Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-03-22
NUMBER IA.
Colorado Desert.

The. Washington correspondent of
the San Francisco Bulletin, writing
under date of March 18th, gives the
following on the proposed scheme for
submerging and irrigating Colorado
Desert, together with the views of
scientific engineer on the subject
Senator Jones, of Nevada, has
received full reports of the results of
scientific explorations made at the
expense of himself and a private
citizen Of California (William S.
Chapman), last Summer, for the
purpose ofascertaining the practibility
of reclaiming or submerging the Great
Colorado Desert by turning into it the
waters of the Colorado River or the
Gulf of California. The report of J.
T.. James, the engineer who conduct
ed the expedition, and an elaborate
commentary, upon it by r. E. Stretch,
an eminent civil engineer of San
Francisco, furnish the following very
interesting information, much of
which is entirely new. tf
The exploration shows that the
greater portion ofthe Colorado Desert,
and Mojave Valley and Death Valley,
which lie north of it, are from forty, to
one hundred feet below the.level ofthe
sea, and that this great desert, stretch
ing from Lower California to Inyo
county, in the State of California, and
from the base of the Coast Range
mountains to the Colorado river,
comprising an area about 300 miles
long by $50 wide, may be converted
into chain of lakes or irrigated by
the method above mentioned; and
also, that a large portion of this
"desertn really consists of extremely
fertile soil, being deep alluvium
susceptible of the highest cultivation.
1t is further shown that the prevail
ence of what are known as ''sand-
storms,n and hot, desicating winds,
and the deficient rain-fall--ths evils
suffered by the surrounding country
and as far north as the Tulare valley
in California-are directly traceable
to the existence of this desert from
which, as from great furnace, there
constantly rises, in the Summer time,
a vast volume of heated air without
appreciable humidity.
Thus the moisture of the rain
bearing clouds which are blown
northerly during the Summer months
from the Gulf of California are dissip-
ated as soon as they reach the borders
of this superheated region, and
prevented from reaching the dry hit
fertile plains of California beyond.
The shells found on the surface Of this
desert prove that it has been at one
time the bed of a sea, and at a subse-
quent period the bed of fresh water
lake. The shore-lines of both sea and
lake can yet be seen and recognized in
many places, and Mr.. Stretch ex-
presses the opinion that the Aztec,
civilization of the adjacent region in
Arizona (of which there are 50 many
traces) came to an end in consequence of
the climatic changes caused by the
evaporation Of these vast lakes in
Southern California after the Colorado
river had cut down its beds in the
great canyon so deep that the course
was diverted at Collville to southerly
direction.
The question is suggested whether
these desert lands cannot be reclaimed
by irrigation, and thus saved, instead
of being totally submerged, as it is
considered certain covering them with
vegetation would tend to prevent the
evaporation of moisture, and, at the
same time, act as q precipitant for
whatever moisture the atmosphere
might carry; or whether both plans
might not be combined. M 7i
Senator Jones expresses the opinion
that, although either course would
involve large expenditures of money,
the matter is of such public interest
as to be worthy of investigation by the
Government, which alone has the
necessary resources and appliances at
command for the thorough examine
ton of the subject. If, by such an
. examination, the feasibility OF. the
work should be demonstrated, private
capital might be found to undertake
it, He therefore purposes bringing
the matter to the attention Of Con-
gress, with view to having survey
made by the Government. .f.t..,