Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-11-09
IRRIGATION IN /
CALIFORNIA
Mitchell Wants an Overhaul
ing Of the National Land
Laws.
PLEA FOR AN APPEAL
Three Big Projects Now Under
Consideration by Depart
mcnt Of Interior.
PLEA FOR AN APPEAL

Three great new projects In Cali
fornia which the government Ii on
sidering under the national Irrigation
act win. II undertaken. add IN the
neighborhood OF q million acres Of
land to the reclaimed area OF tho
golden state. Government engineers
have been engaged on preliminary
surveys for upward OF q year, and In
southern California a few weeks ago,
four million miners inches Of water
OF the Colorado river we're filed upon
and appropriated by the government,
which means In reality the entire flow
OF this Nile OF America The 81
tire surrounding land, over four mill
lion OF acres have also been reserved.
The ultimate reclamation of land
through the great system Of dams and
canals eventually 10 be constructed on
this river alone will be something
over a million acres. but the first step
In this work will probably reclaim In
the neighborhood of 500, 900 acres DC
rich delta land.
The second project which has been
investigated Il the storage OF The wa
ters OF the Kings river, about mid.
way between Los Angeles and San
Francisco. formed by two large noun.
tain streams, heading far up In the
snow capped Sierras. The regular flow
OF the Kings river ~irrigates today an
enormous acreage In the fertile San
joaquin valley, while the storage OF
It's waters by the government would
Increase It's irrigablc capacity by at
least 100000 acres. AT present Its
Hood waters flow wholly to waste, as
does likewise almost the entire low
Of the Colorado river. flowing through
the extreme southern part or tho
state and emptying into the gulf OF
California.
stu another enterprise which has
commended itself to the government
engineers Is what Is known as tho
Clear lake project In the northern
part of the state. Situated 1000 feet
above sea level. Clear lake Is a beau
uful sheet Of water covering 10000
acres. by stretching q low dam across
Its lower end and raising It's surface
only six feet. ~2i0.00O-acre feet Of
water could be stored sufficient TO ir..
rigate over 100000 acres Of the high.
~ productive land OF The Sacramento
valley. Here. where there Is consld.
cradle rain fall. much less water
would be necessary for irrigation than
IN the southern part OF the state.
where both arldity and an almost
tropical climate necessitates heavy ir.
rigation. Clear lake project, all Iii aIl.
is declared by the federal engineers
20 be n Of the best irrigation pro.
positions In the west.
CALIFORNIA; Share y2.ooo,ooo
or the $4,000. 600 and over. now TO
the credit Of the reclamation fund
CALIFORNIA; share Is more than 81. 900.
600. and II is desired TO begin the ex-
penditure Of this sum rs soon as the
best projects a be determined upon
In the meantime the secretary of The
Interior is authorized. under the act.
10 reseryo tbc water rights AMI with
draw HE land which may be irrigated
as well a. tbe reservoir and dam sites
from entry under the desert ACT, the
Communication clause OF the homestead
aci aud the timber ana Stone act
Ware a ~. fne thf6 .wtt.i4s ,.Y..utolo.s I