up  from  the  river  to 
make  irrigation  of  the  entire  project  possible. 
However,  it  produces  three  other  principal 
benefits : 

1.  Its  generators  produced  electricity  from  1941 
to  1964  valued  at  about.  $493.8  million.  When  the 
third  powerplant,  recently  authorized,  is  in  opera- 
tion it  will  nearly  triple  the  present  generating 
capacity  to  5,6  million  kilowatts. 


2.  Flood  control  made  possible  by  Grand  Ck)ulee 
Dam  resulted  in  the  prevention  of  property  dam- 
age in  amounts  ranging  from  $79,000  to  $25  mil- 
lion, depending  upon  the  year. 

3.  The  recreational  use  on  the  project  becoming 
an  increasingly  important  byproduct  of  its  devel- 
opment each  year,  was  1,492,000  visitor-days  in 
1964. 

Some  of  these  figures  may  make  it  difficult  to 
realize  that  tlie  CBP  is  in  an  early  stage  of  devel- 
opment, and  that  its  impact  already  could  be  so 
significant.  However,  it  is  expected  that  there 
still  will  be  many  industrious  Americans  taking  a 
good  look  in  that  direction — to  see  if  some  of  that 
cloud  of  dust  still  need  settling.  #     #     # 

(A  comprehensive  treatment  of  this  economic  study,  com- 
plete with  charts,  is  expected  to  be  ready  this  year  as 
Bulletin  669  from  the  Washington  Agriculture  Experi- 
ment Station.) 


Mechanized  pea  pickers  at  worl<.     Photo  ly  Ron  York 


^^.^^^ 


je>'*f^*W 


is^aoasiitfte. 


.^■M^^' 


Would  You  Believe 


URBAN  IRRIGATION? 


by  GEORGE  MARTIN,  Editor  of  The  "Current"  News 

MORE  than  the  usual  problems  of  urbanization 
were  experienced  when  Phoenix,  once  a 
sleepy  cow  town,  began  an  amazing  postwar 
boom. 

In  1950,  even  after  the  boom  had  started,  the 
city  of  Phoenix,  Ariz.,  had  a  population  of  just 
over  100,000.  And  some  suburban  communities, 
like  Scottsdale,  didn't  even  exist  as  incorporated 
municipalities.  Today  Phoenix  has  a  population 
of  more  than  a  half  million  and  Scottsdale,  with 
a  population  of  55,000,  is  the  third  largest  city  in 
the  State. 

The  rapid  influx  of  people  to  the  Valley  of  the 
Sun  meant  that  new  homes  had  to  be  built  on 
land  once  cleaved  by  the  plow  and  the  irrigation 
ditch.  Much  of  this  acreage  was — and  is — within 
the  water  rights  lands  of  the  Salt  River  Valley 
Water  Users  Association,  part  of  the  complex 
organization  known  as  the  Salt  River  project. 
And  water  continues  to  be  a  most  important  busi- 
ness to  all  the  people  on  that  acreage. 

J.  Frank  Chambers,  manager  of  the  project's 
irrigation  services  department,  listed  1951  as  the 
year  the  project  felt  the  first  major  population 
impact — urbanization  on  land  formerly  used  for 
farming. 

Residential  Lots  Included 

"At  that  time,"  Chambers  said,  "we  faced  the 
necessity  of  revising  our  water  distribution  sys- 
tem. We  had  to  include  the  water  needs  of 
residential  subdivision  lots  in  addition  to  our 
municipal  and  farm  lots." 


Of  the  approximately  238,000  acres  in  the 
valley — all  served  by  the  project's  six  storage 
dams — nearly  one-third  are  in  nonagricultural  use. 
That  land  is  either  subdivided  for  residences,  or 
in  commercial  use. 

Where  previously  we  had  delivered  water  to  an 
80-acre  farm  account,  we  now  had  as  many  as  320 
resident  subdivision  accounts,  said  Chambers. 
And  each  had  individual  water  right  and  irriga- 
tion facilities. 

The  project  now  serves  32,000  residential  lots 
ranging  in  size  from  a  fifth  of  an  acre  to  five  acres. 
Most,  however,  are  less  than  one  acre. 

To  take  care  of  these  smaller  areas,  the  project's 
total  acreage  was  divided  into  five  separate  water 
distribution  areas,  each  having  about  50,000  acres. 
The  staff  for  each  distribution  area  field  office,  in- 
cludes a  watermaster  in  charge,  plus  the  clerical 
help  and  zanjero.  (A  Spanish  word  used  in  the 
Southwest  to  denote  the  one  who  controls  the 
delivery  of  water.) 

In  further  dividing,  smaller  groups  used  a  cen- 
tral schedule  board  showing  the  name,  address, 
number  account  and  the  time  each  member  is  to 
receive  his  "order"  of  water.  He  then  turns  his 
lawn  into  a  pond  for  a  short  time — made  possible 
by  banking  the  edges — or  ha  row- waters  a  garden. 

Water  Scheduled 

Water  deliveries  are  scheduled  every  14  days 
from  April  through  September,  and  every  28  days 


The  front  lawn  of  a  residence  in  northeast  Phoenix  looks  like   a  small  lake  after  being  filed  with  Irrigation  water.      The  edges  of  the 
property  are  raised  so  the  water  doesn't  leak  to  other  yards  or  into  the  street. 


November  1966 


95 


An  irrigated  yard  not  only  is  good  for  grass,  but  it's  good  for  the  children  to  try  out  their  little  boats, 
background  is  not  little  enough.      It  is  taken  to  one  of  the  project's  six  large  storage  lakes. 


However,  the  boat  in  the 


from  October  through  March,  In  summer  months 
the  water  is  needed  more  often  and  it  doubles  as 
a  play  pool  for  tiny  tots  under  the  watchfulness 
of  parents. 

In  one  trip  to  the  nearby  schedule  board,  each 
water  user  may  learn  when  he  will  receive  his  water 
and  sign  up  for  the  next  water  run. 

Individual  water-user  sheets  on  the  schedule 
board  also  tell  the  subdivision  officer  what  the 
credit  balance  is,  posts  notice  of  delay  or  a  can- 
cellation and  other  information. 

Payment  of  an  annual  assessment  entitles  the 
user  to  a  certain  amount  of  water — normally 
measured  as  50  miners  inches  to  subdivisions.  All 
water  above  such  an  amount  is  covered  by  addi- 
tional payments. 

Because  it  is  so  important  to  all  concerned  that 
water  not  be  wasted,  a  system  of  water  account- 
ing was  established.  The  system  provides  for 
daily  reports  and  attention  to  water  losses  by  sub- 
divisions or  individuals.  If  wasting,  or  flooding, 
is  caused  by  a  break  in  an  irrigation  line  tile,  it  is 
repaired  promptly. 

In  fact,  such  efficient  management  by  the  Salt 
River  project  and  irrigation  by  ponding  are  major 
factors  in  the  creation  of  the  beautiful  green  and 
fast  growing  cities  in  the  desert  southwest.  #  #  # 


96 


Schedule    boards    are    erected    in 
residents  on  the  list. 


a    convenient    location    for   al 


■j--'^^    ..:3-''?^'r 


k  J 


WINTER  FISHING  ANYONE? 


WINTER  no  longer  means  the  end  of  fishing  in 
the  normally  ice-locked  waterways  of  the 
West.  Many  reservoirs  are  open  to  fishing 
throughout  the  year — an  off-season  recreational 
dividend  of  Federal  water  resources  development. 

Fishing  in  the  manmade  lakes — some  200  of 
them — and  other  waterways  built  under  the  64- 
year-old  Reclamation  program  is  administered 
under  laws  of  the  States  where  the  waterways  are 
located.  One  can  obtain  information  on  fishing 
regulations,  and  reservoir  access,  from  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  offices  and  State  fish  and  game 
commissions. 

Major  winter  fishing  opportunities  in  Reclama- 
tion waterways  are  summarized  by  drainage  basin 
regions  and  offer  more  than  a  dozen  kinds  of  fish : 

Winter  Favorites 

Region  1,  Columbia  River  Basin — Pacific  Northwest 

Washington.  The  open  areas  are  Banks  Lake, 
Long  Lake,  Potholes  Reservoir,  Winchester  Waste- 
way  and  Evergreen  Reservoirs,  Stan  Coffin  Lake, 
Lake  Linda,  Scooteney  Reservoir,  Camp  Lake, 
Crescent  and  Long  Lakes,  and  Frenchman  Hills 
Waste  way  in  the  Columbia  Basin  project.  Types 
of  fish — perch,  bass,  crappie,  bluegill,  ling,  silver 
salmon,  kokanee,  eastern  brook,  rainbow  and 
brown  trout,  and  walleye. 

During  the  winter,  the  Yakima  River  is  open  to 
fishing  for  steelhead  below  Reclamation's  Roza 
Dam. 

Oregon.     At    Emigrant    Reservoir    on    Rogue 

River,  crappie,  bass,  and  catfish  are  available;  at 

Lake  Owyhee  and  Bully  Creek  Reservoir,  trout 

;and  crappie.     On  January  1,  the  Malheur  River 


downstream  from  Warmsprings  and  Agency 
Dams  were  open  to  year-round  fishing. 

Idaho.  Open  areas:  Palisades  Reservoir,  cut- 
throat trout;  American  Falls  Reservoir,  rainbow 
trout;  Little  Wood  Reservoir,  rainbow  trout; 
Boise  River  Reservoir,  trout ;  entire  Snake  River, 
sturgeon,  trout,  bass,  and  catfish.  Ice  fishing  at 
Palisades,  American  Falls,  Little  Wood,  and  Cas- 
cade Reservoirs. 

Montana.  At  Hungry  Horse  Reservoir,  trout, 
kokanee,  grayling,  and  whitefish  are  available.  It 
also  is  open  to  ice  fishing.  Some  roads  in  the  area 
are  kept  open  for  logging  operations. 

Wyoming.  At  Jackson  Lake,  mackinaw  lake 
trout — good  catches  made.  Ice  fishing.  Rental 
snow  vehicles  available  at  Jackson  and  Moran. 

Choice  Angling 

Region  2,  California's  Central  Valley  and  Lahontan  Basin, 
Nevada 

Galifomia.  The  open  areas  are  Shasta  Lake 
and  Folsom  Reservoir  for  trout,  bass,  bluegill,  and 
kokanee;  Keswick  Reservoir,  Engle  Lake  (Trin- 
ity), and  Lewiston  Reservoir,  for  trout  and 
kokanee ;  Nimbus  Reservoir  and  Lake  Solano,  for 
trout  and  bass ;  Friant  and  Delano  Reservoirs,  for 
bass  and  bluegill;  San  Luis  Wasteway  for  bass, 
bluegill,  catfish,  striped  bass,  and  crappie;  Lake 
Berryessa  for  trout,  bass,  bluegill,  and  catfish; 
Cachuma  Lake  for  bass,  bluegill,  and  catfish ;  and 
Casitas  Lake  for  bass,  bluegill,  catfish,  and 
crappie. 

Sly  Park  Reservoir,  for  bass.  East  Park  and 
Stony  Gorge  Reservoirs,  for  bass,  bluegill,  crappie, 
and  catfish,  also  are  open ;  however,  the  trout  fish- 
Fishing  through  the  ice  at  Banks  Lake,  Wash.,  is  popular. 


November  1966 


97 


ing  in  these  areas  is  closed  from  November  1 
through  April  30. 

Nevada.  Open  areas:  Eye  Patch  Reservoir  for 
trout,  bass,  and  bluegill ;  and  Lahontan  Reservoir 
for  trout,  bass,  bluegill,  catfish,  and  perch. 

Good  to  Excellent 

Region  3,   Lower   Colorado  River  Basin   and  Southern 
California 

Arizona.,  Nevada.,  Galifornia.  All  Reclamation 
reservoirs  in  the  Lower  Colorado  River  Basin  are 
open  for  fishing  year  around. 

Bass,  crappie,  catfish,  and  bluegill  are  caught  in 
Lakes  Mead,  Mohave,  Havasu,  and  on  other 
stretches  of  the  Colorado  River.  Rainbow  trout 
also  are  caught  in  Lake  Mohave,  between  Hoover 
Dam  and  Willow  Beach,  and  in  the  river  below 
Davis  Dam.  Bass,  crappie,  catfish,  and  bluegill 
also  found  in  Roosevelt,  Canyon,  Apache,  and 
Saguare  Lakes  on  the  Salt  River.  At  Bartlett  and 
Horseshoe  Reservoirs  on  Verde  River  in  central 
Arizona  angling  for  bass  and  catfish  is  fair  to  good. 

Walleye  were  recently  planted  in  Canyon  Lake 
behind  Mormon  Flat  Dam,  Arizona.  Blankenship 
Bend,  a  new  area  on  the  Colorado  River  Y  miles 
below  Topock,  Oriz.,  recently  was  stocked  with 
rainbow  trout,  some  of  catchable  size,  and  will  be 
restocked  regularly.  Winter  fishing  is  expected 
to  be  good  to  excellent. 

Trout  That  Bite 

Region  4,  Upper  Colorado  River  Basin  and  Great  Basin 

Arizona.  Lake  Powell  is  open  with  trout,  bass, 
and  catfish. 

Colorado.  The  open  areas  are  Crawford,  Fruit- 
growers, Jackson  Gulch,  Taylor  Park,  Vallecito, 
and  Vega  Reservoirs.  Types  of  fish — trout,  yellow 
perch,  and  walleye. 


New  Mexico — Colorado.  Trout  fishing  at  the 
Navajo  Reservoir  is  open  for  winter  fishing. 

Utah.  Open  areas:  Willard  Reservoir  with 
bass,  walleye,  and  catfish;  Flaming  Gorge,  with 
trout;  Deer  Creek,  with  trout  and  yellow  perch; 
Lake  Powell,  Newton,  and  Midview  Reservoirs, 
with  trout  and  bass ;  and  Lake  Powell  with  catfish. 

Wyoming.  Fontenelle,  Big  Sandy  and  Flam- 
ing Gorge  Reservoirs  are  open  for  winter  sports- 
men, with  ice  fishing  permitted.  Again,  trout  is 
the  primary  catch. 

Fish  Ponds 

Region  5,  Rio  Grande  River  Basin  and  Oklahoma  River 
Basin 

Neio  Mexico.  Open  areas:  Alamagordo,  Ava- 
lon,  Caballo,  Elephant  Butte,  and  Stubblefield 
Reservoirs  and  Lake  McMillan,  for  bass,  crappie, 
and  catfish. 

Oklahoma.  Altus,  Fort  Cobb,  and  Foss  Reser- 
voirs, for  bass,  crappie,  and  catfish. 

Colorado.     Platoro  Reservoir,  for  trout. 

Through  the  Ice 

Region  6,  Upper  Missouri  River  Basin 

Montana.  The  open  areas  are  Fresno  and  Nel- 
son Reservoirs,  for  trout,  kokanee,  and  walleyed 
pike;  Canyon  Ferry  Reservoir  for  trout  and 
perch ;  Pishkun  and  Willow  Creek  Reservoirs,  for 
trout  and  northern  pike;  Clark  Canyon  Reservoir 
for  trout ;  and  Yellowtail  Reservoir  for  trout  and 
walleye. 

Wyoming.  Open  areas :  Keyhole  Reservoir  for 
trout  and  walleyed  pike;  Boysen  Reservoir  for 
trout,  walleye,  ling,  sauger,  bass,  and  crappie ;  Buf- 
falo Bill  Reservoir,  for  trout  and  whitefish;  Bull 
Lake,  for  trout;  Ocean  Lake,  for  ling  and  crappie; 


Cool  fishing  in  Deer  Creek  Reservoir,  Utah. 


January  fishing  in  Montano. 

Right:  A  4-pound  rainbow  from  the  Lower  Colorado  River  in 
February. 

Fishing  from  a  special  craft  on  Flaming  Gorge  Reservoir,  Utah- 
Wyoming,  is  Gadabout  Gaddis,  producer  of  fishing  movies  for 
television. 


K'^^ai*. 


Pilot  Butte  Reservoir,  for  trout  and  ling;  Deaver 
Reservoir,  for  trout,  crappie,  and  bass;  Lake 
Cameahwait,  for  trout  and  bass;  and  Yellowtail 
Reservoir  for  trout  and  walleye. 

North  Dakota.  Dickinson  Reservoir,  Heart 
Butte  Reservoir,  and  Jamestown  Reservoirs.  All 
have  walleyed  pike,  bass,  and  northern  pike. 

South  Dakota.  Open  areas:  Angostura  and 
Belle  Fourche  Reservoirs,  with  trout,  walleye,  bass, 
crappie,  and  ling;  Deerfield,  with  trout;  James 
River  Division  Reservoir,  with  walleye,  crappie, 
and  northern  pike ;  Pactola  Reservoir,  with  trout ; 
and  Shadehill  Reservoir,  with  walleye,  bass,  and 
crappie. 

j  Yellow  perch  are  also  present  in  most  of  these 

*       South  Dakota  reservoirs. 

)      A  Lot  To  Offer 

Region  7,  Lower  Missouri  River  Basin 

Kansas.  Open :  Kirwin,  Webster,  Cedar  Bluff, 
and  Lovewell  Reservoirs.  Types  of  fish — walleye, 
northern  pike,  white  bass,  largemouth  bass,  crap- 
pie, and  catfish. 

Nebraska.  Harry  Strunk,  Hugh  Butler,  and 
Swanson  Lakes,  and  Enders  Reservoir.  Walleye, 
northern    pike,   channel   catfish,   bluegill,   large- 


mouth  bass,   crappies,  bullheads,  and  carp   are 
found  in  these  areas. 

Sherman  Reservoir  has  creel  and  possession 
limits  with  northern  pike  (5-10  pounds),  bluegill, 
largemouth  bass,  crappies,  bullheads,  and  carp. 

Colorado.  Open :  Bonny  Reservoir  with  north- 
em  pike,  walleye,  white  bass,  largemouth  bass, 
and  crappie  availaible. 

Colorado-Big  Thompson  Project.  All  reser- 
voirs are  open  to  winter  fishing.  However,  be- 
cause of  fluctuating  water  surfaces,  fishermen  are 
requested  to  exercise  unusual  safety  precautions. 

All  reservoirs  contain  rainbow  trout.  Lakes 
Estes,  Horsetooth  Reservoir,  Lake  Granby,  and 
Green  Mountain  Reservoir  also  have  brown  trout ; 
Horsetooth  also  contains  kokanee,  salmon,  bass, 
and  crappie. 

Green  Mountain,  Shadow  Mountain  Lake,  Lake 
Granby,  and  Carter  Lake  also  have  kokanee.  In 
addition.  Carter  Lake  has  bass,  and  Willow  Creek 
Reservoir  has  brook  trout. 

Wyoming.  Trout  fishermen  may  use  Alcova, 
Seminoe,  Glendo,  and  Pathfinder  Reservoirs. 

So!  Anglers  who  are  used  to  sitting  around 
waiting  for  spring,  might  try  winter  fishing. 

#     #     # 


November  1966 


99 


SOMEONE  who  knew  about  saving  time  and 
money  in  construction  efforts  once  rightly  said : 
"The  old  way  is  usually  best — ^but  not  always." 

When  our  company  contracted  for  one  of  the 
longest  water  pipe  systems  in  the  history  of  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation,  we  agreed  that  for  this  un- 
usual job,  the  usual  way  of  laying  pipe  would  not 
be  best. 

Presenting  the  main  challenge  was  the  installa- 
tion of  the  large  pipe — wider  than  some  automo- 
biles— sizes  from  5  feet  to  8  feet  in  diameter.  The 
pipe  sections  averaged  34  tons.  Extraordinary 
trenching  and  pipe  bedding  techniques  were  going 
to  be  required  for  us — Fulton  and  company — to 
meet  construction  schedules  for  such  a  water  high- 
way spanning  the  146-mile  section  between  San- 
ford  Dam  and  Lubbock,  Tex. 

The  remaining  reaches  of  the  322-mile  pipeline 
would  not  involve  such  unusual  pipe  sizes  and  ma- 
chinery. But  a  savings  of  a  great  deal  of  money 
resulted  from  the  speedy  construction  procedure 
for  the  larger  pipe  which  was  suggested  by  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation's  project  construction  engi- 
neer and  his  staff. 

Using  the  logic  of  putting  a  round  peg  into  a 
round  instead  of  a  square  hole,  our  two  organiza- 
tions began  in  July  1963  on  the  large  pipe  portion 
of  this  11-city  water  distribution  system. 

The  unusual  machine  would  carve  a  circular  bot- 
tom for  the  circular  pipe.  It  was  eased  into  the 
trench  after  a  conventional  backhoe  had  completed 
a  rectangular  flat-bottom  cut.     Then  this  man- 


Installing  a 
Water  Transport 
at  a  Saving 


by  R.  H.  FULTON,  Contractor  and  R.  L.  DRAGOO, 
Project  Manager  of  Lubbock,  Tex. 


power  saving  machine — looking  like  a  rear-propel- 
ler-driven tractor — crawls  steadily  along  the 
bottom. 

In  a  geyser  of  flying  earth,  the  propeller-like 
wheel  deepens  the  center  of  the  trench  with  a  neat, 
rounded  groove  just  right  for  the  bottom  one- third 
of  the  pipe. 

Actually,  the  digging  wheel  of  one  of  these  ma- 
chines consists  of  dozens  of  heavy  steel  spokes  with 
sharp-edged  cups  around  the  outside.  The  length 
of  the  spokes  was  adjustable  and  could  be  varied 
to  the  four  largest  pipe  sizes.  Strongly  powered, 
the  excavating  wheel  speedily  conveys  the  dirt  into 
a  winrow  on  the  trench  rim  for  later  use  in  cover- 
ing the  pipe. 

Other  Trencher  Adapted 

As  our  construction  progress  took  us  to  the  more 
distant  points  of  the  system  where  the  pipe  was  to 
be  smaller,  we  used  a  conventional  trencher  with 
the  water-wheel-like  excavator.  However,  we  re- 
placed a  portion  of  the  straight  edges  of  this 
machine's  cutter  buckets  with  curved  ones  so  the 
bottom  of  all  trenching  in  the  entire  system  would 
be  rounded  adjacent  to  the  pipe  and  provide  the 
many  advantages  of  firm  earth  support  in  which 
the  pipe  would  lay. 

As  the  trencher — either  of  the  kinds  used — 
moved  up  the  line,  the  pipe  crew,  following  close 
behind,  lowered  the  pipe  into  the  trench  by  crane 

A  96-inch  water  pipe  for  the  Amarillo  area  of  the  Canadian  Rivtr 
Project. 


100 


The  Reclamation  Era 


and  laid  it  into  the  circular  bottom  upon  two  nar- 
row sand  pads.  The  sand  kept  a  2-inch  space  open 
between  the  pipe  and  the  earth  for  pouring  a  soil- 
cement  grout. 

Soil-cement  has  been  adapted  to  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  work  during  the  last  few  years.  It 
has  proved  to  be  a  tough  facing  for  dams  and  other 
water-related  structures  and  now  is  shown  ideal  for 
supporting  the  pipe  of  the  Canadian  River  project 
aqueduct. 

Central  portable  batching  equipment  for  the 
soil-cement  grouting  was  moved  to  each  10-mile 
stretch  as  we  moved  along  the  trench  route. 
Ready-mix  concrete  trucks  then  deliver  the  grout- 
ing to  a  distributor  machine  which  propels  itself 
along  the  trench  astride  the  pipe.  The  soil-cement 
is  poured  into  the  distributor  tank  from  which  it 
flows  into  the  2-inch  space  along  the  sides  and 
bottom  of  the  pipe. 

Grout  Sets  Up 

The  grout  sets-up  hard  forming  a  firm  founda- 
tion for  the  pipe  and  eliminating  the  possibility  of 
void  spaces  or  channels  around  the  pipe  which 
could  fill  with  ground  water  and  weaken  the  foun- 


dation. Most  of  the  j  ob  is  thus  complete,  but  back- 
filling of  the  diggings  is  never  far  behind. 

Though  the  savings  from  the  new  methods  of 
construction  has  not  been  accurately  calculated,  the 
costs  are  estimated  to  be  a  third  less  than  conven- 
tional ways.  With  the  trenching,  installing,  and 
backfilling  all  being  done  within  a  short  reach  and 
using  only  one  construction  supervisor,  a  savings 
is  obvious.  Also  the  pipe  is  layed  and  bedded  to 
the  end  of  the  excavation  for  the  close  of  each  day's 
work.  In  the  summer  this  virtually  eliminates  the 
lost  time  from  pumping  rain  water  out  of  extra 
trench  after  heavy  storms.  In  the  winter  no 
frozen  subgrade  occurs  to  slow  a  day's  work. 

The  work  of  our  company  alone  on  the  aqueduct 
portions  of  the  Canadian  River  project  have  re- 
sulted in  construction  savings  to  the  Bureau  in  ex- 
cess of  $1  million.  And  a  savings  of  similar 
proportions  will  be  very  probable  as  these  proven 
methods  are  used  in  future  construction  jobs  when 
water  must  be  transported  long  distances. 

We  are  indeed  proud  to  have  worked  on  this 
project  which  has  resulted  in  so  many  benefits  of 
water  storage,  distribution,  and  water-based 
recreation  to  the  Texas  Panhandle.  #     #     # 


The  wheel  deepens  the  center  of  the  trench  with  a  rounded  groove. 


The  Corpsmen  Are  Mighty  Proud  Workers 


AN  attractive  new  recreation  area  has  been  cre- 
ated along  the  once  remote  south  shore  of  Al- 
cova  Reservoir,  a  half-hour's  drive  from  Casper, 
Wyo. 

Started  and  completed  with  their  own  hands,  the 
beautification  project  has  been  a  significant  mile- 
stone for  the  heterogeneous  group  of  young  men 
from  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  Casper  Job 
Corps  Conservation  Center.  Seldom  before  had 
they  felt  the  glow  of  real  accomplishment.  And 
this  was  the  first  unit  completed  in  their  vast  con- 
servation and  beautification  program.  The  Corps- 
men  are  mightly  proud  of  it,  and  so  are  the  people 
of  Casper. 

The  daily  Casper  Star-Tribune,  which  has  been 
conservative  in  praise  of  the  Job  Corps,  said  it  this 
way: 

"As  clouds  of  controversy  concerning  their  relative 
worth  swept  the  State,  the  100  enrollees  of  the  Casper  .Tob 
Corps  Conservation  Center  bent  their  backs  behind  pick, 
shovel,  and  trowel  and  in  58,000  man-hours  completed 
work  on  the  development  of  Cottonwood  Recreation  Area 
at  Alcova  Lake,  southwesit  of  Casper. 

"Today  the  60-acre  picnic  and  camping  area  and  adja- 
cent boating  facilities  and  some  2  miles  of  road  will  be 
turned  over  to  the  Natrona  County  Park  Board  and  the 
Board  of  County  Commissioners. 

"The  Park  Board  estimates  that  the  work  done  by  the 
Corpsmen  would  have  cost  the  county  government  some 
$250,000." 

Encouragement 

More  difficult  to  measure  is  the  value  of  encour- 
agement to  young  men  whose  lives  had  been  mar- 
red by  deprivation,  frustration,  and  failure. 

Nor  is  anyone  more  pleased  than  John  D.  (Dale) 
Anderson,  Director  of  the  Casper  Center. 

The  Casper  Job  Corps  Conservation  Center  was 
activated  April  15,  1965,  in  an  area  that  offers  ex- 
ceptional opportunity  both  for  the  enhancement  of 
nature  and  the  development  of  young  Americans. 

A  chain  of  reservoirs  created  by  the  Bureau  of 

102 


Reclamation  along  the  North  Platte  River  has  be- 
come extremely  popular  with  outdoor  enthusiasts 
from  Wyoming  and  neighboring  States.  But  fa- 
cilities have  proved  wholly  inadequate  in  the  face 
of  the  recreation  explosion. 

Shorelines  offer  little  shade,  comfort,  or  beauty. 
Still,  almost  435,000  persons  visited  the  Alcova 
Reservoir  area  last  year — swarming  along  the 
developed  north  shore. 

To  relieve  the  crowded  situation,  the  Casper 
Corpsmen  were  assigned  the  development  of  the 
south  shore  and  other  tasks  of  conservation  and 
beautification. 

The  nevv^ly  completed  Cottonwood  Recreation 
Area  will  accommodate  several  hundred  persons  at 
a  time,  without  crowding. 

Cottonwood  Area  Facilities 

In  work  that  started  in  the  fall  of  1965  and 
continued  on  a  limited  basis  during  the  winter, 
the  Corpsmen  built  a  2-mile  all-weather  road, 
erected  65  sturdy  picnic  tables,  5  steel  and  stone 
picnic  shelters,  several  latrines,  50  charcoal  grills 
and  a  similar  number  of  trash  racks. 

They  also  developed  30  acres  of  campgrounds, 
a  half-mile  beach  and  two  swimming  areas. 

Near  the  center  they  constructed  a  200-foot  jetty 
from  native  stone  and  concrete,  and  flanked  it  with 
a  boat  dock  and  ramp.  They  also  developed  nine 
auto  parking  areas  embracing  a  total  of  80,000 
square  feet. 

In  this  inviting  expanse  they  planted  2,000  tiny 
Ponderosa  pines  and  seeded  20  acres  in  grass. 

An    additional    15,000    Ponderosa    pines   were 
planted  by  the  Corpsmen  on  the  hillsides  and 
along  the  North  Platte  River  and  on  reservoir 
shores    in    the    Alcova,    Seminoe,    Kortes,    and      I 
Glendo  areas.  ' 

They  represent  not  only  future  beauty  and 
shade  but  also  wind  and  water  erosion  protection^U 

The  Reclamation  Era 


The  Corpsmen  have  neared  completion  of  the  attractive  Cottonwood  recreation  area  in  Wyoming. 


H.  P.  (Pat)  Dugan,  Regional  Director  of  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation's  Region  7  in  Denver,  has 
pronounced  the  Cottonwood  Area  a  "recreational 
gem"  of  Anderson's  imaginative  planning. 
Anderson  passed  the  compliment  on  to  his  staff 
and  the  Corpsmen. 

"You  can  appreciate  the  project  only  when  you 
know  what  the  enrollees  were  like  when  they  came 
here,"  Anderson  said.  "Some  were  billigerent, 
some  scared,  many  were  homesick. 

"But  with  this  large  number  of  active  young 
men  as  a  work  force  we  anticipated  accomplish- 
ments to  start  showing  quickly,  and  the  initial 
approach  was  to  send  out  a  work  leader  with  a 
group  of  Corpsmen  to  perform  a  job.  However, 
followup  inspections  revealed  that  not  much  was 
being  done. 

"The  work  leaders  reported  only  a  few  would 
work.  This  was  further  examined  and  we  de- 
cided only  about  10  percent  knew  hoio  to  work. 
The  scheduled  projects  were  temporarily  shelved 
and  we  started  all  over. 

"We  had  to  train  the  boys  in  work  attitude  and 
even  the  most  basic  work  skills.  The  answer,  I 
think,  was  motivation — the  installation  of  pride 
in  a  job  well  done. 

"The  training  included  use  of  hand  tools — axes, 
shovels,  picks  and  saws — and,  later,  the  use  of 
machinery,  from  concrete  mixer  to  power  shovel." 

Promotions  To  Leaders 

As  the  training  period  entered  the  10th  week 
and  all  Corpsmen  had  been  given  the  opportunity 
to  function  as  group  leaders,  the  staff  began  select- 
ing Corpsmen  for  promotion  to  leaders  and 
assistant  leaders. 

This  increase  in  faith  and  responsibility  was  a 
tremendous   challenge  to   those   who   had   never 


before  felt  the  obligation  of  leadership  and  the 
trust  of  adults. 

The  selection  of  leaders  had  a  good  reaction 
among  those  not  chosen,  as  they  wanted  to  be  on 
future  promotion  lists. 

Originally,  only  four  or  five  Corpsmen  could 
be  trained  by  a  staff  member,  leaving  between  20 
and  25  men  to  be  supervised  by  one  work  foreman. 
As  leaders  gained  confidence  and  experience,  they 
began  assisting  in  the  training  of  others.  This 
permitted  the  staff  instructor  to  maintain  only 
visual  control  over  groups  and  individuals  actually 
operating  heavy  equipment. 

The  early  dreams  of  glamorous  adventure  have 
been  replaced  by  pride  in  accomplishment  and 

A  Casper  enroliee  demonstrates  how  this  stone  work  is  done. 


November  1966 


103 


there's  great  rivalry  among  individuals  and 
groups  on  work  projects. 

"Corpsmen  who  once  wanted  to  loiter  in  the 
dormitories  now  clamor  to  get  out  into  the  field," 
added  the  Center  Director. 

Anderson  said  several  enrollees  have  developed 
a  high  degree  of  skill  in  the  operation  of  heavy 
equipment  and  that  many  others  have  taken  an 
intense  interest  in  carpentry  and  masonry. 

It  was  their  work  on  the  jetty  in  Alcova  Reser- 
voir that  introduced  them  to  the  challenge  of 
masonry,  which  is  patiently  taught  by  Charles  E. 
Galyan,  one  of  the  Casper  Center's  work  leaders. 

Galyan  is  a  former  contractor  who  served  with 
the  Armed  Forces  in  Greenland  during  World 
War  II. 

Borrowing  from  this  experience,  he  made  use  of 
a  sturdy  prefab  shelter  during  the  winter  months 
at  Alcova,  directing  work  within  the  heated  build- 
ing which  was  moved  several  times  directly  over 
the  site  on  which  the  Corpsmen  labored. 

Master  Plan 

Continuing  under  a  master  plan  that  will  keep 
them  usefully  engaged  for  several  years,  a  mini- 
mum of  25,000  seedling  shrubs  and  trees  will  be 
planted  next  spring.  This  number  will  serve  as 
a  goal  annually  thereafter. 

But  already  underway  is  the  development  of  a 
second  recreation  area  north  of  Cottonwood  on 
Alcova  Reservoir  along  a  shore  known  as  Black 
Beach.  As  at  Cottonwood,  the  work  involves  con- 
struction of  roads  and  trails,  picnic  and  camp 
grounds,  boat  ramps  and  docks,  signs,  shelters, 
overlooks,  picnic  tables,  and  latrines. 

The  facilities  are  prefabricated  in  the  Casper 
Center's  carpentry  and  welding  shops,  with  indooir 
and  outdoor  crews  rotating  to  give  each  man  full 
exposure  to  the  wide  variety  of  tasks. 

Next  on  the  schedule  is  a  third  recreation  area 
at  Pathfinder  Reservoir,   immediately   upstream 


from  Alcova.  The  development  started  this  fall, 
along  with  a  number  of  projects  for  the  Bureau  of 
Land  Management. 

These  will  include  riprapping  six  livestock  dams 
in  the  Powder  River  country  north  of  Casper ;  the 
development  of  springs  for  livestock  water;  the 
fencing  of  10  range  study  plots  embracing  from  1 
to  3  acres  each,  and  the  clearing  of  3  miles  of  fire 
breaks  across  BLM  land  on  Muddy  Mountain 
south  of  Casper. 

Recent  fires  in  that  area  have  destroyed  timber 
and  threatened  scenic  recreation  areas. 

Dugan  noted  that  Camp  Director  Anderson  and 
the  Center's  Work  Director,  George  E.  Davis,  are 
uniquely  qualified  to  serve  both  as  youth  leaders 
and  conservation  planners. 

Anderson  was  born  just  across  the  Wyoming 
line  in  Henry,  Neb.,  but  received  his  high  school 
education  at  nearby  Torrington,  Wyo.  He  at- 
tended the  University  of  Wyoming  and  was  gradu- 
ated with  a  B.S.  degree  in  Engineering  in  1942. 
During  World  War  II  he  commanded  an  infantry 
company  in  Europe. 

On  his  return  to  civilian  life  he  spent  4  years 
with  the  Soil  Conservation  Service  as  construction 
engineer  on  flood  control  projects. 

He  was  recalled  to  service  during  the  Korean 
conflict  and  served  as  assistant  professor  of  mili- 
tary science  and  tactics  at  Central  and  Centennial 
High  Schools  in  Pueblo,  Colo. 

Anderson  joined  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  in 
1961  as  hydraulic  engineer  in  the  Soil  and  Mois- 
ture Conservation  Branch. 

George  Davis  is  a  Wyoming  native  who  received 
a  B.S.  degree  in  Agriculture  and  an  M.S.  in  range 
management  from  the  University  of  Wyoming. 
He  also  was  a  high  school  teacher,  construction 
worker,  and  range  management  specialist  for  SCS. 

With  these  and  other  such  men — as  well  as  some 
Job  Corps  enrollees  with  a  talent  for  beautifica- 
tion — the  Casper  Center  will  complete  consider- 
ably more  units  of  work  with  pride.         #     #     # 


This  floating  docic  as  well  as  other  improvements  were  constructed  by  the  young  men. 


'-'^,^^^^. 


^;f'^fK'|;-I'^l'^ 


A  Man  Who  Made  the  Most 
of  an  Opportunity 

"I  CHOSE  TO  FARM" 


by  LAWRENCE  A.   GILLETT 

Editor's  Note  :  During  his  many  years  in  the  Mini- 
Cassia  area,  Mr.  Gillett  has  served  as  President  of  the 
Cassia  County  Farm  Bureau,  President  of  Idaho  Potato 
Bargaining  Association  and  as  a  member  of  the  Secretary 
of  Agriculture's  National  Potato  Advisory  Board.  He 
was  also  selected  as  Minidoka  County  Farmer  of  the  Year 
in  1963.  In  this  article,  Mr.  Gillett  describes  his  personal 
experiences  in  groicing  sugarbeets  in  a  Bureau  of  Recla^ 
mation  project  area. 

I  have  been  raising  sugarbeets  every  year  since 
I  started  farming  on  my  father's  farm  in  Declo, 
Idaho,  in  1946.  In  1956  I  drew  a  160-acre  home- 
stead 41/2  miles  from  a  sugar  factory  and  in  1957 
I  moved  out  on  this  new  land. 

To  me  this  was  the  opportunity  of  a  lifetime. 
That  first  year  I  chose  a  farm,  set  and  leveled  the 
fields,  built  a  new  home,  machine  shed,  potato  cel- 
lar, a  large  grain  storage,  a  w^alk-in  milk  barn,  a 
feed  lot,  and  a  pit  silo. 

With  the  aid  of  modern  machinery  and  tech- 
nology, I  was  able  to  put  this  farm  under  cultiva- 
tion and  have  it  under  full  production  the  first 
year.  To  make  an  economical  operation  I  rented 
another  farm,  and  in  1965,  I  purchased  480  acres 
of  new  ground  2i/^  miles  west  and  3  miles  nortli 
of  my  homestead. 

As  sugarbeets  had  been  the  backbone  of  my 
operation  in  Declo  and  I  had  no  history  on  the 
new  farm,  the  first  three  or  four  years  I  raised 
only  5  to  15  acres  of  beets  each  year.  When  Castro 
rebelled,  I  expanded  to  around  100  acres  of  sugar- 
beets  along  with  potatoes,  alfalfa,  and  grain.     I 

November  1966 


Soil  on  the  Gillett  farm  is  well   prepared. 

gradually   expanded   my   beef   feeding  program 
from  25  head  to  my  present  600  head  operation. 

Switched  to  Tops 

After  having  my  corn  silage  frozen  two  out  of 
three  years,  I  switched  to  'beet  top  silage.  I 
wouldn't  have  a  feeding  operation  without  it.  It 
not  only  frees  land  that  I  would  raise  com  silage 
on,  but  the  cattle  like  it  better  than  corn  silage. 
My  potato  and  beef  operation  has  been  a  rags  to 
riches  program.  Sugarbeets  add  stability  to  my 
farming  operation. 

I  have  always  planted  my  beets  the  last  week  of 
March  or  the  first  week  of  April.  I  have  lost  only 
7  acres  of  beets  in  20  years  to  frost  and  that  was 
15  years  ago  on  ground  I  leveled  and  did  not  rough 
up  before  planting.  Early  planted  beets  with 
good  moisture  are  much  hardier  than  late  planted 
beets  with  poor  moisture. 

I  usually  put  manure  on  in  the  fall  or  on  the 
preceding  crop  of  potatoes.  Waiting  to  put 
manure  on  in  the  spring  delays  planting  too  much* 
I  put  all  my  fertilizer  on  prior  to  planting.  If 
I  get  caught  short  on  N-2  I  add  it  to  my  irrigation 
water. 

On  my  weedy  fields  the  last  two  years  I  have  had 
good  results  w4th  Tillam  applied  with  an  incorpo- 
rator prior  to  planting.  However,  by  best  beets 
were  on  ground  that  came  out  of  alfalfa,  then  pota- 
toes (weed  religiously)  and  then  spring  bedded — 
no  herbicide.  Nothing  replaces  rotation  and  weed 
control  during  the  year  prior  to  raising  sugarbeets. 
Whenever  possible,  I  fall  plow  and  bed  my  sugar- 
beets.  I  have  good  results  with  monogerm  seed 
and  speedy  thinners  and  I  accomplished  the  same 
with  pelleted  seed  and  Tillam. 

I  could  write  a  book  on  what  I  think  of  govern- 
ment's poverty  and  labor  programs.     In  the  mean- 


time, we  must  mechanize  to  survive. 


#     #     # 


(Reprinted  by  permission  from  the  Spring  1966  issue  of 
Sugar  Beet.) 

105 


Reclamation's  Third  Year 
for  Top  Safety  Awards 

Secretary  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall  pre- 
sented two  top  safety  awards— third  year  in  a 
row— to  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy,  July  20, 
in  the  Secretary's  office.  "I  am  happy  to  congrat- 
ulate the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  for  again  earning 
these  avrards  and  for  its  outstanding  and  continu- 
ing safety  effort,"  said  Secretary  Udall. 

He  presented  to  the  Bureau  the  1965  plaques  for 
both  the  National  Safety  Council's  highest  award : 
the  Award  of  Honor,  and  the  Department's  high- 
est :  the  Interior  Safety  Aivard. 

Commissioner  Dominy  said  this  recognition  was 
achieved  by  the  unending  efforts  of  the  Chief  En- 
gineer, the  Bureau  safety  officers,  all  field  staff, 
administrative  supervisors,  and  employees 
throughout  the  Bureau. 

The  1965  frequency  rate  of  2.8  disabling  injuries 
per  million  man-hours  worked  is  the  lowest  in 
Reclamation  history  and  marks  the  fifth  consecu- 
tive year  the  safety  record  has  improved  over  the 
preceding  year.  In  1964  the  rate  was  3.6 ;  in  1963 
it  was  4.5 ;  in  1962  it  w^as  5.2 ;  and  in  1961  it  was 
7.6. 


Secretary  Udall,  right,  is  presenting  one  of  the  two  awards  to 
Commissioner  Dominy  at  the  double  award  ceremony  for  the 
Bureau   of   Reclamation. 


The  National  Council's  award  is  made  each  year 
in  recognition  of  outstanding  safety  achievement 
in  the  construction  industry.  In  selecting  the  or- 
ganization to  receive  it,  the  safety  records  of  both 
Federal  Government  agencies  and  private  industry 
are  considered.  The  Council  has  estimated  that 
fewer  than  five  in  1,000  construction  firms  meet  the 
eligibility  requirements  to  compete  for  this  award. 

#    #    # 


Supervision  of  Dam  Regulations 
for  the  Safety  of  the  Public 

An  article  entitled:  "Supervision  of  Dams  by 
State  Authorities,"  which  should  be  of  assistance 
in  State  regulation  on  design,  construction,  and 
maintenance  of  dams  for  the  safety  of  the  public 
has  been  written  by  T.  W.  Mermel,  Assistant  to  the 
Commissioner  for  Research  of  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation. 

The  article  appeared  in  the  August  issue  of  Civil 
Engineering,  the  official  monthly  periodical  of  the 
American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers.  The  piece 
discusses  and  summarizes  the  data  in  an  80-pag6 
report  published  by  the  U.S.  committee  on  large 
dams.  It  was  based  on  a  questionnaire  sent  to  each 
of  the  50  State  Governors. 

In  9  States  there  is  virtually  no  control  or  super- 
vision of  dam  construction;  many  States  require 
inspection  but  do  not  budget  adequate  funds ;  and 
15  States  felt  the  need  for  improvement  in  their 
regulations. 


106 


Bureau  of  Reclamation 

UTAH  (Except  SW.  tip) 

Water  Headquarters  Offices 

COLORADO  (Western) 

NEW  MEXICO  (NW.  tip) 

WYOMING  (SW.  tip) 

COMMISSIONER'S  OFFICE: 

IDAHO  (SE.  tip) 

C  St  between  18th  &  19th  Sts.  NW. 

(Region  4) 

Washington,  D.C.,  20240 

P.O.  Box  2553 

125  8.  State  St. 

CHIEF  ENGINEER'S  OFFICE: 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  84111 

Bldg.  53,  Denver  Federal  Center 

Denver,  Colo.,  80225 

TEXAS 

OKLAHOMA 

IDAHO  (Except  8E.  tip) 

KANSAS  (Southern  half) 

WASHINGTON 

NEW  MEXICO  (Except  W.  third) 

MONTANA  (NW.  corner) 

COLORADO  (Southern  wedge) 

OREGON  (Except  Southern  wedge) 

(Region  5) 
P.O.  Box  1609 

(Region  1) 

7th  &  Taylor 

Fairgrounds,  Fairview  Ave.  &  Orchard  St. 

Amarillo,  Tex.,  79105 

Boise,  Idaho,  83707 

MONTANA  (Except  NW.  corner) 

CALIFORNIA  (Northern  &  Central) 

NORTH  DAKOTA 

NEVADA  (Northern  &  Central) 

SOUTH  DAKOTA 

OREGON  (Southern  wedge) 

WYOMING  (Northern) 

(Region  2) 

(Region  6) 

P.O.  Box  15011,  2929  Fulton  Ave. 

P.O.  Box  2553 

Sacramento,  Calif.,  95813 

316  N.  26th  St. 

Billings,  Mont.,  59103 

NEVADA  (Southern) 

COLORADO  (Eastern) 

CALIFORNIA  (Southern) 

NEBRASK.V 

ARIZONA  (Except  NE.  tip) 

KANSAS  (Northern) 

UTAH  (SW.  tip) 

WYOMING  (SB.) 

(Region  3) 

(Region  7) 

P.O.  Box  427 

Bldg.  46,  Denver  Federal  Center 

Boulder  City,  Nev.,  89005 

Denver,  Colo.,  80225 

The  Reclamation  Era 


i 


The  First  Lady  Dedicates  Glen  Canyon  Dam 


Mrs.  Lyndon  B.  Johnson  read  th«  dedicatory  plaque  after  she  and  Secretary  Udall  had  unveiled  it.  On  the  platform  from  left  are 
Governor  Goddard  of  Arizona,  the  First  Lady,  Senator  Frank  E  Moss,  Secretary  Udall  (on  right  side  of  plaque),  and  Governor  Rampton 
of  Utah.      Acting  Commissioner  of  Reclamation  Bennett  applauds  from  his  position  near  the  podium.  Photos  by  Mel  Davis 


A  WOMAN  who  has  been  shown  "many  a  lovely 
prospect  in  her  time,"  the  First  Lady  of  the 
United  States,  said,  "I  still  could  not  have  fore- 
seen the  drama  and  the  winning  beauty  of  Lake 
Powell." 

Mrs.  Lyndon  B.  Johnson,  the  country's  foremost 
exponent  on  beautification  included  those  com- 
ments in  her  speech  dedicating  Glen  Canyon  Dam 
at  Page,  Ariz.,  last  September  22.  Her  message 
was  about  beautification  as  well  as  a  new  era  of 
wise  water  conservation. 

"Secretary  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall," 
who  was  Master  of  Ceremonies  at  the  dedication, 
"and  his  wife  Lee,  have  told  me  of  Glen  Canyon. 


Coming  here  today,  I  almost  feel  I  am  seeing  its 
wonders  for  the  second  time,"  Mrs.  Johnson  said. 

Secretary  Udall  reaffirmed  a  comment  he  had 
made  about  2  years  ago  when  the  waters  of  Lake 
Powell  behind  Glen  Canyon  Dam  first  showed 
blue  against  spectacular  shore  formations,  "Lake 
Powell  is  the  most  scenic  and  spectacular  man- 
made  lake  in  the  whole  world." 

Mrs.  Johnson,  a  Texan,  voiced  an  experienced 
appreciation  for  the  beneficial  purposes  of  the 
710-foot  high  structure  she  was  dedicating  in  stat- 
ing, "Glen  Canyon  is  not  just  a  Colorado  dam.  It 
belongs  to  the  Nation.  Many  hopes  were  born 
because  of  Glen  Canyon.     Many  hopes  will  be  f  ul- 


NOVEMBER   1966 


107 


Governor    Rampton    is    presenting    to    Mrs.    Johnson    one    of    the 
various   gifts   and    mementoes  which    she    received   at   the   event. 


filled  because  of  it.  Water  is  a  vital  commodity 
in  the  Southwest  today.  A  dam  such  as  this  one 
is  a  dramatic  element  in  the  whole  story  of  water 
conservation,  and  the  story  of  water  conservation 
is  of  increasing  concern  to  every  single  American, 
no  matter  where  he  lives. 

"The  hard  core  water  and  power  benefits  of  this 
dam  are  well  known.  Its  bonus  is  the  heavenly 
blue  lake  that  begins  here  and  winds  its  way 
through  Navajo  country  towards  the  labyrinth  of 
the  new  Canyonlands  National  Park — created  by 
Congress  2  years  ago." 

Shortly  after  her  arrival  at  the  top  of  the  dam. 


where  about  3,200  awaited,  Mrs.  Johnson  removed 
a  jacket  she  was  wearing  because  of  the  hot  desert 
sun  and  greeted  the  crowd  amiably.  Accom- 
panied by  Secretary  Udall  and  Acting  Reclama- 
tion Commissioner  N.  B.  Bennett,  Jr.,  she  walked 
to  both  edges  of  the  dam  and  viewed  Lake  Powell 
above  and  the  powerplant  and  the  Colorado  River 
below. 

New  Mexico  Senator  Clinton  Anderson  of  New 
Mexico  introduced  the  First  Lady.  Also  present 
at  the  ceremonies  were  many  congressional,  State, 
and  local  officials  from  the  Colorado  River  Basin 
States. 

Before  making  her  speech,  Mrs.  Johnson  un- 
veiled a  plaque  commemorating  the  event.  The 
plaque  was  later  to  be  installed  in  the  dam. 

In  her  remaining  comments  were  many  thoughts 
highlighting  the  role  of  nature,  a  national  beauti- 
fication  program  and  the  rightful  place  of  man 
in  his  surroundings. 

"One  cannot  explore  Lake  Powell's  1,800  miles 
of  shoreline  in  a  hurry,  but  the  places  invite  ex- 
ploration :  Places  like  Rainbow  Bridge,  Cathedral 
in  the  Desert,  Hole  in  the  Rock;  canyons  like 
Hidden,  Driftwood,  and  Pickaxe,  Dungeon,  For- 
bidden, and  Catfish. 

"In  paying  tribute  to  this  striking  engineering 
achievement  today,  and  to  this  landscape,  and  the 
new  town  of  Page,  I  would  also  like  to  pay  tribute 
to  the  strong  people  who  live  in  this  land,  and  are 
its  stewards.  The  ruggedness  of  your  task  has 
demanded  that  you  all  be  conservationists,  parcel- 
ing out  resources  judiciously,  enjoying,  and  not 
depleting  them. 

"To  me,  the  appealing  genius  of  conservation  is 
that  it  combines  energetic  feats  of  technology — 
like  this  dam — with  the  gentle  humility  that  leaves 
some  corners  of  nature  alone — free  of  technology — 
to  be  a  spiritual  touchstone  and  recreation  asset. 

"America  is  only  beginning  to  discover  the 
natural  beauty  that  is  here.  Our  country  is  enter- 
ing a  new  era  of  wise  water  conservation. 

"I  am  proud  to  dedicate  such  a  significant  and 
beautiful  man-made  resource.  I  am  proud  that 
'Man  is  here'."  #     #     # 


108 


The  Reclamation  Era 


INDEX  TO  THE  RECLAMATION  ERA 

Volumes  50,  51,  52 
1964-66 


ASCE,  Commissioner  Dominy  Receives  SO-Year  Pin  Is  Aug.  1964 

Elected  Affiliate  Member  of. 

A  First  for  the  First  Lady,  President  Johnson's  Wife  Nov.  1964 

Dedicates  Flaming  Gorge  Dam. 

Alaska.    Wracked  Alaska  had  Power Nov.  1964 

Aldrich,  Harold  E.  to  Direct  Region  6 May  1964 

Algae  Controlled  in  Measuring  Devices Nov .  1964 

Allison,  Shirley  A.  and  Boyd,  Harold  J.,  authors  of  Nov.  1965 

Irrigation  To  The  Navajo  Tribe. 

A  New  Crop  Grows  On  An  Old  Project Feb.  1964 

^ATetcSraO/Power  Transmm»on,byN.B.Bennett,Jr-  Aug.  196S 

New  Look  at  .  .  .  The  Idaho  Qems,  by  Harold  L.  Aug.  1964 

Mathes  and  W.  Dean  Boyle. 

New  Power  Oiant  Materailizes  On  The  West  Coast,  by  Aug.  1965 

Floyd  E.  Dominy. 

Arbuckle  Center  Is  Dedicated Aug.  1966 

Arizona.    Crops  Are  Coaxed  From  a  Sand  Pile,  by  May  1965 

Ernest  Douglas. 

Arizona.     Would  You  Believe    Urban   Irrigationf  by  Nov.  1966 

George  Martin. 

A  Stitch  In  Time  .  .  .  by  S.  T.  Larsen May  1964 

Atmosphere.    Seeded  Clouds  Produce  R-Shaped  Snow-  May  1966 

storm. 

Autobiography  of  A  Trout,  hy  Don  Feterson Feb.  1965 

Award  For  Olen  Canyon  Dam -_ Feb.   1965 

Award,  Judge  Sturrock  Receives  Conservation May  1964 

Award    Pres'^nted  to  Colorado    Man,   Conservation  May  1964 

(Judge  Dan  H.  Hughes). 

Awards.    Reclamation's   Third   Year  for   Top   Saftey  Nov.  1966 

Awards. 

Awards  to  farmers,  Minidoka  Project,  Idaho May  1965 

Awards,  two  highest  for  Bureau  safety Nov.  1964 

B 

Bashore,  Harry  W.,  Commissioner May  1964 

Battening  Down  the  Hatches,  by  H.  Shipley May  1%5 

Battle  Born  State  is  100  Years  Old,  by  Governor  Grant    Nov.  1964 

Sawyer. 
Beautiflcation.    Styling  For  Beauty,  by  Paul  Selonke..    Feb.   1966 
Beautiflcation,  National  Wildlife  Federation  campaign.    Aug.  1966 

Judy  Helps  The  Cause  For  Natural  Beauty. 

Bellport,  B .  P . ,  author  of  Safety  In  Dams Feb.   1965 

Bellport,  Bernard  P.,  author  of  It  Can  Be  Done Aug.  1965 

Bennett,  N.  B.,  Jr.,  author  of  A  New  Era  Of  Power    Aug.  1965 

Transmission. 

Better  Than  Buckets -- Aug.  1966 

Big  Irrigation  Values  in  Jumbo  Package,  by  Gordon  J.    Nov.  1966 

Forsyth. 

Boise  River,  tubing  (photo) May  1964 

Bookshelf  For  Water  Users:   The  Story  of  the  Columbia    Aug.  1966 

Basin  F^oject,  Aquatic  Pests  on  Irrigation  Systems,  Cen- 
tral   Valley   Project.     Motion  Picture  Notes:    Or  eat 

River,  Water  for  the  Valley,  Power  for  a  Nation,  Flaming 

Gorge. 
Boyd,  Harold  J.  and  Allison,  Shirley  A.,  authors  of    Nov.  1965 

Irrigation  Tc  The  Navajo  Tribe. 
Boyle,  W.  Dean,  coauthor  of  A  New  Look  at  .  .  .  The    Aug.  1964 

Idaho  Gems  (see  Harold  L.  Mathes). 
Buck,   Fred    E.,   awardee   of  Distinguished   Service    May  1965 

Award. 
Building.    Commissioner  Breaks  Ground  For  New  Rec-    May  1965 

lamation  BuUding. 

Building  a  Reclamation  Giant  in  California Feb.   1965 

Burdick,  Clyde  E.,  author  of  Foreign  Aid  in— "The    May  1964 

Land  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba". 
Bureau     Leadership,     Anniversary     Reflections     Of    May  1964 

(Dominy). 

c 

Cable,  Conductor Aug.  1965 

California,  Large  Water  System  in.   Receives  First    Aug.  1966 
Water. 

November  1966 


Page 

74 

77 

80 
42 


33 
43 

31 
30 
43 
43 

106 

59 
107 


Campbell,  R.  E.  and  Reuss,  J.  O.,  authors  of  Improve    May  1965 

Your  Salty  Soils. 
Canadian  River  Project,  Innovations  in  Aqueduct  Con-    Aug.  1964 

struction  on  the,  by  V.  O.  Grantham. 
Canadian  River  Project,  Texas.    So  That  History  May    Feb.  1965 

Not  Repeat,  by  Ida  Mae  Ellis. 
Canadian  River  Project,  Texas.    Reclamation's  ll-City    Feb.  1966 

Water  Pipe,  by  Gordon  J.  Forsyth. 
Canadian  River  Project.    Installing  A  Water  Transport    Nov.  1966 

At  A  Savings,  by  R.  H.  Fulton  and  R.  L.  Dragoo. 

Canal  cleaning.    Better  Than  Bvxkets Aug.  1966 

Carey,  Robert  W.,  and  Dean,  Harold  E.,  authors  of    Nov.  1964 

Operation  Westwide  Takes  Action. 
Carrington    Research    Farm.    North    Dakota's    Plan    Feb.  1966 

Ahead  Farm,  by  R.  E.  Dorothy. 
Celebration   by    Water    Users.    Weber   River   Project,    Aug.  1966 

Utah,  dedication  of  dam. 
Central  Valley  Project.     Building  a  Reclamation  Giant    Feb.  1965 

in  California. 

Clinton  Retires;  Crandall  Named  Director Nov.  1965 

Colorado   River.    Dredging  the  Braided   Colorado,  by    Feb.  1965 

Paul  A.  Oliver. 
Colorado's  New  Future  With  The  Fry-Ark,  by  Eleanor    May  1965 

Gale. 
Columbia  Basin  Project— See  30th  Anniversary  articles: 

No.  1  ("Whether  It  Rains  Or  Not") Feb.  1964 

No.  2  ("How  To  Frustrate  Weeds") Feb.  1964 

No.  3  ("  Good  Hunting  Is  Increasing") Feb.  1964 

Columbia  Basin  Project.     The  Columbia  Basin  Colos-    Nov.  1966 

sus,  by  David  F.  Schuy 
Columbia  Basin  Project.     What  Happened  to  those  Vet-    Nov,  1964 

eransf,  by  Paul  Hamilton. 

Columbia  Basin,  Livestock  Increase  In May  1966 

Commissioner,  Leadership  of  Reclamation May  1964 

Commissioner  Dominy  Receives  SO-Year  Pin;  Is  Elected    Aug.  1964 

Affiliate  Member  of  ASCE. 
Conservation  And  Full  Utilization  Of  Water.    Drawing.    Aug;  1966 
Conservation  Award  (WiUiam  E.  Welsh-Conservation    Feb.  1964 

Award  for  Life  of  Service). 

Conservation  Award,  Judge  Sturrock  Receives May  1964 

Conservation  Award  Presented  to  Colorado  Man,  Judge    May  1964 

Dan  H.  Hughes. 

Conservation  Award,  Col.  A .  E .  Howse,  Gets Feb.  1966 

Conservation  Award,  I.  J.  Coury  Receives May  1966 

Construction  on  the  Canadian  River  Project,  Innova-    Aug.  1964 

tions  in  Aqueduct,  by  V.  O.  Grantham. 
Corn  Succeeds  in  Irrigated  Forage  Mixtures,  by  Lionel    Feb.  1964 

Harris. 
Com,  Sweet.    They're  Still  Improving  Delicious  Sweet    Aug.  1966 

Corn. 

Coury,  I.  J.,  Receives  Conservation  Award May  1966 

Crandall  Named  Director;  Clinton  Retires Nov.  1965 

Crop  Production  (i?'roTOOM<0/TfteTVe«f...  A  Potential    Feb.  1964 

Food  Deficit  Area),  by  Loren  C.  Holt. 
Crops  Are   Coaxed   From  A   Sand  Pile,   by   Ernest    May  1965 

Douglas. 
Crop  Report  anniversary  article:  Big  Irrigation  Values    Nov.  1966 

in  Jumbo  Package,  by  Gordon  J.  Forsyth 
Czechs  Plan  S6  Dams  For  The  60' s,  by  Floyd  E .  Dominy.    May  1966 


D-C   Developments    In    Other   Countries,   by  T.   W.    Aug.  1965 

Mermel. 
Dahl,   EInar  H.,   awardee  of  Distinguished   Service    May  1965 

Award. 
Dairying  {"Whether  It  Rains  Or  Not")  No.  1  Anniver-    Feb.  1964 

sary  on  Columbia  Basin  Project. 

Dams.    Sa/e<j//n  Z)a7ns,  by  B.  P.  Bellport. -_ Feb.   1965 

Dams,  The  Part  They  Will  Play  in  the  Pacific  North-    Aug.  1965 

west— Pacific  Southwest  Intertie. 
Davis,  Arthur  Powell,  Director  and  Chief  Engineer. . .    May  1964 


Page 
51 


79 
100 

18 

80 

4 

115 
14 

33 


10 
14 
17 
91 

104 

54 
45 
74 

70-71 
16 

43 
43 

26 
55 
53 

19 

72 

55 

115 

5 

42 

87 

33 


59 

10 

8 
71 

45 

109 


Davis,  David  W.,  Commissioner May  1964 

Dean,  Harold  E.  and  Carey,  Robert  W.,  authors  of  Op-    Nov.  1964 

eration  Westwide  Takes  Action. 
Deep  River  and  Ransom  Development  Farms,  N.Dak.    Feb.  1965 

Producing  More  With  Less  Land,  by  R.  E.  Dorothy. 
DeWitt,  John,  author  of  Sixty  Years  Of  Tunnel  Driving    May  1966 

Dexheimer,  Wilbur  A.,  Commissioner May  1964 

Direct  Current,  Making  Use  Of Aug.  1965 

Diver  Checks  Spillway  Bucket  At  Grand  Coulee  Dam Feb.  1966 

Hominy, T\oydE.,a.uthoTo(  The  Water Rushin Riissia-     Feb.  1964 

Dominy,  Floyd  E.,  Commissioner May  1964 

Dominy,  Floyd  E.    Photograph  at  Yellowtail  Dam...    Nov.  1964 
Dominy,  Floyd  E.,  author  of  Spain  Increases  Dam    Feb.  1965 

Building. 
T>ommy,Floyd'E.,a.uthoTot  A  New  Power  Oiant  Mate-    Aug.  1965 

rializes  On  The  West  Coast. 
'Dommy,FloydF,.,a,uthoTof  Czechs  Plan  26  Dams  For    May  1966 

the  60's.      X 
Dominy,  Floyd  E.,  author  of  For  All  To  Use  (Commis-    May  1966 

sioner's  Page). 
Dominy,  Floyd  E.,  author  of  60  Years  Of  Producing    Aug.  1966 

Power. 

Dominy,  Floyd  E.,  Two  Top  Awards  For Aug.  1966 

Dominy  Floyd  E.,  author  of  Water,  People  and  Con-    Aug.  1966 

servation  (Commissioner's  Page). 
Dominy,  Floyd  E.,  author  of  Reclamation  and  Frontier     Nov.   1966 

Vigor  (Commissioner's  Page) . 
Dorothy,  R.  E.,  author  of  Producing  More  With  Less    Feb.  1965 

Land. 
Dorothy,  R.  E.,  author  of  North  Dakota's  Plan  Ahead    Feb.  1966 

Farm. 
Douglas,  Ernest,  author  of  Crops  Are  Coaxed  From  A    May  1965 

Sand  Pile. 
Dragoo,  R.  L.  and  Fulton,  R.  H.,  authors  of  Installing    Nov.  1966 

A  Water  Transport  At  A  Savings. 

Dredging  the  Braided  Colorado,  by  Paul  A.  Oliver Feb.   1965 

Dye  Dodges  Dry  Spells,  by  F.  Elmer  Foutz May  1965 

E 

Earthquake.    Wracked  Alaska  had  Power Nov.  1964 

Eastern  U.S.  Firm  Gets  Atmospheric  Water  Study  Con-    Aug.  1966 

tract. 
Ebersole,  Gordon  K.,  author  of  International  Training    Feb.  1966 

Program  Proves  Its  Worth. 
Educational  Irrigation,  A  Demonstration  on  Farming.    Aug.  1964 
Ehrman,  K.  S.,  author  of  Plastic  Cutoff  For  Seepage    Aug.  1964 

Control. 
Ellis,  Ida  Mae,  author  of  So  That  History  May  Not    Feb.  1965 

Repeat. 

Emblem.    Reclamation  Emblem  Is  Adopted May  1965 

Evaporation.    Retarding  Evaporation  in  Small  Reser-    Nov.  1965 

voirs,  by  Wilmon  W.  Meinke  and  William  J.  Waldrip. 
Evaporation— TAe  "Skin"  That  Saves  Water,  by  Bill    Aug.  1964 

Hosokawa. 
Experiment  gets  a  LIFT,  Reclamation May  1964 

F 

Farming.    Educational  Irrigation,  A  DemonstTation  on.  Aug.  1964 

First  Lady  Dedicates  Olen  Canyon  Dam Nov.  1966 

Fishing.     Winter  Fishing  Anyone? Nov.  1966 

Flaming  Gorge  Dam,  Stress  Analysis  Instrumentation.  May  1964 

Flaming  Gorge  Dam  (photo) Aug.  1964 

Flaming  Gorge  .  .  .  New  Rainbow  Bonanza,  by  Bob  Aug    1964 

Wiley. 

Flaming  Gorge  Dam's  dedication,  A  First  for  the  First  Nov.  1964 

Lady.    (Picture  on  p.  79.) 

Flaming  Gorge.    That  Gorgeous  Flaming  Gorge Feb.  1966 

Flood.    The  Week  the  Rains  Came.    (Montana) Nov.  1964 

Flood.    Reclamation  Structures   Curtail  Pacific   Coast  May  1965 

Flooding. 

Flood.     California    Flood    Work   Nominated   For   1966  Feb.   1966 

Outstanding  Award. 

Floods  Hit  Colorado  and  Eastern  Slope  Areas Nov.  1965 

Foreign    Activities.    India    Sends    the    Pathaks,    by  May  1965 

Dorothy  Brose  Garlington. 

Foreign  Aid  in— "The  Land  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba",  by  May  1964 

Clyde  E.  Burdick. 

Foreign  Reclamation  (The  Water  Rush  in  Russia),  by  Feb.  1964 

Floyd  E.  Dominy. 

110 


Page 

45 
100 

22 

29 
45 
71 
26 

1 
45 
103 

1 

63 

33 

Inside 

cover 

62 

57 

Inside 

cover 

Inside 

cover 

22 

18 

42 

100 

14 
54 


59 
109 


107 
97 
39 
56 
56 

77 

22 
94 
40 

27 

112 
37 

25 

1 


Page 

87 


54 

89 

5 

33 

100 


33 


97 
105 
40 
30 
107 

40 
17 


Forsyth,  Gordon  J.,  author  of  Big  Irrigation  Values  in    Nov.  1966 

Jumbo  Package. 
Forsyth,  Gordon  J.,  author  of  Reclamation's  ll-City    Feb.  1966 

Water  Pipe. 

