- Westerners Hold - Conventions

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ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 2 TO 30 INCHES • ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 30 TO 80 INCHES •

U. S. Weather Bureau

DEDICATED TO THE TASK OF PROVIDING ADEQUATE WATER FOR A PROFITABLE AND DIVERSIFIED IRRIGAnON AIiRICULTURE IN WESTERN AMERICA-AN EXPAN 51 ON OF WAR FOOD PRODucnON THROUGH MORE IRRIGATION-THE CREATION OF NEW FARM OPPORTUNITIES AND THE STABILIZAnON OF DROUGHT AREAS.

1119 NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING, WASHINGTON 4, D. c.

December 17. 1943 DENVER RESOLUTIONS 4, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18

We commend for careful study the above six Resolutions, together with all of their implications. The postwar public development program of the entire arid and semiarid half of our country seems to be involved with the issues with which these Resolutions deal. Here are a few of the tangible issues.

(A) Free Flood Control Reservoirs vs. Repayable Irrigation Reservoirs

Irrigation, flood control and multiple-purpose basin wide development projects under the jurisdiction of two or more Federal Agencies. Can it be made to work?

Free flood control reservoirs with stored water eternally subject to re- lease to make room for another flood or for other purposes, competing for

acceptance by the people with irrigation reservoirs repayable in 40 years with··

out interest, but with the water forever subject to the will of the irrigator~

Which cause should we of the West pursue?

(B) A Few ~in stream Reservoirs or Many Tributary stream Reservoirs?

Two theories of reservoir location: one, main stream reservoirs which eliminate much of the best farm land of some of our western states, creating mass migration and resettlement problems in some areas comparable to the drought and dust bowl of recent years; the other, off-stream reservoirs or smaller and more numerous reservoirs on tributaries which permit greater dis- tribution of benefits and which minimize the damage to existing values. Which way do our interests lay?

There are a host of problems that western agriculture, business and political leaders must answer before we can go far with any postwar water development program.

SECRETARY ICKES OUTLINES A 3 BILLION DOLLAR POSTWAR RECLAMATION PROGRAM

In the accompanying article Secretary Ickes outlines the 3 billion dollar reclama-·

tion program which the Bureau of Reclamation already has on paper. Read Mr. Ickes' article! Read the above Resolutions! Try to conclUde what our future course of action should bel

HOLIDAY GREETINGS TO YOU ALL

We take this means of wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Yea~

Respectfully submitted,

OFFICERS O. S. WARDEN. PRESIDENT ORA BUNDY. FIRST VICE· PRESIDENT ROBERT W. SAWYER. SECOND VICE.PRESIDENT J. A. FORD. TREASUREit

F. O. HAGlE. SECRETARY· MANAGER

HUGO B. FARMER. YUMA. ARIZONA J. R. FAUVER, EXETER. CALIFORNIA CLIFFORD H. STONE. DENVER. COLORADO N. V. SHARP. FILER. IDAHO

E. PORTER AHRENS. SCANDIA. KANSAS O. S. WARDEN. COREAT FALLS. MONTANA

F. O. Hagie, Secretary-Manager

DIRECTORS H. D. STRUNK. Me COOK. NEBRASKA A. M SMITH. CARSON CITY. NEVADA E. W. BOWEN. TUCUMCARI. NEW MEXICO HARRY E. POLK. WILLISTON. NORTH DAKOTA FRANK RAAB. OKLAHOMA CITY. OKLAHOMA

ROBERT W. SAWYER. BEND. OREGON MILLARD G. SCOTT. PIERRE. SOUTH DAKOTA MILTON E. DANIEL. BRECKENRIDGE. TEXAS ORA BUNDY. OGDEN. UTAH

J. A. FORD. SPOKANE. WASHINGTON W. F. WILKERSON. CASPER. WYOMIN ..

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ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 2 TO 30 INCHES • ANNUAL PRECIPITATION lIO TO eo ^INCHES

U. S. We4ther B"",,u

Vol. VIII, No. 1

DEDICATED TO THE TASK OF PROVIDING ADEQUATE WATER FOR A PROFITABLE AND DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE IN WESTERN AMERICA-THE CREATION OF NEW HOMES-THE STABILIZATION OF DROUGHT AREAS. THIS WILL MAKE AMERICA STRONG I

1119 NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D. C. December 9, 194~

FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL NATIONAL T)EFENSE APPROPRIA.TIOn BILL FOR FISCAL YEAR 19W+ BY SEli"ilE CARRIES ~800, 060 FOR REC LA MAT ION'

With only ~e64,ooo of Case-Wheeler fund unobligated and eleven such projects pending early approval of War Production Board, it was necessary for the Bureau to request from Congress a $2,000,000 Deficiency Appropriation so that irrJnediate construction could be undertaken on such of the eleven projects referred to as may get War Production Board approval.

