Imperial Valley press., 1915-03-22

The man who conceived a colossal
scheme to modify the climate of
Southern California, the success of
which would have left Imperial Val
ley still unborn, has returned to the
valley to aid it fight the annual June
madness of the Colorado river, says
the Los Angeles Times.
He is General William l.. Marshall,
former chief of engineer, U. S. A, now
consulting engineer to the secretary
of the interior. He is now 6S years
of age. When the idea came to him
he was %, and the agent he was to
bend to his purpose was this same
Colorado river. He advocated the
formation of an inland sea of 5000
acres surface by turning the river in
to the Salton Sink Now he is con
cerned only with keeping it out-not
the whole river, but its overflow.
General Marshall made his acquain-
tance with the present Imperial Val
ley fl years ago. Until but 15 years
ago it was known as a part of the
Colorado desert, tawny waste abso-
lately devoid of human life. He came
as second lieutenant of the corps of
engineers on furlough from his posi-
tion as professor of experimental phi
losophy at military academy. With
burros, he made his way through the
valley. menaced by thirst and desert
heat, and later, when he Joined a sur
vey party, his enthusiastic picture of
how the summer heat of Southern Cal
ifo.nia, greater then than now, he
says, could be lessened and the win
ters made warmer by vast sheet of
water in the interior so impressed his
commander, Lieutenant Wheeler, that
he sent reconnaissance party in this
country to investigate its feasibility
THE fact that the river could not
he diverted through our own country,
but only through Mexico, buried the
idea-but any parental interest may
have had in it was lost when you peo-
pie began startling the world with
your farm products" said General
Marshall the other day at FL Centre.
How fortunate was my disappoint-
ment."
General Marshall believes the per-
manent control of the Colorado will
not be obtained until after the gov-
ernment has built sufficient impound.
inc reservoirs to hold the flood waters
in check.
THE Department of the Interior,
through the RECLAMATION branch, is
now investigating possible sites for
such reservoirs" he said. Fifty
thousand dollars has been appropriat.
ed for the purpose. The investiga-
ton. of necessity, must be thorough
and take into consideration a host OF
engineering details. | understand that
one such site has been found near the
Green River station in Emery county,
Utah. The geological formation of
the country about the Green River
there leads engineers to believe that
a dam can be thrown across to store
100000 3 acre-feet Of water. They
are now considering a second reser-
voir to hold 100000 acre-feet. With
100000 acre-feet of water held in
check, the greatest dangersof the flood
season would pass. although | believe
additional reservoirs should be estab-
lshed and protective works kept m.
The maximum peak load of the Colo
RADIO is 25,000,000 acre-feet and the
average 16,O0O,000. But with 1000
900 held in check in the upper reaches
of the river, not only would the men
ace Of the river be reduced to a min
imum, but water would be kept ~
store in sufficient quantities TO lrrl-
rate great areas not now under cul-
tivation. Seven million acre-feet VIII
irrigate 100000 acres and the reser-
voirs would therefore settle any doubt
As to permanency of water supply m
irrigation districts dependent upon the
Colorado
"One thing Imperial county should