Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-25
THE DESERT TO Be A GARDEN,
The Results Of the InundatiOn
4'= at SaltOn.
Water Shows That the Sand Is a
Fertile Soil.
The Outcom ofa summer Trip Of Inves-
tigation-Pl-ntyo OF Water for Irri-
CATION From the Colorado
River.


tracted considerable attention. Prob
ably few men know that region better
than Mr.. H. w. Converse, and from
him the HERALD has received the fol-
lowing account of his recent investiga-
tions. As will be seen, he claims that
the region can be made garden spot
EprroRs HERALD: My son and left
Yuma on the 9th of May and went down
the Colorado river 20 miles to the Algo-
dones. where we waited week for the
water t, rise, so that we could get
through the north channel of Garter
river. which runs from the Colorado to
Salton. Daring that time the water
rose about six inches, when Willie
took the small boat and the large. one,
and we had no trouble in getting down
the stream. AT Seven Wells, on the
old San Diego stage road, we found some
very rough water, but not dangerous.
From Gardner's to the rim OF the Salton
basin, 90 miles or more, the whole is a
series OF email lakes, from one-half to
two miles in length and nearly
as wide, one above the other,
the north branch of New river
forming their connecting links.
We went down Carter river, the same
that Patton, Garter and myself followed
last year, as far as the dividing rim be-
tween Salton and Alamo Mocho basins,
in the vicinity of which we spent three
weeks in exploring the country on both
sides OF the national boundary line.
PLENTY OF FERTILE SOIL.
During this time we carefully ex-
amined that grand area of fertile soil on
both sides OF the line, and which, with
q very little expense, can be irrigated
by the vast amount of water running to
waste as it courses from the Colorado on
to Salton.
We crossed over to New river juno 9th
and found no water five miles south Of
Indian Wells, which shows that the
water gets down to the dividing rim in
Carter river about month earlier than
it does in New river. We returned to
Carter river and went back up
it above Alamo Mocho, about five miles
to narrow, dep stream which leaves
it and runs off to the southeast and
empties into the New Colorado, little
below the Padrones. We had no trouble
in ascending the Carter river, as the
water was sluggish. In following the
new stream to the southeast, we run
into Little Picachaguichi lake, large
body of almost still water We went
down the lake about seven miles and
found large stream of water turning
to the right with strong, deep curre,t
running towards the west branch OF
New River. We passed it and went on
down the lake to the southeast, to
see how long it was. 1t covers an area
of about IL miles by 8. A stream
which we had left OF the north we found
to be about 200 yards wide and 20 miles
long, and runs nearly TO the New Colo
RADIO, and loses itself in another series
of lakes. At high water it sleo runs
into Lake Jululu, Through an old chan
mel now partially flied with sand, near
it's mouth.
We turned back to the channel which
we had left, running towards New river,
entered it and started for the latter.
we found plenty OF water, and followed
it 20 miles, where it empties into Black
Butte lake, near the volcanoes, little
to the west of Lake Jululu. Lake Ju-
lulu is 18 miles long and IL miles wide.
the west branch of New river leaves
Lakey Jululu about four miles to the
south.
PLENTY OF WATER.
We spent two days in exploring this
lake and the country around it. We
found fine stream running out of it on
the southwest side, which empties into
New River about 10 miles west. I tried
to get into Lake Jululu from the south
east eide of Black Butte lake, and while
the water runs in good current, in
places it was too shallow to let our boats
pass through the stout brush and high
grass. On our trip thus far we have
passed a great many springs in the
streams we have followed. Some of
them are geyeers, All seem to be good
water containing some mineral. Al
though they were covered by the water
in the streams, some of them forced
their clear waters two feet above the sur
face of the muddy waters in the channel
We took the southwest stream end went
into the west branch OF New river. We
tried to get up that stream to the vol
canoes and into Lake Jululu, but could
not do 30 on account OF the strong cur.
rent, so we went down the stream to
Indian Wells.
THE DESERT MYTH.
We have taken plenty of time to care
fully examine the lands on either side
of our meanderings, to ascertain what
the prospects are for the future settle
ment of this vast area of more than
100000 acres in the valley of the Col.
orado. 1t is my candid opinion that the
great basin of Indian Wells, Alamo and
the country north, as well as south, will
be the garden of California and the
coast as soon as the water already in its
streams and lakes, the great natural
canal-system of New river, is diverted
out and upon these rich valley soils,
which / see no difficulty in doing, as all
the water necessary is here.
WHAT IL NEEDED.
All that is required, is to lead it from
the thousands of ancient canals, which
cover this entire region, out upon the
soils. These old canals are more than
300 miles in length. There is no desert
here, nothing more or less than a great
valley, one of the most fertile in the
west. 1t is only question of time, and
q short time, too.
The whole valley is covered with
lakes, ponds, and holes of water, which
can cheaply and easily be converted into
storage reservoirs for outstanding the
water, until wanted for irrigation. The