it :ijleans

ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 2 TO 30 INCHES I) ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 30 TO eo INCHES •

U. S. Weather Bureau

DEDICATED TO THE TASK OF PROVIDING ADEQUATE WATER FOR A PROFITABLE AND DIVERSIFIED IRRIGATION AGRICULTURE IN WESTERN AMERICA-AN EXPAN. SION OF WAR FOOD PRODUCTION THROUGH MORE IRRIGATION-THE CREATION OF NEW FARM OPPORTUNITIES AND THE STABILIZATION OF DROUGHT AREAS.

VOL. VIII, NO. 10 1119 NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING. WASHINGTON 41 D.

c.

To Those Interested in the Controversy Betwo?~ Navigation and Irrigation Over the Use of the Waters of Western streams. _, Gentlemen:

April

26,

1944

Herein is an exchange of correspondence between Lachlan Macleay, President of the l'~ississippi Valley Association, and Don McBride, state Engineer and Director of the Division of Water Resources of Oklruloma. Both letters are worthy of your attention. .

Attached also, is copy of a letter from Fred Po Fellows, General Secretary of the St. Paul Association of Commerce, to the writer, enclOSing copy of a letter from l1r. C. A. Cus~~an to Senators Joseph H. Ball and Henrik Shipstead. These letters advise this office and the Minnesota Senators of that Association's "support of an ruTI€nmnent to the River and Harbor Bill (HR 3961) to protect the states in the Upper ?'1issouri Basin in the us e of water for irrigation and other purposes. tt

Finally, we enclose copy of a map of the Upper ~~ssouri Basin showing the present and potential irrigation of the Basin, and what it :ijleans armually to the area. \,

We urge your careful study of these enclosures and your militant aid in preserving western water for western use throughout the seventeen western :!tates. Hhile the Bill directly affects just the Nissouri and

Snake River Basins, the final cecision" whether favorable or unfavorable, will affect all the arid and semiarid states alike.

The irrigation side of this issue will re heard by a sub-Committee of the Setiate Committee on Commerce, Chairme.!wd by Sena.tor Overton of

LoUisiana. beeinning May 10th. The Committee started hearings on other phases of the Bill April 25th.

We may have but one chance to win this battle. Let us not lose it by lack of aotion nowt

FOIr:Illi Enclosures

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

Respe~tfully submitted,

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. CANTON. 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. WYOMING

!"IIS SIS S IPPI VAlLEY AS 300 IAf IOl~

---The Mid-Continent Association of Industrial, Commercial and Agricultural Interests Incorporated in The

state of Louisiana April

19, 1919

Mr. Don McBride, Director Division of Water Resources

Headquarters -

511

Looust st. Saint Louis

April

13, 1944

Brunch Offices '-Jashington and Chicago

Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Dear r1r. Mc Br ide:

There is enolosed a copy of the so-ca.lled "Western !m.end.rnenttt _{which was offered} to the Rivers and Harbors Bill in the House and was defeated_ This Bill is now be-fore the Commerce Committee of the Senate, and this ELilendment or something similar_ will be offered to the Cocrnitteo or on the £loor of the Senate where the irrigation-ists enjoy a larger percentage of hOr!l8 influenced votos ·than they do in the House.

The immedia.te effect of this a.~endment, if it should pass, would be to change Fort Peck Reservoir from a project which was authorized and constructed to stabilize navigation channels, to an irriga.tion project which would have no further value for navigation.

The irrigationists are after the wate~s for Fort Peck most aggressively. They want to put it on about two million acres o·,£, land that cannot bear the cost of irri-gation unless they receive water from a free-of-cost reservoir.

For many years the irrigation groups have been aided and strongly influenced by ra.ilroad land agents and private owners or grea.t acres.ges. They use all the well. .

known railroa.d arguments against river improvements and, together, they flake a power-ful combination.

The effect of the "Western Amendment" would apply not alone to the Missouri Ba.sin. but to the Arkansas, the Red and all other Basins whose waters originate west of the ninety-seventh meridian, ruld would est~blish a dangerous precedent for the entire country.

Approximately

4Q

million acres of land are now under irrigation in the I'Iissouri Bas in, located lar gely in the states of Colorado, W:roming, Montana, and North and South Dakota. The use of l-lissouri River tributa.ries for irrigating this land lowered the normal flow of the river so much that the Fort Peck Reservoir was designed and built by the Federal Government, under the direction of the Ar~ Engineers, to restoro sufficient flow of water to care for the domestic supply of the cities on the Lower Missouri, to take care of the normal pollution problems and to stabilize navigation depths on the Missouri and the Mississippi, particula.rly at Chain of Rocks 8..."1.d other points between the mouth of the 11issouri and the mouth of the Ohio.

