The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-08
TRANSFORMING CALIFORNIA.
For the Eagle:

/ For the Eagle:
| Three great new projects in California
which the government is considering I'M
| der the national irrigation act viii. If
undertaken. add in the neighborhood OF a
million acres Of wonderfully fertile land
/ to the reclaimed area Of the Golden
state. Government engineers have been
engaged upon preliminary surveys for up
wards a year, and in southern California,
a few weeks ago. 10000 miners inches
| of water of the Colorado river were fled
upon ard appropriated by the govern
ment which means in reality the entire
! flow OF this Nile Of America The en-
! tire surrounding lapd-over four million
acres have also been reserved The ulu-
mate reclamat ton of land through the
great system of dams and canals eventu-
| ally 10 be constructed on this river alone
will De something over million acres
but the first step in this work viii prob
ably reclaim about 500 acres, of rich
drl+q lad
The second project which has been in
vestl..,..d IS tn sIorage Of the waters
/ of the Kings river. about midway he
tween Las Angeles and San Francisco.
formed by two large mountain streams
heading far I'D in the snow-capped Ser
ras. The regular flow Of thu Kings river
irrigates today an enormous acreage IN
the fertile San JoaqUi,i valley, while the
storage OF its waters by the government
would increase its irrigable capacity BY
at least 10000 acres. At present its Hood
waters flow wholly TO waste, as does like
wise almost the entire flow of the Coo
RADIO river. flowing through the extreme
southern part Of the state and eTnpty-ng
into the Gulf of California
Still another enterprise which has com
mended itself to the government engin-
GERS is what is known as the Clear Lake
project in the northern part Of the state.
Situated LEGO feet above sea level, Clear
Lake is a beautiful sheet of water cover
ing 5000 acres BY stretching a low
dam across its lower end and raising its
surface only six feet 10000 acre feet Of
water could be stored. sufficient to irri-
gate 20oOo0 acres OF the highly productive
land Of the Sacramento valley Here.
where there is considerable rainfall. much
less water would b necessary for irriga-
ton than IN the southern part OF the
state where both oridiJy and an almost
tropical climate uecessitatss heavy navl-
CATION Clear Lake project all IN al, Is
declared by the federal engineers. 10 be
one Of the best irrigation propositions IN
the west.
CALIFORNIA; SHARE S2o9'-st
OF the sIsOo0. %. AMI over. now 10 the
credit OF the Reclamation Fund. cali
foruia's share IS more than s2o0l.N9 and
It's IS desired TO begin the expenditure of
this sum as soon as the best projects can
be determined upon In the meant ne
the secretary OF the interior Is authorized.
under the act. 10 reserve The water rights
and withdraw the land which may b IL
risated. as well as the reservoir and dam
sites. from entry under the Desert Act
the communication clause Of the Hone
stead Act ard Timber and Stone Act
Were IL not Tor this express provision
in ;he irrigation law. which provision b.
the way vas vigorously opposed bT the
western s1d-specullung Interests a. the
tine q its pendancy. every acre il Jheze
three or In fact any other government
projects would be fled upon under the
above land laws the moment the i1teu-
ton Of the government 10 esta tIish irri-
CATION workS1nde- the irrigation law Re-
came apparent
The Reclamation Service oaicials con-
stsntly find the results OF thess uiser-
able laws operating against the govern
uent's plans Oniy after couPre hensive
surveys, preceded usually by preliminary
investi gaticns occupying months - ne.
can any STORAGE site - pronounced p-ac-
JicabIe. xarTG-5ing the government n
withdrawin- the land which Vii pro-
baby he irrigated hereunder. yet any
even preliminary surveys are watched
eagerly by l0cal land dealers AMI spec--
Isto-s. and wiki the first fntInafion that
the project may be favo-abIT cos-s -1ere-5
filings are made Or The hundred. 50 that
II eve-y project which The government
has taken up. q large proPortioa % IA
land = - irrigated has been fo1nd a.
b. nlEteTo-. bsOOFN- -&p7ovi1ebsepDL
IT, il the hands ef private owners. rot
settlers living UPON & and anxious.y wait
ing Tor Uucle sam u furnish them vatsr
O. perhaps augment Their i-suGiCieat-v
supply. but specuiators and stock inter
est. Who have likely nevsr seen shs Land
but Who acquire II and ere sl1p,y
holding = for 5 rise