Williams news., 1903-05-16
COLORADO VALLEY SURVEYS
That Comprise Topographic, Reservoir and
 Dam Sites and Photographic Work.

That Comprise Topographic, Reservoir and
 Dam Sites and Photographic Work.
 Walter D. Smith left Wednesday afternoon for Yuma, says the Phoe- nix Enterprise, where he is em- ployed by Uncle Sam in measuring the waters of the Colorado river and taking daily samples of the water to find out how much silt is being carried down the stream, and tells a very interesting story of work being done along the irri gation lines.
 The surveys along the Colorado river may be divided into three branches. First, typographical survey which is being made of all the land adjoining the river on each side to the height of from 100 to 15O feet above the river and ex- tending from above Needles to the Mexican line. This work was started last fall and LOW nearly com pleted, there being over 100 men constantly employed on it.
 Second, a survey of reservoir and dam sites, which will show the pos abilities of water storage, and in connection with the topographic map, what land will be possible to irrigate thereby.
 Third, the exclusively hydro graphic work, which includes the measurements of volume of water and the amount of silt carried in the river; also some miscellaneous investigations of scientific nature in regard to the flow of water in canals handling the silt, etc. Two permanent stations have been es- tablished, one at the Bulls Head dam site, and one at Yuma.
 The water is sampled twice daily for silt and the volume of water measured almost daily. This is rendered necessary by the constant fuctuation in the discharge of the river. During the low water in the winter the discharge averages about 4OO0 second feet or 100000 Califor- nia miners inches. During the high water in the spring and in the early summer 1t averages 5O,OOO second feet or 2,5OO.OOO miners inches. From the measurements thus far made it is roughly esti- mated that if the flood waters were saved there would be enough water to irrigate three or four million acres of land.
 Supposing a water right there would come to be the price it is in Redlands { about $1OO per acre and that it would cost $2O,OOO,OOO to adequately handle the river and buila the canals, the present value of the river might be stated as $2S0, 0,0OO,OOO. But it is not neces- sary to assume so high value as water has in Redlands to figure that it would pay to use the Colo rado river for irrigation.
 The valley land formed by the deposit of the silt of the river is probably as fertile as any the sun shines on, and the man who for the first time views the extensive acres covered with the dense growth of willows, arrowwood and mesquite brush, wonders why they have been idle so long, with water so close at hand. Some of this land lies so low that it is overfowed every year during the high water and it is necessary that levees be construct ed. To irrigate even this over flowed land it is not so easy as it may appear. When the water is diverted from the river into canal which has a grade that will give it less velocity than the river has, much or all of the silt which it carries is deposited and the canal is filled up, and this takes place so