The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1904-11-02
THE GREAT COLORADO RIVER

The great Colorado river is the largest
stream, both in drainage area and discharge.
that lies wholly within the arid portion of
the United States. 1t is formed by the juno
lion OF the Greer and Grand rivers, rising in
Colorado and Wyoming respectively, I'm re-
gions OF great precipitation, mainly In the
form OF snow. Only q small percentage of the
weter yielded by the basin Of the Colorado
has as vet been utilized for Irrigation, and
practically none for any other purposes The
obstacles are many. Through most of its
course this river and It's tributaries flow mt
the bottom OF profound canyons, from which
1t Is impossible to divert them upon irrigable
lands. The river emerges from its canyon
short distance above the Needles-the cross
ing of the Santa Fe Pacific railroad-and has
a series of valleys which between tins point
and the MeXican;line aggregate about 100000
acres. In this region the waters are heavily
laden with SEDIMENT which is a seriouS OBJ
stacle TO their diversion The grade of the
river Is SO fat that diversion canal taken
out at the rivers bed must have so slight
fall and SO Tow q velocity that 1t would
quickly fill with sediment from the river.
long In order TO command any considerable
area of land In the river valley.
TWO AND A QUARTER BILLION GALLONS A
MINUTE.
Measurements of the flow near Yuma show
that the river sometimes discharges n MINI
mum of about 5000 cubic feet per second Its
maximum discharge is unknown, but proba-
hIv exceeds one-half million cubic feet per
second. As the river is supplied mainly by
melting SHOWS, its season OF high water Gull
inmates In June, and the low water season is
in the winter. when its sources are frozen.
The river Is navfgated more or less from its
mouth to the Needles by fat-bottom, stern
wheel boats, which sometimes even ascend to
the month Of Virgin river. Its navigation,
however, is so difficult and precarious as to
make IL almost useless. At low water the
channel Is so broad, shallow and changeable
that boats are continually running aground,
sometimes being nearly n week in advancing
ten or fifteen miles. In times OF high water
The swift current greatly iIapars n "a
this Is preferred to the river.
The chief obstacle TO the utilization OF the
waters Of tins basin are: First, the great
fluctuation in discharge; second, the paucity
of land that con be reached by them; third,
the large quantity OF sediment making I'M
practicable any diversion on a small scale
A comprehensive project is here presented,
which. if upon investigation, is found i'm
practicable, will largely remove all of these
difficulties, and will also greatly improve
navigation at all seasons of the year.
The development OF the mineral resources,
in which this country is rich, is greatly ham,
pered by the great cost of power and the lack
of transportation, both important requisites
for the mining industry. The proposed plan
will completely solve both problems.
sUBTROPICAL CLIMATE.
All of the land that can be irrigated from
the lower Colorado may be regarded as hav-
Jag q semi-tropical climate, where the grow
ing season for most products continues the
year round-the requirements for water, how
ever, being greater in the summer season than
in the winter. 1t Is here assumed that the
maximum use in July will be twice as great
as the minimum requirements in January;
and that q stream with the maximum flow OF
two cubic feet per second in July, furnishing
about 1000 acre-feet per annum, viii supply
200 acres OF land.
1t is probable that with proper regulation
the Colorado river will be able to furnish a
continuous stream OF water for industrial
uses, varying from 10 900 cubic feet per second
in winter TO 10000 cubic feet per second in
summer, in years Of smallest discharge, al
lowing the great floods of wet years TO sweep
70 the sea as at present ae This viii be sum
so far I'm excess of the requirements below the
Grand Canyon that no restriction need to be
put upon storage and diversion OF waters
from the tributaries ofthe Colorado.
4 considerable portion of the valleys of the
lower Colorado consists of sandy flood plains
subject to occasional foundations, and rough,
gravelly foothills with soil unsuitable for cul-
tivation. There are also considerable areas
OF sand dunes, and some tracts rendered bar
rem by alkali. All these il is proposed to re-
claim by impounding upon them the silt
which annually passes down the Colorado
river.
SERIES or DAMS.
The general plan here proposed is the pro-
vision of "A series of reservoirs on the Colo
RADIO river by the construction OF high dams
nj numerous points where the topography is
favorable and where the possible storage is
large. An OF these dams will be provided
with large sideways through the base, in
order that the stored waters may be entirely |
drawn of, together with their load of silt, |
whenever il Is found desirable TO do so. The |
reservoirs will serve as settling basins for sed
iment. The dams will also be utilized 10
raise the waters into canals, for the double |
purpose OF enclosing more irrigable lands by |
such canals and of giving them velocity |
sufficient to carry large amount OF sediment |
in suspension until il can be deposited upon |
the fields. The declivity given to the canals |
will DEPEND largely upon the character OF the |
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 !
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 I'LL; when this occurs II is proposed !
to draw down the surface Of the reservoir |
% to 10 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. 1t will |
then be practicable, whenever desired, to |
close the sluices and inundate all OF the agri- |
cultural land in each filled reservoir and thus
fertilze it, as is naturally done by tho river |
Nile for the valley. This is done artificially |
In some parts of Europe and Africa. With |
the deep, alluvial soil, senli-tropical climate,
arid atmosphere, abundant water supply, |
and the possibility of fertiiizing the fields |
every year without expense. it is believed |
hat such regions can be farmed the year |
round, and several crops taken off annually, |
an acreage production being thus attained |
entirely without precedent in history.