Los Angeles herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1890-1893, 1891-11-11
TO DAM THE COLORADO.
A Big Project of Redeeming Arizona
Desert Lands.


RADIO river and use its waters to irrigate
tremendous area OF land.
George W. Norton, the engineer who
has been examining into the matter, has
made his report, from which the follow
ing points are taken:
The Colorado and ella rivers have
their confuepce at Yuma. The course
OF the Colorado, looking up stream from
this point, is northeaster!y for some
twenty-five miles, and then turns to the
due east. Some eighteen miles above
Yuma commences range of billy coun-
try, fattening out at its side into table
lands; and this range separates the two
valleys until they finally diverge at right
angles. Between this point and Yuma
both valleys join and merge into one,
cut from east to west by the channel of
the Gila river.
The Colorado canal will head at a
point about twenty eight miles above
the town of Yuma, and will be carried
around the billy country above alluded
to, across the ella river in pipes or
fumes. 1t will irrigate the land lying
between the Colorado and ella rivers,
and also the lands embraced by the
table lands on the south and the ella
river on the north, making fully 80, 900
acres above Yuma subject to redemp-
ton. Below Yuma all the land lying
between the line of the table lands and
the Colorado river. as far as the Next
can boundary line, will be reclaimed,
some 10000 acres, and when carried on
to the table lands will redeem 80 900
more-a grand total in Arizona Of 175,-
600 acres OF as fine land as there is on
the continent.
II this canal can be carried on into
Sonora by concession from the Mexican
government, it will make productive
what is estimated at j 100000 acres
of land.
The cost of this canal system, from it's
source to the boundary line, will roughly
approximate $4,000 900. The width of
the canal will be fifty feet on the bot
tom.
The Colorado canal heads opposite
Stevenson's island, rocky protuber-
ance which rears its head above the sur
face OF the waters in mid channel of the
Colorado river. This is the only point
on this river, for a great many miles,
from which an irrigating canal can be
taken, owing to the fact that there is
such slight fall to the river it necessi-
tates many miles of expensive work be-
for the water can be brought to the sur
face OF the land. Stevenson's island,
above alluded to, acts as a dam to the
waters, raising their surface several feet
from the level of which the river rushes
with tremendous force and rapidly. In
distance of less than 600 feet there is
fall of fully four feet. From this point
the taking out Of the proposed canal is
not only practicable, but comparatively
a simple and Inexpensive matter.
At Stevenson's island it is proposed to
erect dam and lock which will not in
any way impede or interfere with the
navigation of the river, but will be of
sufficient capacity to allow the largest
steamboats, and barges to pass through.
This lock will be so constructed as to
raise the water twelve feet above low
water mark.
A bill, carefully prepared, is to be pre-
sented to congress to obtain permission
to construct the proposed lock, and as
there can be no objection to it, since it
will assist, rather than impede naviga-
tion, by overcoming the heavy fall at
this point in the river, there is little
doubt that the measure will meet with
legislative sanction.
The advantages of this great Colorado
canal not only lie in the increased guam
tity of land made subject to redemption,
but it will form most important factor
in furnishing this necessary water sup
ply, owing to peculiar providence of
nature. The high water periods of the
Colorado and Giia rivers alternate, the
former having its greatest rise in sum
mer. at which period water is most
needed and useful.
Nor does the grand project benefit Ari-
IONA alone, for from the western bank OF
the Colorado, at the lock at Steyenson's
island, large canal can also be taken
out on the California side, which will
irrigate an immense tract OF land in San
Diego county.