In reference to the Bureau's Investigation Fund this 8i tuation prevails. Princi- pally because stop-orders had been issued against most reclarration and water conservation projects a year ago, Congress appropriated only ~964,00o for all Bureau of Recla.rration investigations, and this in spite of' the fact that the Bureau had sou~ht

$2,200,000 for this purpose and the Bureau of the Budget had recommended $1,200,000.

Now under the impetus of the War Food AdI:1i.nistration^ts demand for Irrigation Wflr Food Projects, the Bureau is confronted with the greatest demand in history to expedite the investigation and surveys of water conservation and irrigation projects.

For this purpose it has the srrnllest appropriation in years.

To supply this need the Senate provided in the above bill $2,800,000 for water conservation and utilization projects for the following purposes, as outlined in the

Com~ittee Report.

ttThe above amount will provide for the investigation and construction of irrigation facilities in order to expedite the production of critical foods needed for the war and for the period immediately subsequent to the war and to avert the drought threat of crop failure of critical foods which would hamper the war effort.

"The amount recommended will make possible (1) the continuation and completion of surveys, investigations, and the gathering of data essential to effect plans and specifications for carrying out a program for producing food which is needed during the war and for the period ir.!rediately subsequent to the war, (2) the continuution of construction in the fiscal year 1944 on pro-

jects which have been cleared and approved by the governing agencies, and (3) the prompt undertaking of construction in 1944 on projects approved by the War Food Administration when cleared b,y the War Production Board."

The Bill passed the Senate December 8th. Its fate will rest upon the outcome of the House and Senate Conferees. The House had previously refused to provide for this item.

WAR PRODUCTIOn BOARD APPROVES THO MORE IRRIGATION WAR FOOD PROJECTS

The War Production Board has just announced the approval of two more Irrigation '"far Food Pro jects as fo llows: Post Falls Unit of Rathdrum Prairie Pro ject, Idaho, costing ~300,000 and supplying 1,000 acres with supplemental water supply and 2,5.27

acres of new land, e.nd the Dodson Pumping Unit of Milk River Project, Montana, costing ~62,000 and furnishing a water supply to 1,300 acres of new llJ.nd.

OFFICERS DIRECTORS

O. s. WARDEN. PRESIDENT ORA BUNDY. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT ROBERT W. SAWYER. SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT J. A. FORD. TREASURER

F. O. HAGlE. SECRETARY.MANAGER

HUGO B. FARMER. YUMA. ARIZONA J. R. FAUVER. EXETER. CALIFORNIA CLIFFORD H. STONE. DENVER. COLORADO N. V. SHARP. FILER. IDAHO

E. PORTER AHRENS. SCANDIA. KANSAS O. S. WARDEN. GREAT FALLS. MONTANA

H. D. STRUNK. MC COOK. NE:BRASKA A. M. SMITH. CARSON CITY. NEVADA E. W. BOWEN. TUCUMCARI. NEW MEXICO HARRY E. POLK. WILLISTON. NORTH DAKOTA FRANK RAAB. CANTON. OKLAHOMA

ROBERT W. SAWYER. BEND. OREGON W. D. BUCHHOLZ. NEWELL. SOUTH DAKOTA W. B A RNOLD SAN ANTONIO. TEXAS ORA BUNDY. OGDEN. UTAH J. A. FORD. SPOKANE. WASHINGTON PERRY W. JENKINS. CORA. WYOMIN6

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Bulletin No. 1--2

So far there seems to be no assurance from the War Production Board that the Irrigation War Food Pro jects will not need to be scrutinized by both the Government Division and the lⁱ'acilities Bureau of W.F.B., a short cut much to be hoped for.

WESTERN CONSTRUCTION NEWS DEVOTES NEtlS AND EDITORIAL SPACE TO N.R.A. CONVENTION Members will find attached editorial and news comments from the western Construc- tion News, concerning the As s ociati on's 12th Annual Meet ing in Denver. We hope that the absent members may find it of interest.

19 RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT DENVER ARE ENCLOSED

We are pleased to ha!1d you herewith a copy of the 19 Resolutions which were passed at the October meeting of the Associa.tion in Denver. Please familiarize yourself with their purpose and content, and get actively into the job of helping to tra.nslate them into accomplishment for your section, state and the nation.

