Imperial Valley press., 1908-05-16
IMPROVEMENT AND PROTECTION
 OF VALLEY IRRIGATION SYSTEM
Canal Company Hope to Get Money Enough to Start Work This Year on Cement Gates to Replace Sharps Head ing, But no Extensions of System Have Been Author ized. Great System Projected by Mir. Hartman

able now nor is it likely to be supplied by the Southern Pacific until the C. D. Co., gets out from under the aval- anche of litigation which has buried it's affairs out of sight.
 Comprehensive Plans.
 Conditioned by large eff" the Southern Pacific may furnish the c. D. Co., with money to carry out even more extensive plans of improvement than those outlined as immediate pos abilities. The complete irrigation sys- tenn of Imperial Valley, planned by the engineers, contemplates high line canal of large capacity starting from a point on the Alamo about 20 miles east of Sharps heading at 100 feet above sea-level and following @ contour above the old beach line around the east and north sides of the desert basin through Coachella Val ley to Indio. The canal would be about 125 miles long, and would serve to reclaim an area vastly greater than the present irrigable area of Imperial Valley.
 This east high line canal, with the south and west extensions provided for in the final plans, would constitute the greatest irrigation system in the world, covering virtually the whole of the region known as the desert of the Colorado, an area of about 2500 square miles, or, roughly, 100000 acres of the most fertile soil on the continent
 North of the present irrigation dis tricts, every alternate section of land is not subject to provisions of the desert land law. It may be deeded on such terms as the railroad may elect to prescribe. The advantage to the Southern Pacific of bringing this land into the irrigation system is obvious.
 Millions Needed.
 Now for the big eff" in the case. It will take millions to carry out the project, and at present the Southern Pacific has no millions available for the work. If Congress repays to Mir Hartman the $1,600,O00 which he spent in closing the break of the Colo rado, thereby making good the Presi dents promise on behalf of the gov ernment, that money will be applied to extensions of the Imperial Valley canals, and Mr. Hartman will fuln ish the additional millions required ut perfect the irrigation system. Thi! is not a guess at MT Harriman's pol icy and intentions.
 That the whole project will be Car ried out eventually, regardless c1 what Congress may do with the reiul bursement bill, is an inevitable con clusion, but it may be meny years be fore the ordinary course of events forces expansion of the system il that direction. The railroad may no have the money to spare for the work and it may wait until close settlemen of the present districts creates a de mand for land which will insure quicl return of the investment.
 The Railroads Profit. Mr. Hartman figures that sales o railroad land in the new reclamation
 district to be opened by the high lin canal will return to the railroad il time the entire cost of the canal anc 1 appurtenant works, and that after dis posing of it's land the railroad vii f have the canal system clear and ire as producer of revenue. It is bi project, and there is big profit in
 ultimately for the owners of the I'm Iperial Valley irrigation system Pos sibly MT, Hartman may not be so dc l sirous as some of his lieutenant have been of turning the whole thin ! over to the settlers at cost and lettin r them manage it for themselves. 3 A modest beginning of the work c - bringing railroad lands into the mal