The Arizona sentinel., 1898-05-28
AN IRRIGATIOE POSSIBILITY.
Hbe GGTCrnment to Reclaim the
 Colorado Desert.

It IS encouraging to note that the question of government irriga- ion of arid lands is beginning to ind many advocates throughout the country, says the Los Angeles Times, and is being generally dis cussed by the press. Not only are he government lands which need no irrigation rapidly disappearing that is to say, those upon which 1t is possible to make self-sustain- ing homes b"t those lands upon which water may be brough. at moderate expense are also begin n,ng to become scarce. There re, main vast eras Of deaegt land, suGi cientto support in comfort millions of people. A large proportion of these lands can Dc irrigated, but to bring water on them requires the expenditure of great sums of money, and private enterprise is somewhat low at taking hold of such ven lures. Even when private com panies do undertake such reform ation, the result is too frequently unsatisfactory to the settler who buys lands under the canals.
 In Colorado and Wyoming the government has had surveys made for the location of two great storage reservoirs, and the report of the en- gineers has been approved by the secretary of war,who urges the con- structIon of the SC national storage reservoirs to conserve the flood wa ters for irrigation purposes. This is another important point in connec- ton with the proposed establish ment of government irrigation works. They will not only furnish water to the thirsty lands below, out would prevent the disastrous foods, to combat which, levees, costing millions have been built along the Mississippi.
 Congress recently appropriated %20.GU0 fer the irrigation investlga- ton. l. is a small sam, but if judlcious,y expended may do good in calling attention to this most important question
 The suggestion that iu aaasr- taking such work the federal goy ernment would be overstepping it's proper field, is scarcely worthy of consideration. The government certainly has as much right te make the lands which it owns avail able for settlers, by providing a water supply, as it has to improve rivers and harbors, or build levees.
 One of the most forbidding sec tions of Southern California, and one which to the average observer promises the least in the liae of possible development, iy that in the Colorado Desert anG around the New River in the southeastern corner of tue state let 1t is by no means improbable that this arid and desolate section may one day become as thickly settled and as productive as any portion of Cali fornia. As it is now, the section referred to is absolutely bare with out a tree, or @ shrub, or sign Of seed during the dry season. What it may become under irrigation was shown a few years ago, during the overflow of the Colorado river, when thousands of cattle were pastured .a .aa. section on gases that ire auanUy hid them from sight
 It has been suggested that in case the g1va,u1aa should under . take the work of ur.gating it's arid lands, the section referred to would be most promising place to make beginning. The basin of the ! Colorado, on the line of San Diego county and Arizona, bears much resemblance to the delta Of the Nile Like the Nile, the Colorado bring: down vast amount of fertilizing matter, and, as Tn the Nile valley the growth of vegetation after th' application of water is marvellous At present the great Colorado wastes millions of inches of watc in the Gulf, which might Leturnc( upon the plain, and made to irri- gate rich, alluvial land that ha' been washed down in the course Q centuries.