The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-08-24

hE AbAS$A4h
Congress viii convene III tie center
OF what Is probably the greatest sin,
gle irrigable area on the American
continent, and certainly the greatest
irrigation project that the National Re
cIamation Service has considered since
fits organization. This is the.great in
terror valley Of California, the valley
of the Sacramento and Of the San Jo-
aquln. 1t Is FIVE hundred miles in
length and comprises approximately
ten million acres, an area sovast that
even in their widest enthusiasm-and
the Reclamation Service officials are
enthusiastic over it-they have had
no thought Of more than mere begin
ming, at least. for the present.
The National Reclamation Service
is now building twenty-five projects,
that when completed, will irigate 81
1873, 900 acres. These projects will
cost sixty million dollars, and will
provide farms for 10000 farmers.
Measured by existing standards these
twenty-five projects will maintain in
comfort and plenty a combined rural
and urban population Of 100000. or
one.fortieth of the entire present pop.
ulation Of the United States,
The building of these projects means
the addition OF vast area TO the cul-
tlvated lands and provision for vast
increase In the population Of the Unit
ed States. So great is this prospective
addition that it is a matter of i'm
mense Importance to all the people
of the whole United States, for II
means a large increase in the agricuI.
tural production upon which the main
tenance Of our present prosperity SO
largely depends. 1t means new and
greater opportunities for those who
seek lands and homes, and new ave
nues of trade and commerce. The
| importance of the addition Of such an
area devoted to the most intensive
form of agriculture can hardly be ov
erestmated, and yet the total com
bined area of all these projects is less
than one.third that OF CALIFORNIA;
great valley.
CALIFORNIA; valley extends in 9
northerly and southerly direction from
the thirtyafth to the forty.arst paral
| lei Of latitude. Were 1t possible tc
transfer It to the same ATTITUDES or
the eastern coast of the continent, II
would include the city Of New York
on the north and extend southewart
to Cape Hatteras, on the coast Of
North Carolina, and include within Its
boundaries five cities OF New York
Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Baltimore
washington, Richmond, Norfolk and
Raleigh
This great valley enclosed by steer
and rugged, though Undiscovered
mountains, presents a great opportun
ity for irrigation development on a
colossal scale. The water supply il
ample, but little Of It is used for fir
rigatlon because this has been the land
of the princely wheat farmsi for which
California Is famous. and the develop
ment Of intensive farming systems
has only lately begun. Within the past
few years several irrigation canals
have been constructed and now 1t is
proposed by the engineers of the Ma
ton Reclamation Service to construct
a mammoth system OF engineering
works by which the whole of this
splendid prairie may. in time be con
verted into land of little farms sup
porting a great population.
Plans for such a project have been
partly worked out, but are still in
complete. For nearly ten years the
United States Geological Survey, and
later the National Reclamation Ser
vice, have been making surveys and
investigations in this valley and the
contiguous watershed. Streams have
been measured, typographical sur
vey of the valley floor begun. the un.
derground waters studied. Mountain
valleys suitable for storage reservoirs
have been sought out and measured,
for the summers are rainless in Cali
,fornia and the winter flow must be
held back by great dams Fortunately
nature has been liberal In providing
natural storage basins, and investiga.
tons, so far as they have proceeded,
indicte that every available irriga-
BILE acre may be supplied with water.
One reservoir site on the Pit river,
the principal tributary Of the sacra-
mento. has a possible capacity of 81
100000 acre feet, enough to cover one
foot deep every acre Of the twenty.
five great irrigation projects now being
built by Uncle Sam.
The construction Of the reservoirs