The morning call., 1891-08-21
THE sALToN LAKE.

The fact that the Santa Ana River, which
is usually dry arroyo at this season, is
running stream of water, and that rain is
falling almost daily in San BerDardino
County, is partial answer to the scientists
who declare that the evaporation from the
Salton Lake cannot affect the climate of
Southern California. 1t has been estimated
by Major Powell that that evaporation will
amount to not less than two inches 4 week.
II is urged by those who do not believe in
the future benefits OF the San Diego lake
that there is considerable evaporation from
the Great Salt Lake, and yet that portions
Of the land adjacent are arid desert. That
is true, but large portions of the adjacent
land are extremely fertile. The example of
the Great Salt Lake only goes to provo
that the existence of a body of water can
not be relied upon to fertiize all the terri
tory surrounding it.
But tile evidence OF the past which is
written in the rocks and the fossils shows
that there was a time when Southern Cali
f0rnia was not rainleSs region, but so
a6undanty supplied with water that it
sustained considerable population. Re
mains of forests and Of human habitations
found in the sand and blue clay of the Colo
RADIO Desert confirm the Indian legends that
the slopes of the mountains surrounding the
desert, and parts of the desert itself, were
once pretty thiekly inhabited. On the south
ern slope of the Gorgonio Mountains, and
on the eastern slope of the San Bernardn0
range are seen forests Of dead trees, blghted
by the fiery breath of the desert At the
time those trees grew the climate must have
been milder than it is, and there must have
been more moisture in the atmosphere. ALI
tbr6uub of Sidac nj tlta
San Bernardino range, the soil is furrowef
by the dry beds of extinct streams. There
must have been time when those streams
were full of water; and when they were
agriculture could have fourished and man
kind might have abounded.
1t is impossible to conceive that any
other agency can have converted such
an arabic and inhabtabls tract as this
into a desert, except the drying up of
the lake which supplied its atmos-
phere with humidity. And it follows
that if the drying up of the lake caused the
desert its restoration would reverse the pro-
cess, and reconvert the sand and mud waste
into agricultural land.
When THE CALL last referred to this SUBJ
ject, few weeks ago, the water in the lake
was at standstill, and there was pros
pect that evaporation would more than of
set the supply of water from the river
This does not appear to have been the case.
The Colorado continues to discharge a large
volume OF water through the main break at
Algodones, some nineteen miles from Yuma,
and this water is flowing rapidly through
channel which it has cut through the desert
to Indian Wells and Salton. The supply is
in in excess of the amount snbtracted by
evapora ton. AT Yuma the river hangs at
the 19-foOt level, and shows no sign of re-
cedng. Exact measurements show that the
depression Of the desert sinks is greater
than has been supposed. 1t is now re-
ported that the bottom of Salton Lake is
SS3 feet below the water level at Alpodones
which would imply that the bed of the Col
orado has been raised by the deposits of silt
since the surveys were made twenty years
ago.
People generally take no further interest
In this matter than they would vouchsafe to
any extraordinary phenomenon. But if the
lake becomes permanent, and the obstruc-
lions which intervene between the gulf and
the Indian Wells are eroded by the force of
the water revolution may ensue in South
ern California of which it is difficult to
measure the probable effects. A tract of
country as large as Connecticut, and capa-
BILE OF sustaining larger population than
that State, will be reclaimed and devoted to
the highest and most lucrative form Of az
riculture and horticulture.