The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1889-08-31
Irrigation From the Colorado
River.
IS. F. Chronicle

/ with the facilities which exist for
reclamation by irrigation, attention is
| first attracted by the Colorado river,
which cuts off the California desert
from an equally worthless and sterile
region OH the eastern bank Here is
the largest liver on the Pacific coast,
carrying a volume of water of ire
mendous size. For hundreds of miles
it flows through barren desert, car
rying with it all the elements of a
fertility which needs only enterprise
| to create second valley of the Nile.
The streams whose waters con-
tribute to the Colorado river rise far
to the north in Wyoming and Colo
RADIO Indeed, the headwaters of some
of them have their source not far from
the British Columbia line. The drain
age of much of Colorado, Utah, Ne
vada and Arizona finds it's way to the
sea through the Colorado river. For
2000 miles this stream flows through
practically uninhabited county. It Is
navigable for steamers of large size for
nearly 700 miles, and further naviga-
ton is rendered impossible, not by
reason of the shallowness of the
stream, but because of the great We
locity OF the water caused by its con-
fnement between the narrow and
lofty walls of the grand canyon and
by the numerous rapids in that almost
unexplored region.
Taking the waters of its tributaries
from half dozen Territories, the Col
orado flows unhindered to the sea,
past millions of acres, which need only
the application of the waters flowing
by to become such a garden as the
world has not seen. Draining, as it
does, such an immense territory, the
water of the Colorado carries in sus-
pension elements of fertilization which
rival, if they do not surpass, those of
the historic Nile. Not only would
these waters render already fertile
land productive, but their application
to sterile lands would work . most
marvellous change.
The desirability of the Inauguration
Of systematic plan upon large scale
for the reclamation Of portions of the
Colorado desert by the diversion Of
the water of this immense river upon
it was recognized at an early date in
the history of California Over thirty
years ago an effort was made to in
duce the Government to lend it's aid
to this sch'me, but beyond demon
-strating that 1t was perfectly feasible,
nothing has ever been done. Surveys
II--7U UJCcI1 mIuc WHICH established the
fact that canal can be constructed
10y which the waters of the Colorado
can, at comparatively small cost, be
diverted upon the western bank, and
something like million acres in San
Diego could be put under cultivation
thereby. This soil has been demon
strated to be possessed of large de-
gree of fertility and needs only water
to be made productive. Experience
has shown that in the majority of
cases where the ground has been
thoroughly saturated by irrigation for
several years the necessity for the
large amount of water required at
first passes away, and the supply can
thus be extended over additional areas
of arid land until many times the
amount at first irrigated are put un-
der guilty alton. That this would be
the result of turning the Colorado
river upon the desert no one doubts
Year by year the area reclaimed could
be extended until it is not impossible
that all the arabic lands of the
desert will have been brought under
cultivation
The formation of the country along
the western side of the Colorado Is
such as to preclude the idea of any
extensive diversion of water by means
of canals until point well to the
south is reached. But this fact would
not prevent raising the water by
pumps upon the mesa lands which
exist in extensive tracts all along the
streams. In the entire arid region of
the United States it is doubtful if so
large an area of unentered Govern
ment land can be found in a body,
with such surprising facilities for
irrigation close at hand, as is to he
seen in the locality described.
Practically speaking the Colorado