New Britain herald., 1925-06-05
COLORADO DAMAGES l
 IMPERIAL VALLEY.
River Annually Goes on Ram page Through Fruit District


 Los Angeles. June (AP)-The broad and fertile Imperial valley in the southwestern corner of the United States. from whose 1000 square miles the earliest fruits and vegetables speed by express to all parts of tho country each year, anx- iously awaits the orgy of the Colo rado river as spring turns into sum nier. Each year the mighty Colo rado. accommodating the melting snovs and spring freshets of seven states. courses high above the floor of the valley, threatening to restore to the map, in part at least. "a great sen that once was s20 fest deep, i;nown as the Salton sea.
 The Colorado. once emptying It's tremendous flow of wster into this sea. now flows behind levees over a changing delta Into the Gulf of California. It is great river of sand and water, It's muddy stream transporting enough sediment in one year to cover about 100000 acres a foot deep.
 Fl Centro ami Brawley, cities of the Imperial valley, are so and 110 feet. respectively, below sea level. while the river, near Yuma, Is 125 feet above sra level. and at the head of the d1lta region the Volcano lake region. south of Imperial val ley, the river moves onward at an elevation 300 to 400 feet higher than the lowest portions of Imperial val ley. ....
 Y not restrained by artificial bar riers. any overlapping of the rivers vest and north. or right, bank would send it's mass of water in a flood down slope Into the Imperial valley. This would inundate one of the richest valleys in the country, the land of the date, the avocado, cotton. lettuce and fruits and mel ons. All this is the Salton basin.
 The region is know as Palo Verde, Coachella and Imperial valleys. The Imperial valley proper comprises Hbout S15.o0o acres of irrigable land in California and 255,oO0 acres in Mexico All of this highly produc- tive area lies below the low water evel of the river and much of It is below sea level. More than 100000 acres in California and 17o,oo0 acres in Mexico are cultivated. Water is diverted for irrigation from Rock wood heading, about mile up- stream from the international boundary, running through canal , known as Alamo river through Mex lean territory and back to the Cali fornia side.
 The valley first was protected from foodwaters by headworks Of the canal and by an embankment on the river side of the canal. This .embankment now forms a second-' any line of defense. It has been supplemented by stronger line of defense, consisting of levees Of the California Development Co. and sais leyee. extending from the canal in- takes south along the river about 1n1b miles. then bearing west for about Is miles. Other levees were built at Volcano lake. about 20 miles below the border, and at Pes cadero cut. about 23 miles south of the line. The Yuma Arizona side is protected by the Ockerson leyee.
 These main levees. about 13 feet hieh, are surmounted by railroad tracks. so that rock may be rushed quickly for revetment fills of any breaks.
 Some seven million dollars has been spent on flood protection TOT Imperial valley, and annual malnte- nance, engineers say, amounts 10 from s2Oo,O00 to $600,0OO.
 PaIo Verde project. on the west side of the river, in Riverside ana Imperial counties, above Imperial valley, is protected by levee 2S3 miles long. There are 7S,oOo IT, rlgable acres in this valley, of which more than half is irrigated.
 The. flood menace. increases each year. owing to the enormous deposit of silt in the river bed. which raises it's level annually.