Foutz,  F.  Elmer,  author  of  Dye  Dodges  Dry  Spells May  1965 

From  Gold  to  Precious  Water Nov.  1964 

From  Out  of  the  West  ...   A  Potential  Food  Deficit    Feb.  1964 

Area,  by  Loren  C.  Holt. 
Fry-Ark  Project.    Colorado's  New  Future   With   The    May  1965 

Fry-Ark,  by  Eleanor  Gale. 
Fulton,  R.  H.  and  Dragoo,  R.  L.,  authors  of  Installing    Nov.  1966 

A  Water  Transport  At  A  Savings. 


Gale,  Eleanor,  author  of  Colorado's  New  Fuiure  With    May  1965 

the  Fry- Ark. 
Garlington,  Dorothy  Brose,  author  of  India  Sends  the    May  1965 

Pathaks. 
Garrison   Diversion   Project.    Long-Awaited   Garrison    Nov.  1965 
Diversion  Act  Is  Signed.    Photo  at  the  White  House. 

Gibson  Dam,  Montana,  overtopped  (photo) Nov.  1964 

Gillett,  Lawrence  A.,  anther  of  "/  Chose  To  Farm,"..    Nov.  1966 

Glen  Canyon  (photo) May  1964 

Glen  Canyon  Dam.    Award  for  Glen  Canyon  Dam Feb.  1965 

Glen  Canyon  Dam's  Dedication.    First  Lady  Dedicates    Nov.  1966 

Glen  Canyon  Dam. 

Glen  Canyon  Unit  Wins  Top  Engineering  Award May  1964 

Good  Hunting  Is  Increasing  No.  3  anniversary  article  on    Feb.  1964 

Columbia  Basin  Project  (30th  Anniversary) . 

Also  see  articles  Nos.  1  &  2  "Whether  It  Rains  Or 

Not"  on  p.  10  and  "How  To  Frustrate  Weeds" 

on  p.  14,  Feb.  1964. 

Grand  Coulee  Dam's  Third  Powerplant  Bill  Signed... 

Grantham,  V.  O.,  author  of  Innovations  in  Aqueduct 

Construction  on  the  Canadian  River  Project. 
Gulley,  Terrance  A.,  author  of  Weed  Emphasis  Day  in 

Minidoka. 

H 

Hamilton,  Paul,  author  of  What  Happened  to  those  Vet- 
erans. 
Harris,  Lionel,  author  of  {Corn  Succeeds  In  Irrigated 

Forage  Mixtures) . 
Harris,  Lionel,  author  of  The  Farm  Of  Tomorrow  Works- 
Headgate  Awards  presented  by  Commissioner  Floyd  E. 

Dominy. 
Holt,  I/oren  C,  author  of  From  Out  Of  The  West  ...  A 

Potential  Food  Deficit  Area. 
Holum,  Kenneth,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Interior, 

quotation  on  PNW-PSW  Intertie. 

Hoover  Dam  (photo) 

Hosokawa,  Bill,  author  of  The  "Skin"  That  Saves  Water. 
How  To  Frustrate  Weeds  No.  2  anniversary  article  on 

Columbia  Basin  Project  (30th  Anniversary). 
Also  see  articles  Nos.  1  &  3 
"Whether  It  Rains  or  Not"  on  p.  10  and  "Good 
Hunting  Is  Increasing"  on  p.  17,  Feb.  1964. 

Howse,  Col.  A.  E.,  Gets  Conservation  Award 

Hughes,  Judge  Dan  H.;  Receives  Conservation  Award. 
Hunting  ("Good  Hunting  Is  Increasing")  No.  3  30th 

Anniversary  article  on  Columbia  Basin  Project. 
Also  see:  Recreation  &  Waterfowl. 


I 

Idaho  Gems,  A  New  Look  at  .  .  .  The,  by  Harold  L.    Aug.  1964  62 

Mathes  and  W.  Dean  Boyle. 
Improve  Your  Salty  Soils,  by  J.  O.  Reuss  and  R.  E.    May  1965  51 

Campbell. 
India  Sends  the  Pathaks,  by  Dorothy  Brose  Garlington.    May  1965  37 

Indians,  Navajo.    Irrigation  To  The  Navajo  Tribe,  by    Nov.  1965  98 

Harold  J.  Boyd  and  Shirley  A.  Allison. 
Innovations  in  Aqueduct  Construction  on  the  Canadian    Aug.  1964  58 

River  Project,  by  V.  O.  Grantham. 
Installing  a  Water  Transport  At  A  Savings,  by  R.  H.    Nov.  1966  100 

Fulton  and  R.  L.  Dragoo. 

Insulators  for  High  Voltage  Lines Aug.  1965  96 

IrUernalional  Conference  On  "Water  for  Peace"  Set  For    Nov.  1966  8* 

Washington,  D.C.,  by  Harlan  Wood. 


Aug 

1966 

65 

Aug. 

1964 

53 

Feb. 

1965 

16 

Nov 

1964 

104 

Feb. 

1964 

19 

Aug. 

1966 

67 

May  1965 

59 

Feb. 

1964 

5 

Aug. 

1965 

91 

Nov. 

1964 

86 

Aug. 

1964 

49 

Feb. 

1964 

14 

Feb.   1966 

26 

May  1964 

43 

Feb.  1964 

17 

The  Reclamation  Era   ^  i\ 


Page 

InUrnational  Training  Program  Proves  Its   Worth,  by  Feb.   1966  1 

Gordon  K.  Ebersole. 

Irrigation,  A  Demonstration  on  Farming  Educational.  Aug.  1964  68 

Irrigation  Agriculture— see  ("Corn  Swcceeds/n/rrij'oied  Feb.  1964  19 

Forage  Mixtures,"  by  Lionel  Harris). 

Also  see  (A  New  Crop  Grows  On  An  Old  Project)..  Feb.   1964  22 

Irrigation  Operators'  Worksiiop.    Bettering  Your  Man-  May  1965  46 

agement  of  Water,  by  Theodore  Nelson. 

Irrigation  Operators'  Workshop.    Real  Economies  From  May  1966  44 

Rehabilitation,  by  B.  A.  Prichard. 

Irrigation  To  The  Navajo  Tribe,  by  Harold  J.  Boyd  and  Nov.  1965  98 

Shirley  A.  Allison. 

Irrigators,  Annual  Workshop  Practical  For May  1964  35 

It  Can  Be  Done,  by  Bernard  P.  Bellport Aug.  1965  78 

Its  Benefits  Are  Big!,  by  William  H .  Keating Aug.  1965  82 

J 

Job  Corps  Center,  Fifth  Dedicated.    Marsing,  Idaho..    Feb.   1966  26 

Job  Corps  Center,  Lewiston.     Working  and  Learning    May  1966  47 

Job  Corpsmen,  by  Randy  Miller. 

Job  Corps  Centers.    Arbuckle  Center  Is  Dedicated Aug.  1966  79 

Job  Corps  Center,  Casper,  Wyo.     The  Corpsmen  Are    Nov.  1966  102 

Mighty  Proud  Workers. 
Job  Corps  Conservation  Centers,   Lewiston,  Toyon,    Nov.  1965    102-107 

Casper,  Collbran.    "These  Young  Men." 
Johnson,  Bruce,  Named  Planning  Officer  of  New  MRB    May  1964  42 

Office. 
Johnson,  Mrs.  Lyndon  B.   (The   President's   Wife).    Nov.  1966  107 

First  Lady  Dedicates  Olen  Canyon  Dam. 
Jolwison,  Mrs.  Lyndon  B.  (The  President's  wife),  A    Nov.  1964  77 

First  for  the  First  Lady. 
Jones,  Herbert  I.,  author  of  Reclamation  in  the  Rio    Feb.  1965  18 

Orande  Area  Aided  by  Watershed  Work. 

K 

Keating,  William  H.,  appointed  Division  Chief Nov.  1964  107 

Keating,  WiUiam  II.,  author  of  Its  Benefits  Are  Big. . .    Aug.  1966  82 

Keeping  A  Project  in  Shape,  hylRoyce  Van  Cuien Aug.  1964  72 


Laboratory.    Reclamation  Acquires  Radioisotope,  on    Aug.  1966  84 

Wheels. 
Lake  Meredith  (picture).    Calmness  At  Lake  Meredith.    Aug.  1966  83 

Lake  Powell.    Solons  View  Impressive  Red  Sandstone    Feb.  1965  30 

Cliffs. 

Lake  Powell.    Manmade  Lake  on  Milk  Cartons Aug.  1966  82 

Iiond   Drawing — Then   and    Now.     Columbia    Basin    Nov.  1966  114 

Project,  Washington. 

Langley,  Maurice  N.,  appointed  Division  Chief Nov.  1964  107 

Larsen,  S.  T.,  author  of  A  StUch  In  Time May  1964  33 

Larson,  Dr.  T.  A.,  author  of  Wyoming  "Home  on  the    Nov.  1965  93 

Range." 

Jjiadseith,'E.'V.,a\ithoiof  Researching  The  Intertie Aug.  1965  69 

Livestock  Increase  In  The  Columbia  Basin May  1966  54 

Loomis,  George  L.,  author  of  The  AssavJU  an  Salt  In    May  1966  37 

The  Pecos. 
Luce,   Charles  F.,   Administrator  of  the  Bonneville    Aug.  1966  91 

Power  Administration,  quotation    on    PNW-PSW 

Intertie. 

M 

Management.    Bettering  Your  Management  of  Water,    May  1965  46 

by  Theodore  Nelson. 
Manatees.    'Mermaids'  Studied  for  Deweeding  Water-    Feb.  1965  28 

ways. 
Manville,  Dr.  Richard  H.,  author  of  A  Possible  Pest  on    Aug.  1964  66 

DUchbanks  NUTRIA. 
Map,  full  color,  of  the  Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  South-    Aug.  1965       76-77 

west  Intertie. 
Martin,  George,  author  of  Would  You  Believe  Urban    Nov.  1966  95 

Irrigation? 
Mathes,  Harold  L.,  coauthor  of  A  New  Look  at  .   .   .     Aug.  1964  62 

The  Idaho  Gems  (see  W.  Dean  Boyle). 

McCarthy,  John  J.,  i?e«red  JB(i«or  Die* Feb.   1965  30 

Mead,  Elwood,  Commissioner May  1964  45 

Meinke,  Wilmon  W.  and  Waldrip,  William  J.,  authors    Nov.  1965  109 

of  Retarding  Evaporation  In  Small  Reserviors. 
Mermaids' Studied  for  Deweeding  Waterways Feb.   1966  28 

November  1966 


Page 

Mermel,  T.  W.,  appointed  Commissioner's  aid Nov.  1964  106 

Mermel,  T.  W.,  author  of  D-C  Developments  In  Other  Aug.  1965  86 

Countries. 

Merritt  Dam,  soil  cement  facing May  1964  39 

Miller,  Randy,  author  of  WorkiTig  and  Learning  Job  May  1966  47 

Corpsmen. 

Minidoka  Project.    Last  Repayment  Check  is  an  Occa-  Nov.  1964  93 

sion. 

Mobil  power.    Research  With  A  Roadmap May  1964  31 

Montana.    From  Gold  to  Precious  Water.    Montana's  Nov.  1964  89 

100th  territorial  Anniversary. 

Montana.     The  Week  the  Rains  Came Nov.  1964  94 

Motorized  Fruit  Collector  Tested  on  Project Aug.  1966  82 

Moving  Ahead  In  Weather  Research. May  1966  41 

N 

Neal,  Elma  Hill,  author  of  The  Waters  of  Idaho  (poem).    Feb.  1966  17 

Nebraska.    Edticational  Irrigation Aug.  1964  68 

Nelson,  Theodore,  author  of  Bettering  Your  Management    May  1966  46 

of  Water. 
Nevada.    Battle  Born  State  is  100  Years  Old,  by  Gover-    Nov.  1964  83 

nor  Grant  Sawyer. 
Newell,   Frederick  Haynes,  Chief  Engineer  and  Di-    May  1964  45 

rector. 
North  Dakota.    Producing  More  With  Less  Land,  by    Feb.  1965  22 

R.  E.  Dorothy. 
North  Dakota's  Plan  Ahead  Farm,  by  R.  E.  Dorothy..    Feb.  1966  18 

Nuclear  Probe  Saves  Time  and  Money Aug.  1966  73 

NUTRIA,  A  Possible  Pest  on  Ditchbanks,  by  Dr.  Rich-    Aug.  1964  66 

ard  H.  Manville. 

o 

Oliver,  Paul  A.,  author  of  DredffJnfftAe  Braided  Cotorodo.    Feb.  1965  14 

$1.S  Million  Contract  Awarded  For  Morrow  Poini  Power-    Aug.  1966  82 

plant  Generators. 
Operation  and  Maintenance.    Kuping  A  Project  In    Aug.  1964  72 

Shape,  by  Royce  Van  Curen. 

Operation  Golden  Eagle May  1966  62 

Operation  Westwide  Takes  Actum,  by  Robert  W.  Carey    Nov.  1964  100 

and  Harold  E.  Dean. 

P 

Pacific   Northwest-Pacific  Southwest   Intertie,   D-C    Aug.  1966  86 

transmission.    D-C  Developments  In  Other  Countries, 

by  T.  W.  Mermel. 
Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  Intertie,  evolution    Aug.  1965  63 

of.    A  New  Power  Giant  Materializes  On  The  West 

Coast,  by  Floyd  E.  Dominy. 
Pacific  Northwest- Pacific  Southwest  Intertie,  its  con-    Aug.  1966  78 

struction.    It  Can  Be  Done,  by  Bernard  P.  Bellport. 
Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  Intertie,  research    Aug.  1966  68 

of.    Researching  The  Intertie,  by  E.  V.  Lindseth. 
Pacific   Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  Intertie,  trans-    Aug.  1965  72 

porting  electric  current.    A  New  Era  Of  Power  Trans- 
mission, by  N.  B.  Bennett,  Jr. 

Page,  John  C,  Commissioner May  1964  45 

Palmer,  William  I.,  Resigns  To  Accept  Senatorial  Staff    Aug.  1964  74 

Assistant. 
Participating  organizations  in  the  PNW-PSW  Intertie,    Aug.  1966  91 

congratulations  to. 
Pecos  River.    The  Assault  on  Salt  In  The  Pecos,  by    May  1966  37 

George  L.  Loomis. 

Pest  on  Ditchbanks  NUTRIA Aug.  1964  66 

Peterson,  Don,  author  of  ^«io6ioi/rapA2/o/o  TroM< Feb.  1966  31 

Plastic  Cutoff  For  Seepage  Control,  by  K.  S.  Ehrman...    Aug.  1964  68 

Poi«o«  M^ced  IVorninff,  water  hemlock May  1966  60 

Pollution  Control  Agency  Welcomed  to  Interior Aug.  1966  68 

Population  {From  Out  Of  The  West  ...  A  Potential    Feb.  1964  5 

Food  Deficit  Area),  by  Loren  C.  Holt. 
Powell,  Lake.    Royal  Couple  Thrilled  By  Powell  Scene.    Feb.  1966  6 

President  Lyndon  B.  Johnson  quotation:  The  Most  Ex-    Aug.  1966  Inside 

citing  Transmission  System  in  History.  cover 

President    Lyndon   B.  Johnson  quotation.   Pollution    Aug.  1966  58 

Control  Agency  Welcomed  to  Interior. 
President  Lyndon  B.  Johnson  quotation.    International    Nov.  1966  86 

Conference  On  "Water for  Peace"  Set  For  Washington, 

2>.C.,  by  Harlan  Wood. 
Prichard,  B.  A.,  author  of  Real  Economies  From  Reha-    May  1966  44 

bilitation. 
Producing  More  With  Less  Land,  by  R.  E.  Dorothy...    Feb.  1965  22 

111 


R 

Ransom  and  Deep  River  Development  Farms,  N.  Dak.    Feb.  1965 

Producing  More  Wtth  Less  Land,  by  R.  E.  Dorothy. 
Reclamation's  ll-City  Water  Pipe,  by  Gordon  J.  For-    Feb.  1966 

syth. 

Reclamation  Experiment  gets  a  LIFT. May  1964 

Reclamation  in  the  Rio  Grande  Area  Aided  by  Watershed    Feb.  1965 

Work,  by  Herbert  I.  Jones. 
Reclamation  Milestones    (Soil  Cement  Facing  on  Mer-    May  1964 

ritt  Dam). 
Reclamation  Milestones    (Stress  Analysis  in  Concrete    May  1964 

Dams). 
Reclamation  Structures  Curtail  Pacific  Coast  Flooding...    May  1965 
Recreation  ("Good  Hunting  Is  Increasing")  No.  3  30th    Feb.   1964 

Anniversary  article  on  Columbia  Basin  Project. 
Also  see:  Hunting,  &  Waterfowl. 
Recreation.    Flaming   Gorge  .  .  .  New   Rainbow   Bo-    Aug.  1964 

nanza,  by  Bob  Wiley. 
Recreation.    Hydroplanes  Excite    Crowd  At  Bureau's    Nov.  1965 

New  WiUard  Reservoir. 

Recreation  Use  Soars  At  New  Reservoirs May  1966 

Recreation.     Winter  Fishing,  Anyone? - --    Nov.  1966 

Redfleld  Development  Farm,  S.  Dak.    Dye  Dodges  Dry    May  1965 

Spells,  by  F.  Elmer  Foutz. 

Region  2  in  Pictures Aug.  1964 

Region  3  in  Pictures May  1964 

Region  5  in  Pictures May  1964 

Region  6  in  Pictures..-, May  1964 

Repayment.    Last  Repayment  Check  is  an  Occasion Nov.  1964 

Research    With    A    Roadmap,    Testing    Away    From    May  1964 

Home  .... 

Researching  the  Intertie,  by  E.  V.  Lindseth Aug.  1965 

Retarding  Evaporation  In  Small  Reservoirs,  by  Wibnon    Nov.  1965 

W.  Metnke  and  William  J.  Waldrip. 
Reuss,  J.  O.  and  Campbell,  R.  E.,  authors  of  Improve    May  1965 

Your  Salty  Soils. 
Review  of  Maintenance  Program  of  Bureau.    A  Stitch    May  1964 

In  Time,  by  S.  T.  Larsen. 
Rodent.    Nutria,  A  Possible  Pest  on  Ditchbanks,  by    Aug.  1964 

Dr.  Richard  H.  ManviUe. 

Royal  Couple  Thrilled  By  Powell  Scene Feb.  1966 

RubinofE  and  his  violin  visits  Lake  Powell May  1966 

Russia  (See  Soviet  Union). 

s 

Safety.    Operation  Westwide  Takes  Action,  by  Robert  Nov.  1964 

W.  Carey  and  Harold  E.  Dean. 

Safety.     Whittling  Away  Work  Injuries,  article  adapted  Aug.  1966 

from  a  speech  by  Hubert  S.  Jerrell. 

Safety  In  Dams,  by  B.  P.  Bellport Feb.  1965 

Safety  on  lakes.    Wind  Socks  Fly  at  Lake  Cachuma May  1966 

Salty  Soils.    Improve  Your  Salty  Soils,  by  J.  O.  Reuss  May  1965 

and  R.  E.  Campbell. 

San  Luis  Dam,  California,  early  construction  (photos) .  Feb.  1965 

Sawyer,  Governor  Grant,  author  of  Battle  Born  State  is  Nov.  1964 

100  Years  Old. 

Schuy,    David    F.,    author   of    The    Columbia   Basin  Nov.  1966 

Colossus. 

Scott,  Millard  G.,  awardee  of  Distinguished  Service  May  1965 

Award. 

Sealer  for  water  .pipes.    The  Miracle  Leak  Sealer Feb.  1966 

Secretary  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall  quotation:  Aug.  1965 

The  Full  Benefits  Of  Electrical  Integration  .... 

Selonke,  Paul,  author  of  Sij^ieny  JTor  Beoitiy Feb.  1966 

Seepage  Control,  Plastic  Cutofif  For,  by  K.  S.  Ehrman..  Aug.  1964 

Shipley,  H.,  author  of  Battening  Down  The  Hatches.-..  May  1965 

60  Years  Of  Producing  Power,  by  Floyd  E.  Dominy....  Aug.  1966 

Sixty  Years  Of  Tunnel  Driving,  by  John  DeWitt May  1966 

So  That  History  May  Not  Repeat,  by  Ida  Mae  Ellis....  Feb.  1965 

Solans    View  Impressive  Red  Sandstone   Cliffs.    Lake  Feb.  1965 

Powell. 

South    Dakota,    Redfleld    Development    Farm.    Dye  May  1965 

Dodges  Dry  Spells,  by  F.  Elmer  Foutz. 

Soviet  Union  (The  Water  Rwh  in  Russia),  by  Floyd  E.  Feb.  1964 

Dominy  (also  see  Russia). 

Spain /ncrea»e«Z)amSw«<ijnff,  by  Floyd  E.  Dominy...  Feb.  1965 

Specialty  Crops  {"Corn  Succeeds  In  Irrigated  Forage  Feb.  1964 

Mixtures)",  by  Lionel  Harris. 

Also  see  ("A  New  Crop  Grows  On  An  Old  Project")..  Feb.  1964 

Stamm,  Gilbert  G.,  appointed  Assistant  Commissioner.  Nov.  1964 

Straus,  Michael  W.,  Commissioner May  1964 

112 


Page 

22 


40 
17 


108 

40 
97 
54 

75 
46 
47 
44 
93 
31 


109 

51 

33 

66 

6 
54 

100 
75 


52 
51 

5-7 
83 

91 

59 

11 
61 

12 
58 
56 
62 
29 
12 
30 

54 

1 

1 
19 

22 
106 
46 


Sturrock,  Judge;  Receives  Conservation  Award May  1964  43 

Styling  For  Beauty,  hy  FaulSelonke Feb.   1966  12 

Sugarbeets.    "I  Chose  To  Farm,"  by   Lawrence   A.  Nov.  1966  105 
GiUett. 

T 

That  Gorgeous  Flaming  Gorge Feb.  1966  22 

The  Assault  on  Salt  In  The  Pecos,  by  George  L.  Loomis..  May  1966  37 

The  Columbia  Basin  Colossus,  by  David  F.  Schuy Nov.  1966  91 

The  Corpsmen  Are  Mighty  Proud  Workers Nov.  1966  102 

5r/ic  i^ocTO  0/ Tomorrow  TVbr/c*,  by  Lionel  Harris Aug.  1966  67 

The  Miracle  Leak  Sealer.    Anhydrous  ammonia  fer-  Feb.  1966  11 

tilizer. 

The  "Skin"  That  Saves  Water,  hyBiWUosokdiwa, Aug.  1964  49 

The  Water  Rush  in  Russia,  by  Floyd  E.  Dominy Feb.  1964  1 

TAe  Wi<er»o//daAo  (poem),  by  Elma  Hill  Neal Feb.  1965  17 

The  Week  the  Rains  Cavfu Nov.  1964  94 

•'These  Young  Men."    Job  Corps  Center  dedications. .  Nov.  1965  102 

They're  Still  Improving  Delicious  Sweet  Corn Aug.  1966  72 

Thornton,   L.   F.,  awardee  of  Distinguished  Service  May  1965  59 

Award. 

Tower,  A  Finishing  Touch  On  A  Conventional  (photo)  May  1964  30 

Tower,  Raised  by  Crane  (photo) May  1964  30 

Tower,  Triangular  Bureau. Aug.  1965  71 

Towers,  Comparing  A-C  and  D-C Aug.  1965  71 

Transmission  towers.    Reclamation  Experiment  Gets  a  May  1964  29 

Lift. 

Tubing  on  Boise  River  (photo) May  1964  39 

Tunnel,  History  of.    Sixty  Yeirs  of  Tunnel  Driving,  by  May  1966  29 

John  DeWitt. 

Two  Top  Awards  For  Commissioner  Dominy Aug.  1966  57 

u 

Udall,  Stewart  L.  (photo) May  1965  33 

Uncompahgre  Project  {"A  New  Crop  Grows  On  an  Old    Feb.  1964  22 

Project.") 

V 

Van  Curen,  Royce,  author  of  Keeping  A  Project  in  Shape    Aug.  1964  72 

w 

Waldrip,  William  J.,  and  Meinke,  Wilmon  W.,  authors    Nov.  1965  109 

of  Retarding  Evaporation  in  Small  Reservoirs. 
"Warter  for  Peace,"  International  Conference  on.  Set  for    Nov.  1966  8 

Washington,  D.C.  by  Harlan  Wood 

Water  for  pigs,  where  it  never  freezes.  (Picture) Aug.  1966  83 

Weather  Research,  Moving  Ahead  In May  1966  41 

Weed  Control  {"How  To  Frustrate  Weeds")  No.  2  30th    Feb.  1964  14 

Anniversary  article  on  Columbia  Basin  Project. 
Weed,  Emphasis  Day  in  Minidoka,  by  Terrance  A.    Feb.  1965  16 

Gulley. 
Welsh,  William  E,  (News  Item)  Conservation  Award    Feb.  1964  16 

for  Life  of  Service. 
What  Happened  to  those  Veterans'!,  by  Paul  Hamilton.    Nov.  1964  104 

Whether  It  Rains  Or  Not  No.  1  anniversary  article  on    Feb.  1964  10 

Columbia  Basin  Project  (30th  Anniversary).    Feb. 
1964.    Also  see  articles  Nos.  2  &  3 
"How  To  Frustrate  Weeds"  on  p.  14  and  "Good 
Hunting  Is  Increasing"  on  p.  17,  Feb.  1964. 

White,  E.  L.,  appointed  Plaiming  Officer Feb.  1966  10 

Whittling  Away  Work  Injuries,  article  adapted  from  a    Aug.  1966  75 

speech  by  Hubert  S.  Jerrell. 
Wiley,  Bob,  author  of  Flaming  Gorge  .  .  .  New  Rain-    Aug.  1964  56 

bow  Bonanza. 
Willard  Reservoir.    Hydroplanes  Excite  Crowd  at  Bu-    Nov.  1965  108 

reau's  New  Willard  Reservoir. 

Wind  Socks  Fly  At  Lake  Cachuma May  1966  52 

Winter  Fishing,  Anyone"! Nov.  1966  97 

Wood,  Harlan,  author  of  International  Conference  On    Nov.  1966  85 

"Water for  Peace"  Set  For  Washington,  D.C. 
Working  and  Learning  Job  Corpsmen,  by  Randy  Miller.  May  1966  47 

Workshop  Practical  For  Irrigators,  Annual May  1964  35 

Would  You  Believe  Urban  Irrigation"!,  by  George  Mar-    Nov.  1966  95 

tin. 

Wracked  Alaska  had  Power Nov.  1964  80 

Wyoming  "Home  on  the  Range",  by  Dr.  T.  A.  Larson. .    Nov.  1965  93 

Y 

Yellowtail  Dam,  placement  of  concrete Nov.  1964  103 

The  Reclamation  Era 

U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE:  1966     O — 230-230 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Spec.  No. 


Project 


Award 
date 

July 

25 

Aug. 

4 

July 

5 

July 

25 

July 

18 

Sept. 

23 

July 

26 

July 

12 

July 

12 

July 

27 

Aug. 
Aug. 

31 

29 

Sept. 

16 

Sept. 

14 

Description  of  work  or  material 


Contractor's  name  and  address 


Contract 
amount 


DC-6419... 
DS-6422.... 


DC-6425.. 
DC-6429.. 
DC-6433.. 
DC-6438.. 
DS-6396.. 


DS-6415. 
DS-6416. 
lOOC-862. 


200C-633A. 
200C-«44. . 


3(X)C-241 . 
500C-236.. 


Missouri  River  Basin,  Kansas 

Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  South- 
west Intertie,  Oreg. 

Weber  Basin,  Utah 

Uncompahgre,  Colo 

Seedskadee,  Wyo 

Chief  Joseph  Dam,  Wash 

Missouri  River  Basin,  N.  Dak 

Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  South- 
west Intertie,  Nev. 

Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  South- 
west Intertie,  Ariz. 

Crooked  River,  Oreg 

Central  Valley,  Calif 

Central  Valley,  Calif 

Colorado   River   Front  Work  and 

Levee  System,  Ariz. 
Canadian  River,  Tex 


Construction  of  Solomon  River  bridge,  em- 
bankment, and  channelization  for  Mitchell 
County  highway  C-705  relocation. 

Detailing,  fabricating,  and  testing  Types 
SMX,  SAM,  TM,  TAM,  and  TAMD  steel 
towers  for  Oregon  Border-Mead  750-kv 
direct-current  transmission  line.  Schedules 
3,  4,  5,  6,  and  7. 

Enlargement  of  Woods  Cross  equalizing  res- 
ervoir 18.8,  Davis  aqueduct. 

Rehabilitation  of  Gunnison  tunnel 


Embankment  repairs  for  Fontenelle  dam 

Modifications  to  River  pumping  plant. 
Schedule  1. 

Aerial  photography,  supplemental  control, 
topographic  maps,  and  cross-section  data 
for  Middle  Souris  area,  N.  Dak.  (Nego- 
tiated Contract.) 

Twelve  8,000-kva  shunt  reactors  for  Mead 
substation,  Schedule  2. 

Two  230-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for 
Liberty  substation. 

Construction  of  Combs  Flat,  Johnson 
Creek,  Tunnel,  McKay  Creek,  Grimes 
Flat,  and  Hudspeth  pumping  plants. 

Constructing  Willows  field  office  building 

Initial  development  of  recreation  facilities, 
including  beach  areas  and  boat  ramp,  for 
San  Luis  forebay  reservoir. 

Stockpiling  rock  riprap  for  bank  protection.. 

Furnishing  and  installing  sewer  lines  and 
sewage  lift  station  for  Fritch  Fortress  rec- 
reation area  at  Lake  Meredith. 


Bushman    Construction    Co.,    St. 
Joseph,  Mo. 

Iwai  New  York,  Inc.,  Los  Angeles, 
Calif. 


E.  Arthur  Higgins,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah. 

Eagle  Construction  Corp.,  Love- 
land,  Colo. 

Brasel  and  Sims  Construction  Co., 
Lander,  Wyo. 

Paul  E.  Hughes  Construction  Co., 
Inc.,  Pasco,  Wash. 

K.  B.  MacKichan  and  Associates 
and  Abrams  Aerial  Survey  Corp., 
Lansing,  Mich. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp.,  Den- 
ver, Colo. 

I-T-E  Circuit  Breaker  Co.,  Los 
Angeles,  Calif. 

Blickle  Co.,  Portland,  Oreg 


Modern  Building  Co.,  Chico,  Calif. 
Trico  Contractors,  Merced,  Calif. .  - 


Frank  Magini,  Phoenix,  Ariz 

Conklin  Brothers,  Plainvlew,  Tex. . 


$440, 795 
102,400 

160, 441 
528, 340 
360, 974 
107,607 
184,  700 

132, 250 
119, 760 
169, 278 


191,994 
237,960 


127, 600 
108, 891 


In  its  assigned  function  as  the  Nation's  principal  nature  re- 
source agency,  the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special 
obligation  to  assure  that  our  expendable  resources  are  con- 
served, that  renewable  resources  are  managed  to  produce  opti- 
mum yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  full  measure 
to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  America,  now  and  in 
the  future. 

U.S.  Department  of  the  Interior 
Bureau  of  Reclamation 


United  States 
Government  Printing  Office 

DIVISION   OF   PUBLIC  DOCUMENTS 

Washington.  D.C.   20402 


POSTAGE   AND   FEES    PAID 
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New  ...  a  many-sided  story  about  birds  and  how  they  influence  our  lives 


Birds  in  Our  Lives 


.  .  shows  winged  influence  on  arts,  literature,  and  design. 

.  .  examines  their  role  in  the  development  of  the  airplane. 

, .  describes  the  intensive   search  for  knowledge  of  how  birds 
migrate  over  long  distances  with  great  precision. 

.  .  reviews  the  often  misunderstood  role  of  hawks,  owls,  fish-eating 
birds,  carrion  feeders,  and  the  insect  eaters. 

.  .  discusses  bluntly  the  controversial  topics  of  birds  and  pesticides, 
hunting,  and  the  introduction  of  exotic  species. 

.  .  analyzes  the  influence  of  man's  use  of  land  and  water  resources. 

.  .  considers  solutions  to  problems  caused  by  birds  at  airports,  on  rt 
farms,  in  cities,  and  to  power  and  communication  systems. 

.  .  tells  of  laws  and  treaties  to  protect  birdlife  in  North  America 
and  discusses  organizations  that  are  working  to  assure  the 
preservation  of  birdlife. 
Catalog  No.  I  49.66:29  Clothbound,  with  dust  jacket  3 


576  pages         367  photographs         80  wash  drawings 


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■ 


I 


I 


AT  ION 


Building  a  Dam- 

For  a 
Better  Tomorrow 

See  story  on  page  4 


February  1967  •  Vol.  53,  No.  1 


RECLAMATION 


Gordon  J.  Forsyth,  Editor 


Contents 

WATER  FOR 

COACHELLA 1 

by  Lowell  O.  Weeks 
and  Keith  H.  Ainsworth 

A  PROUD  NATION 

PREPARES 5 

INTERNATIONAL 

CONFERENCE 8 

by  Harlan  Wood 

BIT  MORE  BEAUTY-.,       9 
by  Joyce  HoflF 

UDALL  ON 

CONSERVATION.,.      12 
by  Interior  Secretary 
Stewart  L.  Udall 

REGULATION  AT 

WASH 14 

by  T.  H.  Moser 

FAST  WORKING 

PARTNER 17 

"HAIR  RAISING" 

AFFAIR 19 

AT  ARBUCKLE 

CENTER 20 

by  L.  R.  Anderson 

FOR  WATER  EFFORTS.     24 

United   States   Department   of  the   Interior 

Stewart  L.   Udall,   Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Floyd  E.  Dominy 

Commissioner 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation, 
United  States  Department  of  the  Interior, 
Washington,  D.C.,  20240.  Use  of  funds  for 
printing  this  publication  approved  by  the  Di- 
rector of  the  Bureau  of  the  Budget,  January  31 , 
1966. 

For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents, 
U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington, 
D.C.,  20402.  Price  30  cents  (single  copy).  Sub- 
scription price:  $1.00  per  year  (25  cents  additional 
for  foreign  mailing). 


Commissioner's  Page 


"WATER  FOR  PEACE" 

Water  resources  development  is 
something  in  which  all  Americans — indeed  all  citi- 
zens of  the  world,  have  a  vital  concern.  This  has 
been  reaffirmed  by  the  widespread  interest  in 
the  forthcoming  international  ^^ Water  for  Peace" 
conference. 

Water  has  been  a  consideration  of 
civilizatiofis  since  the  first  historians  began  record- 
ing the  tribulations  and  triumphs  of  mankind.  It 
still  is  a  matter  of  transcendent  global  importance. 

According  to  the  United  Nations 
Food  and  Agriculture  Organization,  the  world's 
food  output — entirely  dependent  upon  water — failed 
to  increase  at  all  during  1965.  But  the  world's  pop- 
ulation climbed  by  70  million  people. 

Food  production  fell  two  percent 
in  the  developing  nations  of  Latin  America,  Asia  and 
Africa,  where  60  percent  of  the  world's  people  live. 
In  Russia  and  Eastern  Europe  the  drop  in  food  pro-^. 
duction  was  six  percent. 

The  problem  is  enormous  and  grow-*' 
ing.     We  are  in  a  race  with  global  disaster  on  a  scale  > 
never  before  known.    The  time  we  lose  in  not  reach- 
ing solutions  will  not  only  prolong  the  world's  many 
miseries  associated  with  water,  or  the  lack  of  it,  but  i 
will  permit  the  problems  to  worsen. 

The  purpose  of  this  conference  will 
be  to  focus  universal  attention  on  man's  water  needs 
and  to  stimulate  a  massive  cooperative  effort  toward 
the  solution  of  problems  in  supplying  the  basic  water 
requirements  to  live. 

Many  of  the  blueprints  for  possible 
solutions  to  water  problems  of  the  world  can  be  found 
in  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  water  development 
know-how,  as  well  as  the  efforts  of  other  water  re- 
lated agencies.  We  believe  that  much  can  be  accom- 
plished through  a  ^^ Water  for  Peace"  program  which 
emphasizes  greater  understanding  by  sharing  techni- 
cal training  and  education  about  this  basic  commodity. 


Floyd  E.  Dominy 
Reclamation  Commissioner 


Tall  date  trees  form  a  majestic  canopy  which  is  typical  of  the  beauty  in  Coachella  Valley.      Basin 
type  irrigation  is  used  here  because  deep  penetration  is  necessary. 


A  Valley  for  Snow  ^^  Refugees' 


AUTOMATION  DOES  SOMETHING 


for 

COACHELLA 
VALLEY 


by  LOWELL  O.  WEEKS, 

General  Manager-Chief  Engineer, 
and   KEITH   H.  AINSWORTH, 
Assistant  General  Manager,  both  of  the 
Coachella  Valley  County  Water  District 

February  1967 


STEPPING  up  to  a  panel  in  the  headquarters 
building  of  the  Coachella  Valley  County 
Water  District  a  man  presses  one  of  scores  of 
plastic  buttons  facing  him  in  the  big  board. 

Instantly  a  gage  starts  revolving.  It  shortly 
stops  at  a  figure  on  its  dial.  The  operator  has 
just  queried  and  received  the  panel's  answer  as  to 
the  depth  of  the  water  in  a  district  canal  60  miles 
from  the  headquarters  center. 

Until  now  it  has  required  3  hours  for  a  man  in 
an  automobile  to  get  that  information 

This  is  the  CVCW  District's  new  telemetering 
system — one  of  the  first  all-automated  water  agen- 


More  raw  desert  was  being  cleared  last  year  for  a  new  citrus  grove. 


cies  in  the  West.  In  its  first  half  year,  this  finger- 
tip control  marvel  is  credited  with  saving  a  major 
part  of  14,211  acre- feet  of  water  in  this  California 
district. 

At  $3  per  acre-foot,  this  represents  a  dollar  sav- 
ing of  $42,633.  Not  a  bad  return  on  a  half-mil- 
lion-dollar investment.  And  vital  water  was 
saved. 

A  low  valley  ringed  by  mountains  a  hundred 
miles  from  Los  Angeles,  Coachella  Valley's  abun- 
dance has  attracted  national  attention.  In  the 
"upper"  or  recreational  end  are  located  the  famed 
Palm  Springs,  Palm  Desert,  and  numerous  other 
communities  which  are  havens  to  thousands  of 
snow  "refugees"  from  the  United  States,  Canada, 
and  many  other  countries. 

They  flock  here  to  laze  in  the  warm  winter  sun 
and  play  golf  on  some  of  the  22  courses  that  spread 
out  along  a  23 -mile  area.  Thousands  own  their 
own  winter  homes.  Among  the  winter  residents 
are  General  and  Mrs.  Dwight  Eisenhower,  who 
lodge  at  their  home  between  Palm  Desert  and 
Indio. 

Good  Farms 

The  farms  are  luxuriant.  Orderly  squares  of 
towering  50-foot  date  palms  produce  virtually  all 
of  the  United  States-grown  dates.  One  also  views 
deep-green  groves  of  grapefruit,  tangerines  and 
oranges;  thousands  of  acres  of  snowy  cotton, 
seemingly  endless  stretches  of  grape  vineyards 
from  which  come  the  Nation's  first  grapes  each 
spring ;  vast  plantings  of  a  great  variety  of  vege- 
tables, food  grains  and  hay,  not  to  mention  a  scat- 
tering of  many  other  lesser  crops. 


This  is  the  home  of  the  irrigation  division  of 
the  Coachella  Valley  County  Water  District. 

To  nourish  more  than  70,000  acres  of  highly 
productive  farmlands  in  this  valley,  most  of  it 
lying  below  sea  level,  the  District  transports  in  by 
canal  each  year  about  330,000  acre-feet  of  Colo- 
rado River  water.  Traditionally  the  farms  score 
the  highest  yield  of  any  larger  Bureau  of  Recla- 
mation-sponsored area.  The  figure  has  remained 
around  $730  per  acre  in  recent  years. 

Should  a  motorist  on  Interstate  10  choose  to 
continue  his  motoring  trip  beyond  the  vast  farm- 
land checkerboard  he  will  soon  find  himself  on  the 
shores  of  a  great  inland  body  of  water — the  34- 
mile-long  Salton  Sea.  Farms  and  groves  watered 
by  the  CVCWD  system  end  here,  at  a  point  about 
70  miles  from  where  the  visitor  entered  the  valley. 
Here,  the  motorist  will  be  232  feet  below  sea  level, 
second  lowest  point  in  the  Nation  being  exceeded 
only  by  the  274-foot  mark  of  Death  Valley.  The 
elevation  at  the  valley  entrance  is  about  1,000  feet 
above  sea  level. 

Magic  Transformation 

At  the  eastern  edge  of  the  Coachella  Valley 
begins  the  searing  and  forbidding  Colorado  Des- 
ert, of  which  the  valley  itself  had  been  very  much 
a  part  before  water  achieved  its  magic  transforma- 
tion more  than  a  half  century  ago. 

Starting  at  Imperial  Dam  on  the  Colorado  Riv- 
er, the  water  is  diverted  into  the  Ail-American 
Canal  for  a  gravity  flow  of  155  miles  to  the 
Coachella  Valley. 

With  most  of  the  Ail-American  Canal's  water 
cargo  headed  for  the  450,000-acre  Imperial  Valley, 
the    Coachella    share    is   turned    aside    into   the 


The  Reclamation  Era 


\w 


once   desert  now  includes  the  waters  of  Coachello   Canal^-electronically  controlled — date 


A  scene  that  was 
trees. 

Coachella  Branch  of  the  system  38  miles  down- 
stream. It  then  must  travel  an  additional  123% 
miles  of  almost  trackless  desert  to  its  terminus. 

All  of  these  vital  water  facilities  have  been  con- 
structed by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  as  part  of 
the  great  Hoover  Dam  complex  whose  existence 
has  transformed  the  Southwest.  For  its  part  of 
the  projects,  the  CVCWD  is  repaying  $27,000,000 
for  canal  and  distribution  system,  and  an  addi- 
tional $7,160,000  for  a  supplementary  loan. 

Of  course,  such  a  strung-out  canal  lifeline  has 
built-in  complexities  for  the  CVCWD  watermas- 
ter.  He  must  submit  his  first  estimate  of  water 
needs  14  days  in  advance.  He  can  make  one  final 
adjustment  5  days  prior  to  arrival.  But  after  that 
it  is  the  flow  in  the  canal  that  is  his  worry. 

It  was  because  of  this  problem  and  the  deter- 
mination to  insure  utmost  water  conservation  and 
service  to  the  w^ater  users  that  telemetering  came 
into  use.  The  District's  Board  of  Directors,  head- 
ed by  Leon  Kennedy,  prominent  farmer  in  the 
valley,  and  the  management  staff  headed  by  the 
coauthor  (Lowell  O.  Weeks) ,  decided  several  years 
ago  that  a  central  control  system  was  a  "must"  the 
first  moment  it  could  be  afforded. 

Loan  Opportunity 

That  opportunity  came  a  few  years  ago  when 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  arranged  a  Federal  re- 
habilitation and  betterment  loan  of  $7,160,000,  to 
be  repaid  over  30  years.  This  would  finance  sev- 
eral urgently  needed  installations,  including  the 
telemetering  system. 

The  system  uses  telephone  lines,  microwave  and 
UHF  circuits  to  link  the  panel  in  the  headquarters 


palms  and  young  citrus 
Photo  by  E.  E.  Herfzog 

building  with  the  more  than  150  responsive  stations 
scattered  through  the  District's  service  area.  An 
operator  is  alerted  instantly  by  buzzers  when 
there's  trouble  anywhere  on  the  system,  or,  for  that 
matter,  in  the  central  panel  itself.  Trouble  can  be 
corrected  by  radio-directed  field  crews  before  the 
water  user  is  aware  there's  anything  wrong. 

Largest  of  the  pieces  of  equipment  operated  by 
the  remote  control  system  is  a  bank  of  10  husky 
automatic  debris  screens,  located  just  ahead  of  the 
first  water  outlet  lateral.  These  screens  sift  every 
cubic  foot  of  water  in  the  canal,  removing  tons 
of  rubbish. 

The  original  five  of  these  screens  were  installed 
by  the  District  9  years  ago,  and  an  additional  five 
were  financed  from  the  R.  &  B.  program  last  year. 
When  the  first  five  screens  went  into  operation  the 
District  was  able  to  save  the  expense  of  paying 
60  men  who  had  spent  the  summer  months  and  part 
of  the  winter,  around  the  clock,  keeping  lateral 
screens  free  of  debris. 

Central  Operation 

Each  of  the  10  screens  can  be  operated  from  the 
central  board  'as  well  as  the  pump  on  each  machine. 
At  the  debris  screen  site  is  an  auxiliary  diesel- 
operated  generator  that  flips  into  operation  the 
instant  there  is  a  break  in  the  electric  power. 

Importance  of  water  conservation  and  the  desire 
for  the  very  best  service  to  users  have  been  em- 
phasized as  considerations  in  installing  the  tele- 
metering system  and  one  other  vital  factor  was 
flood  control. 

To  maintain  grade  on  the  Coachella  Canal,  when 
constructed  in  the  1940's,  engineers  were  compelled 
to  keep  it  snug  against  a  range  of  low  mud  hills  for 


February  1967 


a  distance  of  about  40  miles.  Siphons  carry  the 
waterline  safely  under  scores  of  major  washes  out 
of  the  sparsely  f  oliaged  hills.  The  slopes  can  send 
billions  of  gallons  of  water  tumbling  down  the 
washes  in  times  of  cloudbursts  or  heavy  winter 
rains. 

Yet  smaller  washes  could  not  be  handled  in  the 
same  manner  and  so  this  drainage  had  to  be  turned 
directly  into  the  canal,  forcing  it  to  serve  as  a  flood 
channel.  This  dual  capacity  poses  a  constant 
threat  of  a  washout  on  the  canal  after  a  flash  flood 
has  hit.  It  becomes  immediately  necessary  that 
the  gates  be  manipulated  and  evacuation  channels 
opened. 

Instead  of  men  fighting  their  way  to  these  in- 
stallations by  car,  on  foot  or  even  horseback  at 
flood  times,  the  telemetering  board  now  maintains 
a  fingertip,  instantaneous  control  over  all  of  these 
vital  pieces  of  equipment.  Such  control  can  easily 
mean  the  difference  between  canal  break  and 
orderly  operation  of  the  system. 

Increased  Services 

The  multiservices  of  the  CVCWD  also  have 
a  new  bearing  on  the  telemetering  installation. 
The  district  entered  the  domestic  water  field  in  1961 
and  during  the  past  year  has  directed  the  building 
of    three    major    improvement    districts — bond- 


The  water  district  is  proud  of  its  new 
water-saving  telemetering  control  sys- 
tern.  The  top  row  of  instruments 
indicate  water  levels  along  the  canal; 
the  second  row  shows  the  position  of 
the  gates;  other  helpful  devices  on  the 
panel  are  pushbutton  controls,  alarm 
lights,  and  audio  units.  District  offi- 
cials viewing  the  panel  are  Leon 
Kennedy  (right),  and  Lowell  O.  Weeks. 


financed  domestic  water  systems  within  its  bound- 
aries. The  systems  will  make  water  available  to 
homes  and  businesses  in  about  20,000  acres. 

Now,  those  widely  scattered  districts — two  of 
them  separated  by  about  60  miles — will  be  hooked 
into  the  central  telemetering  room  via  their  own 
panels.  The  district  is  serving  domestic  water  to 
approximately  4,000  customers.  The  service  with- 
in Imperial  County  is  confined  to  domestic  water  i 
systems  supplying  the  rapidly  growing  home- 
lands on  the  shores  of  the  great  Salton  Sea,  which 
has  become  a  boat  haven  for  thousands  from  many 
parts  of  the  West. 

The  Coachella  Valley  County  Water  District 
has  long  been  an  organization  well-known  to  irri- 
gation district  ofiicials  around  the  world,  chiefly 
because  of  its  envied  ujiderground  water  distribu 
tion  system.  The  distribution  grid  extends  486 
miles  and  provides  metered  service  to  each  40-acre 
piece  of  land  in  the  valley.  Today  the  CVCWD 
operates  in  three  counties  of  southern  California — 
Riverside,  which  includes  the  bulk  of  its  territory ; 
Imperial  and  San  Diego  Counties. 

Visitors  marvel  at  the  long  canal  that  trans- 
ports the  vital  irrigation  water  across  the  burning 
desert  to  creat  an  oasis  and  a  highly  productive 
farming  area  where  once  only  sagebrush,  coyotes 
and  homed  toads  existed.  #  #  # 


The  Reclamation  Era 


A  Proud  Nation  Prepares  for  the  Better 


This  28-year-old  stone  cutter  works  more  than  he  rests 


February  1967 


A  Proud  Nation  Prepares  for  the  Better 


THE  photograph  on  the  cover  and  the  others 
on  these  pages  are  excellent — perhaps  even 
epical — in  their  portrayal  of  how  drastic  the 
human  need  for  water  can  be. 

A  people  determined  to  make  a  better  tomorrow 
is  unmistakable.  Words  seem  unnecessary.  The 
photographs  tell  why  this,  or  any  other  growing 
Nation  in  an  arid  zone,  absolutely  must  have  im- 
portant water  controls  for  the  survival  of  its  peo- 
ple. This  fact  overlooked  today,  may  mean  no 
tomorrow. 


The  photos  were  taken  at  Nagarjunasagar  Dam 
in  a  remote  southern  part  of  India.  They  are  by 
the  U.S.  Agency  for  International  Development. 

Chennappa,  the  11-year-old  boy  in  the  cover 
shot,  is  being  relieved  of  a  pan  of  mortar  by  his 
father  who  is  a  mason  worker.  In  many  cases, 
husbands,  wives,  and  children  all  work  side  by 
side — the  shifts  going  on  around  the  clock. 

With  the  use  of  machinery  being  kept  to  a  mini- 
mum on  Nagarjunasagar  Dam,  the  construction 
methods  and  the  time  for  completion  contrast 
highly  with  those  in  the  United  States.  However, 
where  modem  machinery  is  essential  on  the  Indian 
structure,  it  is  properly  used. 

Named  after  Acharya  Nagarjuna.  a  revei-ed 
second  century  saint,  the  Indians  are  proud  of 
Nagarjunasagar.  They  planned  and  designed  the 
dam.    They  are  building  it  well.    It  will  be  the 


The  Reclamation  Era 


world's  largest  and  highest  masonry  dam — 409 
feet  high. 

For  many  years,  India's  specialists  and  those  of 
the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclamation  have  exchanged 
ideas  and  technical  information  on  water  resource 
developments.  Some  Reclamation  employees  have 
advised  on  the  plans  and  been  at  the  site  of  Nagar- 
junasagar  Dam.  Like  Reclamation's  dams,  it  is 
constructed  for  multiple- water  resource  purposes. 

On  Turbulent  Krishna 

Being  built  to  harness  the  turbulent  Krishna 
River,  the  dam  will  store  water  to  initially  irrigate 
600,000  acres  of  land,  eventually  expanding  to  3.6 
million  acres.  It  is  estimated  that  this  irrigation 
will  permit  an  increase  for  India  of  1.2  million 
more  tons  of  food  grains  a  year,  and  50,000  more 
tons  of  sugar. 

Its  powerplant  will  generate  400  megawatts  of 
electricity  for  the  benefit  of  the  Nation.  The  mas- 
sive dam,  including  the  earth  and  rockfill  sections 
on  both  sides,  is  3  miles  long.  The  masonry 
portion,  which  rises  409  feet  high  above  the  deep- 
est foundation,  is  approximately  a  mile  long. 

Forty-five  thousand  people  are  employed  at  the 
dam  and  about  80,000  more  are  engaged  in  con- 
structing the  vast  network  of  canals.  Because  of 
this  large  human  labor  force  only  a  few  cranes 
are  used  to  lift  mortar  and  some  granite  blocks 
to  the  topmost  parts. 

The  photograph  showing  the  man  breaking  a 
stone  with  a  heavy  hammer  is  of  a  stone  cutter  who 
has  worked  there  since  construction  started  in 
1956.  Beginning  at  3  a.m.,  he  works  8  hours  for 
53  cents  a  day.  But  he  actually  earns  more  be- 
cause he  also  works  overtime,  getting  a  higher 
rate. 

The  80-year-old  lady  often  comes  and  sits  to 
watch  construction.   Her  35-year-old  daughter  has 

job  there. 

Cement  is  in  short  supply  in  the  coimtry.  But 
Indians  are  ingeniously  using  "surki,"  burnt 

ly  crushed  into  powder,  to  supplement  cement. 

The  viewer  might  readily  agree  that  the 
jtacle  at  Nagarjunasager  is  dramatic.    It  is  at- 

icting  35,000  tourist  a  month.  Many  of  the 
)urists  visit  the  museum  that  has  been  built  to 

)use  Buddhist  relics  uncovered  in  the  area  of  the 

im — preserving  the  heritage  of  a  proud  Nation. 

igarjunasager  is  expected  to  be  completed  within 

le  next  5  years.  #    #    # 


The  dam  is  named  after  Acharya  Nagarjuna,  a  great  Buddhist  who 
started  a  university  in  the  second  or  third  century  A.D. 


This    80-year-old    lady   of    the    Lambada    Tribe   admires    the    con- 
struction activities  at  the  dam. 


Workers  carrying  stone,  cement,  and  sand  move  up  bamboo  ramps 
which  zigzag  to  the  top  of  the  dam. 


Photos  by  A.   I.  0. 


JRUARY    1967 


WATER 

FOR 

PEACE- 

The  1967 

Conference 


Nations  of  the  world  are  concerned  about  water.  They  will 
meet  in  Washington  next  year  to  plan  for  "intelligent  use  of 
the  water  of  the  world."  About  35  per  cent  of  the  world's 
land  area  is  permanently  short  of  water,  and  while  the 
amount  of  water  never  grows,  the    demand   increases  by 
giant  leaps.  The  problem  is:  Learning  to  live  with  those  facts. 


World  Water 
Problems  for 
INTERNATIONAL 
CONFERENCE 


by  HARLAN  WOOD, 

Conference  Director  of  Information 


World   Water  Map   is   reproduced  through  the  courtesy  of  the— 
Associated  Press. 

THE  publications  program  on  world  water  sup- 
ply problems  for  the  International  Conference 
on  Water  for  Peace  is  well  underway.  It  is  ap- 
parent that  members  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
will  be  making  important  contributions  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  historic  conference  which  will  be  held 
in  Washington,  D.C.,  from  May  23  to  31, 

Approximately  125  papers  will  be  given  orally 
and  375  additional  papers  are  to  be  distributed  at 
the  conference. 

Reclamation  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy 
has  submitted  the  abstract  of  a  paper  which  will 
relate  to  the  world  water  supply  situation.  Several 
other  abstracts  of  papers  have  been  received  from 
veteran  Reclamation  employees  of  the  Washing- 
ton, D.C.,  office  including : 

Assistant  Commissioner  N.  B.  Bennett,  Jr. 

Assistant  Commissioner  G.  G.  Stanmi 

Maurice  N.  Langley,  Chief,  Division  of  Irriga- 
tion and  Land  Use 


Val   G.   Killin, 
Activities 


Chief,    Division    of   Foreign 


Daniel  V.  McCarthy,  Chief,  Division  of  Projed: 
Development 

William  H.  Keating,  Chief,  Division  of  Power 

Important  abstracts  also  have  been  prepared  by 

employees  of  the  regional  and  field  offices  of  the 

Bureau  including,  for  example.  Chief  Engineer 


B.  P.  Bellport  and  Emil  V.  Lindseth,  General 
Physical  Scientists,  both  of  Denver,  Colo. 

Wide  Support 

Since  announcement  of  the  conference  by  Presi- 
dent Johnson  on  September  6,  1966,  over  a  score 
of  national  associations  with  water  interests  have 
endorsed  the  conference.  Industrial  and  academic 
support  has  been  strong.  Governors  from  Massa- 
chusetts to  California  have  indicated  their  support 
and  have  named  representatives  from  their  States. 

Overseas,  response  to  conference  planning  has 
been  equally  as  good.  Some  33  nations  have 
formed  national  committees  to  screen  the  contribu- 
tions of  their  countries  to  the  program  content. 
For  example,  Great  Britain  has  indicated  it  may 
present  45  papers  for  consideration  by  conference 
executives.  Even  the  smaller  nations,  such  as 
Jamaica,  have  indicated  they  would  like  to  have 
a  place  on  the  program. 

In  the  many  letters  received  from  throughout 
the  world,  one  student  organization  interested  in 
water  resource  development  summed  up  world  re- 
sponse by  stating : 

"Our  initial  interest  in  Water  for  Peace  has 
been  heightened  by  its  organizers'  apparent  deter- 
mination to  elevate  (the  conference)  from  a  schol- 
arly meeting  of  scientists  and  technical  experts  to 
a  conceivably  more  effective  gathering  of  both 
technical  and  political  executives."  #    #    # 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Getting  a  Bit  More  Beauty 


by  JOYCE   HOFF,  Sacramento,  Calif. 

ABIT  more  beautification  has  been  woven  into 
the  West.  From  nature's  "basket  of  ideas," 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  has  been  able  to  weave 
a  pleasing  new  look  around  many  water  resource 
developments — from  enhancing  the  look  of  a  surge 
tank  above  a  large  underground  water  pipe,  to 
replanting  forests. 

The  accent  on  natural  beauty  efforts  at  Reclama- 
tion structures  was  stepped  up  as  a  result  of  the 
White  House  Conference  on  Natural  Beauty  in 
May  1965. 

Projects  of  beautification  got  underway  then 
in  the  Reclamation  region  of  central  and  northern 
California  and  Nevada  and  parts  of  southern 
Oregon.  From  its  headquarters  in  Sacramento, 
Calif.,  the  Bureau's  region  has  worked  on  its  own 
projects  and  completed  others  in  cooperation  with 
local.  State  and  other  Federal  groups. 

One  project  was  to  change  the  color  of  the  surge 
tank  in  the  bluffs  above  Redding,  Calif.  It  had  a 
primer  coat  of  red  lead,  but  it  has  been  painted 
three  shades  of  blue — blending  into  the  sky  and 
giving  a  more  pleasing  view  to  the  residents. 

Also  in  the  Redding  area,  over  96,000  ponderosa 
and  sugar-pine  seedlings  were  planted  on  some 
150  acres  of  the  burnt  area  by  an  80-man  crew  from 
the  Bureau's  Lewiston  Job  Corps  Conservation 
Center. 

Other  parts  of  Region  2  also  are  benefiting  from 
the  new  emphasis  on  appearance. 

Landscape  architect  George  B.  Medlicott  has 
been  developing  the  region's  beautification  pro- 
gram. Natural  beauty  coordinators  have  been  ap- 
pointed in  each  field  division. 

Grassed  Area 

In  the  Granite  Bay  area,  east  of  Sacramento, 
recreationists  prefer  the  newly  grassed  area.  Mil- 
lions now  flock  to  this  area  each  year.  With  pic- 
nickers now  dotting  the  lawn  so  much  of  the  time 
on  sunny  days,  maintenance  men  have  found  it 
difficult  to  schedule  a  mowing  time,  and  sprinkling 
has  to  be  done  at  night  after  the  recreation  area 
is  closed. 

February  1967 


This    is    how   a    large   water   tanic    painted    three   shades    of   blue 
looks  against  the  sky. 


A   well-designed   visitor   overlook   at   Whiskeytown    Lake,   built  with   the   cooperation  of  the   Bureau   of  Reclamation  and  the  National 
Park  Service,  adds  to  the  beauty  of  the  area. 


Not  nearly  as  many  people  go  to  the  adjacent 
dirt  areas. 

Something  pleasant  also  greets  visitors  at  the 
entrance  to  the  office  at  Folsom  Dam.  On  the 
dam's  right  abutment,  a  giant  replica  of  the  De- 
partment of  the  Interior's  buffalo  emblem  has  been 
artistically  inlaid  at  ground  level.  Surrounded 
by  a  low  retaining  wall,  the  16-foot  buffalo  is  of 
brown  lava  stone  against  a  white  background.  Be- 
side the  emblem,  white  stone  letters  12-feet  high 
spell  "Folsom  Dam"  on  a  background  of  attractive 
red  stone. 

John  Paavola,  a  utility  man  at  the  Folsom  Field 
Division,  constructed  a  rock  wall  near  the  road 
leading  to  the  top  of  the  dam.  To  further  improve 
the  setting,  junipers  and  ground  cover  were 
planted  behind  the  wall. 

Considerable  other  landscaping  is  underway  at 
various  offices,  dams,  powerplants,  visitor  centers, 
and  Job  Corps  centers. 

And  for  the  future,  plans  are  underway  to  plant 
shrubs  and  trees  along  riding,  hiking  and  bicycling 
trails  which  will  parallel  Folsom  South  Canal, 
soon  to  go  under  construction. 


Eyesore  Vanished 

In  Nevada,  local  groups  who  live  near  Lahontan 
Dam  and  Keservoir  recently  caused  an  unsightly 
dump  to  vanish.  The  old  unpleasant  smelling 
dumping  grounds  were  not  only  near  a  reservoir 
beach  area  but  they  also  were  visible  from  U.S. 
Highway  50.  After  selecting  an  unobstrusive 
sight  for  dumping,  the  old  dump  heap  was  bull- 
dozed into  a  trench  and  the  sight  restored  to  its 
natural  beauty. 

In  another  drive  to  clean  up  trash.  Job  Corps 
men  from  the  Toyon  Conservation  Center  in 
California  volunteered  two  Saturdays  last  summer 
to  cleanup  along  10  miles  of  State  highway. 

An  agreement  between  Eeclamation  and  the 
Forest  Service  has  been  worked  out  for  FS  to 
plant  grass  and  low-growing  shrubs  and  bushes 
on  the  right-of-way  that  has  been  cleared  for  con- 
structing a  section  of  transmission  line  of  the 
Pacific  Northwest-Pacific  Southwest  Intertie. 
This  beautification  effort  also  will  control  erosion 
of  the  soil  and  provide  natural  food  for  wildlife. 

The  Tracy  Field  Division  office  has  cooperated 
with  many  residents  adjacent  to  the  huge  Contra 


10 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Costa  Canal  by  allowing  the  planting  of  flowers, 
shrubs  and  trees  along  Bureau  right-of-way  where 
the  improvements  will  beautify  the  area  and  yet 
will  not  interfere  with  operation  and  maintenance 
of  the  canal. 

Trees  also  have  been  planted  at  intersections 
where  highways  cross  the  large  canals.  Livermore 
Sea  Scouts,  assisted  by  employees  of  the  Tracy 
Field  Division  planted  trees  and  shrubs  on  the 
right-of-way  at  the  Tracy  fish  collecting  facilities. 

A  desirable  appearance  can  sometimes  be 
achieved  by  using  properties  which  also  perform 
a  service.  This  was  the  case  at  Prosser  Creek 
Dam,  Nevada,  when  native  boulders  were  hauled 
in  to  form  an  attractive  traffic  barrier  at  the  dam's 
vista  point. 

In  the  meantime,  the  visitor  rest  at  Friant  Dam 
has  been  "spruced  up"  and  others  in  the  region 
carefully  checked.  The  walls  atop  Monticello 
Dam  have  needed  painting — sometimes  as  often 
as  once  a  day — when  they  are  defaced  by  vandals. 

The  outdoors  is  not  the  only  place  that  house- 
keeping has  been  underway.  The  Shasta  Visitor 
Center — which  received  about  354,000  visitors  in 
1965 — recently  was  remodeled  and  its  visual  and 
display  of  the  operation  of  Central  Valley  project 
of  water  resource  development  was  updated. 

A  Scenic  Lake 

Some  beautification  projects  require  longrange 
planning  and  special  designing.  One  such  pros- 
pect is  the  scenic  Upper  Klamath  Lake  in  Oregon. 
Recreational  use  could  be  significantly  increased 
at  this  lake  if  there  could  be  removal  of  the  heavy 
algae  growth  which  has  colored  the  water  and 
created  an  unpleasant  odor.  The  Bureau's  search 
for  a  solution  to  the  pollution  problem  is  in  co- 
operation with  the  Federal  Water  Pollution  Con- 
trol Administration. 

To  avoid  disturbing  the  amenities  of  a  recrea- 
tional area  in  Nevada,  changes  are  being  proposed 
for  the  location  of  two  powerlines  so  they  will  be 
separated  from  the  i-ecreation  area  by  natural 
screening.  These  transmission  powerlines  pass  in 
the  vicinity  of  Reclamation's  Stampede  Dam,  now 
in  early  stages  of  construction  on  the  California 
side  of  the  border. 

In  a  contract  witht  the  Nevada  State  Park  Sys- 
tem, plans  for  enhancement  of  a  recreational  area 
are  underway  for  the  Rye  Patch  and  Lahonton 
Reservoir  areas. 


After  a  forest  fire  swept  the  Hayfork  area,  over  96,000  ponderosa 
and  sugar  pine  seedlings  were  planted  by  Job  Corpsmen  of  the 
Lewislon  Center  near  Redding,  Calif. 


The  Bureau  is  negotiating  with  the  Bella  Vista 
Water  District  in  northern  California  for  develop- 
ment of  about  5  acres  of  land  into  a  park  around 
the  Wintu  pumping  plant.  The  plant  is  on  the 
bank  of  the  Sacramento  River  near  Redding. 

Some  progress  has  been  made  to  transfer  ap- 
proximately 300  acres  of  land  near  the  Bureau's 
Red  Bluff  division  dam  to  the  California  Division 
of  Beaches  and  Parks  for  development  with  park 
and  recreational  facilities. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  is  not  only  con- 
cerned with  the  conservation  and  wise  use  of  our 
water  supplies,  but  also  with  doing  something 
about  preserving  our  irreplaceable  heritage  of 
natural  beauty  around  vital  water  developments. 

#     #     # 


February  1967 


11 


Secretary  Udall  Notes 

^TISION  AND  PROPHECY'' 

of  a  Great  Conservationist 


ALTHOUGH  significant  forward  steps  in  water 
resources  development  are  noted  from,  time  to 
time,  occasionally  one  giant  step  can  be  viewed,  in 
retrospect,  as  being  eminently  noteworthy  and  al- 
most overlooked  in  the  historical  development  of  a 
large  part  of  our  Nation — the  arid  and  semiarid 
West. 

A  recent  speech  by  Secretary  Udal  recalled  one 
such  landmark  action  which  should  prove  most 
interesting  to  those  Americans  now  awakened  to 
the  conservation  of  our  water  resources. 

We  include  excerpts  from  the  Secretary's  speech 
at  the  Symposium  on  Arid  and  Semiarid  Lands,  at 
the  Texas  Technological  College,  Lubbock,  Tex., 
October  31,  1966 : 

Speaking  in  general  terms,  approximately 
700,000  square  miles,  or  one-fourth  of  the  entire 
United  States  of  America,  could  be  classified  as 
arid  or  semiarid.  A  large  part  of  west  Texas  falls 
within  these  two  categories. 

In  the  light  of  this  arid  national  fraction  and 
our  soaring  population,  it  becomes  apparent  that 
increasing  production  of  these  lands  is  one  of  the 
urgent  conservation  tasks  of  our  times. 

The  Department  of  the  Interior  today  is  var- 
iously dubbed  the  Department  of  Natural  Re- 
sources or  the  Department  of  Conservation.  But 
not  so  long  ago,  and  with  good  cause  at  the  time, 
it  was  known  parenthetically  as  the  Department 
of  the  West. 