Will you pleas e vlri te to your Senators, urging them to follow the recommendations of the Army Engineers and to aggressively oppose any amendment to divert water pow authorized for navigation to irrigation ~urposes? We will appreciate it if you will advise us of the reaction you got.

LI1/GB Enc.-l

Sincerely,

/s/

Lachlan Macleuy

t

OKLAHOMA F~~ING

&

RESOURCES BOARD Oklahoma City

5,

Oklahoma

Apt.i 1 20, 191.J.~

l~. Lachlan liacleay, President

Mississippi Valley Association 511 Locust Str~et

st. Louis, 11is souri Dear Mr. 1'1acleay.

This will acknowledge receipt of yours of April

13

relative to the so-called "Western AmendMent" which was offered to the Rivers and Ha.rbors Bill in the

House and defeated.

I have some definite scruples relative to this situation and I agree with you that whatever happens in this session of Congress relative to this Bill will affect the development of not only the I1issouri River but the Arkansas, Red, and all other ba.sins whose water originates west of the

97th

Meridian and would esta-blish a dangerous preced.ent for the entire country. !· In fact, I believe we can e.gree that this will set u legal priority precedent on the use of water in streams traversing several states. I believe that authorization by Congress would preclude the upper and western states fror1 using the water of the Miss ouri River for irri-gation because it seems to me that it will take the Gntire controlled flow to main-tain navigation from Sioux City to Kansas City unless the engineers propose to install locks to acconplish navigation.

To me it seems that the state in which ~he strea.m orig;ina.tes should have first right, especially when the proposed use is consumptive, that is, municipal water supply and irrigation uses.

If I were asked to a.mend the Miss ouri River Bill (H. R.

3961),

I would pursue one of two courses, either of which in my opinion would be satisfactory.

The first course would be to amend the Bill a.s follows: Pnovidcd that in the states operating under the Reclamation Act of 1902, or acts amendatory thereto, there is hereby adopted as a National policy the ri.ght of these states, under their laws, to take water for beneficial uses, subordinating all other uses thereto, if such uses .will aid, the agriculturul and industrial devolopemont of the area.

The second course woulq be to amend the Bill by m~rely addins a paragraph si!':1ilar to t.~e one found in the June 28,

1938,

Flood Control Act which authorized the Denison Reservoir on Red Rivor in Texas and Oklahoma and which reads'a$ follows:

"The Goverrunent of the United States aclmowledges the right of the States of Oklahoma 'and Texas to continue to exercise all

exist-ing proprietary or other rights of supervision of and jurisdiction over the waters of all tributaries of Red River within their borders above Denison Dam site and above said dam, if and when constructed, in the sa.lle T!lanner and to the sa..'TIe extent as is now or may hereafter be provided by the laws of said States I r especti vely, and all of said laws as they now exist or as same may be hereafter amended or enacted and all rights thereunder, including the rights to impound or authorize the retardation or i~pounding thereof for flood control above the suid Denison Dam and to divert the snme for municiapl pur-poses, domestic uses, and for irrigntion, power generation, and other

beneficial uses, shall 1:>e and reMain unaffected by or as a result hereof. All such rights are hereby saved ~~d reserved for and to

Mr. L. !1ac1eay Page 2

the said States and the people and the municipalities thereof, and the impounding of any such waters for any and all beneficial uses by said state or under their authority may be as freely done after the passage hereof as the same may now be done".

This, to me# is equitable and just. It neither precludes navigation nor irrigation. It is based squarely on the doctrine of beneficial use. If the upper r.iparian owners do not use'the water, it is free to flow downstream to aid naviga-tion. If the upper owners do use it to develop their lands, the lower river can install locks and proceed.

We expect to navigate the Arkansas River in Arkansas and Oklahoma, and will have the srune problem because the Arkans&s River flows through Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas and Western Oklahoma before it reaches Eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas. However, I know of no proponent of this project who will not yield to a nsaving clause" such as is herein quoted.

I realize that the lands have not been developed in the upper reaches by irrigation and I can understand how people of the East or Middle West, where irriga-tion is not practiced, would assume that these Western States are taking a "dog in the mangertt attitude. However, let me point out to you that the economy of the entire West is based upon irrigation, more or less, and that the potential develop-ment of these vast areas will come along as the present econouy fails and needs re-a.djustment" Further, I c e.r..rl:Jt conceive of Congress ,-i e'JIJa.rC:5 ~ illg large potential agrityultural developmE.n-f; in crder 'co provide limited n'l1""igational improvements, At pl'e50nt, transportation is uvailaole in other forms, but in arid and semi-arid re-gions of the West the poorly distributed and sparse rainfall nust be supplemented by waters from strea!TlS in order to produce a stabilized agricul tui'al economy.