THIRTY IHRIGATION WAR FOOD PROJECTS HAVE NOW BEEN APPROVED BY THE WAR PRODUCTION BOARD BENEFITING l,140,11~ ACRE:S OF LAND'

The importance of the Irrigation War Food I-'rojects to this Nation's food supply takes on new importance when you put them all together ard add them up. Here they are I ^{_ _ _ _}^-^{0 • • •}^{_ _}^{• •••}_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ •

Acreap;e Benef'l. t t e a - " - - - Name of' Project

1 Gila

2 Salt River

3

4

Cochella Div.(All-American) rhdera Canal 1/

II

5 Friant D'.l.m 6 Yuma

7 Colorado-Big Thompson 8' Ynncos

9 Anderson Ranch 10 Fort Hall 11 Bitter Root 12 Intake 1311 Blackfeet 14 Crow 151 Fort Peck lb Tongue River 17 United Pueblos 18 Fallon

19 Pyramid 20 Moapa

211 Western Shoshone 221 Deschutes

2~ Klamath-fudo:c

24 Rapid Valley

25 Newton 26

1 Provo River 271 Scofield 28 Yakima-Raza 29

1

Willd Ri.ver

30 Rathdrum Prairie 31 Milk Ri ver

I/Both Central Valley Proje~t,

n~king net total 30 projects.

state

Ari~.

Ariz.

Calif.

Ca lif.

Calif.

Colo.

Id!:'~ho

Idaho I'lont.

Mont.

Mont. l"Iont. 110nt.

N •. M.

lJev.

Nev.

Nev. Oreg.

Ore b. -Calii S. Dak.

Utah Utah Utah Wash.

Wyo.

Ariz.

t10nt.

TOTALS

New land for land now in

I

Supplemental water

8,500 3,000 10,000 30,000 1,000 2,000 2,500 14,600 620 2,000 5,000

3,750

1,000 1,250 500

3,900 750 1,000 20,000 12,500 1,660

32,050 5,000 2,527 1,200 160,407

cultivation (a e r e s.)

I

16,000 80,000 160,000

320,OOO~

8,000 340,000 4,000 240

12,000 565

1<) ,300 12,500

1,000 973,605 Respectfully submitted,

F. o. Hagie, Secretary-Manager

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- Westerners Hold - Conventions

National Reclamation Ass'n.

THE IRRIGATION War Food Conference and Twelfth Annual Meeting of the N ational R~clamation

Association was held in Denver, Octo- ber 27-29, with 640 registered delegates in attendance. Meetings of the conference and of the board of directors were presided over by President O. S. War- den, Great Fans, Mont., publisher.

Addresses were heard from Harry W.

Bashore, Commissioner of the Bur.eau of Reclamation; Frank W. Herring, Deputy C~airman of the WPB Facilities Bureau, and other Government officials, on the present and forthcoming reclamation p.rogram and the steps required to secure approval for construction of a project at the present time. Thirteen of the projects upon which work was terminated by the War Production Board in November, 1942, have been reinstated, following approval by the War Food Administration and the Facilities Com- mittee of WPB.' Approval of thirteen more is now pending and pertinent data are being prepared on an additional fifty by the B,ureau of Reclaination for early submission.

The contribution of the forests of the West to reclamation was discussed by Lyle F. Watts, chief of the U. S. For- est Service; soil conservation programs now under way in the arid and semi-arid areas were discussed by Dr. Hugh Ben- nett, Director of the U. S. Soil Conserva- tion Service; and "Power-Its Assist- ance to Reclamation" was brought before the meeting by Dr. Paul J. Raver, Administrator of the Bonneville Power Authority, in a lengthy session devoted exclusively to these deY.elopments, which are adjuncts to the irrigation program.

Missouri Valley plan

Another entire session was devoted to problems of the Missouri river basin development. The plan of flood control and navigation prepared by the U. S. Engi- neers was discussed by Col. Miles Re- ber, U. S. division engineer at St. Louis, Mo. S. O. Harper, Chief Engineer of the Bureau of Reclamation, presented a paper on the reclamation possibilities in the Missouri basin, outlining developments proposed by the Bureau. Other phases of the Missouri river discussion were considered by W m. S. Wilson of the Mississippi Valley Association, and the Honorable M. Q. Sharpe, Governor of South Dakota.

At a luncheon on the 28th, the use of prisoners of war on farm land and other projects was discussed. A considerable number of these men are interned in the western states and their labor is available under certain circumstances. The farmer or contractor must pay to 'the Government the regular going wage for the type of work performed in the area.

Of this, 80 cents per day is paid to the

prisoner, the remainder being absorbed in guard charges, food, etc.

