The Parker post., 1916-10-07

account of sloughs, alkali spots, sand
hills and sections subject to over
Iiow. There is also an area of some
three or four thousand acres of land
III and about Parker townsite, now
IN desert condition, which is arabic.
but under conditions more expensive
in obtaining irrigating water.
The bottom lands lie in general
With, gentle, even slopes trending to-
wards the river, which appear near
ly tlat to the eye. Much of the area
is covered with an uneven growth of
brush and some moderate sized trees
Mesquite, cat claw, and small brush
prevail on the higher ground, while
willow, water rushes, arrow weed
and cottonwood grow in the vicinity
of water
Little or no use has ever been
made Of these lands except for the
support Of some range cattle and for
the cutting of small amount of fire
wood by theIndians, who live almost
entirely at a considerable distance
to the northward. The lands are
similar in character to those of the
Palo Verde Valley, across the river
iii California, where the town of Bly,
the is situated and where extensive
agricultural Developments have been
made. both by diverting water from
the river, and by pumping from th
ground
The climate is warm and the rain
fall very small. Beyond the limits of
the river bottoms lie rough and bar
Zen desert regions which extend for
many miles on each side of the water
course. The climate may be compar-
ed to that of Yuma and the Imperial
Valley, though Slightly cooler and
less lhlm d, and the variety of it's
agricultural possibilities is probably
equal to thai Of those localities.
The elevation of bottom lands is
somewhat over three hundred feet
above sea level The bottom lands
are never very much above river
level, and during flood season consid-
orable areas are overflowed by back
water from the sloughs communica-
ting with the river. Each overflow
deposits bed OF fine red silt, but
does not generally injure the brush
and trees or erode the ground.
The Arizona & California Railroad,
ct the Santa F,e system, runs Through
Parker. connecting by a direct route
to Los Angeles ON the west and Phoe
nix in the eastern direction. The
north line of the main district COW
cred by this report is about twelve
miles south of Parker by wagon road
Nature of the Work.
The work has been carried ON with
view not only to collecting data by
tests of scientific nature, but also
TO make demonstrations under prac-
ticai conditions and on a commercial
scale. Locations for test wells have
been selected at points several miles,
apart and ON areas differing In situa-
tion in order to get representative
information. So far as our limited
resources would allow We have Gov
cred the territory considered. The |
wells have been made twelve inches
and s.XJeen inches in diameter, which
has been considered proper for many
wells IN this part of the country for
irrigating purposes. They all have
permanent sheet metal casing fit for |
use in actual development of the land
around them. They are from seven
ty-tivc tC one hundred and thirty
eight teet in depth.
Conditions Of pumping development
IN the similarly situated areas across
the RIVER in California have been OBJ
served and a considerable number OF
small toT:ngs have been made to de-
termine the depth to ground waterr
level aud quality of water.
We have in several instances in
stalled pumps, engine and measur-
ing apparatus and run tests for de-
termining the capability of the under
ground strata to deliver up their con-
tanned water; also To test the extent
of the supply; these being made in
the presence of an engineering REP
of the secretary of the
interior.
Continued next weekly