Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-05-05
A Notable Experiment in Irrigation
How a Desert r4ss Beer Reclaimed ard
Made Literally to 5iosaorr with EsrsI-

NENl-tA Wultzn utt1 QtNn Undertaken ia
Southern Calif0ruiiI liz probably Que Of
the MOST notable in An1eris,a for frs
promoters selected a region most OF
which was entirely devoid OF vegetation
In any FORM the sod IL il can be canrd
such. not even containing enough aha.
ul'snrs or ferutliry To u0urisd the sparse veg
era11uu found in the so-caled dessert q
the Southwest Prinr To thss rsrIa ma zion
Of this hand one could travel for niles
Without seeing any vegetation.
Most OF thu arem referred Go tlruls a
Phru 9t the Colorado Valley and Is sfrua-
ted in san Dbagn county The hend OF
the canal WIS B1cated on the river at 4
point seven miles west % Yuma. Artzuua
and hur a short distance from tina hru1f-
arY between California And NLaXiru. EfzPe
the elevation. IL t3H feet above sen level
a sufficient alrirlDis I'd give IN average
| tan Of from four 10 SIX feet to tl1,s mile
II was found rupossibba Cd construct tn
waterway In a straight Line. owing % the
uopography Of the country. md tn it's
COURSE 10 makes a Wide deC0ur. uussfnr
through a pCrriCu Of tina Mexican rppuf-
lie. lC ls uni,LJUz from the fact rhnt to ils
probably the only International trvtrani1u
ciInaI In the world. tile wafer being used
Cd cultivate a considerable area In the
southern rePu5lfc
W 1rE WIS not Begun un1tI AUGUST. llGd
NeHrlY AZ Cf the canal Wis dug by tina usse
q horse sXcmvaturs and band trgdgHs
sUule q the latter having a capacity for
removing fruu1 t009 Go 1910 CuoU. wards 10
ten hours As the ulararinI taken frur1 the
bed WIS utilized for emhanlCments. s,1ch
EDCC prDgress was ul1sie rhIr EIrurars Ia
the irrtgaresi district gathered their first
harvesCs q grain sariY ~ 1893. An bfza
Of tlis uiEEuitIlsia 5e the work can be gain
z,t when Ia ~ sta ted that the n1afu canal
ils at present nearly tdd miles In length.
with the usual depCh 0f ID feet while il
I varies tn width truu LOO 20 3l9 feet at
the cop. These ifnensiGus show rhar il
is oua Of the largest wafer courses q
its kind IN the wCrbt IL not the Iarwasc
arrlhciiEI channel for irrigation pI1rpua,s
Over 500 miles Of lateral canals have been
counecced WITH the main canal These
vary in size from a ditch 4 few feat Ia
width. carrying a f0Cr C water co sxca-
vatious 80 ard ~ feet ta width. with a
dspCh Of five feet
As IN the cnze q other western trrfrt-
uou schemes, Es suou IA the canal Wis
sufficiently comptsrad TO allow a prrris1
Of che -srrit1ry CD Be warerud coanscu-
t1u WIS made BY arerals. and the mrG
placed under cultivation. Il fast a. tha
supply was Increased the area served
was Increased fl proportion until III
present ahoul I59-l10 acres depend entire
~ r1r moisture Epuu Tia system The
land Ls being reci1in1a,i go rapidly rhmu
@aLlO0 Heres vii probably be under ctIIui-
vHEIJr within tina ueXr twg IT three
supply canal In uhs SUMMER u rgg2 90
rhar tina conversion OF the DESERT iac,
Prut1cr1va Territory oates hacz Less than
two years Yet tie crops q various
kinds watch ara being secured equal il
qualify and quantity those cbCli1ad from
ether trrigsIcest districts whtch have been
titled for ~ years and over Which seems
90 prove that this tQrr1ati1r wtfcn ii
4 sCa1e Of nature could u0r suppurr even
the cuarsesr vegetation. IL % 4 htEh
Z - - f-fF
trrrizarsd
In cuIrIva ting the Imperial VALLEY. A
In ls called. the farms EsIve been divided
into sr-aII tracts. Che lArves- comprising
noe 0ver lin Ecrss. II IL probably dHrs
In pmru 10 the intensive system Of arrf-
-t1ir1rs that C1s res1lcs aIreasty attained
have been successful An1our rt.s
assit crops which have seeu raised WIKI
Drptir ara sJzch cereals as curu wh.ar
Bnc barley although barley ard wheat
do not usually uhrtv= AZ WaH IN specially
trrlEIrst sou as when gruwn ca Hn,t
whicn * naturally wauers,i Sorghum
has Also been raised sIIcusssctzIIy a.