Of particular interest in the convention was a report on Resolution No. 9 of the 1942 convention dealing with state water rights and their preservation. Judge Clifford H. Stone, Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and his committee, presented a report embodying eleven recommendations to be followed in the interests of adequate protection of state's rights in the water resources of the West. Be- cause of the importance attached to'this matter by the delegates in'attendance at .the convention, the eleven recommenda-

tions are presented herewith in full:

1. That the control, regulation and utilization of water in the arid and semi- arid areas of the United States be 'in ac- cord with the principle that the highest use shall be for domestic consumption and for growing crops; that multiple- use or power projects shall be so de- signed and operated that domestic and irrigation needs shall at all times be para-

mount to the requirements of hydro- electric energy production; and that the imposition of federal jurisdiction under the Commerce Clause 'to maintain navi'- gable capacity and regulate floods in lower reaches of rivers having their sources in the arid and semi-arid region should recognize the maximum use of water fqr irrigation purposes.

2. That appropriate steps be taken to resist resort to the Commerce Clause of the federal constitution, through various legislative enactments and 'a liberal construction thereof by judicial decrees, as a means of imposing complete federal control of water resources ·in disregard of applicable state water laws.

3. That the states oppose the creation of federal regional authorities for the control of the planning, construction and operation of water development projects as being inimicable to the preservation of the srate control over water resources.

4. That in pending and all future liti:- gations, the states unite in opposing the Government claim of the ownership of unappropriated waters of pon-navigable streams; that all necessary steps be taken to encourage compliance with the provisions of Section 8 of the Reclama- tion Act of 1902 by the Secretary of the Interior; and that state officials resist the initiation of water rights for reclamation projects by means of a reserva- tion of water by the Secretary of the In- terior under the claim of Government ownership of all unappropriated water.

5. That, in the interests of economy, avoidance of duplication of effort and the attainment of the highest use of the limited water resource of the West for all beneficial purposes, the states seek, through action of the Congress, or by

NOf)emberJ 1943-WESTERN CONSTRUCTION NEWS

other effective means, to' obtain the correlation of ,the activities of all departments, bureaus and agencies of the Government. engagea in water development and flood control.

6. That in the formulation of plans for basin development ,and in the authoriza- tion of speCific projects, steps be taken to insure poth the recognition of applicable state laws and the appropriate coordination ,of federal and state jurisdictions over the waters involved in such plans or proj~cts,

7. That to assure the most efficient use . of waters for mUltiple purposes, to pro-

vide for amicable division of waters among states, to remove all causes, presel'lt and future, which might lead to controversies, to promote interstate comity, to recognize that the most efficient utilization of waters within a basin in the arid a'nd semi-arid West is for beneficial consump.ti~e use, to preserve the integrity of state water laws, and to promote joint action by the states and the United States for the utilization of the water resources and the control of destructive floods, studies be made in various basins to determine the desirabil- ity 6f interstate compacts and encouragt the making of such compacts.

8. That fo attain the objectives set forth in the last preceding paragraph and to lay the ground work for possible compact making, serious and immediate consideration be given to the formulation of basin states committees.

9. That , consideration and study be given to a proposal that in the national inter:est to provide for the reclamation of public lands and to preserve the best economy of a large section of the United States, the Congress adopt legislation recognizing that the paramount and most b~neficial use of water west of the 98th meridian, or other designated. line, is for beneficial consumptive use;

and that all federal agencies dealing with water in this region be required to observe this policy and that it be mandatory that any appropriation of water for beneficial consumptive use for projects planned, constructed or operated by them in that region be in full conformity with applicable state laws.

to.' That while insisting upon the preservation of the integrity of state water' laws, the states recognize the legitimate application of federal jurisdiction and endeavor to coordinate it with the state jurisdictions over the appropriation and use of water for beneficial purpose; and that the states of the West resist a policy, recently evidenced by the activities of some federal agencies, bureaus and departments, apparently de- signed to secure an unassailable federal control of a limited and vital Western resource in disregard of state laws and the established economy ·of a great region both through a claim of ownership of unappropriated water of non-navigable streams and also through an applica-

503

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,

November, 1943

J. M. SERVER, JR.

W. A. DAVIS.

tion of the Commerce Clause of the federal constitut'ion to obtain such control and not in the substantial interest of commerce.

11. That the use of water for irrigation, industrial and domestic purposes is local in character and plenary control thereof should rest exclusively in these states. The claim of the federal government, that it has a proprietary right to such waters is a challenge to the sovereignty of the states and, if established, renders them dependencies of the federal government. We should, there- fore, invite other states to join in the preservation of the principle of state sovereignty and against encroachment upon state prerogatives by the federal government.

