East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-12-21

The widespread interest in the
Flooding of the Salton sea by the
Colorado river, renders the following
details of that great catastrophe,
taken from the Boise Statesman, of
more than ordinary interest. The
statesman of this morning says:
AT Salt Lake d. w. Ross met en-
gineers familiar with conditions where
the Colorado river is making new
channel for itself into the Salton sea
and his narrative of conditions sur
rounding that great break Of the rest
less river is one of the most interest
ing imaginable.
The Imperial canal was taken out
of the Colorado at a point little
north of the Mexican boundary for
the irrigation of lands in the great de-
preston of which the Salton sea is
the bottom. In the course of time
and after a large number OF settlers
had made homes on the lands, the
company found 1t could not keep the
canal near the inlet from filling with
silt II then got permission from
Mexico to construct another inlet from
the river. This was to be done under
| control of Mexican engineers, but the
company went ahead without waiting
for advice and built a section OF ca
nal connecting with the main canal
some distance from the river.
This was not furnished with head
works and when the river rose it sent
a great volume of water through
which at once began cutting. Before
anything could be done the river had
opened a great channel for itself and
was pouring into the Salton sink
forming a large lake there. 1t fol-
lowed the channel some distance and
then cut an Independent channel fol-
itself. This continued until practical
ly the entire river was flowing througs
the new channel.
To understand the situation it !:
necessary to know the elevators ant
distances. At Yuma the elevation l!
100. feet above sea level. From ther'
to the head of the gulf 1t is some 2O'
miles. The bottom CT Salton sink II
270 feet below sea level, and the dis
tance from there to Yuma Is onl!
' about 100 miles. Flowing in that di
rection, the water could find a drol
of $40 feet in 100 miles, whereas it
y natural channel had fall of only 10
feet in twice the distance.
Very Rapid Erosion.
= On its new course the river game
i great velocity and it consequent
eroded the bottom and sides of ii
r course very rapidly. Up to the tim
1t was shut off by the Southern Pac
% fic 1t had, it is estimated, moved fou
times as much earth as is to be move
at Panama, and in places it had mad
canyons 100 feet deep.
The aluyium there is of great dept
and the river will cut so long as it he
current and a place In which to d.
posit the debris. 1t not only cut
wide path for itself, but it lowered 1
channel all the way back to the o.
s. channel and up that a considerab
- distance.
The cutting was going on at a
points along the course Of the strea
and in the old river bed near Yum
the channel was secured out to
depth of SO feet.
The Southern Pacific finally sh
off the stream from Its new chann'
turning 1t back toward the gulf in
old course. This was done by buildir
a dixie across the stream near the Il
let from the old channel. This dill
was a mile or SO in length.
Human Plans Upset.
But all that work has been render,
useless. When the river rose und
the impulse of flood from the ma
stream and one from the ella ais
the waters tumbled the levee on Il
west side of the river into the dee
channel which had been secured clio
to its foundations. Those levees we
built to keep the water off the Ian
at the high stage of the river.
When the levee tumbled In Il
channel treacherously secured und
its foundations, the stream stru'
straight across the intervening spa
into the channel from which 1t h;
been turned, and the entire stream
pouring again into the Salton sea.
1t is not known whether anoth
effort will be made to divert Il
stream. but the Southern Pacific
already preparing to move its line
1t will be safe from encroachment