The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-12-20
A PLEA FOR THE PREsERvA-
TON OF THE SALToN SEA.

HUN Or l. ION SEA
To Editor Scientific American.
Conditions and circumstances con
nected with the flow of the Colorado
River intoewaat is known as the Sal
ton Sink have occasioned considera.
bic comment in various publications;
and since the strenuous efforts of
government and railroad engineers
to divert the river back into its orig
inal channel have succeeded, it has
been advocated that a should
be taken to retain the new sea in ap-
~proximately its present dimensions,
the argument being advanced that
evaporation from this new body of
water has caused rains the past sea-
son in sections of the Southwest
where like precipitation has been al
most wholly if not entirely unknown
| before. In opposition to his it is
| contended that the unusual rains
have been merely coincident without
being caused either directly or indi-
rectly by the new lake.
When considered with more than
passing notice, I'M contemplated
from the standpoint that from a seem
ingly not greatly important incident
might come results of unthought-of
benef1cent effect to a very great part
of the whole country, and wnen such
effect really seems developing, then
the matter becomes an interesting
one, and is apt to attract the atten-
ton of anyone who looks forward to
future eventualities, as well as to
the first visible results l am of the
opinion that those VINO contend for
the permanent retention of the Sal
ions hat the new sea has caused and
indicates a decided modification in
climate; and the unusual rains in
the West and Southwest, especially
in the latter section, the past season
may only have been an indication of
what is to continue through other
seasons OF the year-as instance the
recent unprecedented storms in the
Southwest. Also | anticipate that if
the Salton Sea is retained, climatic
conditions in the West and South
west will experience great if not
changes do result, l apprehend that
they are brought about, not entirely
alone because of fresh water evapo-
ration from h new lake, but also1
and very considerably because of the
attendant chlorine evaporation, that
hos tic c0nnon in f-1o ;-or,onco ooI+ |
beds at the bottom of the new sea.
achieve similar results Though
as far as l know an ~unrecognized
is one of the purposes of the
of the ocean; hat is, that
the evaporation of chlorine assists
producing rains; and, again, ano-
purpose is that the evaporation
of chlorine from the ocean provides
chlorine constituent of the ozone
Of the air.
1t might not be an absurdity to
that the permanent pres
of the Sailor Sea would re
claim the arid waste, and make ths
to blossom as the rose; pre-
vent and do away with the mot
that sweep up from New Mex
co across western Kansas and up in
to Nebraska, destroying millions of
worth of crops; save the gov
millions of dollars that
would otherwise be necessary for ir-
projects, which produce only
local result at great cost in
comparison with the extensive bene-
its which might possibly be perma-
lently secured without cost and with
'ut attention by the retention of the
lew sea-.
There seems TO be a nance for
of anticipated hopes, and
he matter may be worthy of serious
consideration, as with sufficient rain
all the section now known as the
rid Southwest would develop into
most wonderfully fertile region
# the entire country.
w. M. REED. /
Chicago, December 1, 1906.