The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-10
MORE ABOUT THE LAKE.

The press IN the East Is taken aback by
the accounts OF the appearance OF the new
lake in San Diego County, and forbears COM
ment until further Information is received.
Their mystifcatiOn is the more easily under
stood when the confusion prevailing on the
subject in this State is observed. One saga
cious theorizer believes that the water in
the Salton sink comes by subterranean
channel from the Great Salt Lake. A rail-
road emplOye is so alarmed at the prospect
of the submersion CT the railroad track near
Indio that lie insists on closing the crevaSse
at Algod0RPs With piles. Yet a third wise
acre is convulsed with dread lest the Colo
rado River should be going TO lose itself in
the sands and mudh0les of the desert.
There is 10 occasion for either astonish-
ment or ALARM The water lii the Salton
sink does not come from the Salt Lake, or
from any distant point; subterranean water
courses are always short. They block their
own path alter brief run; the water be-
comes stugnant and percolates through the
earth until it reaches clay or stone bed
rock, when it lodges and becomes what the
well,diggers call a bench, which. when
tapl ed from above, supplies artesian wells
with fluid. In Los Angeles County there
are a number of subterranean water-courses,
Jul HOBO Ol iuI 1oi UlsldGCt
Springs are fed from bodies of water in up
lands, sometimes several miles away, but
between a spring and an inundation large
enough to submerge hundreds of square
miles of teri tory the difference is wide.
The idea that the Salton lake is fed from
the Great Salt Lake is mere chmera. 1t
is known as matter Of fact that it comes
from the Colorado at a point near Ago
w af No ny.
the sea water, and is braekish especially on
the food tide.
As to closing the crevasse for fear the rail-
road track may be submerged, tina. is the
notion of very ignorant person. If the
creyasse can be kept open the Sslton lake
will become permanent, and no person or
interest will benefit SO largely as the rail-
read. The reclamation of the desert would
mean population of several hundred thou
sand in part of the railroads territory
which is now unpeopled. For such gain
it could well afford TO shift its tracks to high
ground.
Nor is there any foundation for the idea
that the diversion of part of the waters
of the Colorado into the desert would
be a loss in any point Of view. During the
season when the great river discharges the
water of its mountain tributaries it could
spare enough water to irrigate the whole of
the desert without ceasing to be nayigabe
for 800 or 600 miles. A river of the size of
tile Colorado, which drains Colorado Utah.
Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. and is
20G0 miles long, carries great deal of water,
which now goes to waste in the Gulf of
California. Its immense volume is of no
Sc Tvlce Mt present. Ii would be useful if it
supplied a system of irrigation in the arid
region.
Natures present effort to turn its surplus
aters TO account " i'll not be wholly thrown
away, even though the SalIon lake dries up,
if it draws attention 10 the gradual diminu-
ton Of the volume of some Of the most val
liable rivers of the world. Water is an
essential condition of agriculture and an in
dispensable element of prosperity. With
out water organized society cannot thrive
and ncmad life must take its place, as in
Central Asia. This being the case il is ON
nous 10 observe that some of the great rivers
of the United States are decreasing in size
year by year. The Mississippi, the Missouri.
the ST. Lawrence, the Hudson, the Column
bia, the Colorado and the Snake are nearly
holding their own. bnt the Arkansas and the
Rio GraDde, like our own Sacramento and
san joaquin, are slowly but steadily shrink
ing. What the cause may be-whether the
supply from the river sources is overbal-
anced by evaporation and probationary
be matter of dictate, but there is no question
that the effect is 10 diminish the arabic area
bordering on the rivers aud 10 diminish the
productive capacity of the area still cultiva-
bic. We see the same causes operating with
the same results in The Iigris and Euphrates
in Asia. Tie banks Of those rivers used to
feed continent; now they barely supply
food for their own inhabitants. The time
will probably come when the Department
Of Agriculture will have 10 consider whether
the drying up of rivers cannot be checked,
and at any rate whether the precious fluid
cannot be saved instead of going to waste
in the oceans. When that time comes il
will appear prOvidential piece of good fort
une If the surplus waters of the Colorado
have been preserved to reclaim the desert.