Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-25
DESCRIBES NEW LAKE
DIR. DAVIS LECTURES BEFORE
GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY.
Body Of Water Formerly Part of Gulf
of California-Irrigates
Imperial Valley.

1.-The Great New Lake in Southern Cali
fornia, Made by the Colorado River" was
the subject of lecture given by DIR. A P.
Davis before the members of the National
Geographic Society and their friends at
Hubbard Memorial Hall, 10Th and NJ
streets Friday evening. DR. Davis is as
sistant chief engineer of the United States
reclamation service on the new lake. The
attendance was SO large that the hall was
filled to its capacity long before the hour
announced for the beginning Of the ad-
dress. Many were unable to secure admis-
sion. As result, Admiral Chester, who
presided; announced that in the future all
meetings of the society will be held in Ma
tional Rifles Armory.
New Lake is In Imperial valley and was
formed many years ago. 1t was formerly a
part of the Gulf of California, but was
RADIO river during it's annual flooding, carry
ing immense quantities Of thick mud and
other solid matter, which were deposited at
point across the gulf, which. in time,
the lake. The latter DR.. Davis said was
first known as the Salton sea- but with the
river depositfng about eight feet of mud IN
1t a year, and aided by an evaporation Of
seven or eight feet year, the water dis
appeared, leaving large basin 800 feet
below sea level.
Known to Be Fertile
The alluvial soil of the BASIN or valley
was known by scientists and agriculturalists
to be extremely fertile if properly irrigated
but it remained dry and uninhabitated for
a long time before any attempt was made
to irrigate it. There were several attempts
but several years ago c. r. lockwood, an
engineer, suggested a feasible plan and
n hn16 Of c,,Ra Tote
money to start the work. The money was
soon exhausted, but the Sante Fe Railroad
Company took the project in hand and was
successful. The company managed by ca
nails to carry a part of the Colorado river
into the basin. thus forming a lake 400
square miles in extent, which, DIR. Davis
estimates, will not evaporate for nearly If
teen years.
tile. settlers focked there and agricultural
pursuits were inaugurated. More than
S3OO,OOO worth of cantaloupes were shipped
from the valley last summer and at present
the city Of Imperial, the largest in the val
ley, is rated as the fourth largest fruit
shipping city in California. However, the
soil of the region, according to the lecturer
is so soft that river channel Of consider
able volume and velocity will, by erosion,
cut and wear away immense quantities Of
earth and will carry it away.
Velocity Of the Water.
Ic NcloClty VI water III lIle cdildIS l6dO-
ing from the Colorado river became so
strong and turbulent that the canals nearly
did away with the river proper. Instead Of
the canals remaining as originally. about
200 feet wide. they became from 1000 to
1,50O feet wide, and undermined the banks
DR.. Davis stated that the Southern Trans
continental railway passing through Yuma,
and the Santa Fe railroad, in the southern
part of the state, also suffered on account
nP x-o1n nv oft nj hxr
Trestles and dams were washed away and
large bridges were endangered. Nothing
short of the most determined and costly eff
forts sufficed to prevent almost total de-
struction. ''
1.-THE railroad decided to combat the con-
ditions with brute strength and force"
DR.. Davis explained, land at a point sew
eral hundred miles below Yuma a little
army was put to work. There were more
than LOCO men, horses and wagons and
about twenty engines By dumping rocks,
dirt and other material in the path the
workers succeeded, the 4th instant in STOP
ping the stream and forcing it down it's old