The San Francisco call., 1905-03-24
Coming to California
to Study Irrigd-
ton Project.
Plans Being Per-
feGted 'n Enter
tai Pa u
Special Dispatch to The Call

SACRAMENTO -s-arch 23.-1he Sac
ramento Valley Development Associa-
ton has just issued the following bull
letin relative to the great Sacramento
Valley irrigation project:
The most important event of the
present year in the Sacramento Valley
will be the visit of the Senate and
House irrigation committees of the
National Congress. The gentlemen
composing these committees will make
a tour of the irrigable portions of the
United States and will come here for
the purpose of investigating what is
known as the great Sacramento Valley
irrigation project. The party will ar
rive in June and the Sacramento VAL
ley Development Association is al
ready making plans TO show them the
Sacramento Valley and the striking
features of the irrigation scheme. The
California promotion committee is also
interested In the proposed visit and
will prepare an itinerary for the party
while in this State.
The Sacramento Valley irrigation
project is one of the most stupendous
irrigation enterprises ever conceived by
man. 1t contemplates the ultimate
control of all the waters of the Sacra-
mento and San Joaquin Valleys
through the construction of a great
Sy ySlcl4 Ol CdIldlS GnC1IGllnE
the great interior basin of the State,
mingling the waters of the many
streams flowing into the valley and
eradicattng all inequalities of water
supply, as the great system now under
construction in the Valley of the Po
in Northern Italy is calculated to dis
tribute equably the waters of numer-
Gus streams there.
THE beginning of this great scheme
iG Iron CanUOn n fho S2oro mi n
River above Red Bluff, where il is pro-
posed to build great dam from which
the water will be diverted first to the
right bank, ultimately to both banks.
The height of this dam will not be de-
termined until the surveys are further
advanced, but it is assumed that its
crest will be about 300 feet above sea
level. Under the plans proposed the
west side Of the Sacramento Valley is
to be covered first by a great canal ex-
tending along the foothills of the Coast
Range from Iron Canyon to Suisun
Bay.
SURVEYS BEING MADE.
THE streams which flow from the
Sierras are considered sufficient to
water the east side of this valley, but
it is probable that the east side sys-
tenn, when the plans are complete, Will
also be connected With the Iron Can
yon dam in order to remove the neces-
sity of dependence upon local water
supply.
plans for this vast undertaking are
still in the making. No man knows to-
day what may be accomplished. Elab
crate surveys are being conducted by
the National Government and the
State of California, working jointly,
and when these are complete it will
be possible to determine what should
be and what may be done AT the
present time the west side of the Sac
ramento Valley is under investigation
and undoubtedly the first construction
work, should the Government under
take 1t, will be the Iron Canyon dam
and the west side canal.
THE work began two years ago when
the Legislature made an appropriation
to be used in connection with an equal
sum to be appropriated by the National
Government to carry on the work here
and elsewhere in this State under the
direction of the National Interior and
Agricultural Departments. An addi-
tional appropriation of $4,000 has been
made this year for the States share
of the expense of continuing the work
during the next two years.
1.-THE United States Geological Survey
is conducting the topographic and
photographic surveys. The Depart
ment of Agriculture investigates the
land to be irrigated.
''The topographic survey is under the
direction of r. B. Marshall. whose of
flee is In the Government building in
Sacramento. Here visitors see work
progressing on maps which show all
the topographic features of the terri
tory covered, maps which tell the ex-
perienced engineer all he must know