Mohave County miner., 1909-03-27

south, BurrO creek emptleS INTO Ihe
Sandy, also from the eastern side.
The Sandy is at present in small
way an agricultural country, depend
ing on bitches taken from the main
stream, but there are thousands on
thousands of acres of rich bottom land
that is not available now, but would
form a farmers paradise if water
could be secured to Irrigate them.
The Sandy Valley is noted for its fine
fruits, more particularly for its peach
es, while many crops are grown to
perfection. When putunder proper cul-
tivat on, its bean crop will equal that
most noted bean raising section of the
world. Ventura county, California.
Cotton does well and most excellent
yields of hay and grains are secured.
Experiments are being made with cit
rus fruits, with fair promise of sue
cess, as the valley is only few hun
dred feet above sea level.
Kingman is situated between two
valleys, both magnificent bodies of
land. A mile distant, to the north
and east is the rim of the Wallapai
valley. a tract which never fails to ex-
cite the admiration of the thousands
who pass over it on the Santa Fe
trains, which route courses its south
ern rim for more than thirty miles.
They see a grand plain, 30 by 30 miles
in extent, stretching away to the
north and containing more than a mill
lion acres of as fertile and productive
land as can be found in any country,
only needing water TO make it an en-
pire. II is possible that within its
boundaries wells of artesian water will
be found, but TO the present time no
attempts have been made to solve the
problem, but be that as it may, there
are other possibilities of securing
water and putting under cultivation
small tracts of this vast area.
One of the most feasible yet sug-
gusted, is the Truxton project. Trux-
ton Canyon, near the mouth of which
the town of blackberry is situated, is
about seventy miles in length and
drains vast scope of country. At
times it is a river of formidable pro-
portions, sending an enormous volume
OF water out into the plain, only to dis
appear in that suck-hOle in the center
of the valley, called Red Lake. How
formidable it is the Santa Fe road,
which courses its length, can explain,
for some five years ago it wreaked
vengence on the intruder and distroy-
ed property to the extent of more than
a million dollars. In food times it is
a vast river; at other times a trickling
stream, but never is there a time
when there is not an undercurrent
flowing next to the bedrock across its
wide expanse. No point has been
found in the Canyon where it would be
feasible to build high dam, as near
its mouth it spreads out to consider.
able width, and besides it would be a
costly proposition to disturb the rail.
road and reimburs it for the damage,
but another scheme has been suggest.
ed and that is to place a submerged
dam below the level. Submerged
dams are successfully used in many
places and there is no reason to be-
lieve that they would not be success
full in Truxton Canyon. A point ha:
been selected not far from blackberry
where the Canyon is only 600 feet wide
and there is known to be bed rock al
shallow depth. 1t is proposed to pu
in a trial dam here, and if it is salts
factory, others would follow, as the
drainage necessary to fill such dams i:
almost unlimited. The water when 81
collected would be brought into tn,
valley by pipes or fumes, and the fer
tility of the land upon which it woulC
be used, is unquestionable.
: Following up the Truxton project
there are many small canyons empty
| ing around the base of the mountain
! ranges which would afford water il
smaller quantities, to perform tn,
= same purpose of irrigation. The cen
= tral range of the county, the Wallapai
r has many such schemes. These pro
D iects would only irrigate small bodie
f of land, but such land would be highl
: remunerative, as they could be located
= at the base of the high ranges ant
/ would be extremely valuable for frui
t growing. 1t has been proved tina