Letter from J. P. Martin, Regional Engineer (Ogden, Utah) to John H. Wittwer, County Extension Agent (Las Vegas), October 13, 1937

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVICE INTERMOUNTAIN REGION REGIONAL FORESTER ccc Supervision Wells Siding OGDEN, UTAH Forest Service Building October 13, 1937 Mr. John E. Wittwer County Extension Agent Las Vegas, Nevada Dear Mr. Wittwer: Reference is made to your letter of October 11. Unfortunately Mr. Martin is out of town and it has not been possible for us to discuss your request with him, and it may be that the information we are forwarding to you will not be in exact conformance with his ideas. We believe, however, that we have included all phases of the Moapa Valley-Meadow Wash project for which fairly reliable data is available. Following your letter, we have listed the projects under Class A and Class B as indicated below. Class A - Meadow Valley Wash-Wells Siding program. This will include the completion of all parts of the project at Wells Siding and in the Meadow Valley Wash as approved by Washington. It has been estimated that all or practically all of this program can be completed during the coming winter period provided no unforeseen difficulties are encountered. The camp program will include the following: 1. Bowman Dam. The embankment will be completed in accordance with the plans, and the spillway and outlet structures will be finished at an estimated cost of $30,000.00. 2. Flood Channel. This will involve certain repairs and a general cleaning up of the canal or channel at an estimated cost of $3,500.00. 3. Wells Siding Dam. It is proposed to refinish the embankment to grade, to remove the bridge and roadway below the spillway, and to clean the area generally at an estimated cost of $1,000.00 John H. Wittwer The total estimated cost for completing the Wells Siding project will be $34,500.00 4. Meadow Valley project. It is proposed to repair the break in the main diversion dam and to install a low flow spillway through the dam; to reconstruct the old spillway in accordance with revised plans, to construct the five checks across the flood plain, to repair the existing dikes, and to construct such new ones as may be necessary. The estimated cost is $70,000.00 In view of the condition of our equipment and the necessity of breaking in new men, it is probable that the total estimated cost of completing the projects already started will approximate $125,000.00. Class B 1. Moapa Valley Flood Channel. This project has never been approved as a part of the program of the Wells Siding Camp, and as a result no survey has been made of the project sufficiently accurate to determine the amount of work to be done. On the basis of the preliminary reconnaissance made last spring, we believe that the estimated cost of reconstructing the flood channel and of installing the necessary drops will be $135,000.00. This may be changed somewhat when and if a detailed study is made, but it probably represents a fair estimate of cost based on previous construction in the area. 2. Raising Arrowhead Dam. During the summer an engineer from our Washington Office examined the Arrowhead site and expressed the opinion that any future raise in the dam should be done by constructing a reinforced concrete arch dam below the existing structure. We do not know whether or not Mr. Martin agrees with this opinion, but since the construction of a higher dam at the site of the existing dam would require continued use of the gravity section, it is probable that the costs would be somewhat similar. We have estimated that the cost of a 60-foot dam (60 feet above stream bed) would be $30,000.00, and the cost of a 100-foot dam would be $100,000.00 With reference to Items 4 and 5 of your letter, most of the points covered are discussed fairly well in Mr. Quate's 1934 report, a copy of which you should have. There is no information in this office upon which we could base an estimate of the cost of conducting a complete survey of the upper reaches of the Meadow Valley Wash water-shed. Unfortunately we have not been able to find in our files the memorandum of Mr. Tangren's to which you refer. It will be appreciated if you will give us the date of that memorandum, which may be of aid in locating it. John H. Wittwer Mr. Martin will return to this office the latter part of the week, and if additional information is needed, it may be well for you to refer this to him again at that time. Very truly yours, J. P. MARTIN, Regional Engineer By Acting Original to Mr. Wittwer, Gen. Delivery, Phoenix, Ariz. cc - Mr. Wittwer, Las Vegas, Nevada - Nevada National Forest