Arizona silver belt., 1902-10-30
NATIONAL IRRIGATION WORK
To Be Insugursted Aong the Colorado River,
 California, and in Arizona.

A. P. Davis, of the United States geological survey, engineer in charge of all government work in the recla- nation of arid lands, is at the West minister on his way to needles, where the survey under the national irriga- tiOn bill, of the thirty-two townships lying southward along the Colorado river, is to begin on November l.
 Besides this stupendouS undertak- ing in southern California, which is the first work of its kind to be taken up by the government, MT. Davis stated yesterday that similar work of investigation is to be begun at the same time in the Gila and Salt river valleys, A rizona.
 Government irrigation ingestiga- tionS are being conducted at present in almost all the arid states, g said he, yesterday, with view to accomplish ing the great work of national irriga- tion, as provided for by the new law. l am engineer in general charge of tue work in all the arid states, and tour from place to place, as I am do. ing now.
 "The work along the Colorado river, between Needles and Yuma, will be be. gun about Novem Der l, and the inves- tigatiunS alone may take two years. l expect to go to Needles tomorrow and help to get things ready. E. T. Per kinS is to have charge of the field work. will then go on into Arizona, where work is to be taken up in the Gila and Salt river valleys.
 If the report from along the Colo radO is favorable to the irrigation plans, it will mean incalculable bene it to the city of Los Angeles, which will toe the metropolis of this newly opened empire of some half million acres. All development in this region will cer- tainly mean direct profit to you here.
 "lheIe is already at least $S,OOO, GOO at the departments disposal, with which to install irrigation systems, and the work will not be delayed when it is once decided on.
 We will have many obstacles to overcome .n perfecJing a system for the region along the Colorado, but we expect to perfect one in time. This one. the first, is StupendouS under taking"
 With MT Davis is C. R. Olbcrg, of Washington, an assistant engineer in the same department, who will engage in the work in Arizona. Angeles Times.
 E. E. Perkins, of the geological sur yey, gave the Los Angeles Herald the following information regarding the proposed work along the Colorado river:
 "The United States geological sur vey, acting as agent for the renlama- tiOn of arid public lands, has at present completed the following organization for carrying on the work between Camp MOhaye, above the Needles, and the Mexican line. First, primary tri2u- gulation party is put in the field be, tween these points to determine the exact positions of controlling points upon which to base a detailed .OpO- graphical map of the entire river. Sec ond, line of precise levels wi be run by party starting from Camp MOhave proceeding down stream, and also by another party starting ay Yuma and proceeding up stream to 9 connec. tion. These levels will be used also for a control of the contour maps. A cOntC UT map will be made of this re- zion on the scale of one and one-haIf inches 10 the mile from the hill coun- try back from the river, showing ele- vltionS of every fifty feet and on the scale of two inches to the mile, cover ing the river bottom lands in this dis Jrict, showing elevations of every five feet. For this purpose typographical party is now started at Yuma, and two or more typographical parties will he started from the vicinity of tht Needles. These last mentioned par ties will complete the survey of the lands adjacent to the river bottoms, under the direction of R. ', Goode, gcographer of he typographical branch of the survey, and E. C. Bar. nard in charge in the field.
 The survey of tho river itself and lhe irrigable bottom lands will be un- der the general direction of F. II New ell, chief engineer of the hydrograph- ical division, myself being in charge of the field and under the general Su-