The Delta independent., 1907-01-25
EXTRA MESSAGE.
URGES CONGRESS TO CURB COLO.
RADIO RIVER OUTBREAK.
MAY TAKE TWO MILLIONS
President Recommends That tho Rec.
Iamation Service Undertake an Ir.
risation Project In the Imperial Val.

| ~"oe'o" SSTN'Cc OnocTtdke an ".
risation Project in the Imperial Val.
ley-WouId Aid Southern Pacific.
Washington.-The President Satur.
day sent to Congress n 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 a
long review of the situation and SAYS
that prompt action must be taken,
otherwise conditions will become SO
extreme as to be impractcable OF rem
edy. Probably with an expenditure OF
100000. he says, the river can be
restored to its 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 vai-
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 a 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
cidc are doing a great work In curbing
the river overflow.
In his message the president says:
III the river is not put back and
permanently maintained in It's natural
bed. the progressive back.cutting In
the course OF one or two years will cx-
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
It will deprive all the valley lands
along the Colorado river of the posi-
bility OF obtaining a new supply OF
water by gravity canals.
THE great Yuma bridge will 20 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 250.000 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 family when under Intense
| cultivation II the break in the Colo
| RADIO Is not permanently controlled tho
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 Mt least $50.
| 900 people and probably 100000.
| Much OF the land will be worth from
| $500 to $1,000 per acre to individual
| owners or a total of from 100000
| to $700.000.00o.
But one practicable course is now
| open for consideration
"The Southern Pacific must continue
its work to close the break and restore
the river to It's 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 n 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