The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-08-29
FIGHTING AGAINST NATURE.
southern Pacific Railroad Trying I,
Change Course of Colorado River.

YUMA, Ariz., August 23.-It is be-
lieved by competent engineers that the
problem of diverting the how OF the
Colorado river into the Salton sea is
about to be solved. The Southern Pa.
ciic company has more than l, 500 men
employed in the constr uction of new
channel for the river and is building
a headgate and dam with the view of
changing the course of the stream. 1t
is estim ated that the cost of changing
the flow of the river will amount to
nearly 100000 The construction
of railroad twelve miles long to at.
ford means for transporting the ma
terials for the dam is one of the big
items of expense. This road is nearly
finished. The preliminary arrange.
ments for diverting the big volume OF
water which has been pouring into the
Salton desert for the last Is months
Or more will soon be completed and
the first real test Of the plan adopted
by the engineers will be made. II the
dam and headgate are capable of re.
sisting the tremendous pressure of the
rivers flow the project will be success.
full; otherwise, it will be defeated and
the permanency OF the great Salton
sea will probably be assured. There
Is q fall of 425 feet in the new camel
of the river from the point where it
leaves the old bed until it reaches the
Salton sea. This fact makes the fow
especially hard to contend with. No
ordinary obstruction can Withstand
its pressure.
The attempt which is now being
made to divert the Aow by means OF q
dam and headgate is the second OF the
same kind that has been tried since
the new channel was formed. The
first attempt was unsuccessful because
the water found soft spot ia the dam
embankment and soon tore through
the structure with gigantic force.
1t is stated that If this second at
tempt to control the Aow Of the river
results unsuccessfully no further ef-
forts will be made and that the per.
manency of the Salton sea will be &C.
tepted by the Southern Pacific and it's
plans for changing its route will be
made accordingly. If the water is
permitted to continue to flow into the
new inland sea the size of the latter
will be greatly enlarged as time pass.
es. 1t still lacks many feet OF being
up to sea level. The sea will be more
than 100 miles long by 20 miles across
in places when the big basin is com.
pletely filled. Some of the old stations
on the Southern Pacific railroad are
already more than 100 feet beneath
the water. The permanency of the
new body of water will necessitate the
building of its main line far up in the
foothills, where the construction cost
will be heavy and the expense oftrain
operation much greater than upon the
original line through the former des.
ert.
1t Is the opinion OF scientists that 1t
the flow of the water into Salton sea
can be diverted it will not take more
than few months for the water now
in the sea to be evaporated. The tor.
rid heat of the sun will soon dispose
of the water and the desert will again
m AXE Its appearance.
Some people are so certain that the
sea is there to stay that large boat
lines have already been established
thereon. These boats ply between
many points and are used principally
in the forwarding OF mining machin.
cry and supplies from the railroad to
The distant foothills. Companies have
also been organized to establish
pleasure resorts upon the shores of
The NOW sea.