Power Development on the Colorado River And its Relation to Irrigation and Flood Control

Abstract

The Colorado River drains an area of 250,000 square miles in the States of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and New Mexico, Arizona and California, and in the Mexican States of Sonora and Lower California. It is the third largest river basin in the United States and is fourth in volume of waters. The basin contains some five million acres of irrigable land and possibilities for power development exceeding six million horse power. The upper section of the river to the Utah-Arizona State line comprises 40 per cent of the basin, contains one-half of the irrigable land, supplies 87 per cent of the annual run-off, and could develop some two million horse power. Developments in this section, particularly storage, are likely to result in conflict between power and irrigation. The middle section from the Utah-Arizona line to the mouth of the Williams River comprises 35 per cent of the area, contains comparatively little irrigable land and supplies only 7 per cent of the annual run-off. This section, mainly in deep canyon, has a drop of about 3,000 feet and could produce four million horse power. The lower section with 25 per cent of the area of the basin has two and a quarter million acres of the best irrigable lands, provides 6 per cent of the run-off and has comparatively small power resources.