Closing sessions

On the afternoon of the 29th, the annual business session was held, in which reports of the various committees were heard, and resolutions adopted. The 11 points enumerated above were embodied in one of the resolutions. President O. S.

A. H. GRAHAM •

ARNOLD KRUCKMAN •

. Editor Assistant Editor

Field Editor

• Washington Editor

Good Conventions

OCTOBER seems to be the month of conventions In the West.

!¥ estern C Ollstr1tction News was represented at five of the very Importa?t ones, the Association of Western State Engineers, the N atlOnal Reclamation Association, the California section of the American Water Works Association; the State Association of California Architects, and a series of important meetings of the Associat~d Equipment Dealers. All are reported in this issue.

Without exception they were attended by serious-minded men and women highly concerned about the place their particular talent or project could best be fitted into the war effort to speed the coming of peace·. Each was designated as a wartime conference, an? in every case delegates left feeling that they had both contnbuted to the war effort, and that their own posi- tion in it was more clarified.

Probably the largest of the meetings and that of greatest mo-

n:ent in the developments' of the West and successful prosecu- tIon o~ the war was that of the Reclamation Association. Every Amencan has felt to a greater Or less degree the pinch of the food shortage, and p'rospects are that it will become more rather than less acute with the passage of time. .

Efforts of the Association to remove the 194f stop-work order of the vVar Production Board, which summarily terminated contracts on numerous irrigation and power projects throughout the West, are to be heartily commended. Completion of these projects in every case will result in additional thousands of acres of land with adequate water to produce food for our populace, our armed forces and our allies, and in those cases

",,:here power generation is also involved, will add multiplied kllo~atts to power pools whic.h in some areas are being heavily straIned by the demands of war industry.

Warden, Secretary Floyd O. Iiagie, and Treasurer James A. Ford were continued in office. No decision was made as to a meeting place for 1944. The two addresses on the closing afternoon were by Douglas Scalley, President of the U.

S. Sugar Beet Association, on the future of the domestic sugar industry, and George W. Malone, Manager of the In- dustrial West Foundation and former State Engineer of Nevada, on the economic war now raging on the Pa- cific front simultaneously with the war against Japan. He had just returned from an inspection tour of the fighting fronts, as well as the economic fronts in the South Pacific, and reported that while American troops are making ad- mirable gains on the battlefield, Ameri- can economic interests are being pushed aside and neglected by British, French and Dutch empire policies.

An honored guest at several of the sessions and the closing banquet was former Commissioner John C. Page, who was obliged to retire in June because of ill health.

Vol. 18, No. 11

It is a noteworthy fact that the thirteen projects already approved for continuation of work and the thirteen upon which approval is momentarily expected, are now permitted to go ahead because of the facts prepared and presented by the Bureau of Reclamation, and the pressure exerted by the Reclamation Association, with the wise and strong assistance of Sen. Carl Hayden of Arizona. It is only regrettable that WPB was un- able to see or understand the implications of their original stop

order. .

Every Western state and community was represented, and presented local projects for attention. As is perfectly natural, some of these were impractical, requiring too much critical ma- terial, a construction time incompatible with war urgency, or a cost excessive for the amount of land to be irrigated. However, no one is to be condemned for offering his project for consideration. They will be valuable as a reservoir of post-war construction. A practical unity of opinion was secured on those projects now approved or nearing approval.

Another highly important and commendable action of the Association was the work of its committee, headed by Judge Clifford Stone of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, ap- pointed to make recommendations on Resolution No. 9 of the 1942 convention, on the subject of the application of state water laws and their preservation. An extremely detailed and lengthy report was prepared, with eleven recommendations made with a view to maintaining state control of water resources, and re- sisting federal encroachment on these rights. Western C on- struction News agrees that in the arid and semi-arid West, water use is the basis, measure, and limit of 'development, and it can besr be controlled by people living on the scene, rather than by a p~ternal agency far away in a ditlerent atmosphere, and his- torically subject to mistakes in judgment.

Criticism is occasionally he~rd about the use of traveling ac- commodations, hotel rooms, etc., for convention purposes, during the period of war. Perhaps the criticism is sometimes justified.

In the case of conventions devoted purely to war purposes, as in those reported in this magazine, the time, money, space, and in- convenience were worthwhile.

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ANNU/,.J.. PRECIPITATION 2. TO 30 INCHES IIr.i ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 30 TO 80 INCHES .