As  the  Secretary  of  this  Department,  I  can 
hardly  address  a  symposium  on  arid  and  semiarid 
lands  without  referring  to  John  Wesley  Powell — 
a  gresit  American  scientist  whose  vision  and  proph- 
ecy left  him  with  only  shreads  of  honor  in  his 
own  lifetime. 

His  "Report  on  the  Arid  Region  of  the  United 
States,"  submitted  to  then  Secretary  of  the  In- 
terior Carl  Schurz,  April  3,  1878,  was  described 
by  the  late  Bernard  DeVoto  as  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable ever  written  by  an  American — "A  book 
which  of  itself  opened  a  new  era  in  national 
thinking." 

12 


For  11  years,  Major  Powell  had  studied  the 
ecology  of  the  plains  and  the  high  plateaus.  He 
had  crossed  the  plains  to  the  Rocky  Mountains 
and  the  Great  Basin  beyond  nearly  30  times;  he 
had  studied  the  cycles  of  rivers  and  rainfall,  the 
village  life  of  the  Mormons  and  the  Indians,  and 
he  had  learned  the  essentials  of  order  in  the  West. 

Major  Powell  had  a  faculty  for  grasping  the 
obvious  and  stating  it  without  embarrassment. 
Water  was  the  critical  resource  in  the  region. 
What  was  needed  in  settling  this  country  was  a 
whole  new  approach.  There  was  not  enough 
water  to  go  around,  but  what  there  was  should  be 
shared  equitably. 

The  irrigable  lands  formed  only  a  small  per- 
centage of  the  area,  and  the  best  opportunity  for 
irrigation  was  in  development  of  the  large  streams. 
This  would  require  cooperative  labor  or  capital. 
His  idea  was  that  in  the  irrigable  valleys,  nine  or 


Secretary  Stewart  L.  Udall 

The  Reclamation  Era 


> 


more  settlers  could  join  to  form  irrigation  dis- 
tricts and  apply  to  the  Federal  Government  for  a 
survey. 

He  believed  also  that  the  survey  should  pro- 
ceed not  only  by  the  traditional  rectangular  system 
but  according  to  watersheds  and  drainage  basins. 
Water  access  was  absolutely  essential,  so  the  plots 
should  be  shaped  by  the  terrain. 

The  land  itself,  without  water  had  little  value, 
so  new  water  rights  and  new  forms  of  cooperation 
would  be  needed.  Reservoir  sites  should  be  se- 
lected early  and  reserved  so  there  would  be  no  prob- 
lem later  in  increasing  irrigation  by  the  storage  of 
water. 

He  foresaw  that  the  whole  region  would  come  to 
grief  unless  land  policies  and  political  and  social 
institutions  were  shaped  in  accordance  with  its 
peculiarities,  and  the  Homestead  Act  would  have 
to  be  revised.  For  in  the  high  country  of  the  West, 
160  acres  was  either  too  much  or  too  little — too 
much  for  the  irrigation  farmer  who  at  that  time 
could  not  cope  with  more  than  80  acres,  but  far  too 
little  for  a  cattle  ranch. 

The  pasture  lands,  which  formed  the  largest 
part  of  the  arid  regions,  were  a  special  problem. 
Overgrazing  had  already  damaged  millions  of 
acres  of  public  rangeland,  and  even  here  in  Texas, 
where  nearly  all  lands  were  privately  owned,  grass- 
land displacement  and  erosion  were  severe. 

Proposed  They  Organize 

Powell  proposed  that  the  settlers  organize  them- 
selves into  pasturage  districts,  and  that  Govern- 
ment surveys  carve  out  livestock  ranges  covering 
four  whole  sections  and  a  water  right.  Ranch 
residences,  he  said,  should  be  grouped  to  secure  the 
benefits  of  local  social  organizations,  and  the  range 
should  be  a  jointly  managed  common  pasture. 

In  dealing  with  the  timberlands  which  con- 
stituted 20  to  25  percent  of  the  arid  region,  he  ob- 
served that  the  area  of  standing  timber  was  much 
less  than  the  extent  of  the  timber  region  because 
the  forests  had  been  partially  destroyed  by  fire. 

The  timber  regions  were  not  suitable  for  either 
farming  or  pasturage,  but  in  order  to  preserve 
them,  they  had  to  be  protected  from  fire.  Be- 
cause it  was  believed  that  the  Indians  had  set  the 
fires  in  order  to  drive  out  game,  the  way  to  preserve 
the  forests  was  to  find  more  suitable  places  for  the 
Indians. 

The  report  in  that  day  was  political  dynamite — 
it  spoke  of  deficiencies  when  everyone  believed  in 


inexhaustable  natural  resources — and  it  was  coldly 
received  by  his  contemporaries. 

It  was  dusted  off  a  decade  or  so  later  when  the 
droughts  of  the  eighties  had  their  disastrous  effect. 
In  1888  Congress  passed  legislation  and  Powell 
was  put  in  charge  of  an  irrigation  survey. 

He  thought  it  might  take  6  or  7  years  and  $6  or 
$7  million  to  get  the  necessary  facts  as  a  basis  to 
lay  out  reservoir  sites  and  canal  lines  for  a  sound 
program.  Time  and  impatient  politicians  con- 
spired against  him,  and  the  irrigation  survey  was 
discontinued  2  years  later. 

But  ultimately  his  ideas  were  to  be  vindicated. 
And  a  few  months  before  he  died  in  1902,  legisla- 
tion was  passed  establishing  the  Reclamation 
Service. 

In  the  decades  that  followed  we  have  seen  the 
harnessing  of  all  the  major  streams  of  the  west 
with  multipurpose  dams  and  the  extension  of  irri- 
gation to  vast  areas  of  desert  and  semidesert 
country. 

Reclamation  has  not  only  altered  the  economy  of 
the  West,  it  has  had  a  pronounced  effect  on  the 
food  supply  of  the  rest  of  the  country.     #    #    # 


Era  Reader  Gets  90  Percent  Seal 
Of  Water  Leaks 

Dear  Editor  : 

In  your  February  1966  publication  of  Reclama- 
tion Era^  we  were  particularly  interested  in  the 
article,  "The  Miracle  Leak  Sealer,"  describing  the 
experience  of  Mr.  H.  V.  Eastman  of  the  Chow- 
chilla  Water  District  in  California  with  NH3. 

After  reading  of  Mr.  Eastman's  success  with  the 
"miracle  sealer,"  I  had  our  construction  and  main- 
tenance department  run  a  test  on  a  pipeline  that 
was  leaking  considerably.  Three  days  after  the 
completion  of  the  test,  the  leaks  and  seepage  spots 
were  observed  and  they  appeared  to  be  90%  sealed, 
and  much  more  economically  than  by  the  process  of 
sealing  by  hand. 

We  bring  our  experiment  to  your  attention  to  let 
you  know  that  we  enjoy  your  publication  and  have 
benefited  by  the  research  of  those  contributing  to 
your  publication. 

Ver-y  truly  yours, 

H.  Shipley 

Assistant  General  Manager 

Salt  River  Project 

Phoenix^  Ariz. 


February  1967 


13 


Regulation 


A  PLUS  AT  SENATOR  WASH  DAM 


by  T.   H.  MOSER,   Project  Manager 
at  Yuma,  Arizona 


HERE'S  a  dam  which  never  will  dam  the  source 
of  its  water.  Yet  when  it  starts  continuous 
operation,  it  will  save  enough  Colorado  River  wa- 
ter in  a  year  to  supply  a  city  the  size  of  Washing- 
ton, D.C.— 170,000  acre-feet. 

This  is  Senator  Wash  Dam,  recently  completed. 
With  its  unique,  regulating-type  reservoir  having 
a  usable  capacity  of  12,250  acre-feet,  the  amount 
of  Avater  it  saves  in  12  months  will  be  more  than 
14  times  that  figure.  That's  what  Regulation  can 
do  in  the  field  of  water  reclamation. 

Although  it  regulates  the  water  in  the  main 
stem  of  the  Colorado  River,  Senator  Wash  Dam 
is  actually  located  on  a  side  wash  or  channel  about 
20  miles  upriver  from  Yuma,  Ariz.  To  accom- 
plish its  unique  purpose — multiservice  regula- 
tion— water  is  pumped  into  Senator  Wash  Reser- 
voir when  the  river  contains  an  excess  flow.  Later, 
it  is  released  back  to  the  river  when  it  can  be  fully 
utilized  for  irrigation. 

This  regulation  will  conserve  irregular  flows  of 
the  river  which  result  from  unscheduled  changes 
in  irrigation  diversions  upstream,  from  storm  in- 
flows, or  from  vagaries  of  the  river  channel. 

Another  need  for  regulation  is  because  of  irri- 
gation variations  in  the  areas  served  by  Imperial 
Dam  which  is  immediately  downstream.  Weath- 
er, or  other  changes  that  affect  the  river  can  origi- 
nate any  place  in  the  145,000-acre  irrigated  area  in 

14 


Arizona,  or  the  irrigated  550,000-acre  area  in 
southern  California  including  the  Imperial  and 
Coachella  Valleys. 

Flows  Were  Excess 

In  the  past — since  Imperial  diversion  dam  has 
almost  no  storage  capacity — most  of  the  unused 
flows  from  that  dam  have  passed  down  the  river 
to  Mexico  in  excess  of  scheduled  deliveries  as 
agreed  in  a  1944  treaty.  Previously  this  overage 
was  lost  for  any  use  in  the  United  States,  but  much 
of  it  can  now  be  salvaged  by  storing  it  in  Senator 
Wash  Reservoir  until  needed. 

The  dual-purpose  pumping  units  which  push 
Colorado  River  water  into  the  reservoir  are  revers- 
ible and  serve  another  operation,  that  of  turning 
hydroelectric  generators  during  the  release  of 
water  back  to  the  river.  In  this  way,  water  re- 
turning to  the  river  generates  salable  power  and 
recovers  some  of  the  pumping  costs. 

Power  for  the  pumping  operation  is  obtained 
from  the  upstream  Parker-Davis  power  generation 
and  the  power  generated  from  the  new  dam's  re- 
turn flows — having  a  7,200-kilowatt  capacity — 
goes  back  into  the  power  system  where  it  is  avail- 
able for  a  growing  power  market. 

Aerial  view  of  Senator  Wash  Dam  and  Reservoir  (center).  Squaw 
Lake  Dike  and  the  dual-purpose  Pump-Generating  Plant  are  at 
left. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


i 


How  It  Operates 

The  power  equipment  at  Senator  Wash  ties  into 
the  Parker-Davis  system  by  an  18-mile,  69  kilo- 
volt  transmission  line.  But  when  pumping,  the 
six  new  48-inch  turbines  will  be  able  to  pump  more 
than  900  cubic  feet  per  second  against  a  full  reser- 
voir head  and  will  release  more  than  1,000  cubic 
feet  per  second.  Normally,  however,  not  over  five 
units  are  operated  at  one  time,  with  the  sixth  serv- 
ing as  a  spare.  This  extra  unit  allows  for  main- 
tenance to  be  performed  without  having  to  curtail 
service. 

This  two-purpose  plant  is  operated  by  remote 
control  from  Imperial  Dam  where  the  Bureau  al- 


ready has  an  operator  on  duty  around  the  clock. 
With  irrigation  in  this  Arizona-California  area 
carried  on  for  12  months  a  year  and  with  year- 
round  deliveries  to  Mexico,  operations  at  Imperial 
and  Senator  Wash  Dams  will  be  continuous. 

Investigations  for  a  pump-storage  and  water 
salvage  project  in  the  lower  Colorado  River  area 
were  initiated  in  1962  and  its  feasibility  soon  be- 
came apparent. 

Named  After  Mine 

The  name  "Senator  Wash"  is  derived  from  the 
abandoned  "Senator  Gold  Mine,"  located  near  the 
wash.     Built  as  a  feature  of  the  Bureau's  Colorado 


Enjoyable  activities  on  Labor  Day  1 966  at  Senator  Wash  Reservoir. 


February  1967 


15 


River  Front  Work  and  Levee  System,  the  Senator 
Wash  facilities  include  a  2,340-foot-long  earthfill 
dam  across  the  main  wash  and  a  concrete  overflow 
spillway.  The  prime  contractor  was  M.  M.  Sundt 
Construction  Co.  of  Tucson,  Ariz. 

To  impound  water  in  the  reservoir,  low  swales 
are  blocked  by  two  dikes,  the  largest  of  which  is 
Squaw  Lake  Dike.  Constructed  into  this  struc- 
ture is  a  10-f  oot-diameter  outlet  pipe  which  carries 
water  to  and  from  the  river  by  way  of  the  pump- 
generator  plant. 

During  construction  considerable  local  interest 
was  displayed  because  the  dam  would  transform  a 
desolate,  normally  dry  wash  into  a  sizable  clear 
blue  body  of  water. 

Even  though  the  adjacent  Colorado  River  al- 
ways has  flowing  water,  boating  is  treacherous  be- 
cause of  sandbars,  snags,  and  meanders.  How- 
ever, the  300  to  470  acres  covered  by  the  fetching 
Senator  Wash  Reservoir  would  cause  large  areas 
of  open  water. 

Before  construction  was  completed  in  1966,  the 
reservoir  began  its  role  of  salvaging  water.  Heavy 
rains  in  the  watershed  during  November  and  De- 
cember 1965,  produced  enough  runoff  to  start 
impoundment. 

During  January  1966,  the  contractor  started 
pumping  water  into  the  reservoir  to  test  the  instal- 
lation of  the  pumping-generating  equipment.  In 
August  the  reservoir  was  completely  filled  for  the 
first  time.  However,  normal  operation  of  the  plant 
has  been  temporarily  interrupted,  because  it  be- 
came necessary  to  correct  a  manufacturing  defect 
that  showed  up  in  the  turbines  after  their  initial 
successful  testing. 

Proved  Itself 

Even  though  it  has  operated  only  a  short  time, 
the  structure  began  proving  itself.  As  a  means 
of  conserving  water,  for  example — during  the  first 
5  months  of  operation  from  April  through  August 
1966 — the  excess  deliveries  to  Mexico  were  only 
4,000  acre-feet  as  compared  with  the  typical  92,000 
acre-feet  for  the  same  months  of  1961  and  76,000 
acre- feet  for  1962.  A  large  part  of  the  recent  re- 
duction of  the  over  deliveries  is  because  of  the  new 
facility. 

In  addition  the  reservoir  has  already  become 
popular  for  all  types  of  water-oriented  sports,  as 
well  as  camping,  picnicking,  and  sightseeing.  The 
paved  access  road  built  as  a  part  of  the  project,  has 
opened  up  a  section  of  the  river  that  was  previ- 


ously only  accessible  by  boat,  thus  increasing  the 
recreation  potential  too. 

To  provide  for  boating  safety  and  accessibility 
to  the  reservoir,  a  concrete  boat  ramp  to  allow 
future  launchings  at  any  water  level  was  con- 
structed before  the  water  got  too  high.  Besides 
speedboating  and  water  skiing,  sailboating  is  be- 
coming more  and  more  popular  on  the  reservoir, 
largely  because  of  the  water's  depth  and  stillness. 

Swimming,  both  in  Senator  Wash  Reservoir  and 
the  adjacent  Squaw  Lake  arm  of  Imperial  Reser- 
voir, has  become  most  popular  on  the  basis  of  total 
amount  of  participation.  To  provide  greater 
swimming  safety,  the  best  adapted  areas  in  each  of 
the  reservoirs  have  been  designated  exclusively 
for  swimming  and  have  been  enclosed  by  buoy 
lines.  Funds  have  not  been  allocated  for  the  con- 
struction of  beaches,  however,  the  natural  beaches 
at  each  location  have  proved  adequate  for  present 


use. 


Has  Fish  Anyway 

Fishing  was  not  considered  to  be  very  practi- 
cable in  the  planning  of  the  project  because  large 
fluctuating  water  levels  are  necessary  in  the  oper- 
ation. In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  waters  have 
not  been  stocked,  fishing  for  bass  and  other  game 
fish  has  become  quite  popular. 

Surprisingly,  fish  from  the  river  have  passed 
through  the  turbine  pumps  with  no  apparent 
harm  and  are  becoming  established  in  the  reservoir. 

Each  form  of  recreation  has  potential  for  in- 
creasing. During  some  weekends  last  summer,  the 
daily  use  exceeded  3,000  persons  and  this  was  be- 
fore construction  of  the  recreational  facilities. 
Such  accommodations  are  designated  for  near 
future  development  by  a  local  agency. 

Reclamation  has  only  limited  authority  and 
funds  to  construct  recreational  facilities;  The 
Federal  agency  will,  however,  supply  drinking 
water,  as  well  as  other  basic  facilities  for  the 
health  and  safety  of  the  public. 

Beautification  has  not  been  overlooked.  Land- 
scaping, indigenous  to  the  Southwest,  has  been 
supplied  where  needed  to  enhance  the  natural 
beauty  of  the  area.  Care  has  been  exercised  in 
color-blending  painted  surfaces. 

In  addition  to  indirect  benefits.  Senator  Wash 
Dam  and  Regulating  Reservoir  prove  to  be  per- 
forming their  function.  They  are  excellent  ex- 
amples of  water  conservation  by  regulation^  witli 
important  bonus  benefits  on  the  side.         #    #    # 


16 


The  Reclamation  Era 


This    printer,    being   checked   by    Francis   Swain   of    Reclamation's   Denver  office,   produces  the  computer's  calculations  at   1,000  lines  a 

minute. 

Photos  by  F.  B.  S/ofe 

Fast  Working  Partner  Hastens 

''NEW  ERA''  for  Reclamation 


DRILLS,  dredges  and  dynamite  may  be  stand- 
ard tools  of  reclamation  progress,  but  there's 
a  more  modem  instrument — an  electronic  voice — 
which  must  be  heard  long  before  the  tools  do  their 
work. 

It's  the  computer — an  imposing  symbol  of  mod- 
ern technology  which  is  helping  to  spawn  a  "new 
generation"  in  water  resources  development. 

With  help  from  this  versatile  and  tireless  new 
ally.  Bureau  of  Reclamation  is  seeking  to  make 
each  gallon  of  water  do  the  work  of  two  or  three 
in  serving  municipal  and  irrigation  needs  and  in 
generating  power. 

Reclamation  began  its  computer  program  a 
decade  ago.  Today,  it  is  one  of  the  leaders  in  com- 
puter applications  to  engineering,  economic,  and 
administrative  problems.  In  that  brief  span,  too, 
Reclamation  specialists  have  come  to  regard  the 
computer  as  an  essential  tool  in  water  resources 
development,  rather  than  merely  sophisticated  col- 
lection of  wires,  condensors  and  tubes  whose  func- 
tion is  to  compute  at  dizzying  speeds. 

This  instrument  is  hastening  by  years  the  com- 


pletion of  Reclamation  projects  which  will  make 
water  available  that  much  sooner.  It  is  producing 
savings  in  terms  of  man-years  and  dollars  that  now 
can  be  invested  in  planning  still  other  vital  water 
projects.  And  it  is  permitting  the  instant  recall 
of  highly  technical  knowledge  required  in 
planning. 

In  one  recent  example,  the  computer  accom- 
plished in  50  minutes  that  which  would  have  re- 
quired 50  man-years  of  manual  effort  to  reduce 
and  analyze.  It  involved  5  million  calculations 
from  15,000  meter  readings  taken  from  within  a 
concrete  dam. 

On  another  occasion,  the  task  of  performing 
analyses  of  concrete  arch  dams  was  automated  to 
the  extent  that  about  3  man-years  of  manual  labor 
may  now  be  accomplished  in  10  minutes  of  com- 
puter processing  time. 

And  from  information  on  daily  releases  of  water 
from  Parker  Dam,  the  computer  predicts  the 
hourly  flows  of  the  Colorado  River  at  Imperial 
Dam,  148  miles  downstream.  These  predictions 
are  critical  to  the  use  of  the  Colorado  River  in 


February  1967 


17 


Shown  at  work  in  the  computer  center  are,  from  left,  John  R.  Heinz, 
Mrs.  Margaret  Veatch,  and  Ralph  Johnson. 


meeting  the  U.S.  treaty  obligation  of  riverflows  to 
Mexico. 

Command  Post  in  Denver 

The  command  post  for  these  and  other  computer 
operations  is  the  Division  of  Data  Processing  at 
the  Office  of  Chief  Engineer  in  Denver,  Colo. 

Here,  Division  Chief  Francis  E.  Swain  and  his 
staff  devise  programs  and  direct  the  operation  of 
a  digital  computer  system  which  operates  virtually 
on  a  round-the-clock,  7-day-a-week  basis,  so  great 
are  the  demands  for  its  services. 

The  system  installed  in  1965,  is  rated  at  a  capac- 
ity of  about  40,000  additions  per  second.  Newer, 
more  complex  models  are  capable  of  performing 
operations  in  terms  of  nanoseconds — billionths  of 
a  second. 

The  system  actually  employs  two  computers,  one 
behind  the  other  and  one  with  a  greater  capabil- 
ity than  the  other.  Like  a  football  teammate  run- 
ning interference  for  the  ballcarrier,  the  less 
sophisticated  to  the  two  computers  performs  much 
of  the  preliminary  work.  Information  on  punch- 
cards  is  first  submitted  to  one  computer.  It  records 
the  data  on  reels  of  magnetic  tape.  With  all  essen- 
tial elements  of  the  problem  thus  recorded,  the  tape 
then  is  played  to  the  bigger  computer  in  its  own 
"language."    This  instrument  digests  the  informa- 


tion, then  prints  the  solution  on  a  high-speed 
printer  at  the  rate  of  about  1,000  items  per  minute. 

One  of  the  more  impressive  accomplishments  of 
the  computer  system  was  the  design  of  much  of  a 
123-mile  long  canal  that  is  part  of  the  $610  million 
San  Luis  unit  in  California. 

The  canal  alone  requires  57  million  cubic  yards 
of  excavation.  That's  enough  to  form  a  trench 
16.5  feet  wide  and  10  feet  deep  from  Denver  to 
Boston — biggest  earth-moving  job  in  the  Bureau 
of  Keclamation's  history. 

Throughout  canal  building  times,  the  surveying 
and  plotting  of  a  waterway  has  been  one  of  the 
most  time-consuming  chores.  Survey  crews  must 
take  readings  to  determine  a  variety  of  figures  to 
make  construction  accurate.  These  survey  figure*! 
must  be  converted  to,  for  instance,  about  a  million 
plots  for  part  of  the  San  Luis  Canal. 

Search  for  Short-Cut 

With  this  monumental  chore  at  hand,  the  Divi- 
sion of  Data  Processing  set  out  to  find  a  computer 
shortcut.  Mr.  Swain's  crew  and  the  construction 
staff  on  the  San  Luis  Canal  devised  a  computer 
program  which  furnished  the  required  data. 

Figures  accumulated  by  the  survey  teams  were 
sent  to,  Denver  as  they  became  available  and  the 
computer  was  put  into  action.  For  the  construc- 
tion effort,  the  computer  provided  a  step-by-step 
guide.  It  also  proved  valuable  in  determining  the 
pay  earned  by  the  contractor. 

Program  specialists  feel  assured  that  the  San 
Luis  computer  success  has  made  obsolete  the  old 
practice  of  graphing  canal  cross  sections  by  hand — 
calculations  for  a  mile  of  canal  in  a  workday,  done 
by  the  computer  in  less  than  a  minute. 

It  is  esimated  that  the  computer  program  for 
the  San  Luis  Canal  alone  saved  26.6  man-years  of 
labor. 

The  instrument  is  in  standard  use  for  other 
Reclamation  jobs.  It  controls  water  at  key  points 
to  meet  local  irrigation  needs,  it  prints  monthly 
billings  for  power  users,  and  it  figures  payrolls 
for  some  20,000  Federal  employees. 

The  principal  goal  of  the  pushbutton  era  in 
Reclamation,  however,  is  to  assure  optimum  deliv- 
eries of  water  to  all  Bureau  water  users.  To  ac- 
complish this,  the  giant  dams  are  still  there  in  the 
West,  and  others  will  be  built  as  needed.  But  a 
fast  moving  partner  called  instrumentation  is 
hastening  a  "New  Era"  as  well  as  more  effective 
water  conservation,  #     #     # 


18 


The  Reclamation  Era 


A  Dedication  can  be 
a  "Hair  Raising"  Afifair 


IT  is  doubtful  that  many  dedications  are  consid- 
ered "hair  raising"  affairs.  But  one  could  be, 
as  seen  by  the  raised  coiffures  of  the  band  mem- 
bers in  the  photo  on  this  page  as  they  tunefully 
performed  at  the  dedication  of  Sanf ord  Dam  and 
Lake  Meredith  in  Texas. 

The  ceremonies  for  these  water  control  struc- 
tures is  a  milestone  of  considerable  significance 
for  Reclamation  and  the  residents  of  the  Texas 
Panhandle.  About  1,200  people — in  addition  to 
the  school  band  and  others  on  the  program — 
turned  out  on  the  windy  but  sunny  day.  Hope- 
fully the  wind  won't  be  absent  at  a  future  time  for 
some  pleasant  sailboating  on  Lake  Meredith. 

Secretary  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall  was 
featured  speaker  at  the  event  held  last  Novem- 
ber 1  at  the  Vista  Point  overlooking  the  scenic 
developments.  Reclamation  Commissioner  Floyd 
E.  Dominy  was  master  of  ceremonies. 

"We  all  know,"  said  Secretary  Udall,  "that 
many  obstacles  were  overcome  through  the  desire 
of  you  west  Texans  to  invest  in  your  future  and  the 
future  of  your  children — a  future  that  can  encom- 
pass great  prosperity  as  a  result  of  this  unity  of 
purpose." 

Pointing  out  a  large  savings  in  the  cost  of  con- 
structing these  features  of  the  Canadian  River 
project,  the  Secretary  continued: 

"At  the  groundbreaking  ceremonies  (held 
about  4  years  previously)  I  told  you  that  the  cost 
of  this  project  would  run  somewhere  in  excess  of 
$90  million.  I  am  happy  to  state  here  at  the  dedi- 
cation of  these  facilities  that  this  figure  has  been 
cut  by  some  $10  million." 

Others  For  1966 

And  now  to  continue  with  some  dedications  of 
other  water  development  structures  in  1966 : 

We  don't  recall  that  those  attending  faced  a 
wind  problem,  but  the  Arizona  sun  was  rather 
warm  the  day  Mrs.  Lyndon  B.  Johnson  dedicated 
Glen  Caynon  Dam,  as  noted  in  the  November  1966 
issue  of  the  Reclamation  Era. 


There's  liMle  doubt  that  this  is  part  of  the  " — Wind  Section"  of 
the  Borger  High  School  Band. 

Photo  by  H.  I.  Personius 


That  impressive  ceremony  on  September  22 
marked  the  second  such  dedication  of  a  Reclama- 
tion dam  by  the  First,  Lady  of  the  United  States. 
She  dedicated  Flaming  Gorge  Dam  on  the  Green 
River  in  northern  Utah  on  August  17, 1963. 

We  only  have  the  two  weather  related  events, 
but  residents  of  three  other  localities  might  recall 
dedications  of  Reclamation  structures : 

On  April  9,  the  Judge  Francis  Carr  Powerplant 
near  Whiskeytown  Dam  in  California  was  dedi- 
cated. Commissioner  Dominy  gave  a  speech  at  the 
ceremonies  honoring  the  late  Judge  Carr.  The 
powerhouse  formerly  known  as  Clear  Creek 
Powerplant  and  an  adjacent  memorial  park  and 
fountain  overlooking  Whiskeytown  Lake  also  were 
named  after  the  prominent  water  lawyer. 

Also  in  California,  Commissioner  Dominy  was 
a  speaker  at  the  dedication  and  naming  of  Lake 
Woolomes,  which  was  formerly  Delano  Regu- 
lating Reservoir  near  the  city  of  Delano.  This 
was  July  9. 

Agate  Dam  on  the  Rogue  River  Basin  project 
near  Medford,  Oreg.,  was  completed  approxi- 
mately 9  months  ahead  of  schedule  and  dedicated 
on  May  6.  Assistant  Reclamation  Commissioner 
G.  G.  Stamm  gave  the  dedicatory  speech. 

Near  the  town  of  Sulphur,  Okla.,  a  dedication 
was  held  for  the  Arbuckle  Job  Corps  Conservation 
Center  as  noted  in  an  article  about  that  Center 
elsewhere  in  this  issue  of  the  Reclamation  Era. 

— GJF 


February  1967 


19 


Job  Corps  at  Friendly  Sulphur,  Okla. 


WORLD  OF  WORK 

AND  TRAINING  AT  ARBUCKLE 


by  L.  R.  ANDERSON,  Administrative  Officer  of 
Arbuckle  Center 


WE  understood  that  the  Job  Corps  program 
was  being  questioned  in  some  quarters.  It 
has  not  been  questioned  here. 

Extensive  progress  was  expected  at  the  Ar- 
buckle Job  Corps  Conservation  Center.  And 
that's  the  kind  of  progress  we  have  had. 

Since  its  activation  November  17,  1965,  this 
center  near  the  town  of  Sulphur,  Okla.,  has  seen 
amazing  beneficial  developments.  Arbuckle's  Job 
Corps  enrollees  have  advanced  their  education, 
learned  useful  skills,  adapted  themselves  to  social 
discipline,  and  gained  friends  and  respect  in  the 
community. 

Young  men  come  to  the  Job  Corps  wanting  a 
live  program.  Apathy  and  procrastination — so 
much  a  part  of  the  background  of  culturally  de- 
prived individuals — are  objectives  of  replacement 
at  the  Arbuckle  Center.  The  starting  point  is 
that  corpsmen  are  different  from  other  young 
dropouts  in  that  these  are  asking  for  help  with 
their  education. 

As  the  young  men  needed  help,  so  did  the  site 
that  would  become  the  Arbuckle  Center.  It  had 
to  be  started  "from  scratch."  Actually  the  physi- 
cal location  of  the  center  has  been  built  up  like  the 
character  of  its  future  inhabitants  would  be  built 
up,  starting  as  a  wide-open  pasture  with  a  good 
deal  of  potential,  then  blossoming  into  an  effec- 
tive force. 

Development  of  the  physical  facilities  came  first. 
The  full  staff  of  leaders  and  trainers  arrived  on 
board  in  time  to  receive  training  of  their  own  then 
to  double  as  carpenters,  truck  drivers,  and  labor- 


Roger  Sleinback  of  Iowa  and  William  R.  Norman  of  Indiana,  re- 
moved, completely  overhauled,  then  reinstalled  back  in  the  car, 
this  engine  donated  by  Center  Director  E.  C.  Rodriquez. 


20 


The  Reclamation  Era 


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M-  -n 


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In  the  woods— clearing  out  underbrush  where  picnic  facilities  will  later  be  installed. 


ers  to  locate  and  block  up  our  trailers ;  haul  furni- 
ture, set  up  dormitories,  classrooms,  and  offices; 
get  the  kitchen  in  operation;  and  to  perform  the 
seemingly  endless  tasks  that  had  to  be  done  in  the 
few  days  between  completion  of  our  buildings  and 
the  arrival  of  corpsmen. 

Getting  Ready 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  apprehension,  in  spite 
of  a  general  feeling  of  being  "ready,"  but  this 
quieted  after  getting  to  know  the  corpsmen. 

The  friendly  town  of  Sulphur,  with  about  6,000 
population,  is  surrounded  by  fine  ranching  country 
and  scenic  recreational  areas.  It  is  a  stable,  pro- 
gressive community  and  the  citizens  have  earned 
due  credit  for  the  success  of  this  center. 

They  wanted  Job  Corps  and  have  responded  by 
receiving  the  youths  into  the  community,  into  the 
churches,  and  into  their  homes.  Several  of  the 
present  businessmen  and  other  outstanding  citi- 
zens remained  in  Sulphur  following  their  training 
at  a  nearby  Civilian  Conservation  Corps  camp  of 
some  years  ago.  Therefore,  the  opportunities  and 
problems  of  our  program  are  regarded  with  hope 
and  with  tolerance.  A  group  of  community  lead- 
ers have  joined  with  members  of  the  Job  Corps 
staff  in  forming  a  Community  Relations  Council. 
j  They  expected  no  serious  incidents  or  bad 
behavior  from  the  corpsmen,  and  to  date  there 
has  been  none. 


The  townspeople's  friendship  has  fostered  a  re- 
ciprocal desire  to  contribute  to  the  town  in  the 
form  of  community  projects  performed  by  the 
corpsmen.  Such  projects  include  regularly  pick- 
ing up  trash  along  2  miles  of  city  streets,  remov- 
ing one-half  mile  of  old  fence  around  the 
municipal  airport,  cleaning  the  fence  row,  mowing 
the  50-acre  area  around  the  airport  on  three 
occasions,  and  helping  the  city  clean  up  and  repair 
the  municipal  golf  course. 

Although  enrollees  have  as  many  different  per- 
sonalities and  problems  as  there  are  corpsmen, 
most  of  them  have  common  traits  that  stand  out : 

•  He  is  asking  for  a  "first  chance"  or  a  "last 
chance",  as  the  case  may  be. 

•  He  is  aware  that  he  needs  training. 

•  Having  always  known  insecurity,  he  is  seek- 
ing security.  This  is  evident  by  the  strong 
attachments  formed  to  the  staff  members. 

Mud  Everywhere 

The  first  corpsmen  moved  into  a  building  just 
assembled.  The  ground  was  torn  up  from  the 
construction  stage,  and  with  winter  rains  begin- 
ning, there  was  the  problem  of  mud — everywhere. 
All  hands  were  busy  in  the  ensuing  months,  with 
the  corpsmen  determined  to  make  the  center  a 
"show  place"  by  spring,  and  we  are  proud  of  the 
results.     It  was  dedicated  April  23,  1966. 

All  of  the  buildings  have  been  underpinned,  re- 
quiring carpentry  work  with  6,300  square  feet  of 


1 1  February  1967 


21 


lumber;  9  breezeways  have  been  constructed  at 
building  entrances  for  protection  against  weather 
and  screened  to  keep  out  insects ;  an  attractive  rock 
flower  garden  was  built  around  the  flagpole ;  125 
crepe  myrtle  shrubs  were  planted  along  the  en- 
trance driveway. 

Also  twenty-five  8-  to  14-foot  sycamore  trees 
were  moved  from  their  creek  bottom  home  and  now 
line  our  streets;  100  flowering  bushes  and  1,000 
feet  of  hedge  were  planted  to  beautify  the  side- 
walks and  line  the  buildings;  and  600  feet  of 
solid  board  fence  were  put  up  to  separate  staff  liv- 
ing quarters  from  the  center  proper. 

Our  carpentry  shop  turns  out  benches,  shelves, 
bulletin  boards,  and  many  other  needed  items. 

The  most  advanced  on-the-job  training  areas 
to  date  are  in  carpentry,  welding,  custodial  main- 
tenance, landscaping,  heavy  equipment  operation, 
and  truck  driving.  However,  we  plan  to  begin  an 
automotive  mechanics  course  soon  and  set  up  shop 
facilities  for  training  and  at  the  same  time  accom- 
plishing all  maintenance  on  all  our  vehicles. 

Work  Program 

Much  of  the  work  program  so  far  has  been  in 
Piatt  National  Park,  2  miles  south  of  the  center 
and  in  the  center  itself.  The  park  was  largely 
developed  30  years  ago  by  the  Civilian  Conserva- 
tion Corps  and  this  fine  work,  which  remains  in 
good  condition  today,  is  a  source  of  inspiration  to 
the  corpsmen  to  also  build  well. 

Accomplishment  in  the  park  was  considerable. 
About  600  picnic  tables  and  benches  were  assem- 
bled, 10,000  trees  were  planted  in  open  areas 
throughout  the  park,  6,600  feet  of  vitreous  clay 
sewerline  and  necessary  structures  were  installed, 
5  miles  of  road  were  cleared  and  gravel  paved  to 
open  up  new  public  places,  and  373  steel  fireplace 
boxes  were  built. 

For  an  area  adjoining  Arbuckle  Eeservoir,  the 
corpsmen  have  completed  work  on  200  steel  racks 
for  trash  cans  and  other  recreational  projects. 

Meanwhile,  there  is  no  small  amount  of  excite- 
ment about  the  use  of  three  additions  to  the  center 
itself.  They  include  a  new  gymnasium,  a  voca- 
tional-education building,  and  a  welding  shop. 

Our  student  cook's  program  merits  special  men- 
tion. Twelve  students  are  enrolled  for  this  voca- 
tional training,  working  six  to  a  team,  on  alternate 
weeks.  Probably  more  than  is  true  in  any  other 
area,  we  can  graduate  a  trained  cook  capable  of 
going  right  into  a  well-paying  job  in  only  6  to  10 


months  in  Job  Corps.  We  have  a  student  cook  at 
present  who  would  be  a  very  welcome  member  to 
our  own  staff. 

Main  Emphasis 

Of  course,  the  main  emphasis  in  Job  Corps  is  to- 
ward education  and  accomplishment.  Conserva- 
tion is  our  training  ground  where  knowledge 
gained  is  put  to  work.  Many  corpsmen  come  to  us 
liighly  motivated  to  do  something  they  have  never 
done  before — that  is  to  read  and  write,  and  the  Job 
Corps  curriculum  is  divided  into  levels,  or  grades, 
for  each  individual's  needs. 

One  corpsman  recently  stated,  "I  have  learned 
to  read  at  Arbuckle,  mostly  at  the  Thursday  eve- 
ning classes,  and  because  the  ladies  from  town  are 
such  good  teachers.".  Actually,  his  conviction 
probably  derives  in  part  from  the  friendliness  and 
patience  of  the  ladies  concerned ;  but  this  lad  came 
to  the  center,  a  nonreader,  and  he  is  learning 
rapidly. 

Reading  enrichment  activities  consist  also  of 
evening  library  hours  and  afternoon  trips  to  the 
Sulphur  Library.  According  to  "Scholastic 
Scope,"  a  high  school  student  magazine,  a  million 
students  quit  school  each  year  because  of  problems 
with  reading.  This  is  one  of  our  major  problems 
today. 

We  have  had  good  success  in  our  math  program, 
which  includes  13  steps.  A  corpsman  advances  to 
the  next  step  when  he  completes  the  one  he  is  on, 
and  it  is  felt  that  the  absence  of  the  need  to  com- 
pete, or  to  stay  up  with  a  class,  sets  the  stage  for 
receptive  thinking. 

In  the  first  few  months,  24  corpsmen  have  com- 
pleted the  curriculum  in  math,  and  only  2  corps- 
men  have  failed  to  advance.  Five  different  corps- 
men  assistants  have  certainly  helped  with  other 
corpsmen,  attaining  their  respect  as  proficient 
tutors.  Overall,  it  has  been  discovered  that  these 
boys  wanting  help  do  not  question  the  source. 

Education  Profitable 

Although  the  classrooms  are  not  the  most 
popular  part  of  Job  Corps  life,  the  corpsmen 
know  that  education  is  one  of  the  most  profitable 
parts  and  attendance  in  school  has  not  required 
any  special  effort  by  the  staff. 

An  equally  important  part  of  the  educational 
program  is  entitled  "World  of  Work."  This  is 
where  the  corpsmen  learn  about  various  occupa- 


22 


The  Reclamation  Era 


tions,  salaries,  educational  requirements,  areas  of 
highest  demand,  potentials  of  automation,  and 
other  vocational  factors.  He  is  assisted  in  making 
his  own  assessments  and  plans.  This  is  also  pro- 
gramed classwork  with  typing  and  driver's  edu- 
cation among  the  subjects  taught. 

Some  corpsmen  have  assisted  staff  members  in 
typing  chores,  and  21  corpsmen  have  passed  the 
State  of  Oklahoma  driver's  examination.  The 
latter  have  been  issued  Government-driver 
licenses,  and  are  used  as  drivers  in  the  operation 
of  this  center. 

Such  important  topics  as  job  interviews  and 
filling  out  job  application  forms  are,  of  course, 
covered  regularly.  The  corpsman  wants  under- 
standing of  measures  of  success,  and,  consequently, 
wishes  to  discuss  "meat  and  potatoes"  facts.  Is  ho 
employable?     How  employable? 

Entertainment  from  Sulphur 

The  small  town  of  Sulphur  has  been  successful 
in  helping  to  fill  entertainment  needs.    The  pro- 
gram fills  most  of  the  off-duty  time.     Between 
activities  at  the  center  and  trips  to  adjacent  points 
of  interest,  most  corpsmen  find  little  time  to  be 
bored.   This  area  of  Oklahoma  is  excellent  for  out- 
door recreation  such  as  fishing,  and  water  sports 
and  organized  athletics  such  as  baseball,  football, 
basketball.    A  golf  driving  range  is  operated  at 
the  center,  and  other  hobbies  help  fill  a  corpsman's 
leisure  time.    The  young  men  have  been  amazed 
by   their   own   acomplishments   in   leathercraft, 
painting,  copper,  tooling,   and   other  art  work. 
They  prize  the  articles  they  complete,  some  of 
which  are  intended  as  gifts  that  can  be  sent  home. 
;      Even  though  we  see  progress,  there  is  probably 
no  staff  member  who  feels  that  he  "has  all  the 
aiiswers."     Job  Corps  is   a  living-and-learning 
situation.    Corpsmen  must  accept  a  new  standard 
of  living.    And   although   we   might   feel  that 
better  food,  clothing,  health  care  and  sanitation 
are  bound  to  make  him  a  contented  youth,  the  fact 
remains  that  this  new  way  of  life  is  not  a  selling 
point. 

Many  youths  are  just  plain  homesick.  With 
others,  there  was  a  certain  amount  of  comfort  in 
their  poverty— namely  nothing  much  was  ex- 
pected of  them.  Comfort?  Perhaps.  The  old 
way  of  life  could  appear  very  comfortable  when, 
upon  first  arriving  at  the  center,  they  fear  the 
challenge  of  meeting  the  requirements  of  being  a 

February  1967 


corpsman.  Rules  to  follow,  authority,  order  and 
regimentation  might  be  quite  terrifying  at  first 
view. 

Other  boys  quickly  show  appreciation  for  this 
same  order. 

The  staff  then  has  a  guideline  that  will  meet  ac- 
ceptance of  all  the  corpsmen.  He  must,  by  his  con- 
duct and  fairness,  sense  of  responsibility,  and 
show  of  understanding-set  a  good  example. 

The  change  m  most  of  the  boys  is  not  so  gradual 
as  to  go  unnoticed. 
^^  When  one  sees  some  of  these  youths  become 

regular  guys,"  holding  their  own  in  the  give  and 
take  of  dormitory  living,  taking  pride  in  their  ap- 
pearance, or  the  difference  in  the  way  they  look  you 
in  the  eye  and  talk  to  you,  then  you  realize  that 
they  are  gaining  in  self-esteem— the  vitally  im- 
portant part  of  becoming  a  man. 

If  there  can  be  smiles  where  there  were  tears; 
understanding  where  there  was  hate;  confidence 
where  there  was  fear;  hope  where  there  was  de- 
spair; and  knowledge  where  there  was  doubt— 
then  a  staff  member's  work  is  beyond  measuring 
in  dollars  and  cents  or  "projects  completed." 

For  how  much  is  a  boy  worth  ?  Then,  how  much 
more  a  man?  #     #     # 


Demonstrating  the  skill  of  carving  a  roast  is  Dennis  K.  Grasmick 
of  Colorado.  The  others,  hardly  able  to  wait  for  their  serving, 
are  Edward  Woolever  of  Ohio,  John  G.  Feltrop  and  Charles  A. 
Kemp  both  of  Missouri,  and  Malcolm  Thompson  of  Texas. 

Photo  by  Denman's  Photography,  Sulphur,  Okla. 


23 


Recognition  for  Water  Related 
Efforts 

Eeclamation  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy 
was  presented  The  Star  of  the  Order  of  The  Grown 
of  Thailand  by  Prime  Minister  Thanom  Kittika- 
chorn  of  the  American  Embassy  in  Bangkok  while 
on  his  trip  to  review  Reclamation  activities  in  for- 
eign countries  last  fall. 

He  was  accompanied  by  Floyd  C.  Bonge,  Perris, 
Calif.,  vice  president  of  Eastern  Municipal  Wat«r 
District. 

The  Thailand  medal  is  the  second  official  foreign 
recognition  the  Commissioner  has  received  re- 
cently. It  was  made  on  September  30.  Last  June, 
he  received  The  Great  Cross  of  the  Order  of  Isabel 
the  Catholic  from  the  Government  of  Spain,  noted 
in  the  August  1966  issue  of  the  Reclamation  Era. 

U.S.  Ambassador  to  Thailand  Graham  A. 
Martin  and  other  officials  of  the  American  Em- 
bassy and  of  Thailand's  Royal  Irrigation  Depart- 
ment attended  the  award  ceremony.  Martin  Tank, 
the  Thailand  Director  of  the  Agency  for  Inter- 
national Development  and  Lyle  W.  Mabbott, 
Reclamation  Project  Engineer  and  team  leader  of 
the  35-man  U.S.  Reclamation  team  on  the  Pa  Mong 
River  Project  in  that  country  also  were  present. 

The  citation  of  the  Thailand  award  commended 
Commissioner  Dominy  on  the  Reclamation  serv- 
ice under  his  leadership  as  "most  helpful  in  render- 
ing technical  assistance  to  various  departments  and 
organizations  of  the  Government  of  Thailand  in 
the  fields  of  water  resources  and  hydroelectric 
power  development,  particularly  in  irrigation  and 
drainage." 

As  Chairman  of  the  U.S.  Delegation  to  the  Eco- 
nomic Commission  for  Asia  and  the  Far  East, 
Commissioner  Dominy  represented  the  United 
States  in  the  7th  Regional  Water  Resources  De- 
velopment Conference,  in  Canberra,  Australia, 
September  19  to  26.  He  also  presented  a  paper 
entitled:  "The  Development  of  Cost  Allocation 
Methods."  While  in  that  country  he  conferred 
with  the  Snowy  Mountains  Hydro  Electric 
Authority. 

When  he  arrived  in  the  Philippines,  Mr.  Dominy 
presented  a  completed  report  on  the  multiple-pur- 
pose Uper  Pampanga  River  Project  of  that  coun- 
try to  AID  officials.  The  Bureau  of  Reclamation's 
investigation  of  the  proposed  project  was  launched 
in  1962. 


24 


Commissioner   Dominy   receiving   the   medal   from    Prime   Minister 
Kittikachorn. 


The  report  found  the  Upper  Pampanga  River 
Project  in  the  central  Luzon  area  both  engineer- 
ingly  feasible  and  economically  justified. 

The  Commissioner  also  went  to  India  and  re- 
viewed potential  waiter  developments  in  Punjab 
State. 

Distinguished  Service  Awards 

Still  another  award  was  presented  to  Commis- 
sioner Dominy  in  1966.  On  November  10,  he  and 
13  other  employees  or  former  employees  of  Recla-  c 
mation  were  presented  the  Department  of  the  Inte- 
rior's highest  award,  the  Distinguished  Service 
Award  for  service  in  water  resource  development 
efforts. 

The  others  are  as  follows : 

Daniel  V.  McCarthy,  Max  H.  Kight  (retired), 
Carl  J.  Hoffman  (retired),  G.  Vernon  Becker  (re- 
tired), Harvey  C.  Olander   (retired).  Wade  H.I 
Taylor,  Archie  M.  Rankin,  Wesley  G.  Holtz,  Ed-  \ 
win  H.  Hopper    (retired),  Everett  A.  Pesonen? 
(retired),  William  J.  McCrystle,  Byron  L.  Miller, 
and  John  T.  Hicks  (retired).  #    #    # 


Distinguished  Service  Awardees  in  photo  on  next  page,  from  left 
are:  Mr.  Kight,  Mr.  Miller,  Mr.  Hoffman,  Mr.  McCrystle,  Mr.  Becker, 
Mr.  Pesonen,  Mr.  Olander,  Mr.  Taylor,  Mr.  Hicks,  Mr.  McCarthy 
Commissioner  Dominy,  Mr.  Hooper,  Mr.  Rankin  and  Mr.  Holtz. 

The  Reclamation  Era 

U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE:  1967      O — 239-500 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Spec.  No. 


Project 


Award 
date 

Oct. 

24 

Oct. 

26 

Oct. 

6 

Oct. 

4 

Dec. 

20 

Nov. 

4 

Nov. 

4 

Nov. 

10 

Oct. 

26 

Description  of  work  or  material 


Contractor's  name  and  address 


Contract 
amount 


DS-6414.. 

DS-6440.. 
DS-6443.. 
DC-6447_ 


DC-6450. 
DS-6452.. 
DC-6455-. 
K[>C-6456. . 

I 


)C-6460.... 


DS-6462.. 
DS-6464. 
DS-6473. 
100C-892_ 
200C-650. 

300C-250- 


300C-253... 
500C-238._. 

604C-64 

701C-646_.. 


Missouri  River  Basin,  N.  Dak 

Office  of  Saline  Water,  Calif 

Colorado  River  Storage,  Colo. 

Bostwick  Park,  Colo 

Missouri  River  Basin,  N.  Dak 

Missouri  River  Basin,  N.  Dak 

Washoe,  Calif 

Baker,  Oreg 

Pacific    Northwest-Pacific    South- 
west Intertie,  Ariz. 

Navajo  Indian  Irrigation,  N.  Mex.. 

Colorado  River  Storage,  Colo 

Fryingpan- Arkansas,  Colo 

Colorado  River  Storage,  Ariz 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash 

Central  Valley,  Calif 

Colorado   River   Front  Work   and 
Levee  System,  Ariz. 

Colorado   River   Front   Work  and 
Levee  System,  Ariz. 

Canadian  River,  Tex 

Missouri  River  Basin,  Mont 

Missouri  River  Basin,  Kans 


Dec.  23 

Nov.  2 

Oct.  31 

Dec.  20 

Dec.  2 

Oct.  18 

Oct.  21 

Dec.  1 

Oct.  20 

Oct.  7 

Oct.  19 


Three     20,000/26,667/33,333-kva     autotrans- 

formers  for  Jamestown  substation,  stage 

07. 
Six  pumping  units  for  San  Diego  Saline 

Water  test  facility. 
Three   52,000-kva   power   transformers   for 

Morrow  Point  powerplant. 
Construction  of  Silver  Jack  Dam 


Construction  of  stage  07  additions  to  James- 
town substation. 

Three  230-kv  and  two  115-kv  power  circuit 
breakers  for  Jamestown  substation,  stage 
07. 

Construction  of  Stampede  Dam  and  roads. . 


Construction  of  Lilley  and  Lilley  relift 
pumping  plants  and  appurtenant  pipe- 
lines. 

Two  control  desk  console  and  six  enclosed 
switchboard  assemblies  for  Liberty  sub- 
station and  one  enclosed  switchboard 
assembly  for  Liberty  line  at  Mead  sub- 
station. 

Construction  of  2.2  miles  of  concrete  pipe 
siphons  and  2.7  miles  of  concrete-lined 
canal  for  Main  canal.  Schedule  1. 

Three  230-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Rifle 
substation. 

Two  3.5-foot  by  4-foot  tandem  outlet  gates 
and  liners  for  outlet  works  at  Ruedi  Dam. 

One  100,000-kVa  autotransformer  for  Glen 
Canyon  switchyard. 

Construction  of  concrete  lining  and  culvert 
repair  for  East  Low  canal. 

Rehabilitation  of  nine  timber  bridges  along 
Friant-Kern  canal  between  mile  102.16  and 
mile  136.67. 

Construction  of  roads  and  bank  protection 
structures  A-4-P,  A-5-P,  A-6-P,  A-7-P, 
A-8-P,  A-9-P,  C-4-P,  C-5-P,  and  C-6-P, 
pilot  channel,  and  2.6  miles  of  access  road 
to  Agnes  Wilson  road  bridge. 

Construction  of  inlet  and  outlet  works  and 
boat  launching  ramp  for  development  of 
Oxbow  area. 

Construction  of  headquarters  building  for 
Canadian  River  Municipal  Water  Au- 
thority. 

Furnishing  and  applying  buried  asphaltic 
membrane  lining  for  reaches  of  East  Bench 
canal.  Schedule  1. 

Clearing  700  acres  and  buildings  from  75  farm- 
steads for  Waconda  Lake  area. 


Westinghouse  Electric  Corp.,  Den- 
ver, Colo. 

Mitsui  &  Co.  (U.S.A.),  Inc.,  San 
Francisco,  Calif. 

Societa  Nazionale  delle  OfHcine  di 
Savigliano,  Turin,  Italy. 

Johnson  Brothers  Highway  and 
Heavy  Constructors,  Inc.,  and  D. 
H.  Blattner  and  Sons,  Inc.,  Litch- 
field, Minn. 

Kinetic  Engineering  &  Construc- 
tion, Inc.,  and  B  &  A  Electric  Co., 
Inc.,  Sacramento,  Calif. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp.,  Den- 
ver, Colo. 

Ray  Kizer  Construction  Co.  and 
R.  A.  Heintz  Construction  Co., 
Redding,  Calif. 

Galey  Construction  Co.,  Inc.,  Boise, 
Idaho. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp.,  Den- 
ver, Colo. 


Universal  Constructors,  Inc.,  Albu- 
querque, N.  Mex. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp.,  Den- 
ver, Colo. 

Steward  Machine  Co.,  Inc.,  Birming- 
ham, Ala. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp.,  Den- 
ver, Colo. 

Equipco,  Inc.  Ephrata,  Wash 


Kaweah  Construction  Co.,  Visalia, 
Calif. 

W.  R.  Whitlow,  dba  Whitlow  Con- 
struction Co.,  Riverside,  Calif. 


Philip  H.  Lewis,  dba  Airco  Engi- 
neering Co.,  Yuma,  Ariz. 

High  Plains  Building  Co.,  Amarillo, 
Tex. 

Lewis  Construction  Co.,  Great  Falls, 
Mont. 

Melvin  McGowan,  dba  McQowan 
Clearing  and  Sodding,  Ottertail, 
Minn. 


$197, 150 

366, 770 

287,432 

3, 539, 101 

219, 220 
232, 846 
9, 220, 895 
483, 163 
103,354 

6, 730,  000 

178,  582 
178, 412 
148,634 
154,537 
128,997 

289,981 

139, 987 
145,994 
129,  736 
115.914 


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Government  Printing  Office 

DIVISION   OF   PUBLIC  DOCUMENTS 

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OFFICIAL    BUSINESS 


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In  its  assigned  function  as  the  Nation's  principal  natural  resource  agency, 
the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special  obligation  to  assure  that  our 
expendable  resources  ars  conserved,  that  renewable  resources  are  managed 
to  produce  optintum  yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  fuU  meas- 
ure to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  America,  now  and  in  the 

future. 

U.S.  Department  or  the  Interior/ Bureau  of  Reclamation 


\^M 


^ 


v^'. 


C  L  A  M  A  T  I  O  N 


May  19 


*^W!iH#IPWfl"""^ 


// 


/ 


1st  interHational 

CONFERENCE 
on 

WATER 

FOR 

PEACE 

May  23-31 


"we  must  come  to  grips 
with  our  water  problems. 
See  article  by  Vice  Pici 
Hubert  Humphrey 


May  1967  •  Vol.  53,  No.  2 


RECLAMATION 


Gordon  J.  Forsyth,  Editor 


Contents 

COMING  TO   GRIPS 

WITH  WATER  FOR 
THE  21ST  CEN- 
TURY      2.5 

by  Hon.  Hubert 
Humphrey 
WATER   FOR   PEACE. _     32 

by  Harlan  Wood 
WATER  FOR  INDUS- 
TRY      34 

by  William  T.  Pecora 
DAM  ENHANCES 

RACES 39 

by  Ray  H.  DcKramer 
RIVER  BASIN  SUR- 
VEYS      40 

by  Jack  C.  Jorgensen 
WILDLIFE  STABI- 
LIZED      42 

ON  "MIRACLE  MILE"_     44 

by  Larry  Peterson 
"CLIMBING  THE 

LADDER" 46 

by  Bill  J.  McCleneghan 
QUALITY  TEST   UNIT.     50 
HERE  AND  THERE___.     52 
IDEAL  SALMON 

FACILITY 54 


Commissioner's  Page 


COVER  PHOTO.  The  giant  white  curtain 
of  water  which  appropriately  outlines  the 
inset  photograph  of  Vice  President  Hum- 
phrey on  the  cover  is  the  rapid  descent  of 
water  on  the  spillway  of  the  602-foot 
high  Shasta  Dam,  Calif. 


A  WORLD 
WATER  CONFRONTATION 

Of  the  1.1  hilUon  people  living  in 
the  rural  areas  of  the  free  world's  developing  Na- 
tions, nearly  800  million  had  no  water  service  at 
all  in  1964,  according  to  the  Federal  Committee 
on  Water  for  Peace.  Of  the  urban  population, 
140  million — an  imposing  40  percent — also  had  no 
water  service. 

In  fact  of  the  1.5  hillion  people  in 
those  developing  countries,  only  170  million,  or 
one  person  out  of  nine,  had  water  piped  to  his 
habitation. 

I  am  sure  that  such  drastic  water 
situations  need  the  bold  confrontation  of  everyone 
who  is  able,  especially  the  tvorld's  top  experts  in 
water  related  fields,  and  all  willing  leaders. 

This  771071th' s  Water  for  Peace  con- 
fere7ice — the  first  such  international  conf^^ontation 
in  history — brings  such  people  together  for  a  coura- 
geous first  step.  The  key  of  a  free  world  bringi7ig 
about  the  solutio7is  is  tvell  expressed  by  Preside7it 
Johnson:  ^^ Massive  cooperation — International  ef- 
fort.'' We  recommend  a  furthe7'ance  of  this  pro- 
gram for  the  consideration  of  active  citizens 
everywhere. 

Those  who  atte^id  the  co7ifere7ice 
will  be  given  a  survey  of  the  existi7ig  tvorld  pi^oh- 
lems,  a7id  they  will  be  ashed  to  go  fo7^ward  co- 
operatively tvith  water  developments  large  and 
small — developments  tvhich  will  feed  the  hu7ig7'y 
and  create  economic  betterments  which  will  be 
powerful  factors  for  peace. 

It  is  with  confide7ice  m  the  Bureau 
of  Recla7natio7i's  experience,  both  in  the  western 
parts  of  this  country  a7id  ab7^oad,  that  our  experts 
will  participate  in  this  great  co7ifere7ice  and  co7i- 
tribute  in  such  water  efforts  as  planning,  eco- 
no7nics,  construction,  conservation,  research  and 
training. 


Floyd  E.  Dominy 
Reclamation  Oommissioner 


I 


"providing  it  clean  and  un- 
contaminated  where  and 
when  men  need  it."  This 
high  view  shows  part  of  the 
water  operation  of  Glen 
Canyon  Dam,  Arizona,  on 
the  Colorado  River. 
(Photo  hy  Mel  Davis) 


Coming  to  Grips  With  Water 

for  the  21st  Century 


by  Honorable  HUBERT  H.  HUMPHREY 
Vice  President  of  the  United  States 


May  1967 


THE  struggle  to  capture  water  and  turn  it  to 
human  use  is  as  ancient  as  man  himself.  In  our 
modern  world,  the  effort  is  not  only  still  neces- 
sary— it  is  even  more  urgent. 

For  growing  food — for  producing  the  elemen- 
tary goods  of  life — for  life  itself — water  is  es- 
sential. Men  have  fought  wars  over  this  vital 
commodity.  Civilizations  have  perished  for  lack 
of  it. 

A  precedent-shattering  move  toward  solving 
the  water  supply  problems  of  many  nations,  and 


25 


our  own— probably  the  first  in  international  his- 
tory—is the  "Water  for  Peace  Conference"  in 
Washington  this  month. 

This  great  assembly  is  for  the  mutual  benefit  of 
all  nations.  Preconf  erence  response  has  been  grat- 
ifying. We  are  encouraged  that  this  event  does 
have  outstanding  prospects  for  increased  interna- 
tional cooperation  and  exchange  of  knowledge  in 
the  wise  conversation  and  use  of  priceless  water 
supplies. 

Conservation  and  wise  use  are,  of  course,  the 
crux  of  mankind's  problem.  As  a  renewable  re- 
source, the  quantity  of  water  in  the  world  is  not 
decreasing.  The  problem  is  providing  it  clean 
and  uncontaminated  lohere  and  lohen  men  need 
it.  Existing  needs  will  double  by  the  end  of 
the  century.  A  population  explosion  has  caused 
upward  revision  of  many  previous  estimates  as  to 
water  needs.  This  means  that  within  the  coming 
decades,  we  have  a  tremendous  job  of  planning 
and  ground  work  if  we  are  to  be  ready  for  the 
new  century. 

Honorable  Hubert  H.  Humphrey.  The  Vice 
President  of  the  United  States''.  .  .  shared  in 
the  privations  of  drought  and  Depression  of 
the  late  I920's  and  early  7930's/'  said  one 
biographer  about  the  author  of  this  article. 

That  Vice  President  Huntphey  is  an  ardent 
conservationist  is  understandable.  From  a 
typical  American  boyhood  and  sturdy  family 
roots  nourished  in  the  arid  Great  Plains,  he 
gained  the  practical  experience  and  deep 
understanding  which  led  after  service  as  a 
mayor  and  for  76  years,  a  U.S.  Senator,  to 
election  to  the  Nation's  second  highest  office. 
He  knows  well  the  crisis  of  water  which  he  so 
effectively  describes  on  these  pages. 


Although  ours  has  been  a  nation  of  wealth  and 
dynamic  progress,  we  have  tended  to  be  indifferent 
to  this  natural  resource  as  the  wellspring  of  hu- 
man progress.  We  have  moved  ahead  economi- 
cally to  a  large  degree  at  the  expense  of  our  easily 
available  supplies  of  water.  A  day  of  reckoning 
approaches  unless  we  remember  that  no  other  nat- 
ural resources  can  be  developed  without  this  one. 
It  is  an  irreplaceable  commodity — better  living 
calls  for  more  and  more  of  it.  Thousands  of  gal- 
lons of  water  are  required  to  produce  most  of 
the  items  we  buy  on  the  market. 

Operations  Curtailed 

This  became  very  meaningful  in  the  Northeast 
where  both  industry  and  dense  population  are 
heavy  users.  Drouth  in  recent  years  in  that  part 
of  the  country  has  dramatically  demonstrated  criti- 
cal shortages.  Many  industrial  plants  curtailed 
operations  or  shut  down  during  the  worst  months. 
Water  disappeared  from  restaurant  tables.  Lawn 
sprinklers  went  dry  and  automobiles  went  un- 
washed. Many  individuals  stored  containers  of 
water  in  their  homes  as  a  safeguard  against  a  total 
drying  up  of  the  taps. 

Ironically,  while  the  reservoirs  for  the  world's 
largest  city  were  nearly  dry,  the  Hudson  River 
flowed  sluggishly  alongside  Manhattan,  laden  with 
sewage  and  industrial  waste  and  totally  unfit  for 
slaking  the  mounting  metropolitan  thirst. 

Although  the  Hudson  is  formed  from  fresh 
streams  in  astonishingly  beautiful  country,  pop- 
ulation gradually  crowded  in  around  it ;  much  of 
its  beauty  was  ruined  and  its  abundant  fish  and 
wildlife  were  shamefully  replaced  with  flowing 
refuse  and  effluvia.  This  was  the  distressing 
result  of  widespread  civic  inertia. 

Fortunately,  there  is  hope  for  the  future  in  a 
long-range  Federal  study  looking  toward  a  co- 


United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Stewart  L.  Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Floyd  E.  Dominy,  Commissioner 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Wash- 
ington, D.C.  20240.  use  of  funds  for  printing  this  publication  approved  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau 
of  the  Budget,  January  31,  1966. 

For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.C. 
20402.  Price  30  cents  (single  copy).  Subscription  price:  $1.00  per  year  (25  cents  additional  for 
foreign  mailing). 


26 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Water  for  recreation  and 
sports.  A  youngster  from  a 
school  for  the  mentally  re- 
tarded, and  who  loves  to 
swim,  chats  with  Vice  Pres. 
and  Mrs.  Humphrey  at  their 
homeside  pool. 


'^■BfcSk- 


operative  clean-up  of  the  Hudson  and  restoration 
and  development  of  the  great  potential  in  the 
entire  Hudson  River  Basin.  Similar  steps  are  be- 
ing planned  in  the  Potomac  where  President  John- 
son has  directed  an  all-out  effort  to  demonstrate 
that  our  streams  can  be  cleaned  up  and  made  whole 
and  useful. 

Other  areas  of  the  United  States  have  taken 
major  steps  to  correct  local  pollution  problems. 

No  time  should  be  lost,  I  firmly  believe  the 
solution  to  our  water  supply  problems  is  one  of 
the  keys  to  the  future  welfare  of  most  parts  of 
our  country.  It  is  a  vast  undertaking.  It  will 
require  united  and  cooperative  effort  at  all  levels 
of  government  as  well  as  strong  participation  by 
every  seginent  of  the  community. 

Stepped-up  Undertakings 

The  effort  to  purify  salt  water  for  domestic  use 
has  been  stepped-up  tenfold  following  Federal 
efforts  to  stimulate  development. 


Fascinating  also  is  the  practical  research  the 
Federal  Bureau  of  Reclamation  is  undertaking  to 
tap  the  "rivers  in  the  sky.''  If  established  prin- 
ciples of  weather  modification  can  be  applied  to 
induce  additional  precipitation  from  moisture- 
laden  clouds,  it  will  open  up  a  whole  new  horizon 
of  water  availability  to  fill  reservoirs  and  keep 
our  rivers  and  streams  flowing. 

Fortunately,  nature  renews  the  purity  of  water 
when  it  falls  as  rain  or  snow\  But  renewing  sec- 
ond-hand water  artificially  is  also  possible.  I 
learned  of  an  example  of  used  water  being  remark- 
ably transformed  in  the  town  of  Santee,  Calif. 

As  Santee  grew  in  the  dry  hills  above  San  Diego, 
its  resourceful  officials  turned  to  the  purification 
of  sewage  water  as  a  possible  source  to  augment 
short  water  supplies.  A  $700,000  bond  issue  Avas 
the  financial  start  for  a  treatment  process  that  now 
supplies  the  city  with  a  new  lake  clean  enough  to 
be  used  as  a  swimming  pool.  Santee  also  disposes 
of  sewage  for  10  percent  less  cost  than  transport- 


May  1967 


27 


ing  it  to  San  Diego's  sewage  system — and  Santee 
has  some  fine  recreational  lakes  in  the  bargain. 
There  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  in  the  future, 
this  process  will  be  further  refined,  so  that  renewed 
water  can  flow  through  our  taps  for  domestic  use. 
This  is  another  reason  why  the  water  outlook  for 
the  21st  century  does  not  have  to  be  bleak.  But 
immense  initiative  is  necessary. 


"Who  Will  Make"— Emerson 

Emerson  once  said:  "What  we  need  most  is 
someone  who  will  make  us  do  what  we  can  do." 

It  has  been  my  experience  that  when  citizens 
encourage — "make" — an  elected  official  do  what  he 
"can  do"  as  a  leader,  the  wheels  of  progress  really 
begin  to  accelerate.  This  is  our  situation  today  in 
regards  to  water.  Every  man  and  woman  must 
look  to  the  future.  We  cannot  afford  just  to  talk 
about  what  and  where  the  water  should  be.  The 
League  of  Women  Voters  and  other  public- 
spirited  organizations  have  done  a  commendable 
job  of  helping  to  sound  the  alarm.  Once  we  have 
fully  alerted  America  to  the  danger,  our  task  is 
to  move  our  country  ahead  in  a  bold  program. 

