The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-01

WATER IN THE DESERT.

Whether the appearance of water in the
heart of the Colorado Desert is an accidental
phenomenon, to be followed by no results,
or is the beginning of geographical change
OF the highes. Importance, a few weeks will
show. Everybody knows that at some past
time tie Gulf of California extended in a
nofthWe5terly direction nearly to the foot
hills at the base of Mount Gorgonio, and
That the whole Of what is now the Colorado
Desert was navigable sea. Shells, marine
fossils and remains of sea-going vessels are
found to this day in its sands and in places
tine old beach line can be traced In the
course of time the drifting sand gradually
narrowed the strait which connected the
sea with the rest of the gulf, and al periods
OF low water probably blocked it altogether
When this occurred the terrible summer
heat OF the region exhausted the inland sea
by evaporation and left its bed a sand desert
Along the southern extremity of this des-
ert, from the Mesquite Mountains to the
head OF the gulf, flows the Colorado Riv er,
one OF the great rivers Of the world, receiv-
ing the waters of the Grand and Green
rivers. and with drainage area oil 100000
square miles Whenever the winter snow
TALL in the upland country, in which the
Grand and the Green and I heir tributaries
NnHC Until IlSe, WAS unusually ntlfV tile
volume OF water which the Colorado was
called upon To discharge was in excess of
its capacity and it sought relief by bursting
its western bank and emptying the surplus
water into the holows of the Colorado
Desert. According to the Indian legends
this occurred quite frequently in prehistoric
times. We know that it took place in 1862,
when the so-called Nv River was formed,
and for many months considerable portion
OF the desert near mdio AMI Salt on, which
is go feet below sea level, was submerged.
In all these cases the final result was the
same. with the approach Of winter the
water OF tue Colorado fell; the outlet which
Connected 1t with its new tributary was
blocked with sand. and next years heat
eVap0rated the wdter-cOurseS and lakes that
had been formed in the desert
1t was the dream of the late Dir. Wozen-
croft to keep open the connection between
the Colorado and the Desert River by en-
Gineerlng works. lie showed how the per
manent flooding of thed pressed area in the
heart OF the desert would reclaim between
one and two million acres of land and ,yonld
so alter the climate OF San BernariIno and
the adjacent counties that they would all
become habitable and productive. His ar
guments carried weight at Washington:
eHo5 miSHb Hdfo leu 10 All appropriation
but for the fact that the war had lust broken
out and people had more important matters
to attend to. So he died and his project
died with him.
Accident has now once more brought the
topic to public attention. Nature is flood
ing the DESERT and it is possible that before
the outflow Of the Colorado ends, a consid-
cradle area may be under water. But next
winter, if the hand of man is stayed, the
creyasse. for it is nothing but creyasse,
will close itself, and next summer every
drop of water now in the desert will be
sucked into the torrid atmosphere. The
question which will be raised by judicious
friends OF irrigation is whether this would
not be good time to spend little money
keeping open the water-course which nature
has just created. Major Powell. who has
made special study of the subject. declares
that there is ample surplus water going to
waste every year in the discharge of the
Colorado to supply an inland sea in the
! heart OF the desert, and that the effect of the
creation Of the lake would be to enable San