Imperial Valley press., 1908-08-15
VOYAGERS TO DELTA AND GULF
 FIND CHANGES MADE BY RIVER
Islands Created Bay and Port Obterated By Deposit of Silt Colorado Makes New Channel to Gulf, Fam ous Tidal Bore of Estuary Fails to Show Up

About 100 miles below Yuma, by the river banks very low. DriftwoOd lodged against willows has made levee which holds water in the river at level one or two feet higher than the ground beyond. Stick of giant properly placed would cause consid- erable overflow of lands to west ward.
 Look for place near mouth of river to moor secure from "bore" said to be due about l a. m. Run up in behind point and tie up to bank At day break skipper calls all hands in hurry to get lola off shore before she turns over Bore" has sneaked in quietly lifted lola high up the bank and beat it" back to the gulf unbe- knownst Shove lola down slippery mud slope into water and get under way. Keep sharp lookout for coming of that terrible bore at turn of tide and conclude that we met he bore and didn't see it. Anchor at dark in gulf west of Montague island. Aroused at 2 d. m. by squall from south. Short choppy sea rises. lola gets squared away and runs up coast until wind abates and then an chors in ten feet of water. Tide falls about 20 feet and leaves lola high and dry on mud eight of mile from shore.
 Lost Bay.
 Aug Run down the gulf look ing for entrance to OmetepeS bay, shown on charts of 1877 as shallow circular pool approached through a slough. No entrance discoverable. Bay not visible from top of pilot house. Not improbable that bay has fined up and become part of wide stretch of tide land flats. Skipper decides wind and sea too high for safe run to San Felipe, thirty miles south. and puts about Run through school of mullet Three large mullet jump aboard over rail and appear surprised Expression of chagrin not so noticeable in frying pan.
 Run north and then east between north end of Montague island and southeast end of new uncharted ls- land formed by building up of bar at and a half long, Ow and covered with salt grass. Large number of curlew and ployer along the shores.
 Missing Port.
 Keep on to Sonora shore and run sOutherly looking for Shipyard slough, but see no trace of Port Isa- bel Beacons and marks shown on chart have disappeared. Making at least miles an hour with the tide. Chart shows Port Isabel entrance six miles s. D. from head of Montague and Santa Clara five miles farther east. Two hours run to Santa Clara river At low tide channel is dry. Santa Clara river nothing but tidal slough three miles long at base of sand bluff Climb the bluff, 600 feet, and get view of region. No trace of Port Isabel to be seen Seems to be obliterated by mud. Obvious that there is no connection between the Santa Clara and the Colorado. River pilots, MeXicans and U. s. Geological survey map in error. Country back of bluff is dreary waste of sand. Nothing in any direction but desOla- tion No fresh water, no game, nothing but mud and salt flats.
 New Colorado.
 Return northWestWard along shore and at point northeast of head of Montague find mouth of river of fresh water about fifteen miles above Santa Clara. Stream about 200 feet wide, and current deep and strong, This is the new mouth of the Colo rado, cOnfounded by river men and map makers with the Santa Clara. At rough estimate, one third of the discharge of the Colorado is through this channel which drains the over flow of several breaks above the col ony by a route probably from ten to twenty miles shorter than the old channel. Conclude not to go up the new river because of probable ina bility to get through the drift at points of diversion. At old Thomas camp on west bank of old river, Meadows goes ashore to look for game, Returns with two mallards and several plover. Antelope sign on flats. Land to westward Is flat and barren, covered with drift left by high river. Some salt grass and mesquite south of landing, Mud and drift to west and north to foot of mountains Three ranges in sight, highest about 10000 feet. Nearest twenty miles from shore.
 The expedition demonstrated that the delta region below the Hardy and