Water  leaders  in  the  arid  and  semiarid  West 
have  already  set  a  valuable  pattern.  That  part  of 
our  country  has  adapted  so  well  to  perpetual 
drouth  situations  for  many  decades  that  its  ex- 
ample is  a  lesson  in  resourcefulness  to  the  nation 
and  the  world.  What  an  invaluable  part  Western 
water  leadership  has  played  in  strengthening  our 
national  economy!  Achieved  amidst  harshness 
and  austerity,  the  impressive  records  prove  that 
the  West's  pioneer  settlers  knew  that  water  was 
everybody's  business  and  that  proper  water  con- 
trol was  essential  for  their  progress. 

Maricopa  County  in  Arizona  and  the  Snake 
River  Valley  of  Idaho  are  samples  of  early  day 
economies  built  on  the  principle  of  proper  use  of 
available  water  supplies  for  irrigation,  resulting 
in  notable  growth  and  prosperity. 

Modern-Day  Example 

The  Columbia  Basin  project  in  central  Wash- 
ington State  is  a  modern-day  example.    For  cen- 


Irrigalion  helps  assure  the  country's  food  supply.     Water  for  this 
alfalfa  field  is  from  Canyon  Ferry  Reservoir  in  Montana. 


28 


The  Reclamation  Era 


turies,  the  Columbia  River  encircled  this  heaitland 
of  the  Northwest  without  being  put  to  any  really 
worthwhile  purpose.  But  since  1948,  water  has 
been  diverted  and  has  made  huge  land  sections 
in  the  Columbia  Basin  project  attractive  to  set- 
tlers, meanwhile  increasing  land  value  many  fold. 
Today,  this  project  area  is  an  agricultural  show- 
place.  The  irrigated  area  jumped  from  230  to 
over  410,000  acres.  The  population  swelled  by 
47,000 ;  850  new  businesses  sprang  up,  annual  pay- 
checks were  fatter  by  over  $56  million,  and  the 
assessed  value  of  property  increased  $75  billion. 
This  trend  will  continue  until  the  project  matures. 
Its  full  economic  impact  means  broader  security 
and  food  for  the  hungry. 


Electric  power  produced  at  the  project's  prin- 
cipal structure — Grand  Coulee  Dam — has  been  an 
indispensable  partner  to  the  irrigation  in  the  area. 
It  is  the  availability  of  power  to  pump  water  out 
of  the  gorge  as  well  as  sale  of  the  great  amount  of 
power  produced  at  the  dam  which  made  the  proj- 
ect possible  within  the  framework  of  reimburs- 
ability — the  cornerstone  of  reclamation. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  program  is  just  as 
successful  in  many  other  areas  of  the  West.  Its 
multiple-purpose  water  control  projects  not  only 
attract  Americans  looking  for  opportunity,  but 
have  been  favorably  studied  every  year  by 
thousands  of  technicians  from  foreign  countries 
who  are  trying  to  solve  their  water  problems. 


"water  that  we  and  the  coming  generation  will  need." 


This  is  a  scene  of  a  Reclamation  reservoir  in  Teton  National  Park,  Wyo. 

(Photo  hy  D.  J.  Weir) 


29 


"a  future  rich  with  water."  A 
drinl<  from  the  garden  hose  being 
enjoyed  by  these  California  lads  is 
not  possible  in  many  parts  of  the 
world. 


30 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Private  and  State  organizations  and  the  U.S. 
Department  of  Agriculture  have  also  helped  con- 
serve water  in  a  number  of  areas.  And  the  Army 
Corps  of  Engineers  has  built  great  waterworks, 
principally  for  flood  control  purposes. 

Be  "Water  Missionaries" 

One  of  the  best  examples  of  "water  missionary" 
activity  has  occurred  near  where  I  was  born  in 
South  Dakota.  The  millions  of  acres  of  rich  soil 
in  that  region  have  attracted  enterprising  dry 
farm  operators  ever  since  the  earliest  settlers. 

But  the  residents  of  Campbell  County  are  highly 
interested  in  broadening  and  diversifying  their 
economic  base.  A  potential  means  has  been  found 
through  a  survey  which  declared  about  15,000  acres 
of  that  land,  not  far  from  the  Missouri  River,  as 
suitable  for  irrigation,  for  water-based  recreation 
and  for  sport-game  benefits  in  a  potential  project 
area. 

With  a  supercharged  community  spirit,  the  resi- 
dents do  everything  possible  to  become  informed 
and  to  qualify  for  the  financial  aid  needed  to  build 
the  permanent  water  structures.  Though  the 
population  is  small,  large  delegations  of  their  citi- 
zens arrange  to  participate  and  get  support  for 
their  cause  at  State  and  National  water  confer- 
ences. They  know  the  earliest  they  can  possibly 
have  their  first  water  will  be  in  about  8  years,  but 
their  enthusiasm  is  at  a  high  pitch;  that  is  half 
the  battle  for  fulfilling  the  dream. 

It  is  the  future  that  these  enterprising  people 
are  looking  to — water,  wealth  productivity,  and 
brighter  prospects  for  their  children  and  grand- 
children. It  is  an  historic  effort;  it  is  "making" 
our  leaders  do  what  they  can  do.  Other  commu- 
nities throughout  the  Nation  might  well  follow 
suit. 

Meantime,  right  there  in  the  Missouri  River  ba- 
sin is  another  problem — stream  sharing.  This  has 
long  deterred  w^ater  progress  elsewhere  as  well. 
It  has  not  been  a  universal  custom  to  share  and 
protect  downstream  counties  or  States  in  the  use 
of  rivers.  Everyone  does  realize  that  our  streams 
do  not  confine  themselves  to  arbitrary  political 
boundaries.  In  view  of  inevitable  growth,  basin- 
and  region-wide  plans  must  be  expanded.  To  take 
care  of  upstream  and  downstream  users  alike  in 
the  challenging  future,  we  simply  cannot  afford  to 


confine  our   thinking   to  an   immediate  city  or 
coui^ty  area,  or  in  many  instances,  just  one  State. 

Tackle  At  Once 

To  summarize,  we  should  tackle  at  once  the  jobs 
of  saving  water  in  every  part  of  the  country. 
Forward-looking  citizens — at  all  levels — should 
help  chart  a  course  for  a  future  rich  with  water. 

Many  competitive  needs  do  confront  our  Na- 
tion; financial  resources  to  fulfill  our  needs  must 
be  carefully  allocated.  Wise  decisions  must  be 
made  now — and  next  year — and  the  year  after 
that — at  all  levels  of  government  and  by  our  pri- 
vate economy.  Time  should  not  be  needlessly  or 
arbitrarily  lost  before  we  proceed  to  construct 
known  feasible  projects  which  will  overcome  pres- 
ent supply  shortages.  In  recent  years.  Federal 
help  has  become  available  for  this  purpose. 

Hopefully,  the  level  and  speed  of  planning  could 
be  raised  for  well- justified  potential  projects  which 
have  been  talked  about  for  many  years,  but  have 
not  progressed  beyond  that  stage.  Tliis  could  in- 
clude plans  for  new  supplies  for  all  purposes,  not 
forgetting  antipollution,  water-based  recreation, 
and  beautification. 

Federal  interagency  river  basin  surveys  are  now 
underway  for  some  regions  through  the  auspices 
of  the  Water  Resources  Council.  Cooperation 
with  such  surveys  and  other  kinds  of  inventories 
of  future  water  needs  will  be  very  important  to 
a  national  survey  to  be  done  either  by  established 
factfinding  agencies  of  the  Government  or  by  the 
National  Water  Commission,  as  the  Congress  may 
decide. 

In  effect,  we  must  come  to  grips  with  our  water 
problems;  we  must  take  timely  action  before  the 
next  decade  or  so  when  it  may  be  either  too  late  or 
too  expensive.  This  is  a  great  challenge ;  in  fulfill- 
ing it,  we  will  better  ourselves  and  improve  the 
future  for  those  who  will  follow  after  us.  We  will 
be  sure  of  supplying,  or  having  on  hand,  the  water 
that  we  and  the  coming  generation  will  so  vitally 
need. 

Let  us  not  "fight  wars  over  it"  and  not  permit 
"our  civilizations  to  perish  for  lack  of  it."  But 
let's  stand  ready  as  neighbors  to  help  solve  one  of 
the  most  critical  problems  of  this  or  any  time. 

Adequate  water  for  all  Americans,  for  the  good 
life,  for  an  ever  better  life — this  is  our  goal.  We 
can  fulfill  this  goal.    We  must.    We  shall. 

#     #     # 


May  1%7 


31 


Secretary  Udall  will  be 
Presiding     Officer 

(Photo  hy  Jim  Aycock) 


Photo  at  right.  Dele- 
gates to  the  con- 
ference may  view 
Washington  and  the 
Potomac  River  in  night 
scenes  like  this. 


A  BROAD-SCALE  PROGRAM 


Water  for  Peace  Conference 
May  23,  1967 


by  HARLAN  WOOD 

Conference  Director  of  Information 


32 


AN  estimated  5,000  people  from  all  over  the 
.  world  will  gather  in  Washington,  D.C.,  on 
May  23  to  attend  the  International  Conference  on 
Water  for  Peace.  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.  Udall  will  be  presiding  officer. 

The  9-day  event  covering  all  aspects  of  water, 
will  feature,  in  addition  to  Conference  sessions, 
the  largest  exposition  of  industrial  water  equip- 
ment ever  assembled  in  the  United  States. 

Some  18  months  in  planning,  the  Conference 
was  called  by  President  Johnson  "to  deal  with  all 
of  the  world's  water  problems."  As  a  result  of 
the  President's  directive,  the  Department  of  the 
Interior  and  the  Department  of  State,  organizers 
of  the  meeting,  have  a  broad-scale  program  on  all 
aspects  of  water  resource  conservation,  develop- 
ment, and  use. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


Nearly  700  paj)ers  will  be  presented,  either  orally 
or  published,  at  five  concurrent  daily  sessions. 
The  bulk  of  these  come  from  46  nations  and  12 
international  organizations. 

Kegarding  its  purposes,  Secretary  Udall  said, 
"President  Johnson,  in  calling  the  Conference, 
stressed  that  a  massive,  cooperative  assault  should 
be  launched  within  the  range  of  existing  tech- 
nology to  meet  world  water  needs.  Thus,  this 
Conference  will  be  a  major  planning  session  to 
encourage  concrete  action  by  individual  nations 
and  by  international  organizations  and  nations 
working  together." 

Because  the  meeting  is  more  than  an  exchange 

ILof  technical  information,  many  nations  are  send- 
Kng  cabinet-level  officials  with  water  resource 
Riay  1967 


responsibility  in  their  countries.  Special  sessions 
are  planned  for  these  ministers. 

The  Governors  of  the  50  States  have  also  been 
invited  to  attend  or  send  representatives. 

Among  the  representatives  of  the  Bureau  of 
Eeclamation  who  will  deliver  papers  are:  Com- 
missioner Floyd  E.  Dominy  and  Assistant  Com- 
missioner Gilbert  G.  Stamm. 

In  addition  to  members  of  official  delegations 
and  accredited  international  observers,  Conference 
sessions  (to  be  held  at  the  Sheraton-Park  Hotel) 
will  be  open  to  those  who  register  in  advance  prior 
to  May  19.  Anyone  desiring  to  attend  should 
write:  Secretary-General,  International  Confer- 
ence on  Water  for  Peace,  Room  1318,  Department 
of  State,  Washington,  D.C.,  20520.  #     #     # 


33 


for 


Water 
Industry 


High  pressure  hoses  are  used  to 
wash  sludge  into  settling  ponds 
where  the  copper  is  about  80  per- 
cent pure  at  this  Bingham  Canyon 
Copper  plant  in  Utah.  The  water 
is  then  drained  ofF  and  pumped 
back  to  start  the  cycle  again. 


IS 


Problem 
Economic 


by  WILLIAM  T.  P^CORA 

Director  of  Geological  Survey 


YOU  turn  on  the  tap  scores  of  times  a  day  with- 
out ever  thinking  about  it.  Yet  most  people 
can  easily  imagine  the  confusion,  suffering,  and 
sheer  hard  -work  that  would  result  if  public  water 
supplies  were  cut  off,  and  there  were  no  water  for 
washing,  drinking,  cooking,  and  other  domestic 
uses. 

But  did  you  ever  stop  to  think  what  would  hap- 
pen if  water  supplies  for  industrial  plants  dried 
up  or  were  destroyed  by  some  catastrophe  ?  The 
results  might  be  less  irritating  to  the  individual 
person,  but  they  would  be  devasitating  for  civili- 
zation. Industry  depends  on  water  just  as  life 
itself  does. 

Without  water  for  industry,  our  culture  would 
return  to  a  primitive  level;  we  would  eventually 
have  to  go  hunting  with  bows  and  arrows  and  re- 
turn to  cultivating  the  soil  with  a  sharpened  stick. 
We  would  not  have  farm  machinery  to  use  in 
growing  food.  We  would  not  have  trucks,  trains, 
or  boats  to  transport  food  to  the  consumer. 

All  such  machines  require  steel,  and  to  manu- 
facture a  ton  of  steel  requires  270  tons  of  water. 
Ten  gallons  of  water  are  needed  to  produce  1  gal- 
lon of  gasoline  with  which  to  operate  the  ma- 
chines ;  920  tons  of  water  are  needed  to  make  a  ton 
of  rayon  fiber.  A  ton  of  sulfite  pulp  to  make  pa- 
per requires  200  tons  of  water. 


34 


Today,  industry  needs  water  in  fantastic  quan- 
tities and  the  demand  is  skyrocketing.  It  has  in- 
creased tenfold  since  1900,  although  the  popula- 
tion has  little  more  than  doubled.  Industries  in 
the  United  States  use  YOO  gallons  per  person  per 
day ;  an  individual  person  in  his  home  for  drink- 
ing, washing,  and  other  household  purposes  uses 
an  average  of  only  50  or  60  gallons  a  day.  Ninety- 
four  percent  of  industrial  water  is  used  for  cool- 
ing, and  most  of  this  can  be  used  again. 

There  is  a  widespread  notion  that  U.S.  industry 
will  soon  be  faced  with  a  serious  permanent  water 
shortage.  This  is  not  true,  for  the  overall  supply 
exceeds  the  demand  and  will  continue  to  do  so  in 
the  foreseeable  future.  However,  there  may  not 
be  enough  water  at  a  given  place  in  a  given  season, 
at  a  price  that  industry  is  willing  to  pay.  Every 
plant  will  not  have  available  all  the  cheap  water 
it  can  use. 

Where  does  industry  find  the  water  it  needs? 
Some  smaller  companies  get  it  from  public  supply 
systems.  This  water  is  generally  used  by  indus- 
tries that  require  small  quantities  of  high-qual- 
ity water  and  are  in  locations  where  suitable  water 
cannot  easily  be  obtained  from  wells. 

Very  large  industries  usually  find  it  more  eco- 
nomical to  set  up  their  own  supply  systems — if  they 
are  near  adequate  sources  of  water  from  lakes, 


The  Reclamation  Era 


3j 


streams,  or  ponds.  If  water  for  self-supplied  sys- 
tems is  not  available  nearby,  industry  then  has  to 
rely  on  public  supplies. 

Cities  and  States  can  transport  water  long  dis- 
tances, as  a  public  service,  while  industries  cannot 
afford  so  much  extra  expense.  The  cost  of  trans- 
porting the  water  added  to  the  costs  of  materials 
and  productions  would  price  them  out  of  the 
market. 

Some  Use  More 

Some  industries  use  much  more  water  than 
others.  For  example,  the  electric  power  industry 
uses  almost  10  times  as  much  as  the  chemical  in- 
dustry, which  is  the  second  largest  user.  The 
amount  of  water  used  depends  on  the  size  of  the 
industry  and  on  how  the  water  is  used.  Industry 
uses  water  for  cooling,  processing,  and  for  sanita- 
tion and  services. 

The  electric  power  industry  cools  the  steam  from 
turbines  with  water.  The  cooled  steam  condenses, 
thus  reducing  the  back  pressure  on  the  turbines, 
and  increasing  the  efficiency  of  the  plant.  The 
chemical,  petroleum-refining,  and  steel  industries 
!  also  use  large  quantities  of  cooling  water.  Water 
for  cooling  does  not  have  to  be  of  especially  high 

(quality. 
m  Water  for  processing  is  either  incorporated  in 
May  1967 


the  product,  as  in  soft  drinks  or  canned  fruit,  or 
it  comes  in  contact  with  the  product  during  manu- 
facture. For  certain  industries,  process  water 
would  obviously  have  to  be  of  very  high  quality. 
The  pulp-and-paper  industry  uses  water  for  wash- 
ing the  pulpwood,  cooking  the  woodchips,  and 
transporting  the  pulp  to  the  paper  machines. 
Such  water  would  not  have  to  be  quite  as  pure  and 
free  from  dissolved  solids  or  bacteria  as  water  used 
in  food  packing  plants,  or  in  the  making  of  syn- 
thetic textiles. 

Water  is  also  used  in  factories  for  sanitation  and 
services — to  clean  and  maintain  the  plant.  Drink- 
ing water,  showere  for  workers,  lawn  watering  and 
firefighting  are  some  examples  of  this  kind  of  use. 
Some  industries  need  water  only  for  sanitation  and 
services.  Such  plants  usually  use  water  from  pub- 
lic supply  systems — ^their  water  needs  are  so  mod- 
erate it  would  not  pay  them  to  develop  their  own 
systems. 

Even  within  an  industry  the  amount  of  water 
needed  to  make  a  given  product  varies  widely. 
The  reasons  for  this  wide  range  are  complex. 
Take  carbon-black,  for  instance.  This  is  the  soot 
produced  by  partial  combustion  of  natural  gas, 
and  it  is  one  of  the  important  ingredients  in  rub- 
ber tires,  shoe  polish,  carbon  paper,  and  typewriter 
ribbons. 


35 


The  contact  process  of  carbon-black  manufac- 
ture requires  only  0.14  gallons  per  pound— in  con- 
trast, the  furnace  process  requires  3.26  gallons  per 
pound.  Hot  carbon-black-laden  gases  from  the 
furnace  process  are  cooled  with  a  water  spray,  but 
cooling  water  is  not  required  in  the  contact  process. 

Some  other  industries,  such  as  the  aluminum 
industry,  require  large  quantities  of  electricity. 
Water  requirements  of  a  plant  are  greater  if  the 
electricity  is  generated  at  the  plant  than  if  it  is 
purchased. 

The  water  intake  of  a  plant  may  be  reduced  by 
using  the  water  several  times  over.  This  reuse  is 
what  makes  it  so  hard  to  estimate  the  relationship 
between  supply  and  demand  in  water  planning. 
Some  petroleum  refineries  use  the  same  water  to 
cool  the  hot  gas  as  many  as  50  times.  Such  reuse 
reduces  the  cooling  water  intake  to  one  fiftieth, 
and  the  total  water  intake  to  one-twelfth  of  that 
needed  without  recirculation. 

Water  used  for  cooling  many  times  ov^r  is 
greatly  reduced  in  quantity.  In  the  cooling  proc- 
ess, some  water  is  constantly  being  lost  due  to 
evaporation.  Some  petroleum  refineries  consume 
almost  all  the  cooling  water  through  evaporation. 

Reduces  Quantity 

Reuse  not  only  reduces  the  quantity  of  water,  it 
has  a  bad  effect  on  its  quality.  All  natural  water 
contains  dissolved  minerals,  and  some  water  con- 


tains more  than  others.  As  the  circulated  water 
evaporates,  the  dissolved  minerals  become  concen- 
trated in  the  water  that  is  left.  Wlien  the  con- 
centration of  dissolved  minerals  reaches  a  certain 
level,  this  water  must  be  discarded. 

Some  industries  can  use  more  highly  mineralized 
water  than  others.  However,  incoming  water 
having  a  high  mineral  content  can  be  reused  fewer 
times  than  water  having  a  low  mineral  content. 
If  the  local  water  supply  has  a  high  mineral  con- 
tent and  cannot  be  reused,  more  water  will  be 
needed. 

Sometimes  saline  (salty)  water  may  be  used  for 
cooling,  if  the  water  is  to  be  used  only  once. 
However,  the  machinery  for  using  saline  water 
must  be  designed  to  resist  rusting.  Saline  water 
is  used  only  when  fresh  water  is  not  available  at 
a  reasonable  cost,  because  rust-resistant  machinery 
is  more  expensive  than  ordinary  machinery. 

Many  plants  all  using  the  same  stream  for  cool- 
ing purposes  can  seriously  damage  its  water  qual- 
ity. The  Mahoning  River  in  eastern  Ohio  is  an 
outstanding  example.  Several  steel  mills  use  this 
stream  as  a  source  of  water  for  cooling  and  return 
the  warmed  water  to  the  stream.  A  water  tem- 
perature of  117°  F.  was  observed  in  July  1941. 

These  mills  heated  the  water  sufficiently  in  De- 
cember 1949,  to  increase  the  average  water  temper- 
ature from  35°  F.  at  Leavittsburg,  above  the  mills. 


Such  steam  generating  plants  as  this  one  near  Farmington,  New  Mex.  use  coal  to  generate  electricity  and  much  water  as  coolant. 


to  84°  F.  at  Lowelville,  below  the  mills. 

You  may  wonder  why  we  describe  this  artifi- 
cially warmed  water  as  of  poor  quality.  One  rea- 
son is  that  the  warmed  water  may  upset  or  harm 
fish  and  other  aquatic  life  in  the  river.  Another 
reason  is  that  warm  water  is  unsuitable  for  some 
domestic  or  industrial  uses. 

Some  industries  require  a  high  standard  of 
quality  of  water,  but  others  can  use  water  of  poor 
to  medium  quality.  In  general,  calcium  and  mag- 
nesium compounds  are  undesirable  in  process 
water,  especially  if  the  water  is  used  hot,  because 
a  scale  will  be  deposited  in  the  machinery,  just 
as  scale  forms  in  teakettles.  Certain  minerals  are 
likely  to  stain  the  product  and  are  therefore  unde- 
sirable. If  the  product  is  a  synthetic  fiber  such  as 
rayon  or  acetate,  iron  and  manganese  interfere 
with  bleaching  and  dyeing.  Synthetic  fibers  re- 
quire a  very  high  quality  water — soft,  and  low  in 
mineral  content. 

One  very  imj^ortant  use  of  water  by  industry, 
is  for  disposal  of  the  waste  products  of  processing. 
At  one  time  streamflows  were  adequate  to  dilute, 
dissolve,  or  carry  away  these  wastes.  But  now, 
many  of  the  larger  rivers  in  the  United  States  are 
depleted  by  use  and  overloaded  with  wastes.  This 
pollution  not  only  upsets  the  delicate  balance  of 
nature  between  plants,  insects,  and  fish,  it  also 
poses  problems  of  water  quality  for  the  people 
and  industries  downstream. 

There  are  various  kinds  of  industrial  waste  pol- 
lution. Organic  wastes  mostly  come  from  food 
packing  plants  and  also  from  pulpmills.  Inor- 
ganic waste  consists  of  chemicals — acids,  cyanides, 
etc. — and  comes  from  many  different  industries. 
Then  there  are  insoluble  particles  (such  as  mineral 
tailings)  which  may  make  the  water  turbid  or 
settle  at  the  bottom,  smothering  purifying  orga- 
nisms. Finally,  there  is  heat,  which  we  have  al- 
ready mentioned  as  a  form  of  pollution. 

Industries  generally  are  aware  of  the  problems 
ci-eated  by  waste  disposal  in  rivers  and  are  trying 
to  help  in  pollution  abatement.  For  instance,  the 
pulp  and  paper  industry,  which  used  to  be  one  of 
the  worst  offenders,  has  cut  the  pollution  load  per 
ton  of  product  in  half  by  spending  millions  of 
dollars  on  treatment  facilities. 

Predisposal  Treatment 

Other  industries  and  groups  of  industries  are 
doing  research  on  predisposal  treatment  of  their 
waste  products  before  disposing  of  them.     Such 


Food  processing  plants  must  have  clean  water  supplies.  Checking 
the  quality  of  the  potatoes  in  his  plant  at  Billings,  Mont.,  is  Phil 
Werle,  manager. 


research  and  treatment  are  expensive,  however, 
and  add  to  the  cost  of  the  product.  It  is  not  sur- 
prising that  some  medium-sized  industries  as  yet 
do  little  or  nothing  about  the  problem. 

Now  you  begin  to  see  how  complex  the  industrial 
water  picture  is.  National  averages  of  industrial 
water  use  don't  mean  very  much.  Comparisons 
of  supply  and  demand,  even  in  a  local  area,  are  not 
very  meaningful  unless  the  quality  of  the  supply 
and  the  quality  requirements  of  the  industry  are 
considered.  Requirements  vary  from  plant  to 
plant,  depending  on  the  product,  the  process  used, 
the  kind  of  water  available,  and  the  amount  of 
recirculation  practiced.  An  accurate  water  bal- 
ance of  use  versus  demand  would  require  a  detailed 
study  of  local  conditions  and  the  industries  con- 
cerned. 

Forecasting  industrial  water  use  very  far  into 
the  future  is  even  more  difficult.  Products  and 
processes  become  obsolete.  Recirculation  and 
other  water-use  practices  change  with  the  chang- 
ing times.  For  example,  the  present  trend  in  tex- 
tiles is  to  replace  natural  fibers  with  synthetic 
materials  whose  manufacture  requires  larger  quan- 
tities of  water. 


May  1967 


37 


On  the  other  hand,  some  forces  will  tend  to  cut 
back  the  amount  of  water  used  for  industry.  The 
cheapest  and  easiest  sources  of  water  have  already 
been  developed  by  man.  As  the  cost  of  water  in- 
creases, conservation  practices  will  necessarily 
become  more  attractive.  The  largest  industrial 
use — fresh  water  for  cooling — can  be  reduced 
greatly  by  using  the  water  several  times,  and  by 
using  saline  water  where  available.  The  added 
cost  of  corrosion- resist  ant  machinery  is  offset  by 
the  lower  cost  of  developing  the  saline  water. 

As  the  cost  of  fresh  water  goes  up,  the  use  of 
saline  water  will  be  more  and  more  favored.  In 
the  same  way,  air  cooling  is  being  adopted  in  some 
industries,  instead  of  water-cooling  systems.  Sev- 
eral petroleum  refineries  have  found  that  under 
some  conditions  their  cooling  facilities  can  be  ex- 
panded more  cheaply  by  using  an  air  system  in- 
stead of  a  water  system. 

Without  a  doubt  the  demands  on  our  fresh  water 
supply  are  becoming  critical  in  some  areas,  and  this 
trend  w^ll  continue.  Industries  using  large  quan- 
tities of  water  per  employee  will  be  discouraged 


from  locating  in  water-poor  areas.  For  example, 
an  electronic  tube  industry  that  required  310  gal- 
lons per  employee  per  day  is  more  likely  to  locate 
in  a  water-poor  area  than  a  steel  rolling  mill  that 
requires  11,400  gallons  per  employee  per  day. 

Total  cost  to  industry  of  obtaining  water  and  of 
treating  industrial  wastes  will  probably  rise  in  the 
future,  as  there  is  more  competition  for  fresh 
water,  and  as  more  States  insist  on  treatment  of 
wastes.  U.S.  industries  will  have  to  plan  more 
carefully  for  adequate  water  supplies  and  treat- 
ment. Enough  water  is  available,  overall;  the 
water  problems  of  industry  are  largely  economic 
problems.  #    #    # 


WILLIAM  T.  PECORA  was  appointed  Director  of 
Geological  Survey  of  the  Department  of  the 
Interior  in  1965.  His  selection  to  head  the  agen- 
cy culminated  a  27-year  career  with  Survey. 
Water  problems  and  their  impact  on  the  national 
economy  are  fundamental  to  his  interests. 


INDUSTRY 

THE   LARGEST  USER  OF  WATER 

BILLION  GALLONS  PER  DAY 


100 


50 


Industry 


Irrigation 


Domestic 

and 
livestock 


38 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Fifteen  canoe  teams  assemble  on  water  that  is  perfect  for  another  leg  of  the  derby  event.      Tension  mounts  in  each  boy. 
1 -minute  intervals  in  the  97-mile  race.     (Photos  by  Ray  II.  DeKramcr) 


Teams  start  at 


Dam  Enhances 

Boy  Scout  Canoe  Races 


by   RAY   H.   DEKRAMER,   Branch   Chief 
in   Region  6 


IN  record  time,  18  Boy  Scout  canoe  teams  paddled 
their  crafts  over  97  miles  of  the  winding  James 
River  last  summer.  The  winding  team  covered 
the  course  in  less  than  9  hours  of  actual  paddling 
time  over  a  3-day  period. 

This  annual  canoe  derby  highlights  a  special 
scouting  activity  and  outdoor  adventure  for  boys 
in  a  31-county  area  in  South  Dakota  and  1  county 
in  Minnesota.  Tryouts  are  held  in  the  several  lo- 
cal Scout  troops  and  Explorer  posts  of  Pheasant 
Council.  The  outstanding  canoe  teams  are  then 
qualified  for  entry  in  the  "Derby"  event. 

James  Diversion  Dam,  recently  constructed  by 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  across  the  James  River 
north  of  Huron,  S.  Dak.,  provides  a  near  50-mile- 
long  river  impoundment  above  the  dam.  Con- 
trolled releases  through  the  dam  help  stabilize 
downstream  flows  and  retain  a  within-channel 
reservoir  above.  These  conditions  have  created  an 
ideal  watercourse  for  the  36  canoeists. 

This  reach  of  the  river  between  Redfield  and 
Huron,  has  now  had  14  Boy  Scout  canoe  derbies 


over  the  past  years.  But  before  the  dam  was  built 
low  water  levels  and  low  river  flows  were  a  fre- 
quent concern.  Oftentimes,  unscheduled  portages 
were  required,  much  to  the  dismay  of  the  glory- 
seeking  canoeists.  James  Diversion  Dam  has  elim- 
inated such  discouragements. 

Completed  in  1965,  the  dam  will  ultimately  be- 
come an  integral  facility  in  the  project  works  for 
irrigating  part  of  the  potential  495,000-acre  Oahe 
unit  in  north-central  South  Dakota.  A  large 
pumping  plant  to  be  installed  at  this  dam  will  per- 
mit the  diversion  of  floodflows  to  a  nearby  regulat- 
ing and  storage  reservoir.  The  water  will  irrigate 
when  farmers  welcome  such  moisture  during  hot 
and  dry  summer  months. 

During  the  interim  of  feasibility  planning  by 
the  Bureau  and  congressional  authorization  for 
the  Oahe  unit,  the  city  of  Huron  had  requested 
construction  of  the  diversion  dam  to  alleviate  the 
city's  otherwise  inadequate  water  supply. 

After  the  Oahe  unit  is  developed  for  irrigation, 
the  water  facilities  will  further  assist  in  providing 
Huron  with  an  adequate  water  source. 

Even  if  there  were  no  further  justification  and 
planned  use  of  the  James  Diversion  Dam,  the  Boy 
Scouts  are  quick  to  praise  the  development.  It  is 
an  excellent  watercourse  for  their  annual  canoe 
derby,  as  well  as  many  other  outdoor  scouting 
activities. 

Reclamation  has  built  larger  dams  and  reser- 
voirs, but  those  connected  with  the  James  are  "big" 
in  what  they  already  provide.  And  the  utility 
will  increase  considerably  when  it  begins  to  func- 
tion for  irrigation  purposes.  #     #     # 


May  1967 


39 


Valuable  for  local  water  planning 


RIVER   BASIN   FRAfAEWORK   SURVEYS 


River  Basin 
Surveys  Underway 


by  JACK  C.  JORGENSEN 
Coordinator  of  Surveys 


AN  increased  interest  in  water  has  drawn  con- 
siderable attention  to  planning  for  river  basin 
developments  across  the  country.  To  farmers,  in- 
dustrialists, nature  lovers  and  many  others,  the 
term,  "Comprehensive  River  Basin  Planning,"  has 
new  significance. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  participates  in  the 
comprehensive  framework  planning  for  the  re- 
gions of  Missouri,  Columbia-North  Pacific,  Upper 
Colorado,  Lower  Colorado  and  California  (type 
I) ;  and  the  comprehensive  detailed  planning  for 
the  individual  river  basins  of  Willamette  Basin  in 
Oregon  and  the  Puget  Sound  in  Washington 
(type  II),  shown  in  the  accompanying  maps. 

Plans  for  all  the  areas  shaded  on  types  I  and 
II  maps  are  underway  and  are  scheduled  for  com- 
pletion in  1972. 

The  fiscal  year  1967  combined  program  or  these 
studies  will  total  $1.48  million,  and  the  President's 
fiscal  year  1968  budget  requests  an  additional  $2.5 
billion. 

In  order  to  accommodate  better  liaison  with  the 
Federal  and  State  agencies  as  well  as  Department 
of  Interior  leadership,  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
has  named  three  of  its  top  planning  engineers  as 
River  Basin  Planning  Officers.  They  are  Paul 
Harley,  with  offices  in  Omaha,  Nebr.,  covering  the 
Missouri  Basin  study;  Elwyn  White,  with  offices 
in  Portland,  Oreg.,  covering  the  Columbia-North 
Pacific  area ;  and  Wallace  Christensen,  with  offices 
in  San  Bernardino,  Calif.,  assigned  to  the  Colo- 
rado River  and  California  studies. 


The  present  national  effort  is  an  outgrowth  of 
recommendations  made  by  the  Senate  Select  Com- 
mittee on  National  Water  Resources  established  by 
the  86th  Congress.  As  a  result,  a  water  resources 
council  within  the  President's  Cabinet  was  formed 
assuming  the  activities  of  a  temporary  council 
which  began  operations  in  1961. 

In  1965,  Congress  passed  the  Water  Resources 
Planning  Act  (Public  Law  89-80)  creating  the 
permanent  Water  Resources  Council.  It  con- 
sists of  the  Secretaries  of  the  Departments  of  the 
Interior,  Agriculture,  Army,  Health,  Education, 
and  Welfare,  and  the  Chairman  of  the  Federal 
Power  Commission.  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
Stewart  L.  Udall  was  named  chairman  of  the 
group. 

Cooperative  Groups 

One  section,  title  II,  of  the  1965  act  authorized 
the  formation  of  cooperative  river  basin  commis- 
sions to  conduct  water  resources  planning.  At 
present  four  such  commissions  are  being  formed — 
New  England,  Great  Lakes,  Souris-Red-Rainy, 
and  Columbia-North  Pacific. 

The  shaded  area  of  the  title  II  map  shows  the 
four  commission  areas.  It  is  anticipated  that 
about  15  river  basin  commissions  will  cover  tlie 
United  States. 

Title  III  provides  a  financial  assistance  pro- 
gram to  States  to  promote  greater  interest  and 
participation  in  water  resources  planning  effort 

The  Council,  through  its  field  organization 


40 


The  Reclamation  Ej 


iDERWAY   IN    1967 


RIVER  BASIN   DETAILED   SURVEYS    {TYPE   II)    UNDERWAY   IN    1967 


IN    PROGRESS    f  Y.  1965 


TITLE   II   RIVER   BASIN   PLANNING   COMMISSIONS 


interagency  committees,  coordinating  committees, 
and  river  basin  commissions,  will  carry  on  the  co- 
ordinating activity.  The  planing  programs  will 
continue  to  be  performed  by  existing  planning  or- 
ganizations of  the  participating  agencies  con- 
cerned with  water  resources. 
Financial  assistance  to  the  States  involved  in 
i  these  and  other  water  studies  during  the  current 
fiscal   year    (1967)    amounted   to  $1.75   million. 

IThis  was  distributed  to  46  applicants  including 
States,  the  District  of  Columbia,  Puerto  Rico,  and 
the  Virgin  Islands. 
_  Population,  land  area,  financial  need,  and  the 
r 


Iay  1967 


extent  of  known  water  problems  were  factors  in 
apportioning  the  money  available.  The  Presi- 
dent's fiscal  year  1968  budget  includes  $2.25  mil- 
lion for  this  purpose. 

Experience  to  date  has  shown  that  techniques 
change  and  comprehensive  study  programs  are 
more  sophisticated  than  past  efforts.  Also  closer 
ties  between  water  planning  groups  at  all  levels 
of  government  are  producing  beneficial  results. 

Reclamation  looks  forward  to  accommodating 
many  diverse  interests  in  the  efforts  underway  and 
to  minimizing  the  mistakes  and  lack  of  planning 
of  the  past.  #     #     # 


41 


Topock  and  Suisun  Marshes 

Topock  Marsh  Is  not  only  sought 
by  Canadian  geese  as  shown  in 
this  January  1967  photo,  but  the 
improved  water  quality  and  stabi- 
lized level  makes  it  popular  with 
other  wildlife  and  fishermen. 


Wildlife  Abounds  ir 


FACILITIES  to  stabilize  the  water  level  in  the 
Topock  Marsh  on  the  Colorado  River  100 
miles  downstream  from  Hoover  Dam  to  preserve 
and  enhance  fish  and  wildlife  in  the  area  have  been 
completed  and  in  operation  for  several  months. 

A  31/2-mile-long  dike,  inlet  and  outlet  structures, 
and  a  dredged  access  channel  have  been  construct- 
ed in  the  marsh  under  a  joint  agreement  between 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  and  the  Bureau  of 
Sport  Fisheries  and  Wildlife,  both  Department 
of  the  Interior  agencies. 

The  Topock  Marsh  is  one  of  the  West's  most 
important  warm  water  fisheries  and  wildlife  habi- 
tats. It  is  a  part  of  the  Havasu  National  Wild- 
life Refuge,  administered  and  managed  by 
BSFW. 

Reclamation  dams  like  Hoover  along  with  re- 
lated river  control  and  conservation  works  have 
created  recreation,  fish  and  wildlife  benefits  along 
the  Lower  Colorado  River  and  its  tributaries  en- 
joyed by  an  estimated  7  million  people  annually. 

The  Topock  Marsh  facilities  will  extend  the  life 
and  usefulness  of  the  important  fish  and  wildlife 
habitat  indefinitely.  Formerly  threatened  by  a 
falling  water  level,  the  slough  can  now  be  regu- 
lated for  the  fullest  benefit  to  fish  and  wildlife, 
including : 

1.  Insuring  controlled  water  levels  that  will  not 
vary  Avitli  fluctuations  in  the  Colorado  River; 

2.  Providing  dependable  resting  areas  for  mi- 
gratory waterflowl  and  access  through  the  marsh 
by  boat  for  hunting  and  fishing;  and, 

3.  Assuring  a  flow  of  fresh  water  into  the  marsh 
and   permitting   use    of   Colorado   River   water 


within  limits  established  by  the  U.S.   Supreme 
Court  decree. 

The  Topock  Marsh  is  a  productive  warm  water 
fishery  in  which  large-mouth  bass  and  catfish 
abound.  Refuge  management  personnel  estimate 
that  the  slough  provides  approximately  125,000 
man-days  of  fishing  a  year.  This  usage  is  ex- 
pected to  quadruple  under  planned  management, 
and  as  a  result  of  the  new  facilities. 

Ducks  and  Canada  Geese 

The  marsh  is  expected  to  provide  wintering  for 
approximately  50,000  Canada  geese  and  about 
100,000  ducks  of  various  species.  Approximately 
4,000  acres  of  water  in  the  marsh  will  attract  wa- 
terfowl while  farmed  feeding  areas  will  be  ex- 
panded as  required  to  meet  the  needs  of  the 
expected  increase  in  the  size  of  flocks  wintering 
in  the  area. 

Once  blocked  by  sandbars  and  low  water,  the 
marsh's  mouth  was  dredged  to  restore  good  boat- 
ing access  from  the  river. 

The  dike,  the  major  item  of  Reclamation  con- 
struction, isolates  the  Topock  Marsh  from  the 
water  level  fluctuations  in  the  river.  Dredging 
of  a  million  cubic  yards  of  sediment  from  the  bot- 
tom of  the  marsh  was  required  to  build  the  3i/^- 
mile-long,  low  dam.  An  inlet  channel  at  the  up- 
per end  of  the  marsh  required  the  excavation  of 
293,000  cubic  yards  of  earth.  The  inlet  and  outlet 
control  structures  contain  320  cubic  yards  of  con- 
crete and  300  lineal  feet  of  42-inch  pipe. 

The  dike  and  the  boating  access  channel  were 
constructed  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  12- 


42 


The  Reclamation  Era 


/  . 


stabilized  Marsnes 


#  ' 


■^HiRs^  ■-   ' :      ^j^.;*K'^- 


^  f "f  ^^P^iTT^j-'--*?^'''*^ 


inch  cutterhead  dredge  stationed  in  the  Needles 
A'icinity  of  the  Colorado  River.  The  inlet  chan- 
nel and  the  inlet  and  outlet  water  control  struc- 
tures Avere  built  by  Lloyd  R.  Johnson  under  a 
$259,000  contract. 

Suisun  Marsh 

Suisun  Marsh  in  Solano  County,  Calif.,  at  times 
hosts  as  many  as  750,000  ducks — 20  percent  of  the 
winter  duck  population  of  California — on  its  40,- 
000  acres.  Improved  quality  of  the  water  in  the 
marsh  would  contribute  to  an  increase  in  food 
available  for  the  birds. 

Although  there  has  been  a  substantial  reduc- 
tion in  outflow  from  the  Sacramento-San  Joaquin 
delta  during  the  past  20  years,  the  quality  of  water 
available  in  the  Suisun  Marsh  has  been  improved 
due  to  flow  releases  provided  by  the  Bureau's  Cen- 
tral Valley  Project  during  the  critical  dry  months 
of  summer  and  fall. 

Future  State,  Federal,  and  local  divei-sions  from 
the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  Rivers  for  use 
and  exportation  will,  however,  greatly  reduce  the 
delta  outflow  and  will  change  the  quality  of  water 
available  in  the  marsh  area. 

Using  surplus  water  from  Putah  South  Canal, 
the  Bureau  initiated  a  research  and  testing  pro- 
gram some  months  ago  to  determine  how  well  the 
quality  of  water  in  the  marsh  could  be  controlled 
through  fresh  water  releases.  Initiation  of  this 
program  required  concurrence  of  Reclamation,  the 
Suisun  Soil  Conservation  District,  the  Solano  Ir- 
rigation District,  and  the  Solano  County  Flood 
Control  and  Irrigation  District.     The  agreement 


among  these  four  agencies  must  be  renewed  each 
year  after  an  evaluation  of  the  previous  year's 
testing  results  and  current  water  storage  in  Lake 
Berry  essa. 

Quality  Monitored 

From  August  24  through  October  30,  1965, 
28,230  acre-feet  of  water  was  released  into  the 
marsh.  During  this  period  the  quality  of  water 
was  monitored  at  50  testing  sites  in  the  marsh. 
The  results  of  this  monitoring  indicate  that  the 
quality  of  water  was  much  higher  than  that  nor- 
mally found  in  the  marsh  waterways  during  the 
months  of  September  and  October.  This  is  of  par- 
ticular significance  in  the  fall  when  marshlands 
are  flooded  for  w^aterfowl  and  also  in  the  spring 
when  the  floodwaters  are  drained  from  the  islands 
carrying  away  salts  that  would  otherwise  be  de- 
posited in  the  soil. 

The  marsh  research  and  testing  program  for 
1966  was  coordinated  wdth  Putah  South  Canal  ca- 
pacity tests,  in  order  to  fully  utilize  the  flows 
needed  for  the  capacity  test. 

A  reconnaissance  study  is  programed  for  fiscal 
years  1967  and  1968  to  evaluate  a  plan  for  irrigat- 
ing land  between  Cache  and  Montezuma  Sloughs. 
The  distribution  facilities  serving  this  area  could 
also  deliver  water  to  the  eastern  portion  of  the 
marsh.  These  facilities  in  conjunction  with  flow 
releases  from  Putah  South  Canal  into  McCoy, 
Suisun,  and  Green  Valley  Creeks  would  provide  a 
high  degree  of  control  of  water  quality  in  the 
marsh  area.  #     #     # 


May  1967 


43 


King  size  brown  trout  are  again  being  taken  on 
the  'Miracle  Mile"  section  of  the  North  Platte 
River  in  central  Wyoming 


COMEBACK  ON  THE 


<r<? 


MIRACLE  MILE" 


by  LARRY  PETERSON 


DOES  the  term  "Mircle  Mile"  mean  ai\ything 
to  you  ?  It  does  to  many  Wyoming  and  Colo- 
rado anglers.  The  term  was  first  used  by  a  group 
of  fishermen  15  or  more  years  ago  to  describe  the 
stretch  of  the  North  Platte  River  upstream  from 
the  backwaters  of  Pathfinder  Reservoir.  The 
anglers  found  it  hard  to  believe  the  fantastic 
ability  of  that  section  of  the  North  Platte  to 
produce,  year  after  year,  the  many  catches  of  3- 
to  8-pound  brown  trout  in  the  face  of  ever-increas- 
ing fishing  pressure,  at  times  as  high  as  20  cars  a 
mile. 

Bear  in  mind  that  the  "Miracle  Mile"  is  still 
fairly  remote  to  any  town.  It  is  located  about  65 
miles  south  of  Casper  and  300  miles  north  of  Den- 
ver. Reference  is  made  to  Denver  because  about 
three  out  of  every  four  anglers  who  fish  this  sec- 
tion of  the  North  Platte  River  are  from  the  Den- 
ver area. 

Brown  trout  fishermen  enjoyed  outstanding 
success  on  the  "Miracle  Mile"  until  the  summer  of 
1961.  On  a  very  warm  Independence  Day  week- 
end that  year,  disaster  struck  many  of  the  brown 
trout  in  that  section  of  the  North  Platte.  They 
died  by  the  hundreds  in  some  portions  of  the 
stream.  Several  additional  kills  occurred  that' 
year  and  again  in  the  summers  of  1962  and  1963. 
The  fish  population  in  the  "Miracle  Mile"  had 
been  all  but  eliminated. 

What  caused  the  fish  kills?  Man's  disregard 
for  nature,  in  an  effort  to  provide  more  electrical 


power  from  new  hydroelectric  plants  downstream, 
had  changed  the  water  flow  pattern  on  the  North 
Platte  River.  Complete  shutoffs  of  water  dur- 
ing hot  summer  days  caused  the  water  chemistry 
of  the  river  to  change  in  such  a  manner  that  it  be- 
came lethal  to  trout. 

Efforts  Coordinated 

The  following  two  summers,  Wyoming  fisheries 
men  worked  with  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  U.S. 
Bureau  of  Sport  Fisheries  and  Wildlife  to  arrive 
at  a  minimum  flow  that  would  sustain  fishlife  and 
fishfood.  In  the  summer  of  1964,  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  adjusted  its  flow  releases  from  Kortes 
Reservoir  to  allow  for  the  passage  of  the  recom- 
mended minimum  waterflow.  A  request  to  Con- 
gress to  permit  the  minimum  flow  in  the  future  i:^ 
currently  being  prepared. 

What  does  all  this  mean  to  the  fisherman  ?  It 
means  that  the  famed  "Miracle  Mile"  of  the  North 
Platte  River  is  making  a  great  recovery.  Since 
minimum  water  releases  have  been  maintained 
during  the  past  two  summers,  no  more  fish  kills 
have  occurred.  Fishfood,  such  as  the  highly  de- 
sirable fresh  water  shrimp,  are  again  found  in 
abundance.  But  the  real  payoff  is  the  fish  in  the 
angler's  creel.  During  the  fall  of  1965,  brown 
trout  in  the  2-  to  5-pound  class  were  again  com- 
mon in  the  creel  and  6-  to  8-pound  browns  from 
Pathfinder  Reservoir  were  again  beginning  to  use 
the  "Miracle  Mile"  area.     Many  fish  over  7  pound'^ 


44 


The  Reclamation  Era 


mXim>M^>^ 


X. 


:\v 


■'^:- 


s, 


Good  fish  from  the  North  Platte  River  is  shown  here  by  Frank  McKlosl<y  and  his  son  John. 


{Photo  by  L.  G.  Axthelm) 


were  checked  at  the  Alco\ii  store  hist  suiiiiuer. 

Since  brown  trout  tend  to  be  caught  most  readily 
in  the  fall,  rainbows  are  now  stocked  in  the  section 
of  river  to  add  to  the  angler's  creel  and  sport  dur- 
ing the  other  months  of  the  year.  With  the  food 
supply  again  abundant,  the  rainbows  grow  fast, 
averaging  a  half  to  three-quarters  of  a  pound  for 
a  10-inch  fish. 

So  the  "Miracle  Mile"  is  again  beginning  to 
show  signs  of  its  former  self.  This  is  one  instance 
where  a  section  of  excellent  fishing  stream,  rated 
by  many  anglers  as  one  of  the  top  trout  streams  in 
the  country,  has,  by  cooperative  effort,  been  re- 
turned to  production  approaching  its  original  con- 
dition after  being  virtually  destroyed.  It  is  an 
example  of  the  fishermen's  voice  being  heard,  and 
heeded,  all  the  way  to  Washington  because  he 
had  a  justifiable  request.  #  #  # 


ex- 


{Appreciation   for   reprint  ^^erm^S5^6>?^   is 
tended  to  the  author  and  George  Sura^  editor  of 
Wyoming  Wildlife.) 


LAWRENCE  W.  {LARRY)  PETERSON  of  Marshfield, 
Wis.,  author  of  this  article,  received  his  B.S. 
degree  in  fisheries  management  from  Utah  State 
Agricultural  College  in  June  1950. 

Larry  was  first  employed  by  the  Wyoming 
Game  and  Fish  Department  in  1950  as  a  fisheries 
biologist  and  also  has  had  positions  at  Lander  and 
Laramie.  In  1955  he  ivas  made  foreman  of  the 
Reservoir  Fishery  Management  Crew  at  Casper, 
and  has  since  taken  a  fisheries  management  posi- 
tion on  the  North  Platte  River  from  Seminoe 
Reservoir  to  the  Wyoming-Nebraska  State  line. 


May  1967 


45 


A  Job  Corps 
Conservation  Story 


One  Job  Corps  experience  is  integrating  education  and  conservation  around  a  table. 

(Photo  iy  Paul  Fitzhugh) 


They're 


^^Climhing  the  Ladder 


95 


at  Collbran 


by  BILL  J.  McCLENEGHAN,  Engineer  at 
Grand  Junction  OfRce,  Colo. 


THEKE  is  a  harmonious  blend  in  the  high- 
pitched  scream  of  a  powered  chainsaw  and  the 
deep  rumble  of  a  bulldozer. 

In  the  forests  of  west  central  Colorado,  those 
sounds  mean  both  the  education  of  their  operators 
and  the  conservation  of  vital  natural  resources — 
a  kind  of  invasion  by  the  eager  work  crews  from 
the  Collbran  Job  Corps  Conservation  Center. 

Success  to  young  underprivileged  individuals 
also  results. 

Construction  of  the  Collbran  Job  Corps  Center 

46 


was  initiated  early  in  1965.  It  was  to  be  on  the 
site  of  the  old  and  dissassembled  Collbran  Project 
Construction  Camp  about  one-half  mile  west  of 
the  small  farming  community  of  Collbran,  Colo. 
With  hurried  preparations  on  the  installation  of 
utilities,  erection  of  six-man  "•transa-house"  living  i 
quarters,  as  mess  hall  and  other  necessary  facilities, 
the  center  was  ready  for  the  corpsmen. 

The  first  contingent  of  young  men,  their  faces 
displaying  wonderment  and  concern  over  their 
first  airplane  ride,  were  met  at  the  Grand  Junction 
airport  during  late  May  of  1965.     Immediately 

The  Reclamation  Era 


the  enrollees,  from  many  walks  of  life,  were  given 
medical  examinations  and  indoctrination  lectures 
and  were  assigned  to  living  quarters.  Sore  arms 
and  bewilderment  seemed  the  "order  of  the  day." 

However,  all  survived  and  "the  ladder  upward" 
became  the  symbol  of  the  Job  Corps. 

Meanwhile  the  work  program  was  being 
planned.  Employees  of  the  Reclamation  office  in 
Grand  Junction,  Colo.,  were  reviewing  and  cata- 
loging work  which  could  be  done  on  federally 
owned  lands  in  western  Colorado. 

Meetings  were  held  with  other  Federal  agencies 
which  administered  the  lands — the  Forest  Service 


and  Bureau  of  Land  Management.  The  reception 
was  enthusiastic  and  a  comprehensive  program 
was  established  with  conservation  and  beautifica- 
tion  of  public  lands  as  the  primary  objective. 
Construction  also  would  be  done  on  badly  needed 
recreation  facilities. 

Eager  To  Work 

The  corpsmen  highly  anticipated  going  "out  in 

the  field."    And  finally  that  day  arrived.     It  was 

the  middle  of  June — a  beautiful  sunny  morning 

with  crisp  mountain  air.     Eagerly  they  collected 

the  necessary  tools,  equipment,  safety  helmets,  and 


TIMBER— R—R—R—R  ....   and   another  dead   tree  falls  during   the  clean    up  effort  by   the   Collbran   Job   Corps  youth. 

\ 


were  ready  to  go.  Corpsmen  assigned  to  the  mess- 
hall  had  prepared  lunches  for  the  work  party  and 
were  wishing  that  they,  too,  could  get  away  from 
the  center  for  the  day. 

The  first  work  assignment  was  to  remove  dead 
or  diseased  aspen  trees  from  around  Vega  Reser- 
voir. This  reservoir  was  constructed  by  the  Bu- 
reau of  Reclamation  on  part  of  the  Collbran 
project.  With  a  surface  area  of  940  acres,  Vega 
had  become  one  of  the  favorite  spots  for  thousands 
of  fishermen.  Boating,  water  skiing,  picnicking, 
and  camping  near  the  reservoir  also  have  been 
enjoyed  by  many  people. 

Unfortunately,  however,  a  disease  had  attacked 
the  aspen  trees  near  the  reservoir  and  in  the  picnic 
areas.  Many  of  the  trees  were  dead  and  hundreds 
were  dying.  These  skeletal  remnants  of  formerly 
majestic  trees  made  an  unsightly  blight  to  an 
otherwise  beautiful  recreation  area.  To  stop  the 
spread  of  disease,  the  corpsmen  were  directed  to 
remove  all  dead  and  dying  trees  and  destroy  them 
by  burning.  With  swinging  axes  and  chattering 
chainsaws,  the  young  men  launched  their  attack. 


One  learns  to  use  a  power  saw  as  dead  trees  are  removed  from  the 
area  of  Vega  reservoir. 


Safety  and  Progress 

Safe  practices  were  uppermost  in  the  mind  of 
the  work  leaders,  and  the  corpsmen  were  watched 
closely.  Instructions  on  safe  operation  and  prac- 
tice were  given  many  times  that  day.  The  boys 
had  never  worked  with  chainsaws  or  axes  before, 
but  in  a  very  short  time  they  had  learned  the  basic 
"know  how"  and  progress  was  beginning  to  show. 

Day  after  day  trees  were  felled,  cut  up,  and 
burned.  Each  evening  a  tired  but  happy  crew  re- 
turned to  a  well-earned  hearty  meal  at  the  center 
messhall. 

The  corpsmen  are  assigned  to  1  week  of  work 
and  1  week  of  education.  During  this  time,  he 
gains  basic  knowledge  of  work  habits,  equipment 
operation,  and  related  skills.  Whenever  possible, 
the  individual  is  assigned  to  a  work  party  that 
is  performing  the  type  of  work  in  which  he  shows 
most  interest  and  ability.  Thus,  if  a  corpsman 
is  interested  in,  and  displays  ability  to  operate 
heavy  equipment,  he  will  be  assigned  to  the  work 
party  that  is  doing  this. 

In  the  education  half  of  his  program,  the  corps- 
man  is  individually  tutored  in  basic  reading,  math, 
or  in  whatever  subject  he  may  need  help.  Again, 
efforts  are  made  to  integrate  problems  and  instruc- 
tions closely  related  to  the  vocation  he  might  have 
chosen. 

Vega  Reservoir  is  different  now.  Because  ot 
the  young  men  of  the  Job  Corps,  the  beautiful  lake 
is  surrounded  by  trees  which  have  shimmering 
green  leaves,  in  summertime,  and  not  stark  bare 
branches. 

After  completion  of  the  work  at  Vega,  the  work 
crews  moved  to  Cottonwood  Reservoir  No.  1  on 
Grand  Mesa.  This  scenic  little  lake  is  about 
10,000  feet  in  elevation.  It  is  operated  by  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation  as  part  of  the  power  facili 
ties  of  the  Collbran  project.  While  building  tlu 
Collbran  project,  an  access  road  was  constructed 
to  the  formerly  inaccessible  lake — now  a  fisher- 
man's mecca. 

However,  no  recreational  or  camping  facilitie^ 
were  available  for  several  miles.  Since  the  lake 
lies  within  the  boundaries  of  the  Uncompahgre- 
Grand  Mesa  National  Forest,  it  was  necessary  that 
Forest  Service  cooperation  include  designing  a 
campground  with  related  facilities,  and  furnish 
some  such  facilities  as  tables  and  fireplaces.  The 
Job  Corps,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Bureau 
of  Reclamation,  would  provide  all  labor  to  con- 
struct the  recreational  area. 


48 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Some  Handicap 

This  project  was  approached  with  the  same 
enthusiasm  as  the  previous  work  near  Vega  Eeser- 
voir.  Ahhough  handicapped  by  hordes  of  mos- 
quitoes, many  rain  squalls  and  snowstorms  in 
October  and  November,  the  Job  Corps  was  able 
to  complete  nearly  60  percent  of  the  required  work. 

When  winter  weather  set  in  at  the  higher  eleva- 
tions, work  activity  was  concentrated  near  the  city 
of  Grand  Junction,  Colo.  This  area — at  approxi- 
mately 5,000  feet  above  sea  level — usually  has  mild 
winters  and  outdoor  work  can  be  carried  on  nearly 
every  day. 

One  Job  Corps  effort  was  beautification  along 
the  50-year-old  Highline  Canal  of  Reclamation's 
Grand  Valley  project.  This  project  area  tra- 
verses the  north  side  of  the  large  valley  known  as 
Grand  Valley.  The  city  of  Grand  Junction  and 
towns  of  Palisade,  Clifton,  Fruita,  and  Loma  lie 
within  this  valley. 

By  way  of  the  several  bridges  which  cross  High- 
line  Canal,  the  Government  lands  on  one  side 
became  strewn  with  household  trash,  rubbish,  tree 
cuttings,  an  odd  assortment  of  discarded  auto 
bodies,  refrigerators,  and  other  unattractive  junk. 

The  Corps  was  assigned  the  job  of  cleaning  up 
the  dumps.  The  materials  were  moved  into  large 
excavated  pits  and  covered.  Soon  the  once  un- 
sightly area  was  smoothed  over  and  planted  with 
a  hardy  grass.  It  was  a  dirty  job  but  a  beneficial 
contribution  to  the  restoration  of  natural  beauty. 

The  education  effort  at  Collbran  also  has  paid 
off  in  helping  the  young  men  get  starts  in  the  next 
phase  of  their  lives.  Of  the  70  graduates,  34  have 
taken  jobs  averaging  about  $1.50  per  hour  with 
some  as  high  as  $3  ^Der  hour;  3  were  hired  as 
resident  youth  workers  at  other  centers ;  1  passed 
an  examination  for  a  diploma  equivalent  to  that 
of  a  high  school  graduation;  14  returned  to  school, 
and  7  were  accepted  in  the  Armed  Forces. 

Future  plans  for  the  Collbran  Job  Corps  Con- 
servation Center  w^ill  include  more  schooling  and 
thousands  more  man-hours  of  conservation  and 
beautification  work — preventing  erosion,  revegeta- 
ting  semiarid  lands,  disposing  of  cluttered  refuse 
areas,  and  continuing  construction  of  new  recrea- 
tion facilities  throughout  western  Colorado. 

By  combining  needed  conservation  work  with 
education,  the  young  men  of  the  Collbran  Job 
Corps  are  "climbing  the  ladder  to  success." 

#     #     # 


m^ 


I  Corps  are 
May  1967 


if 

m 

4    '  *i^ 


While   he  takes  a  refreshing  drink,  this  thirsty  young  man  lets  a 
few  extra  rivulets  cool  his  mid-section. 

(Photo  by  Bill  J.  McCleneghan) 

49 


With  this  mobile  unit,  Retiamation  hydroiogists  make  more  com- 
plete examination  of  pollution  spots. 


Water  Quality  Tested 
by  New  Mobile  Unit 

A  new  mobile  water  quality  monitoring  station 
has  been  placed  in  operation  in  Region  2,  head- 
quartered in  Sacramento,  Calif. 

The  unit  measures  and  records  selected  water 
quality  characteristics.  It  is  trailer-mounted  for 
mobility — the  only  one  of  its  kind. 

Specifications  for  the  unit  were  drawn  up  by 
the  regional  office,  and  Honeywell,  Inc.,  was 
awarded  the  contract  to  supply  the  system.  De- 
livery was  made  about  2  years  ago. 

Water  to  be  sampled  is  drawn  by  a  submersible 
pump  positioned  at  the  desired  water  depth.  The 
water  is  fed  past  the  sensing  instruments,  where 
the  values  are  "read"  and  recorded  permanently 
on  a  moving  chart  with  color-coded  dots. 

The  six  water  quality  parameters  the  unit  re- 
cords are : 

1.  Dissolved  oxygen. 

2.  Specific  conductance  (an  indirect  measure  of 
totally  dissolved  solids) . 

3.  Turbidity. 

4.  Temperature  of  water. 

5.  pH — (index  of  acid  or  base  concentration  of 
water) . 

6.  Sunlight  intensity. 


50 


This  unit  is  an  expansion  of  Region  2's  water 
quality  monitoring  capability.  Its  first  use  was 
in  the  Sacramento-San  Joaquin  Delta.  Although 
the  Bureau  has  been  monitoring  delta  water  qual- 
ity since  1950,  only  recorders  measuring  salinity 
were  permanently  installed.  Tests  for  other  pa- 
rameters required  analysis  of  spot  samples,  which 
does  not  reveal  important  quality  changes  occur- 
ring between  samplings. 

The  monitoring  system  is  also  being  used  on 
water  quality  studies  of  the  Lower  American 
River,  the  proposed  Peripheral  Canal,  and  the 
San  Joaquin  River- Stockton  area  pollution  block. 

The  equipment  will  allow  the  Bureau  to  exam- 
ine much  more  completely  trouble  spots  indicated 
by  its  regular  program  of  direct  sample  testing. 
It  also  will  help  delineate  water  environment 
changes  brought  about  by  construction  and  oper- 
ation activities. 

#    #    # 


Contribution  to  Water 
Quality  for  Fish 

Reclamation  has  leased  32  acres  of  land  below 
the  Nimbus  Salmon  Hatchery  to  the  California 
State  Department  of  Fish  and  Game  without 
charge  for  the  construction  of  its  first  fish  and 
wildlife  pollution  control  laboratory  plant. 

The  plant,  which  is  being  built  and  operated  by 
the  Department  of  Fish  and  Game,  will  conduct 
experiments  designed  to  determine  the  effects,  if 
any,  of  suspected  toxic  materials,  the  calibration 
of  pe^icides  safety  limits  in  variable  water  solu- 
tions, or  relatively  unknown  pollution  conditions 
including  the  physical  factors  of  temperatures  or 
silt. 

Construction  is  scheduled  to  be  completed  early 
in  1967.  Physical  facilities  in  the  4,400-square- 
foot  building  will  include  four  laboratories,  a  ref- 
erence work  room,  a  storage  and  mechanical  equip- 
ment room,  a  continuous  flow  trough  room  for 
testing,  and  office  facilities. 

The  Fish  and  Game  Department  plans  to  use  the 
remainder  of  the  land  leased  from  the  Bureau  for 
construction  of  a  new  fresh  water  trout  hatchery 

in  1968. 

#    #    = 

The  Reclamation  Era 


Cloud  Seeding 

to  Increase  Snowpack 


THE  Bureau  of  Reclamation  and  the  Bonneville 
Power  Administration,  sister  agencies  within 
the  Department  of  the  Interior,  contracted  last 
December  for  a  Montana  research  program  to 
determine  the  feasibility  of  increasing  the  winter 
snowpack  in  the  Hungry  Horse  Basin  by  cloud 
seeding. 

The  contract  is  with  North  American  Weather 
Consultants,  Inc.,  of  Santa  Barbara,  Calif.  The 
project  will  span  a  full  year,  but  the  cloud  seeding 
program  extended  only  through  last  March. 

Xorth  American  is  a  private  research  firm 
which  has  performed  weather  modification  work 
for  more  than  15  years  for  private  utilities,  water 
user  groups,  and  government  agencies  in  wide 
areas  of  the  West. 

The  project  is  considered  a  step  in  this  Nation's 
quest  to  tap  the  "rivers  of  the  sky"  for  a  more 
abundant  national  water  supply. 

Cloud-seeding  programs  have  been  conducted 
in  this  country  for  nearly  two  decades.  Based  on 
an  analysis  of  recent  programs,  the  National 
Academy  of  Sciences  reports  tliat  the  evidence  in- 
dicates some  increases  of  about  10  percent  in 


This  field  technician  at  work  on  the  program  of  atmospheric  water 
resources  is  operating  an  instrument  to  learn  a  potential  pattern 
of  snowfall.  {Photo  by  W.  L.  Rusho) 


natural  precipitation  may  be  possible. 

In  the  Hmigrj'  Horse  Basin,  this  would  repre- 
sent an  increase  of  perhaps  1  to  2  inches  of  mois- 
ture annually.  In  terms  of  runoff  into  the  giant 
Hungry  Horse  Reservoir,  however,  this  inflow 
would  give  assurance  of  adequate  storage  for 
multiple  benefits,  including  steady  power  produc- 
tion to  help  serve  the  industrial  and  domestic 
needs  of  the  Northwest. 


Will  Try  to  Save  Wildflowers  at  San  Luis 


PROJECT  Construction  Engineer  Max  R. 
Johnson  announced  that  landscaping  of  the 
San  Luis  Dam  area  includes  California  poppies 
and  other  wildflowers  from  the  San  Luis  Reser- 
voir area. 

The  Bureau  has  removed  several  truckloads  of 
topsoil  from  an  area  of  the  San  Luis  Reservoir 
site  which  has  shown  abundant  wildflower  growth. 
The  removed  topsoil  has  been  placed  in  an  area 
above  the  high  water  line  near  the  Romero  Over- 
look site  which  is  near  the  dam.  Here,  these  wild- 
flowers  will  add  beauty  to  the  landscape  viewed 
by  visitors  from  this  high  point. 

Care  of  the  flowers  growing  around  the  overlook 
site  will  be  provided  by  the  State  division  of 
beaches  and  parks. 


Miss  A.  Marion  Stockton  originally  suggested 
the  removal  of  the  poppies  from  the  reservoir  and 
their  replanting.  She  sought  and  obtained  sup- 
port for  her  idea  from  local  civic  groups,  as  well 
as  Clyde  Robin,  a  member  and  committeeman  of 
the  California  Society  for  Preservation  of  Native 
Vegetation.  He  is  a  Castro  Valley  nurseryman 
and  is  a  recognized  authority  on  wildflower  seeds 
and  shrubs. 

After  inspecting  the  area  recently,  Mr.  Robin 
reported  that  "there  is  no  question  in  my  mind  that 
the  valley  contains  a  rich  flora  which  may  include 
a  subspecies  of  EschscJwlzla  California  (the  Cali- 
fornia poppy)  not  known  to  be  located  elsewhere.'' 

#  #  # 


May  1967 


51 


Here  and  There — 

Plan  Doubling  Third  Powerplant  at  Grand 
Coulee   Dam 

Plans  were  announced  early  this  year  for  dou- 
bling the  capacity  of  the  proposed  new  third 
powerplant  at  Grand  Coulee  Dam,  Wash.,  ulti- 
mately bringing-  that  facility  to  9.2  million 
kilowatts. 

