Arizona republican., 1905-03-20
THE sALToN SINK
Facts on Winch the Yellow Flo d
 Story Was Founded.

Mention vas made in The Republi can a few days ago of a story in a Los Angeles paper detailing terrible danger to the Imperial country through a rehlling of the Salton reservoir. natural basin over 200 feet below sea level and in the heart of the Colorado desert. It was mentioned that this basin was partly filled fourteen years ago by an overflow from the Colorado river and that some daQa@e was done. then to the Southern Pacific railroad, which skirts the basin, and that the present flood was in greater volume and was apparently backing up from the gulf threatening not only Salton and vicinity but the entire Imperial country.
 The ImpCrial Press that has just been received brands the story as not entirely fiction but of the yellowest possible type Through some injury to the Imperial canal which was carrying e large head of water, the water had to be diverted into the SaltOn river pend ing the repairs to the canal. A con siderable volume therefore was run into the SaltOn basin but that basin is between 200 and 300 feet lower than the Imperial country and of great area and that it would take a long time for it to fll to a point dangerous to the surrounding country. if the whole Colorado river were turned into it. The Press says in part:
 "On last Friday morning March 3, quite serious break occurred on the line of the main canal in Mexico, about one mile west from Sharp's Heading. and five miles east from Calexico. This is the California Development Company's canal for delivering water to Imperial Water company No. l, and was carry ing about S5,00O inches of water at the time.
 This break makes it necessary to turn this water down the Salton chan mel as otherwise the town of Mexicali would have been flooded, and a very great amount of damage done. In or der to do this the dam constructed by Water company No. ,. across the Sal ton. three miles southeast from Holt vile, and used by them as a heading had to be cut so as to permit this large volume of water to pass on down the Salton river. This dam was cut Satur- day, and then the outlet at Sharps heading, for the purpose of turning the water down the SaIton, was found to be too small to carry the S5,G00 inches additional to what it was already car rying. So on Sunday the dredge crew was put to work. and it is expected that in a very few days they will have the sluiceway enlarged so it win carry the entire volume. and then all the water can be turned out of the Water company No l system. and the break repaired.
 "We have no anxiety on the score of being flooded. The Salton sink may get quite lot of water in it, and the Southern Pacific track near Salton may overflow. but Salton is 200 feet lower than Imperial and 265 feet lower than Calexico and HOltville, and it would take more water than the entire Colo radO river could run in ten years to i'll up the Salton sink so it would cover any of the farms in the Imperial val ley. According to the measurements taken by the reclamation service, about one-ninth of the water in the Colorado river Is diverted by the Imperial canals Granting that none of this goes back into the Colorado river from the Quail river waste gate, C5O per cent of this water can be turned out at this waste gate and except in high water would go back to the Colorado) one can see what we would have to take care of Both the Salton and New Rivers are quite large channels, and we have no doubt will safely carry away all the water not needed for irrigation. We believe the California Development company should have headgates in their canals and we think they intended to put them in but have been prevented by high water. Their system is far from complete. and it will likely take two years to complete it. the best they can do. Tn the meantime. they must depend on their ability to waste the surplus water into the' Salton Sink when the water is high, in order to be able to divert sufficient water at low water stage to supply the Imperial valley farmers.