Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-24
DESERT To BE PLANTED.
AN IMMENSE PROJECT ON THE
COLORADO DESERT.
The Colorado River to Be Used for Irri-
CATION Purposes : The Scope of
the Scheme-A Very Promis-
ing Enterprise.

The greatest irrigation, citrus fruit and
colonization project ever put on busi-
ness basis, with the Pacific coast as its
scene OF operations, came to light yes
terday in the attorney generals Office,
says the San Francisco Chronicle.
In an interview with Attorney General
Hart he said: "There was recently organ
lied in New York an irrigation company
which is designed to build a canal
through Arizona. This waterway was
to be 300 feet wide and thirty feet deep,
taking water out of the Colorado before
that river strikes the California line,
and crossing the Gila in pipes. 1t was
then to be carried down through the
Arizona desert between Yuma and Tue
son into Mexico for the purpose of irri-
eating large bodies OF land. This COM
pany was organized and equipped
with Belgian capital to the amount
of $10,000,000, and proposes to
engage in orange raising, lemon and cot
ton culture on colossal scale. A capi-
talist who was asked to 60 into the ven
ture said that he would do 30 providing l
should certify that it was legal and prac-
ticable. He was led to make this pro-
viso partly because of long personal
acquaintance with me. But for that the
company would doubtless have gone on
with it's work without bringing the mat
ter to my notice. The representatives of
the syndicate were instructed to ask if
California would object to water being
drawn from the Colorado at the point
indicated. To this l replied officially
that the size of the proposed canal WAS
go great that it would conflict, in the
volume OF water diverted, with the
riparian rights of this state. Under
such circumstances not enough water
could be secured with which to irrigate
the desert lands of San Bernardino and
San Diego counties.
II told them plainly that if they un-
dertook to divert water as they pro-
posed should, as attorney-general, get
out an injunction to prevent the build
ing of canal in Arizona to such extent
as to take away any part or portion of
the riparian rights of the state of Cali
fornia to Colorado river water. l also
decided that no corporation or company
had right to take water from river
in the United States and transport it
into foreign country for the irrigation
OF lands; and that, as the Colorado
river arose wholly within the United
States, and as it had NO we'll defined,
permanent banks below the American
line, Mexico had no riparian rights to
any OF its water"
This decision on the part of the attor-
ney-general bad the effect of preventing
the contamination of the canal project
as originally designed in Arizona. A
second conference was held with Mr..
Hart, in which he agreed, as far as he
was concerned, to permit the Belgian
company to take water from the Colora-
do on the California side, with the ex :
press understanding that all lands
within San Bernardino and San Diego
counties coming under the proposed
canal should be first supplied with wa
ter sufficient for the nee of settlers,
whether for the raising of fruit or other
product. After this had been done the
attorney general conceded that any SUI
plus might be taken elsewhere without
objection by the state of California.
To this proposition the company has &C.
ceded. a
The attorney-general states that the
company has now changed it's plan oi
operations and is concluding arrange.
ments for a large slice of the railroad
grant in San Diego and San Bernardino
| counties, which 1t will irrigate and plant
and colonize with Belgian farmers.
General Hart is convinced that the com.
pany is a legitimate one and that it has
money enough on hand to carry out ite
great undertaking.
The valley through which the South
ern Pacific passes on its way from Yuma
to San Bernardino is believed to be the
place where the work OF development
will center. 1t is in portion of this
district that the Salton sea was Termed
To put the water on the land is email
enterprise beside the one which was
originally laid out.
The soil of the 80 called desert, except
for occasional patches of sand and alkali,
| is rich loan. In the winter that part
of it which borders the eastern water
shed of the coast range is covered with
grass and flowers, and it has been noted
since the Salton overflow began tina.
similar growth has come up along the
lagoons connected with the lake, fac,
Of which California and Arizona stock.