Semi-weekly herald., 1909-01-14

will be finished in 1910. This enter
prise Is especially interesting because
Of the large opportunities afforded
for the development Of power Incl
dental to irrigation and also because
OF scheme to supplement the rainfall
and the melting SHOWS by pumping.
The Yuma project, which is about
half completed, at an expenditure of
nearly $S.e00.000. provides for the di
version Of the Colorado river on both
banks about twelve miles northeast
OF the town of Yuma. 1t will redeem
1900 acres OF an Indian reservation
on the California side and about $4,000
acres Of public land on the Arizona
side at = total estimated cost OF So
635, 900.
There viii be q dam nearly mile
long. 247 feet wide and nineteen feet
high, which will be completed during
this winter, so that water can be
turned into the canal on the California
side for next summers crop. Secre-
tary Garfield. in his annual report
says that I'm response to a very ur-
gent and practically unanimous peti-
| tion from the people Of the Imperial
valley, the reclamation service has un-
dertaken the survey OF q high-line
canal to connect with Laguna dam In
| order to provide for the irrigation OF
about 100000 acres OF land lying above
| the private canals in that valley"
This Is the locality that was in such
great peril year ago. when the Colo
| RADIO river broke through its banks
| and flooded the Salton sea. 1t was
| feared that the entire population of
| the Imperial valley, which lies below
that curious salt lake, would be driv-
| en- from their homes and all of their
property submerged by the insubordi
nate floods of the Colorado. But the
Southern Pacific Railway company
stepped In and rescued the settlers by
building a heavy dyke. which turned
the river back into its natural chan
mel. The Colorado is one of the most
eccentric and violent streams In all
the world, and II can be made useful
to a degree beyond all calculation II It
is properly treated. The government
projects contemplate its complete sub
lection, and 1t will turn out to be as
important to the prosperity of the
country as the Hudson or the Ohio
before the engineers are through with
1t.
The Gunnison river, which is one of
the principal branches of the Colorado,
will be diverted from its present chan
mel through a tunnel six miles long
into the beautiful Uncompahgre valley
In southwestern Colorado. a portion
of which is already under private irri-
CATION. This enterprise has been one
of the most difficult ever undertaken,
because the water in the river end of
the tunnel has been especially trou-
blesome and the treacherous nature
Of the soil has made the construction
OF the canal unusually difficult and
expensive. This project when com
pleted will redeem 100000 acres of
desert. but the cost will be enormous
something like five and a half mil
lions Of dollars.
| A little farther north $4,000 acres
| of the valley of the Grande river above
| Grand Junction will be redeemed by
a high-line canal. This is the famous
fruit section Of Colorado. where a
large area is already producing mar
vels under private irrigation systems.
The government project is intended to
| reach lands that are above the levels
| Of the existing canals.
There have been several projects to
| redeem the rich soil around the city
of Ell Paso, where Texas, Mexico and
l
and, although very little of the work
has been done, the government of the
United States has proposed to expend
| $4,000. 900. or 10 per cent of the entire
estimated cost of the proposed irri
cation system, to redeem 100000 acres
OF land and give a certain supply of
water to about 10000 acres more
which are now under cultivation with
an unreliable supply. The plan con-
templates the construction of a stor-
age reservoir below the station of San
Marcial on the Santa Fe railroad, with
a capacity of over 100000 acre feet
Of water, and complete regulation of
the entire flow of the Rio Grande
river at that point. By treaty with
Mexico a portion of this water viii
be delivered to the farmers on the
Mexican side. because the Rio Grande
Is the boundary line between the two
republics, and although the waters
originate in our territory, the Mexi-
cans properly claim an equal share
In their use.
This very troublesome question has
been In controversy for many years.
Already SO much water is taken ont
of the Rio GrGnde for irrigation in
New Mexico before 1t reaches the bor-
der that our neighbors over the line
consider themselves unjustly treated.
and there has been great deal OF
correspondence and negotiation to ad-
just things. An amicable arrangement
has at last been reached, and con
gress has made direct appropriation
of 100000. which will be expended
In acquiring the rights of way for the
reservoir. preparations for the con-
struction of the dams and n railway
to carry the material. The Mexican
government, on the other hand, has
consented that the people on our side
of the border shall have the benefit OF
the larger supply of water, provided
we pay the bill.
Garden City, u thriving little town
In western Kansas, which has been
considered the extreme limit of ''dry
farming" has been supplied with a
power plant consisting of steam tur-
bines driving electric generators that
operate twenty-three separate pump
ing stations and irrigate 1856 acres
Of land in that immediate vicinity
The water all comes from under the
surface-from mysterious subter-
ranean stream which flows almost par
allel with the Arkansas river, and has
been the subject of scientific inquiry
for many years. There is no doubt