New-York tribune., 1922-09-10

menace that naHgS StNAneiiS VsSA 'h0
valley has served to focus the atten-
tion Of the whole nation on a project
which may result in the upbuilding of
new economic empire of agriculture
and industry within the boundaries of
.hs United States. The seven states
which occupy the southwestern corner
of the countr yare directly concerned
wish this project, while the Federal
government is very active partici
psnt in the situation.
These seven states lie, wholly or in
part, within the drainage area of the
; Colorado River, that American coun-
terpsrt of the famed African Nile. Al
most a quarter of q million square
miles OF the territory of the states OF
California, Arizona, New Mexico, Ne
yada, Utah, Colorado and Wyoming
constitute the basin of the American
Nile. and the problems presented by
the rivers capacity f0r construction
and destruction are peculiarly compare
bic with those which the valley of the
African Nile has faced since the days
Of ancient Egypt.
II is the harnessing of this Ameri-
can Nile that constitutes the vast pro-
isca for which the special problems of
the Imperial Valley have supplied the
focusing point
Imperial Valley Is Head
Of Gulf Of California
Tie Imperial Valley IS at the head OF
the Gulf of California. In nsfact, it is
the head of the gulf, or, rather, all
that remains of what in former GER
turies was the uppermost part of the
Gulf Of California. Ages ago the Col
orado River, sweeping down from the
high mountains where it takes its
source, through the high plateaus of
its middle reaches, and on into the
arid desert Of the last third of its
1900 miles Of total length, had sue
eeeded in bringing down into the Gulf
Of California such vast deposits Of
earth and rock that it built its delta
across the upper portion of the gulf,
separating the head of the gulf from
the rest of it. Under the action of the
scorching sun the water in this sepa-
rated portion of the gulf gradually
cYaporated, until what is now known
as the salton Sea Basin came into ex-
istence.
This basin is territory one hum
dred and ten miles long by forty miles
wide 1t lies below sea level, the de-
preston ranging from fifty to two
hundred and fifty feet, sloping down
from its edges to the Salton Sea,
brackish body of water that occupies
the central portion of the basin. This
Sslton Sea divides the basin into two
parts, the northwestern portion being
known as the Coachella Valley and the
southeastern as the Imperial Valley.
Like the alluval portions of the
Nile Valley, SO we'll known in history,
the Imperial Valley has soil of ut
most fertility, due to the fact that it
consists very largely of silt deposits.
It was not until the erd of the past
century, however, that these fertile
acres came to be turned to account.
The Imperial Valley is normally des-
ert waste with it's rich soil baked by
the southern sun, unless this soil is
reached by water. The feat of irrigat-
ing large portions Of the Imperial Val
icy was finally accomplished by the
california Development Company in
1901 through the construction of
brush dam across the Colorado River at
point called Hanlon Heading, near
tae Mexican border. The canal which
vas to bring the water thus impound-
Cd to the Imperial Valley itself was
constructed through Mexican territory
ana part of the water it carries is
slSer1ed to irrigation purposes in Mex
go But enough water reaches the
Ns'san Sea Basin to irrigate nearly
80 acres, mostly in the Imperial Val
ley.
The utilization of the irrigated soil
. the Imperial Valley began in 1902,
~ PAoSISSS IlduS uuTl1S thS
'ears that followed has been very
great The valley now grows large
saantities of dates. grapefruit, straw
@fries, cantaloupes, asparagus, let
0ee, tomatoes, peas and alfalfa. It's
s04 has been found exceIlently suited
the cultivation of long-stapie cot
w. Stock raising also is developing
acre According to the census for
wv the Imperial Valley exceeded dur
e mat year eleven states in the value
agricultural products yielded by it
s. me markets of the nation. And the
secial advantage of the valley lies in
s tact that its crops are harvested
! = time when most portions Of the
asry produce nothing.
sals Of Plenty Menacea
= Floods Every Year
ass with this rapid development Of
imperial Valley the menace it be-
80 became apparent very aeon after
vsa opened. 1t was the danger Of
aal doods~spreeiseiy the sort Of