UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, November 3, 1903. The Honorable the SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith with my approval, the accompanying letter from Mr. F. H. Newell, Chief Engineer, and related documents. I have not examined this locality personally, but from such knowledge as I possess, I believe that construction here should be taken up and pushed forward promptly. Very respectfully, (Signed) CHAS. D. WALCOTT, Director. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Washington, November 10, 1903. The DIRECTOR OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. SIR: Under cover of a letter of the 3rd instant to the Department you submitted with your approval a report, with related papers, from Mr. F. H. Newell, Chief Engineer, relative to the Hondo Project, New Mexico, under the act of June 17, 190232 Stat. 388. Mr. Newell has stated that the lands which can be advantageously irrigated under this project have an extent of from 12,000 to 15,000 acres and that the cost of construction and delivering the water to the arid land is estimated in round numbers at $240,000. He has also recommended as follows: First: That Departmental approval be secured for taking up the project and carrying it forward to early completion, if satisfactory arrangements can be made regarding titles. Second: That the Chief Engineer of the Reclamation Service be authorized to investigate the land titles, secure options, and make definite arrangements for purchase of necessary lands and rights, such arrangements to be subject to final approval by the Secretary. Third: That the Chief Engineer be authorized to organize or cause to be organized into an association, the people owning lands which may be served by these works, as required by Section 6 of the act of June 17, 1902; said form of organization following in general lines the articles of incorporation of the Salt River Valley, Arizona, Water-Users' Association. Fourth: That the Chief Engineer be authorized to have prepared detailed plans and specifications for the construction of the works, advertisement for bids to be inserted in the usual form under Departmental supervision; the bids to be received in accordance with law; and recommendation made to the Secretary for acceptance. Fifth: That the Chief Engineer be authorized to perform other necessary acts and execute minor works by days labor in the customary manner, such as drilling for foundations, uncovering the same, erecting temporary structures and minor works not covered by the usual contracts. I have considered the recommendations and in view of your approval thereof and of your expressed opinion that construction under this project should be taken up and pushed forward promptly, the recommendations are hereby approved and authority to take such further action as is necessary to carry them into effect is hereby granted. I have endorsed my approval on the report of Mr. Newell which, with the accompanying papers, is enclosed. A copy of the report has been retained for the files of the Department. Very respectfully, (Signed) E. A. HITCHCOCK, Secretary. HUMBOLDT PROJECT NEVADA 1 The Humboldt project was found feasible by the Secretary on November 1, 1935, and approved by the President on November 6, 1935, in accordance with section 4 of the act of June 25, 1910 (36 Stat. 835), and subsection B of section 4 of the act of December 5, 1924 (43 Stat. 702). OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, THE PRESIDENT, The White House. MY DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: The Supreme Court of the United States in the Parker Dam decision (United States v. State of Arizona, 295 U. S. 174) indicated that Section 4 of the Act of June 25, 1910 (36 Stat., 835) is applicable to irrigation projects constructed under the National Industrial Recovery Act, and this report upon the Humboldt project, Nevada, is made to you under said statute of 1910 and under subsection B of Section 4 of the Act of December 5, 1924 (43 Stat., 701). Section 4 of the Act of June 25, 1910, provides, in effect, that after the date of that act no irrigation project to be constructed under the Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat., 388), and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto shall be undertaken unless and until the project shall have been recommended by the Secretary of the Interior and approved by the direct order of the President. Subsection B, Section 4, Act of December 5, 1924 (43 Stat., 701) provides as follows: That no new project or new division of a project shall be approved for construction or estimates submitted therefor by the Secretary until information in detail shall be secured by him concerning the water supply, the engineering features, the cost of construction, land prices and the probable cost of development, and he shall have made a finding in writing that it is feasible, that it is adaptable for actual settlement and farm homes, and that it will probably return the cost thereof to the United States. 