It seems to me that if the proponents for this Bill are sinoere in not wanting to interfere with the development of the West that they would be willing to adopt such an amendment as was appended to the Denison Resorvoir Authorizing Acto I regret that I am not able to go along with the Mississippi Valley Association, but I must livG with my conscience.

D11cB-fm

With kindest personal regards, I am

Sincerely yours, (Sgd) Don McBride

DOlT McBRIDE, Director

Division of Water Resouroes

SAINT PAUL ASSOCIATION OF COMMERCE Saint Paul, Milnlesota

Mr. F.

o.

Hagie, Secretary-!funager IJational Reclamation Association

1119 lTatio~al Press Building

Washington

4,

D.

c.

Dear I'1r. Hag i e:

April 20, 1944

As the result of recorruuendations r:ua.de by our Agrioul tural Committee and our TMb.olesule Co~~ittee, which have be3n studying the matter, the Board of Directors of our Associa.tion yesterday authorized the sending of the enclosed letter to SenG.tors Joseph H. Ball e.nd Henrik Shipstead urging their support of an amHndment to the Rivers and Harbors Bill (HR 3961) to protect the states in the Upper Hissou~i Basin in the u~e of water for irrigation and other purposes. Copies of this letter have also been sent to all members of the House of Representatives from Minnesota.

The Board of Directors also authorized representatives of the Association to appear before the sub-cormnitteo of the Commerce Committee of the Senate in Washington in support of the amendnent along with representatives of the states in the Upper Basine

We thoroughly a.ppreciate the seriousness of this 'si t-uation and will do our utmost to aid in securing an effective amendment.

FPF: ti.d eno. Sincerely yours, (Sgd) F. P. Fellows General Secretary

.

'

c

SAI1TT PAUL ASSOC If\TION OF C01'1tlERCE

o

p

Y.

Honorable Joseph H. Ball Honorable Henrik Shipstead

United Stutes Senate Washington, D. C. Donr Sirs;

Saint Paul I, i'liIL~esota

April 20, 1944

The Rivers and Harbors Bill, as it passed the House, contained a provision authorizing the construction of a nine-foot channel on the ~lissouri River from Sioux City to Saint Louis (IlR 3961, Page 29, Line 12). This bill is now before tho Commerce Committee of the Senate and has been referred to 8. sub-committee of which

Senator Overton is chairma,.ll. The bill as reported to the House an d pas sed by it contained a .provision which was intended to provide that the use of Missouri River and tributary waters in the Upper Basin for irri~ation purposes be paramOlmt to navigation USBS in the lower oasin__ This provisicn was found to bo inadequate for

the purpose· as it was very indefinito~

An

attempt wns made on the floor to seoure an amendment to provid.e clearly that the use' of th9GC wu. tars for purposes of channol development be subordina,te to and not interfere with their use for irrigation and Qther beneficia.l uses in the states of the Upper Basin. This 8..r:lendment failed to pass.. We are advised that there will be a hearing on :l like amendment before the

sub-committee of the Co~~erce Committee in the near future.

As the debate in the HO'lse on the amendm~nt will show there WtlS little

apFreciation of the dirdct effect the con.struction of the nine-foot channel will have on the agricultural future. of rlinneliotal Nonta!la, Horth Dakcta, South Dakota

and Wyoning and on the business of the. ~wln Cities unless such. an aoendment is

included in the bill., /

The advooates of the cha.nnel contend tlu:2.t there is ample w£~ter in the

·Mis souri Bas in for· both navigation and irrigation purposes II· If this is true. we

ask why they should object to the provision insuring the use of water for irriga-tion projects.. However., it is not true that over a per iod of years there has been . sufficiont water for both purposes.. Mr. IIarry Bashore, commissioner of reclamation, when testifying before the House committee on. the bill, said, "The proposed channel

in the lower Missouri would •. when.' constructed and operatinG, comp'land' all of the remaining water supplies of the tlissouri ~nd leave nothing for further irri~ation

development • ." The Reclamation Service, which ha.s for nany years m.9.de a study of irrigation and reclamation projects, must have a sound basis for this statement., Should the bill pass without the ~nendment, all water not now appropriated would be permanently dedicated to navigation and the states mentioned would be forever de-prived of the most efficient use of their arid and se~i-arid land. Bureau of

