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Newspaper Page Text
COLORADO IRRIGATION Some Very Peculiar Conditions ILxistlnjr. Heavy Silt Deposits Choke Canal* - Alu«t Provide for (letting Water lloth on and Otf luind — Pump* Needed at Certain Points. In connection with the appointment of Homer Hamlin «»f thelteologkal >ur reytodinvl tlie c\»ii»tniclii»n work at Yuma, which comes under tin* National Irrigation Acl, Jutlgc Josvph 11. Kil»lx»y of AriX'tua, «ho is here in the interest of U»e Ynma Wntor I'scrs' A^«»»cution, naid In an interview rvpinling the work to W undertaken: "One i<-cu!uir fact in c*»n nee lion with Irrigation along the Colorado river is that daring June and July, when w.iter is most needed i the rwvr carries its heaviest volume of water. However, at this time of the jrear the river is heavily chanced with silt and it is almost im t*(tnsib!e to earn* the water wit to the land. After it 'is taken out the relocity of the moving wat«*r in the canal is less than that iv the river and the sill is reailily deposited and fill* up the canals, forming liar> at entrances and turns. It has, thrreforv, been found impossible by any ordinary means t«» carry the water* to the land in the summer months. •*rrviuration* are now being made to beirin work on what is known a* the Yuraa project, which lus U-en approved by the government and comes under wii.il i- known as the National Irriga tion Act. A dam is to l»e constnicteil atxiut eight or ten milrs above Yuma. Thecrv-t of this dam will be about ten feet alwve low water and is intetuUti to I* an overflow dam. It will be con ttrurt^l of rrck, *t*T*l and concrete, and will be 4,7<W feet long. This location of the dam make* it possible to construct settling basins into which the water will U- a-hnir.ed before Icing discharged into the canals and will deposit its ?ilt. When the settling basins have filled up they can bo easily flushed by opening gatts* at their lower cud, dtscliarging the accumulate<l M.«diment back into the river below the dam and permitting practically clear water logo down into the canal. NOVEL COSOtnOS» CIIST "Thl* seems to be the only practical means of taking the water out of the Colorado, and there seems to be no wlacv below the site of this dam where Fuch a project could be carried out. liecaus* of the low elevation, the laud about Yuma i* subject to annual over flow. This will make necessary a »y» tem of levee* on loth sides of the river. Thi« make* the rather unique situation of having to roust ruct levees to keep tin* water off the land and having to build canal* to get the water onto the land. The situation is more noteworthy by rva*an of the fact that canals will have to be constructed to convey the water up to the l&ud and additional canals will have to be constructed to drain it off. Further, the lay of the land b such at certain points that the water will have to be pumped up to the land and in other places plant- will have to be provided to pump the water out in order to drain the land. The power to operate thejw pum|*s is to be provid»*d at the dam. The project involves at piroent about s* »,«»»» arrea of land and it estimated to «/st 13.00J.000. TBOfDLKMJME ftILT PIK^BLEK "Immediately connected with the Yuma project" as now planned ia the 1 in j -rial project. The Imperial t*ople are oonfrooted wiiii the isame tilt pro* blem, and, as noted* there are no loca tions below Yuma where entiling ljaaiu« could be constructed, making irrigation there under existing conditions prac tically prohibitive. The lui|<erial lands are in Southern California, and the water for them U taken out of the Colo rado river, without any developing work at all, from the ban*,* of the river at a twin! only a few yard» above the Mexican line. The canal almost im mediately after leaving the river goes into Mexican territory and con tin uea for a considerable distance on Mex ican boil. After traversing a distance of lift y or feixty niilen in Mexico tho canal re-enter** California and tho wat er is then taken out by *even different canal coni|tanie« iv the Jm|-ri*l country. liotli tin* canal owners and thr resident* of lnt|-erirtl n«»w are con viucttl thai unless • plan can !•• |«'r« Imlml |...|.. iiwm with the ncvumtilit tiou of silt in the present canals* irri gation «il! hate to U' abandoned rJun-pl in n fr« fji\««rcd lpOt*« "It i* now proposed if it can 1«* made prucUrabltf and « number of comply eatkms can l«o mljii«l»"*l. to ow the tlmn iii.»t i<» U-iug cim»lrticle»l above Yuma and the settling wt-rks there content* plated a> a ttHMlti of MCtirlttg clear wat er f«»r I ln» Imperial country. Tho plans are to crmfttruct 0 canal from the end ••f the Yuma dam down tin* California batik «>f lite present Imperial canal and tlien to conduct tin? water by the v\ v *' eni system 61 canals t'« the land. This Involves flolng through Mexican terri tory, which will occasion grave com pi I* rations. "Another plan is Iho construction of tunnels through sand bill**, which would bo ten or fifteen miles in length and n..uld involve heavy expenditures, but would placv the canal entirely on United Slat*** j*»il. This raugti of sand hills cit'Mid* down into Mexico and can !