Bisbee daily review., 1906-10-11
INTERNATIONAL DISPUTE OVER
 SALT0N SEA
Complications to Be Settled by Commissioners to Be Ap- pointed by the United States and Mexico.

WASHINGTON. Oct. 10.-Who is re sponsible for the creation of the Sal ton Sea in Southern California. which already covers an area of 400 square miles and threatens to spread over 20OO. square miles if some means of diverting the Colorado river can not be devised? This is the question which is perplexing Mexican and American diplomats, but for the time being diplomatic representations have been suspended and both the United States and Mexico are bending every effort to check the river, which was accidentally turned from it's course through the efforts of the California Development company to irrigate the lands of Northern Mexico and South ern California.
 Interesting complications of an in ternational character are threatened when the two governments attempt to settle their differences and make good the damage wrought. The com plications have grown out of the fact that existing treaties provide that the Colorado river shall be maintained as a navigable stream, which is not now the case. The Mexican Government Commission to take up the matter is headed by Brigadier General Garcia Pena. and the American Government is represented by the Reclamation Service engineers.
 The claims of the Mexican govern ment are doubtless based on the charge that American ranchers in the Imperial Valley are responsible for the diversion of the Colorado river into it's new channel and the conse- Guent formation of the Salton Sea. Several years ago. while a canal to ir- rigate the Imperial Valley was in course of construction, but not com pleted, a severe drought struck the valley. It is claimed that in order to obtain water hurriedly the ranch CTS, not following the original survey of the canal then being constructed, opened a small ditch into the Colorado river The route of the ditch was a detour from the route proposed by the engineers for the canal and cross ed the Mexican line. so that water was taken from the Colorado river on the Mexican side.
 The Mexican government had never given authority that this be done, al though the American ranchers had made application to the Mexican gov ernment for such authority. A Mex ican engineer had been appointed to look into the matter. but during the delay and red tape. the ranchers took affairs in their own hands and crossed the line with their ditch.
 This ditch had no proper head gates. and when the Colorado river rose it came flashing through. In a day the 'detour ditch became the main channel of the river, which was di- verted from it's old course. After be ing diverted from its course it switch ed around and began to pour it's wa ters into the Salton Sink, so that the Salton Sea was formed.
 Col. Epes Randolph and other en- gineers are at present putting in head gates at the place where the river was diverted from its course, and there is every prospect that the Colorado will soon be forced back into its old chan nel While the great battle with the river is being waged, the Mexican commissioners are not pushing their claims. It is possible, however, that at later date, as told in this dis patch, commissioners of the two gov ernments may pass upon the respon- sibility for the diversion of the course of the Colorado.