134 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



POWER DEVELOPMENT RECLAMATION 

 SERVICE PROJECTS 



[Extract from address of Arthur P. Davis, director 

 and chief engineer, U. S. Reclamation Service,' at con- 

 ference of Electro-Chemical Engineers, New Willard 

 Hotel, Washington, D. C., April 7, 1916.] 



The importance of nitrogen products in the manu- 

 facture of explosives and in the fertilization of agri- 

 cultural lands has been emphasized by the European 

 war in calling attention both to the need of nitrates 

 and to the possibility of the Chilean supply being cut 

 off at any time. 



The principal element needed for supplying this 

 need, as well as many other electro-chemical industries 

 that might be developed in connection therewith, is a 

 large amount of electric power. 



The United States Reclamation Service in the 

 construction of irrigation works has on many of its 

 projects a by-product in the shape of hydro-electric 

 power, usually in blocks too, small to be considered in 

 connection with any extensive electro-chemical in- 

 dustry, but in a few cases large enough to be thus* 

 utilized. 



In addition thereto, investigation has been made 

 of possible power development for the primary purpose 

 of pumping water for irrigation and the information 

 thus obtained is interesting in connection with this 

 subject. 



Power Development on Minidoka Project 



On the Minidoka project in southern Idaho, the 

 Reclamation Service has built a diversion dam which 

 provides also considerable storage and a head of 46 

 feet upon the wheels of a power plant constructed 

 there with a capacity of 10,000 horsepower. This 

 capacity can be doubled at a reasonable cost. 



The power now developed is fully utilized during 

 the summer months for irrigation pumping, and a large 

 amount of power is still available for use in the winter. 



Large deposits of limestone are located near one 

 of the pumping plants which a double transmission line 

 reaches, and the availability of this developed power 

 with convenient railroad facilities is considered one of 

 the most favorable locations for an experimental in- 

 stallation for the fixation of nitrogen. 



A further development of 10,000 horsepower could 

 be cheaply made, which could be utilized the year 

 around. This region also is within easy reach of one 

 of the largest deposits of phosphate rock in the world, 

 also in southern Idaho, and is hence a convenient point 

 for the manufacture of ammonium phosphate. The 

 coal fields of Utah furnish an accessible supply of 

 coal and coke. 



Undeveloped power sites along the Snake river in 

 the same region could be made to produce several hun- 

 dred thousand horsepower for 8 or 10 months in the 

 year. 



Power Development on the Boise Project 



In Idaho the Reclamation Service has built a high 

 masonry storage dam about 240 feet above the river 

 bed. More than 1,000,000-acre feet of water have 

 to pass this dam site every year, all of which is used 

 for irrigation in minimum years, but in ordinary years 

 there is considerable surplus. 



Power development at this dam could utilize the 



head in the reservoir which varies from 60 to 230 feet. 

 The quantity of water available during the summer 

 would be about 5,000 cubic feet per second, which 

 would be diminished in the spring and fall, and in the 

 winter only about 200 cubic feet per second could be 

 drawn. 



Provision has been made for the convenient in- 

 stallation of power to the extent of 17,000 horsepower 

 at this site. A greater amount could be developed 

 during the summer if found desirable. 



Pathfinder Dam Power Development 



The Pathfinder dam on the North Platte river is 

 210 feet high, forms a reservoir of 1,100,000-acre feet, 

 and intercepts an annual flow which varies from 

 1,000,000 acre feet to over 3,000,000 acre feet. The 

 water of low and average years is all required for 

 irrigation. It could be utilized for power as it comes 

 from the reservoir, but would be available only six or 

 eight months of the year, and the head would vary 

 from 60 feet to 200. 



The site is 55 miles from the railroad, and the 

 highway is both hilly and sandy. Although plentiful 

 deposits of limestone, sand and soda are near, there 

 has been no power development here as yet. 

 Power at Elephant Butte Dam 



A large amount of power is available during the 

 irrigation season at the Elephant Butte dam, but usually 

 during two or three months of the winter, no power is 

 available. 



The power to be developed by using the water 

 drawn from the reservoir as needed for irrigation un- 

 der the available head in the reservoir at the time 

 drawn. The available head will vary from 65 to 185 

 feet, and the maximum quantity of water drawn will 

 be about 2,500 cubic feet per second. During eight 

 months of the year it would be possible to develop 

 from 20,000 to 30,000 horsepower, according to the 

 head available and the quantity of water needed for 

 irrigation. 



The development of power was considered in de- 

 signing the dam and six five-foot power outlets were 

 installed. The maximum output from these would 

 amount to 12,000 horsepower. An eight thousand 

 horsepower plant has been estimated to cost about 

 $420,000. 



The construction of a hydro-electric plant for 

 commercial purposes would be unattractive, as a large 

 steam auxiliary would be required in order to operate 

 in the winter when no water is drawn from the reser- 

 voir. The feasible power development, however, is 

 well adapted to the needs of pumping for irrigation for 

 which market exists within feasible transmission dis- 

 tance. Limestone is plentiful not far from the dam 

 and coke is obtainable from the mines of northern 

 New Mexico. 



Shoshone Project Power Development 



On the Shoshone project a masonry dam has been 

 constructed in the canyon of the Shoshone river about 

 250 feet above the river bed. This dam furnishes a 

 storage reservoir of about 450,000-acre feet capacity 

 and water is stored primarily for irrigation purposes. 

 The flow of the stream, however, when thus regulated, 