Recla.ma~ion surveys show that there are at least 4,.560,000 acres of irrigable land remaining in the Missouri Basin states whi.ch can be irrigated by water of the

Missouri River and its tributaries and would be highly productive land but which without water are practi cMly useless.. You are of course fu.miliar with the high state of agricultural production in districts which are now under irrigation... In

Montana, the winter maintenance of a. 1.arge part of the cattle. and sheep herds 'is dependent upon .feed produced by irrigation. This was' strikingly demonstrated by the situation in the drouth years of 1934 and 1936 when Montana. suffered muoh 10.5s·

- ·2

-It seems to us that it would be an economic crime forever to foreclose the right to the use of water for further reolamation of land in the vast area of the Upper Missouri Basin. Experience of the present war demonstrates the close margin

of food upon which this nation must operate in time of emergency. As the years go

on and population increases, every possible acre of land that cnn be brought under

cultivation will be needed for the production of food. Practically all arable land

in the Uni ted States is now under oul ti vation and the only addi tionfl.l land available

is that whioh 'can be plaoed under irrigation. Transportation along the lower

Missouri River is available in other forms but only the water of natural streams

can produce sufficient crops in a distriot where rainfall over many years has been

ins uffic ient.

If the passage of the e.:rnendment providing for priority in the use of water for irrigation in the Upper Basin should interfere with the present pluns of the

Army Engineers for channel development ther-e is still the possibility of creating

a nine-foot dhannel by the construotion of locks and d~~s similar to those used on

the Mississippi River which we understand are not contemplated in present plans for the channel.

It was contended in the debates on the floor of the House that the

ninc-foot channel is necessary for the successful prosecution of the war. Based on the

experience in the construction of other river channels, we think you will agree

that. it would take some years to construct the proposed channel and that in all

probability the war will be over before the channel could be used.

The report of the Reclamation Bureau on the comprehensive development of

the Missouri Basin will be released on Nay 1. It seems to us that action on the

p-r'ovisions of the Rivers and Harbors Bill authorizing the nine-foot channel should

bc delayed until such time as the recommendations of this report can be coordinated

w~th the report of the Anny Engineers.

The busi~ess interests of Saint Paul are vitally interested in the protec-tion of the states in our trade territory .in the use of water for irrigaprotec-tion.

Any-thing that can be done to increase the productiveness of those states will be

re-flected in the growth of Sa.int Paul business. It is. of course, probable that it

will be many years before all of the arid land can be placed under cultivation.

There are, however, sevoral projects now under consideration ~ the Bureau of

Reclamat ion for early development. The agricul turnl income of the states in our

trade territory is an exceedingly ir.1portant element in the stability of the

busi-ness of the Twin Cities compared with cities which do not have an agricultural

economy.

The conclusions reached in this Matter are the result of a very thorough

discussion of all its phases by a large m~jority of the ~embers of our Agricultural

Committee, our Wholesale Committee and our Board of Directors ;ho are thoroughly familiar with the agricultural situation in the Upper Missouri Basin and with the implications of the bill as it now stands.

It is beca.use of our interest in the future development of this grea.t

a.gricultural area that the Board of Directors of the Saint Paul Association of

Commerce asks you to interest yourself in the passage of an amend~ent to accomplish

the purposes outlined. As the votes of the seventeen reclamation states will not

be sufficient to pass the amendment we must have the support of senators not

direct-ly interested but who will see the justice of our position.

We will be represented at the hearing before the sub-oo~mittee of the

Com-merce Con~ittee when this matter comes up.

CAC :JH

Very truly yours.

/s/

C. A. CUSHMAlJ

ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 2 TO 30 INCHES €t

ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 30.70 80 INCHES •

U. S. Weather Bureau

DEDICATED TO THE TASK OF PROVIDING ADEQUATE WATER FOR A PROFITABLE AND DIVERSIFIED IRRIGATION AGRICULTURE IN WESTERN AMERICA-AN EXPAN. SION OF WAR FOOD PRODUCTION THROUGH MORE IRRIGATION-THE CREATION OF NEW FARM OPPORTUNITIES AND THE STABIl!ZATlON OF DROUGHT AREAS.

YOL. VIII, NO.9 1119 NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING. WASHINGTON 4. D.

c.

_April

_14,

₁₉₄₄

THE FLOOD CONTROL BILL, THE PICK PLAN ANn THE BUREAU'S PU.JJ

The Flood Control Bill, H. R.

41+85,

is scheduled for Uc'use action f\.bout r~ay

first.