U. S. Weather Bureau

More Irrigated Acreage, and Greater Production from Every Irrigated Acre., is the W ar-Time Goal of the West

DEDICATED TO THE TASK OF PROVIDING ADEQUATE WATER FOR A PROFITABLE AND DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE IN WESTERN AMERICA-THE CREATION OF NEW HOMES-THE STABILIZATION OF DROUGHT AREAS. THIS WILL MAKE AMERICA STRONG!

IF YOU CAN HELP, COME-IF NOT, LEAVE YOUR SPACE FOR OTHERS 1119 NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D. C.

---¥~ VIJ NQ--~---____________________________ ~~~~~~~~t_L _ _ _ _ _ _

The 12th Annual 11eet ing and Irrig;ation War Foud Conference held at Denver last

~onth, attenied by 6L6 registered delegates from 17 WGstorn states, came to bripS with many wGstern water problems directly affecting the IJation's war food supply.

Fourteen states reelected their previous Directors, three chose new Directors.

Twenty resolutions comprising a full program for the ensuing year were unanimously approved, practically all speakers appeared ns scheduled. Article VIII of the Association's Constitution was a.r.1ended increasinf~ Individual C'Jntributing l1JJi1bor-

ships from $1.00 to ~2.00 per year.

A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Associatiun conveninb in Denver for two days just before the Convention was at~ended ~ith all seventeen states represented. Conferences wi th Bureau l..Jfficials and !:w.tters of vital c')ncern to the Association constituted the Rgenda.

<Judging from conversati(Jw3 with th\.)se present and from our post-convention I1l:.1il, it appeurs thG.t ~·"'J8.ny it:. attendance rate this as possi.bly tho Associuti0n's r:lOst successful and constructive convention. Hestorn reclamation novel' hC.d m-':Irc,

s~rongor, or moro dotermined supy:ort than it has t (,day 1

It is hoped to have copies of the convention proceedinGs in the hands of all members in good standing by the first of the yoar.

AN OVER-ALL HESTERH DE'iJELOPYSrT AS80CIi~,TIOE 18 II) THE DISCUSSIONAL STAGE BY M1\lfY

!"lEN AN~ GROUPS "iliO VISlJALIZE\~E~f'I'ERH ElvIPTtB"nr ~El~ ~AKinG··

FollowinG the Convention the Secrotary-I'1:uluger, upon request, conferred with leaders of the '-.Jest COG.st constrnctiO!l industry al1d other western leaders regarding the potential possibilitit'!s that might accrue to the western half of the nation if all western interests (includinG business" asrict41ture" and the constrnction and transportation industry) woro orGanized into a western development association of some kind.

It is apparent at this time that many men--leaders in all walks of life--not only westerners, but men from the middle WGst and east are independently giving considerable thought to the idea that Hestern America has a great opportunity throughout the postwar era and the immediate future to come into its own in a big way, providing its men, money, natural resources and western enterprise can be teared-up to build the west into an empire worthy of its great undeveloped res..)urces.

M3mbers of this Association who have already proven what united teaJ1lVllork back of a worth while. regional development prop'~ram can accomplish :r.-ay desire to f;ive immediate thought to the possibilities of such an over-all western development

OFFICERS

---

O. s. ^WARDEN, PRESIDENT ORA BUNDY, FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT ROBERT w. SAWYER, SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT J. A. FORD. TREASURER

F. O. HAGlE, SECRETARY-MANAGER

HUGO B. FARMER. YUMA. ARIZONA J. R. FAUVER, EXETER, CALIFORNIA CLIFFORD H. STONE. DENVER. COLORADO N. V. SHARP, FILER, IDAHO

E. PORTER AHRENS, SCANDIA, KANSAS O. S. WARDEN. GREAT FAllS. MONTANA

DIRECTORS

H. D. STRUNK. MC COOK. NEBRASKA A. M. SMITH, CARSON CITY, NEVADA E. W. BOWEN, TUCUMCARI, NEW MEXICO HARRY E. POLK. WILLISTON. NORTH DAKOTA

FRANK RAAB. CANTON, OKLAHOMA

ROBERT W. SAWYER. BEND, OREGON W. D. BUCHHOLZ. NEWELL. SOUTH DAKOTA W. B. ARNOLD. SAN ANTONIO. TEXAS ORA BUNDY. OGDEN. UTAH J. A. FORD. SPOKANE. WASHINGTON

PERRY W. JENKINS. CORA. WYOMING

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,Bulletin No. 14---2

association a.nd lend encouragement to it.

HER.E AL"1E SOME OF THE OUTSTAi'IDIlm FEATURES OF TEE DElIVER CONVENTION

1. Report of Committee, Chairmaned by Clifford H. stone, authorized last year by Resolution No.9 to study a.nd report on ways and moans of preserving tho integrity of state water laws. The 175 page printed report is available at this office.

