Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-19
TO HARNESS The COLORADO
Hydrsgrsphsr Davis Has Plan to Ulitise
Water Of the Great River.
WILL RECLAIM MANY ACRES OF DESERT
Twenty-Five millions OF Dollars VIII
Provide the EngineerinE works
Necessary and More Than .
600 Acres VIII BE saved.

One Of the most ambitious schemes ever
conceived is an engineering feat by which
il may be practicable to harness the great
how Of the Colorado river as II passes
through Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona
and California, utilize the water for irrt-
eating vast areas OF desert and incidentally
create 200. 900 OF 100000 acres OF new land
by scientific guidance of the stream. so that
IL will deposit its alluvium or sediment as
desired by man and likewise create vast
electrical power.
The Colorado has never been considered a
stream whose waters could be utilized to
a great extent for irrigation, but Arthur
p. Davis. who has spent several months in
a careful reconnaissance of the situation,
presents a plan oil startling proportions.
Mr.. Davis is one of the best known hydro
graphers Of the United States Geological
survey. and was detailed as chief hydro
grapher Of the Isthmian Canal commission.
In speaking Of his recent reconnaissance he
said: The great Colorado river is the
largest stream. both in drainage area and
discharge, that lies wholly within the arid
portions of the United States. 1t is formed
by a junction Of the Green and Grand rivers,
rising in Wyoming and Colorado. respec-
lively, in regions Of heavy rain and snow
fall. Only a very small part of the flow
Of the Colorado has as yet been utilized for
irrigation. Through most of its course
this river and It's tributaries 1ow at the
bottom Of profound canyons, from which it
is impossible to divert them upon irrigable
lands. II its water could be fully utilized
it would irrigate vast areas of rich land"
Vast Flood of Water.
Measurements made in Arizona show that
the river sometimes discharges as low as
5000 cubic feet per second. Its maximum
discharge is unknown. but Mr.. Davis states
it probably exceeds 500, 900 cubic feet per
second, or the incredible amount of 2,25O,-
900 900 gallons per minute. enough to water
%. 900 acres one foot deep in twenty-four
hours.
The river Is navigated for several hun
dred miles from it's mouth by fat-bottom
stern-wheel boats. but this is so difficult,
owing to the shallow ~changeable channel,
that wagon transportation is preferred
wherever it is possible. In times of high
water the current is very swift.
The development Of the mineral re-
sources, in which the country tapped by the
Colorado is very rich. is greatly hampered
by the heavy cost Of power and the lack Of
transportation. Mr.. Davis believes that his
proposed plan Of storage reservoirs will
@NAHN SNA NHA
mining.
All the land that can be irrigated from
the lower Colorado may be regarded as hav-
ing a semi-tropical climate where the
growing season for most products contin-
ues the year round the requirements for
water. however, being probably double in
the summer season those of the winter. 1t
is believed that with proper regulation
the Colorado river will be able to furnish
a continuous stream Of water for industrial
use, varying from 10, 1000 cubic feet per
second in winter to 10000 cubic feet per
second in summer, in dry years, and allow
ing the great floods OF wet years to sweep
on to the sea as at present. This win be
sufficient to irrigate 1000, 900 acres of land.
A considerable portion of the valley OF
the lower Colorado consists OF sandy food
plains which are subject to occasional in
undations and unsuitable for cultivation.
This large acreage 1t is proposed to re-
claim by impounding upon them the silt
which annually passes down the Colorado
river.
Chain of ,Sreat Reservoir.
Mr.. Davis plan is TOR the provision Of g
series of reservoirs on the Colorado river
by the construction Of Jams where the pos.
) sible storage is large. The fall of the riveI
! is so slight that reservoirs Of enormous ca.
! pacity may be constructed without involv.
[ ing dams of impracticable height. At any
I time, by opening the sideways OF thu
reservoirs, the current OF the river will
quickly cut the channel through the de
{ posted sediment. With this exception eacl
reservoir is expected to gradually NIL will
T sediment.
5 When this occurs it is proposed to draw
AAuvn ~, 49, - -
nently twenty to forty feet, and to CONVEX
all Of the reservoir site. except the rive
channel. into irrigated farming land and
\ II necessary, construct another reservoi,
for storage purposes higher up on thu
stream.
It will then be practicable, whenever de
sired. TO close the sluices and inundate al
} Of the agricultural land in each filed reser
voir and thus ~fertilize II as has NATURAL,
i been done by the river Nile for it's valley
r Such irrigation is done artihcially in som
8 parts Of Europe and Africa. With tn
n deep a~lluviaI soil. semi-tropical climate
e arid atmosphere, abundant water suppl
y and the praeticability OF thus richly f~eTtiliz
ing the fields every year without expense
Mr.. Davis states that such lands can b
d farmed the year around and several crop
d taken OF annually, an acreage productio
pSh6 NAhlbt ShAANAg NlNuOuN PI0tGuGu
in history.
n Electrical Power.
Each reservoir constructed will furnis
enormous electrical power. which can b
utilized in the development Of the mines
in operating railroads OF the region an
boats. Locks can be constructed at eac
dam and the river gradually TRANSFORMS
into a series OF slack water basins, while
X will render practicable the employment {
s. large boats. run by means Of storage bal
a teries.
lg The development, as suggested by NJ
Davis, would be relatively gradual. tt
FIRST reservoir would be built and SOC
a. filled with sediment, with the exception
D. the channel. by the vast muddy foods
Id the Colorado. Then the second reservoi
At higher up the river. would be built. and
on. The sitting process would be large
under control. So long as II was desire
6 to reclaim land with the sediment 1t eou
be all held back and the reclamation vou
~ proceed very rapidly. When no long
required for this purpose the sedimel
could be sluiesd out by the annual foods.
a fourth one IN the Black Canyon OF n
Colorado with a capacity Of 200. 900. The
D. contemplating four dams, one at Norto
Ariz.. with capacity to irrigAte 500. 900 aer