The Imperial press., 1905-07-22
POSSIBLE RESULTS OF. FLOOD
Colorado River May Change Channel and Imperial Canal Become
 American Territory -.

NOW that the Colorado river has fallen to its normal flow, the waters in the New river and Salton channel have receded to beyond the danger point, and the work of the California Develop ment Company to close up and control the Mexican intakes is well toward com pletiOn, it is suggested that number Ot very important consequences may follow as results from the great floods we have passed through, and the in- cidents and events comhected therewlth. 1t will be borne in mind that the Col Orado river is the boundary line be- tween the United States and Mexico at the point where the lower Mexican in- take is situated, and that as such inter- national boundary it is protected from interference by the treaty of December 30, 1853. This treaty specifically pro- vides Article First "The Mexican Republic agrees to designate the fOllCw- ing as her line limits with the United States for the future. Retaining the same dividing lines between the two California as already defined and estab- hshed according to the Fifth Article of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the limits of the two Republics shall be as follows:
 Beginning at point in the Gulf of Mexico three leagues from land; oppO- -ss &l. &l Gl provided in the Fifth Article of the Treaty of Guadalupe Ilidalgo, thence, as deGined in said article, up the mid de of that river to the point where the parallel of 3l degrees 47 seconds north latitude crosses the same, thence due west, one hundred miles, thence south To the parallel of 3I degress 20 seconds north latitude, thence along the side parallel of 3l degrees 20 seconds to the lllth meridian of longitude west of Greenwich, thence in straight line to point on the Colorado river, twenty English miles below the junction of the Gila and Colorado rivers, THENCE UP THE MIDDLE OF SAID COLO RADO RIVER UNTIL TT INTER- SECTS THE PRESENT LINE BE- TWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO"
 Article Fourth of this Treaty re-enacts Articles Sixth and Seventh of the treaty Of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which articles IL Al
 that the navigation of the Colorado where 1t is an international boundary, ''shali be free and common to the vessels and citizens of both countries." but, "neither shall, without the con sent of the other, construct any work that may impede or interrupt, in whole or in part, the exercise of this right" nor, "impair the territorial rights of either Republic, within its established limits"
 From the above, and d careful read- ing of the treaties between the two Nations it is clear that it was the pur- pose of the treatymakers to establish AhN oi tue N''lpt dtlp ilkGi dS lIle international boundary, for the distance measured by twenty English miles straight south from tine junction of the Gila and Colorado rivers, and also to provide that neither Nation should, without the consent of the other, con struct any work, or do any act tIiat would cause the river to change its channel and take different course. As it is provided that neither Nation shall "impair the territorial limits of the other, this could only mean, as regards the Colorado river, that both Nations agreed to take thelr chances on gaining or losing territory by such changes of channel as it might make of its own volition.
 In order that this status be protected the provision was inserted that neither should, without the consent of the other, construct any works, etc, evident ly foreseeing how possible it was to force the river to change its channel and thus transfer territory from one Nation to the other to the impairment of the territorial limits of the Nation thus injured.
 It has been felt for some time that