2. Report of Committee, Chairmaned by Wells A. Hutchins, authorized last year by Resolution No. 13 to prepare a uniform water code for the western states. A lilnited number of mimeogra.phed copies are a.vailable through Mr. Hutchins t office a. t Berkeley, California, for people directly interGsted in improving their -state water code.

3. Project Sponsors appeared particularly interested in the series of addresses on Thursday by Commissioner Bashore of the Bureau of Reclamation, Mr. E. D. White of the War Food Administrat ion, I1r. Fran1{ W. Herring of the Wa.r Production Board,

l"Tr. J. E. Gross of the Har funpower Commission and by I1~jor H. L. Holcott concerning the use of war prisoners in the construction of irrigation war food projects.

4. Representa.tives of the six states in the I1i.ssouri River Ba~in apparently made the most of th8ir opportunity, which the :Friday morninr; Convention pro gram provided, in brinr;inr; togethnr Colone 1 Mi le's Reber, Divis ion Engineor, Corp of Army Engineers, Missouri Rivor Division at Oraaha, Hilliam S. Hilson, Assistant Presidont of the Mississippi Valley Association, of st. Louis, Sinclair o. Harper, Chief Engineer of the Bureau of Rec l8or.18. tion at Denver, and Governor 11. Q. Sharpe of South Do.kota, who

is Cha. irman of the Governors t1issouri River Eight states Committee. 1''hny conferencES v-iere he Id which it is reported he.. ve had a c lurifying effect in bringing about needed action on the Ylissouri River development plans.

5. Having a.vailable at Denver alm()st the entire administrative personnel of the Bureau of Recla~at ion for conferences on local a.nd reGional probloms with project

representati~ves has been Plentioned by many as one of the outstanding features of this year's meeting. We are deeply indebted to Cqmmissi0ner Bashore, "his Wa.shington, Denver ^J and :B'ie Id Staff for the ir on-the-ground cooperation with us ^J their western constituents.

SUGGESTIONS FRO!1 l"JEl''IBERS ON HOW TO Il"'IPROVE OUR SERVICE AWD JiU'l'URE CONVENTIONS DESIRED BY YOUR WASHINGTON OFFiCE--<'---~-

While details of the Denver meeting are still fresh in your mind your Washington office would be glad to receive suggestions for improving and strengthening both future convention programs and increasing the services which this office might render all members throup;hout the 17 western states. Your suggestions are urgently sol ic ited now or in t he future as t hey may occur to ;you. Let them come. Thanks 1 LATEST PROGRESS WITH IRRIGATION WAR FOOD PROJECTS

In addition to projects listed on page 2 of our Bulletin of Septelnber 15 the following projects have been recommended by War Food Administration to the Har Production Board for early construction as Irrigation War Food Projects:

Post Falls trni t RuthdruT!1 Prairie Project" ,Idaho LaPlata Project, Colorado

:ladson Project" l'Tontfu"la Misso\lla Project, Nontuna

Savage Projeot" Hontana.

Belmoreah Project, Texas Lueert-Altus Projectl Okla.

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Bulletin No. 14---3

The following list of Projects arc now being studied by W,F.A. with a view to recommending them to W.P.B. for early approval.

Gila Extensio)1, Ariz,:ma Cardna, California Willows, California

Fort Summer, New liaxico Weber Delta, Utah

Santa Clara, Utah Canton, Oklahoma Boise Payette, Idaho Bully Creek, Oregon Burbank, Washington Shoshone H. M., Wyoming

Missoula Valley Big Flat, Montana t-1..issoula Valley Low Lift. Montana Missoula South Bench, I'10ntana

Hhitehorse Bench or Rock Creek, I'1ontana Tongue River, Montana

U Bar N., !'bntnnu

Milk River (Fort Belknap), Montana Buffalo Rapids, Fallon Div.

Augostura, South Dakota Mermentau, Louisiana

Projects sponsors t=\nd, friends of thes(;: Projects should Give every assistance to the War Food Administration officials on oach of thoso projects.

Since our last Bulletin the following Projects lmve been approved by the War Production Board for ilrnnediate construction:

Bitterroot Project, Montana Intake Project, Montana 'reche-Vermillion, Louisiana The followinf, four projects have been rejected;

l"I'.irage Flats, Nebraska Yuma Levee, Ari2C na

Billings Drainage, Montana Riverton, Wyoming

Of these four, tvTJ.rage Flats was rejected by the Facilities Bureau of W.P.B.

largely on the basis of lack of manpower. It is now understood that prisoners of war are available in that aref). for such work. The remaining three projects i.t is understood were rejected by the Governmental Division of W.I .B. which heretofore have had little if anythi~lg to do wi th Reclamation Projects.