wei As sugar h'zsCs. AltElfl--c,s furHEz
croB wlich gruws 80 LhultantIv ia
other L-rtgarzd discrbr1s-ha-s ytaIi,s,t AZ
4 cepriouaI CROPS &c ibis valley. and from
[ three CD i've crups IL i TsIr car Be cur
from a single dsbL Experiments have
Z Also been Uasiss IN ul,ts culture oE rice
I and euur1u Win flir s1,,cess. while vsr-
I sClbies and the tree ana bush fruits
which flourish N 1ther PORTIONS sc Cali
Z f1ruit- bid Fair 60 yield az largely here.
I he extent ard value Jt the crups thus
I far secured are Shawn BY the receipts
OF some ot the farms which have aver
[ agz't from $40 CO SO psr acre.
i WITH the influx &C SETTLERS. a cunifirf1-
{ hzis arisen similar % that On the prairie
l I1ntts Of Louisiana and Texas. where the
u cEllvaEuQu Of rice on sLE- an extensive
l scale has been carried On Wtnnf- the Easr
I few years. 4 number 1f ClWus have
been IOcatEt ID rhs hsarr % what WIS
1 Formerly the DESERT. some Of them having
L 4 population % several thousands.
I These towns firm the principal markets
I Tor Ens sale Of t1z vrudl-Cts 1f The dis
l rricr. Ta@ town Of Imperial WHICH IL
I the principal shipping point By rail
Il curing r14 1rsG harvest year sent cut %
I an average i've carloads o. wheat and
I barley daily during the SEASON.
L An Interesting tsa1-re IN counecri1n
/ with the reeian1aril5n 0t this section q
I the southwestern dssseru. hs thar The
I canal system carries A Llrge quantity Of
I fsruiliz1nE material IN solution The
/ Coblrado river passing over MANY niles
I OF channel which IL las cut Gh-sugh s1tr
I material IN times 9f hiEh water fs
Y n-Lad WITH sediment, "A IL the Nile lr
Il rhss fuo,5 period. When IT'S winters ara
/ released into the canal 4 ELrwe amount
u Of sediment is carried through the 4rui-
I hciaI waterway. and thus enric1ss thu
/ wafer Ehhcn u used ln the fsI,1.s. One
/ objection to this dsposft liz that il tends
L % III Up the bed ct the canal. bur This
4 hs kspt at a proper depCh by dredging
/ The Deposited sediment serves Cd counter
/ act the natural lmDoVerishuenu 9t the
band by cuIriva1iou.
Il In the south western pOrriou o. TIE
I CuIred States, the govern ults1r hEs plan
/ ned some Of its mist eiIboraEs ErigEti,ln
L schemes. Over EA,b0,l00 acres al arid
and semf-artI 1=ruir0Uy are believed % be
. available for reclamation with suitable
[ water systems. OF more than fifteen times
the present area ot irrigated rerrtroUY-
I NGuGh Of this area Ia suitable fur DasCUr
. Iug- and contains sufficient fertility I'd
/ produce forests Of eumnzsrgiaI timber.
| Mention has already been made OF what
/ has been Accomplished IN uha Pecus val
7 hey. II hs A fact that the products Of uhi.s
valley form the principal urarie Of L
railroad. built specially 10 carry them
90 market. which IL 37I niles IN length.
and represents An Investment Of $5.l0A.100.
L Scientific American