THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



135 



is greater than required for the irrigable lands and will 

 furnish a surplus of water which can be used for 

 power purposes during the winter. 



The river falls rapidly below the damsite and it 

 is easily feasible to develop power varying from 25,000 

 horsepower in winter to 40,000 horsepower in sum- 

 mer of average years. 



In the immediate vicinity there is an unlimited 

 supply of limestone and a few miles below the power 

 site is a large deposit of native sulphur. Further 

 down the valley, and also in other parts of the State 

 of Wyoming are large and easily accessible deposits 

 of lignite, all of which can be made useful in various 

 electro-chemical industries. There are also consider- 

 able deposits of phosphate rock in the State of Wyo- 

 ming, which could be brought in by rail and used in 

 connection with the process for the manufacture of 

 ammonium phosphate as a fertilizer. 



\Yith a high dam and a large reservoir already 

 constructed, together with the proximity of limestone, 

 sulphur, coal and phosphate rock, the Shoshone location 

 constitutes one of the best localities for the establish- 

 ment of electro-chemical industries on our projects. 

 Iron Canyon Power Development 



The Reclamation Service has made an investiga- 

 tion of a large water storage and irrigation project at 

 the head of the Sacramento valley, which contemplates 

 the storage of water by means of a high dam at Iron 

 Canyon, not far from the city of Red Bluff, California. 



Various alternatives and possibilities were con- 

 sidered, all of which provide for a dam with excellent 

 opportunities for power development. The quantity 

 of water available would vary from 3,700 second feet 

 to about 5,000 second feet and the head would vary 

 from 60 feet up to 130 feet, furnishing from 25,000 to 

 35,000 horsepower output at the switchboard. The 

 large storage reservoir available makes this power a 

 very desirable one as a by-product of works con- 

 structed primarily for irrigation. Convenient railroad 

 transportation adds to its value for power and irriga- 

 tion. 



Thi-s reservoir has also an important bearing on 

 the flood control problem, and there is opportunity -to 

 furnish important contribution to the control of the 

 flood water of the Sacramento river, which is some- 

 times very destructive. The total cost of the most 

 comprehensive plans considered will be in the neigh- 

 borhood of $16,000,000. 



It is estimated that by proper manipulation of the 

 storage reservoir at Iron Canyon, a reduction in the 

 cost of protective work proposed for the control of 

 the floods of the Sacramento below this point may 

 be made of about 50 per cent in the upper end of 

 perhaps 10 per cent in the lower end of the river 

 system. 



Power Development on Flathead River 



Large power possibilities exist near the outlet of 

 Flathead lake, and preliminary studies have been made 

 of the development of power in this vicinity. The flow 

 of the Flathead river is rarely less than 4,000 second 

 feet, and this can be increased to 10,000 second feet 

 by the construction of a dam in the Flathead river be- 

 low the outlet of Flathead lake converting this into 

 a storage reservoir. Such a dam would produce a 

 head of 340 feet and make possible the development 

 of from 200,000 to 300,000 horsepower. So large a 

 storage as-this, however, is handicapped by the owner- 

 ship of land around Flathead lake, which would make 



damages very large, but a moderate regulation would 

 develop a large amount of power. There are several 

 other power sites on the Flathead river which would 

 utilize the same water and large power developments 

 could be located there. 

 Columbia River Power Development at the Dalles 



The Reclamation Service in co-operation with the 

 State of Oregon, conducted an elaborate investigation 

 in 1914 of the power and irrigation possibilities which 

 , could be developed by the construction of a dam in 

 the Columbia river at what is known as "Five Mile 

 Rapids" near The Dalles, Oregon. 



At this point the Columbia river channel suddenly 

 reduces from a width of about 1,800 feet to a width 

 of only about 150 feet and continues between two rock 

 walls in a very narrow and deep channel. The plan 

 proposed is to build a dam at the narrow neck where 

 the river first enters this gorge, the construction of a 

 power canal, and the erection of a power house at a 

 point about \y 2 miles below the damsite. The quan- 

 tity of water available varies between 50,000 second 

 feet minimum and 1,000,000 second feet maximum. 

 The head for plant operation will vary from a mini- 

 mum of about 45 feet to 105 feet maximum. The 

 power which could be developed continuously twenty- 

 four hours per day and 365 days in the year, will 

 aggregate about 480,000 electrical horsepower, with 

 the possibility of the development of additional large 

 blocks of power for a part of the year. It is estimated 

 that this project would cost about $50,000,000. The 

 secondary power possible to develop is as follows 

 (This is in addition to the primary power of 480,000 

 horsepower) : 



120,000 H. P. 11 months in the year. 

 220,000 H". P. 10 months in the year. 

 320,000 H. P. 8 months in the year. 



It has been proposed to use this power for irriga- 

 tion by pumping, in the smelting of ores, the different 

 electro-chemical processes, etc. 



Priest Rapids Power Development 



At the Priest Rapids on the Columbia river above 

 the mouth of the Snake river, an average head of sixty 

 feet can be obtained, which, with the minimum dis- 

 charge of the river of about 40,000 cubic feet per 

 second over 200,000 horsepower, can be developed the 

 year around. 



Fifteen or twenty per cent of this power could be 

 used during the summer for irrigation purposes, but 

 as the summer water supply is higher than the winter,, 

 the amount would be about the same the year around. 



Good river navigation is available for bringing 

 the needed limestone. 



TAP UNDERGROUND RIVER FOR IRRIGA- 

 TION 



As the .result of underground water experi- 

 ments and investigations by the University of 

 Nevada, several thousand dollars are to be spent in 

 experiments under the direction of the university 

 engineers and F. L. Bixey, federal expert, now work- 

 ing with the university in the famous Amargosa 

 desert, in Death valley. London capital, which 

 finances the Tonopah and Tidewater railroad, is 

 backing the project. 



Drills and necessary machinery are already at 

 Death Valley Junction, and work will be begun 

 soon. 