An effort is being made to channel all future projects exclusively through the Facilities Bureau of W.P.B. and thus avoid any further conflict between agencies within the War Production Board.

The largest projeot of all, the Friant-Kern Canal, Californin, once rejected is now before a local California W.~.B. oommittee which expeots to rrake a decision in the ne xt 00 t)P Ie of weeks wi thout further forJl1.a.l hearines.

Further studies are being mad€; on the Tucumcari Project, New Mexico, with th(~

hope that it may be favorably reconsidered at an early date.

HERE ARE A FEW BIILS WHICH HAVE BEEN RECEN'TLY I1JTRODUCED IN CONGRESS ALL OF WHICH ARE OF SOI'18 INTE1l1'~ST TO THE WEST

S. 1519 by McClellan, Nov. 9, 1943, to provide for the construction, mainten- ance, and operation of flood control and navigat:i.on improvement, including dams,

reservoirs, and allied structures, in the basins of Arkans~s and White Rivers, and for the disp6sit ion of surplus electric energy generated by the Federal Flood Control and NaVigation L'Tlprovements in the bas ins of such rivers. This is the first bill that has-come to our' attention that plans to use all exi~ting Federal

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Bulletin Ne. 14---4

agencies in stream basin developmont. It provides use of Army Engineers on Flood Control and Navigation; the Bureau of Rcolamation for Irrigation construc~ion and the Department of the Interior in disposinG of surplus power.

s. 1l.J.56 by Balli<head and H.R. 3429 by White. A bill to amend section 1 of an nct entitled "A.n Act Authoriz ine; the Seoretary of the Interior t o Employ Engineers nnd Economists for Consultation Purposes on Important ::.reclamation Work" approved

Feb. 28, 1929. (1t5 stat. 1406) as amended by the a.ct of April 22, 1940 (54 stat.

148). This act permits employing retired Bureau personnel.

S. 1387 by Wheeler, S. 1388 by t~rry and H.R. 3522 by O'Conner, a Bill to extend the time within which the states of Hontana., North Dakuta, and \{yoming may negoti- a te and ent er int 0 compact or agreerrent fcr di vi s ion of t he waters of the

Yellowstone River.

H.R. 3565 by Horris 011, a Bill to extend the sugar act of 1937, as amended for five years, and for othbr purposes.

H~R. 3367 by Stewart, a Bill t o provide for the National Defense and to improve the li'lood Control of the Red River by the ereation of a corporation for the operation of Government properties near Denison in the state of Toxas a.nd wit hin the states of Texas and Oklaho~naJ anet' for other purposes. The Bill would estublish the Red River Authority with 'authority vested in e. three man Board.

H.R. 3424 by Ha.gen, a Bill to authorize payments i.n lieu of -taxos to states and polit ical sub-divisions thereof in which real propertJr has been acquired by the Unit ed states for milit!:l.ry purposes, Indian lands, wildlife refuges, National forests J a.nd National Parks. This is one of ten as e. (1.ozen such Bills.

HeR. 3272 by Jones, a Bill to make the Bureau of the Budget an independent estab- lishment of Government, and for other I'lurposes. At present the Bursau of the Budget is an arm of the administrative branch and represents the President.

S. Con Res. 25, by TidinGs. A concurrent Hes 01 ution directinf; the Chief of Engineers of the United states Arny to furnish Conr;ress wit h certain infornation relating to Flood Control. The information would furnish Congress with all pertinent information on Flood Control as a means of creating l:ostwf-tr employment.

S. Con Res. 24 ^by ^.Tidings. A concurrent resolution that cD.lls upon the

governors of each state to transmit to Congress a detailed report showing all the needed public works which should be constructed in the next ten years.

S. Res. 205 by Downey would authorize the committee on Irrigation and Reclama- tion to complete investig8.til.~ns in the state of Californ:i.a on undeveloped irriga.- tion, roclam;.tion, wayor, power and all other projects of IJ. public nD.turc wi.th IJ.

view t o det ermining the nunber of wurkers required, costs, etc., looking to providing postwar employment.

H.R. 2580 an act t o erant the Cl)nSent of Congress to a compact ent~~red into by t he states of South Dakota and Wyoming relating to waters of the Belle Fourche River Basin, etc.

Respectfully submitted,

F •. o. Hagie, Secretary-I'1lnaGer