Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1906-10-26
SALT0h SEA DILEMMA
How the Water Eas Spread In
Spite OF All Efforts.
sEVErAL lrALL TOWEs COVERED

Intern ationaI Complications win
Mexico Likely tS GesuIt From Irri-
cation Experiment Ia which Colo
rsdo River Mas Turned From It's
Course-som- Parts oT sink seventy
Feet Iader Water.
Who is responsible for the creation
Of tie SaltOn sea. Ia southern Cali
fornia. wlich already covers an area Of
IUU square miles and threatens to
spread over 2.UUO square miles il some
means of dlverting the Colorado river
cannot lee GcvisedI
This question is perplexins McXicanS
and Americans. but Tor the time diplo
matte representations have been sus-
pended. AMI both tie United States and
Mexico are bending every effort to
check the river which has been acct
dentally turned from lis course through
the efforts of the California Develop
ment company 10 irrigltc lands in
northern Mexico and southern Cali
fornia. says Washington dispatch.
Interesting complications of an inter
national nature are threatened when
the two governments attempt to settle
their differences and make good the
damage which has been wrought 10y
diverting the Colorado from its old
channel The California Development
company originally tapped the river be-
low Yuma. Arlz., and carried water
from Arizona through canal into
northern Mexico and back into great
valley in southern California.
In 1904 it was found that this canal
was Inadequate to supply water re
quired for the irrigation project, and
Mexican corporation. controlled 10y the
California Development company. was
authorized by Mexico To take water
from the Colorado in Mexico Il short
distance south of Yuma. The irriga-
ton canal was only ono-fOurth of a
mile from river at the point in MeXi-
co where Il ditch was cut through the
sandy bank of the river connecting
with the great irrigation canal No
gates We're provided. and with the high
water of 1903 the Colorado river was
diverted from its channel, cut away
its banks ana went raging into the lDw-
lands in California far below sen level. |
Repeated attempts have been made to |
turn Tie river back into its old channel. |
but without success.
Again ana again the Southern Pacific |
railroad has been compelled to move its |
tracks, which ran through the Salton |
sink, and have been forced ON to the
foothills surrounding the great basin
which is beinS converted into sea.
Several small towns are now beneath
the waters which the Colorado has
poured into the basin. and in many
places only the tops of the railways
telegraph oleS Indicate where the road
bed iormerly was. In the lowest part
Of the sink the water is now seventy
feet deep. For time The water from
The Colorado raised the sea at the rate
Of slN inches day, and ii has been es-
timatrd that, granting the failure of
years all the basin located beneath the
main course of the Colorado will he
covered with water
y part of this basin is in Mexico. and
he failure to control the river would
rive the United States and Mexico n
AXE comparable to the great lakes
operating the United States and Can
da. At present the lake is greater
han any body of water wholly with
n the United States except Salt lake
nd Lake Michigan.
The Mexican company to which per-
mission was granted to take water out
II the Colorado in Mexico was created
Il Mexico merely to assist the Cali
ornla Development company in max
ne success of an irrigation project
which was partial failure when wa.
er was taken from the Colorado in
ARIZONA. Most of the land to be irri-
ated was in the United States, and the
lexlcan government had comparative
little to gain from the concession T
ranted to the irrigation company.
h'NAh"'iohui computations nave fol :
'Wed, growing out of the fact that ey- ,
sting treaties provide that the Colora- |
o snail be maintained as a navirable q
Lream which is not now the case. be-
ause it has been completely diverted
rom the gulf of California into the
nix. Expert engineers are struggling ;,
control the flow Of water, and the r
outhern Tactic railroad, whose prop. :,
'ty is suffering greatly, is cooperating &
'lth the Mexican and American on. -
neers in an effort to construct an. =
her channel with floodgates into :,
men the Colorado can be diverted :,
ng enough to repair the Salton break =,
The Mexican government commission -
headed by Brigader General Angel IL
aFcla Pena and the American govern ~
ent by the reclamation service en-
neers.
EOP CLJIDNiiro [;