The Elbert County tribune., 1907-01-17
EXTRA MESSAGE.
URGES CONGRESS TO CURB COLO
RADo RIVER OUTBREAK.
MAY TAKE TWO MILLIONS
President Recommends That the Rec
Iamation Service Undertake an Ir-
rigation Project in the Imperial Val
Iey-WouId Aid Southern Pacific.

Iamation Service Undertake an lr-
rieation Project in the Imperial Val
ley-WouId Aid Southern Pacific.
Washington.-Th President Satur-
day sent to Congress a message urging
some action toward remedying the sit
uation caused by the break in the Colo
rado river four miles below the inter
national boundary line in Mexico, and
which threatens the property interests
in the Imperial valley of California.
The Presidents message contains
long review of the situation and says
that prompt action must be taken,
otherwise conditions will become so
extreme as to be impracticable OF rem
edy. Probably with an expenditure OF
| 100000, he says, the river can be
restored to it's former channel and held
there indefinitely.
The President says that at the pres
| ent there appears to be only one agent
equal to the task of controlling the
river, namely, the Southern Pacific.
| He recommends that the reclama-
ton service be authorized TO at once
begin the construction of an irriga-
tion project under the terms of the ir-
rigation act for the lands in the Imper-
ial valley and the lower Colorado val
ley.
The President is severe in his ar
raignment of the California Develop
ment Company for taking up an enter
prise of this magnitude without ade-
quate capital and for diverting moneys
received from sale of lands to other
purposes than the securing of water
supply or the improvement OF the
lands.
An engineer of the reclamation ser
vice expresses great surprise at the
Presidents action and says the devel-
opment company and the Southern Pa
cific are doing a great work in curbing
the river overflow.
In his message the president says:
"If the river is not put back and
permanently maintained in Its natural
bed, the progressive back-cutting in
the course of one or two years win ex-
tend up stream to Yuma, as before
stated, and finally to the Laguna dam,
now being built by the government,
thus wiping out millions of dollars of
property. belonging to the government
and to citizens. Continuing further
1t will deprive all the valley lands
along the Colorado river of the possi-
bility of obtaining a new supply of
water by gravity canals.
"The great Yuma bridge will go out
and approximately 100000 acres of
land as fertile as the Nile valley will
be left in a desert condition What
this means may be understood when
we remember that the entire produc-
| ing area of Southern California Is
about 100000 acres. A most conserva-
tive estimate after full development
must place the gross product from this
land at not less than 500 per acre per
year, and every ten acres OF which will
| support a family when under intense
| cultivation. II the break in the Colo
! RADIO is not permanently controlled the
| financial loss to the United States will
| be great The entire irrigable areas
which will be either submerged or de-
! prived of water in the Imperial valley,
and along the Colorado river is capable
of adding to the permanent population
of Arizona and California at least $780,
900 people and probably 100000.
Much of the land will be worth from
$500 to S1,500 per acre to individual
owners or total of from $3.50. .000, 900
to $700,00O.00O.
But one practicable course is now
| open for consideration.
1.-The Southern Pacific must continue
its work to close the break and restore
the river to its proper channel. The
| The United States can then take
charge, making the protective work
permanent and providing for their
| maintenance.
ut is not believed that free gift
OF this money should be made, as by
its investment the stability of property
of great value will be secured and the
increase in land values throughout the
Imperial valley will be sufficient to jus
tify the provision that this money
should be returned to the govern
ment."