That  much  hydropower — more  than  the  com- 
bined present  total  capacity  at  Grand  Coulee, 
Hoover,  Shasta,  Oahe,  Robert  Moses-Niagara,  St. 
Lawrence,  and  Chief  Joseph  Dams— doubles  the 
third  powerplant  capacity  from  3.6  million  to  7.2 
million  kilowatts. 

Although  the  accompanying  artist's  conception 
shows  what  changes  the  third  powerplant  would 
have  made  in  the  dam's  right  abutment,  the  newly 
announced  enlargement  will  mean  even  more  ex- 
tensive alterations  of  a  similar  design. 

Congress  last  year  authorized  adding  the  third 
powerplant  to  Grand  Coulee's  present  2  million 
kilowatts  installed  in  the  1940's  after  the  dam  was 
built  as  the  principal  structure  of  the  Columbia 
Basin  Reclamation  Project.  The  new  plan  is  to 
install  the  authorized  3.6  million  kilowatts  in  the 
form  of  six  600,000-kilowatt  units  and  to  design 
and  construct  the  forebay  to  accommodate  ulti- 
mate installation  of  12  such  units. 

In  addition  to  being  a  great  power  producer, 
pumps  at  the  other  end  of  the  dam  raise  w^ater  to 
irrigate  a  highly  fertile,  but  previously  arid,  1-mil- 
lion-acre  area  of  central  Washington  called  the 
Columbia  Basin  project.  Fish  and  wildlife  en- 
hancement and  recreation  benefits  also  have  in- 
creased in  the  area.     ' 

East- West  Electric  Closure  Successful 

A  significant  East-West  test  closure  of  an  inter- 
connection of  power  systems  was  successfully  com- 
pleted last  Febiaiary  7,  at  four  intertie  points  in 
Western  United  States,  under  the  direction  of  a 
task  force  representing  both  public  and  private 
power  entities. 

At  9 :49  a.m.,  m.s.t.,  the  closure  of  an  intercon- 
nection at  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  recently 
completed  Yellowtail  Powerplant  on  the  Bighorn 
River  in  south-central  Montana  intertied  power 
systems  representing  about  94  percent  of  the  gen- 
erating capacity  of  the  United  States. 

Some  265,000  miles  of  major  transmission  lines 


and  209  major  public  and  private  power  systems 
with  a  generating  capacity  of  245  million  kilo- 
watts were  involved.  Major  systems  in  eastern 
and  western  Canada  were  also  tied  into  this  single 
operating  unit.  The  intertied  systems  represent 
about  40  percent  of  the  world's  electric  power 
capacity. 

Operations  were  directed  and  controlled  from 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  Watertown,  S.  Dak., 
Power  Systems  Operations  Office.  This  is  the 
control  center  for  the  Federal  Missouri  River  Ba- 
sin power  system. 

Engineering  Campus  for  the  World 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  Engineering  and 
Research  Center  at  Denver  is  an  engineering  cam- 
pus for  the  entire  world. 

The  staff  of  the  Denver  center  has  provided 
basic  and  special  w-ater  and  power  resources  train- 
ing to  more  than  1,500  engineers  and  scientists 
from  some  60  nations.  Among  the  "graduates" 
of  the  Reclamation  foreign  training  program  is 
the  Premier  of  Turkey,  Suleyman  Demirel. 

Funds  for  the  training  are  provided  by  the 
Agency  for  International  Development,  tlie 
United  Nations,  appropriate  embassies,  various 
funds  and  foundations. 


52 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Young  Illinois  Subscriber  Likes  Grand 
Coulee  Dam 

Dear  Editor:  Ever  since  we  visited  Grand 
Coulee  Dam  last  summer,  I  have  been  interested 
in  water  projects.  I  subscribe  to  your  magazine 
and  enjoy  reading  it. 

For  my  fifth  grade  assignment,  I  am  making  a 
booklet  about  the  State  of  Washington.  I  want 
to  put  in  as  much  information  as  I  can  about 
Grand  Coulee  Dam — its  history,  how  it  was  built, 
and  what  it  means  to  farmers,  its  electric  power 
output — and  all  the  other  important  dams  in 
Washington. 

I  am  sending  you  a  check  for  $1  to  pay  for  any 
material  and  photographs  you  can  send  me  that 
would  help.  When  I  grow  up,  I  would  like  to 
work  with  dams. 

Thank  you  for  your  help. 

Christopher  Bone, 
Palatine,  III. 

Editor's  Note  :  Letters  from  our  readers  and 
requests  for  information  are  welcome.  Hotoever., 
we  prefer  that  no  money  he  sent  to  this  office. 


WITH  THE  WATER  USERS 


Mr.  Boustead 
for  Colo. 


Mr.  Ayars 
for  Kans. 


Bureau  of  taclamalien 

UTAH  (Except  SW.  tip) 

Water  Headquarters  Offices 

COLORADO  (Western) 

NEW  MEXICO  (NW.  tip) 

WYOMING  (SW.  tip) 

COMMISSIONERS  OFFICE : 

IDAHO  (SE.  tip) 

C  St  between  18th  &  19th  Sts.  NW. 

(Region  4) 

Washington,  D.C.,  20240 

P.O.  Box  2553 

125  S.  State  St. 

CHIEF  ENGINEER'S  OFFICE  . 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  84111 

Bldg.  53,  Denver  Federal  Center 

Denver,  Colo..  80225 

TEXAS 

OKLAHOMA 

IDAHO  (Except  8E.  tip) 

KANSAS  (Southern  half) 

WASHINGTON 

NEW  MEXICO  (Except  W.  third) 

MONTANA  (NW.  corner) 

COLORADO  (Southern  wedge) 

OREGON  (Except  Southern  wedge) 

(Region  5) 

(Region  1) 

P.O.  Box  1609 

Falrground.s,  Fairvlew  Ave.  &  Orchard  St. 

7th  &  Taylor 
Amarillo,  Tex..  79105 

Boise.  Idaho,  83707 

MONTANA  (Except  NW.  corner) 

CALIFORNIA  (Northern  &  Central) 

NORTH  DAKOTA 

NEVADA  (Northern  &  Central) 

SOUTH  DAKOTA 

OREGON  (Southern  wedge) 

WYOMING  (Northern)' 

(Region  2) 

(Region  6) 

P.O.  Box  15011,  2929  Fulton  Ave. 

P.O.  Box  2553 

Sacramento,  Calif..  95813 

316  N.  26th  St. 

Billings,  Mont.,  59103 

NEVADA  (Southern) 

CALIFORNIA  (Southern) 

COLORADO  (Eastern) 
NEBRASKA 

ARIZONA  (Except  NE.  tip) 

KANSAS  (Northern) 

i           UTAH  (SW.  tip) 

WYOMING  (SE.) 

1          (Regions) 

(Region  7) 

1         P.O.  Box  427 

Bldg.  46,  Denver  Federal  Center 

1          Boulder  City,  Nev..  89005 

Denver,  Colo.,  80225 

Four  distinguished  service  awards  of  the  Upper 
Missouri  Water  Users  Association  were  presented 
at  the  19th  annual  meeting  of  the  Upper  Missouri 
Water  Users  Association  in  Billings,  Mont.,  last 
December. 

These  awardees  shown  in  the  group  photo- 
graph are  from  left,  Carl  Kuehn  of  Washburn, 
N.  Dak.,  Ralph  Bricker  of  Great  Falls,  Mont. 
(Vernon  S.  Cooper,  president  of  the  Association, 
center,  presented  the  awards).  Earl  Lloyd  of 
Cheyenne,  Wyo.,  and  J.  W.  Grimes  of  Pierre,  S. 
Dak. 

Grimes,  an  employee  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion from  1936  to  1955,  at  another  ceremony,  also 
received  the  distinguished  service  award  of  the 
South  Dakota  Reclamation  and  Water  Develop- 
ment Association,  and  a  cash  award  by  a  dairy 
from  Sioux  Falls,  S.  Dak. 

Headgate  Awards  of  the  Four  State  Irrigation 
Council  were  presented  last  January  at  an  annual 
council  banquet  in  Denver,  Colo.  The  first  man 
to  win  the  award  posthumously  was  the  late 
Charles  H.  Boustead  of  Colorado.  The  other 
awardees  are  Dan  S.  Jones,  Jr.,  Nebraska;  G.  W. 
Goodrich,  Wyoming;  and  John  E.  Ayers,  Kansas. 


[ay  1967 


53 


Ideal  Salmon  Facility 
for  California  Canal 

To  KEEP  their  delivery  rooms  scrupulously 
clean,  today's  hospitals  utilize  many  modern 
methods.  Now  comes  the  Bureau  of  Keclamation 
with  a  new  device  for  cleansing  the  31^ -mile-long 
"delivery  room"  it  is  preparing  for  salmon  on  a 
canal  in  California's  Central  Valley. 

Reclamation  designed  and  is  building  a  cleaning 
rig  to  flush  out  fine  silt  that  collects  in  the  30 
inches  of  gravel  on  the  bottom  of  spawning  areas, 
suffocating  eggs  and  fingerlings.  The  rig  con- 
sists of  a  steel  baffle  extending  across  the  waterway 
spawning  ground ;  a  wall-like  structure,  it  is  sus- 
pended from  a  carriage  that  straddles  the  canal 
and  rides  on  rails  along  the  banks. 

The  rig  will  be  used  in  an  artificial  spawning 
area  created  on  a  new  section  of  the  140-foot-wide 
Tehama-Colusa  Canal,  115  miles  north  of  Sacra- 
mento. As  the  baffle  is  lowered  into  the  water  to 
the  level  of  the  gravel,  the  normal  flow  of  the 
canal  will  be  restricted  and  forced  at  greatly  in- 
creased A'elocity  beneath  the  baffle,  scooping  the 
gravel  off  the  bottom,  washing  it  and  dropping  it 
downstream. 

The  mobile  washing  machine  will  clean  the  beds 
between  spawning  periods  whenever  silt  deposits 
accumulate. 

Digs  Resting  Pools 

The  rig  can  also  be  used  to  dig  trenches  in  the 
gravel,  thus  creating  resting  places  in  which  the 
salmon  headed  up  the  canal  can  recuperate  at  in- 
tervals from  the  exertion  of  their  continual  battle 
with  the  current. 

The  Tehama-Colusa  spawning  beds  were 
planned  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  and  the 
Department  of  the  Interior's  Fish  and  Wildlife 
Service  after  considerable  research  conducted  at 
the  Bureau's  laboratories  in  Denver  and  at  the 
University  of  California. 

From  that  research  emerged  the  concept  of  the 
novel  washing  apparatus,  which  Avill  be  built  in 
sections  and  assembled  at  the  site. 

That  section  of  the  canal  in  which  the  spawning 
grounds  will  be  developed  will  be  a  dual-purpose 
waterway.  The  3.2-mile-long  reach  directly  below- 
Red  Bluff  Diversion  Dam  on  the  Sacramento  River 
in  Tehama  County  will  not  only  create  an  artificial 

54 


spawning  area;  it  also  will  constitute  the  initial 
stretch  of  a  122-mile  canal  which  will  carry  mil- 
lions of  gallons  of  water  to  irrigate  thirsty  acres 
along  the  west  side  of  the  Sacramento  Valley. 

Such  dual-purpose  use  of  a  canal  on  a  major 
scale  is  a  first  in  the  history  of  conservation  in 
the  United  States. 

The  salmon  will  find  near-ideal  conditions  for 
spawning  in  the  manmade  nurseries :  gravel  care- 
fully selected  to  conform  with  that  found  in  the 
best  natural  beds,  and  water  from  nearby  Shasta 
and  Trinity  Reservoirs  in  the  suitable  50°  to  55° 
temperature  range,  flowing  above  the  bed  at  a  con- 
trolled velocity  of  from  1.2  to  3.5  feet  per  second, 
and  w4th  its  naturally  high  oxygen  content  unim- 
paired. The  canal  stretch  will  have  a  nonnal 
depth  of  6  to  8  feet. 

The  Spawning  Beds 

Branching  off  from  the  end  of  the  dual-use 
channel,  two  other  canals  will  be  built  side  by  side, 
each  a  mile  long.  These  twin  canals  will  also  be 
lined  with  gravel  to  create  artificial  spawning 
beds.  And  a  single  concrete-lined  access  canal  will 
be  built  from  the  twin  canals  to  Coyote  Creek, 
w^hich  flows  into  the  Sacramento  River,  thus  fur- 
nishing a  highway  for  the  salmon  back  to  the  river 
and  on  out  to  the  sea. 

After  completion  of  the  artificial  nureery,  some 
of  the  adult  fish  headed  up  the  Sacramento  River 
intent  upon  laying  their  eggs  north  of  Red  Bluff 
Dam  will  be  trapped  and  planted  in  the  new  beds. 

Management  of  the  fish  transfers  and  overall 
biological  control  of  the  operations  will  be  con- 
ducted by  the  Bureau  of  Sport  Fisheries  and  Wild- 
life. These  operations  will  be  coordinated  with 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  needs  for  furnishing 
water  for  irrigation,  municipal,  and  industrial  use 
through  the  entire  length  of  the  Tehama-Colusa 
Canal. 

After  the  eggs  hatch,  the  fingerlings  will  start 
down  the  Tehama-Colusa  on  their  journey  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  Drum  fish  screens  will  guide  them 
out  of  the  main  canal  into  the  canals  which  flow 
into  Coyote  Creek. 

Three  or  four  years  later  these  fish  will  instinc- 
tively return  up  the  Sacramento  and  into  the 
Tehama-Colusa  Canal  to  their  birthplace  to  lay 
their  eggs.  Eventually  a  Tehama-Colusa  strain 
of  salmon  is  expected  to  develop,  and  trapping  at 
the  Red  Bluff  Dam  will  no  longer  be  necessary. 
The  beds  will  be  able  to  accommodate  annually 

The  Reclamation  Era 


4 


ubout  40,000  salmon,  producing  140  million  eggs. 
In  addition  to  creating  new  artificial  spawning 
beds  below  Red  Bluff  Dam,  the  Bureau's  construc- 
tion of  the  Tehama-Colusa  Canal  will  be  used  to 
help  improve  natural  spawning  conditions  in  both 
Tliomes  and  Stony  Creek,  which  flow  into  the 
Sacramento.  They  contain  good  natural  gravel 
beds,  but  their  erratic  flow  reduces  their  effective- 
ness as  spawning  areas.  The  Bureau  plans  to  make 
continual  releases  from  the  canal  into  these  streams 
to  maintain  the  fishery  and,  during  spawning  sea- 
son, will  make  further  releases  to  attract  the 
salmon. 

To  Avoid  Fish  Losses 

Development  all  along  the  Tehama-Colusa 
Canal  is  being  accomplished  with  a  view  to  miti- 
gating any  fish  losses  inherent  in  the  construction 
as  well  as  providing  new  spawnmg  facilities  and 
enhancing  existing  spawning  areas. 

In  line  with  this  policy,  fish  ladders  have  been 
built  at  Red  Bluff  Dam  to  avoid  blocking  fish  on 
their  way  upstream  to  their  natural  spawning 
beds.  Just  downstream  from  the  dam  a  series  of 
louvers  will  be  installed  to  discourage  fingerlings 


hatched  above  the  dam  from  wandering  out  of  the 
river  and  into  the  canal. 

A  "velocity  barrier'  has  been  designed  to  keep 
those  fingerlings  hatched  in  the  canal  from  ven- 
turing into  the  desilting  basin  above  the  spawning 
areas  and  being  drawn  into  the  Corning  Canal 
pumps.  This  will  be  achieved  by  narrowing  the 
canal  to  increase  the  velocity  of  the  water  so  as  to 
impede  the  progress  of  the  yoimg  fish.  In  addi- 
tion, electronic  devices  will  be  installed  to  count 
the  number  of  downstream  migrating  fingerlings. 

Development  of  the  spawning  grounds  in  the 
canal  and  improvement  of  the  nearby  natural  beds 
resulting  from  other  facilities  built  in  conjunction 
with  the  canal  are  expected  to  increase  the  value 
of  the  Sacramento  River  salmon  fishery  by  an  esti- 
mated $1  million  annually. 

The  Tehama-Colusa  Canal  is  part  of  the  Sacra- 
mento Canals  unit  of  the  Central  Valley  project. 
Construction  on  the  canal  began  in  July  1965.  The 
initial  contract  for  building  the  desilting  basin 
and  velocity  barrier  Avas  awarded  to  Durtzer  and 
Dutton  of  Reno,  Nev.,  in  January  1966. 

The  contract  for  the  main  spawning  facilities 
will  be  awarded  in  July  1967.  #    #    # 


Convenient  Order  Form  for  Reclamation  Era 

In  its  4  issues  a  year  tlie  Reclamation  Era  \n\\  bring  the  authoritative  information  that  it  has 
carried  on  its  pages  smce  1905.  If  you  are  not  now  a  subscriber,  and  would  like  to  be,  this  order  form 
may  be  clipped  for  your  convenience. 

To  save  frequent  renewals,  subscribe  for  3  years. 


AIL  ORDER  FORM  TO: 


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Superintendent  of  Documents 
Washington,  D.C.     20402 


FOR  USE  OF  SIIPT.  DOCS. 

Enclosed  find  $ (check,  money  order,  or  Documents  coupons).     Please  enter  my 

Tbscription  to  RECLAMATION  ERA  for  one  Q,  tv^^o  Q,  or  three  Q  years,  at  $1  a  year;  25  cents  addi- 
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Name 

Address 

City,  State,  and  ZIP  Code 

Please  send  me additional  copies  of  this  descriptive  flyer  for  distribution  to  other  interested  parties. 


May  1967 


55 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Spec. 
No. 


DC-6459. . 

DC-6472.  - 
DC-6475.. 
DS-6476.-- 
DS-6478.-- 
DS-6483.-- 

DC-6488-  - 
DC-6489-  - 

DC-6490. . 

DC-6492. . 
DS-6498.-- 
DS-6506.- 
Do-.-- 
lOOC-889.  - 

lOOC-902.. 

lOOC-905- . 

300C-257.. 

500C-245-. 


Project 


Pacific  Nortiiwest- 
Paciflc  Southwest, 
Intertie,  Ariz. 
Central  Valley,  Calif- 
Missouri  River  Basin, 

Iowa. 
Colorado  River  Stor- 
age, Colo. 
do 


Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest, 
Intertie,  Nev. 

Central  Utah,  Utah. 

do 


Award 
date 


Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest, 
Intertie,  Nev. 

Central  Utah,  Utah 

Missouri  River  Basin, 

Iowa. 
Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


..do. 
.-do. 


Crooked  River,  Oreg... 
Columbi^  Basin,  Wash. 


Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee  Sys- 
tem, Ariz. 

Pecos  River  Basin 
Water,  Salvage,  N. 
N.  Mex. 


Jan.  6 

Jan.  20 

Mar.  2 

Jan.  23 

Feb.  6 

Feb.  14 

Mar.  7 

Mar.  17 

Feb.  27 

Mar.  10 

Mar.  27 

.-.do.... 

...do 

Feb.  8 

Feb.  15 

Mar.  10 

Jan.  17 

Mar.  15 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Construction  of  Liberty  substation  and  10.8  miles  of  Liberty- 
Estrella  230-kv  transmission  line,  Schedules  1  and  2. 

Construction  of  San  Luis  operation  and  maintenance  center . 

Construction  of  stage  03  additions  to  Spencer  substation 


Three  20,000/26,667/33,333-kva  autotransformers  for  Midway 

substation,  stage  01. 
Two  230-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Curecanti  substation.-. 

Two  230-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Mead  substation 


Contractor's  name  and 
address 


Construction  of  Starvation  Dam  and  roads  utilizing  soil 
cement  on  upstream  slope.  Parts  A  and  C. 

Construction  of  Starvation  feeder  conduit,  Sta.  15+50  to 
116+75,  1  mile  concrete-lined  Starvation  tunnel,  3,500  feet 
of  84-inch-diameter  precast  concrete  pipeline,  outlet  channel, 
and  structures,  Schedules  1  and  2. 

Site  grading  of  alternating-current  and  direct-current  switch- 
yard, and  construction  of  3.4  miles  of  access  and  service 
roads  and  3.8  miles  of  water  supply  line  for  Mead  substation, 
Schedule  1. 

Construction  of  Knight  Diversion  Dam  and  access  road 

Two  161-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Creston  substation 


Eight  230-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Grand  Coulee  power- 
plants  and  consolidated  switchyard.  Schedule  1. 

Two  230-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Grand  Coulee  power- 
plants  and  consolidated  switchyard.  Schedule  2. 

Construction  of  11  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  and  deepening 
open  ditch  wasteway  and  drain  for  Blocks  45  and  47,  Sched- 
ules 1  and  2. 

Construction  of  14  miles  of  unlined  and  1.7  miles  of  concrete 
lined  canals,  2.1  miles  of  pipelines  and  laterals  for  Crooked 
River  extension. 

Construction  of  9.3  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  and  .5  mile  open 
ditch  drain  for  DW54F  drain  and  D78-101  and  D78-96K 
drain  systems.  Block  78,  Schedule  2. 

Construction  of  earthwork,  bank  protection  structures,  Sta. 
1872+50  to  2000+00  and  7.9  miles  of  haul  roads. 

Clearing  of  phreatophytes  from  flood  plain  of  Pecos  river  and 
tributaries  for  Unit  No.  1. 


Wismer  &  Becker,  Sacra- 
mento, Calif. 

Cortelyou  &  Cole,  Inc., 
Mountain  View,  Calif. 

Capitol  Electric  &  Engineer- 
ing Co.,  Denver,  Colo. 

Legnano  Electric  Corp., 
New  York,  N.Y. 

Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 

Denver,  Colo. 
do 


Goodfellow  Brothers,  Inc., 

Wenatchee,  Wash. 
W.  W.  Clyde  &  Co., 

Springville,  Utah. 


Charles  T.  Parker  Construc- 
tion Co.,  Inc.,  Las  Vegas, 
Nev. 

United  Structures,  Inc., 

Dolores,  Colo. 
Allis-Chalmers,  Denver,  Colo. 

I-T-E  Circuit  Breaker  Co., 

Los  Angeles,  Calif. 
Cogenel,  Inc.,  New  York, 

N.Y. 
John  M.  Keltch,  Inc.,  Pasco, 

Wash. 

Equipco,  Inc.,  Ephrata,  Wash. 


.do. 


Arrow  Construction  Co.  of 
Ariz.,  Inc.,  Yuma,  Ariz. 

Joe  P.  Starr,  Albuquerque, 
N.  Mex. 


Contract 
amount 


$2, 096, 534 

1, 699, 935 
175, 063 
217, 925 
126, 270 
134, 714 

8, 182, 750 
1,250,035 

555,400 

537, 335 
109,490 
804, 851 
163, 375 
188,831 

306,906 

195,983 

153,645 

155,925 


Major  Construction  and  Materials  for  Which  Bids  Will  Be 
Requested  Through  May  1967* 


Project 


Baker,  Oreg. 


Central  Utah,  Utah.. 
C  entral  Valley,  Calif - 


Do. 


Do. 


Do. 
Do. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Raising  existing  road  for  a  distance  of  about  4,500 
lin  ft  and  constructing  a  2-lane,  58-ft-long  concrete 
bridge.    About  17  miles  southwest  of  Baker. 

Four  4-  by  5-ft  high-pressure  gate  valves,  hoists, 
and  conduit  lining  for  Starvation  Dam. 

Constructing  about  10  miles  of  2,300-cfs-capacity 
concrete-lined  canal  with  underdrains,  including 
concrete  siphons,  concrete  bridges,  and  an  earth- 
lined  reservoir.  Tehama-Colusa  Canal,  Reach  1, 
Sta.  197±  to  Thomes  Creek.    South  of  Red  Bluff . 

Constructing  3.1  miles  of  reinforced  concrete-lined, 
dual  purpose  canal,  with  100-ft  bottom  width  and 
2,530-cfs  capacity,  with  30-in.  spawning  gravel; 
1  mile  of  unreinforced  concrete-lined,  twin  spawn- 
ing chaimels  with  30.5-ft  bottom  width  and  115- 
cfs  capacity,  with  30-in.  spawning  gravel;  and  1 
mile  of  unreinforced  concrete-lined  channel  with 
12-ft  bottom  width  and  230-cfs  capacity.  Work 
will  also  include  extensive  fish  handling  and 
counting  facilities  and  administration  and  storage 
buildings.  Tehama-Colusa  Canal,  Reach  1,  Sta 
29±  to  197±.    Near  Red  Bluff. 

Constructing  72  miles  of  10-  through  54-in.-diameter 
pipeline  with  heads  varying  from  25  ft  through 
175  ft,  and  five  water  screen  and  recirculating 
structures.  Westlands  Pipe  Distribution  System, 
Laterals  8-12.    Near  Mendota. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  installing  2,600  ft  of 
15-in.  reinforced  plastic  mortar  pressure  pipe. 
Westlands  Lateral  7-9.5S.    Southwest  of  Fresno. 

Excavating  about  130,000  cu  yd  of  unclassified 
earth  and  rock  material  from  Area  No.  2  and 
hauling  to  disposal  area  about  0.75  mile  down- 
stream.   Trinity  Dam,  near  Lewiston. 


Central  Valley,  Calif... 


Chief  Joseph  Dam, 
Wash. 


Do. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Three  vertical-shaft,  single-suction,  double  volute 
casing  centrifugal  pumps  with  a  capacity  of  226 
cfs  at  a  total  head  of  197  ft  at  a  speed  not  exceeding 
360  rpm,  complete  with  7,000-hp  electric  motors; 
three  vertical-shaft,  single-suction,  double- 
volute  casing  centrifugal  pumps  with  a  capacity 
of  125  cfs  at  a  total  head  of  197  ft  at  a  speed  not 
exceeding  450  rpm,  complete  with  4,000-hp  elec- 
tric motors;  three  vertical-shaft,  single-suction, 
single  or  double  volute  casing  centrifugal  pumps 
with  a  capacity  of  45  cfs  at  a  total  head  of  197  ft  at  a 
speed  not  exceeding  720  rpm,  complete  with  1,250- 
hp  electric  motors.  Butterfly  valves  for  each  unit 
with  hydraulic  valve  operating  system  will  also 
be  required.    Pleasant  Valley  Pumping  Plant. 

Constructing  3  pumping  plants  of  precast  concrete 
piles  upon  which  concrete  decks  are  to  be  placed 
for  mounting  6  pumping  units  (2  per  plant)  with 
capacities  varying  from  5.75  to  2.75  cfs,  and  con- 
trols. The  structures  will  extend  into  tlif  :  ivc 
and  will  have  from  40-  to  48-ft  long  and  15-ft  widi 
decks  for  access  to  the  pumping  units  and  sii  i  ;  i"i ' 
for  discharge  pipes.  Constructing  about  ,'"■ 
ft  of  discharge  lines.  Auxiliary  Pumping  I'i  ;n' 
1,  2,  and  3,  on  the  Okanogan  River,  south  "' 
Orovillo. 

Constructing  Toats  Coulee  Diversion  Dam  with  a 
40-ft-long  concrete  weir  and  a  reinforced  cohtpIc 
sluiceway  and  headworks;  and  constructini:  ;l  r 
6-mile  Sinlahekin  Siphon,  a  precast  con  ''•' 
pipeline  of  18-,  36-,  39-,  and  45-in.  diameters,  iOi'i 
an  outlet  structure.  Ten  miles  northwest  o'. 
Tonasket. 


56 


The  Reclamation  Era 


U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE:  1967      O — 247-970 


Major  Construction  and  Materials  for  Which  Bids  Will  Be 
Requested  Through  May  1967* — Continued 


Project 


Colo.  R.  Front  Work 
<fe  Levee  System, 
Ariz. 

Do 


Do 

Colo.  E.  Storage,  Ariz. 


Colo.  R.  Storage,  Colo. 

Do 

Do 

Do 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash 


Do 
Do 
Do 
Do 

Do 
Do 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Do. 


Do. 


Fryingpan- Arkansas, 
Colo. 


MRBP,  Iowa. 
MRBP,  Kans. 


Earthwork  and  structures  for  8.5  miles  of  reinforced 
concrete  pressure  pipe,  including  6.2  miles  of 
66-in.  pipe  and  2.3  miles  of  48-  to  60-in.  pipe.  At 
Yuma. 

Constructing  roads  and  bank  protection  structures 
about  10  miles  below  Parker. 

Constructing  a  timber  bridge  at  Needles  .Calif. 

Furnishing  material  and  placing  0.5-in.  bonded 
terrazzo  finish  on  floors  and  stairs  in  Glen  Canyon 
Powerplant;  furnishing  and  applying  polyure- 
thane  resin  coating  to  walls  in  elevator  tower  and 
some  powerplant  walls;  and  furnishing  and  in- 
stalling suspended  acoustical  ceiling  in  right 
abutment  adit  to  the  powerplant.    Near  Page. 

Constructing  Rifle  Substation,  Stage  01.  Four 
miles  south  of  Silt. 

Constructing  Midway  Substation,  Stage  01.  Near 
Midway. 

Constructing  a  prefabricated  metal  pumphouse,  a 
sprinkler  irrigation  system,  and  landscaping 
about  3.7  acres.  Power  Operations  Center  at 
Montrose. 

Constructing  about  87  miles  of  single-lane  unsur- 
faced  access  roads  with  culverts,  fence  gates,  and 
one  bridge,  between  Cortez  and  Montrose. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  about  15  miles  of 
earth-lined  canal  with  bottom  widths  of  32  and 
30  ft;  4  miles  of  concrete-lined  canal  with  a  10-ft 
bottom  width;  and  8.4  miles  of  unlined  wasteway 
channel  with  a  bottom  width  of  8  ft.  Wahluke 
Branch  Canal  and  Saddle  Mountain  Wasteway, 
near  Othello. 

Enlarging  Potholes  Canal,  Sta.  2477+00  to  3104-j-OO. 
West  Eltopia. 

Constructing  28  miles  buried  pipe  drains  and  1  mile 
open  drain,  west  of  Council. 

Constructing  2.8  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  and  0.1 
mile  open  drain,  south  of  Moses  Lake. 

Constructing  0.4  mile  of  buried  pipe  drain  and  about 
2  miles  of  open  drain,  southwest  of  Eltopia  and 
west  of  Mesa. 

Solid  state  relaying  equipment  for  Grand  Coulee 
Consolidated  230-kv  Switchyard. 

The  work  will  include,  but  is  not  limited  to,  rebusing 
and  reconnecting  the  units  in  the  existing  Right 
and  Left  Grand  Coulee  Dam  Powerplants, 
combining  the  existing  right,  and  left  230-kv 
switchyards  into  a  single  consolidated  230-kv 
switchyard  located  on  the  left  side  of  the  river, 
and  replacing  the  existing  overhead  115-  and  230- 
kv  circuits  from  the  powerplants  to  switchyards 
with  new  115-  and  230-kv  cable  circuits  running 
from  the  existing  powerplants  through  the  dam 
to  the  combined  switchyard.  Most  of  the  exist- 
ing electrical  equipment  in  the  switchyard  will  be 
replaced  with  new  equipment  which  will  be  Gov- 
ernment furnished.  Most  of  the  electrical  equip- 
ment in  the  powerplants  will  be  retained,  and  will 
remain  in  service  throughout  the  construction, 
brief  outages  for  reconnection  excluded.  How- 
ever, additional  Government-furnished  switch- 
gear  assemblies  are  to  be  installed  for  each  unit  in 
the  powerplant.  The  existing  right  and  left 
230-kv  switchyards  will  remain  energized  through- 
out the  construction  period.  Power  deliveries 
will  be  made  from  completed  portions  of  the  newly 
constructed  switchyard  as  they  become  available. 
During  the  work  in  the  powerplants,  the  inplace 
electrical  equipment  must  be  protected  from  con- 
struction dust  and  falling  particles.  About  28 
miles  northeast  of  Coulee  City. 

Two  345-kv  and  seventy-three  230-kv  disconnecting 
switches;  and  one  115-kv  and  seventeen  230-kv 
interrupter  switches  for  Grand  Coulee  230-kv 
Consolidated  Switchyard. 

230-kv  and  115-kv  high-pressure  oil  pipe- type  cables 
for  Gaud  Coulee  Left  and  Right  Powerplants. 

Constructing  roadbed  and  structures  for  about  16 
miles  of  relocated  Denver  and  Rio  Grande 
Western  Railroad.  Adjacent  to  and  west  of 
Pueblo. 

Constructing  Creston  Substation  Additions,  Stage 
03. 

Constructing  Cawkcr  City  Dike,  an  earthflll 
structure  about  50  ft  high  and  15,000  ft  long,  and 
a  small  concrete  outlet  works.  Slope  protection 
on  the  reservoir  side  of  the  embankment  will  be 
one  of  three  alternates:  (1)  riprap  on  bedding 
(2)  soil-cement,  or  (3)  asphaltic  concrete.  The 
outlet  works  will  consist  of  an  intake  structure,  a 
3-ft-diameter  steel-lined  concrete  conduit,  pump 
and  control  house,  stilling  basin,  and  service 
bridge.  Constructing  two  new  water  supply 
wells,  two  pumping  and  chlorination  plants 
complete  with  equipment  and  water  supply 
piping,  constructing  a  sewage  chlorination  build- 
ing and  chamber  and  a  sanitary  gewer  drain  from 
existing  sanitary  facilities  to  exit  through  the 
outlet  works  structure.  Heating  and  ventilating 
systems  and  electrical  controls  will  be  required. 
Work  will  also  include  earthwork,  structures,  and 


Project 


MRBP,  Kans. 


MRBP,  Mont.. 


Do. 


1>0. 


MRBP,  Nebr. 
Do 


MRBP,  N.  Dak. 


MRBP,  S.  Dak. 


MRBP,  S.  Dak.  and 

Nebr. 
Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Ariz.-Nev. 


Do. 


Parker-Davis,  Ariz. 


San  Juan-Chania,  N. 
Mex. 


Do 

Seedskadee,  Wyo. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Washoe,  Calif.-Nev. 


bituminous  surfacing  for  about  1.1  miles  of  county 
road,  bituminous  surfacing  of  about  0.8  mile  of 
county  road,  and  earthwork  and  structures  for 
0.1  mile  of  city  street.    Near  Cawker  City. 

Constructing  about  3  miles  of  unlined  canals  and 
laterals  with  Ijottom  widths  of  8,  4,  and  3  ft  and 
with  capacity  varying  from  15  to  4  cfs;  and  con- 
structing two  pumping  plants,  one  with  three 
units  of  3.34-cfs  capacity  and  one  unit  of  6.68-cfs 
capacity,  and  the  other  plant  with  three  units  of 
3.34-cfs  capacity  at  a  maximum  head  of  36  ft. 
Near  Superior,  Nebraska. 

Constructing  an  auxiliary  outlet  works  attached 
to  the  existing  canal  hcadworks  structure  in  the 
left  abutment  of  Tiber  Dam.  Work  will  include 
constructing  a  tunnel,  a  tunnel  drop,  a  gate  cham- 
ber, shaft,  control  house,  chute,  and  stilling  basin. 
About  23  miles  southwest  of  Chester. 

Work  will  consist  of  restoring  and  resurfacing  4.2 
miles  of  access  road  and  widening  and  resurfacing 
service  roads  to  top  of  Yellowtail  Dam,  power- 
plant,  switchyard,  spillway  inlet,  and  parking 
areas.    At  Fort  Smith. 

Additions  to  the  Yellowtail  Switcliyard  will  con- 
sist of  constructing  concrete  foundations;  furnish- 
ing and  erecting  steel  structures;  installing  one 
230-kv  circuit  breaker,  and  associated  electrical 
equipment,  major  items  of  which  will  be  Govern- 
ment furnished.    At  Fort  Smith. 

Furnishing  and  placing  about  2,800  steel  jacks 
along  the  banks  in  Frenchman  Creek,  between 
Enders  Dam  and  Wauneta. 

Relocating  about  0.95  mile  and  reconstructing 
about  0.64  mile  of  the  existing  Sidney-Ogallala 
H5-kv,  wood-pole,  H-frame  Transmission  Line 
and  salvaging  materials  from  about  1.32  miles  of 
existing  line.    Near  Brule. 

Three  vertical-column,  single-stage,  dry  pit  pumps 
with  two  intercliangeable  bowls  and  impellers 
for  different  head  ranges,  685-cfs  minimum 
capacity  each,  total  head  range  2  to  76  ft;  and 
three  9,000-hp,  200-rpm,  vertical-shaft  electric 
motors.  Model  tests  will  be  required.  Snake 
Creek  Pumping  Plant  No.  1. 

Constructing  Stage  02  additions  to  Pierre  Sub- 
station. 

Complete  testing  of  steel  towers  for  Fort  Thompson- 
Grand  Island  345-kv  Transmission  Line. 

Constructing  the  Mead  Substation  will  consist  of 
clearing  right-of-way,  constructing  concrete  foot- 
ings, and  furnishing  and  erecting  steel  structures 
for  the  taplines  to  the  substation;  constructing 
a  service  building;  constructing  substation  con- 
crete foundations;  furnishing  and  erecting  steel 
towers;  installing  one  3-phase,  450/600-mva, 
345/230/25-kv  transformer,  one  3-phase,  3,000-kva, 
230/13.8-kv  transformer,  one  3-phase,  345/230/25-kv 
transformer,  seven  345-kv,  twenty-six  230-kv, 
and  four  25-kv  circuit  breakers,  twelve  1-phase, 
8,000-kva  shunt  reactors,  and  associated  electrical 
equipment,  major  items  of  which  will  be  Govern- 
ment furnished;  and  fencing  the  sul)Station  area. 
Near  Boulder  City. 

Enclosed  switchboard  asseniblics  for  Mead  Sub- 
station and  carrier  current  relaying  equipment  for 
Mead,  Basic,  and  Armagosa  Substations,  and 
Davis  and  Hoover  Powerplants. 

Constructing  a  new  7,500  gpd  extended  aeration 
process  sewage  treatment  plant  with  facilities  for 
chlorinating  efHuent.  Contractor  will  furnish 
and  install  all  materials  and  equipment.  Davis 
Powerplant,  near  Kingman. 

Constructing  Heron  Dam  and  Dike,  both  earthflll 
structures.  The  dam  will  be  about  265  ft  high, 
1,250  ft  long,  and  will  contain  about  2,700,000  cu 
yd  of  material .  The  dike  will  be  about  78  ft  high , 
2,370  ft  long,  and  will  contain  about  450,000  cu  yd 
of  material.  Appurtenant  features  will  consist 
of  a  40-ft  concrete,  ungated,  ogee  spillway  crest 
and  a  concrete  chute  in  the  left  abutment  of  the 
dike.  The  outlet  works  will  consist  of  a  10-ft- 
diameter  pressure  tunnel,  an  inlet  structure,  a 
gate  chamber  and  shaft  and  a  14-ft  6-in.  diameter 
tunnel  downstream  containing  an  111-in.  steel 
pipe,  a  control  structure,  and  a  stilling  basin  in 
the  left  abutment  of  the  dam.  Work  will  also 
include  relocating  about  8.4  miles  of  State  High- 
way No.  95.  On  Willow  Creek,  about  25  miles 
southwest  of  Chama. 

One  7.25-  by  9.25-ft  outlet  gate  and  two  5-  by  6-ft 
outlet  gates  and  liners  for  Heron  Dam. 

Constructing  a  cofferdam,  unwatering  and  cleaning 
the  outlet  works  stilling  basin,  excavating  slide 
material  from  the  channel,  replacing  backfill,  and 
repairing  eroded  concrete  surfaces.  Work  will 
also  include  erecting  safety  fencing  and  removing 
an  existing  cofferdam  in  the  spillway  outlet 
channel.  Fontenelle  Dam,  about  24  miles  south- 
east of  LaBarge. 
Four  4-  by  5-ft  outlet  gates  and  liners  for  Stampede 
Dam. 


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August  1967  •  Vol.  53,  No.  3 


RECLAMATION 


Gorrton  J.  Forsyth,  Editor 


CONTENTS 

WATER— THE  KEY 57 

NO  POWER  CABLES  IN 

SIGHT 61 

THE   SOMETIMES  VIO- 
LENT      62 

by  Nello  Cassai 

YUMA  THEN— NOW-.-     67 
by  H.  Fae  Minnich 

UNDERGROUND 

EGGS 70 

by  Mel  Davis 

USES  WATER  AGAIN.-     72 
by  J.  D.  Terrell 

WHERE       DOES       THE 

WATER  GO? 75. 

by  John  J.  Swingle 

UDALL  DEDICATES 

BUILDING 78 


Commissioner's  Page 


COVER  PHOTO.  President  Lyndon  B.  John- 
son, second  from  right,  was  keenly  in- 
terested in  the  numerous  exhibits  and  in 
comments  by  the  people  present  at  the 
Water  for  Peace  conference  last  May.  The 
man  talking  with  the  President  is  unidenti- 
fied, as  is  the  smiling  lady  observer  stand- 
ing below  the  French  sign  reading:  "water 
for  food."  (President  Johnson's  speech 
starts  on  the  opposite  page). 


In  the  photograph  on  the  opposite  page. 
President  Johnson,  left,  and  Interior  Secre- 
tary Udall  pause  for  a  comment  in  the 
exhibition   hall   of   the  water  conference. 


Skywater 

Mark  Twain  used  to  have  an  old  saw: 
^^ Everybody  complains  about  the  weather,  but  nobody 
does  anything  about  it."  But  today  that  just  isn't  so. 

It  is  now  evident  that  we  can — when  con- 
ditions are  right — do  something  about  the  weather. 
We  can  milk  from  clouds  more  precipitation  in  the 
form  of  rain  or  snow  than  would  naturally  fall.  Actu- 
ally, this  effort  to  improve  upon  nature  has  come  a 
long  way,  particularly  in  the  last  15  years. 

From  region  to  region  the  need  for  water 
differs,  but  finding  additional  supplies  of  it  is  a  must. 
Some  States  have  shortages  right  now  and  are  devel- 
oping their  last  available  surface  and  underground 
sources.  By  the  year  2000  many  major  areas  will  have 
a  critical  need  for  greater  supplies  that  are  not  pres- 
ently in  sight. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  weather 
modification  effort — called  Project  Skywater — is 
aimed  initially  at  learning  the  circumstances  under 
which  it  is  feasible  to  increase  flow  into  its  reservoirs. 

This  augmentation  of  rain  or  snowfall 
by  the  work  of  Project  Skywater  is  not  the  complete 
solution  to  the  water  problem.  The  situation  is  too 
complex  for  that.  But  the  efforts  of  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  in  this  area  give  promise  of  adding  a 
fourth  dimension  to  water  supply  efforts. 

Like  obtaining  water  from,  the  ocean  by 
desalinization,  controlling  our  surface  streams  and 
lakes,  and  managing  underground  water.  Project 
Skjrwater  holds  an  exciting  challenge  in  our  future. 


Floyd  E.  Dominy 
Reclamation  Oommissioner 


^ 


President  Johnson  Addresses 
The  Water  for  Peace  Conference 


August  1967 


The  Key  to  Sustaining 
Growth 


TODAY,  man  is  losing  his  race  with  the  grow- 
ing need  for  water,"  said  President  Lyndon  B. 
Johnson  to  the  delegates  attending  the  opening 
of  the  first  International  Conference  on  Water 
for  Peace  in  Washington,  D.C.  last  May  23. 

"How  well — and  how  long — "  the  President 
earnestly  asked  the  large  assembly  from  91  na- 
tions, "can  the  earth  sustain  its  evergrowing  pop- 
ulation?" Then  he  emphasized:  "As  much  as  any- 
thing, water  holds  the  key  to  that  question :  Water 
to  drink;  water  to  grow  the  food  we  must  eat; 
water  to  sustain  industrial  growth." 

Secretary  of  the  Interior  Stewart  L.  Udall,  who 
was  President  of  the  historic  conference,  intro- 
duced President  Johnson  to  the  enroUees  and 
guests  attending  at  the  Sheraton  Park  Hotel,  then 
accompanied  him  on  an  inspection  of  the  numer- 
ous exhibits. 


57 


President  Johnson  and  Secretary 
Udall  found  several  exhibits  to  be 
of  special  interest. 


President  Johnson  recalled  his  own  first-hand 
experience  with  the  realities  of  water  problems,  in 
his  speech.  He  also  challenged  his  listeners  to  take 
vigorous  action  and  leadership,  and  he  proposed 
the  creation  of  a  global  network  of  regional  water 
resource  centers  with  vital  jobs  to  do. 

His  speech  follows : 

"Distinguished  delegates,  Members  of  Congress, 
honored  guests,  ladies  and  gentlemen:  This  con- 
ference has  a  vital  mandate.  The  questions  you  will 
consider  deal  directly  with  the  future  of  life  on 
earth.  No  President  has  ever  welcomed  a  gathering 
with  greater  expectations. 

"I  come  from  land  where  water  is  treasure.  For 
a  good  many  years,  I  have  done  my  share  of  agi- 
tating to  increase  the  water  resources  of  my  native 
state.  I  have  known  the  frustrations  of  this  task. 
A  member  of  the  Texas  legislature  once  recited 
some  lines  on  this  subject : 

"Oh  the  glamor  and  the  clamor 
That  attend  affairs  of  state 
Seem  to  fascinate  the  people 
And  impress  some  folks  as  great. 


"But  the  truth  about  the  matter, 
In  the  scale  of  loss  and  gain : 
Not  one  inauguration's  worth 
A  good,  slow  two-inch  rain  !" 

"As  man  faces  the  next  century,  one  question 
stands  above  all  others:  How  well — and  how 
long — can  the  earth  sustain  its  evergrowing  pop- 
ulation ? 

"As  much  as  anything,  water  holds  the  key  to 
that  question :  Water  to  drink ;  water  to  grow  the 
food  we  must  eat;  water  to  sustain  industrial 
growth. 

"Today,  man  is  losing  his  race  with  the  growing 
need  for  water.  We  face,  on  a  global  scale,  the 
plight  of  the  Ancient  Mariner : 

"Water,  water,  everywhere — 
Nor  any  drop  to  drink." 

"For  a  planet  two-thirds  covered  with  water  this 
is  a  strange  shortage.  There  is  so  much  plenty  all 
around  us.  Yet  97  percent  of  our  waters  are  in  the 
oceans — thus  far,  but  I  hope  not  for  long,  of  little 
use  for  drinking  or  irrigation. 


United  States   Department  of  the  Interior,  Stewart  L.   Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,   Floyd   E.   Dominy,   Commissioner 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Wash- 
ington, D.C.  20240.  Use  of  funds  for  printing  this  publication  approved  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau 
of  the  Budget,  January  31,  1966. 

For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.C. 
20402.  Price  30  cents  (single  copy).  Subscription  price:  $1.00  per  year  (25  cents  additional  for 
foreign  mailing). 


58 


The  Reclamation  Era 


"Another  2  percent  lies  frozen  in  glaciers  and 
icecaps.  The  1  percent  remaining  could  meet  most 
of  man's  needs — if  only  it  were  distributed  when, 
and  where,  we  need  it.  But  today,  while  millions 
suffer  the  ravages  of  storms  and  floods,  other  mil- 
lions are  thirsty. 

"While  men  barely  tap  the  abundance  of  lakes 
and  rivers  and  streams,  other  men  watch  their 
crops  shrivel  with  drought. 

"More  and  more,  people  dwell  in  cities,  where 
clean  water  means  the  difference  between  sickness 
and  health.  Yet  today,  40  percent  of  the  world's 
city  dwellers — four  out  of  10 — have  no  water 
service. 

Abouf  The  Future? 

"If  this  is  the  problem  now,  what  will  the  future 
bring?  By  the  year  2000,  the  world's  population 
will  have  doubled  to  6  billion.  Our  need  for  water 
will  have  more  than  doubled. 

"I  call  upon  this  conference  to  take,  as  its  point 
of  perspective,  the  year  2000.  Imagine,  as  you  meet 
here,  that  you  are  facing  the  needs  of  your  children 
and  your  children's  children.  Examine  what  we 
must  do  to  move  the  world  from  now  until  then. 

"Ask  yourself  the  big  questions : 

•  How  can  we  engineer  our  continents  and  direct 
our  great  river  systems  to  make  use  of  the  water 
resources  we  now  waste  ? 

•  How  can  we  tap  the  vast  underground  waters 
now  undeveloped? 

•  How  can  we  modify  the  weather  and  better  dis- 
tribute the  life-giving  rain  ? 

•  How  can  we  desalt  the  waters  of  the  ocean  and 
freshen  brackish  waters? 

•  How  can  we  use  our  water  supplies  again  and 
again  before  yielding  them  to  the  sea  ? 

•  How  can  we  curb  the  filth  that  pollutes  our 
streams  ? 

"During  the  past  3  years  I  have  proposed  and 
the  Congress  has  supported  programs  in  each  and 
all  of  these  areas — Water  Managment,  River  Val- 
ley Development,  Desalting,  Pollution  Control, 
and  Research  on  Weather  Modification.  But  we 
have  barely  begun. 

"And  you  must  consider  the  most  important 
question  of  all :  How  can  we  awaken  the  world's 
people  and  the  world's  leaders  to  this  urgent  task  ? 

"Even  at  the  risk  of  being  called  dreamers,  you 
must  ask  these  questions,  and  seek  the  answers.  Un- 
less you  do,  you  will  not  measure  the  true  dimen- 


sion of  mankind's  great  need.  You  must  chart  the 
specific  steps  toward  a  more  abundant  future. 

To  Quicken  The  Pace 

"One  step  must  be  this :  To  quicken  the  pace  of 
science  and  technology.  Last  week,  I  signed  an  Act 
of  Congress  to  make  possible  a  new  plant  which 
will  more  than  double  the  world's  present  capacity 
for  desalting  water. 

"A  decade  ago,  the  best  plant  design  could  pro- 
duce only  50,000  gallons  per  day  at  a  cost  of  $5  per 
thousand  gallons.  This  new  plant,  powered  by 
nuclear  energy,  will  eventually  produce  150  mil- 
lion gallons  of  fresh  water  per  day — at  a  cost  ap- 
proaching 20  cents  per  thousand  gallons.  That  is 
3,000  times  as  much,  at  one-twenty-fifth  the  cost ! 

"But  the  world  needs  fresh  water  at  even  lower 
costs.  This  is  my  country's  pledge:  To  continue 
work  in  every  area  which  holds  promise  for  the 
world's  water  needs.  And  we  pledge  to  share  the 
fruits  of  this  technology  with  all  who  wish  to 
share. 

"American  scientists  will  begin  discussions  next 
month  with  India  on  experimental  rainmaking 
projects  which  may  hold  promise  for  drought- 
ridden  countries  all  over  the  world. 

"A  second  need  is  to  train  more  manpower.  We 
must  attract  the  best  technicians  and  planners  to 
this  life-giving  science.  And  we  must  devise  pro- 
grams to  educate  all  our  people  in  the  wiser  use 
of  water. 


Conference  enrollees  were  able  to  exchange  ideas  one  with  another 
in  lectures,  by  casual  chatting,  and  through  the  publications  avail- 
able. Here,  enjoying  one  of  the  latter,  the  May  issue  of  the 
Reclamation  Era  are,  at  left,  Mahammed  Takkiddine,  Lieutenant 
Commander  of  the  Syrian  Navy;  and  Farouk  Adhami,  3d  Secre- 
tary,  Embassy  of  the  Syrian   Arab   Republic. 


August  1967 


59 


"Third :  We  need  to  build  better  institutions  for 
managing  water  resources.  This  point  cannot  be 
overstressed.  We  need  improved  management  as 
much  as  we  need  new  technology. 

"We  must  support  the  United  Nations  and  the 
international  agencies  which  provide  world  lead- 
ership in  this  field.  We  must  develop  more  effective 
forms  of  local,  national,  and  regional  cooperation. 
For  this  truth  is  self-evident:  Neither  water  nor 
weather  is  a  respecter  of  boundary  lines. 


"But  we  also  need  to  create  strong  regional  of- 
fices throughout  the  world  to  provide  leadership 
and  stimulate  cooperation  among  nations.  The 
United  States  is  prepared  to  join  others  in  estab- 
lishing a  network  of  regional  Water  Resource 
Centers.  We  will  provide  our  fair  share  of  the  ex- 
pert assistance,  the  supplies  and  the  equipment, 
and  the  financing. 

"We  are  confident  that  the  United  Nations  and 
other  international  organizations  represented  here 


This  sunset  view  showing  recreotional  advantages  of  Shasta  Reservoir  in  California  is  one  of  over  a  hundred  Reclamation  photographs 
chosen  for  illustrative  purposes  by  exhibitors  at  the  conference.  (Photo  by  A.  G.  D'Alesaandro) 


"Finally,  we  need  to  support  new  programs  in 
water  resource  development.  Projects  of  interna- 
tional cooperation  must  be  multiplied  many 
times — like  those  now  underway  in  the  Mekong 
and  the  Indus  River  basins. 

Not  Using  Imagination 

"Frankly,  I  am  not  statisfied  with  the  progress 
now  being  made.  We  are  not  using  all  the  imag- 
ination and  enterprise  that  this  task  demands.  We 
need  agents  who  will  push  and  prod  and  shove 
ahead  our  international  efforts. 

"We  need  planners  to  help  develop  concrete 
projects,  financial  experts  who  know  how  to  inter- 
est the  world's  lending  institutions,  educators  to  re- 
cruit and  train  skilled  manpower. 

"To  set  top  priority  for  these  endeavors  in  our 
own  Government,  I  have  directed  the  Secretary  of 
State  to  establish  a  Water  for  Peace  Office.  Its 
major  role  will  be  to  lead  and  coordinate  this  coun- 
try's efforts  in  the  world's  water  programs. 


today  can  and  will  play  a  key  role  in  this  enter- 
prise. We  should  seek  to  put  the  first  two  centers  in 
operation  within  24  months — to  serve  as  the  spur 
and  the  goad  in  promoting  Water  for  Peace. 

"We  have  called  this  conference  to  learn — and  to 
share.  No  group  could  have  a  more  exciting  mis- 
sion. You  study  the  life-cycle  of  our  planet.  You 
deal  with  nature's  elements  as  men  have  always 
known  them :  The  river,  the  sea,  the  sun,  and  the 
sky. 

"Man  once  looked  to  these  elements  and  found 
his  poetry.  Now  he  must  find  his  preservation. 

"You  will  grapple  with  the  political  as  well  as 
the  physical  problems  of  mankind.  For  ages  past, 
men  have  fought  over  water  without  adding  one 
single  drop  to  the  world's  supply. 

"Now  we  share  the  challenge  to  use  water — 
more  abundant  water — as  the  enduring  servant  of 
peace.  Let  this  be  your  vision  during  the  next 
week — and  in  the  years  to  come. 

"Thank  you."  #     #     # 


60 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Streamlined  Look  At  Yellowtail  Dam  in 
Montana 

THE  things  different  about  the  appearance  of 
Yellowtail  Dam  are:  that  it  is  located  in  the 
spectacular  Bighorn  Canyon ;  and  the  skyline  over 
the  gracefully  curved  structure  has  no  sign  of  the 
conventional  steel  towers  and  conductor  wires 
normally  seen  with  high  voltage  transmission. 


Shown  here  is  a  cross-sectional 
model  depicting  how  the  three 
single  conductor  cables  rest  on  the 
bottom  of  the  8-inch,  oil-filled  pipe. 
The  three  copper  cables  appear  to 
be  large  dots  inside  dark  wrappings 
of  insulation  paper. 


Yellowtail  Dam  and  the  water  be- 
low it  in  the  Bighorn  River  are  well 
complimented  by  Montana's  moon- 
light and  electric  lighting.  The 
powerplant  is  the  rectangular  struc- 
ture in  the  lower  left  area  close  to 
the  water. 

Emerging  from  an  underground  tunnel  about 
one-third  of  a  mile  from  the  dam  are  its  modern 
transmission  cables  which  are  the  means  of  pre- 
serving the  scenic  "no  transmission  lines"  view 
back  at  the  dam. 

This  underground  method  of  power  transport 
which  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  built,  will  carry 
high  voltage  electricity  through  two  power  lines 
encased  in  pipes  filled  with  more  than  5,000  gal- 
lons of  oil  serving  as  an  insulation  and  cooling 
medium.  The  two  oil-filled  conduits,  one  a  little 
larger  than  the  other,  run  side-by-side  through 
the  tunnel  starting  at  the  250,000  kilowatt- 
capacity  powerplant  down  at  the  toe  of  the  dam. 

With  a  diameter  of  8  inches,  the  larger  of  the 
two  conduits  contains  three,  single  conductor 
cables  which  comprise  one  230-kilovolt  transmis- 
sion line.  The  smaller  pipe  contains  three  cables 
comprising  a  115-kilovolt  line. 

Sloping  Tunnel 

Inclined  steeply  upward,  the  man-sized  tunnel 
extends  from  the  powerplant  through  the  right 
abutment  of  the  dam  and  the  canyon  wall,  ending 
its  630-foot  ascent  a  third  of  a  mile  away  at  the 
switchyard  on  the  ground  surface. 

Yellowtail's  entire  power  facility  was  finished, 
and  the  power  operation  begun,  in  the  fall  of 
1966.  The  power  being  produced  is  fully  inte- 
grated with  the  more  than  2.4  million  kilowatts 
of  hydro  capacity  of  other  Federal  developments 
in  the  expansive  Missouri  River  Basin,  and  it  is 
distributed  by  local  utilities  to  millions  of  homes 
in  cities  and  on  farms. 

The  dam  itself  is  only  2  years  old.  At  525-feet, 
it  is  the  highest  dam  in  the  tributary  system  of 
the  Missouri  River.  In  addition  to  its  modern 
power  facilities  and  streamlined  look,  Yellowtail's 
established  fundamental  benefits  are  irrigation, 
flood  and  sediment  control,  and  fish,  wildlife  and 
recreation  enhancement.  And  in  the  opportunities 
that  relate  to  these  fields,  there  will  be  new  growth 
for  the  area.  #    #    # 


August  1967 


61 


'*"-J.  f* 


•'*.'.' I' 


The 
Sometimes  Violent 

SOUXH  PEATTE 


by  NELLO  CASSAI 

Region  7  Information  Officer 

PEEHAPS  no  river  in  America  is  less  impres- 
sive than  the  South  Platte,  yet  so  spectacular 
in  its  achievements. 

It  beckoned  the  trapper  to  the  fabulous  Rocky 
Mountain  fur  trade  and  marked  the  route  of  the 
Pikes  Peak  gold  rush. 

It  was  often  an  illusion  to  early  travelers  seek- 
ing water  and  yet  today  it  supports  the  greatCvSt 
population  center  between  Kansas  City  and  the 
West  Coast. 

It  flows  right  through  the  heart  of  Denver  and 
yet  it  goes  largely  unnoticed,  even  unseen.  In  flood, 
however,  it's  a  savage. 

Intersecting  what  was  once  known  as  the  Great 
American  Desert,  the  South  Platte  has  created 
agricultural  riches  but  has  never  been  navigable. 

Sometimes,  when  the  season  has  been  long  and 
dry,  and  municipal  and  irrigation  demands  heavy, 
the  Platte  all  but  disappears  as  a  living  stream. 

Fremont  tried  boating  it  on  one  of  his  expedi- 
tions and  gave  it  up.  Some  of  the  fur  traders  used 


the  river,  in  proper  seasons,  to  float  bales  of  skins 
down  to  Missouri  River  trading  posts. 

But  "the  river  that  flows  upside  down"  has  never 
been  a  reliable  waterway. 

It  performs  its  hurculean  tasks  today  only  be- 
cause man  has  been  ingenious  and  watchful,  an- 
nually bolstering  its  strength  with  massive  trans- 
fusions of  water  from  the  other  side  of  the  Con- 
tinental Divide — a  physical  transfer,  chiefly  from 
the  drainage  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  to  that  of  the 
Atlantic. 

The  South  Platte  rises  in  central  Colorado  and 
flows  generally  northeastward. 

Its  Mountain  Energy 

Sapped  of  its  mountain  energy  by  the  numerous 
demands  made  on  it,  the  stream  leaves  the  State 
near  Julesburg  and  joins  the  North  Platte  to  be- 
come the  Lower  Platte  River  near  the  city  of  North 
Platte,  Nebr. 

Downstream  is  where  the  fur  trappers,  coming 
up  the  Missouri  River,  first  saw  it.  And  they  were 
the  ones  who  named  it — "platte"  being  the  French 
term  for  broad  or  flat. 


62 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Colorado  Spinner 


Rivers  of  the  West 


Former  President  Eisenhower  fished  in  this 
area  when  he  visited  his  "Summer  White 
House"  in  Colorado.       (^photo  by  A.  E.  Turner) 

During  the  rampage  shown  below  at  least 
two  lives  were  lost. 


Had  the  French  explored  the  river  from  its 
source  they  would  have  given  it  another  name. 

For  the  stream  at  birth  plunges  down  the  tower- 
ing slopes  of  the  Rockies  icy  and  clear,  and  some- 
times violent.  Here  there  were  deer,  bear,  bighorn 
sheep  and  mountain  lion. 

Huge  colonies  of  beavers  dammed  and  diverted 
the  stream  to  provide  homes  and  regulate  the  flow 
of  water. 

Out  of  the  mountains  the  river  meanders 
through  a  vast  and  beautiful  meadow  known  as 
South  Park. 

High  but  sheltered,  this  was  a  popular  winter- 
ing ground  of  Indians  and  many  famous  mountain 
men — including  Kit  Carson  and  Jim  Bridger. 
Buffalo  and  antelope  sought  food  and  shelter  here 
by  the  thousands.  The  smell  of  wood  smoke  and 
roasting  meat  were  the  rewards  of  the  hardships. 

Here  too  under  the  banks  and  in  deep  pools  cre- 
ated by  sand  and  gravel  bars  lay  the  cutthroat 
trout,  hungering  for  grubs  or  insects — or  imported 
English  flies. 

The  upper  reaches  of  the  Platte  still  provide 
good  trout  fishing  today,  despite  the  encroachment 
of  civilization. 


Story  has  it  that  the  Colorado  spinner  was  de- 
vised on  the  banks  of  the  South  Platte  in  the 
river's  canyon  just  south  of  Denver. 

Fishermen  in  the  early  days  caught  the  narrow 
gage  train  out  of  Denver  and  got  off  along  the 
Platte  when  they  saw  some  lively  looking  water. 
On  this  day,  two  fishermen  were  waiting  for  the 
train  to  return  them  to  Denver  when  one  idly 
flipped  into  the  water  a  small  metallic  trademark 
he  had  picked  off  a  plug  of  chewing  tobacco. 

A  big  trout  is  said  to  have  lashed  at  the  flutter- 
ing object  and  thus  was  born  the  idea  of  a  popular 
fishing  lure. 

The  South  Platte  Basin  embraces  more  than 
24,000  square  miles  of  land,  most  of  it  in  Colorado. 
Dimensions  of  the  basin  are  240  miles  in  an  east- 
west  direction,  175  miles  north  and  south,  and  270 
miles  diagonally. 

Elevations  range  from  more  than  14,000  feet  to 
2,800  feet  at  the  mouth  of  the  South  Platte. 

The  drop  near  its  source  is  more  than  1,000  feet 
per  mile.  At  its  lower  reaches  it  averages  8  feet 
per  mile. 

Remarkable  is  the  fact  that  although  a  small 
boy  can  throw  a  rock  across  the  South  Platte  above 
Denver,  this  unique  stream  and  its  tributaries  pro- 
vide municipal  and  industrial  water  for  a  basin 
population  of  1.4  million. 

More  than  1.1  million  of  these  people  (over  half 
the  population  of  Colorado)  are  concentrated  in 
the  six-county  Denver  metropolitan  area,  site  of 
the  first  gold  discoveries  in  the  late  1850's. 

Producing  Land 

Irrigated  land  comprises  about  980,000  of  the 
15  million  acres  of  land  in  the  basin. 

The  value  of  crops  and  livestock  produced  on 
this  land  runs  into  the  millions  of  dollars. 

Additional  millions  are  added  by  that  great 
quick-buck  cash  crop  known  as  the  American 
recreationist. 

This  production,  remember,  is  achieved  on  land 
written  off  by  explorers  in  the  early  1800's  as  unin- 
habitable— "600  miles  of  plains,  treeless,  waterless, 
barren  ...  fit  only  for  Nomadic  tribes  of  Indians, 
Tartars,  or  Buffaloes." 

The  discovery  of  gold  near  the  confluence  of 
Cherry  Creek  and  the  Platte  at  the  present  site 
of  Denver  focused  attention  on  the  area  110  years 


August  1967 


63     §J 


~-«t' 


••^^^i«iitefev'i<|n^ 


A   trading    post   built   by   Louis  Vasquez  near   Denver  was   captured   and  looted  by  Arapaho  raiders  in  1842.  Now  it  is  restored  as  a 
historical  monument. 


ago.  Actually,  the  Rockies  had  been  rather  thor- 
oughly explored  and  considerably  traveled  before 
Cherry  Creek  got  into  the  news  of  the  day. 

The  Overland  Trail  up  the  North  Platte  and 
over  South  Pass  in  Wyoming  was  a  well-estab- 
lished roadway  for  three  earlier  historic  migra- 
tions— the  Oregon  pioneers,  the  Forty-Niners  to 
California  and  the  Mormons  to  Utah.  But  even 
before  these  mass  movements,  the  Colorado 
Rockies  were  crossed  by  conquistadores,  official  ex- 
plorers, trappers,  cavalrymen  and  dragoons. 

Spanish  soldiers  as  far  back  as  Coronado  in  1541 
had  been  in  the  area.  French  traders  coming  up 
the  rivers  from  the  east  reached  the  foothills  of 
the  Rockies  in  1706.  The  glamorous  fur  trade 
reached  its  height  in  the  1820's  and  1830's. 

Lt.  Zebu  Ion  Pike 

But  it  was  Lt.  Zebulon  Montgomery  Pike  who 
set  the  stage  of  mountain  history.  The  first  official 
explorer  of  the  Colorado  plains  and  Rockies,  he 
was  sent  out  in  1806  to  study  the  remote  reaches 
of  newly  purchased  Louisiana. 

He  came  up  the  Arkansas  River  along  the  Santa 
Fe  Trail  in  southern  Colorado,  discovered  a  lofty 
mountain  but  failed  in  his  efforts  to  climb  it.  Pikes 
Peak  nonetheless  became  a  major  landmark,  a 
catchword,  a  pot  of  gold,  a  promising  pinnacle  to 
those  seeking  a  new  life  and  a  fortune  anywhere 
along  the  Front  Range  of  the  Rockies  in  Colorado. 

And  the  South  Platte  Valley  became  the  gate- 
way to  the  Pikes  Peak  region.  (The  famous  peak 
is  about  70  miles  south  of  Denver  and  is  visible 
from  Denver  on  clear  days.  Complemented  now 
by  the  nearby  U.S.  Air  Force  Academy,  it  is  still 
Colorado's  number  one  tourist  attraction.) 

(However,  there  are  54  peaks  in  Colorado  hav- 
ing an  elevation  of  14,000  feet  or  higher.  Pikes 


Peak,  at  14,110,  ranks  32d.) 

Back  to  the  Platte,  Louis  Vasquez  in  1832  estab- 
lished an  adobe  and  log  trading  post  on  the  river 
a  few  miles  northeast  of  present-day  Denver.  He 
bought  beaver  pelts  from  Indians  and  trappers 
and  hunters,  and  he  frequently  purchased  gold. 

Great  Pathfinder 

Then  came  the  Great  Pathfinder,  John  C.  Fre- 
mont. Starting  in  1842,  he  led  five  expeditions  to 
find  an  easy  way  through  the  Colorado  Rockies. 
He  learned  a  lot  about  geography — and  transcon- 
tinental railroads  subsequently  took  over  routes  to 
California. 

