Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-03-10
The Break In the Colorado.


defeated temporarily. al least Wheth-
81 this defeat will grow into a disas-
ter for the Imperial Valley, will be
determined. probably. within the next
forty days In the opinion of the
engineers on the ground. the attempt
which is To he made To repair the
broken dam Will be a race against
time If the work cannot be COM
pleted within forty days. the high
water in the river will be at such a
stage by that time as will prevent
further work this year.
For clear understanding of the
conditions with which the govern
ment is contending. a brief descrip-
lion. of the scene of operations is
necessary.
In Mexico, Uower California; just
below the southern lines Of Califor-
mia. is the intake on the Colorado
river. which supplies water TO the
canal for the Imperial Valley. At a
point on the river some fifteen miles
below the "intake"-still farther into
Mexico. that is-begins Bee" river.
Bee" river is nothing more than an
ancient channel of the Colorado and
runs southwesterly from the present
channel and empties into a low coun-
try called the volcanic lakes" The
bed of the modern channel Of the Col
orado lies higher than the channel Of
the Bee" The country To the west
Of the Colorado from its junction with
the Bee drops away rapidly-the
fall is about four feet to the mile.
Last summer, during the period of flood.
the Colorado To some extent left its
modern channel and broke into the
Bee" or ancient channel Finally.
when the government took the matter
in hand. practically all of the Color
ado was flowing through the Bee
channel
Congress appropriated a million
dollars for the purpose of repairing
the break into the Bee" and for le-
wees above and below the head of the
Bee" This work was in progress
when the flood of last week carried
away a large portion of the dam"
or filling which the government en-
gineers were putting in to fence off
81 ~. .l..I
10 its proper channel. on Wednes-
day, as reported in yesterdays Re
publican. the flood carried away still
more of the structure so that through
an opening all of three hundred and
fifty feet wide. the Colorado is now
rushing into the Bee" channel
Unless this break can be repaired.
the rapid fall of the country will
cause a cutting back" in the bottom
Of the river. Beginning. that is, at
the mouth of the Bee" where that
channel empties into the volcanic
lakes, the swift current will scour
out the bottom of the channel, and
lower the river for long distance
upstream. II may lower the river to
such an extent that normally il will
be below the bottom of the intake"
canal. and leave that conduit high
and dry. This would deprive the
Imperial valley of water for irriga-
ton. Moreover. the cutting back"
might continue unit - lowered the
so that not only the siphon now i'm
course of construction across the riv-
er at Yuma would be ruined, but the
country Immediately below Yuma,
which is TO be supplied ny the siphoR.
would he deprived OF water. Water
is carried to the siphon by a canal
II is possible. of course. that the river.
if permitted to flow indefinitely into
the bee" channel, and thence into
the Salton sea, would "cut back" suf-
ficientIy to endanger the Laguna dam
itself.
a realization of these dangers led
President Taft to recommend to con-
gress that an adequate appropriation |
be made for the purpose of prevent |
ing flow into the Bee and confin- |
ing the river. by levees, to the chan
mel il had hitherto taken to the gulf |
The work on tho levaaS ic naaripC
completion. but the levees will be |
useless if a dam cannot be held |
across the Bee"
Hence it is seen that the fate of a |
rich farming country hangs on the
luck of the government during the
next few weeks in getting ahead Of
the spring flood in the Colorado
This annual flood, when it comes,