Parker Live News from the Parker Strip since 2009.
Monday’s edition of the Arizona Republic included a piece on the history of Parker Dam: “Parker Dam almost started war”. The article explains how tensions over rights to Colorado River water escalated in the 1930s leading Arizona’s 4th governor, the fiery Benjamin Moeur, to declare martial law:
“Moeur was none too pleased when the federal Bureau of Reclamation starting building a dam on the Colorado River, about 14 miles upstream from the little town of Parker. When he got reports that construction crews were working on the Arizona side of the river in November 1934, he declared martial law along the east bank and dispatched National Guard troops from the 158th Infantry Regiment to the site.”
Most observers thought Moeur was an extremist and mocked him. But the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with Arizona, saying the Dam was illegal without the proper authorization. After Moeur died, Arizona finally signed the Colorado River Compact in 1944.
The article also repeats an oft-cited statistic:
“Parker Dam is still the deepest dam in the world, with nearly three-fourths of its 320-foot-high structure buried below the original riverbed.”
Read the original article HERE.