Meantime,  passersby  and  prospecting  parties 
were  washing  small  amounts  of  gold  dust  out  of 
the  sands  of  Cherry  Creek  and  some  embellished 
accounts  appeared  in  the  press  of  the  East. 

In  the  summer  of  1858  there  appeared  among 
the  crude  settlements  and  Indian  lodges  of  future 
Denver  an  experienced  prospector  named  William 
Green  Russell.  He  had  paused  here  to  pan  gravel 
several  years  earlier  on  his  way  to  the  California 
gold  fields. 

By  October  the  Russell  party  had  found  gold  in 
paying  quantities  and  had  accumulated  $500 
worth — cause  for  new  excitement. 

Early  in  1859,  George  A.  Jackson  made  a  spec- 
tacular gold  strike  west  of  Denver  near 
Idaho  Springs  on  a  tributary  of  the  South  Platte. 
Jackson  too  was  an  experienced  California 
Forty-Niner. 

On  May  6,  1859,  John  Gregory  made  another 
great  strike  on  what  would  become  the  booming 
camp  of  Central  City — "the  richest  square  mile 
on  earth." 

To  thousands  now  it  became  "Pikes  Peak  Or 
Bust." 


64 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Greeley  in  1859 

Horace  Greeley,  editor  of  the  New  York  Trib- 
une, arrived  in  1859  on  one  of  the  first  stagecoaches 
from  Leavenworth,  Kans.,  and  quickly  dashed  up 
to  Gregory  Gulch. 

A  month  later  he  described  the  scene  to  his 
readers : 

"As  yet,  the  entire  population  of  the  valley — 
which  cannot  number  less  than  4,000,  including 
five  white  women  and  seven  squaws  living  with 
white  men — sleep  in  tents  or  under  booths  of  pine 
boughs,  cooking  and  eating  in  the  open  air.  I 
doubt  that  there  is  yet  a  table  or  chair  in  these 
diggings. 

".  .  .  The  food,  like  that  of  the  plains,  is  re- 
stricted to  a  few  staples  .  .  .  but  a  meat  shop 
has  just  been  established,  on  whose  altar  are  of- 
fered up  the  ill-fed  and  well-whipped  oxen  who 
are  just  in  from  a  50-day  journey  across  the 
plains." 

Unknowingly,  Greeley  in  this  last  sentence  also 
described  the  start,  of  the  cattle  industry  in  this 
part  of  the  West.  For  it  was  quickly  discovered 
that  these  enfeebled  oxen,  given  rest,  could  thrive 
on  the  native  grasses  of  the  South  Platte  Valley, 
even  in  wintertime. 

Farming  began  to  flourish  and  in  the  early 
1870's  the  Greeley  Colony  settled  and  developed 
irrigated  agriculture  in  Cache  la  Poudre  River 
Valley  near  Greeley  and  Fort  Collins,  north  of 
Denver. 

Major  Tributary 

The  Poudre  is  a  major  tributary  of  the  South 
Platte  River. 

In  the  early  1900's,  the  basin  outgrew  its  native 
surface  irrigation  water  supply  and  the  first  of 


the  transmountain  importation  systems  were 
constructed. 

Growth  and  prosperity  in  the  South  Platte 
Basin  have  consequently  been  attributed  to: 

•  Early  recognition  of  the  limitations  of  the 
river's  native  flow  and  subsequent  development  of 
a  vast  system  of  storage  reservoirs. 

•  Efficient  use  and  repeated  reuse  of  the  water. 

•  The  importation  of  water  from  the  western 
side  of  the  Continental  Divide,  mainly  from  the 
Colorado  River,  via  elaborate  collection  systems, 
long-haul  canals,  pump  lifts  and  lengthy  tunnels. 

Native  surface  runoff  in  the  basin  averages 
about  1.2  million  acre-feet  annually.  Another  esti- 
mated 600,000  acre-feet  of  ground  water  are 
pumped  annually  in  the  basin  for  irrigation  alone. 

Importations  through  15  diversion  systems  last 
year  totaled  360,000  acre-feet. 

Now,  this  appears  to  add  up  to  a  lot  of  water. 
But  depletions  and  losses  are  severe  in  this  semi- 
arid  country — Denver  receives  an  average  of  only 
14  inches  of  precipitation  a  year — and  the  outflow 
from  the  basin  averages  but  303,000  acre-feet 
annually. 

The  Place  and  Time 

Another  problem,  of  course,  is  getting  water  to 
the  right  place  at  the  right  time. 

The  answer  is  importations — and  they  are 
increasing. 

The  native  flow  of  the  river  above  Denver,  for 
instance,  averages  272,000  acre-feet  a  year.  But 
demands  on  the  Denver  water  system  last  year 
totaled  208,000  acre-feet. 

Had  the  city  been  forced  to  rely  solely  on  its 
direct-flow  water  rights,  there  may  have  been 
trouble. 

Denver,  however,  has  good  carryover  storage. 
And  it  also  has  two  major  transmountain  diver- 


Gold  prospectors  with  pick  and  burro  were 
replaced  in  later  years  by  this  dredge  which 
chewed  up  the  gravel  beds  of  the  river. 


August  1967 


65 


sion  sources  employing  the  Roberts  Tunnel,  23 
miles  long,  and  the  pilot  bore  of  the  Moffat  Rail- 
road Tunnel,  6.4  miles  long. 

Imported  water  from  these  two  sources  last  year 
alone  totaled  108,000  acre-feet. 

Although  badly  tarnished  by  humans  and  in- 
dustry, most  of  Denver's  supply  is  returned  to  the 
river  for  reuse  downstream. 

Here  the  river  begins  to  flatten  out  among  the 
sandbars,  willows  and  cottonwoods,  and  its  water 
becomes  further  polluted. 

But  out  of  the  mountains  to  the  north  and  west 
comes  new  vigor  in  the  form  of  important 
tributaries.  The  biggest  of  these  is  the  Poudre, 
flowing  off  the  Continental  Divide  and  joining  the 
South  Platte  near  Greeley.  Eight  small  trans- 
mountain  diversion  systems  import  water  directly 
into  the  Poudre  drainage. 

Engineering  Marvel 

But  in  addition  to  this,  the  lands  of  the  Poudre 
Valley  receive  half  the  irrigation  water  imported 
by  the  engineering  marvel  known  as  the  Colorado- 
Big  Thompson  Project.  It  was  constructed  by  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation. 

One  of  the  foremost  transmountain  diversion 
developments  in  the  United  States,  this  project 
diverts  water  from  the  headwaters  of  the  Colorado 
River  on  the  western  slope  through  the  Alva  B. 
Adams  Tunnel.  This  13.1-mile  underground 
waterway  crosses  under  the  Divide  to  the  Big 
Thompson  River. 

A  portion  of  the  diverted  water  is  used  for 
municipal  and  industrial  uses.  But  most  is  used  as 
a  supplemental  irrigation  supply  on  some  720,000 
acres  of  land  in  the  South  Platte  Basin. 

The  gross  value  of  crops  produced  on  the  720,000 
acres  of  the  Northern  Colorado  Water  Conserv- 
ancy District  in  1965  totaled  $95.7  million,  with 
sugar  beets  accounting  for  $21  million. 

Another  $46.4  million  represented  the  value  of 
feed  and  forage  crops  used  to  feed  livestock. 

District  officials  said  the  value  of  livestock  sold 
to  packers  in  1965  added  another  $220  million  to 
the  economy  of  the  community,  the  State  and 
Nation. 

Reclamation's  Big  Thompson  Project  also  is  a 
large  producer  of  electric  power.  And  it  provides 
tremendous  recreation  benefits  at  10  major 
reservoirs. 


Tranquil,  No! 

Out  on  the  plains  now,  the  South  Platte  has  lost 
its  speed  and  sparkle.  Broad  and  flat,  yes,  but 
tranquil,  no ! 

Sustained  floods  and  flash  floods  have  ravaged 
the  basin  at  dismaying  intervals  since  the  white 
man  came. 

The  first  city  of  Denver  was  laid  to  waste,  with 
the  loss  of  12  lives  by  a  Cherry  Creek  flood  on 
May  19, 1864. 

Plum  Creek,  another  upstream  tributary,  ex- 
ploded in  June  of  1965.  The  ensuing  flood  on  the 
Platte  also  took  several  lives  and  caused  property 
damage  estimated  at  $500  million. 

Among  the  unsolved  mysteries  in  Colorado  his- 
tory is  the  disappearance  on  the  night  of  May  21, 
1878,  of  a  standard  gage  locomotive  in  Kiowa 
Creek,  another  tributary  of  the  Platte. 

A  flash  flood  had  destroyed  a  wooden  bridge 
and  the  freight  train  (Kansas  Pacific)  plunged 
into  the  torrent.  The  engineer,  fireman,  and  brake- 
man  went  down  with  the  engine,  which  sank  out 
of  sight  in  the  sand. 

A  search  was  made  by  probing  the  creek  bed 
with  long  metallic  rods.  All  explorations  indicated 
that  the  bedrock  formation  was  probably  50  feet 
below  the  channel  of  the  Kiowa.  And  the  loco- 
motive was  never  found. 

The  Corps  of  Engineers  completed  a  huge  flood 
protection  reservoir  on  Cherry  Creek  in  1950  and 
now  is  planning  another  flood  project  known  as 
Chatfield  on  the  main  stem  of  the  South  Platte, 
upstream  from  Cherry  Creek  and  Denver. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  too  is  planning  to 
further  tame  the  river  with  a  high  dam  and  reser- 
voir (Two  Forks)  near  the  North  and  South 
Forks  of  the  South  Platte. 

Two  Forks  will  be  primarily  for  the  storage  of 
municipal  and  industrial  water  but  also  will  pro- 
vide flood  control  and  possibly  hydroelectric 
power.  The  Narrows  Unit  also  will  include  flood 
control  and  supply  supplemental  irrigation  water 
to  the  service  area  of  the  Lower  South  Platte 
Water  Conservancy  District. 

Both  reservoirs  should  be  extremely  valuable 
for  recreation  and  fish  and  wildlife  propagation. 

Though  the  South  Platte  has  had  ups  and  downs 
and  its  service  to  man  may  yet  be  increased,  great 
stretches  of  its  beauty  have  not  been  smothered — 
nor  all  its  ferocity  tamed. 

#     #     # 


66 


The  Reclamation  Era 


YUMA  THEN; 

YUMA  NOW 


by  H.  FAYE  MINNICH 

(One  who  was  there  then) 

I  CLIMBED  down  from  the  Southern  Pacific 
train  on  one  of  September's  hottest  days  51 
years  ago.  I'll  admit  I  didn't  know  what  to  think 
as  I  looked  around,  but  I  needed  a  job  so  I  began 
to  call  the  situation  an  adventure. 

I  had  come  to  Yuma  to  teach.  I  learned  as  much 
as  I  taught. 

Yuma  is  in  Arizona,  bordering  the  east  side  of 
the  Colorado  River,  about  20  miles  north  of  Mexico. 
My  teaching  job  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  river 
in  California,  post  office  Bard. 

Yuma  was,  and  still  is,  the  hub  of  the  locality. 
There  were  Main  Street  with  a  cafe  or  two,  a 
couple  of  general  stores,  a  drugstore  and  a  few 
saloons — the  old  time  kind  with  swinging  doors. 
There  were  three  or  four  churches,  two  doctors, 
one  elementary  school  and  a  small  high  school 
which  had  originally  opened  up  for  business  in  the 
notorious  old  territorial  prison. 

Occasionally  a  cowboy  would  drop  into  town, 
throw  his  horse's  rein  over  a  hitching  post  and  go 
somewhere  to  eat  or  drink,  his  chaps  flapping 
around  his  legs.  People  who  lived  on  the  California 
side  did  most  of  their  shopping  in  Yuma.  They 
rode  horses  or  came  in  spring  wagons  to  the  river, 
hitched  their  horses  to  the  mesquite  trees  on  the 
bank,  then  either  walked  the  footbridge  alongside 
the  railroad  track  across  the  river  or  ferried  across. 

The  old  ferry  encouraged  Yuma's  growth.  Many 
a  California-bound  immigrant  crossed  the  river  at 
that  point,  riding  the  Butterfield  Stage  Coach. 
Ruins  of  one  stopping  place  west  of  the  river, 
where  travelers  could  get  food  and  a  change  of 
horses,  can  still  be  seen.  It  is  now  U.S.  Route  80. 

For  centuries,  the  land  in  and  around  Yuma  be- 
longed to  the  Indians,  mostly  the  Quechans  and 
the  Yaquis  and  some  smaller  tribes. 

Attracted  by  Gold 

The  first  white  settlers  were  attracted  by  gold. 
There  was  a  lot  of  it  in  the  hills  and  shipping  the 


The  Yuma  area  bloomed  considerably  after  this. 

ore  by  the  Southern  Pacific  became  an  industry. 
Jesuit  missionaries  taught  the  Indians  and  were 
instrumental  in  getting  the  Government  to  estab- 
lish a  school,  a  church  and  a  hospital  on  a  hill  on 
the  California  side  in  the  late  1700's.  That  became 
Fort  Yuma. 

Gradually  a  city  began  to  grow.  The  people  were 
folksy  and  sociable.  Teachers  were  invited  to 
parties.  Yuma  is  still  like  that.  Two  outstanding 
pioneer  names  were  the  Brownstetters  and  Sangui- 
nettis,  both  merchant  families.  They  are  no  more, 
but  they  deserve  credit  for  getting  Yuma  off  to  a 
good  start. 

However,  a  few  of  Yuma's  pioneers  were  un- 
friendly on  occasion.  An  early  settler  told  me  of 
an  incident  that  happened  to  him  one  dark  night. 
He  was  going  through  Yuma  from  the  valley  set- 
tlement of  Somerton  with  a  wagonload  of  hogs. 
It  had  been  raining  and  the  street  was  rutty  and 
difficult  for  driving.  Making  the  situation  more 
weird,  a  saloon  door  opened  and  in  the  brief  light 


August  1967 


67 


he  saw  somebody  pitch  something  out  onto  the 
street. 

When  he  reached  that  point,  his  horses  balked. 
Leaving  the  pigs  squealing  behind  him,  he  got 
down  from  his  seat  to  investigate.  The  body  of  a 
dead  man  stretched  across  the  road.  The  settler 
pulled  the  body  to  one  side;  then  his  horses  con- 
sented to  proceed  and  the  party  moved  on. 

The  sun  is  Yuma's  most  dependable  feature. 
One  of  the  first  hotels  offered  free  meals  to  custom- 
ers any  day  the  sun  did  not  shine  sometime  dur- 
ing the  day.  Things  really  began  to  buzz  in  and 
around  Yuma  in  1912.  Thanks  to  Theodore  Roose- 
velt and  other  forward-looking  fathers,  the  Lagu- 
na  Diversion  Dam  was  built  under  the  Reclamation 
Act  of  1902.  Completed  in  1912  (one  record  says 
1909),  it  was  the  first  project  of  its  kind  on  the 
Colorado  River.  Until  then,  irrigation  was  pri- 
vately owned. 

Land  Drawings 

Under  Reclamation,  each  side  of  the  river  was 
levelled  and  divided  into  40-acre  farming  units. 
These  plots,  with  irrigation  structures  installed 
were  acquired  by  drawing.  The  applicant  whose 
name  was  drawn  was  required  to  build  a  dwelling 
and  pay  the  construction  charges  over  a  period  of 
years  until  it  was  clear. 

With  expert  advice  from  the  U.S.  Agricultural 
Experiment  Stations,  the  occupants  began  farm- 
ing, at  first  raising  cotton,  alfalfa  and  citrus  fruits. 
Most  of  them  were  inexperienced,  having  been 
tradesmen,  professionals  or  in  fields  otherwise  un- 
related to  ranching.  Life  was  no  bed  of  roses,  in- 
doors or  out.  Sometimes  the  San  Jero  (the  water 
man,  pronounced  Zan  Kero)  would  ride  his  horse 
up  to  the  house  and  call  or  whistle, "  Yoo-hoo.  Take 
the  water  now." 

Whether  the  rancher  was  snug  in  his  bed  or  eat- 
ing lunch,  he  immediately  went  to  open  his  gates 
and  irrigate  his  crops.  Mosquitoes,  rattlers,  and 
scorpions  often  disputed  his  rights.  The  San  Jero 
now  telephones  or  uses  a  car  to  notify  water  users. 

The  refrigerator  of  those  early  days  was  ingen- 
ious. It  consisted  of  a  box  with  shelves,  covered 
with  burlap  or  canvas,  and  kept  dripping  with 
water  from  an  overhead  tank.  This  simple  method 
of  evaporation  was  surprisingly  effective  in  keep- 
ing butter  and  milk.  Electric  refrigerators  might 
have  been  in  the  back  of  somebody's  head  then,  but 
there  was  no  electricity,  except  in  Yuma. 


Some  of  the  women  and  children  were  sent  off  to 
the  coast  for  the  hottest  weeks  of  summer.  Those 
not  so  fortunate  had  to  match  wits  with  the  weath- 
er by  jumping  into  irrigation  ditches.  The  muddy 
water  was  no  complexion  treatment,  but  in  lieu  of 
swimming  pools  it  was  cooling. 

Things  went  along  pretty  well  until  1906,  when 
the  mightly  Colorado  went  on  a  rampage  and  a 
good  part  of  Yuma  and  farmland  on  both  sides 
of  the  river  were  flooded.  Tremendous  losses  were 
suffered  in  crops,  homes,  and  business  establish- 
ments. 

Following  this  catastrophe,  the  Parker,  Hoover, 
and  Imperial  Dams  and  the  All-American  Canal 
were  built,  which  solved  the  flood  menace.  All  di- 
version in  the  Yuma  area  now  is  from  Imperial 
Dam  to  the  All-American  Canal,  which  supplies  a 
good  part  of  Imperial  County  in  California  and 
Yuma  County  in  Arizona.  The  service  is  known  as 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation. 

Program  of  the  1930's 

Most  of  the  water  conservation  and  control  pro- 
gram occurred  during  the  1930's  when  the  country 
was  badly  in  need  of  prosperity.  People  came  from 
all  parts  of  the  country  to  work  on  the  dams.  Some 
liked  Yuma,  summer  heat  and  all,  and  remained, 
sending  for  relatives  and  friends. 

Yuma  is  still  growing  up,  but  it  has  come  far  in 
the  last  50  years.  All  the  comforts  of  life  available 


68 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Left.  Irrigated  agricultural  develop- 
ment followed  Reclamation's  com- 
pletion o^  Laguna  Dam  over  55 
years  ago,  shown  being  celebrated 
here. 

Below.  More  than  23,000  irri- 
gated acres  of  citrus  are  under  pro- 
duction in  Yuma  County. 


elsewhere  are  available  there.  One  can  stay  in  mod- 
em hotels  or  motor  lodges,  or  live  in  air-condi- 
tioned houses.  For  several  years  Yuma  has  had 
airport  service.  The  airport  is  now  international. 

A  permanent  U.S.  Marines  base  lies  nearby  and 
a  large  military  proving  ground  is  about  20  miles 
to  the  north  where  ideas  are  born  and  tested.  A 
modern  hospital  serves  the  community.  The  origi- 
nal high  school,  which  had  its  beginning  in  the  old 
territorial  prison,  now  houses  an  interesting  mu- 
seum. An  annual  rodeo  draws  large  crowds  and 
greyhound  dog  racing  vies  with  Santa  Anita  in 
betting  excitement.  The  huge  million  dollar  Grey- 
hound Clubhouse  with  its  40  acres  of  parking 
space  is  a  showplace.  There  are  shopping  centers, 
of  course,  and  a  new  $6  million  center  is  in  the 
planning  stage. 

Outstanding  in  all  the  Yuma  story  are  the  sur- 
rounding farms  on  both  sides  of  the  Colorado.  Ag- 
riculture still  stands  first,  but  it  is  a  big  business 
and  not  many  operators  fool  around  with  40  acres. 
Land  which  cost  the  original  settlers  $77  an  acre, 
plus  the  dwelling,  now  sells  for  upwards  of  $1,000 
per  acre. 

Yuma's  Production 


From  this  once  challenging,  useless  looking  land 
comes  much  of  the  Nation's  cotton,  alfalfa,  citrus 
fruits,  lettuce,  carrots,  peanuts,  melons,  sweet  corn. 


sugar  beets,  dairy  products,  and  meats.  Some  crops 
are  grown  for  seed.  Ninety-five  percent  of  the 
world's  production  of  Bermuda  Grass  seed  is 
harvested  in  Yuma  County. 

Brangus  cattle,  a  cross  breed  of  the  Aberdeen 
Angus  and  Brahma,  got  their  start  in  Yuma  Coun- 
ty. They  are  beefy  and  adapt  well  to  the  hot  climate 
because  they  have  sweat  glands. 

This  arid  expanse  needed  only  man's  interest 
and  skill  to  transform  it  into  an  Eden.  The  popu- 
lation is  estimated  at  33,950,  with  a  probability  of 
57,000  by  1970.  Those  who  stay  in  the  summer  heat 
move  from  air-conditioned  cars  to  air-conditioned 
dwellings.  They  might  whistle,"Whew !  It's  hot 
today,"  but  they  aren't  suffering  any  more. 

Lest  some  wonder  how  Yuma  got  its  name,  it 
must  be  admitted  that  nobody  knows  for  sure. 
There  is  still  a  Yuma  Indian  Reservation  and  some 
think  the  name  originated  from  humo,  Indian  for 
smoke.  The  earliest  settlers  saw  brush  fires  on  the 
river  bank  and  were  told  the  Indians  made  medi- 
cine and  seeded  clouds  for  rain  with  the  smoke.  The 
Indians  themselves  like  to  be  called  Quechan,  but 
their  agency  on  Fort  Yuma  is  listed  as  the  Fort 
Yuma  Sub-Agency.  It  is  confusing. 

The  rugged  souls  who  created  Yuma  paid  the 
price.  Those  who  enjoy  it  now  are  collecting 
dividends.  #     #     # 

(Appreciation  for  reprint  permission  of  this  article  is 
extended  to  the  author  and  Desert  magazine.) 


August  1967 


69 


THE  best  egg  factory  is  the  egg  factory  that 
works.  Here  is  one — tunneled  out  of  a  rock 
cliff— that's  complete  with  water  and  2,500  happy 
laying  hens. 

The  idea  of  a  cave  as  a  chicken  house  with  ready- 
made  rock  insulation  for  both  summer  and  winter 
comfort  almost  has  to  be  new.  At  least  it  is  differ- 
ent. And  it  is  the  result  of  some  resourceful  think- 
ing by  R.  J.  Miller  of  Moab,  Utah.  Miller's  cave 


by  MEL  DAVIS,  Head  Photographer 
Region  4 


UNDERGROUND 

EGG 

FACTORY 


is  on  his  147-acre  ranch  reaching  along  the  Colo- 
rado River. 

The  red  sandstone  cliffs  jutting  up  on  this  part 
of  his  land  has  the  river  flowing  conveniently 
through  its  "front  yard."  Mr.  Miller  had  studied 
the  unusual  site  with  the  thought  of  excavating  to 
form  a  large  cavern.  Such  an  enclosure  would  be 
more  economical  than  constructing  foundations, 
framing  and  roofing  of  conventional  buildings. 

Once  Miller  thought  of  using  the  cave  for  some 
type  of  public  use,  such  as  ice  skating  or  dancing, 
or  perhaps  a  motel.  But  in  spite  of  many  opinions 
that  it  wouldn't  work,  he  decided  to  excavate  the 
24  X  160-foot  room  for  an  egg  factory. 

Now,  after  4  years  of  operation,  he  has  a  success- 
ful business.  His  feathered  factory  hands  produce 
an  average  of  2,100  eggs  a  day. 

The  blasting  and  excavating  job  was  awarded 
to  a  rock  miner  who  had  equipment  he  wanted  to 
keep  busy.  For  two  reasons,  the  work  was  started 
part  way  up  the  face  of  the  cliff:  To  shorten  the 
distance  of  drilling  a  vertical  ventilating  shaft; 
also  the  rock  taken  out  could  be  dropped  outside 
^s  fill  to  form  an  entrance. 


70 


In    addition   to   taking    care   of 
Marlene  Bailey,  also  operates 
the   eggs. 


what   she    is   shown   doing   here, 
a  modern  appartus  for  inspecting 


The  Reclamation  Era 


a 


%/ 


IfiMk^T"  -— 


A  factory  with  all  the  comforts. 

Hens  from  Colorado 

Miller  then  went  about  doing  his  best  to  make 
the  project  commercially  worthwhile.  His  white 
leghorn  hens  are  purchased  from  a  Colorado  firm 
and  put  into  production  when  5  months  old.  They 
stay  in  f  ows  of  wire  cages  several  feet  off  the  floor. 
These  individual  compartments  are  just  large 
enough  to  allow  each  hen  to  concentrate  on  the 
work  she  does  best — eating,  drinking,  and  laying 
eggs.  After  the  eggs  drop  onto  a  slanting  wire  net 
under  the  cages  they  roll  to  the  front  where  they 
are  easily  gathered. 

A  watering  trough  extending  along  one  side  of 
the  cages  is  kept  at  constant  level  automatically. 
Feed  is  placed  twice  each  day  in  a  trough  on  the 
other  side  of  the  pens. 

Lights  tell  the  hens  when  to  "go  to  work."  Auto- 
matically the  lights  go  on  at  5:30  each  morning 
and  off  at  6 :30  in  the  evening.  Little,  if  any  <i%^ 
laying  is  done  in  the  dark.  Plans  are  to  increase 
the  "daylight"  by  15  minutes  each  week  until  the 
lights  are  on  20  hours  a  day  for  maximum  egg 
production. 

After  about  14  months,  the  entire  lot  is  retired 
and  either  sold  cheaply  to  individual  buyers  or  to 
a  commerical  plant  where  they  are  processed  for 
public  consumption. 

Mr.  Miller  points  out  that  one  of  the  big  advan- 
tages of  his  "cave  coup"  is  the  ease  of  maintaining 
constant  temperature.  This  'varies  only  from  a  low 
of  about  50  degrees  in  winter  to  80  degrees  in  sum- 
mer. The  heat  sources  are  from  the  lights  overhead 
and  from  the  hens  themselves.  Ventilating  fans 
are  temperature-controlled  and  draw  fresh  air 
I  through  the  shaft  extending  from  the  top  of  the 
I  rock  roof. 

I 

■  August  1967 


Fertilizer  System 

Another  benefit  from  the  ^%g  factory  is  fertil- 
izer. Water  flushes  the  droppings  along  troughs 
between  the  walkways  taking  it  into  a  central  pipe. 
This  pipe  empties  into  a  large  tank  outside  where 
chemicals  are  added  to  keep  the  solution  as  a  liquid 
and  to  prevent  the  settling  of  solids.  Because  the 
tank  is  higher  than  the  surrounding  area,  the 
solution  is  turned  onto  the  fields  by  gravity  through 
the  regular  irrigation  ditches.  This  system  assists 
in  growing  alfalfa  and  pasture  grasses  for  raising 
cattle  and  sheep. 

Most  of  the  egg-producing  operation  is  handled 
by  a  member  of  the  family,  Mrs.  Ivan  Bailey.  She 
washes  and  candles  the  eggs,  puts  them  into  car- 
tons, then  delivers  them  to  another  of  Mr.  Miller's 
businesses,  a  supermarket  in  downtown  Moab. 
When  Miller  is  not  attending  to  matters  of  the 
Grand  County  Commission,  of  which  he  is  chair- 
man, or  working  the  ranch,  or  tending  to  matters 
at  his  supermarket,  he  helps  with  the  work  at  his 
'igg  factory.  Another  man  helps  part  time  with  the 
feeding,  egg  gathering,  and  cleaning  out  the  laying 
room. 

There  are  other  advantages  for  the  resident  of 
this  area  of  Utah.  In  his  spare  time.  Miller  can 
jeep  into  the  surrounding  hills  and  canyons  in 
search  of  old  Indian  ruins.  He  can  take  a  boat 
trip  on  the  scenic  Colorado  River  or  Lake  Powell 
behind  Glen  Canyon  Dam,  Ariz.  Or  he  can  visit 
the  newest  of  the  national  parks,  the  colorful 
Canyonlands  nearby. 

As  for  the  hens,  they  seem  content  to  lay  eggs 
and  cluck  noisily  to  each  other.  Possibly  they  feel 
a  little  superior  to  hens  which  do  not  work  in  an 
air-conditioned,  underground  ^gg  factory. 

#     #     # 


71 


and  again .  .  . 
and  again 


by  J.  D.  TERRELL,  Regional 
Information  Officer 


72 


COOL,  clear  water  .  .  .  put  to  music  is  part 
of  a  western  ballad  continuing  popular  for 
decades  in  hill  and  prairie  country.  While  the 
song  is  familiar,  the  idea  of  making  cool,  clear 
water  available  from  sewage  effluent  is  relatively 
new,  and — in  modern  times — not  necessarily 
disagreeable. 

In  the  Texas  Panhandle  where  the  new  Cana- 
dian Eiver  Project's  Lake  Meredith  has  begun  to 
relieve  the  water  deficiency  somewhat,  the  city  of 
Amarillo  has  gone  a  step  further  by  assuring  its 
citizens  they  will  get  the  most  mileage  possible  out 
of  this  precious  liquid. 

The  f arsighted  city  fathers  initiated  the  idea  of 
building  and  operating  two  modern  sewage  treat- 
ment plants  to  reclaim  the  waste  water  and  make  it 
usable  for  industry  and  agriculture.  Spawned  in 
1955,  this  idea  resulted  in  two  plants  for  Amarillo 
which  today  treat  more  than  10  million  gallons  of 
water  a  day. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


Left.  This  sewage  treatment  plant 
near  Amarillo  reclaims  raw  sew- 
ago  water  by  chemical  treatments 
prior  to  its  sale  to  two  industrial 
plants. 

An  important  consideration  for  any  city  con- 
templating this  kind  of  operation  is  the  initial 
financial  outlay  which,  in  this  case,  amounted  to 
approximately  $3  million  for  the  two  plants.  With 
a  staff  of  26,  these  plants  have  an  annual  operation 
and  maintenance  cost  of  $270,000.  The  figures 
might  seem  quite  prohibitive  to  many  communities, 
for  95  percent  of  all  the  towns  and  cities  in  the 
United  States  receive  no  revenue  from  their  sewage 
treatment  facilities  and  therefore  their  annual 
operating  budgets  are  complete  financial  liabilities 
to  the  taxpayers. 

Amarillo,  however,  receives  approximately 
$160,000  annually  from  the  sale  of  its  three  prod- 
ucts. Sale  of  industrial  water  is  estimated  at  $134,- 
000  annually,  while  irrigation  water  sales  amount 
to  about  $4,000.  Fertilizer  is  sold  retail  for  $3  per 
cubic  yard  at  the  plant  loaded  on  the  customer's 
truck  or  trailer  and  realizes  approximately  $2,000* 
per  year.  The  city  gets  about  $20,000  in  power  sav- 
ings from  the  use  of  sludge  gas  in  the  two  175- 
horsepower  engines  furnishing  process  air  and  for 
heating. 

Better  Looking  Plants 

The  new  sewage  treatment  plants  and  the  old 
style  ones  are  as  dissimilar  in  looks  as  they  are  in 
processes.  The  Amarillo  plants  boast  of  beautiful 
lawns,  flower  beds,  and  attractive  buildings,  which 
belie  the  nature  of  their  work. 

But  the  new  look  also  is  carried  through  to  the 
actual  work  performed.  Men  in  clean  overalls,  well 
versed  in  laboratory  work,  handle  the  unique 
treatment  process. 

As  raw  sewage  enters  the  treatment  plant,  large 
objects,  sand,  and  grit  are  screened  out.  Items  such 
as  grapefruit  rinds,  old  shoes,  and  rags  also  are 
removed.  The  screening  equipment  once  even  pro- 
duced a  shovel.  Following  the  removal  of  larger 
objects,  the  sewage  is  transported  into  a  large  tank 
.  where  other  solid  matter  is  settled  out  and  pumped 
to  a  closed  tank. 

At  this  stage  the  "bugs" — or  minute  animal 
life — are  pressed  into  service.  These  "bugs"  con- 
sist of  two  types  of  bacteria :  One  called  anaerobic, 
which  thrives  on  lack  of  air  in  a  temperature  of  92 
degrees ;  and  the  other,  aerobic,  requires  a  certain 


amount  of  air.  These  microscopic  organisms 
demand  living  conditions  that  are  constant  or  they 
will  die.  If  a  "rocking  of  the  boat"  should  occur, 
throwing  the  conditions  out  of  balance  and  result- 
ing in  the  death  of  the  aerobic  and  anaerobic  bac- 
teria, other  organisms  would  take  over  and  the 
process  would  be  halted. 

The  anaerobic  "bugs"  are  fed  the  solid  pollu- 
tional  material  in  tanks,  covered  to  exclude  air,  to 
collect  the  gases  produced,  and  heated  within  a 
range  to  1°  to  2°  to  control  bacterial  activity.  Here, 
temperature  is  kept  at  92°  with  heat  from 
a  burning  gas  which  is  produced  in  the  process. 
Under  these  conditions  the  raw  sewage  solids  start 
the  anaerobic  cells  growing.  This  continues  as  long 
as  they  have  food  or  until  they  become  2  to  4  hours 
old  and  die.  Dead  cells  are  then  transformed  into 
a  dark  liquid  and  pumped  into  drying  beds  which 
become  dried  digested  sludge  or  fertilizer. 

Liquid  Is  Mixed 

From  the  tank  where  the  smaller  solids  were 
settled  out,  the  remaining  liquid  is  pumped  out, 
mixed  with  aerobic  cells  and  moved  into  a  large 
tank  where  the  proper  amount  of  air  is  added  to 
the  mixture.  In  these  large  open  tanks  the  bac- 
teria digest  the  remaining  organic  matter  in  the 
solution  leaving  almost  pure  water,  except  for  the 
bacteria.  By  this  time  the  bugs  have  grown  enor- 
mously and  more  cells  have  been  produced  for  the 
continuing  process  with  enough  left  over  for  the 
bacteria  down  in  the  other  tank  to  feed  on.  The 
well-fed  bacteria  are  separated  from  the  cleaned 
up  water,  and  some  are  disposed  of  while  others 
are  reinjected  into  more  sewage  for  feeding. 

A  lack  of  food,  too  much  air,  a  toxic  metal,  or 
certain  chemicals  in  the  sewage  can  cause  the  death 
of  the  cultures,  or  working  bacteria,  which  in  turn, 
would  stop  the  whole  process.  Such  a  stoppage  is 
guarded  against  because  it  could  result  in  a  shut- 
down in  water  production  of  24  hours  or  longer. 

As  a  preventive  measure,  the  Amarillo  Water 
Reclamation  and  Sewage  Treatment  Plant  pur- 
chased and  equipped  a  mobile  laboratory  in  a  clean 
white  panel  truck.  An  industrial  wastes  technician 
patrols  the  sewer  system  in  this  mobile  laboratory 
testing  and  checking.  At  the  first  sign  of  a  waste 
that  might  be  harmful  to  the  bugs  at  the  plant,  he 
radios  the  plant  operator  to  be  on  the  lookout,  then 
traces  the  poison  back  to  the  offending  industry 
where  he  arranges  to  have  the  damaging  flow 
stopped. 


August  1967 


73 


In  supporting  action  at  the  plant,  samples  are 
taken  all  through  the  process  then  tested  in  the 
plant  laboratory.  Ten  thousand  of  these  chemical 
analyses  are  made  each  year  in  the  lab  in  addi- 
tion to  the  60  chemical  tests  conducted  daily  by 
the  operators. 

In  order  to  kill  any  remaining  bacteria,  chlorine 
is  added  before  the  water  is  piped  back  to  the  city 
for  industrial  use.  Water  from  the  south  plant  is 
sold  to  some  farmers  in  that  area  for  irrigation. 

10.5  Million  Gallons 

The  average  daily  flow  of  treated  water 
amounts  to  10.5  million  gallons.  Of  this  amount, 
direct  industrial  reuse  accounts  for  4.5  million  gal- 
lons per  day  while  direct  agricultural  reuse  con- 
sumes 1.25  million  gallons  daily.  The  daily  release 
to  the  Canadian  Eiver  amounts  to  4.25  million  gal- 
lons a  day. 

One  testimonial  to  the  quality  of  this  water  is 
from  the  fact  that  some  anglers  have  caught  sev- 
eral fish  from  the  stream  that  flows  into  the 
Canadian. 

Fertilizer  is  produced  from  sludge  cakes  re- 
moved from  the  drying  beds  and  ground  into  rela- 
tively fine  particles,  a  process  which  improves 
its  value  and  reduces  odor.  Response  from  home- 


owners has  been  overwhelmingly  favorable.  This 
material  is  a  good  soil  conditioner  for  lawns, 
shrubs,  flowers,  and  vegetable  gardens.  It  has  been 
credited  with  noticeably  reducing  watering  re- 
quirements on  lawns. 

At  present,  a  refinery  and  power  generation 
plant  are  the  two  industrial  users  of  the  treated 
water.  In  both  cases  the  water  is  used  in  cooling 
towers.  At  the  refinery,  the  water  is  then  made 
available  for  cleaning  purposes  and  for  possible 
firefighting. 

After  the  power  generation  plant  uses  the  water, 
it  is  piped  across  the  road  where  a  farmer  reuses 
it  for  irrigation. 

The  water  purification  and  reuse  program  by 
the  water  conscious  city  of  138,000  is  a  significant 
step  in  the  direction  of  full  utilization  of  available 
water.  And  as  one  of  the  11  cities  of  the  Canadian 
River  Municipal  Authority,  it  soon  will  be  receiv- 
ing other  needed  water  supplies  from  the  Canadian 
River  Project  built  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion. Although  this  project  already  is  producing 
benefits,  it  will  not  be  completed,  nor  bring  the 
greater  benefits  for  several  months. 

Meanwhile,  as  Amarillo  continues  its  effective 
efforts  for  economical  water,  it  also  will  have  more 
potential  growth  and  prosperity.  #     #     # 


Even  Texas'  traditionally  rural  industry — 
cattle  raising — will  benefit  from  supple- 
mentary water  supplies.  The  checkered 
surge  tank,  built  on  Reclamation's  new 
322-mile-long  pipeline,  and  a  lime- 
honored  windmill  bespeak  the  new  and 
the  old  sources  of  water. 

74 


The  Reclamation  Era 


A  Disappearing  Act  at  Flagstaff 


WHERE  DOES 
THE  WATER  GO? 


IT  is  a  mysterious  case — ^this  matter  of  the  dis- 
appearing water  at  Flagstaff,  Ariz. 

Studies  so  far  haven't  turned  up  any  "lost  seas" 
yet,  but  at  least  investigations  are  locating  poten- 
tial water  supplies  for  the  university  town  of 
25,000  in  northern  Arizona. 

The  area  of  mystery  is  the  Inner  Basin  of  the 
San  Francisco  Peaks  where  for  years  the  question 
has  been,  "Where  did  all  the  water  go?"  As  much 
as  50  feet  of  snow  has  been  measured  in  the  basin 
(altitude  about  10,000  feet)  besides  rain  that  falls 
at  various  times.  But  the  strange  part  of  the  story 
is  that  very  little  of  this  shows  up  in  runoff. 

Water-conscious  citizens  of  Flagstaff  remember 


by  JOHN  J.  SWINGLE, 
formerly  a  newspaper 
reporter  at  Flagstaff,  Ariz., 
now  from  Peoria,  III. 


The  members  of  the  drilling  crew 
(with  one  not  shown)  are  Ike  Hop- 
kin,  Vic  Pinneo,  Ray  Becker,  and 
Gordon  Lofshull. 

(Photos  by  John  Swingle) 

August  1967 


75 


Watching  the  initial  flow  of  water  from 
the  well  is  Don  Woltersdorf,  of  Reclama- 
tion's office  at  Flagstaff. 


well  the  severe  water  shortage  it  suffered  through 
the  1950's  and  cooperative  efforts  by  several  agen- 
cies are  being  made  to  prevent  a  recurrence  of  the 
situation. 

Latest  projects  in  the  area  include  the  drilling  of 
two  test  wells  on  the  Inner  Basin  of  the  volcanic 
peaks  which  tower  nearly  13,000  feet  above  sea 
level,  and  a  dam  site  in  the  southeastern  comer  of 
Coconino  County. 

In  commenting  on  the  test  wells  on  the  Inner 
Basin,  Don  B.  Woltersdorf,  chief  of  the  northern 
Arizona  field  office  of  the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion said,  "There  appears  to  be  excellent  potential 
for  the  development  of  an  additional  water  source 
for  the  Flagstaff  area." 

Pumping  tests  have  been  conducted  on  the  sec- 
ond well  and  Woltersdorf  added,  "The  test  shows 
very  good  permeability  for  the  well,  but  total  vol- 
ume will  have  to  be  determined  through  additional 
tests." 

Supply  Has  Quality 

A  24-hour  pumping  test  produced  nearly 
500,000  gallons  of  high  quality  water  recently, 
which  seemed  to  hardly  dent  the  supply.  At  the 
start  of  the  test,  water  level  was  133.5  feet,  and 


after  the  24  hours  of  pumping,  the  drawdown 
totaled  only  4.1  feet,  of  which  1.7  feet  was  attrib- 
uted to  entrance  loss  in  the  first  few  minutes  of 
the  test.  A  few  hours  after  completion  of  the  test, 
the  water  level  had  recovered  to  within  1.8  feet  of 
the  original  level. 

This  second  well,  12  inches  in  diameter,  was 
drilled  to  a  depth  of  248  feet  and  is  located  less 
than  200  yards  down  the  basin  from  the  first.  The 
initial  well,  a  6-inch  hole,  was  drilled  to  a  depth 
of  348  feet  and  the  water  level  was  162  feet  from 
the  surface.  No  pumping  tests  have  been  conducted 
on  the  first  well. 

Stage  recorders  have  been  placed  on  both  wells 
and  will  keep  constant  records  of  the  water  levels 
in  each.  The  recorders  will  remain  in  operation  at 
least  one  full  hydrologic  cycle,  a  period  of  1  year, 
and  will  be  read  regularly. 

While  potential  appears  excellent,  says  Wolters- 
dorf, studies  and  tests  will  continue  through  the 
full  cycle  before  a  complete  evaluation  is  made. 
He  is  optimistic  because  the  level  for  the  first 
pumping  test  in  November  was  at  a  low  point  in 
the  cycle. 

The  Inner  Basin  is  surrounded  by  the  jutting 
ridges  of  the  San  Francisco  Peaks  which  once 


76 


The  Reclamation  Era 


formed  the  rim  of  a  volcano.  Glaciers  later  pushed 
out  one  side  of  the  rim,  making  a  gateway  to  the 
Inner  Basin  and  causing  a  natural  watershed. 

There  is  much  glaciated  material  in  the  area  and 
Woltersdorf  feels  there  may  be  a  number  of  allu- 
vial deposits  acting  as  natural  water  reservoirs.  If 
such  deposits  can  be  located  and  tapped,  it  could 
result  in  salvaging  large  amounts  of  water  which 
is  presently  unavailable. 

Also  it  is  felt  that  such  deposits,  or  perhaps 
underground  caverns,  may  be  the  answer  to  the 
disappearing  water  mystery. 

Unique  Method 

Flagstaff's  water  supply  may  be  unique  in  the 
method  it  is  collected.  The  community  obtains  up 
to  25  percent  of  its  water  from  a  system  of  collec- 
tion points  and  pipelines  to  catch  runoff  from 
mountain  peaks.  The  runoff  is  caught  at  key  points 
on  the  mountain  and  channeled  through  pipes  to 
a  reservoir  at  the  northern  edge  of  the  city. 

As  much  as  possible,  the  city's  water  is  obtained 
from  Lake  Mary,  several  miles  south  of  the 
community. 

The  city  of  Flagstaff  just  recently  put  into  op- 
eration a  new  water  plant  capable  of  processing 
some  8  million  gallons  of  water  a  day  from  Lake 
Mary.  Capacity  of  the  old  plant,  some  2  million 
gallons  a  day,  had  been  exceeded. 

The  drilling  is  part  of  the  continuing  bureau 
study  and  exploration  for  water  to  serve  the  Flag- 
staff area,  which  is  part  of  northern  Arizona 
studies  and  the  Lower  Colorado  River  Basins 
investigations. 

Another  segment  of  these  programs  is  a  feasi- 
bility study  of  the  Wilkins  Dam  Site  on  Clear 
Creek  in  southeastern  Coconino  County  at  the 
mouth  of  Willow  Creek.  Eeconnaissance  studies 
already  have  been  completed. 

Tentative  plans  would  include  a  dam  210  feet 
above  the  streambed  with  a  water  capacity  of 
45,000  acre-feet  covering  some  566  acres.  While 
preliminary  reports  show  the  location  as  favor- 
able, further  studies  are  continuing  on  the  water- 
holding  capabilities  of  the  reservoir  area. 

The  Clear  Creek  dam  could  provide  additional 
water  supplies  for  Flagstaff,  Ashfork,  Williams, 
Winslow,  and  Holbrook  in  northern  Arizona. 
However,  the  search  continues,  because  a  lot  of 
water  is  still  doing  a  disappearing  act. 

#    #    # 

[August  1967 


Kudos  for  Reclamation  Job  Corps  Center 

Dear  Sir  : 

I  want  to  say  several  complimentary  things 
about  the  Job  Corps  Conservation  Center  of  Sul- 
phur. I  live  near  the  entrance,  and  I  am  pleased 
with  what  I  see.  It  is  amazing  how  well  behaved 
these  teenage  boys  are.  They  are  nice  mannered, 
and  neatly  dressed.  I  quite  often  give  them  a  lift 
to  and  from  town  in  my  car. 

This  is  our  part  of  the  Great  Society  which  is 
really  worthwhile,  and  since  Sulphur  is  the  home 
of  Piatt  National  Park  it  is  nice  the  boys  can  take 
part  of  their  training  in  the  park.  It  is  a  good  way 
to  give  these  underprivileged  youth  a  chance  to 
become  good  U.S.  citizens. 

The  directors  are  really  doing  a  grand  job  of 
bringing  out  the  good  points  in  these  "drop  outs." 
Most  sincerely, 

Mrs.  J.  F.  Daugherty, 
Sulphur^  Okla. 


Bureau  of  Reclamation 

Water  Headquarters  Offices 

COMMISSIONER'S  OFFICE: 

WYOMING  (SW  tip) 

C  St.  between  18th  &  19th  Sts. 

IDAHO  (SE  tip) 

NW. 

(Region  4) 

Washington,  D.C.  20240 

P.O.  Box  11568 

125  S.  State  St. 

CHIEF  ENGINEER'S  OFFICE  : 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Bldg.  67,  Denver  Federal  Center 

84111 

Denver,  Colo.  80225 

TEXAS 

IDAHO  (Except  SE  tip) 

OKLAHOMA 

WASHINGTON 

KANSAS  (Southern  half) 

MONTANA  (NW  corner) 

NEW  MEXICO  (Except  W 

OREGON 

third) 

(Except  Southern  wedge) 

COLORADO   (Southern 

(Region  1) 

wedge) 

Fairgrounds,  Falrvlew  Ave.  & 

(Region  5) 

Orchard  St. 

P.O.  Box  1609 

Boise,  Idaho  83707 

7th  &  Taylor 

AmarlUo,  Tex.  79105 

CALIFORNIA  (Northern  & 

Central) 

MONTANA    (Except   NW 

NEVADA  (Northern  &  Central) 

corner) 

OREGON  (Southern  wedge) 

NORTH  DAKOTA 

(Region  2) 

SOUTH  DAKOTA 

P.O.  Box  15011,  2929  Fulton  Ave. 

WYOMING  (Northern) 

Sacramento,  Calif.  95813 

(Region  6) 

P.O.  Box  2553 

NEVADA  (Southern) 

316  N.  26th  St. 

CALIFORNIA   (Southern) 

Billings,  Mont.   59103 

ARIZONA  (Except  NE  tip) 

UTAH  (SW  tip) 

COLORADO  (Eastern) 

(Region  8) 

NEBRASKA 

P.O.  Box  427 

KANSAS   (Northern) 

Boulder  City,  Nev.  89005 

WYOMING  (SE) 

(Region  7) 

UTAH  (Except  SW  tip) 

Bldg.  20,  Denver  Federal 

COLORADO   (Western) 

Center 

NEW  MEXICO  (NW  tip) 

Denver,  Colo.  80225 

77 


Secretary  Udall  Dedicates 
New  Reclamation  Building 


RECLAMATION'S  Office  of  Chief  Engineer 
has  a  new  home.  Interior  Secretary  Stewart 
L.  Udall  gave  the  principal  address  at  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  new  building  on  May  11.  It  is  located 
at  the  Denver  Federal  Center,  about  9  miles  west 
of  Colorado's  capital  city  of  Denver. 

"I  share  the  pride  of  Commissioner  Dominy 
and  Chief  Engineer  Bellport  in  this  new  building. 
They  have  worked  hard  and  long  toward  the  ful- 
fillment of  this  eventful  day,"  said  Secretary 
Udall  to  the  4,500  who  attended  the  dedication 
ceremonies. 

The  move  into  the  new  14-story  office  structure 
was  during  the  last  2  weeks  of  April. 

The  high-rise  building  provides  quarters  for 
Chief  Engineer  B.  P.  Bellport  and  all  but  200  of 
the  1,350  employees  at  Denver. 

With  them,  when  they  made  the  move  from  a 
converted  wartime  ammunition  plant  at  the  Fed- 
eral Center,  went  650  telephones,  640  drafting 
tables,  3,260  chairs  and  draftsman  stools,  1,954 
desks  and  tables,  2,400  filing  cabinets,  15,000  tech- 
nical reports  and  20,000  volumes  from  the  library, 
six  safes  and  other  paraphernalia  of  considerable 
variety. 

The  move  to  the  new  facilities  climaxes  an  effort 
led  by  Commissioner  Floyd  E.  Dominy,  who  began 
the  quest  for  a  modern  headquarters  building  for 
the  Reclamation  engineering  staff  as  early  as  1960. 
The  Commissioner  conducted  an  intensive  cam- 
paign to  acquaint  key  members  of  Congress  with 
the  makeshift  conditions  under  which  the  Chief 
Engineer's  staff  worked  in  drafty  old  Building  53 
at  the  Denver  Federal  Center.  Working  quietly 
and  forcefully,  his  efforts  were  rewarded  when,  in 
1963,  Congress  authorized  construction  of  the  new 
building. 

Ninth  Home 

The  new  headquarters  is  the  ninth  home  for  the 
Office  of  Chief  Engineer  in  Denver  since  it  was 
established  on  April  1,  1920.  The  first  Bureau  of 


78 


Reclamation  office  facility  in  Denver  consisted  of 
11  rooms  in  the  old  Chamber  of  Commerce  build- 
ing, rented  for  $150  a  month  back  in  1903,  before 
the  Office  of  Chief  Engineer  was  established. 

Contrasted  with  the  offices  in  Building  53,  the 
new  all-concrete  structure  provides  vastly  im- 
proved departmental  layouts,  greater  accessibility, 
more  efficient  working  areas  and  more  attractive 
surroundings  for  engineers,  stenographers,  mes- 
sengers and  clerical  workers  alike.  Air  condition- 
ing is  another  major  improvement  in  the  working 
conditions. 

For  the  first  time,  too,  it  provides  a  functional  ij 
and  impressive  setting  for  the  hundreds  of  top-  H 
level  engineers  and  other  specialists  who  visit  the  i^ 
Office  of  Chief  Engineer  each  year — representa- 
tives   of   governments   from    around   the   globe, 
officials  from  other  U.S.   Government  agencies,   j 
educators,  and  technical  authorities  who  look  to   i 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  as  the  most  illustrious 
organization  of  its  kind  in  the  world. 

The  building  stands  directly  opposite  the 
Reclamation  Engineering  Research  Center  (lab- 
oratories) in  Building  56.  A  concrete-framed 
shelterway  connects  the  two  buildings.  The  20 
members  of  the  research  center,  part  of  the  Recla- 
mation facility,  will  remain  at  their  present 
location. 

Cost  $7  Million 

Built  at  a  cost  of  $7  million,  directly  appropri- 
ated by  Congress,  the  new  structure  was  designed 
by  the  architectural  firm  of  Hellmuth,  Obata  & 
Kassabaum,  Inc.,  of  St.  Louis.  MSI  Corp.  of  Rock- 
ville  Center,  N.Y.,  was  the  general  contractor,  and 
Ketchum,  Konkel,  Ryan  &  Hastings  of  Denver 
was  the  structural  engineer  firm.  Associate  archi- 
tect on  the  project  was  Scott  Associates  of  Denver. 

To  the  west  of  the  new  building  rises  the  front 
range  of  the  Rocky  Mountains ;  to  the  east,  visible 
from  the  upper  stories,  one  can  see  the  changi 
Denver  skyline. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


Because  of  a  rainstorm  at  the  time  of 
dedication,  the  speaker's  rostrum  was 
moved  inside  the  new  building.  Interior 
Secretary  Udall  is  at  the  lectern  giving 
his  address. 


The  220-foot-high  building  looks  tall  against  the 
Colorado  sky.  Because  of  Denver's  mile-high  ele- 
vation, it  is  little  more  than  a  mile  higher  than 
New  York's  Empire  State  Building.  Even  without 
the  altitude  help,  the  structure  is  the  tallest  in 
Colorado's  populous  Jefferson  County. 

A  landscaped  plaza  area  270  feet  deep  and  285 
feet  wide  affords  an  attractive  approach. 

The  framing  and  exterior  are  of  lightweight 
aggregate  concrete,  with  post-tensioned  floor  slabs 
to  provide  greater  strength  with  less  bulk  and  a 
corresponding  reduction  in  construction  cost.  The 
exterior  surface  was  sand-blasted  to  provide  an 
exposed  aggregate  finish  for  aesthetic  effect  and 
to  reduce  maintenance.  The  recessed  windows  all 
are  of  heat-absorbing  gray  glass.  With  a  gross 
area  of  376,000  square  feet,  the  new  office  building 
has  service  from  six  passenger  elevators  and  one 
freight  elevator. 

Ground  Broken  By  Dominy 

The  construction  contract  was  awarded  October 
23,  1964,  and  a  groundbreaking  ceremony — with 
Commissioner  Dominy  officiating — was  held  No- 
vember 18  of  that  year.  (See  article  in  May  1965 
Reclamation  Era.) 

Mr.  Bellport,  the  seventh  of  Reclamation's  Chief 
Engineers,  was  appointed  in  1963. 

When  the  Office  of  Chief  Engineer  was  estab- 
lished in  1920,  its  first  head  became  Frank  E.  Wey- 
mouth, who  held  the  position  until  1924.  Following 
Weymouth  were  Raymond  F.  Walter  (1924-40), 
Sinclair  O.  Harper  (1940-44),  Walker  R.  Young 
(1944-48),  Leslie  N.  McClellan  (1948-58),  and 
Grant  Bloodgood  (1958-63). 

Historically,  the  Denver  Reclamation  office  was 


established  in  1903  to  direct  field  work  at  Reclama- 
tion projects  in  Colorado  and  the  immediately 
adjacent  area.  Formal  executive  offices  were  or- 
ganized at  Denver  in  1915  when  then  Interior  Sec- 
retary Franklin  Knight  Lane  determined  that  "the 
executive  offices  (in  Washington)  were  too  far  re- 
moved from  the  projects  themselves  to  have  the 
work  carried  on  with  the  greatest  efficiency,  the 
least  friction,  and  the  least  expense." 

Moving  Job 

The  assignment  to  move  the  employees  and 
equipment  quickly  and  with  a  minimum  of  disrup- 
tion from  the  old  building  was  the  job  of  the  Serv- 
ices Branch  of  the  Office  of  Business  Management. 

"Never  in  all  our  years  of  moving  has  such  a 
mass  move  been  so  well-planned  and  organized  in 
advance,"  said  a  spokesman  for  the  contractor. 
"Without  that  planning,  the  move  would  have 
taken  at  least  half  again  as  long.  And  it  would 
cost  a  lot  more  money,  too." 

In  spite  of  rain,  sleet,  and  snow  on  the  first  day 
of  the  move,  the  contractor's  42-man  crew  and 
seven  vans,  shuttling  between  the  two  buildings  in 
25 -minute  cycles,  gained  a  4-hour  advantage  on 
their  schedule. 

"It  went  off  without  a  hitch,"  said  the  contrac- 
tor, whose  crews  worked  in  two  shifts  from  5 :30 
one  morning  until  2 :30  the  next  7  days  a  week. 

So  well  did  it  go  off,  in  fact,  that  few  Reclama- 
tion employees  were  away  from  the  job  for  longer 
than  2  hours.  Although  many  others  were  at  work 
again  in  less  than  1  hour — same  desk,  same  chair, 
or  same  drafting  table,  they  were  cheered  with 
their  offices  in  streamlined  surroundings. 

#    #    # 


August  1967 


79 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Spec. 
No. 


DS-6461. 

DS-6500. 
DS-6504. 
D8-6505. 

DS-6509. 

DS-6509. 

DS-6513. 
DC-MI  6. 
DC-6517. 
DS-6518.. 

DS-6519.. 

DS-6519.. 

DC-6520.. 


DC-6520— 
DC-6522... 
DS-6526.-. 

DC-6530— 

DC-6536... 
lOOC-910— 
lOOC-91'.)..- 


200C-670.. 
300C-262.. 

300C-263.. 

500C-243.. 


Project 


Nam  Yang,  Nam  Mun, 

and  Nam  Chi, 

Thailand. 
Colorado  Kiver 

Storage,  Colo. 
Parker-Davis,  Ariz 


Award 
date 


Fryingpan-Arkansas, 
Colo. 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash . 


-do. 


Palisades,  Idaho. 


Colorado  River 

Storage,  Colo. 
Chief  Joseph  Dam, 

Wash. 
Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


.do. 


.do. 
.do. 

.do. 


Missouri  River  Basin, 
Kans. 

Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie.  Nev. 

Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Calif. 

Seedskadee,  Wyo 


Columbia  Basin, 

Wash. 
--..do 


Central  Valley,  Calif.. 

Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee 
System,  Ariz. 

Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee 
System,  Ariz.,  Calif. 

Canadian  River,  Tex.. 


June    7 

Apr.  10 
Apr.  12 
Apr.    3 

Apr.  27 

.  .do.... 

May  12 
May  9 
June  12 
May  18 

May  15 

May  19 

May  26 


..do...  . 

-.do 

June  28 

May  29 

June  23 
Apr.  11 
May  16 

June  19 
June  14 

May  12 

Apr.     7 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Conducting  engineering  geologic  studies.  (Negotiated  con- 
tract.) 

Three  115-  and  two  14.4-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Midway 
substation,  Schedules  2  and  3. 

Four  230-kv  power  circuit  breakers  for  Basic  substation,  stage 
02. 

One  5-foot  by  6-foot  and  four  3-foot  6-inch  by  3-foot  6-inch  high- 
pressure  gate  valves,  two  transitions,  fi^-e  hydraulic  hoists, 
one  gate  hanger,  and  two  chute  linings  for  outlet  works  at 
Sugar  Loaf  dam. 

Eighteen  14,000-volt  switchgear  assemblies  for  generator  units 
L-1,  through  L-9  and  R-1  through  R-9  at  Grand  Coulee  left 
and  right  powerplants.  Schedules  1  and  3. 

Eighteen  generator-voltage  isolated-phase  bus  structures  for 
generator  units  L-1  through  L-9  and  R-1  through  R-9  at 
Grand  Coulee  left  and  right  powerplants.  Schedules  2  and  4. 

One  armature  winding  for  generator  Unit  4  at  Palisades  power- 
plant. 

Construction  of  Rifle  substation,  stage  01 


Construction  of  auxiliary  pumping  plants  No.  l ,  2,  and  3 

Six  230-  and  two  115-kv  high-pressure  oil,  pipe-type  cable  sys- 
tems for  Grand  Coulee  left  and  right  powerplants  and  left 
switchyards. 

Eighteen  230-kv  disconnecting  switches  for  Grand  Coulee  left 
and  right  powerplants  and  consolidated  switchyard.  Grand 
Coluee  third  powerplant,  Schedule  4. 

Fifty-eight  230-kv  disconnecting  switches  for  Grand  Coulee 
left  and  right  powerplants  and  consolidated  switchyard, 
Grand  Coulee  third  powerplant.  Schedule  5. 

Construction  of  15  miles  of  earth-lined  and  4  miles  of  concrete- 
lined  Wahluke  Branch  canal,  Sta.  1355-1-30  to  2348+91.1  in- 
cluding Wahatis  wasteway  and  Saddle  Mountain  wasteway 
culverts,  Schedule  1. 

Construction  of  S.4  miles  of  Saddle  Mountain  wasteway,  Sta. 
69+42  to  .580+00  (end),  Schedule  2. 

Construction  of  two  pumping  plants  and  3  miles  of  Courlland 
pump  canals  3A  and  3B  and  laterals. 

Enclosed  witchboard  assemblies  for  Mead  substation  and 
carrier-current  relaying  equipment  for  Mead.  Basic,  and 
Amargosa  substations  and  Davis  and  Hoover  powerplants. 

Construction  of  33  miles  of  230-kv  Round  Mountain-Cotton- 
wood  transmission  line. 

Repair  and  additional  repairs  of  river  outlet  works  stilling 

basin  at  Fontenelle  Dam. 
Construction  of  9.7  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  for  D72-268, 

D77-112,  and  D77-98  drain  systems.  Blocks  72  and  77. 
Construction  of  27.6  miles  of  burled  pipe  drains  and  1.2  miles 

of  open  ditch  drains  for  D18-24,  -26,  -41,  -97,  -157,  and  -201 

drain  systems,  Block  18. 
Surfacing  of  O&M  roads  along  Reach  2  of  San  Luis  canal,  Sta. 

895+81  to  2053+15,  Schedule  2. 
Drilling  and  casing  twelve  drainage  wells  near  Yuma,  Ariz. 

for  Ground  Water  Recovery  Regulation. 

Construction  of  10.3  miles  of  haul  roads  and  bank  protection 
structures  A-IO-P  through  A-18-P  and  C-7-P  through  C- 
12-P  near  Parker,  Ariz. 

Furnish  and  erect  two  100,000-<;allon  elevated  steel  water  stor- 
age tanks  for  Fritch  Fortress  and  Cedar  Canyon  recreation 
areas. 


Contractor's  name  and 
address 


Woodward-Clyde-Sherard 

and  Associates,  Denver, 

Colo. 
General  Electric  Co., 

Denver,  Colo. 
Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 

Denver,  Colo. 
Steward  Machine  Co.,  Inc., 

Birmingham,  Ala. 


Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 
Denver,  Colo. 

I-T-E  Circuit  Breaker  Co., 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Allis-Chalmers,  York,  Pa 


A.  G.  Proctor  Co.,  Inc., 

Aurora,  Colo. 
E.  W.  Eldridge,  Inc., 

Sandy,  Ore?. 
Mitsui  &  Co.  (U.S.A.),  Inc., 

San  Francisco,  Calif. 

Allis-Chalmers,  Denver,  Colo. 


Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 
Denver,  Colo. 

Sime  Construction  Co.,  Ken- 
newick,  Wash. 


Pontius  and  Russell,  Othello, 

Wash. 
Bushman  Construction  Co., 

St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
Westinghouse  Electric  Corp., 

Denver,  Colo. 

Dominion  Construction  Co., 
and  Hatfield  Electric  Co., 
Inc.,  Scottsbluf!,  Nebr. 

Saguaro  Contracting  Co., 
Phoenix,  Ariz. 

M  and  J,  Inc.,  Moses  Lake, 
Wash. 

Equipco  Contractors,  Inc., 
Ephrata,  Wash. 

Fresno  Paving  Co.,  Fresno, 

Calif. 
Beylik  Drilling  Co.,  Whittier, 

Calif. 

Lloyd  R.  Johnson  and 
C.A.N.,  Inc.,  Rialto,  Calif. 

Bering  Tank  Division,  Inc., 
Dallas,  Tex. 


Contract 
amount 


$288,600 

106, 594 
246,934 
157,957 

1,427,140 

327,  768 

168,052 

278,666 

233,043 

1,200,076 

153.452 

290,982 

2, 962, 636 

743,668 

226,003 
389, 702 

1 ,  578, 294 

19.3,090 
155,346 
450,  577 

252,140 
193,296 

452,790 

112.848 


80 


The  Reclamation  Era 


U.   S.   GOVERNMENT   PRINTING  OFFICE  :  1967  O  -  264-947 


Major  Construction  and  Materials  for  Which  Bids  Will  Be 
Requested  Through  August  1967* 


Project 


Bostwick  Park,  Colo. 
Central  Utah,  Utah- 


Do. 


Central  VaUey,  Calif. 


Do. 


Do.. 

Do.. 

Do.. 
Do.. 

Do- 


Colo.  Rvr.  Front  Work 
an4  Levee  System, 
Ariz. 

CR8P,  Colo 


Do 

Do 

CRSP,  N.  Mex 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


One  2-ft  9-in.  by  2-ft  9-in.  high-pressure  gate  valve, 
hoist,  and  transition;  and  four  2-ft  3-in.  by  2-ft 
3-in.  high-pressure  gate  valves  and  hoists  for 
Silver  Jack  Dam.  Esthnated  weight:  49,500  lb. 

Constructing  the  4.1-mile-long,  free-flow,  concrete- 
lined  Water  Hollow  Tunnel;  the  1-mile-long, 
unlined  Outlet  Channel  No.  2  with  a  series  of 
reinforced-concrete  drop  structures.  Near  Du- 
chesne. 

Work  will  consist  of  rehabilating  about  4.1  miles  of 
Currant  Creek  Road  from  U.S.  40  to  Water 
Hollow;  rehabilitating  about  5.6  miles  of  Currant 
Creek  Road  from  Water  Hollow  to  Layout 
Creek;  and  constructing  about  4.8  miles  of  access 
road  from  junction  with  Currant  Creek  Road  to 
Water  Hollow  Tuimel  portals.  From  U.S.  40  to 
a  point  about  70  miles  west  of  Vernal. 

Constructing  about  10  miles  of  2,300-cfs-capacity 
concrete-lined  canal  with  imderdrains,  siphons, 
11  bridges,  and  a  25-acre-ft.  reservoir.  Tehama- 
Colusa  Canal,  Reach  1— Station  197±  to  Thomes 
Creek.  South  of  Red  Bluff. 

Constructing  3.1  miles  of  reinforced  concrete-lined, 
dual-purpose  canal,  with  2,530-cfs  capacity,  1 
mile  of  unreinforced  concrete-Uned,  twin  spawn- 
ing channels  with  spawning  gravel;  and  1  mile  of 
unreinforced  concrete-lined  channel  with  12-ft 
bottom  width.  Tehama-Colusa  Canal,  Station 
29±  to  Station  197±.  At  Red  Bluff. 

Constructing  45  miles  of  12-  through  78-in.-diam- 
eter  pipeline,  and  three  concrete  water  screen 
and  recirculating  structures.  Westlands  Pipe 
Distribution  System,  near  Mendota. 

Constructing  63.7  miles  of  10-  through  60-in.-diam- 
eter  pipeline  and  seven  recirculating  structures. 
Near  Mendota. 

Constructing  a  flshtrap  and  a  fish  ladder  on  the 
left  abutment  of  the  Red  Bluff  Diversion  Dam. 

Work  will  consist  of  furnishing  and  installing  an 
electric-motor-driven,  vertical  pmnping  unit  in 
each  of  four  existing  pumping  plants  and  asso- 
ciated electric  equipment.  Contra  Costa  Pump- 
ing Plants  Nos.  1,  2,  3,  and  4. 

