The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-06
TO TRANSFORM DESERT.
Millions OF Acres of Arid Lands to BE
Reclaimed.

Guy Z. Mitchell, in Providence Journal.
Three great new projects in California,
which the government is considering under
the national irrigation act, will, If under
taken, add in the neighborhood of a million
acres of wonderfully fertile land to the re-
claimed area of the Golden State. Govern
ment engineers have been engaged upon
preliminary surveys for upward of year,
and in southern California, few weeks
ago. 100000 miners inches Of water of the
Colorado river were filed upon and appro-
priated by the government, which means In
reality the entire flow of this Nile" of
America. The entire surrounding land
over 100000 acres-has also been reserved.
The ultimate reclamation of land through
the great system of dams and canals
alone viii be something over a million
acres, but the first step In this work will
probably reclaim about $4,000 acres Of rich
delta land.
The second project which has been inves-
tigated Is the storage Of the waters of the
Kings river, about midway between Los
Angeles and San Francisco. formed by two
large mountain streams heading far up in
the snow-capped Sierras The regular flow
OF the Kings river irrigates to-day an
enormous acreage In the fertile San Joa~
gum valley, while the storage of its waters
by the government would Increase its ir-
rigable capacity by at least 100000 acres
AT present its flood waters flow wholly to
waste, as does likewise almost the entire
flow Of the Colorado river flowing through
the extreme southern part of the State and
emptying into the Gulf of Cafffornfa.ifs ,
Still another enterprise which has COM
mended itself to the government engineers
Is what Is known as the Clear Lake prof.
ect In the northern part of the State. Sit
uated LOCO feet above sea level Clear lake
Is beautiful sheet of water, covering 4O.
600 acres. BY stretching q low dam across
Its lower end and raising its surface only
six feet 100000 acre feet of water could be
stored, sufficient to irrigate over 200 900
acres OF the highly productive land of the
Sacramento valley Here, where there is
considerable rainfall, much less water
would be necessary for irrigation than in
the southern part OF the State, where both
arfdity and an almost tropical climate neces-
states heavy irrigation. Clear lake project
all in all, Is declared by the federal engi-
neers to be one of the best irrigation prop
ositions In the West.
OF the SIC, 900 and over now to the cred
it OF the reclamation fund, California;
share Is more than 100000 and ii is desired
to begin the expenditure of this sum as
soon as the best projects can be determined
upon. In the meantime the secretary of the
interior Is authorized under the act to re-
serve the water rights and withdraw the
land which may be irrigated as well as the
reservoir and dam sites, from entry under
the Desert act, the Communication clause of
the Homestead act and the Timber and
Stone act. Were 1t not for this express pro-
vision in the irrigation law. which provi-
sion by the way, was vigorously opposed
by the Western land-speculating interests
at the time of it's tendency. every acre in
ment projects, would be fled upon under
the above land laws the moment the inten-
ton of the government to- establish irriga-
ton works under the irrigation law became
apparent.
The reclamation service officials constant
ly find the results of these miserable laws