The Arizona sentinel., 1910-04-21

vice to divert and use the water:
of the Colorado river in carrying
out general irrigation enterpris
es. This act wa of prominenl
and permanent ii terest because
of the Interstate nd navigable
character Of the + YER. The Col
orado is our a perican Nile,
though but one te th the size OF
the famous Egyptian waterway.
1t rises in high, snow covered
mountains, and discharges into
an inland sea, the Gulf of Cali
fornia, part of the Pacific
Ocean. 1t has a great annual
rise during the period Of melting
snow; its erosion from the plat
eaus of Utah and Arizona I'LL the
river with large Quantities of silt
containing fertilizing properties.
The climatic conditions along
the lower river are such as to
permit the production OF a great
variety of crops of every des
cription, and especially of semi
tropical fruits. Our agricultu
raj explorers state that this re-
gion is suitable to the growth of
many crops grown in Egypt,
Arabia and the Chaldean plains
in. Asia. The character of the
water and the fertility of the
soil, coupled with the climatic
conditions, produce continuous
growing season, and make the
natural resources of this region
unique.
The Colorado river drains 225
600 square miles above Yuma,
all within the United States; it's
drainage basin extends to five
ates and two territories; the
volume of water discharged past
Yuma is in excess, even in low
water, Of the combined uses of
the lower river where this
stream becomes international in
character.
| For a distance of 800 miles be
low the Grand Canyon are
stretches of Indian reservation
and other government lands.
There are irrigable lands in
Arizona $4,000 acres, and. in
California All, 400 acres. In
Mexico it is estimated there are
60O,000 acres of irrigable land,
but not yet irrigated. In an or
binary dry year the Colorado
river will serve without regula-
tion approximately 400, 900 acres.
In an ordinary dry year, there
fore, with a complete regulation,
this river will serve 1000, ,0C0
acres. All reserved water sup
ply held over from wet to dry
years will be an additional gain.
Now with the successful compile
tion of the Yuma project, it will
probably lead to the building Of
other systems up the river. where
several available damsites are
receiving consideration.
WATER SUPPLY.
The drainage ground Of the
Colorado river is aoout 800 miles
long, varying in width from 500
to 500 miles. The rivers receiv-
ing their main supply from the
melting SHOWS on the high noun
tains of Wyoming. Utah and
Colorado. The settler on any of
these delta lands along the Colo
rado river proper is assured of a
water supply that is never fail
ing. The water for irrigation
can be taken from the Colorado
river at various points well
adapted for the establishment of
intake gates and the building of
dams, either of the weir type or
for the storage of water, where
there is number and especially
well adapted damsites for stor-
age propositions.
SOIL.
All Of the lands along the Col
orado river are Of SeGimentary
origin, being an accumulation of
deposits by the rivers during the
periods of overflow. In this re
spect its origin Is similar 10 the
famous valley Of the Nile, which
has been cropped for centuries
without depicting its fertility.
The sedimentary deposits of this
soil are of untold depth.
Now that the Yuma irrigation