Nine  vertical-shaft,  single-suction,  centrifugal 
pumps  complete  with  electric  motors.  Pleasant 
Valley  Pumping  Plant. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  8.5  miles  of  reinforced 
concrete  pressure  pijje ,  including  6.2  miles  of  66-in. 
pipe  and  2.3  miles  of  48-  to  60-in.  pipe.  A  t  Ymna. 

Work  wiU  consist  of  placing  concrete  for  turbine 
and  generator  support;  installing  two  turbines 
and  a  transformer  bank;  constructing  a  switch- 
yard and  additions  to  Curecanti  Substation; 
installing  230-kv  pipe-type  insulated  buried  cable; 
constructing  a  reinforced-concrete  visitors  build- 
ing, 75  by  75  ft,  and  a  sewage  treatment  plant. 
Morrow  Point  Powerplant  and  Switchyard  com- 
pletion, 22  miles  east  of  Montrose. 

Constructing  about  230  miles  of  single-lane,  im- 
surfaced  access  roads,  with  culverts  and  fence 
gates.  Along  Curecanti-Hayden  230-kv  Trans- 
mission Line,  between  Montrose  and  Hayden. 

Constructing  Midway  Substation,  Stage  01.  Near 
Midway. 

Work  will  consist  of  removal  and  repair  work; 
constructing  a  cofferdam,  Navajo  Dam,  about  39 
miles  east  of  Farmington. 

Constructing  the  outdoor-type  W53.1D  WW 
Pumping  Plant  with  a  reinforced  concrete  sub- 
structure 20  ft  wide  by  25  ft  long  with  three  motor- 
driven  pumping  units  having  a  total  capacity  of 
45  cfs  at  20  ft  total  dynamic  head.  Work  will  also 
include  constructing  a  water  surface  control  inlet 
to  an  existing  36-in.-diameter  culvert  and  an  inlet 
transition  to  the  pmnping  plant.  About  13  miles 
south  of  Quincy. 


Project 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash.. 


Do. 


Do. 


Minidoka,  Idaho 

Duck  Valley  (Bureau 
of  Indian  Affairs), 
Nevada. 


MRBP,  Kans 
Do 

Do 


MKBP,  Mont. 


MRBP,  N.  Dak 

MRBP,  S.  Dak.-Nebr. 

MRBP,  Wyo 


San  Juan-Chama,  N. 
Mex. 


Weber  Basin,  Utah. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Enlarging  turnouts  to  the  PE55  and  PE59.4  later  Is 
at  Potholes  Canal,  and  earthwork  and  structures 
for  enlargtog  about  15  mUes  of  laterals  with  bot- 
tom widths  varying  from  12  to  3  ft.  Block  16, 
southwest  of  Eltopia. 

Constructing  about  23  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains 
and  about  0.8  mile  of  open  drain  and  wasteway. 
Blocks  42  (south  of  Moses  Lake),  86  (north  of 
Royal  City),  and  87  (east  of  Royal  City). 

One  double-ended  tmit  substation  with  two  1,500- 
kva,  6,900-480/277-volt  transformers  for  Grand 
Coulee  230-kv  Consolidated  Switchyard. 

Constructing  Minidoka  Interconnection  Substa- 
tion additions.  About  6  miles  south  of  Minidoka. 

Constructing  Wild  Horse  Dam,  a  concrete  thin 
arch  structure  about  105  ft  high  at  the  maximum 
section,  and  430  ft  long  at  the  crest.  Excavating 
a  6-ft-mInlmum-diameter  hole  through  the  ex- 
isting Wild  Horse  Dam  will  also  be  required.  On 
the  Owyhee  River,  about  70  miles  north  of  Elko. 

Earthwork,  structures,  and  surfacing  3.4  miles  of 
relocated  Mitchell  County  Road  C-705.  South  of 
Cawker  City. 

Earthwork,  structures,  and  surfacing  1.4  miles  of 
relocated  Township  Road  T-277  and  about  2 
miles  of  other  township  roads.  South  and  west 
of  Cawker  City. 

Constructing  Cawker  City  Dike,  an  earthflll  struc- 
ture about  50  ft  high  and  15,000  ft  long,  and  a 
small  concrete  outlet  works;  slope  protection  to 
be  of  (1)  riprap  on  bedding,  (2)  soil-cement,  or 
(3)  asphaltic  concrete;  and  outlet  works.  Con- 
structing two  new  water-supply  wells,  two  pump- 
ing plants,  and  other  facilities.  Work  will  also 
include  earthwork,  structures,  surfacing  for  about 
1.1  miles  of  county  road,  bituminous  surfacing  of 
about  0.8  mile  of  county  road,  and  earthwork  and 
structures  for  0.1  mile  of  city  street.  Near  Cawker 
City. 

Constructing  an  auxiliary  outlet  works  in  the  left 
abutment  of  Tiber  Dam.  The  auxiliary  outlet 
works  consists  of  a  tunnel,  tunnel  drop,  gate 
chamber,  shaft,  control  house,  chute  and  stilling 
basin.  Work  will  also  include  a  50-ft-high  coffer- 
dam across  the  existing  spillway  channel.  About 
23  miles  southwest  of  Chester. 

One  115/41.6-kv,  12-mva  transformer  for  Killdeer 
Substation. 

Detailing,  fabricating,  and  testing  two  steel  towers 
totaling  40,000  lb,  for  the  Fort  Thompson-Grand 
Island  345-kv  Transmission  Line. 

Constructing  the  outdoor-type  Hanover  No.  5 
Pumping  Plant,  with  a  reinforced  concrete  sub- 
structure, to  accommodate  two  pumps  with 
capacities  of  19  and  6  cfs.  Near  Worland. 

Constructing  Heron  Dam  and  dike,  both  earthflll 
structures  and  appurtenant  structures.  The  dam 
will  be  about  265  ft  high,  1,250  ft  long,  and  will 
contain  about  2,700,000  cu  yd  of  material.  The 
dike  will  be  about  78  ft  high,  2,370  ft  long,  and  will 
contain  about  450,000  cu  yd  of  material.  The  out- 
let works  will  consist  of  an  Inlet  structure,  a 
lO-ft-dlameter  pressure  tunnel,  a  gate  chamber 
and  shaft  and  an  11-ft-wide  modified  horseshoe 
free-flow  tunnel  downstream  with  a  stilling  basin 
in  the  left  abutment  of  the  dam.  Work  will  also 
Include  relocating  about  8.4  miles  of  State  High- 
way No.  95.  On  Willow  Creek,  about  26  miles 
southwest  of  Chama.  Stabilizing  Willow  Creek 
channel,  near  Chama. 

Constructing  the  80-acre-ft,  compacted  earth-lined 
Farmington  Equalizing  Reservoir,  near  Station 
520-1-00,  Davis  Aqueduct;  three  inlet  or  outlet 
regulating  structures;  and  a  pipeline  coimecting 
to  Davis  Aqueduct  and  West  Farmington  trunk- 
line.  Near  Farmington. 


Subject  to  change. 


United  States 
Government  Printing  Office 

DIVISION   OF   PUBLIC  DOCUMENTS 

WASHrNGTON,   D.C.    20402 
OFFICIAL   BUSINESS 


POSTAGE   AND    FEES    PAID 
U.S.  GOVERNMENT    PRINTING   OFFICE 


In  its  assigned  function  os  the  Notion's  principal  natural  resource  agency, 
the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special  obligation  to  assure  that  our 
expendable  resources  are  conserved,  that  renewable  resources  are  managed 
to  produce  optimum  yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  full  meas- 
ure to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  America,  now  and  in  the 

future. 

U.S.  Department  of  the  Interior/ Bureau  or  Reclamation 


RECLAMATION 


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November  1967  Vol.  53,  No.  4 


RECLAMATION 


Gordon  J.   Forsyth,  Editor 

CONTENTS 

BIG  IMPACT  AT  GLEN 

CANYON  DAM 81 

STAY  OUT— STAY 

ALIVE 84 

REVIVING  PRODUCTION 
IN  SAN  JUAN  COUNT  Y_     86 
by     Bert     Levine     and 
James  Madison 
GREEN,  CLEAN  AND 

FULLY  GROWN 89 

by  Melvin  M.  Peterson 
WHILE  WATER  USE 

GREW  IN  BASIN 91 

MAJOR  FEATURES 

COMPLETED 92 

WINDMILLS  SPURRED 

IRRIGATION 94 

by  A.  Bower  Sageser 
SELF  HELP  ON  AFGHAN 

CANALS 100 

by  Dick  Adams 

KEEPING  DIRECTORS 

INTERESTED 102 

by  Theodore  Nelson 
TOYON  OFFERS 

SECOND  CHANCE 104 

by  Anne  Voetsch 
THE  CASE  OF  THE 

FLOWER  FIELD 108 


COVER  PHOTO.  An  early  spring  scene 
showing  snow-melt  below  Mt.  Timpano- 
gas— a  large  supplier  of  water  for  the 
Provo  River  project,  Utah,  mentioned  in 
article:  "Green,  Clean  and  Fully  Grown." 

(Photo  by  Mel  Davis) 


Commissioner's  Page 


WORLD  AWAKENING 

Until  recent  times  water  resources  were  rarely  recognized  as 
a  critical  factor  in  world  'politics.  Nevertheless  serious  water 
'problems  have  existed  for  centuries. 

Water  is  as  important  as  the  air  we  breathe.  Without  adequate 
supplies^  all  human  activities  would  he  hindered  and  ultimately 
grind  to  a  halt.  Civilizations  have  faltered  because  of  failure 
to  protect  and  wisely  u^e  their  water  supplies  and  other  natural 
resources.  Even  in  this  enlightened  age,  of  the  one  and  a  half 
billion  people  who  live  in  the  developing  portions  of  the  free 
world,  nearly  a  billion  are  dependent  upon  crude  and  unsanitary 
sources  for  water.  Thousands  die  from  water  borne  diseases. 

I  have  found,  however,  on  nvy  review  of  water  resource  de- 
velopmerits  and  their  potential  around  the  loorld  in  recent  years, 
that  quite  suddenly  a  large  number  of  countries  have  begun 
seriously  thinking  and  talking  '"''Water.'"'  A  great  awakening 
and  some  hope  has  been  triggered.  This  was  evident  again  in 
Twy  travels  this  fall.  People  in  Nations  large  and  small  alike 
are  realizing  they  lack  adequate  storage  and  distribution  sys- 
tems to  utilize  their  loater  supplies  effectively.  The  International 
Water  for  Peace  Conference  last  May,  in  which  99  Nations 
participated,  contributed  to  the  awareness.  Sixty-one  Nations 
met  at  this  year's  conference  of  the  International  Commission 
on  Large  Dams  at  Istanbul,  as  compared  to  only  Jt4  countries  six 
years  ago. 

In  actual  results,  757  dams  have  been  built  by  60  countries  in 
only  a  recent  3-year  period.  Though  this  country  built  nfwre 
than  a  third  of  the  total,  Japan  was  second  with  91  dams. 
The  Republic  of  South  Africa  built  32  dams  in  the  1963-66 
period  as  did  India,  where  the  resources  problems  today  are  a 
matter  of  life  or  death.  Mexico  built  23  and  Canada  17. 

The  Bureau  of  Reclamation  is  proud  to  have  an  expanded 
role  in  this  vital  movement  which  offers  hope  for  the  future. 
And  since  such  efforts  are  really  only  beginning,  we  invite  the 
greatest  possible  interest  of  people  everywhere  in  continuing 
research,  planning  and  building  to  help  put  water  where  it  can 
best  be  used  and  is  so  positively  needed. 

I  was  somewhat  overwhelmed  by  a  tribute  to  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  while  at  the  Istanbul  meeting.  A  preface  to  a  re- 
port on  large  dams  constructed  in  Turkey  had  this  to  say: 
''''In  the  list  of  foreign  engineering  organizations  which 
played  a  great  part  in  the  technical  development  in  this 
cou/ntry,  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclamation  loill  undouhtedly  take 
the  foremost  place.  The  present  activity  in  dam  design  and 
construction  in  Turkey  will  not  have  been  possible  had 
DSI,  as  well  as  other  governmental  agencies,  lacked  the 
cordial  and  the  first  quality  training  and  assistance  afforded 
by  this  engineering  institution.'''' 


Floyd  E.  Dominy 
Reclamation  Commissioner 


Brought  industrial  benefits  all  over  the  United  States. 


Big  Impact 


at 


Glen  Canyon 
Dam 


WHEN  construction  men  moved  in  their  equip- 
ment to  build  Glen  Canyon  Dam — one  of  the 
highest  concrete  dams  in  the  world — a  many- 
phased  project  was  begun  which  would  bring  long- 
needed  water  resource  developments  to  the  Colo- 
rado River  Basin  and  a  large  part  of  the  West. 

To  do  the  work,  the  builders  purchased  and 
shipped  to  the  northern  Arizona  damsite  more  than 
1.1  million  tons  of  materials  and  equipment  from 
throughout  the  Nation — a  weight  equivalent  to 
about  half  a  million  automobiles.  This  does  not  in- 
clude the  preponderant  weight  of  the  dam,  which 
was  sand,  aggregates,  and  water,  available  at  or 
near  the  site. 

Then  it  required  25,000  man-years  of  direct  on- 
site  and  indirect  off-site  employment,  or  the  equiv- 
alent of  5,000  men  working  5  years  each,  to  com- 
plete the  job. 

Started  in  1957  and  completed  in  1966,  the  con- 
struction cost  of  the  710-foot-high  Glen  Canyon 
Dam  added  up  to  $243  million,  as  of  Dec.  31, 1966. 
Its  water  storage  capacity  is  greater  than  all  other 
storage  features  of  the  Colorado  River  Storage 
Project  combined. 


November  1967 


81 


Huge  jet  valves  for  wafer. 

The  dam  is  viewed  with  other  major  distinc- 
tions: It's  powerhouse  contains  900,000  kilowatts 
of  commercial  power  capacity,  which  will  pay  for 
the  costs  of  building  the  dam  with  interest  over 
the  years.  It  caused  the  impoundment  of  Lake 
Powell  which  already  is  world  famous  for  its 
varied  sport  pleasantries.  The  dam  also  is  respon- 
sible for  irrigation,  flood  control  and  silt 
retention. 

The  construction  information  herein  has  been 
newly  collected  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  as 
an  important  guide  in  establishing,  on  selected 
projects,  scheduling  and  purchasing  efficiencies  for 
its  varied  program,  and  to  reflect  how  much  and 
where  industrial  impact  occurs. 

It  cost  $110  million  for  the  permanent  materials 
and  equipment  noted  above. 

Cost  of  shipping  the  materials  and  equipment 
by  train,  truck,  and  airplane  from  all  off-site  loca- 
tions was  an  additional  $10  million. 

Regional  Suppliers 

Since  the  dam  is  located  in  the  Southwest,  that 
large  region  supplied  41  percent  of  the  shipping. 


The  States  include  Texas,  Oklahoma,  Arizona,  and 
New  Mexico,  and  the  purchases  came  to  $49.5  mil- 
lion. 

Next  highest  supplier  was  the  Mideast  and  New 
England  regions,  where  17  percent,  totaling  $21.1 
million,  was  purchased.  More  than  60  percent  of 
all  electrical  equipment  came  from  the  industrial- 
ized Mideast  region  alone — largely  from  Pennsyl- 
vania, New  York,  and  New  Jersey. 

5  million  man-hours  by  workmen.  (Photo  by  A.  E.  Turner) 


United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Stewart  L.  Udall,  Secretary 

Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Floyd  E.  Dominy,  Commissioner 

Issued  quarterly  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior,  Wash- 
ington, D.C.  20240.  Use  of  funds  for  printing  this  publication  approved  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau 
of  the  Budget,  January  31,  1966. 

For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.C. 
20402.  Price  30  cents  (single  copy).  Subscription  price:  $1.00  per  year  (25  cents  additional  for 
foreign  mailing). 


82 


The  Reclamation  Era 


NEW  ENGLAND 

$s3ao6o 


GLEN   CANYON    DAM   AND    POWERPLANT,     DIRECT    CONSTRUCTION     MATERIAL. 
EQUIPMENT.AND  FREIGHT  REQUIREMENTS    SUPPLIED    BY    ALL  REGIONS   OF   THE   NATION 


Almost  the  same  percentage  and  dollar  value  of 
shipments  came  from  the  Far  West  region  of  Cali- 
fornia, Oregon,  Washington,  and  Nevada. 

Industry  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  supplied 
13  percent,  amounting  to  $16.2  million. 

Shipments  of  materials  and  equipment  from  the 
Great  Lakes  area  achieved  a  total  value  of  $6.3 
million.  Two-percent  regions  were  the  Southeast, 
with  $2.5  million,  and  the  Plains,  with  $2.04  mil- 
lion in  shipments. 

Hence,  nearly  60  percent  of  the  supplies  for  this 
great  construction  project  originated  beyond  the 
borders  of  the  geographic  region  in  which  the  dam 
was  built.  This  bears  out  a  claim  long  made  by 
Bureau  of  Reclamation  officials  that  Reclamation 
construction  benefits  all  parts  of  the  Nation. 

Materials  shipped  in  for  the  vast  construction 
job  were  60  times  greater  than  the  equipment,  ton- 
nage. The  largest  item,  by  far,  was  concrete  pro- 
ducts, totaling  807,200  tons.  Rubber,  petroleum, 
and  repair  products  were  next,  with  125,100  tons. 
Metal  products  came  to  60,700  tons.  Other  major 
shipment  tonnages :  chemicals  and  explosives,  24,- 
200 ;  building  materials,  20,300 ;  and  miscellaneous 
materials,  60,500  tons. 

Shipments  of  equipment  used  in  construction  of 
the  dam  totaled  17,800  tons.  Most  of  this  was  made 
up  of  electrical  equipment,  6,300  tons,  and  motor- 
ized equipment,  5,900  tons.  Next  in  descending  or- 
der were  concrete  equipment,  construction  tools, 
housing  equipment,  office  and  engineering  equip- 
ment, asphalt,  and  miscellaneous  equipment. 

Employment  Requirements 

A  majority  of  the  construction  men  and  their 
families,  whose  livelihood  came  from  their  work 
at  the  dam  resided  in  the  modern  town  of  Page, 
which  was  built  at  the  site. 

The  total  direct  employment  requirements  for 
designing  and  constructing  the  entire  Glen  Canyon 


feature  was  over  25  million  man-hours.  Except  for 
Government  planning,  design,  and  administrative 
activities  at  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation's  Regional 
Office  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and  the  Chief  En- 
gineer's office  in  Denver,  Colo.,  the  labor  require- 
ments were  all  at  the  construction  site.  On-site  con- 
struction contract  forces  were  both  skilled  and 
unskilled.  About  one-third  of  the  workers  with 
special  skills  or  experience  came  from  States  other 
than  Arizona  where  the  work  was  going  on. 

Nineteen  percent,  or  5  million  man-hours,  were 
performed  by  nonskilled  laborers.  The  amount  of 
work  by  machine  operators  and  carpenters  was 
about  equal,  at  between  2.8  million  and  2.6  million 
man-hours.  The  remaining  work  was  by  truck- 
drivers,  iron  workers,  electricians,  plumbers  and 
cement  masons,  and  others. 

It  also  is  significant  that  24  million  man-hours — 
an  equivalent  of  12,000  man-years — of  employ- 
ment benefits  resulted  at  locations  other  than  the 
dam.  These  were  in  mining,  manufacturing,  trans- 
portation, wholesale  and  retail  trade,  agriculture, 
and  such  fields.  This  included  13  million  man- 
hours  of  primary  employment  in  the  final  stages  of 
the  direct  material  and  equipment  requirements, 
and  11  million  man-hours  of  secondary  interindus- 
try employment  in  processing  materials  and  deliv- 
ering them  to  the  manufacturer. 

It  so  happened  that  on-site  and  off-site  efforts 
were  quite  near  being  equal.  There  were  56  man- 
years  of  direct  on-site  labor  and  48  man-years  of 
indirect  off-site  labor  for  each  $1  million  of  total 
construction  cost. 

Estimates  have  not  been  made  of  the  multiplier 
benefits  wherein  employees  and  businesses  respend 
their  wages  and  profits  for  other  goods  and  serv- 
ices. However,  it  may  be  concluded  with  certainty 
that  Federal  construction  of  such  projects  as  Glen 
Canyon  Dam  have  been  economically  worthwhile 
to  the  region  and  the  Nation.  #     #     # 


November  1967 


83 


Dippy  Duck  is  popular  in  Imperial  Valley 
as  spokesman  for  canal  safety.  He  says . . . 


STAY  OUT- 
STAY ALIVE  ! 


CHILDREN  in  elementary  schools  and  many 
adults  in  the  Imperial  Irrigation  District  area 
are  becoming  well  acquainted  with  a  cartoon 
character  named  Dippy  Duck — and  what  he  stands 
for. 

Dippy  Duck's  motto  warns :  "Don't  go  near  the 
water  in  canals.  Stay  out — Stay  Alive !"  With  such 
helpful  advice,  this  "juvenile  sheriff-type"  duck, 
drawn  with  badge  and  uniform,  is  the  popular 
spokesman  for  canal  safety  efforts  of  the  irriga- 
tion district  in  southern  California. 

Some  youngsters  even  foretell  a  visit.  A  district- 
owned  car  with  the  shield  of  the  IID  painted  on 
the  side,  one  time  parked  at  a  school  in  view  of 
the  children  and  was  quickly  announced  with  the 
exclamation:  "Oh  boy,  here  comes  Dippy  Duck!" 

During  last  May,  108  Dippy  Duck  programs 
were  presented  to  children  in  all  public  and  private 
elementary  schools  in  Imperial  County.  This  was 
accomplished  with  full-time  services  of  two  men 
in  an  effort  to  prevent  drownings  in  the  district's 
3,100  miles  of  open  canals  and  drains.  The  water 
system  is  highly  beneficial  to  this  arid  valley.  And 
the  IID  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  productive 
irrigation  districts  in  the  Western  Hemisphere. 

However,  like  most  canal  systems,  they  have 
had  a  problem  of  canal  drownings  which  goes  back 
to  the  early  years  of  development.  Although  the 
water  flowed  slowly  enough  for  the  pioneers  to 
learn  to  swim  in  it,  lives  were  lost  then,  too.  When 
the  Ail-American  Canal  was  completed,  bringing 
additional  supplies  from  the  Colorado  River,  the 
swimming  hazard  increased  because  of  faster 
flows  and  sudden  changes  in  depth. 

Some  thought  that  fences  installed  along  the 


canals  might  provide  the  protection  needed.  But 
since  this  would  involve  a  prohibitive  investment 
of  many  millions  (also  be  long  enough  to  extend 
from  San  Diego  to  New  York  City  and  back)  a 
plan  was  developed  to  build  a  "psychological 
fence."  This  would  consist  of  an  intense  public 
education  program  with  probably  even  more  effec- 
tiveness and  other  desirable  aspects. 

7  to  10  Fatalities 

Research  showed  that  an  average  of  7  to  10 
persons  a  year  lost  their  lives  in  the  canals.  Causes 
of  death  were  analyzed  and  defensive  measures 
developed. 

The  resulting  safety  program  had  two  purposes : 
(1)  to  prevent  canal  accidents,  and  (2)  to  teach 
proper  defensive  measures  should  a  person  get  in 
a  canal. 

In  the  first  year,  a  brochure  on  canal  safety  was 
distributed  to  schools.  The  next  year,  the  program 
was  expanded  to  include  presentations  and  a  film 
on  mouth-to-mouth  resuscitation.  "Rescue  Annies" 
were  acquired  for  actual  rescue  practice.  The  pro- 
gram was  further  enlarged  to  include  first  aid 
instruction  by  such  groups  as  the  police  and  fire 
departments. 

The  mouth-to-mouth  resuscitation  training  of 
both  young  people  and  adults  had  results  in  1  year 
of  saving  the  lives  of  at  least  10  persons  who  had 
stopped  breathing. 

The  idea  for  Dippy  Duck  to  be  a  spokesman  for 
canal  safety  was  introduced  in  1966  at  the  Annual 
Canal  Safety  Program.  Inspiration  for  the  idea 
came  from  an  occasion  when  a  real  duck,  which 
was  taking  a  swim  on  the  Ail-American  Canal, 


84 


The  Reclamation  Era 


had  gone  through  the  turbine  of  a  powerplant  and 
emerged  a  little  later  a  somewhat  "plucked  duck" 
— without  feathers — and  considerably  worse  for 
wear. 

It  is  now  hoped  by  the  Imperial  Irrigation  Dis- 
trict that  Dippy  Duck  will  do  for  water  safety 
what  Smokey  Bear  of  Forest  Service  fame  has 
done  for  fire  prevention. 

A  12-minute  sound  filmstrip  presenting  Dippy 
Duck  is  narrated  by  TV  star  Les  Tremaine.  Dippy 
Duck  is  the  star  actor,  introducing  four  basic 
points  of  safety : 

1.  Never  go  near  a  canal. 

2.  When  you  go  to  and  from  school,  don't 
walk  on  canal  banks. 

3.  If  you  see  children  or  adults  near  a  canal, 
warn  them  and  then  call  another  adult. 

4.  Watch  out  for  younger  children. 

Everyone  Joins 

When  the  film  is  over  the  most  important  points 
are  carefully  reviewed  in  person  for  the  children 
by  the  attending  district  representative.  Then  all 
of  the  children  are  made  club  members,  pledging 
to  abide  by  the  code :  "I  promise  not  to  play  near 
canals,  to  look  after  younger  childre^i,  not  to  walk 
on  canal  or  ditch  banks,  and  never  to  try  to  swim 
in  a  canal."  The  schoolteacher  handles  the  club 
badges  and  the  official  Dippy  Duck  coloring  book. 

Many  teachers  use  the  coloring  books  as  part  of 
an  art  project  and  Dippy  Duck  posters  as  the  cen- 
tral theme  for  bulletin  boards.  Some  schools  have 
developed  a  complete  safety  unit,  including  water 
safety,  for  part  of  the  school  program  just  prior 
to  sunamer  vacation. 

The  safety  club  badges  are  an  immediate  hit 
with  the  youngesters.  Pupils  who  liave  younger 
brothers  and  sisters  come  into  the  various  district 
offices  to  pick  up  extras.  In  1966  an  illustrated 
official  club  newspaper  was  distributed,  entitled, 
"Don't  Go  Near  the  Water  in  Canals." 

The  program  also  has  received  the  assistance  of 
professional  educators.  Consultants  from  the 
county  superintendent  of  schools'  office  have  as- 
sisted in  coaching  IID  staff  members  on  their 
classroom  presentations.  And  school  administra- 
tors have  cooperated  to  assure  a  smooth  schedule 
of  presentations. 


School  children  enjoy  the  safety  program  being  discussed  by  the 
Dippy  Duck  creator  himself,  William  Stadler,  right.  Public 
Infonnation  Officer  of  IID. 


Ordinance  on  Sports 

Although  the  State  Health  and  Safety  Code 
prohibits  swimming  in  rivers,  streams,  and  reser- 
voirs containing  domestic  water,  the  county  dis- 
trict attorney  felt  a  more  specific  ordinance  was 
needed  to  cover  canals.  A  county  ordinance  pro- 
liibiting  swimming  or  other  forms  of  water  sports 
in  canals  has  been  adopted. 

The  IID  has  been  gratified  at  the  enthusiasm 
generated  by  the  general  public  for  the  Dippy 
Duck  program.  Many  ideas  and  suggestions  for 
expanding  the  program  are  excellent.  One  sug- 
gestion, which  may  be  tried,  is  having  Dippy  ap- 
pear during  the  summer  at  kiddie  shows  in  local 
theaters.  Other  ideas  are  bumper  stickers,  cos- 
tumes, and  dolls. 

For  the  past  six  summers,  radio  spot  announce- 
ments have  been  made  in  both  English  and  Span- 
ish, urging  parents  to  look  out  for  their  small 
children.  Other  news  media  cooperated  by  provid- 
ing good  publicity,  and,  of  equal  importance,  by 
withholding  information  or  photographs  which 
would  encourage  children  to  play  in  or  near  canals. 

The  canal  safety  program  not  only  has  been 
awarded  the  Norman  E.  Borgerson  Award  by  the 
National  Safety  Council  for  1966,  but  it  also  re- 
ceives intermittent  personal  assurance,  such  as  one 
letter  from  a  fourth  grader  to  Dippy  Duck,  which 
reads:  "Dear  Friend:  Thanks  for  coming  to  our 
school.  We  will  stay  out  and  stay  alive."    #    #    # 


November  1967 


85 


Building  An  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  In  New  Mexico 


Reviving  Production . . . 


Alvin  E.  Stewart,  Superintendent  of  the  new  station  locating  a  tract  for  early  development. 


IN  SAN  JUAN  COUNTY 


UNTIL  the  1930's  agriculture  was  the  major 
industry  and  economic  base  for  San  Juan 
County  in  New  Mexico.  At  that  time  farming  lost 
its  footing  because  of  the  historic  falling  farm 
prices,  the  loss  of  traditional  markets,  and  severe 
drouth. 

Now,  this  predominantly  Navajo  Indian  coun- 
try— with  favorable  climate,  soil,  transportation, 
and  potential  manpower — is  getting  its  footing 
restored. 

And  just  as  important,  San  Juan  County  has 
the  only  large  supply  of  undeveloped  water  sup- 
plies for  agricultural  purposes  in  the  State  of  New 
Mexico.  This  precious  resource  is  the  San  Juan 
River,  a  tributary  of  the  Colorado  River  in  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  State. 

Many  years  of  determination  by  project  back- 
ers to  stabilize  production  resulted  in  the  Bureau 
of  Reclamation's  completion,  in  1962,  of  a  princi- 

86 


pal  water  control  structure,  the  402-foot-high 
Navajo  Dam  on  the  San  Juan  River.  When  diver- 
sion and  irrigation  works  from  the  reservoir  be- 
hind the  dam  are  completely  developed,  the  total 
irrigated  lands  in  the  county  will  jump  from  the 
present  42,800  acres  to  more  than  216,000  acres. 
This  full  irrigation  development  by  Reclama- 
tion for  the  station  includes  more  than  half  of  the 
acreage  in  the  Navajo  Indian  Irrigation  Project, 
as  well  as  some  irrigation  and  some  municipal 
water  for  the  proposed  Animas-LaPlata  Project 
in  Colorado  and  New  Mexico.  The  Bureau  of  In- 
dian Affairs  also  is  developing  2  projects — sched- 
uled for  completion  by  1970 — comprising  4,150 
acres  for  irrigation. 

by  BERT  LEVINE,  Project  Construction 

Engineer,  and  JAMES  MADISON,  Land 
Officer,  Farmington,  New  Mexico  Office 


■ 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Frank  Dickpeter,   12-year-old  Navojo,  watches  the  erection  of  the  first  building  for  the  Experiment  Station.  Frank  looks  after  a  flock  of 

sheep.    {Photo  by  T.  R.  Broderick) 


Experiment  Station 

Another  large  and  more  recent  step  toward 
achieving  a  sound  future  for  farming  in  San  Juan 
County  was  the  decision  of  the  State  in  February 
1966  to  appropriate  funds  for  an  agricultural 
experiment  station. 

The  station  in  this  area  will  be  highly  useful  to 
farmers  in  demonstrating  the  best  in  farm  prac- 
tices before  they  risk  large  investments  in  private 
developments. 

Too  much  risk  has  been  the  farmers'  problem  in 
the  past.  There  was  practically  no  production  in 
the  1930's.  The  1940's  and  the  postwar  period  saw 
a  resurgence,  but  the  area  was  hit  in  the  1950's  with 
a  gas  and  oil  boom  which  relegated  agriculture 
to  a  minor  industry.  Many  farms  and  orchards 
were  turned  into  drilling  sites,  housing  projects, 
or  small  tracts,  and  farmers  were  forced  to  seek 
jobs  elsewhere.  The  end  of  the  gas  and  oil  boom 
in  the  early  1960's  and  the  resulting  unstable  con- 
ditions to  the  county,  caused  agricultural  and 
business  leaders  to  take  a  long  hard  look  at  the 
future. 

The  gas  wells  have  a  reserve  for  36  years  and  the 
oil  for  13  years.  After  that,  what?  The  answer 
again,  will  be  agriculture,  the  industry  of  renew- 
able resources. 


Reclamation  has  helped  establish  agricultural 
experiment  stations  in  conjunction  with  water  de- 
velopment projects  at  various  places  in  the  West. 
With  cooperative  energies,  such  stations  have 
proven  highly  useful  in  demonstrating  the  best 
in  farming  practices. 

San  Juan  County  agricultural  leaders,  local 
businessmen,  representatives  of  the  Navajo  Tribe, 
and  Federal  and  State  agencies  united  for  the 
New  Mexico  effort. 

Good  Support 

Because  of  good  local  support,  a  new  agricul- 
tural experiment  station  was  made  part  of  the 
program  of  the  New  Mexico  State  University. 

The  Navajo  Tribe  leased,  without  charge,  253 
acres  of  land  in  the  Navajo  Indian  Irrigation 
Project  for  the  chosen  station  site.  Other  lands 
were  sold  or  given  to  the  university  project. 

Technical  assistance  is  provided  by  the  Bureau 
of  Reclamation,  the  Soil  Conservation  Service, 
the  Bureau  of  Indian  Affairs,  and  local  organiza- 
tions and  individuals. 

The  station  has  been  under  construction  for  sev- 
eral months.  Farmington  City  Engineer  with  as- 
sistance by  Reclamation  prepared  plans  for  a 
6-inch  pipeline  from  the  Fruitland  Canal  a  few 
miles  away.  The  pipeline  was  put  under  construc- 


NOVEMBER  1967 


87 


tion  by  the  Power  Construction  Co.  of  Albuquer- 
que in  January  1967. 

Work  began  last  spring  on  two  buildings  de- 
signed by  a  Farmington  architect.  Two  other  farm 
buildings  made  of  metal  also  were  recently  started, 
and  a  cover  crop  for  stabilizing  soil  was  planted 
on  a  50-acre  field  last  summer. 

The  branch  station  will  conduct  several  studies 
to  help  develop  and  maintain  the  agricultural 
potential  in  the  San  Juan  Basin.  This  will  include 
methods  to  overcome  problems  of  salinity,  drain- 
age, permeability,  and  water  logging  in  presently 
irrigated  areas.  Research  in  marketing,  develop- 
ment of  high-income  cash  crops,  irrigation 
methods  to  provide  maximum  efficiency  of  water 
use,  conservation,  and  insect  and  disease  control 
also  are  needed.  The  station  will  provide  other 
research  and  an  education  program  to  aid  people 
in  the  techniques  of  irrigated  farming. 

Research  Procedures 

The  university  has  outlined  procedures  which 
they  feel  will  be  most  effective  in  assisting  the 
community. 

•  The  first  research  projects  will  be  designed 
specifically  to  answer  practicable  production  prob- 
lems which  commercial  growers  will  be  confronted 
with  as  the  new  land  is  brought  into  cultivation. 
As  the  program  develops,  some  emphasis  will  be 
shifted  to  basic  problems  concerning  soil,  water, 
and  crop  production. 

•  Basic  design  of  experimental  plots  will  include 
the  demonstration  approach  to  each  research  prob- 
lem. These  plots  will  be  strategically  located  to 
evaluate  different  land  conditions  represented  on 
the  station,  allowing  for  visiting  groups  and  indi- 
viduals to  inspect  first  hand  the  results  as  they 
occur. 

•  Each  research  project  will  include  the  use  of 
the  demonstrational  medium  for  the  dissemination 
of  information. 

•  Periodic  visiting  days  will  include  annual  and 
semiannual  days  planned  when  organized  educa- 
tional programs  will  be  presented  by  the  research 
staff.  These  special  visiting  days  will  be  closely 
coordinated  with  all  agricultural  personnel  and 
programs  associated  with  the  Navajo  Tribe,  SCS, 
Bureau  of  Reclamation,  BIA,  and  the  Cooperative 
Extension  Service. 

•  Special  programs  also  will  be  planned  to  discuss 
in  depth  research  results  with  those  tribe  and 
project  agricultural  personnel  who  are  directly 


concerned  with  the  Navajo  Irrigation  Project.  In 
turn,  these  professional  people  will  be  encouraged 
to  disseminate  research  results  to  their  respective 
agricultural  clientele  in  San  Juan  County. 

•  Emphasis  will  be  given  to  releasing  research 
results  through  all  news  media  available  in  the 
San  Juan  area. 

•  The  immediate  publishing  of  research  results 
will  be  given  top  priority.  Publications  will  be 
distributed  free  of  charge  to  all  technical  personnel 
and  agricultural  producers. 

•  Special  farm  visits  will  be  made  by  the  branch 
station  staff  to  commercial  growers  in  the  area  to 
assist  with  specific  soil,  water,  and  crop  production 
problems. 

•  A  special  advisory  committee  of  agricultural 
workers  and  commercial  growers  in  San  Juan 
County  will  be  appointed  to  assist  and  guide  the 
research  staff  in  selecting  research  projects  which 
will  hasten  to  solve  the  production  problems  which 
are  inherent  to  any  new  irrigated  agricultural 
project.  This  committee  will  also  assist  in  bringing 
individuals  and  groups  to  the  station  to  observe 
demonstration  research  plots  and  in  the  dissemina- 
tion of  timely  research  results. 

The  present  staff  includes  two  agricultural 
scientists,  a  foreman,  and  two  technicians.  Alvin 
E.  Stewart,  an  agricultural  engineer,  is  the  super- 
intendent of  the  branch  station.  He  is  assisted  by 
Joe  Gregory,  a  research  agronomist.  The  station 
foreman  is  Myrle  P.  Cross. 

As  the  station  is  developed,  the  university  plans 
to  add  more  scientists  to  the  staff.  These  positions 
will  include  a  pathologist-entomologist,  economist, 
and  a  horticulturist,  thereby  assuring  that  ade- 
quate services  in  all  phases  of  agriculture  antici- 
pated for  the  area  will  be  provided.     #     #     # 


Tunnel   Holed  Through 

Tunneling  crews  holed  through  the  5-mile-long 
Tunnel  No.  2  of  the  Navajo  Indian  Irrigation 
Project  last  July  18. 

The  project  will  include  five  tunnels  icith  a 
comMned  length  of  about  11  miles,  about  550 
miles  of  canals  and  laterals,  numerates  siphons  to 
cross  rough  terrain,  an  offstream  dam  wnd 
reservoir,  a  small  hydroelectric  powerplant,  and 
six  pumping  plants. 

Now  undeveloped  due  to  lack  of  moisture,  the 
only  agricultural  use  being  made  of  the  project 
land  is  livestock  grazing. 


88 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Green 
Clean 
and 
Fully  Grown 


by  MELVIN  M.  PETERSON, 
Agricultural   Economist 


MANY  specialty  crops  are  now  successfully 
produced  in  the  Western  United  States  be- 
cause of  irrigation,  but  one  irrigation  crop — lawn 
sod — has  had  to  wait  for  a  construction  boom. 

Actually  commercial  turf  farms  have  been  a 
big-city  development  for  many  years  in  Eastern 
parts  of  the  country.  The  industry  is  growing  and 
the  results  of  tests  are  continuing  to  improve  both 
the  type  of  grass  and  the  harvesting  machinery. 

The  bare  today ^  lawn  tomorrow  change  came  to 
Salt  Lake  Valley,  Utah,  in  the  fall  of  1965.  Stan 
Pennington,  once  a  grass  seed  producer  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  now  produces  instant  grass  instead  of 
seed  on  the  100-acre  farm  he  named  Blue  Grass 
Turf  Farms,  Inc. 

A  lawn  is  started  about  18  months  before  it 
is  ready  to  lay  in  the  yard  of  a  new  owner.  The 
soil  is  plowed  in  the  spring  and  left  in  the  rough 
for  a  few  months.  It  is  then  harrowed,  leveled, 
and  planted  with  grass  in  early  fall.  Irrigation 
starts  immediately  and  it  is  done  three  times  a 
week  when  growth  has  started.  The  next  year  the 
grass  is  fertilized  about  every  6  weeks.  When 
growth  is  established,  it  is  mowed  at  a  height  of 
2  inches  twice  a  week. 

Ready-made  lawn  is  laid  as  soon  as  possible 


Watered 


grown 


rolled  and  ready. 


November  1967 


89 


274-629   O  -  B7  -  2 


after  cutting.  Normally,  it  is  cut  one  evening  and 
laid  the  following  day.  The  farm  has  a  special 
garden-type  tractor  cutter  which  slices  the  turf 
into  1-inch  thick  strips  18  inches  wide  and  6  feet 
long.  These  strips  are  rolled  up  and  loaded  on 
trucks  for  delivery. 

At  the  new  site  the  turf  is  unrolled  right  in 
place  on  well-packed  level  soil.  It  is  then  firmly 
pressed  with  a  heavy  roller  and  watered  for  about 
10  days  to  reestablish  the  root  system. 

Irrigation  on  Mr.  Pennington's  farm  is  accom- 
plished by  an  automatic  sprinkler  system.  Part 
of  the  irrigation  water  comes  out  of  Utah  Lake 
through  the  Bureau  of  Eeclamation's  Provo  River 
project.  A  deep-pump  well  supplements  the  Utah 
Lake  water. 

At  a  premiere  showing,  Pennington  demon- 
strated his  "instant"  lawn  in  the  1966  Parade  of 
Homes  in  Salt  Lake  City.  Not  only  are  his  green, 
clean,  fully  grown  lawns  counted  as  another  one  of 
the  benefits  of  irrigation,  but  they  also  are  a  con- 
tribution to  the  rapid  beautification  of  a  fast  grow- 
ing city.  #     #     # 


m?  .T^t'  r^^::gai,i>;,„aca,i.  s,^'a.w»fT^ii 


The  bare  today,  lawn  tomorrow  look  is  being  "unrolled"  here  by 
foreman  Grant  Richardson.    {Photos  by  Mel  Davis) 


"Rivers  in  the  Sky"  Film  Available 

Practical  research  to  produce  more  water  from 
the  atmosphere  is  portrayed  in  a  new  Bureau  of 
Reclamation  motion  picture,  "Rivers  in  the  Sky," 
now  available  for  public  use.  A  congressional  show- 
ing of  the  picture  was  held  last  February. 

The  16-mm  color  picture  relates  the  efforts 
Reclamation's  Office  of  Atmospheric  Water  Re- 
sources is  making  to  put  to  practical  use,  the 
known  processes  of  weather  modification  which 
have  been  developed  by  scientific  research  in  the 
decades  since  Drs.  Irving  Langmuir  and  Vincent 
J.  Schaefer  first  produced  ice  crystals  and  precipi- 
tated an  artificial  snowstorm  in  a  deep  freeze  in 
1946. 

Dr.  Schaefer  is  a  consultant  to  the  Office  of  At- 
mospheric Water  Resources  and  also  was  a  techni- 
cal adviser  in  production  of  the  picture,  "Rivers 
in  the  Sky."  Historic  motion  picture  footage  of 
his  first  weather  modification  experiments  is  a  part 
of  the  new  picture. 

Separate  projects,  which  are  adapted  to  varying 
geographical  and  climatological  circumstances, 
are  portrayed  in  exciting  photographs  including 
time  lapse  sequences  to  show  the  changes  in  cloud 
formations  as  artificial  seeding  is  undertaken  to 


trigger  rain  and  snowstorms  or  to  induce  added 
precipitation. 

The  motion  picture,  "Rivers  in  the  Sky,"  may 
be  obtained  on  free  loan  for  group  viewing  from 
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  Film  Distribution 
Center,  Building  53,  Denver  Federal  Center,  Den- 
ver, Colo.  80225. 


Honored  for  Conservation 

John  W.  Simmons,  as  President  of  the  Texas 
Water  Conservation  Association,  Executive  Vice 
President  and  General  Manager  of  the  Sabine 
River  Authority  of  Texas,  Vice  President  for 
Texas  of  the  National  Rivers  and  Harbors  Con- 
gress, has  been  influential  in  the  development  of 
national  and  State  water  programs.  He  was 
selected  this  year  to  receive  a  Department  of  the 
Interior  Conservation  Service  Award.  The  award 
was  made  at  the  convention  of  the  Rivers  and 
Harbors  Congress  in  Washington,  D.C.,  on  June  1. 

The  citation  recognizes  Mr.  Simmons'  years  of 
work  in  developing  the  State's  water  resources 
(especially  involving  the  Sabine  River  Basin 
and  Texas  Basin  Project),  and  in  furthering 
"constructive  water  legislation  in  Texas." 


90 


The  Reclamation  Era 


A  1967  Graduate  Typifies  Growth  of  Columbia  Basin 


While  Water  Use  Grew  in  Basin 


MANY  ways  have  been  found  for  measuring 
milestones  of  progress.  But  the  most  pleas- 
ant way,  it  will  be  agreed,  is  when  the  growing  up 
of  a  pretty  girl  is  a  real  part  of  the  story. 

Because  lovely  Lea  Jean  Bair  reached  the  age 
of  18  this  year,  now  has  to  be  the  best  time  to  talk 
of  that  progress  as  far  as  one  girl  and  her  family 
are  concerned. 

It  is  easy  to  compare  this  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Harry  Bair  with  the  Reclamation  develop- 
ment she  was  born  on — the  Columbia  Basin  Proj- 
ect in  central  Washington.  Lea's  birth  was  the  first 
on  the  million-acre  project.  Her  parents  were 
among  the  first  settlers  to  come  to  this  unfurrowed 
land  back  in  1948. 

A  graduate  of  Pasco  High  School  last  June,  Lea 
has  somewhat  outpaced  the  project  development 


No  weeds  in  this  potato  field. 


which  has  only  about  half  matured  to  its  poten- 
tial million  acres.  Also  growing  was  the  Bair 
family  farm  from  the  65-acre  original  unit,  pur- 
chased from  a  railroad  company,  to  its  present 
200  acres.  Potatoes,  wheat,  clover  seed,  and  field 
com  are  the  crops. 

Meanwhile,  about  like  several  other  starting 
farmowners,  the  Bairs  have  seen  their  home  pro- 
gress from  a  tent  where  the  first  cold  fall  and 
winter  was  spent,  to  a  comfortable  three-bedroom 
ranch  house. 

Lea  became  well  acquainted  with  the  duty  of 
pulling  weeds  which  infested  the  crops,  but  she 
also  took  tap  dancing  lessons  and  became  a  charter 
member  of  the  Columbia  Valley  Junior  Grange  at 
age  5. 

The  warm  months  were  not  all  work  and  prac- 
tice because  there  was  fun  to  look  forward  to  at 
the  Camp  Wooten  summer  camp  where  Lea  is  now 
an  assistanct  on  the  staff.  This  year  she  placed 
high  as  a  tap  dancer  on  two  talent  contests  and  is 
a  finalist  for  "Miss  Tri-Cities"  (the  tri-cities  are 
Pasco,  Kennewick,  and  Richland).  Plans  have 
been  that  she  study  at  Washington  State  Univer- 
sity to  become  a  physical  education  teacher. 

The  family  also  includes  daughter  Carol,  who  is 
an  airline  employee  in  Seattle,  and  a  14-year-old 
son.  Kirk  who  still  lives  at  home.  The  sixth  mem- 
ber of  the  family  is  a  poodle  named  Frosty. 

Although  pioneering  was  supposed  to  have  gone 
out  with  the  19th  century,  it  took  a  pioneering 
spirit  for  the  Bairs  to  trade  the  comforts  of  modem 
living  for  a  life  on  sand  and  sagebrush  and  an 
untried  irrigation  project.  Mr.  Bair  had  farmed 
with  his  father  on  an  irrigated  farm  near  Yakima, 
but  there's  quite  a  difference  between  an  estab- 
lished farm  and  one  that  has  never  known  the 
plow.  However,  hard  work  and  good  management 
paid  off. 

Mr.  Bair  and  his  wife  Betty  have  been  active  in 
community  affairs.  They  have  held  positions  in 
the  valley  Grange  and  in  the  higher  Grange 
orders,  Harry  is  a  member  of  the  Washington 
State  Potato  Commission  and  president  of  the 
Board  of  Big  Bend  Electric,  an  electric  co-op 
Franklin  County  area.  #     #     # 


November  1967 


91 


The  San  Luis  Unit  in  California  Under  Construction  Since  1963 

MAJOR  FEATURES  COMPLETED 


THE  Bureau  of  Reclamation  has  accepted  from 
the  contractor  three  major  features  of  the  San 
Luis  Unit  of  the  Central  Valley  Project,  including 
the  third  largest  dam  in  the  United  States  and  the 
structure  housing  California's  largest  hydroelec- 
tric plant. 

All  of  the  facilities  completed — San  Luis  Dam, 
O'Neill  Dam,  and  San  Luis  Pumping-Generating 
Plant — will  be  used  jointly  by  Reclamation  and 
the  State  of  California  to  store  surplus  winter- 
time runoff  from  northern  California  streams  for 
beneficial  use  in  the  southern  two-thirds  of  the 
State. 

These  joint  Federal-State  facilities  were  con- 
structed under  a  prime  contract  for  the  San  Luis 
Unit  by  a  joint  venture  made  up  of  Morrison- 
Knudsen  Co.,  Inc.,  Brown  &  Root,  Inc.,  and  Utah 
Construction  and  Mining  Co.  Work  on  the  con- 
tract began  February  4,  1963,  and  has  been  com- 
pleted 2  months  ahead  of  schedule  at  a  cost  of 
$87.7  million. 

San  Luis  Dam  is  the  most  massive  earthfill  dam 
ever  constructed  by  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation. 
It  is  31/^  miles  long,  384  feet  high,  and  contains 
77.6  million  cubic  yards  of  impervious  clay,  heavy 
rock,  and  huge  boulders.  Its  huge  mass  is  exceeded 
now  only  by  Fort  Peck  and  Oahe  Dams  in  the 
Missouri  River  Basin.  Oroville  Dam,  being  built 


on  the  Feather  River  by  the  State  of  California, 
also  will  be  larger. 

The  San  Luis  Pumping-Generating  Plant  will 
house  eight  pump-turbines,  capable  of  lifting  over 
three-quarters  of  a  million  pounds  of  water  per 
second  310  feet  into  San  Luis  Reservoir.  When 
the  flow  of  water  is  reversed,  the  plant's  dual-pur- 
pose pump -generators  will  be  able  to  generate  up 
to  424,000  kilowatts  of  power — 45,000  kilowatts 
greater  than  the  capacity  of  Shasta  Powerplant, 
at  present  the  largest  hydroelectric  plant  in  the 
State. 

Three  Pumps  Tested 

The  pumping-generating  units  themselves  are 
being  installed  in  the  Pumping-Generating  Plant 
under  another  contract.  Three  of  the  eight  units 
have  been  tested  so  far.  All  of  them  are  scheduled 
to  be  ready  for  operation  by  June  1968. 

O'Neill  Dam  is  70  feet  high,  with  a  crest  length 
of  13,500  feet.  Surplus  runoffs  will  flow  into  the 
58,000  acre-foot  O'Neill  Forebay  from  two  major 
sources.  The  State-constructed  California  Aque- 
duct, when  completed,  will  carry  water  by  gravity 
into  the  O'Neill  Forebay.  Reclamation's  Delta- 

A  scene  only  moments  before  water  first  flowed  in  this  new  CVP 
canal  last  April.     {Photo  by  J.  C.  Dahilig) 


92 


The  Reclamation  Era 


3  V2-mile  long  San  Luis  Dam  as  of  last  July.  (Photo  by  L.  W.  Nielsen) 


Mendota  Canal  delivers  water  to  O'Neill  Pumping 
Plant  from  the  Delta  70  miles  to  the  north.  The 
pumping  plant  then  lifts  it  into  O'Neill  Forebay. 
From  the  Forebay,  water  is  pumped  into  the  2.1 
million  acre-foot  San  Luis  Reservoir.  When 
needed,  water  is  released  through  the  generating 
units  back  into  the  forebay,  then  into  the  103- 
mile-long  San  Luis  Canal,  now  nearing  comple- 
tion. These  facilities  will  be  one  of  the  major 
waterways  of  the  West  and  one  of  the  few  man- 
made  structures  that  will  be  visible  to  our  astro- 
nauts when  they  land  on  the  moon. 

Portion  of  Aqueduct 

The  canal  will  carry  water  to  Kettleman  City, 
where  the  southern  portion  of  the  State's  Cali- 
fornia Aqueduct  will  take  the  water  and  deliver  it 
as  far  south  as  San  Diego.  All  along  the  way, 
water  will  be  drawn  off  as  needed. 

Just  before  reaching  Kettleman  City,  some  of 
the  canal  water  will  be  channeled  into  another 
facility,  the  Pleasant  Valley  Pumping  Plant, 
which  will  raise  water  125  feet  into  the  Pleasant 
Valley  Canal.  Flowing  20  miles  south,  the  water 
will  irrigate  farms  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  San  Luis  service  area  and  provide  municipal 
and  industrial  water  for  the  Coalinga  area. 

Two  detention  dams  along  the  canal,  completed 


in  1966,  provide  flood  protection  from  cross  drain- 
age, Los  Banos  and  Little  Panoche  Detention 
Dams  are  both  located  southwest  of  Los  Banos 
on  Los  Banos  Creek  and  Little  Panoche  Creek. 
The  San  Luis  Canal  is  being  constructed  in  five 
reaches,  three  of  which  are  finished.  The  other  two 
reaches  are  73  and  65  percent  complete,  respec- 
tively. The  first  reach  of  the  canal,  15.8  miles  in 
length  between  O'Neill  Forebay  and  Dos  Amigos 
Pumping  Plant,  is  now  filled  with  water.  Water 
will  be  pumped  into  Reach  2  as  soon  as  the  Dos 
Amigos  pumps  are  ready  to  lift  it,  probably  early 
this  fall.  The  entire  San  Luis  Canal  should  be 
completed  by  December  1967.  All  joint-use  fea- 
tures of  the  San  Luis  Unit  will  be  turned  over 
to  the  State  Department  of  Water  Resources  for 
operation  and  maintenance  July  1,  1968, 

$121   Million  Saving 

All  the  joint-use  features  of  the  San  Luis  Unit 
are  being  completed  at  a  saving  of  $121  million 
below  the  originally  estimated  cost  of  $432,948,000, 
due  to  a  number  of  factors  including  the  substitu- 
tion of  a  siphon  for  a  detention  reservoir,  keen 
competition  among  bidders  for  construction  work 
and  the  supply  of  equipment,  good  weather,  and 
efficient  planning. 

CmitiTuaed  on  page  110 


November  1967 


93 


Nebraska  is  credited  with  2,000  private 
windmills  for  irrigation  in  1898.  Kansas 
and  eastern  Colorado  also  were  leaders 
in  an  early  Great  Plains  windmill  trend. 


An  old  homemade  windmill  now  in  Pioneers  Park,  Lincoln,  Nebr. 


"YYT-A-LTER  Prescott  Webb  speaking  at  Lincobi, 

WNebr.,  in  1953  said:  "The  windmill  was  like 

a  flag  marking  the  spot  where  a  small  victory  had 

been  won  in  the  fight  for  water  in  an  arid  land." 

When  the  dry  years  of  the  1880's  and  1890's 
struck  the  Great  Plains,  this  mechanical  device 
was  put  to  work  to  irrigate  the  arid  land.  One  of 
the  earliest  modern  irrigation  projects  in  Kansas 
was  built  in  1870  by  soldiers  at  Fort  Wallace  on 
the  Smoky  Hill  River  to  irrigate  the  fort's  lawns 
and  4  acres  of  vegetables.  A  similar  project  was 
developed  later  by  the  soldiers  at  Fort  Sidney, 
Nebr. 

Examples  of  windmill  and  pump  irrigation 
plants  can  be  found  in  the  1870's  and  the  1880's. 
By  1881,  in  Kansas,  a  slogan  was  developed  for 
farms  that  could  not  be  reached  by  a  stream  or 
brook  calling  for  "a  windmill  and  a  pond  on  every 
farm." 

Mother  Nature  might  neglect  to  send  the  rains, 
but  she  had  left  vast  reservoirs  of  underground 
water  that  might  be  utilized  for  irrigation  if 
tapped  by  man.  In  a  few  areas  farmers  had  drilled 
artesian  wells  which  flowed  freely,  but  in  most 
cases  the  well  had  to  be  pumped  by  wind  or  other 
power. 

Interest  in  irrigation  in  dry  years  rose  like  the 
barometer  on  a  clear  day.  By  1892,  after  crop  fail- 
ures spread  over  the  Great  Plains,  interest  was 
revived  and  it  took  on  the  characteristics  of  a 
crusade  which  continued  until  late  1896  with  the 
return  of  the  rains. 

In  plain  fact,  the  farmer  could  not  succeed  in 
some  areas  of  the  Great  Plains  without  resorting 
to  irrigation. 

There  were  numerous  forces  at  work  which 
stimulated  this  new  interest.  Drought,  population 
exodus,  low  prices,  tax  rates  as  well  as  railroad 
rates,  unemployment  and  many  others  kept  up  the 


94 


The  Reclamation  Era 


WINDMILLS  SPURRED  IRRIGATION 


by  DR.  A.  BOWER  SAGESER 


Productive  farm-garden  made  possible  by  a  windmill.  (Credit  to  Nehraaka  State  Hiatorical  Society) 

November  1%7 


95 


desire  for  better  irrigation  practices.  By  this  time, 
Francis  H.  Newell's  surveys  of  water  resources 
in  the  United  States  had  been  made  and  Secretary 
of  Agriculture  Jeremiah  M.  Rusk  showed  great 
interest  in  the  survey  of  possible  underflow  and 
artesian  waters. 

Irrigation  associations  at  local,  State  and  Na- 
tional levels  were  formed  and  frequent  meetings 
held.  The  general  press  and  numerous  periodicals 
gave  ample  space  to  the  problems  and  new  methods 
of  irrigation.  Especially  valuable  were  periodicals 
devoted  entirely  to  the  cause  of  irrigation,  as 
Joseph  L.  Bristow's  Irrigation  Farmer  and  Wil- 
liam Smythe's  Irrigation  Age. 

Life  and  Salvation 

To  areas  receiving  less  than  20  inches  of  rainfall 
per  year,  and  not  properly  distributed  during  the 
late  growing  season,  irrigation  became  the  life  and 
salvation.  Dry  years  pushed  the  areas  needing  irri- 
gation eastward.  The  growing  interest  in  this  new 
type  of  farming  can  be  seen  in  the  private  applica- 
tions for  the  use  of  water  from  Nebraska's  streams 
and  rivers.  Nebraskans  adopted  their  first  general 
irrigation  law  in  1889. 

Prior  to  1895,  some  1,000  claims  were  recorded. 
Under  a  second  law  of  1895,  694  applications  were 
made  in  a  single  year.  The  rains  returned  in  1896 
and  1897,  and  the  number  of  applications  was 
greatly  reduced. 

By  1904,  the  State  Board  of  Irrigation  was  can- 
celling undeveloped  claims  at  the  rate  of  150  per 
year.  Judge  J.  S.  Emery,  a  national  lecturer  on 
irrigation,  described  the  Kansas  interest  in  1894 
writing  that  "Kansas  has  her  head  and  tail  up, 
and  irrigation  is  a  go." 

The  years  of  1890-96  might  be  called  the  experi- 
mental years  for  the  use  of  the  windmill  in  irri- 
gation. It  was  during  these  years  that  the  factory 
and  homemade  mills  were  put  to  work.  Some 
farmers  made  more  from  a  single  mill  than  their 
neighbors  were  able  to  make  on  160  acres.  Others 
produced  more  foodstuffs  on  1  acre  than  on  the 
remaining  quarter  section. 

In  the  Platte  River  and  Arkansas  River  valleys 
the  settlers  were  fortunate  to  find  that  the  under- 
ground water  (usually  called  underflow)  could 
be  reached  with  shallow  wells  only  8  to  30  feet  in 
depth.  Here  a  mill,  even  of  low  efficiency,  could 
easily  be  applied  to  irrigate  a  few  acres  of  land  and 
produce  a  variety  of  crops. 

Some  commercial  mills  were  developed,  but  there 

96 


was  a  genuine  industrial  lag  in  this  area  until 
around  1898,  and  they  were  expensive  for  the 
times.  The  editor  of  the  Irrigation  Age  admonished 
the  farmer,  "if  you  can't  buy  one,  make  one."  The 
farmer,  accustomed  to  developing  farm  machines 
to  fit  his  particular  need,  turned  to  the  homemade 
mill. 

Erwin  H.  Barbour,  a  distinguished  Nebraska 
geologist,  found  seven  main  classes  of  these  mills 
and  20  varieties  in  his  study  in  1898.  With  scrap 
material  from  the  farm,  lumber,  castings,  and  bear- 
ings from  discarded  farm  machines,  iron  rods, 
canvas,  and  even  tin  cans,  the  farmer  designed  his 
own  source  of  power.  The  costs  ranged  from  $1.50 
upwards. 

Other  Sources 

Farmers  not  only  used  this  type  of  mill  for 
pumping  water,  but  also  for  other  sources  of  power 
as  grinding  and  operating  farm  tools,  even  tools  in 
the  blacksmith  shop.  In  some  cases  the  homemade 
mill  was  a  necessity,  but  it  frequently  became  a 
convenience  and  a  luxury,  built  by  well-to-do 
farmers.  It  was  not  unusual  to  find  three  or  four  of 
these  mills  pumping  water  in  a  single  pasture. 

Today,  the  Federal  Government  subsidizes  the 
farmer  for  the  costs  of  such  wells  to  keep  the  cattle 
from  wearing  off  the  fat  in  a  long  trek  to  a  water 
source.  The  editor  of  the  Kansas  Farmer  wrote  on 
May  28,  1908:  "Like  the  sod  house  the  Jumbo 
windmill  was  useful  for  its  day,  but  for  the  average 
farmer  that  day  has  long  since  passed."  This  mill 
had  become  a  "has  been"  of  pioneer  times. 

The  names  of  the  homemade  mill,  soon  spread 
across  the  frontier,  included  Jumbos  (medium 
giant  and  screw).  Merry-go-round  (including 
mounted  and  unmounted  forms).  Battle- Ax  mills 
with  two  to  eight  battle  axes,  Holland  or  Dutch 
mills.  Mock  turbines  closely  resembling  shop-made 
mills  with  4,  6,  8-20,  50  fans,  and  Giant  Turbines, 
some  vaneless,  reconstructed  turbines  with  or  with- 
out rudders. 

For  upland  farms  with  deeper  wells  the  factory- 
made  mill  was  more  efficient.  These  were  widely 
used  in  the  eastern  Great  Plains  area. 

When  the  Kansas  Irrigation  Board  developed 
20  experimental  wells  in  western  Kansas  in  1895- 
96,  only  one  was  powered  by  a  10  horsepower 
gasoline  engine  furnished  by  the  Fairbanks  Morse 
Co.  Nineteen  were  pumped  initially  by  windmills. 
Some  wells  could  not  be  pumped  continuously  with  ^^ 
the  large  mills  used  by  the  State.  ^B 

The  Reclamation  Era 


Finney  County  in  1894  had  over.  100  pumping 
plants,  mostly  wind-powered.  By  1910,  many  types 
of  factory-made  mills  were  for  sale.  Irrigation 
boards  and  State  agricultural  colleges  were  still 
urging  their  use. 

The  leaders  were  the  Dempster,  the  Gause,  the 
Aeromotor;  others  were  the  Ideal,  Crane,  Fair- 
banks-Morse, Double-Header-Challenger,  Cyclone, 
Eclipse,  Woodmansee,  Carlyle,  Halladay,  Cor- 
coran, Althouse,  Gem,  Perkins,  Stover,  and  Bu- 
chanan. Most  of  these  could  be  found  among  the 
county  fair  exhibits. 

The  farmer  could  make  his  homemade  mill,  but 
he  was  never  freed  completely  from  factory  or 
shop-made  equipment  for  his  irrigation  plant. 
Several  firms  manufactured  sandpoints,  but  on  oc- 
casion the  farmer  made  his  own  or  improved  upon 
the  machine-made  point.  This  consisted  of  a  sickle 
knife  welded  on  the  end  of  a  perforated  pipe  with 
the  pipe  wrapped  with  screen. 

Almost  always  the  farmer  purchased  a  cylinder 
and  valves  that  were  factory  made.  He  was  like- 
wise dependent  on  the  itinerant  well  driller  to 
put  down  his  well  at  a  cost  of  50  cents  to  $1.50  a 
foot. 

Reservoir  Usefulness 

No  matter  how  good  a  mill  the  farmer  built  or 
bought,  it  was  not  in  itself  a  satisfactory  system 
unless  a  reservoir  was  built.  Water  piped  directly 
to  the  cropland  sank  in  too  rapidly.  The  reservoir 
enabled  the  farmer  to  deliver  water  to  a  much 
larger  area. 

Here  the  science  of  reservoir  building  developed 
quickly.  With  the  reservoirs,  the  mill  could  run 
day  and  night  and  when  the  water  was  turned  on 
to  the  soil  it  moved  more  rapidly.  Many  reservoirs, 
60  feet  wide  and  100  feet  long,  were  located  on 
higher  ground. 

Retaining  walls  ranged  from  3  to  5  feet  in 
height.  In  order  to  check  water  seepage  some  walls 
were  8  to  12  feet  wide  at  the  bottom  and  the  inside 
lined  with  clay  or  brush  to  check  wave  erosion. 
Some  reservoirs  ranged  from  1  to  3  acres. 

The  bottom  of  the  reservoir  was  compacted  to 
make  the  soil  less  porous.  Often  the  earthen  floor 
was  covered  with  water  and  horses  or  cattle  were 
driven  around  on  the  floor  through  a  regular 
loblolly  until  the  area  was  firmly  packed.  Usually 
a  clay  tile  or  wooden  pipe  was  used  as  an  outlet. 

Some    farmers    practiced    winter    irrigation. 


Reconstructed  windmill  and  irrigotion   pond   near  Ashland,  Nebr. 

(E.  H.  Barbour,  U.S.  Oeological  Survey) 

Others  stored  ice  from  the  pond  for  summer  use. 
A  few  stocked  the  reservoirs  with  fish. 

In  most  cases,  areas  irrigated  by  the  windmill 
ranged  from  2  to  5  acres.  I.  L.  Diesem  at  Garden 
City  irrigated  15  acres  during  the  summer  of  1894 
from  two  reservoirs.  An  8-inch  pump  was  pow- 
ered by  a  14-foot  mill  which  produced  4,400  bar- 
rels of  water  per  day.  One  reservoir  was  80  feet 
wide  and  150  feet  long ;  the  other  was  60  by  100  feet. 

Diesem  had  8  acres  in  orchard  and  produced 
garden  vegetables  and  berries  on  the  remainder  of 
the  15-acre  tract.  Not  far  from  Diesem's  farm, 
D.  M.  Frost  had  20  acres  of  vegetables  irrigated  by 
two  windmills.  One  mill  was  a  standard  make,  the 
other  an  "over-shot"  or  "Great  Mogul."  He  claimed 
the  latter  with  a  reservoir  was  the  cheapest. 

Estimates  on  pumping  capacity  and  acres  irri- 
gated were  often  over-optimistic. 

The  extent  of  the  use  of  the  windmill  is  difficult 
to  determine.  Estimates  vary  and  were  no  doubt 
too  high.  But  Nebraska,  Kansas,  and  eastern  Colo- 
rado were  leaders  in  the  use  of  the  underground 
resources.  One  estimate  in  1898  credits  Nebraska 
with  2,000  private  systems  using  the  windmill.  Rec- 
ords kept  in  1904  on  the  performance  of  72  wind- 
mills at  Garden  City,  Kans.,  ranged  from  one 
fourth  an  acre  to  7  acres. 


