The Arizona sentinel., 1904-03-16
THE GREAT COLORADO RIVER


 The great Colorado river is the largest stream, both fin drainage area and discharge, that lies wholly within the arid portion Of the United States. It is formed by the 1unc- ton of the Green and Grand rivers, rising m Colorado and Wyoming respectively. in re- gious Of great precipitation, mainly In the form of snow. Only a small percentage of the water yielded by the basin of the Colorado has as yet been utilized for irrigation, and practically none for any other purposes. The obstacles are many. Through most or 1ts course this river and it's tributarles now al the bottom Of profound canyons, from which 1t Is impossible to divert them upon irTiEsSlr lands. The river emerges from It's canyon a short distance above the Ncedles-the cross ing of the Santa Fe Pacific railroad-and nat a series Of valleys which between this point and the Mexican line aggregate about 5Oo,UO acres. In this region the waters are heavily laden with sediment, which Is serious ob- stacle to their diversion The grade of the river is SO fiat that a diversion canal taken out at the rivers bed must have so slight A fall and so low velocity that 1t would ouIckly fll with sediment from the river. For the same reason a canal must be very long in order to command any considerable area Of land in the river valley.
 TWO AND A QUARTER BILLION BALLOTS A
 MINUTE.
 Measurements of the flow near Yuma show that the river sometimes discharges mlnf- mum of about 5000 cubic feet per second. Its maximum discharge is unknown, but proba- bIy exceeds one-half million cubic feet per secondJ As the river Is supplied ma'nly by melting snows its season of high water cul- inmates in June, and the low water season IS iu the winter, when it's sources are frozen.
 The river is navigated more or less from it's rnonth to the Needles by fiat-bottom, stern wheel boats, which sometimes even ascend to the mouth of Virgin river. Its navigation, however, is so difficult and precarious as 10 make it almost useless. At low water the channel Is so broad. shallow and changesble that boats are continually running aground, sometimes being nearly week in advanclng ten or fifteen miles. In times of high water the swift current greatly impairs navigation. Wherever wagon transportation is possible, this is preferred to the river.
 waters of this basin are: First, the great fiuctuation in discharge; second, the paucity of land that can be reached by them; third, the large quantity or sediment maklng lm- practicable any diversion on @. small scale.
 A comprehensive project is here present ted, which, if upon investigation, is found inn dif1iculties, and will also greatly improve navigation at all seasons Of the year.
 The development of the mineral resources, in which this country IS ricn. IS greatly G nam i, of transportation, both important requisites for the mining industry. Tho proposed plan will completely solve both problems.
 suBTRoPICAL. CLIMATE.
 All ofthe land that can be irrigated from the lower Colorado may be regarded as haV- ing Sem1-JTOplCa1 nhCiC bhc ing season for most products continues the year round-the req uirementS for water, now ever, being greater in the summer season tnan in the winter. It is here assumed that the maximum use in July will be twice as great as the minimum requirements in January; and that a stream with the maximum flow or two cubic feet per second in July, furnishing about 1000 acre-feet per annuln, VIII supply 200 acres Of land.
 It is probable that with proper regulation the Colorado river will be able to furnish a <xf for f0r Tn dInG ri uses varying from TO- 900 cubic feet per second in winter 10 10000 cubic feet per second Tn summer, in years Of smallest discharge, al- lowing the great floods Of wet years 10 sN eep to the sen as at present. This will be Suffi- cient to irrigate 900 900 acres or land, and Is SO far In excess Of the requirements below the put upon storage and diversion or waters from the tributaries of the Colorado.
 A considerable portion of the valleys of the lower Colorado consists Of sandy Hood plains gravelly foothills with soil unsuitable for cul- tivstion. There are also considerable areas Of sand dunes, and some tracts rendered bar ren by alkali. All these 1t is proposed to re- claim by inpounding upon them the silt which annually passes down the Colorado river.
 SERIES OF DAMS.
 The general plan here proposed Is the pro- rado river by the construction of high dams at numerous points where the topographysts favorable and where the possible stOrageHs large. All of these dams will be provided with large sluiceways through the base, in order that the stored waters may be entirely drawn of, together with their load Of silt, whenever it is found desirable to do so. The reservoirs VIII serve as settling basins for sed- jment The dams will also be utilized to raise the wnters into canals, for the double purpose Of enclosing more irrigable lands by such canals and of giving them a velocity sufficient toeaFry a large amount of sediment in suspension until it can be deposited upon the fields. Fhe dechvity given to the canals soil, and will be the highest permissible with out involving destructive erosion. The fall Of the Colorado river is so slight that reser- voirs of enormous capacity may be construct ed without involving dams of impracticable height. At any time, by opening the sluice- ways Of the reservoir, the current Of the river will quickly cut a channel through the de- posted sediment from the upper end of the reservoir to the sluice gates; this being the longest dimension and deepest part Of the reservoir will in all cases form an important part of this storage capacity, and to this eX- tent every reservoir can be permanently kept clear of sediment without expense With this exception, each reservoir is expected to gradually fill; when this occurs fl is proposed to draw down the surface of the reservoir permanently % to 40 feet, and to convert all of the reservoir site except the river channel into irrigated farming land, and. If necessary. construct another reservoir for storage pur- poses higher up on the stream. This policy will greatly increase the arabic area It will then be practicable, whenever desired, to close the sIuices and inundate all Of the agri- cultural land in each filled reservoir and thus fertilize if, Is naturally done by the river Nile for the valley. This Is done artifcially insome parts of Europe and Africa. With the deep, alluvial soil, semi-tropical climate, arid atmosphere, abundant water supply and the DO sIbilty or fertiiizing the felds every year without expense. 1t is be,it we'd { rat such regions can be farmed the year round, and several crops taken of annually a7 acreage production being thus attained entirely without precedent in history.