Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1911-12-08
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE -.
OE THE COLORADO RIVER.

r&oo. laduStrlally, scientifically
and geographically it presents more
diverse conditions than any other
stream In the United : States.
From the crest of the Rocky
mountains in. Colorado and sWyo.s
ming it sweeps across the in,erven-
ing country, traversihg parts Of
Utah, New Mexico, Arizona a nd
Nevada to the head of the Gulf Of,
California. the area, drained being
about 100000 square miles. In
the Rocky mountain region it flows
through a country covered by
eternal SHOWS and waters some of
the same fertile and valuable
agricultural lands in the world in
western Colorado, northwestern
New Mexico and eastern Utah.
#, :trths2sres. the famous Grand
Canyon of the Colorado on the
nothern part of Arizona and finally
passes over the broad, flat PLAINS
above the head Of the Gulf of CALI,
fornia. In this Iower-most portion
the river strongly resembles the
Nile, having annual floods which
dis tribute. silt over the adjoining
land and render them as fertile
as those IN the" historci valley of
North Africa. The Colorado and
its tributaries have other values
than that of irrigation. for, dcs-
cending in steep channels they
present abundant opportunities
for the development of water
power. .',,' ...:..
Power has been developed at
few points, hut the resources of
the Colorado basin are in this
respect yet practically untouched.
In basin so literally provided
with, natural resources it is ii
fundamental necessity, in planning
for the utilization Of the river, to
ascertain the amount of water
available in the main stream and
its principal tributaries, so that
future developments, as well as
those under construction, can be
suitably designed in type and
capacity. For long period Of
years the United States Geological
Survey has been making observa-
tons and measurements at many
important prints in tae Colorado
basin, and the latest published in
formation on the subject is con-
tanned in Water.Supply Paper 269
of the Survey, which is a progress
report of river-fOw measurements
in this basin for the year. In this
report are recorded observations
Of 1G9 stations. The escape Of
the river from its regular channL
and its diversion into the Salton
Sea are matters of recent history,
and the consequences of diversion
of this kind, which promised to in
undate some of the most fertile
country in southern California,
have been discussed in the public
press. '.t d.
The,control of the Colorado for
the prevention of further out
breaks must involve thorough
knowledge Of the tributary flow,
even in the high regions of its
hcadwatcrs in Colorado, and the
ultimate steps taken to prevent
disaStrous foundations will in all
probability involve the control Of
these upland tributaries.
81. The size ofs,ColoradO river is
indicated by'its total discharge in
the ySar 1909, which was 2GO, 600,
001 oaere feet enough water to.
cover that number Of acres to "a.
depth Of one foot. Such an
amount of,,water. II poured upon
Borough of the City Of
New, York and confined by retain
ing walls. would bury the city
1861: feet deep. orlt would make
d lake sc feet deep over the State
Of Delaware. . g." 4
. AcOpy of Water-Supply Paper
1863 may be obtained on application.
to the Director Of the Geological
Survey at Washington, y. c.