1 The Humboldt Project was initiated under the provisions of the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933. Under date of August 24, 1933, the Federal Emergency Administrator of Public Works approved an allotment of $2,000,000 for the construction of the Humboldt project, Nevada. This is a part of the appropriation of $3,300,000 made in the Fourth Deficiency Act, Fiscal Year 1933, approved June 16, 1933, 48 Stat., 275, to carry out the purposes of the National Industrial Recovery Act of June 16, 1933, 48 Stat., 195. The allocation of $2,000,000 became available September 6, 1933, and to date about $600,000 has been spent on the project and $300,000 addition obligated. The supplemental water to be developed by the project will be used for irrigation on some 30,000 acres of patented land near Lovelock, Nevada, embraced in the Pershing County Water Conservation District of Nevada, which District has entered into a contract with the United States dated October 1, 1934, to repay the cost of the project over a term of 40 years without interest. The furnishing of an additional water supply for the project will be accomplished by the construction of the Rye Patch Reservoir on the Humboldt River near Rye Patch, Nevada, with a storage capacity of 179,000 acre feet of water and the acquisition and transfer of old up-stream water rights from the lands upon which used down the Humboldt River for storage in said Rye Patch Reservoir and use on the lands within the District. The construction of said reservoir and the purchase of water rights as contemplated by the repayment contract will provide additional water urgently needed for the irrigation of the lands in the Pershing County Water Conservation District of Nevada. Studies and investigations made by the Bureau of Reclamation indicate that the water supply is adequate for the purpose intended, that the construction of the dam and the acquisition and transfer of the water rights are feasible from an engineering standpoint and that the dam can be constructed and the water rights acquired within the allotment. I find that the project is feasible, that the land watered thereby is adaptable for actual settlement and farm homes, that the lands are badly in need of an additional water supply and that the project will probably return the cost thereof to the United States. I recommend that the project, consisting of the Rye Patch Reservoir and the acquisition of water rights be approved and any steps or action heretofore taken toward the construction of said dam or the purchase of water rights be ratified, and that authority be issued to this Department to proceed with the work and to make contracts and take any necessary action to construct and complete the project. Sincerely yours, (Signed) HAROLD L. ICKES, Secretary of the Interior. Approved November 6, 1935. (Signed) FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, President. HUNGRY HORSE PROJECT ΜΟΝΤΑΝΑ The Hungry Horse project was authorized by the act of June 5, 1944 (58 Stat. 270). An act to provide for the partial construction of the Hungry Horse Dam on the South Fork of the Flathead River in the State of Montana, and for other purposes. (Act of June 5, 1944, 58 Stat. 270, Public Law 329, 78th Cong., 2d sess.) * That for the purpose of irrigation and reclamation of arid lands, for controlling floods, improving navigation, regulating the flow of the South Fork of the Flathead River, for the generation of electric energy, and for other beneficial uses primarily in the State of Montana but also in downstream areas, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed to proceed as soon as practicable with the construction,_operation, and maintenance of the proposed Hungry Horse Dam (including facilities for generating electric energy) on the South Fork of the Flathead River, Flathead County, Montana, to such a height as may be necessary to impound not less than one million acre-feet of water. SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to complete, as soon as the necessary additional material is available, the construction of the Hungry Horse Dam so as to provide a storage reservoir of the maximum usable and feasible capacity. SEC. 3. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to construct, operate, and maintain under the provisions of the Federal reclamation laws (act of June 17, 1902, 32 Stat. 388 and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto), such additional works as he may deem necessary for irrigation purposes. Such irrigation works may be undertaken only after a report and findings thereon have been made by the Secretary of the Interior as provided in such Federal reclamation laws; and, within the limits of the water users' repayment ability, such report may be predicated on allocation to irrigation of an appropriate portion of the cost of constructing said dam and reservoir. Said dam and reservoir and said irrigation works may be utilized for irrigation purposes only pursuant to the provisions of said Federal reclamation laws. SEC. 4. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this act. |