Holbrook argus., 1912-09-03
THE AMERICAN NILE
Most Diverse River in the United States Study of It' 3oO.000 Square-Miles Basin by United States Geo.
 logical Survey


 the country from the high mountain plateau of Wyoming and Colorado to the farthest southwest corner of the United States. The basin drained by the Colorado and its tributaries is about 300, ,000 square miles in area, and much of it is of high industrial and scenic interest.
 The Colorado basin comprises two distinct portions. The lower third is but little above the level of the sea, though here and there in it ranges of mountains rise to elevations of f,000 to 5000 feet. This part of the valley is bounded on the north by line of cliffs which present a bold and in many places vertical step of hundreds or thousands of feet to tae table-land above. The upper two-thirds of the basin stands from 4,0O0 to 5000 feet above sea level and is bordered on the east, west, and north by ranges of show-clad mountains, which attain sl- titudes ranging from 5000 to 14,000 feet Through this plateau the Colorado and it's tributaries have cut narrow gorges or canyons in which they flow at a1- most inaccessible depths. At points where lateral streams enter, the cany- ons are broken by narrow transverse valleys. The whole upper basin of the Colorado is traversed by labyrinth of of these canyons, many of which are dry during the greater portion of the year and carry water only during the melting of the snow and the brief periods of the autumnal and spring rains.
 l In the lower portion the river strong I ly resembles the Nile, having annual { feeds which distribute silt over the adjoining lands and render them as fertile as those in the historic valley of North Africa. The Colorado and its tributaries are not only of value for ir- rigation, but, descending in steep chan nels, they present abundant opportuni- ties for the development of water power. Power has been developed at a few points, but the resources of the Colorado basin are in this respect yet practically untouched.
 OBSERVATIONS BY UNITED STATES
 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
 In basin so literally provided with natural resources it is fundamental necessity, in planning for the utiliza- l Ls ae khA kn 1on amount of water available in the main stream and it's principal tributaries, so that future developments, as well as those now under construction, can be suitably designed in type and capacity For long period of years the United States Geological Survey has been making observations and measurements at many important points in the Colo rado basin, and the latest published information on the subject is contained in Water.Supply Paper 2S9 of the Sur vey, by Engineers W. R. Freeman, B. c. LaRue, and H. D. Padgett. which is progress report of river-flow measure ments in this basin for the year 1910.
 Gauging stations were maintained at large number of points, covering Grand River and tributaries in Utah, Cobra do, and Wyoming; the San Juan basin in northwestern New Mexico; the Little Colorado River basin in Arizona and finally the discharge near the mouth of the main stream at Yuma. Arizona. These records are not only of local value for guiding economic de- ve1opment, but they have an interna- tional significance in connection with the difficulties that have been encount- cred in the control of the Colorado near it's mouth in Mexican territory.
 NECESSITY FOR CONTROL OF THE RIVER
 The control of the Colorado for the prevention of further outbreaks such as it's recent diversion into the Sa1ton Sea must involve thorough knowledge of the tributary flow, even i'll the high regions of it's headquarters, in Cobra do, and the ultimate steps taken to prevent disastrous inundation will in all probability involve the control of these upland tributaries.
 The size of Colorado River Is indi- csted by it's discharge at Yuma in the year 1910 The heaviest discharge was in May, 70,300 cubic feet second; the smallest discharge was in October, l 4,300 cubic feet second. The average discharge for the year was 19.7 700 cubic feet second. The total run-of for the year was 14,SOO,OOO acre-feet, which would make s lake million acres in extent and 143 feet in depth.
 A copy of the Colorado River report for 1910 may be obtained free on appli. cation to the Director of the Geological