The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-12-14

Colorado Desert In California.
mud, while streams and sulphurous
gases escape in kissing Jets, leaving
orange-yellow crystals around the
vents and scattering golden dust over
the slopes Of the mounds. Similar vol
canic activity occurs INV miles north
Of the United States line. One theory
Is that the tremendous pressure gen-
Grated on the underlying strata by the
deposits thousands of feet thick which
the Colorado has laid down through
the ages has caused the heat which
shows itself In the development Of the
mud vents.
The Colorado has been a destroyer
on grand scale, and creator as
we'll Of strange geographic regions
and forms. But one Of its most sig
nal achievements has been in the eco.
nOmic sphere-the addition Of hun.
dreds Of millions Of dollars of value
to the country. In this accomplish.
ment the labors Of the river for un.
numbered centuries must needs be
supplemented by brief, but all-Impor.
tant labors Of man.
Ages ago the Gulf of California
thrust a long narrow arm more than
$50 miles into the interior Of North
America, perhaps 100 miles above the
present United States border. Into
the side Of this deep gulf the Colorado
emptied near the present site of Yuma.
Blindly the river carried the sands
! torn from the Grand Canyon and the
upper reaches of its streams and
dropped them into the gulf. Cubic
miles were thrown into the depression
and steadily bar was built out into
the salt water. Eventually the bar
was built above sea level entirely
across the gulf and became a mighty
dyke, damming it. At first a fresh
or brackish laEe existed to the north
of this dyke, while the Colorado al
ternately fed it and discharged south
ward into the shortened gulf. But
eventually the river took q more or
less permanent course to the south:
and the lake, no longer fed, and
bathed by the intense sunshine and
dry air Of the southwest, evaporated.
When this country was first explored
by the Spanish pathfinders, a half
century after Columbus discovered
America, this old lake bed, with its
deepest point more than 26O feet below
sea level, was one of the hottest drv.
est, most desolate regions OF the
North American continent-the Colo
RADIO desert.
Reclaimins q Fertile Desert
And so 1t continued during the ox.
ploration and settlement of the West
by Americans. Many of the pioneers
bound for the California gold fields in
the rush Of 40 passed this wav
ana found the great depression Of the
Colorado desert the most forbiddine
stretch OF their journey. Where any.
thlng grew 1t was typical desert yeye
tation-cacti, grease-wood, an occa.
slonal desert palm. But much Of n
was dry, powdery soil devoid Of all
vegetation. The temperature was one
OF the highest on the globe, sometimes
reaching 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
But though the region was n deser,
because Of the lack Of moisture ,ts
soil was wonderful rich silt, washed
oown by the Colorado, as potent,allv
productive as the soil of the lannon's
deita of the Nile. A few enpinoors
recognized this and saw that since ~
region lay below the level of tho
colorado river Its irrigation would he
relatively simple matter. Water
was hrst taken ty canal to the desar.
IN loOl. and wherever 1t was LODI ~
desert character disappeared Az
Ialfa and other crops quickly covered
tae ohe-t'me dead. scared soil with
siiee. OF green. while trees spranp nm
beside the wuter courses ny
Inc one-tIme Colorado desert hos
disappeared to be replaced NV .ho
i"'perihi valley. one of the most 30
inarkaMe agricultural regions ~ ~.
United States. Where a score ~ ro,ns
ugo the Colorado desert did no, w..
uuce single dollars worth Of cror.
the produce Of the transformed Im
periai valley now represents ,ntoras.
On approximately half n hil,ior do,
.ars. And the muddy Colorado no.,
ne given, fundamentally nj, tho go, "'
me imperial valley might, in truth
De termed "by-product" of thot rraa.
scenic wonder. the Grand Convon
ihe river is doubly the valleys c,oo
!or. 1t built up the rich so,, Fee,
. .%e materials 1t goused out in maxim.
~. .ne canyon and 1t brings throurhou,
.ne year the life-givIng water that w
s"e 80. s"nVas 1T the Southwest ha.
eraSe0 desert AMI draw. ""s