Of interest to rony people, and pe.rticularly to the people of the states of

the Y!issouri Basin, is a comprehensive plan of improver:ent on the !1issouri River by

the Army Engineers (sonetimes referred t o as the Pick Plan) for flood control,

irri-~ation, power developnent, naviGation, and Jther purposes.

On thy first the Bureau of Reclamation will have in the hands of the Bureau of

the Budget their cor:prehensiv6 nultiple-purpose develo;?nent plan for the same area.

That the two plans should be coordinated and inteGrated by either the two

agencies themselves, the Bureau of the Budget, or by the Coneress, is self-evident

if serious conflict is to be aV0ided.

A lir.ited nunber of available copies of the Army plan nakes it possible to

enclose herewith a copy to those in the area nost affected. Please study it.

Atte~;pt will be nude t o provide a copy of the Bureauts Plan 'Nhen releasod, so that

you may c vi:lpare and evaluate the benefits of the two plans.

It is the belief of this Jffice that the ricl::: Plan is but the opening wedge for

simi lar plans for other stream bas ins throuf;hout the entire West. You should study

it with thi s thOUGht in I'1ind.

PREP.lillATIONS FOR BEARIl;GS OlI RIVER AED HARBOR BILL

The followine sub-Corm ttee

D

r

the Senr.te Connerce Com:'":! ttee has been appointed

to hold hearings on the controversial iter.1.s in the River and llit.rbor Bill: Senator

Overt,)n of Louisiana, Cho.irl'1D.n, Senator. Cn.rraway of Arlre.ns[ts, Senator Bilb,) of

t1ississippi, Sene.tor 11ead of new York, Senator Wallgren of Washington, Senator

VR.ndenbere of I"!ichign.n, Senntor Robertson of WYOT'line, and Sen::ttor Wiley of Hisconsin.

No definite dute for the hearings h~s yet been set, ulthough western senat ors

are requesting that the hearings be set for late May so that western Govern<Jrs can

appear enroute to, or on their return fron, the Annun.l GDvornors Conferonce in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvuni a nbout thy 28th.

Clifford H. st ::me, Director of the Colorndo Hater Conservation BC!:J.rd, Chairr'18.n

,-)f the C omrni ttee of F~iurteen on the C-Jlorado River, and c c-authvr L"lf a 176-page

rep0rt on Preservaticlll cf Integrity of State water Laws, has been retained by the

Governors of Hontana, North Dal:::ota, Wy,..lrnng, Washin~t"n, Idn.hc, Utah and Colorado

t G represent, the ir interests in securinf.'; propor anendnents t L" the River and Harbor

Bill. Vari-Jus appr,:)£lches are under c~nsider£l..ti-Jn.

OFFICERS

0, 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, 0, STRUNK, Me 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 MILLARD G, SCOTT, PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA MIL TON E. DANIEL, BRECKENRIDGE, TEXAS ORA BUNDY, OGDEN, UTAH

J. A, FORD, SPOKANE, WASHINGTON W. F. WILKERSON. CASPER, WYOMING

VOL. VIII, NO.

9 -

Page 2 April l1.h 1944

TIm INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS BILL DUE ON HOUSE FLOOR APRIL 24th

The Interior Appropriation Bill. which carries the annunl .nppropriations for reclamation, is now scheduled to be up for a vote on the floor of the llouso April 24th. Details of the Bill will not bo b10wn until that time.

MORE IRRIGATION WAR FOOD PROJECTS SECURE W.P.B. APPROVAL

Since our last reference to this"'subject in our Bulletin of January 20th, W.P.B. has approved the following Irrigation War Food Projects and releasod material and manpower for their immediate construction:

Tucumcari Project. New M3xico; Lugert-AltuB Project, Oklahoma.; I'urage Fh~ts

Project, Nebraska; Fort Belknap Project, Y~ntana. Other projects expect favorable action soon.

A PIAN FOR DEVELOPING THE WEST

We take pleasure in enclosing herewith copy of ttA Plan For Developing the West~t1

wl1ich we commend to all for cF.l.re~ul study. The writer believes that tho destiny of t:1c We st is more dependent upon the c los~ c ooperat ion between it s leading and for-ward.-looking citizens and its leaders in agriculture, business, and industry than m08t people think. The subject should be thought through now!

A NATIONAL PRECIPITATION I"lAP

The demand for western irrigation springs from the fact that mother nature does not distribute her annual rainfall equally amont; the forty-eight states of the union. The enclosed map is worth the protection of a frame, Elass and wall spaco in your office, just to remind and to educate all who see it of a fact which too few people are acquainted with. Please rna.ke good use of it.

FOH:EH

Respectfully submitted,

F.

o.

Hagie