November  1967 


97 


Prime  Mover 

There  had  been  no  single  crop  failure  in  the 
previous  10  years  where  a  windmill  provided  mois- 
ture. Writers  frequently  spoke  of  the  mill  as  a 
prime  mover,  which  enabled  the  farmer  to  succeed. 
Much  had  been  gained  in  this  experimental  era. 
Dry  lands  which  could  not  be  reached  by  streams 
and  canals  were  irrigated.  Crop  yields  had  been 
doubled  and  at  times  quadrupled.  Crops  were  di- 
versified. It  was  great  news  when  a  farmer  at  Ord, 
Nebr.,  produced  105  bushels  of  barley  to  an  acre. 

The  diet  of  farm  families  was  greatly  improved. 
At  least  one  enthusiast  predicted  that  irrigation 
would  do  away  with  patent  medicine  and  M.D.'s. 

For  some  farmers  the  mill  had  been  a  means  of 
survival.  Moreover,  its  use  had  generated  dreams 
of  a  new  Utopia,  stimulated  State  experiment  sta- 
tions, the  adoption  of  State-paid  irrigation  engi- 
neers, and  the  passage  of  better  State  irrigation 
codes. 

More  was  learned  of  the  supply  of  underground 
water.  Old  superstitions  on  the  harmful  effect  of 
ground  water  on  crops  were  destroyed. 

Experiments  with  the  windmill  were  to  con- 
tinue. In  Kansas,  $125,000  a  year  was  appropriated 
as  late  as  1915  for  windmill  experiments  and  six 
western  counties  bought  160-acre  tracts  and 
donated  them  for  the  State  experiments. 

But  the  windmill  did  not  bring  large-scale  irri- 
gation. It  was  not  until  bigger  pumps,  deeper 
wells,  and  new  sources  of  power  were  put  into  use 
that  well  irrigation  really  flourished.  Then,  and 
only  then,  could  the  farmer  irrigate  40-  to  80-acre 
tracts  from  a  well.  The  years  1897  to  1910  might 
well  be  called  the  years  of  adolescence  for  pump 
irrigation. 

By  1910,  irrigation  by  larger  capacity  pumps 
was  a  flourishing  business,  both  for  the  farmer  and 
the  manufacturer.  Deeper  and  more  productive 
wells  could  be  developed.  Many  irrigators  used 
6-  to  36-inch  well  casings  and  it  was  not  unusual 
to  find  wells  200  feet  in  depth. 

Pumps  were  powered  by  engines  ranging  from 
2  to  400  horsepower.  The  engines  were  fueled  by 
gasoline,  distillate,  and  steam.  A  few  pumps  were 
driven  by  compressed  air,  and  by  1910  electric  mo- 
tors were  in  use  on  many  irrigation  systems. 

Four  Types  Made 

Four  types  of  pumps  were  manufactured:  the 
plunger  or  piston,  the  vacuum,  the  rotary,  and  the 


centrifugal.  In  a  few  wells,  lakes  and  reservoirs 
a  chain-bucket  elevator  was  used.  On  occasion,  the 
hydraulic  ram  was  put  to  use. 

The  centrifugal  pump,  freed  from  the  use  of 
valves  that  might  stick,  was  the  most  efficient.  A 
good  propeller  or  centrifugal  pump  delivered 
from  400  to  6,000  gallons  per  minute.  An  abund- 
ant supply  of  underground  water  enabled  the  new 
pumps  to  flow  continuously,  eliminating  the  need 
for  a  reservoir. 

Many  of  the  leading  manufacturers  of  windmills 
turned  to  the  production  of  engines  and  pumps. 
One  of  these  produced  20,000  gallons  per  hour,  us- 
ing a  12-inch  bored  well  200  feet  deep.  These  power 
driven  pumps  were  not  always  used  Avith  large 
casing  wells.  In  some  areas  the  farmer  drove  sev- 
eral sand  points,  usually  li^  to  2  inches  in  diam- 
eter, several  yards  apart  and  connected  these 
smaller  wells  above  the  ground  with  a  large  pipe 
attached  to  a  pump.  Several  of  these  systems  are 
in  use  in  the  Arkansas  River  valley  today. 

Many  examples  of  new  plants  can  be  found. 
At  Garden  City,  in  Finney  County,  Kans.,  the 
U.S.  Sugar  and  Land  Co.  irrigated  3,500  acres, 
using  a  400  horsepower  engine  to  run  a  350-kilo- 
watt  generator.  Through  20  miles  of  electric  line, 
14  pumping  plants  were  operated  each  with  a 
capacity  of  1,800  to  2,000  gallons  per  minute. 

In  1911,  Finney  County,  Kans.,  had  6,500  acres 
of  land  irrigated  by  centrifugal  pumps  which  were 
powered  by  gasoline  or  distillate.  With  the  pumps, 
as  with  the  windmill,  the  river  valley  farms  were 
the  first  to  be  irrigated. 

While  the  U.S.  census  reports  for  1910  on  the 
use  of  wells  for  irrigation  are  not  complete,  some 
trends  can  be  seen.  By  1909,  13,738,485  acres  of 
land  were  under  some  form  of  irrigation.  In  the 
17  arid  and  semiarid  States  there  were  14,558  wells 
being  pumped,  irrigating  477,625  acres.  This  total 
does  not  include  the  use  of  pumps  for  streams, 
lakes,  or  reservoirs.  In  Kansas  today,  72  percent 
of  the  land  irrigated  is  watered  by  the  use  of 
pumps. 

The  pumping  capacity  of  the  14,558  wells  was 
about  10  million  gallons  per  minute  in  1909.  The 
five  leading  States  in  the  number  of  pumped  wells, 
in  order,  were  California,  Kansas,  Arizona,  New 
Mexico,  and  Texas.  This  report  did  not  include  the 
wells  in  Texas  that  were  used  to  irrigate  rice.  The 
greatest  use  of  wells  was  east  of  the  Continental 
Divide  and  in  southern  California.  Wyoming  re- 


98 


The  Reclamation  Era 


ported  three  pumped  wells,  Utah  27,  Montana  10, 
Colorado  121,  Idaho  24,  Nebraska  66,  and  Okla- 
lioma  69. 

Deep  Well  Pumps 

Deep  wells  and  big  pumps  were  costly.  The 
irrigator  had  to  be  a  man  of  fair  means  or  of  good 
credit  to  pay  from  $12  to  $25  per  acre  for  his  plant. 
It  was  easy  to  invest  $1,000  to  $3,000  in  a  project, 
and  land  values  soared  where  deep  well  irrigation 
was  possible. 

The  impact  of  the  big  pump  and  deep  well  was 
much  the  same  as  the  windmill.  More  productive 
wells  freed  the  farmer  from  the  interstate  rivalry 
over  the  use  of  the  streams.  There  was  more  diversi- 
fication of  crops  and  more  experiments  at  State  and 
National  levels.  For  example,  the  National  Gov- 
ernment provided  one  experiment  for  the  produc- 
tion of  tea.  Technology  had  responded  to  meet  al- 
most every  need  of  the  irrigation  farmer. 

Some  farmers  looked  upon  irrigation  as  a  lazy 
man's  way.  The  irrigator  could  just  provide  the 
water  and  let  it  run.  Experience  showed  that  this 
was  not  true.  Irrigation  became  "a  way  of  life," 
and  it  was  hard  work. 

Francis  H.  Newell  had  stressed  that  the  "ideal" 
was  40  acres  in  the  irrigated  country.  But  he  also 
added  that  the  irrigated  country  was  no  place  for 
the  poor  farmer.  According  to  Newell,  the  man 
who  goes  to  the  irrigated  country  "must  use  his 
brains  in  all  his  farming." 

There  was  an  extensive  amount  of  published  in- 
formation for  the  irrigation  farmer  by  1910.  Of 
course,  there  was  always  the  academic  argument 


in  the  arid  lands  between  those  who  favored  farm- 
ing by  water  and  those  who  supported  "dry  farm- 
ing" or  "horse-leg  irrigation"  because  water  was 
conserved  by  tillage. 

By  1910,  a  farmer  knew  the  real  value  of  well 
irrigation.  The  system  would  be  extended  through- 
out the  land  wherever  a  supply  of  underground 
water  could  be  found.  With  adequate  finance  the 
farmer  could  always  escape  the  effects  of  the 
droughts  through  well  irrigation.  Authors  of  the 
U.S.D.A.  Experiment  Station  bulletins  for  the 
period  of  1908-10  still  referred  to  pump  irrigation 
being  in  or  just  past  its  infancy.  But  all  predicted 
that  pumping  plants  would  reclaim  much  arid 
land  in  the  future. 

Certainly,  the  irrigator  of  the  past  two  decades 
owes  much  to  the  experiments  which  took  place 
from  1890  to  1910.  So  influential  was  this  new  way 
of  life  that  the  natives  in  their  moments  of  relaxa- 
tion often  ordered  "Ditch  and  Bourbon"  from  their 
favorite  barkeeper.  #  #  # 


Dr.  A.  Bower  Sageser  is  professor  of  History  at 
Kansas  State  University.  We  extend  our  appre- 
ciation to  him  for  his  permision  to  reprint  this 
article,  which  appeared  originally  in  the  Ne- 
braska Historical,  summer  1967  isue,  under  the 
title,  "Windmill  and  Pump  Irrigation  on  the 
Great  Plains  1890-1910,"  well  documented  loith 
footnotes.  Born  and  educated  in  Nebraska,  author 
Sageser's  books  and  numerous  articles  present 
accounts  of  early  irrigation  developments. 


Large  battle  ax  mill  in  Nebraska  in  1 898. 


November  1967 


99 


Self-Help  on  Afghan  Canals 


by  DICK  ADAMS, 

Reclamation   Engineer 

A  1,200-year-old  canal,  the  Jui  Engel,  transports 
water  15.5  miles  for  the  people  in  the  town  of 
Herat.  But  old  Jui  Engel,  being  typical  of  the 
other  canals  in  Afghanistan,  has  a  long  record  of 
breaks  and  lack  of  use. 

Back  in  the  12th  or  early  13th  century,  both  the 
canal  and  Herat  were  destroyed  and  it  was  about 
50  years  before  rebuilding  was  done.  History  lays 
that  long  interruption  to  a  warring  and  destruc- 
tive group,  the  Moguls,  who  ruled  the  country  at 
the  time. 

Little  if  any  precise  engineering  has  been  done 
when  canals  like  Jui  Engel  were  constructed  or 
reconstructed.  Local  people,  working  with  hand 
shovels,  simply  dug  diversion  outlets  in  the  river 
banks.  If  water  flowed  in  a  ditch  at  a  reasonable 
rate  of  speed,  they  had  an  irrigation  canal. 

These  canals  crossed  large  washes  with  no  pro- 
vision for  controlling  increased  flows  due  to  an- 
nual rains  and  melting  snows.  As  a  result,  in  re- 
cent years,  whenever  a  canal  washes  out,  as  many 
as  3,000  people  come  with  shovels  and  work  6  or  7 
days  to  repair  the  banks. 

7  Breaks  a  Year 

Both  the  Jui  Engel  and  Jui  Nau,  in  this  north- 
west part  of  the  country,  averaged  seven  breaks 
per  year.  The  water-users  coped  patiently  with  the 
problem  for  centuries,  but,  finally,  in  1966,  a  re- 
quest for  assistance  was  made  by  the  Governor  of 
Herat  Province  to  the  Minister  of  Agriculture  and 
Irrigation  in  Kabul. 

A  three-man  team  consisting  of  a  design  en- 
gineer from  Bulgaria,  and  an  Afghan  engineering 
trainee,  and  the  writer,  flew  to  Herat  in  July  1966 
and  examined  two  of  the  major  washes.  A  recom- 
mendation was  made  to  construct  an  overflow 
waste  way  of  stone  masonry  on  a  major  wash  in 
the  Jui  Engel.  But  then  the  question  arose :  How 
would  it  be  paid  for  ? 


A  quick  reply  came  from  the  Governor.  The  ir- 
rigation agency  would  collect  money  from  the 
farmers,  each  one  to  pay  according  to  the  amount 
of  area  he  farmed. 

Design  work  started  immediately  and  an  esti- 
mate of  1  million  afghanis  (U.S.  $14,300)  was 
submitted  to  the  Governor.  With  warm  enthusi- 
asm, construction  started  in  mid-October  and  was 
completed  in  early  December.  Several  two-shift 
operations  had  been  necessary  due  to  foundation 
problems  and  water  in  the  cutoff  wall  area.  From 
100  to  250  laborers  per  shift  were  used,  resulting 
in  that  problem  being  solved. 

People  Request 

In  answer  to  requests  from  the  people  them- 
selves in  all  sections  of  Afghanistan,  this  team  of 
specialists  inspects  one  trouble  spot  after  another. 
They  continue  on  projects  through  each  phase  of 
work,  concluding  with  the  role  of  supervisors  of 
construction.  In  addition  to  four  Bulgarian  engi- 
neers, Tom  Dewhurst,  formerly  from  the  north- 
west USA  Eeclamation  area,  and  I  have  been  mem- 
bers of  the  team  for  some  time.  Others  recently 
added  are  Albin  H.  Wadin,  team  leader,  from 
Yuma,  Ariz.,  Lawrence  M.  Ehrhardt  of  Sacra- 
mento, Calif.,  and  George  E.  Nichols  of  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah. 

Other  engineering  efforts  also  have  started  on 
a  reinforced  concrete  flume  across  a  large  wash 
on  the  Jui  Nau  Canal.  This  feature  will  cost  about 
$9,000,  which  likewise  will  be  collected  from  farm- 
ers. Excavation  also  will  soon  have  begun,  by  the 
time  this  is  printed,  on  the  relocation  of  a  quarter- 
mile  portion  of  this  canal  by  the  300  families  who 
use  its  water.  Each  family  will  excavate  2  linear 
meters  of  the  canal  as  their  share  of  the  cost. 

This  is  the  type  of  operation  which  demon- 
strates what  the  people  of  Afghanistan  can  do 
when  given  some  of  the  assistance  in  design  and 
supervision  they  so  eagerly  seek.  #     #     # 


100 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Transporting  concrete  aggregates 
across  an  old  canal  for  flume 
building. 


Construction  on  a  canal 

flume  underway   in   Afghanistan. 


New  Wasteway  structure  provides 
an  escape  for  high  storm  waters, 
completed  with  help  of  Reclama- 
tion specialists. 


101 


Director -Management  teamwork 
helps  irrigation  business 


Keeping  Directors  Interested  ! 


by  THEODORE  NELSON,  Chief,  Irrigation 
Operations  Branch,  Boise,  Idaho 

IT  will  not  be  news  to  the  man  of  experience,  but 
the  irrigation  business  is  like  many  other  busi- 
nesses— the  key  to  its  success  is  teamwork  between 
the  directors  and  the  manager.  Essential  to  achiev- 
ing this  teamwork  is  a  well  informed  board  of 
directors. 

The  manager  knows  that  for  the  board  to  be 
informed  it  must  actually  see  many  of  the  prob- 
lems in  the  field,  not  just  discuss  them  around 
a  table.  A  picture  is  worth  a  thousand  words,  it 
is  said,  and  seeing  is  far  more  impressive  than 
just  hearing. 

The  board  establishes  policies  and  provides 
guidance  to  the  manager  in  the  performance  of 
his  responsibilties.  But  if  the  directors  did  not 
also  participate  in  field  reviews  and  have  adequate 
knowledge  of  major  field  problems,  substandard 
operation  and  maintenance  practices  could  readily 
result.  A  strong  manager  may  overcome  the  handi- 
cap of  a  poorly  informed  board,  and  a  well  in- 
formed board  usually  is  an  indication  of  an  effi- 
cient and  progressive  operating  entity  attuned  to 
the  needs  of  the  water  users  and  their  future. 

An  outstanding  illustration  of  a  highly  success- 
ful director-management  team  is  the  Boise  Project 
Board  of  Control,  the  operating  organization  for 
the  Arrowrock  Division  of  the  Boise  Project.  This 
Idaho  project  serves  irrigation  water  to  approxi- 
mately 165,000  acres  of  highly  productive  farm- 
land in  the  Boise  Valley.  It  was  constructed  by  the 
Bureau  from  1906  to  1911. 

The  board  of  control  was  created  in  1926  with 


102 


five  irrigation  districts  varying  in  size  from  56,- 
282  to  1,696  acres.  Seven  men  are  on  the  board 
of  the  largest  district  and  three  on  each  of  the 
other  four  boards.  The  board  of  control  is  com- 
posed of  nine  of  these  directors  representing  the 
five  districts. 

Well-Spoken  Of 

With  this  organization  in  the  Arrowrock  Divi- 
sion there  has  been  no  problem  of  larger  districts 
gaining  more  influence  than  the  smaller  ones,  and 
water  users  speak  highly  of  the  benefits  of  a  board 
of  control-type  organization. 

Vital  to  the  efficient  management  of  the  Arrow- 
rock Division  in  recent  years  is  the  annual  3-day 
examination  of  facilities  carried  out  by  the  board 
of  control  manager,  Royse  Van  Curen.  Directors 
of  the  five  districts  attend.  Key  operation  and 
maintenance  personnel  and  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
representatives  also  participate. 

Even  with  adverse  weather  conditions  on  the 
last  2  days  of  the  3-day  tour  in  1966,  the  attend- 
ance of  the  examining  team  was  excellent.  On  the 
first  day  28  participated  and  the  smallest  attend- 
ance for  any  single  day  of  the  tour  was  24.  The 
directors  were  appreciative  of  the  opportunity  to 
participate  in  the  field  tour  and  were  interested  in 
witnessing  the  work  that  was  being  accomplished 
during  the  fall  and  winter  maintenance  program. 

The  outstanding  interest  in  the  procedures  used 
by  this  manager  should  be  an  example  to  other  dis- 
tricts where  relatively  poor  field  examination  and 
support  to  the  manager  has  been  the  case.  Mr.  Van 

The  Reclamation  Era 


*5  ^^-.--.y 


--*/^ 


Directors  take  to  the  field  to  see  how  things  are  doing. 


Curen  has  developed  several  ways  to  generate  and 
hold  interest : 

4  Important  Ways 

First,  the  examination  schedule  is  set  up  well  in 
advance  considering  the  time  when  most  directors 
can  leave  their  own  f  armwork. 

Second,  the  high  points  of  the  season's  operation 
and  maintenance  program  is  brought  to  their  at- 
tention during  monthly  meetings,  and  special  effort 
is  put  forth  to  keep  them  informed  and  interested. 
These  work  items  are  pointed  out  during  the  an- 
nual examination. 

Third,  before  going  to  the  field  some  time  is 
given  to  showing  slides  highlighting  the  current 
maintenance  program  and  pointing  out  other  im- 
portant work  items  that  time  would  not  permit 
covering  on  the  field  tour.  This  is  another  way  the 
manager  illustrates  his  work  program  to  the  direc- 
tors at  their  convenience. 

Fourth,  the  field  trip  is  planned  with  excellent 
travel  accommodations  for  all  participants.  Two- 
way  radio-equipped  vehicles  make  it  possible  for 
the  tour  leader  to  keep  everyone  informed  as  the 
tour  progresses.  The  noon  hour  of  each  of  the  3 
days  on  the  1966  tour  provided  a  banquet  table 
dinner  for  hungry  appetites,  an  opportunity  for 
reviewing  current  work  problems,  and  exchanging 
ideas  on  future  improvements. 

Throughout  the  inspection,  the  manager  pointed 
out  what  was  being  done  to  modernize  the  60-year- 


old  distribution  system. 

Modernizing 

Here  are  some  examples:  Small  open  laterals 
are  being  replaced  with  buried  pipe.  The  last  of 
the  numerous  flumes  that  were  a  part  of  the  orig- 
inal construction  is  planned  for  pipe  replacement 
and  improved  measuring  devices  have  been  in- 
stalled at  canal  and  lateral  headings. 

Extensive  reaches  of  concrete  lining  have  been 
recently  added.  Considerable  emphasis  was  given 
to  what  is  being  done  to  preserve  the  life  of  the 
many  miles  of  asphaltic  concrete  lining  in  the  main 
canal.  Concrete  structures  are  being  repaired  or 
replaced. 

Ditch  rider  housing  is  being  modernized  and 
greater  consideration  is  given  to  employee  fringe 
benefits  in  an  effort  to  attract  and  hold  competent 
operating  personnel.  The  manager's  well-prepared 
agenda  also  provided  historical  data  concerning 
the  many  facilities  visited  and  detailed  comments 
concerning  their  functions,  needed  improvements, 
and  plans  for  future  work. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  strength  of  an  irriga- 
tion operation  requires  firsthand  knowledge  of 
field  conditions.  And  the  results  are  worth  a  special 
effort.  This  is  well  demonstrated  on  the  Boise 
Project  where  this  highly  efficient  director-man- 
ager team  is  making  outstanding  progress  in  bring- 
ing an  old  irrigation  system  up  to  modern 
standards.  #     #     # 


November  1967 


103 


TOYON 


Offers  Second  Chance 


by  ANNE  VOETSCH 

of  Mount  Holyoke  College 


4iT3EFC)RE  they  were  dependent  upon  other 

J3  people,  now  they  have  useful  skills  and  can 
take  opportunities  which  benefit  themselves  and 
the  community." 

Basil  B.  Sharp,  Head  Cook  of  the  Bureau  of 
Reclamation's  Toyon  Job  Corps  Conservation 
Center  near  Redding,  Calif.,  was  speaking  of  the 
22  corpsmen  who  have  graduated  from  the  cook- 
trainee  program  at  Toyon  during  the  past  2  years. 

As  he  watched  two  of  the  youths  carry  the 
remaining  dishes  from  the  cafeteria,  Mr.  Sharp 
described  his  part  in  the  Toyon  Center's  program 
to  give  unemployed  young  men,  aged  16  through 
21,  a  chance  to  resume  their  education  while  learn- 
ing the  technical  skills  required  in  securing  a  job. 

Twice  daily,  the  former  Army  cook  holds 
classes  in  the  essentials  of  cooking.  Enrollees  begin 
their  training  in  the  kitchen's  clean-up  detail  and, 
as  their  skill  and  knowledge  increase,  assume  the 
responsibility  of  preparing  portions  of  the  three 
meals. 

By  dividing  the  11  corpsmen  currently  interested 
in  cooking  into  two  groups,  Mr.  Sharp  can  give 
individual  attention  to  each  boy's  progress.  Prac- 
ticing the  skill  of  deep-fat  frying  or  learning  the 
various  cuts  of  beef  provides  the  corpsmen  with 
on-the-job  experience  and  the  specialized  knowl- 
edge that  prospective  employers  demand. 

Cooking  is  just  one  of  14  vocational  areas  in 
which  Toyon's  163  corpsmen  can  receive  on-the-job 
training. 

Two  of  the  most  popular  trades,  according  to 

104 


Vocational  Guidance  Counselor  Robert  Hegge,  are 
auto  mechanics  and  heavy  equipment.  Although 
waiting  lists  of  corpsmen  anxious  to  learn  these 
skills  are  often  necessary,  corpsmen  are  also  eager 
to  train  for  masonry,  building  repair,  grounds- 
keeping,  laundry  work,  carpentry,  conservation, 
janitorial  work,  maintenance  mechanics,  ware- 
housing, the  medical  corps,  and  as  service  station 
attendants. 

The  corpsman  is  free  to  switch  vocational 
choices.  After  he  discusses  his  decision  with  his 
counselor,  the  change  is  made  as  quickly  as 
possible. 

As  he  develops  his  job  skills,  he  improves  his 
employment  potential  with  additional  education. 
Toyon's  program  alternates  one  week  of  work  with 
one  of  schooling. 

The  classroom,  once  a  source  of  fear  and  hos- 
tility, becomes  an  important  link  to  "being  some- 
one." Six  dedicated  teachers  dispel  the  corpsman's 
former  defeatist  attitude. 

For  the  first  time  the  corpsman  can  see  an  out- 
come other  than  failure  and  he  tries  hard  to  take 
advantage  of  his  "second  chance."  Even  the  boys 
who  don't  enjoy  the  classroom  recognize  their  op- 
portunity and  voice  a  genuine  desire  to  improve. 
As  George,  17,  remarked,  "Well,  all  school  is  about 
the  same,  but  I'd  rather  be  here  because  you're 
learning  a  trade,  too." 


Corpsmen  build  nature  trail  at  Whiskeytown  Lake.  Toyon  Center. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


-r*^  ' '     *  '         ,  4/^  ■ 


,  J& 


•■^ 


His' 


:?C 


%  ..    ^^.^ 


November  1967 


105 


Unlike  public  school  students,  the  corpsmen 
progress  at  their  own  learning  rate  by  use  of  self- 
teaching  materials.  Nevertheless,  the  teacher  is  of 
utmost  importance  in  maintaining  the  boys' 
morale, 

Mrs.  Marylynn  G.  Leiter,  teacher  of  Language 
Arts  and  Beginning  Reading,  who  has  a  reputa- 
tion for  strictness  among  the  corpsmen,  reports 
that  she  has  never  had  any  trouble  in  the  class- 
room since  she  has  taught  at  Toyon.  She  has  never 
heard  any  cursing  and  has  rarely  seen  a  corpsman 
get  discouraged  and  just  quit.  Like  all  the  teach- 
ers, Mrs.  Leiter  offers  "close  supervision  and  much 
intuition." 

The  Sullivan  series,  used  by  all  corpsmen,  plays 
an  important  part  in  providing  incentive  to  im- 
prove. After  the  corpsmen  finishes  two  books  of 
the  series,  he  receives  a  $5  raise  in  his  monthly  al- 
lowance, which  ranges  between  $30  and  $50. 

One  of  the  most  popular  self -teaching  devices 
is  the  Language  Master  Card  Set,  prepared  es- 
pecially for  the  Job  Corps.  To  use  the  set,  the  be- 
ginning reader  feeds  a  vocabulary  card  into  the 
machine  and  then  sees  the  word  on  a  screen  while 
he  hears  it  pronounced  through  his  earphones. 

Health  and  physical  education  are  also  included 
in  the  program,  as  well  as  Drivers'  Education, 
available  to  academically  qualified  corpsmen. 

In  contrast  to  their  independent  learning  of  the 
three  R's,  the  corpsmen  meet  in  groups  to  discuss 
procedures  for  finding  a  job  and  objectives  and 
behavior  necessary  to  keep  a  job.  In  this  "World 
of  Work"  program,  the  corpsman  is  outside  the 
classroom,  with  its  maps  of  the  United  States  and 
colorful  reproductions  of  paintings  by  Wyeth, 
Manet,  and  Picasso,  and  in  a  more  conference- 


table  atmosphere,  learning  to  cope  with  the  im- 
personal working  world. 

Mr.  M.  H.  Haban,  who  conducts  the  "World  of 
Work"  classes,  feels  that  the  corpsmen's  main 
problem  is  that  they  "don't  sell  themselves."  Often 
a  boy  feels  guilty  about  presenting  a  totally  posi- 
tive self-image  and  wants  to  bring  up  the  failures 
of  his  past. 

Typical  of  this  conflict  is  the  response  Mike,  17, 
made  to  the  question  "Why  did  you  join  the  Job 
Corps?"  Instead  of  stating  that  he  couldn't  find 
a  job,  Mike  sat  silently  for  several  minutes,  shifted, 
and  then  replied  uncertainly,  "Well,  I  could  tell  a 
few  lies." 

Toyon  Job  Corps  Conservation  Center  operates 
on  a  budget  of  about  three-fourths  of  a  million 
dollars  a  year.  The  Center's  work  projects  make 
a  large  contribution  toward  repaying  the  tax- 
payers' investment  in  the  corpsmen. 

Toyon  corpsmen  recently  completed  a  half-mile 
nature  trail  near  Whiskeytown  Lake,  for  which 
they  built  eight  rest  benches  and  a  foot  bridge. 
They  also  sunk  flagstone  strips  about  every  15 
feet  along  the  trail  to  prevent  erosion. 

A  5-mile  trail  near  Brandy  Creek  is  one  of  their 
projects,  and  plans  are  to  make  Whiskeytown 
Lake,  behind  the  Bureau's  Whiskeytown  Dam,  the 
largest  camping  area  in  northern  California  by 
building  from  350  to  500  campsites  in  the  sur- 
rounding hills. 

One  ambitious  project  is  the  Judge  Francis 
Carr  Memorial  at  Whiskeytown  Lake.  They  have 
recently  completed  a  concrete  walkway  near  the 
lakeside  and  have  laid  water  and  sewer  lines  and 
underground  electric  lines.  Future  construction 
includes  a  parking  area,  restroom  building,  light- 


On-the-job  training  with  an  auto  parts  company.  Toyon  Center. 


ing  around  the  circular  driveway,  and  a  lighted 
fountain.  Skilled  craftsmen,  hired  from  the  Eed- 
(ling  area,  are  helping  the  corpsmen  learn  the 
various  skills  involved. 

Toyon  corpsmen  have  also  proved  their  value  to 
the  Redding  area.  On  Memorial  Day  30  corpsmen 
and  three  staff  members  volunteered  to  clean  up 
the  community  cemetery  in  Red  Valley. 

In  close  cooperation  with  the  U.S.  Forest  Serv- 
ice, they  have  spent  3,500  hours  in  firefighting. 
Sporting  its  own  1937  Ford  fire  engine  and  an 
ever-ready  supply  of  canteens  and  well-sharpened 
axes,  Toyon  offers  a  16-hour  training  course 
in  firefighting  to  interested  corpsmen.  When 
called  for  assistance,  the  center's  firefighters  can 
mobilize  within  30  minutes. 

In  the  Toyon  community  itself,  consisting  of 
52  buildings  and  40  vehicles,  corpsmen  are  largely 
responsible  for  keeping  the  Center  running 
smoothly.  Corpsmen  service  the  Center's  cars  in 
the  garage,  aid  Medic  G.  L.  Ralston  in  the  dispen- 
sary, and  supervise  the  storage  and  distribution 
of  supplies  in  the  warehouse. 

Last  4th  of  July,  the  corpsmen  built  a  new  bar- 
becue pit  and  picnic  tables  for  the  holiday  celebra- 
tion. They  are  also  developing  a  lily  pond,  complete 
with  waterfall,  mosquito  fish,  and  a  Polynesian 
bridge. 

Toyon  Center  has  an  excellent  record  of  good 
relations  with  the  community  of  Redding  as  well 
as  an  absence  of  major  incidents  within  the  center. 
The  challenge  to  succeed  in  the  community  is 
strong  and  maintained  through  the  staff's  ability 
to  encourage  self-improvement  and  the  willingness 
of  the  residents  to  accept  the  corpsmen. 

From  the  time  the  Toyon  Conservation  Center 
opened  in  April  1965,  the  Redding  community  has 
helped  to  make  the  project  a  success. 

A  local  car  dealer  has  donated  two  old  cars  for 
mechanic's  trailiing  and  the  Redding  Health  Serv- 
ice frequently  assists  in  the  Dispensary.  Regularly, 
an  employee  of  the  Redding  Employment  Agency 
visits  the  "World  of  Work"  classes  to  conduct  pro- 
fessional job  interviews. 

The  cooperation  of  local  businesses  in  giving 
opportunity  to  use  their  training  on  the  job  is 
especially  valuable.  Pacific  Gas  and  Electric  Co., 
Rother  Auto  Parts  of  Redding,  and  the  Bureau 
of  Reclamation  have  all  set  up  on-the-job  training 
programs. 

Assemblies  to  recognize  worthy  corpsmen  are 
held  in  the  gym  each  Monday  morning.  At  this 


time,  promotions  are  announced,  graduation  certi- 
ficates are  awarded,  and  the  naming  of  the  "Corps- 
man  of  the  Month"  is  accompanied  by  the  presen- 
tation of  a  watch  by  the  Shasta  Dam  Area 
Chamber  of  Commerce. 

The  points  also  help  to  determine  which  men 
will  be  promoted  to  the  positions  of  Specialist  and 
Senior  Specialist,  an  indication  that  the  corpsman 
has  mastered  particular  trade  skills,  and  to  the 
responsible  position  of  Corpsman  Leader.  Each 
promotion  carries  with  it  an  increase  in  pay,  up 
to  $50  a  month  for  the  leaders. 

Besides  orienting  newcomers,  the  corpsman  lead- 
ers help  smooth  out  possible  trouble  areas.  Said 
Hector,  19,  "The  corpsmen  who  want  to  leave, 
you  can  spot  right  away.  They're  the  ones  who 
don't  want  to  do  anything,  and  just  mess  around." 

Corpsman  leaders  may  also  earn  the  added  priv- 
ilege of  living  in  houses  with  other  responsible 
corpsmen.  Since  the  houses  offer  more  privacy, 
this  prospect  is  very  desirable. 

Upon  graduation,  a  corpsman  can  enter  one  of 
three  different  environments.  If  he  has  been  in  the 
Job  Corps  less  than  2  years,  the  maximum  period 
allowed  for  training,  he  can  continue  the  program 
at  one  of  the  urban  centers.  Or  he  can  make  use 
of  his  newly  acquired  skills  and  seek  employment. 
A  Job  Corps  Occupational  Specialist  located  in 
the  State  Employment  Office  makes  a  maximum 
effort  to  put  graduates  to  work. 

Frequently,  the  corpsman  follows  the  third  pos- 
sibility and  enters  military  service. 

The  Toyon  graduate  looks  forward  to  a  pro- 
ductive future  of  "being  someone."  But  he  looks 
backward,  too.  As  he  moves  out  into  the  working 
world  he  joins  the  ranks  of  the  gainfully  employed. 
Under  the  new  pride  in  his  performance,  sense 
of  responsibility,  and  competence  in  his  trade,  lies 
an  unflagging  desire  to  show  that  his  "second 
chance"  was  a  public  investment  that  he  can  repay 
fourfold.  #     #     # 


Miss  Anne  Voetsch,  author  of  this  article, 
spent  her  1967  summer  vacation  working  at  the 
Bureau  of  Reclamation  Information  Offlce  at 
Sacramento,  Calif.,  at  no  expense  to  the  Govern- 
ment. Her  travel  and  expenses  were  provided 
through  her  winning  a  $500  scholarship  award 
from  Mount  Holyoke  College,  South  Hadley, 
Mass.,  where  she  returned  this  fall  as  a  junior. 


November  1%7 


107 


Miss  Stockton  was  on  the  case  alone  to 
start,  then  she  got  encouragement  from 
Washington,  D,C.  and  considerable  local 
support. 


THE  CASE  OF 
THE  FLOWER  FIELD 


Getting  together  on  the  case  of  the  flowers  are,  from  left,  Mrs. 
Ann  locapi,  president  of  the  Westside  Pioneers  and  Descendants; 
Miss  Marion  Stockton,  wildflower  enthusiast;  and  D.  J.  Reimann, 
San  Luis  Project  Administrative  Officer. 


108 


WHENEVEK  a  well  traveled  highway  gives 
motorists  a  good  view  of  a  Reclamation  reser- 
voir, an  equally  fitting  overlook  is  constructed  on 
a  convenient  curve  or  hill. 

But  because  of  the  determined  efforts  of  a  74- 
year-old  lady  and  the  cooperation  of  the  Bureau 
of  Reclamation,  the  vista-point  at  San  Luis  Reser- 
voir in  California  has  a  command  view  not  only 
of  the  2.1  million  acre-foot  body  of  blue  water,  but 
also  of  the  surrounding  hills  afire  in  spring  with 
California  poppies. 

Only  a  few  months  before,  at  a  lower  elevation, 
the  annual  floral  display  faced  the  perilous  pros- 
pect of  extinction — a  burial  of  water. 

A  lone  crusader  to  start,  but  soon  to  be  joined  by 
many  others.  Miss  Marian  Stockton  began  a  cam- 
paign. She  is  not  only  a  wildflowers  lover,  but  also 
a  member  of  a  pioneer  Los  Banos  family. 

The  case  became  clear  to  Miss  Stockton  one  day 
when  she  was  viewing  the  San  Luis  Valley  from 
Romero  overlook.  She  saw  San  Luis  Dam  under 
construction  and  behind  the  structure,  where  na- 
ture had  caused  a  carpet  of  flowers  to  grow  in 
spring,  would  be  the  reservoir.  Something  must  be 
done,  she  thought,  to  save  those  flowers  from  a 
watery  grave.  And  she  decided  pretty  well  what 
should  be  done. 

The  Reclamation  Era 


This  it  how  flowers  Improved  the  view. 


She  explained  the  situation  in  a  letter  to  the  wife 
of  President  Lyndon  B.  Johnson.  Nowhere  else  in 
the  State  do  California  poppies  attain  the  size  and 
depth  of  color  of  those  in  the  San  Luis  Valley. 

A  reply  through  a  White  House  social  secretary 
said:  "Mrs.  Johnson  shares  your  interest  in  the 
wildflowers  of  our  Nation  .  .  .  she  was  interested 
to  learn  of  your  efforts  to  preserve  the  seed-laden 
topsoil  of  San  Luis  Valley,  and  she  hopes  that  you 
will  be  able  to  find  some  means  to  do  so." 

In  1966,  local  groups,  flower  authorities,  and 
several  newspapers  joined  Miss  Stockton's  "Save 
the  Poppies  Campaign,"  but  problems  remained.  If 
a  way  could  be  found  to  transplant  the  seeds  and 
bulbs  on  higher  ground,  would  they  grow  again? 
There  was  not  enough  time  or  money  to  experi- 
ment, because  the  reservoir  would  soon  be  starting 
to  fill. 

Then  in  December  1966,  about  2  months  before 
filling  would  begin,  Max  R.  Johnson,  the  Bureau's 
project  construction  engineer,  offered  a  solution. 
While  there  was  no  Federal  money  earmarked  for 
large-scale  removal  of  topsoil  from  the  reservoir 
site,  it  did  have  plans  and  money  to  landscape  two 
barren  knolls  overlooking  the  reservoir. 

To  attempt  to  save  the  flowers  by  removing  bet- 
ter areas  of  the  topsoil  was  agreed  by  Miss  Stock- 


ton and  the  San  Luis  Eecreation  Coordinating 
Committee.  Also  Clyde  Strickler,  recreation  area 
supervisor  for  the  State  Department  of  Parks  and 
Recreation,  agreed  to  care  for  the  flowers  if  the 
transplanting  was  successful. 

Scraper  and  carryall  machines  promptly  did 
the  job.  Hopefully,  two  knolls  visible  from  Romero 
overlook,  where  permanent  visitor  facilities  will 
eventually  be  built,  were  spread  with  the  valley 
soil. 

By  February  1967,  it  was  plain  something  was 
growing  on  the  two  knolls.  Two  months  later, 
other  hillsides  near  Los  Banos  bloomed  as  they 
usually  did,  but  not  the  two  knolls.  Then  as  if  in 
answer  to  a  prayer,  April  was  unusually  rainy. 

During  the  first  week  in  May,  the  two  knolls 
below  Romero  overlook  were  suddenly  covered 
with  a  multicolored  carpet  of  native  California 
poppies,  up  and  blooming  in  their  new  home.  Their 
varieties  were  numerous  and  distinctive  and  only 
5  months  had  passed  from  their  replanting.  Miss 
Stockton  discovered  an  added  bonus — a  patch  of 
Mariposa  tulips. 

Future  motorists  and  floral  fanciers  who  pull 
off  the  road  in  spring  and  see  what  is  going  on  in 
San  Luis  Valley  will  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  to 
Miss  Stockton  who,  with  the  help  of  Reclamation, 
solved  the  case  of  the  flower  field.  #     #     # 


November  1967 


109 


Golden  Spike  Day 

A  "Golden  Spike"  celebration  for  completion 
of  a  railroad  to  the  town  of  Koyal  City,  Wash., 
was  held  last  June.  It  was  a  milestone  for  the  farm 
community  of  550,  which  was  incorporated  in  1956. 
The  event  also  was  a  mark  of  progress  for  the 
Columbia  Basin  Project,  supplier  of  Koyal  Slope's 
irrigation  water  for  the  12  years. 

In  the  late  1880's  pioneers  first  settled  on  the 
slope — mostly  cattle  ranchers  near  Crab  Creek. 
But  stretches  of  sagebrush  began  to  change  to  pro- 
ductive fields  when  Columbia  Basin  Project  canals 
and  laterals  brought  water  from  the  Columbia 
Eiver.  By  1966  the  irrigated  acreage  had  extended 
from  the  original  4,000  to  serve  83,184.  The  64,000 
acres  actually  irrigated  produced  50  different  crops 
with  a  gross  value  of  nearly  $11  million. 

Their  longest  new  rail  line  since  1910,  the  6i/^- 
mile  spur  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  St.  Paul,  and 
Pacific  Railroad  signifies  not  only  a  growth  for 
that  company,  but  also  the  coming  of  age  for  Royal 
City. 

More  Gains 

Predictions  for  the  area  foretell  even  more 
spectacular  gains.  Within  a  few  years,  it  is  planned 
that  the  irrigable  acreage  rise  to  90,000  acres,  with 
at  least  85,000  acres  actually  irrigated  each  year. 
The  annual  gross  crop  value  is  expected  to  be 
around  $23  million.  Livestock  and  livestock  prod- 
ucts will  probably  add  another  $10  million 
annually  to  the  gross  product  of  the  area.  The 
total  farm  and  nonfarm  population  is  expected 
to  reach  23,000.  In  addition  to  the  agricultural 
activities  there  should  be  about  500  nonfarm  bus- 
inesses providing  employment  for  some  3,200 
persons. 

The  large  crops  grown  plus  the  transportation 
now  available  by  rail,  highway,  and  the  Columbia 
River  waterway  only  a  short  distance  away,  will 
encourage  more  agriculturally-oriented  industries 
to  locate  at  Royal  City.  For  example,  potato  and 
vegetable  plants,  freezing,  canning,  and  dehydrat- 
ing plants;  alfalfa  processors,  fruit  packing 
plants;  and  additional  dealers  in  equipment,  fer- 
tilizer, fuel,  chemical,  and  other  products. 

There  seems  good  reason  for  the  residents  of  this 
project  area  to  enthusiastically  mark  this  year's 
highlight  in  their  economic  betterment.  #     #     # 


"MAJOR  FEATURES  COMPLETED." 

Continued  jfrom  page  93 

The  San  Luis  Unit  will  make  available  each 
year  over  a  million  acre-feet  of  new  water  to  irri- 
gate 600,000  acres  of  dry  but  fertile  land  65  miles 
long  and  averaging  13  miles  wide,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley.  Farmers  are  now 
forced  to  irrigate  from  wells  in  this  area,  and  as 
a  result,  ground  water  is  being  used  up  much  faster 
than  it  can  be  replenished,  while  pumping  costs 
also  are  rising  steadily. 

The  San  Luis  Unit  will  allow  underground 
water  to  return  to  normal  levels,  as  well  as  con- 
serving and  improving  production  on  land  already 
being  irrigated.  Besides  encouraging  more  diver- 
sified farming,  the  water  supply  will  enable  some 
undeveloped  land  to  come  under  the  plow. 

The  San  Luis  Unit  also  will  provide  about  45,000 
acre-feet  of  water  for  urban  and  industrial  use. 

The  reservoirs  of  the  San  Luis  Unit  have  formed 
the  only  recreational  lakes  on  the  west  side  of  the 
San  Joaquin  Valley.  Campsites,  picnic  areas, 
marinas,  beaches,  and  other  facilities  are  planned 
at  reservoirs  behind  San  Luis,  O'Neill,  and  Los 
Banos  Detention  Dams.  The  State  Division  of 
Beaches  and  Parks  will  administer  the  recreation 
areas. 

The  joint  agreement  to  have  the  State  of  Cali- 
fornia operate  the  major  San  Luis  facilities  and 
the  Bureau  construct  them  has  resulted  in  savings 
of  many  millions  of  dollars  on  both  sides.  Costs 
are  divided  on  a  55-45  basis,  with  the  State  paying 
the  larger  share.  #     #     # 


TO  SAVE  frequent  renewals  to  the  jRec- 
lamation  Era,  subscribers  may  boost  orders 
up  to  3  years  for  $3   (foreign  mailing  re-       I 
quires  25^  more  a  year). 


110 


The  Reclamation  Era 


Booklet  on  the  Electricity  "Free  Loader" 

For  the  last  few  years,  the  Bureau  of  Reclama- 
tion has  had  a  unique  way  of  using  electricity  not 
connected  in  any  visible  way  to  a  source  of  power. 
Because  of  its  simplicity  and  economy,  the  de- 
\  ice — nicknamed  "free  loader" — offers  an  efficient 
way  of  drawing  small,  noncommercial  amounts 
of  electricity  from  the  electrostatic  field  surround- 
ing high- voltage  transmission  lines  without  phys- 
ically tapping  the  lines  themselves. 

Some  uses  of,  and  technical  information  and 
drawings  about  the  invention  have  been  included 
in  a  55-page  booklet  entitled  "Theory  and  Appli- 
cation of  the  Electrostatic  Induction  Power  Sup- 
ply" available  from  the  Office  of  Chief  Engineer, 
Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Denver,  Colo.  80225.  A 
nontechnical  news  feature  dated  October  18,  1966, 
about  the  system  is  available  at  the  Washington 
Office. 

The  device  has  been  patented,  but  the  patent  is 
available  for  public  use  and  adapation  without 
charge. 

The  Reclamation  Era  included  a  notice  about 
the  "free  loader" — which  was  invented  by  John  E. 
Skuderna  of  the  Bureau's  Denver  Office — in  the 
November  1963  issue. 


Bureau   of   Reclamation 
Water  Headquarters  Offices 


COMMISSIONER'S  OFFICE: 
C  St.  between.  18th  &  19th  Sts. 

NW. 
Washington,  D.C.  20240 

CHIEF  ENGINEER'S  OFFICE  : 
Bldg.  67,  Denver  Federal  Center 
Denver,  Colo.  80225 

IDAHO  (Except  SE  tip) 
WASHINGTON 
MONTANA  (NW  corner) 
OREGON 

(Except  Southern  wedge) 
(Region  1) 
Fairgrounds,  Fairview  Ave.  & 

Orchard  St. 
Boise,  Idaho  83707 

CALIFORNIA   (Northern  & 

Central) 
NEVADA   (Northern  &  Central) 
OREGON  (Southern  wedge) 
(Region  2) 
P.O.  Box  15011,  2929  Fulton 

Ave. 
Sacramento,  C/ilif.  95813 

NEVADA  (Southern) 

CALIFORNIA    (Southern) 

ARIZONA   (Except  NE  tip) 

UTAH  (SW  tip) 

(Region  3) 

P.O.  Box  427 

Boulder  City,  Nev.  89005 

UTAH   (Except  SW  tip) 
COLORADO   (Western) 
NEW  MEXICO  (NW  tip) 


WYOMING  (SW  tip) 
IDAHO  (SE  tip) 
(Region  4) 
P.O.  Box  11568 
125  S.  State  St. 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 
84111 

TEXAS 

OKLAHOMA 

KANSAS   (Southern  half) 

NEW  MEXICO   (Except  W 

third) 
COLORADO    (Southern 

wedge) 
(Region  5) 
P.O.  Box  1609 
7th  &  Taylor 
Amarillo,  Tex.  79105 

MONTANA   (Except  NW 

Conner) 
NORTH  DAKOTA 
SOUTH  DAKOTA 
WYOMING  (Northern) 
(Region  6) 
P.O.  Box  2553 
316  N.  26th  St. 
Billings,  Mont.  59103 

COLORADO  (Eastern) 

NEBRASKA 

KANSAS  (Northern) 

WYOMING  (SE) 

(Region  7) 

Bldg.    20,    Denver   Federal 

CGntGr 
Denver,  Colo.  80225 


As    Corpsman    Choriey    Norton    recites   a    lesson,   his    instructress, 
Helen  Branson,  follows  the  text  in  Braille.  Marsing  Center. 


Achievements  at 
Marsing  Center 

A  Job  Corpsmen's  newspaper  entitled :  "Snake 
Kiver  News"  won  awards  and  considerable  recog- 
nition earlier  this  year,  an  achievement  of  the 
young  men  of  the  Marsing  Job  Corps  Conserva- 
tion Center  in  Idaho. 

Although  this  was  the  first  year  for  the  publi- 
cation, the  "Snake  River  News"  was  entered  in  the 
newspaper  competition  of  the  Idaho  State  High 
School  Press  Association  convention  which  was 
held  at  Idaho  State  University,  Pocatello.  The 
"News"  won  a  3d  in  the  category  of  Illustrative 
Material-Mimeographed,  in  which  about  100  publi- 
cations from  all  over  the  State  were  entered.  It 
also  won  three  honorable  mentions,  including  one 
for  general  excellence,  one  for  best  interview,  and 
the  other  for  front  page.  Ten  corpsmen  and  a  staff 
member  attended  the  convention. 

Largely  responsible  for  the  participation  of  and 
achievement  by  the  corpsmen  was  Mrs.  Helen  K. 
Branson,  a  teacher  at  the  center  and  editorial  co- 
ordinator of  the  "Snake  River  News."  Mrs.  Bran- 
son is  nearly  blind  and  uses  braille  text  in  much 
of  her  work,  but  she  enthusiastically  instructs  and 
exemplifies  educational  values  in  the  Marsing 
program.  #     #     # 


November  1967 


ni 


MAJOR  RECENT  CONTRACT  AWARDS 


Spec. 
No. 


DS-6521... 
DC-6525... 

DC-6528... 

DS-6532.. . 

DC-6535.. 

DC-6540-. 
DC-6545__ 

DC-6548.. 
DC-6550_- 
DS-6551.-- 

DC-6553.. 
DC-6564_- 

DC-6555_. 

DC-6556__ 
DC-6558.. 
DC-6560-_ 
lOOS-930.-. 

lOOC-933— 

lOOC-937... 


lOOC-938.. 
lOOS-941. _ 
lOOC-942.. 


Project 


Award 
date 

July 

13 

July 

21 

Aug. 

17 

July 

14 

July 

12 

Aug. 

4 

Aug. 

2 

Aug. 

17 

Sept. 

7 

Sept. 

25 

Aug. 

18 

Sept. 

7 

Aug. 

17 

Sept. 

22 

Sept. 

8 

Sept. 

1 

Sept. 

8 

Aug. 

8 

Sept. 

15 

Sept. 

20 

Sept. 

8 

Sept. 

15 

Sept. 

15 

Sept. 

20 

Sept. 

26 

July 

26 

Sept. 

22 

July 

21 

Aug. 

14 

Sept. 

22 

July 

12 

Description  of  work  or  material 


Contractor's  name  and 
address 


lOOC-943.. 
lOOC-945.. 
200C-682.. 

400C-349.. 

400C-355._ 

500C-251._ 
500C-262.. 
604C-66-.. 
706C-657.. 


Missouri  River  Basin, 
N.  Dak. 

Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Nev. 

Colorado  River  Front 
Work  and  Levee 
System,  Ariz. 

Pacific  Northwest- 
Pacific  Southwest 
Intertie,  Ariz. 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Fryingpan-Arkansas, 

Colo. 
Central  Valley,  Calif.. 


Missouri  River  Basin, 

Kansas. 
Central  Valley,  Calif. _ 

Central  Valley,  Calif.  _ 


Colorado  River 
Storage,  N.  Mex. 

Missouri  River  Basin, 
Kansas. 

Duck  Valley  (Indian), 
Nev. 

Washoe,  Nev.-Calif 


San  Juan-Chama, 
N.  Mex. 
Missouri  River  Basin, 

Kansas. 
Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Duck  Valley  (Indian) 
Nev. 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash.. 


.do. 
-do. 


Columbia  Basin,  Wash.. 


-do. 
.do. 


Central  Valley,  Cahf.. 


Colorado  River  Storage, 
Colo. 

Weber  Basin,  Utah 


Pecos  River  Basin  Water 

Salvage,  N.  Mex. 
San  Juan-Chama,  N. 

Mex. 
Missouri  River  Basin, 

Mont. 
Fryingpan-Arkansas, 

Colo. 


Three  pumps  and  three  motors  for  Snake  Creek  pumping 

plant  No.  1. 
Construction  of  Mead  substation  and  Mead  230-kv  tie  lines 


Construction  of  8  miles  of  pipelines  for  Yuma  Mesa  conduit 


Supervisory  control  and  digital  telemetering  with  automatic 
data  logging  equipment  for  Phoenix  Dispatcher's  office  and 
Liberty  substation. 

Modifications  to  Grand  Coulee  left  and  right  powerplants  and 
left  switchyards. 

Relocation  of  16  miles  of  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Western  rail- 
road, Pueblo  dam  and  reservoir. 

Construction  of  9  miles  of  concrete-lined  Theama-Colusa 
canal,  Reach  1,  Sta.  196-f  24.85  to  685-t-OO  and  eleven  county 
and  farm  bridges. 

Construction  of  Cawker  City  protective  dike  and  water  supply 

facilities,  with  soil  cement  slope  protection. 
Construction  of  63.7  miles  of  pipelines  for  Westlands  Water 

District  distribution  system,  laterals  6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,  and  12. 
Nine  motor-driven  pumping  units,  nine  butterfly  valves,  and 

one  valve  operating  system  for  Pleasant  Valley  pumping 

plant. 
Modifications  to  Navajo  dam  outlet  works  and  stilling  basin.. 

Relocation  of  3.4  miles  of  Mitchell  County  Highway  No.  C-705 
and  construction  of  township  roads  356  and  500. 

Construction  of  Wild  Horse  dam 


Four  4-foot  by  5-foot  outlet  gates  and  liners  for  outlet  works  at 

Stampede  dam. 
Construction  of  Heron  dam  and  relocation  of  8.5  miles  of  New 

Mexico  State  Highway  No.  95. 
Reconstruction  of  3  miles  of  Mitchell  and  Osborne  County 

township  roads  and  construction  of  two  concrete  bridges. 
Furnish  and  erect  fifty  3-bedroom  portable  family  dwellings 

and  ten  2-bedroom  mobile  homes  on  a  lease  basis  for  Grand 

Coulee  dam  third  powerplant. 
Clearing  campsite,  erecting  20  mobile  residences,  and  con- 
struction of  office  and  laboratory  buildings  and  two  garages 

for  Wild  Horse  dam  government  camp. 
Construction  of  12.4  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  for  D85-50, 

D86-11,  -65  drains  and  D86-60,  -62,  -64,  -66  drain  systems 

and  .3  mile  of  open  ditch  wasteway  for  W69.7,  Blocks  85  and 

86. 
Construction  of  8.67  miles  of  buried  pipe  and  .35  mile  of  open 

ditch  drains  for  D87-154,  D87-155,  D87-157,  and  D87-238 

drain  systems  and  D87-264  and  D87-23A1  drains.  Block  87. 
Furnishing  space  and  facilities  for  10  house  trailers  and  50 

portable  family  dwellings  on  a  lease  basis  for  Grand  Coulee 

dam  third  powerplant. 
Enlarging  11.7  miles  of  Potholes  canal,  replacing  three  county 

road  bridges,  construction  of  buried  pipe  and  open  ditch 

drains   DPE254,   DPE54A,   DPE54B,   and  miscellaneous 

work. 
Construction  of  concrete-Uned  East  Low  canal,  Sta.  2123-|-58 

to  2153+65. 
Enlarging  11.4  miles  of  PE55  and  PE59.4  laterals,  Block  16.... 

Drilling  horizontal  drain  holes  and  construction  of  drainage 
system  for  excavation  area  No.  2,  downstream  from  left 
abutment  of  Trinity  dam. 

Rehabilitation  of  86  miles  and  construction  of  24  miles  of  single 
lane  unsurfaced  access  roads  for  Curecanti-Hayden  trans- 
mission line. 

Repairing  Gateway  canal,  Sta.  203-f00.3  to  442+59 


Clearing  phreatophytes  from  Pecos  River  flood  plain,  Dexter 

area. 
Construction  of  3.8  miles  of  channel  and  maintenance  road  for 

Azotea  Creek. 
Construction  of  buried  asphaltic  membrane  lining  for  East 

Bench  canal,  Sta.  974+50±  to  1058+19.9± . 
Clearing  986  acres  for  Turquoise  Lake  area 


Hitachi  New  York,  Ltd., 

New  York,  N.Y. 
C.  R.  Frederick,  Inc.,  and 

M.  M.  Sundt  Construction 

Co.,  Novato,  Calif. 
Hood  Corp.,  Whittier,  Calif... 


Gulton  Industries,  Inc. 
Metuchen,  N.J. 

Jelco,  Inc.,  and  Gibbons  and 

Reed  Co.  Salt  Lake  City, 

Utah. 
H-E  Lowdermilk  Co.,  Engle- 

wood,  Colo. 
Rivers  Construction  Co., 

Westo  Construction,  Inc., 

and  Purtzer  and  Dutton, 

Inc.,  Tracy,  Calif. 
Bushman  Construction  Co., 

Inc.,  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
Lentz  Construction  Co., 

Sacramento,  Calif. 
Mitsui  &  Co.  (U.S.A.),  Inc., 

San  Francisco,  Calif. 

Industrial  Builders,  Inc.  Far 

Fargo,  N.  Dak. 
Heide-Christolear,  Inc.,  and 

Van-Pak  Construction,  Inc. 

Smith  Center,  Kans. 
Myers  Construction  Co.,  and 

D.  Gerald  Bing  Minden, 

Nev. 
Toyomenka,  Inc.  San 

Francisco,  Calif. 
Universal  Constructors,  Inc. 

Albuquerque,  N.  Mex. 
Reece  Construction  Co.,  Inc. 

Scandia  Kans. 
Motors  Investment  Corp., 

Boise,  Idaho. 

Bliss  Construction  Co. 
Fallon,  Nev. 

George  A.  Grant,  Inc. 
Richland,  Wash. 


Wells  Construction 
Caldwell,  Idaho 

Convention  Cities  Seattle, 
Wash. 

Peters  and  Wood  Co.  Pasco, 
Wash. 


Equipco  Contractors,  Inc. 

Ephrata,  Wash. 
Peters  and  Wood  Co. 

Pasco,  Wash. 
Andersen  Drilling  Co.,  Inc. 

Petaluma,  Calif. 

Nick  H.  Gray,  Montrose,  Colo 


R.  C.  Jones  and  Co.,  and 
C.  U.  Shafer,  d.b.a.  Shafer 
Brothers  Construction  Co., 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

Joe  P.  Starr,  Albuquerque, 
N.  Mex. 

Herren-Strong,  Inc.,  Platte- 
ville,  Colo. 

R.  J.  Studer  and  Sons, 
BllUngs,  Mont. 

Herman  H.  West  and  Co., 
Murphy,  N.C. 


112 


The  Reclamation  Era 


U.   S.   GOVERNMENT   PRINTING  OFFICE  :  1967  O  -  274-629 


Major  construction  and  materials  for  which  bids  will  be 
requested  through  November  1967* 


Project 


Central  Valley,  Calif. 


Do 
Do 
Do 

Do 


Do. 


Do. 


Chief  Joseph  Dam, 
Wash. 


Colo.  Rvr.  Front  Work 
&  Levee  System, 
Calif. 


CRSP,  Colo. 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Constructing  the  Pleasant  Valley  Pumping  Plant, 
an  intake  transition,  and  a  discharge  line,  with 
appurtenant  mechanical  and  electrical  equip- 
ment. The  pumping  plant  structure  is  to  be  a 
reinforced  concrete  substructure  and  brick 
masonry  superstructure  on  a  structural-steel 
frame.  There  will  be  nine  vertical-shaft,  centrifu- 
gal-type pumping  units,  three  each  at  225  cfs,  125 
cfs,  and  45  cfs,  all  pumping  against  197-ft  total 
pumping  head.  The  discharge  line  will  be  about 
6,600  ft  long  with  a  13-ft  diameter.  Alternate  bids 
will  be  for  steel  cylindrical  prestressed  concrete, 
precast  concrete,  or  monolithic  concrete  pipe. 
The  discharge  pipe  will  terminate  in  a  discharge 
structure  with  a  steel  radial  gate,  about  20  miles 
northeast  of  Coalinga. 

Constructing  a  fish  trap  and  a  fish  ladder  at  the 
left  abutment  of  Red  Blufl  Diversion  Dam.  At 
Red  Bluff. 

Modifying  Contra  Costa  Pumping  Plants  No.  1,  2, 
3,  and  4  and  constructing  a  2,500-  and  a  1,500-kva 
switchyard.  At  Antioch. 

Constructing  two  12-ft  paved  lanes  with  4-ft  paved 
shoulders,  including  a  passing  lane,  about  7,000 
ft  in  length.  Road  extends  east  from  Interstate 
No.  80  to  Auburn-Folsom  road.  Near  Auburn. 

Excavating  five  6-  by  8.5-ft  tmmels  from  550  to 
750  ft  long,  excavating  a  vertical  10.5-ft-diameter 
shaft  about  185  ft  deep  with  a  5-  by  7-ft  tunnel 
about  350  ft  long  taking  off  at  bottom  of  shaft, 
and  a  number  of  5-  by  7-ft  drifts  with  an  average 
length  of  about  75  ft  which  are  to  take  off  from 
tunnels.  Work  will  also  include  preparation  of 
jacking  test  sites  in  the  5-  by  7-ft  tunnel  and 
drifts.  Southeast  of  Auburn. 

Drilling  about  56  horizontal  holes  for  drainage 
on  the  downstream  left  abutment  of  Trinity 
Dam,  installing  drainpipe  in  holes,  and  con- 
structing an  erosion  control  and  drainage  system. 
Near  Lewiston. 

Furnishing  material  and  constructing  an  exhibit 
building  about  24  by  60  ft,  a  comfort  station 
about  20  by  28  ft  with  storage  room,  a  sewerage 
system,  an  under  ground  electrical  system,  a 
metered  water  system  with  sprinklers,  a  paved 
parking  area  to  accommodate  200  vehicles,  and 
relocating  a  road  and  landscaping.  .\t  Auburn 
Damsite. 

Constructing  Toats  Coulee  Diversion  Dam  and 
the  Sinlahekin  siphon,  a  6-mile-long  pipeline 
of  18-,  36-,  39-,  and  45-in.  diameters  with  alternate 
designs  of  either  concrete  pressure  pipe,  preten- 
sioned  pipe,  noncylinder  prestressed  pipe,  steel 
pipe,  or  asbestos-cement  pipe.  Ten  miles  north- 
west of  Tonasket. 

Quarrying  and  placing  rock  riprap  in  windrows 
on  the  Arizona  side  of  the  Colorado  River;  con- 
structing haul  roads  and  gravel  surfacing  same 
and  gravel  surfacing  Topock  Marsh  Dike.  At 
Needles. 

Constructing  about  120  miles  of  single-lane,  un- 
surfaced  access  roads,  with  culverts  and  fence 
gates.  Along  Curecanti-Hayden  230-kv  Trans- 
mission Line  (Schedule  No.  2),  Between  Mont- 
rose and  Hay  den. 


Project 


CRSP.  Colo 


CRSP,  Utah 

Columbia  Basin,  Wash. 


Do 

Do 

Do 

MRBP.  Kansas... 

MRBP,  Montana. 


MRBP,Nebr.... 
MRBP,  N.  Dak. 


Do 

MRBP,  Wyo 

Weber  Basin,  Utah 

Do 

Yuma,  Calif 


Description  of  work  or  material 


Completion  work  for  Morrow  Point  Powerplant 
and  Switchyard  will  consist  of  placing  concrete 
for  turbine  embedment  and  generator  support; 
installing  two  83,000-hp.  180-rpm,  vertical-shaft, 
hydraulic  turbines;  installing  a  transformer 
bank;  constructing  switchyard;  additions  to 
Curecanti  Substation;  installing  equipment; 
constructing  an  entrance  and  visitor  facilities 
building;  landscaping;  and  constructing  a  sew- 
age treatment  plant.  Twenty-two  miles  east  of 
Montrose. 

Drilling  and  anchoring  rock  bolts  and  constructing 
concrete  wall  or  barrier  fence  along  left  abutment 
of  Flaming  Gorge  Dam.  Near  Dutch  John. 

Work  will  consist  primarily  of  excavating  for 
Forebay  Dam  within  specified  limits,  excavating 
common  material  east  of  the  north  end  of  the 
existing  right  switchyard,  and  excavating  for  the 
cable  spreader  yard.  Work  will  also  include  con- 
structing the  Forebay  Dam  cofferdam,  removing 
a  portion  of  the  existing  Grand  Coulee  Dam  as 
needed  for  the  Forebay  Dam  construction,  and 
constructing  access  roads  over  the  cofferdam  to 
the  Marina  Way  and  to  the  cable  spreader  yard. 
Right  abutment  of  Grand  Coulee  Dam. 

Constructing  51  miles  of  buried  pipe  drains  and  1.3 
miles  of  open  drain  in  Blocks  82,  14,  42,  43,  19,  77, 
and  79. 

Three  vertical-shaft,  Francis-type  turbines,  rated 
820,000  hp  at  285  ft  net  head.  Best  turbine  efficien- 
cy desired  at  305  ft  net  head  and  approximately 
750,000  hp.  Grand  Coulee  Third  Powerplant. 

Furnishing,  installing,  and  testing  three  600-mw, 
97.5-power-factor  generators  for  Grand  Coulee 
Third  Powerplant. 

Constructing  a  16-ft  bottom  width  open  drain 
about  1,000  ft  long;  a  double  54-in.  corrugated- 
metal-pipe  culvert;  and  compacted  earth  lining 
4,800  ft  of  the  Main  Canal.  Cedar  Bluff  Unit, 
near  Ellis. 

Right  abutment  slide  area  repairs  at  Yellowtail 
Dam  will  consist  of  resloping  a  portion  of  the 
slide  area,  constructing  an  anchored  retaining  wall 
about  12  by  220  ft,  installing  a  drainage  system, 
and  placin?  free-draining  backfill.  About  45  miles 
southwest  of  Hardin. 

Constructing  about  14  irrigation  wastewater  dis- 
posal ponds;  about  5  miles  of  open  drain;  and  3 
miles  of  grassed  waterways.  Near  Alnsworth. 

Constructing  an  office  building,  a  10-stall  garage, 
and  a  shop  and  warehouse  building  for  Oakes 
Permanent  O&M  Headquarters  Building.  Work 
will  include  furnishing  and  installing  two  buried 
fuel  tanks,  and  landscaping  and  gravel  surfacing. 
Near  Oakes. 

One  230-kv  power  circuit  breaker  for  Bismarck 
Substation,  State  06. 

Constructing  the  outdoor-type  Hanover  Pumping 
Plant  No.  5.  Near  Worland. 

Earthwork,  pipeline,  and  structures  for  a  4-  to  14- 
in.  pressure  pipe  system,  with  150  turnouts,  to 
provide  service  to  150  acres.  Near  Bountiful. 

Earthwork  and  structures  for  about  6.6  miles  of 
buried  pipe  drains,  and  1,500  ft  of  open  drain 
outlet  channel.  Near  Farmington. 

Earthwork,  concrete  lining,  and  structures  for  re- 
locating about  5,800  lin  ft  of  the  Seminole  Lateral, 
about  2  miles  northwest  of  Yuma. 


Subject  to  change. 


UNITED  States 
Government  Printing  Office 

DIVISION   OF   PUBLIC  DOCUMENTS 

Washington,  D.C.    20402 


OFFICIAL   BUSINESS 


POSTAGE   AND    FEES    PAID 
U.S.  GOVERNMENT   PRINTING   OFFICE 


In  its  assigned  function  as  the  Nation's  principal  natural  resource  agency, 
the  Department  of  the  Interior  bears  a  special  obligation  to  assure  that  our 
expendable  resources  are  conserved,  that  renewable  resources  are  managed 
to  produce  optimunt  yields,  and  that  all  resources  contribute  their  full  meas- 
ure to  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  security  of  America,  now  and  in  the 

future. 

U.S.  Department  or  the  Interior/ Bureau  of  Reclamation 


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