*♦ av»»iile«l only by goin^ down Into Mexico or by tunneling through them on United 'states soil. The proper solution of this question will depend largely on the disposition of (teople who have claim* and have Interests involve I in the project. There are both legal and en^tnei-ring dillicullies to Iks over come." For Reclaiming Our Alkali Land. Clarenor W. Dorsey, reprej*?nting the Bureau of Siila of the I'iiiU'd Mates lVi>artmiMit of Agriculture, is in tl.e city. Hi* particular mission to the Coast is to select some jiarcvl of alkali l.uid in the immediate vicinity and demonstrate! thai it can bo reclaimed. Mr. IVjrp««y stated last uikiht at the Hotel Lillie/when? he is staying, that the rw-ults during a number of year? have prove*! that M>il ruined hy soluble salt can be subjected to n process that will transform it into a condition that will make it a' valuable as ever. Small tracts have been taken up in various parts «»f the country where alkali has made them barren and they are now as productive as ever after being treated i»y the government process. The usual method i* to take n tract of about twenty acres of pratically desert territory, establish a complete system of undrr-draiuagc of tile piping, probably al-'i:: four feel neepi ;ll "l then flood the Kind. The alkali Sinks through and in carried an ay by the underground sewer age syetem, (raving th'» ground fertile au«l productive. As »oon as the method i.n demon strated as practicable, imiividual own era will doubUess adopt it and va«t territories lx? reclaimed. In Salt I-ake Valley laml that would not bring f.'O an ncre has l*?en treated in this manner by the government, and after beinj; te«ted by an alfalfa growth, which i- most sensitive to alkali, ia valued at $3jQ an ncre. The pnKCvsn usually take* from two to three year I*.1 *. Mr. ftorsey has been viewing a twenty-acre tract in the neighborhood of Compton and is of the opinion that it will be chaaen for the experiment. In the Halt I^ke reuion he state?* that 0000 tons of soluble Malt was re moved from the small piecu of land, leaving it perfectly free. Demonstrations are in pr«»jjre«».i near Fresno, Cal.; North Yakinm, Wash.: Tempe, Ariz., and iiilltn^s, Mont. Mr. I>orm?y aUo expect* V> visit the hnj ♦rial Valley with a vi«w to experi menting there. — Times* iixcess holding It ill well unduratood that under the reclamation law no laml owner can re ceive water to irri^atr more than 160 acre*. Of coun»e there aro several tracU* in tlii- district lir^-r than that, owned hy one individual and it heitatf neevwjary (or nil of such huld to bear its j>ru|<ortioiiale rlt.it *• of «x|h-h»»- in the construction ot the government M«.rL-, lUe utt<.rii'-yi» for th« irclama tion service and Water L'»en» Anawia tiou have determined u|»on a i»|>ecial form of contract to Imj n^ii'd hy Huch owner*. The terms of thin con tract aro that the land owners will, preceding the d at«- when govern Q)«at wat«r in* leady to be delivered, ix*U hi* excea* holdings to mttf party or parti*-* qualified to take a water rijjhl ; failing to do thin the ui-.~hkiU-.ii «hall have th«- power t«> «<ll null • •»!•••-« and d«-liv«*r the j»ro ce«*J« to the owner. — A r i/'>fiu hw-ntinel. IMrK.ltl.tl. PIIK.SJ* Pioneer Hotel MUS. S. MOIXHU, Proprietor Cur. Ninth and J. Hit. MBALS 25 CUNTS Short Orders at all hours— JO and Jsc SWtncal llckel for |3. I*«»dtfintf liV up. New nml inmlorn equipment, l*ubfic hntlm 'Sh> WmiIHIHIIKIIIIH ItlllWH IWIMWI l»ll» »WH«H— II— W— ■— — — MWirr rl i ...-.— inn ■»iii«iwm— Imperial Jewelry Company Successors to W. J. Mitchell Practical Watch Makers and Jewelers. ' Next door to FIRST NATIONAL BANK The Browning Solar Heater is the bcsl solar heater on the market Makes water hotter ami in less time than any otlicr heater. Tho ideal thiug for thi.H country. Mwku uitc of the imn and nave your wood J For information, prices etc., call on VV. W. MASTEN, Thelma Hotel Los Angeles Lithographic Company Blank Books, Stationery and Office Supplies Iliifhc.Ht irrndo Commercial Work and Hankers* Snppli«» Agents Mutual Label and Uthof rapbJc Co., Sit Iranclsco Artistic Label and Color Prlntlnjc Alt kinds of Cartoons 528 8. Main St., Lo« Angeles, Cal. Farmers and Dairymen /pssA^v^M By filling out attached coupon you M — I will learn something to your advan- M* %m * i taee. Don't miss this opportunity; / — I it is absolutely free. M | Dc Laval Dairy Supply Co. /««• I t-ll Drumm St., Saa francUco. CaL M ~— ■ 10T Flr«t Si.. Portland. 0r«. #No. of C©w» being mltknl 1 C sy pHomeseekers a " d^| I Colonists 8 f^l Should take advantage of the excellent Tourist Car service from r% \3\ New Orleans to the Imperial Settlements maintained hy (Ju M SOUTHERN PACIFIC | r j^Xslf2^^ ' or ' n ' ormnt ' on Write or Ask Agent, jNj H S9P B^m 261 South SprlflK street - M ft Los Angeles, Cal.M