Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-01-18
EXTRA MESSAGE.
URGES CONGRESS TO CURB COLO
RADIO RIVER OUTBREAK.
NAY TAKE TWO MILLIONS
Prssidsnt Recommends That the Rec
ismstion Service Undertake an r.
risstien P'ojset in The Imperial Val.
isy-Weuid Aid southern Pacific,

ist-~euid Aid southern Pseifes
WashingiOn.-The President Satur-
day sent 10 Congress a message urging
s0n,e action toward f.msdyins this sit,
uaiion caused by' the break In the Colo
Eado river four miles below the inter-
national boundary line In Mexico. and
which threatens the property Interests
in the imPsTiai valley of California,
The Presidents message contains n
long review Of the situation and says
that pfOInpt action must be taken.
otheEwiss conditions ~iii become 30
extreme as TO be impraetieabie of rem
edy. Probably with an expenditure Of
es.ooo.ooo. he says. the river can be
restored To Its former channel and held
there indefinitely.
Tho President says that nj tho pres
ent ther. apps ars To he only one agent
equal To the task OF controlling the
river. namely. the Southern Pacific.
He recommends that tho reciama-
tion ssfVie. be authorized to at once
begin the construction Of an irrtsa,
tioa pEoiec, under tho terms Of the ir.
rixniion act for tho lands In the lmprr-
ial valley and the lower Colorado vas-
Icy.
The President is severe In his mr.
Yaisnmeh, Of tho California Develop
meut Company for taking up nm enter
prise Of this magnitude without adc-
quatc capital and for divcrtins moneys
received from sale OF lands to other
purposes than III. securing Of a water
supply or the Improvement OF the
lands.
An engineer Of tho reclamation acf.
Vice Expresses great surprise nj the
Presidents action and says the dcvoi.
opment company and the Southern Pa.
cidc are dnin. a great work In curbins
the river overflow.
In his message the president says:
IF the river In not put back and
permanently maintained In Its natural
bed. the progressive back'cutiins In
the conTH. Of one or two years will OK.
tend up stream TO Yuma. as before
stated. and finally 10 tho La.una dam.
now being built by the government.
thus wipln. out millions Of dollars OF
property belonging to tho government
and TO citizens. Continuing further
Il will deprive NIL the valley lands
along the Colorado river Of tho ponsi.
bility of obtaining now supply OF
water by gravity canals.
THE great Yuma bridge will no out
and approximately zoe. 200 acres OF
land as fertile nK the Nile valley will
bc left In a desert condition. What
this means may bc understood when
NC remember that tho entire produc.
ing area Of Southern California In
about 100000 ncrcs. A most conscrva-
tive estimate after full development
must place the gross product from this
land nj not less than 3l00 per acre per
year. and every ten acres Of which will
support a family when under Intense
-sslS 10 la hs.
rado II not permanently controlled the
financial loss to the United States will
be great. The entire irriynblc areas
which will be either submerged or dc.
privcd OF water In the Imperial valley.
and along the Colorado river Is capable
Of adding TO the permanent population
OF Arizona and California ut least $780,
600 people and probably 100000.
Much OF the land will be worth from
$500 to $500 per acre to Individual
owners or n total OF from $350.000.000
TO s700.000.000.
But one practicable course IL 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.
1T 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."