The daily Alaskan., 1922-12-05
DIRECTOR OF US. RECLAMATION
 SERVICE SAYS GREAT MENACE
 TO FERTILE INLAND EMPIRE LURKs IN UNCONTROLLED WA

San Francisco, Dec. 4.-Menaee of a titanic disaster which would enguIf the great inland empire being built in the Imperial Valley of Cal ifornia, turks in the uncontrolled waters of the Colorado river, accord ing to Arthur B. Davis, director of the United States Reclamation Ser. vice. Davis was here recently to ad- dress the American Society Of Civil Engineers on the Resources of the Colorado river"
 "The Gulf of California formerly extended nearly 15O miles farther north than it's present head" Davis said in explaining the flood menace of the lower Colorado, "and the Colorado river emptied into its east ern margin about 100 miles south of the head, carrying annually into it more than SO,OO0 acrefeet of silt. This deposition built a great alluviaI delta, which finally extended across the Gulf and cut off the connection of the northern end from the sea, converting 1t into an island basin from which the water has been mostly evaporated, leaving in it's hot tom the Salton Sea, covering 300 square miles with a surface nearly 25O feet below the sea level.
 The river, laden with sediment, continually builds up it's channel and immediate banks, like other similar streams and forms a ridge growing steadily higher, until the stream be- comes SO unstable that in some great freshet it abandons this high channel and follows some course on lower ground. In this way the stream swings back and forth over it's delta. which has been built to a height of 30 feet above sea level whore it forms a barrier between Saltcu Sea and the Gulf of Califor- mia. The direct distance from this ridge to the Gulf is about 70 miles, and the margin of Salton Sea is a little more.
 As the inland seu Is about 25O feet below the Gulf, there Is a coz stant tendency to flow northward, and if the river should break into this basin in flood time 1t would rapidly erode a deep channel, and would be exceedingly difficult to stop. Unless diverted the river would fill the SaIton Sea to sea level or higher. and submerge the Imperial Valley, destroying all the towns, railroads and farms, as there is no escape for the waters og the Salton Sea except by evaporation This menace would be largely re- moved by the reduction of the floods of the Colorado and the control of It's waters"
 Davis declared the Colorado river and it tributaries constitute one of the Ereatestt potential assets of the couury. Already serving more than 100000 acres of farm land with irrigation water, it will. he de- clared. eventually serve treble this area.
 "It drains parts of seven states. and flows for more than 100 miles on Mexican soil" he said. "Bfore thc building of railroads it was ayi- gated for more rhan 4GO miI-s. And although now mainly abandon ed by navigators, 1t is still naviga. .. ble. This and it's interstate and in ternauonal character make it's prob. lens peculiarly national.
 UndcvelOped Power
 Its great power possibilities are one of it's most remarkable charac- teristfcs. Rising on the summit of the Rocky mountains, at attitudes exceeding l4,OOO feet. 1t flows rep idly through canyons abouuding with rapids to nearly sea level It drains an area of about 244,9aO eluare miles, including large areas of heavy snowfall, and it's average discharge is about lS,OOO.OOU acre feet of water, with its immense fall, indi- cates a total of S,OOO,OCO h. p. of which three-Gourths is susceptible of development, whenever reasonable markets will justify it. In addition its tributaries have vast possibilities of power, widely distributed and aI- ready party developed.
 Its upper courses are mostly mountainous, and traverse a few valleys of moderate area. Its mid de reaches are through plateaus scored by profound canyons. con stitutjng one of the toughest re- gions of the world. The lower stretches pass through hot dry val