Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-07-07
Page Seven

merged the big grain 1elds and put
a stop to extensive farming opera
tions in the lake basin for several
years.
Following the food season Of
1906 and 1907 water in the lake
basin gradually receded until 1915,
when heavy run-off again filed
the basin, but not to the extent
reached in 1906. A series of dry
seasons caused a recession of the
water until 1923, when the lake.
bed became completely dry Within
a few years large farming inter-
ests obtained possession of the lake
basin lands and deep wells were
drilled to an underground supply OF
water TO lrrfgate the crops in years
of scant rainfall. Under this in
tensive development Tulare Lake
basin lands became the heaviest
grain producing area in the state, as
crops worth millions were taken
from the lands season after season.
| These conditions continued until
February of 1887, when storms in
the hills sent the streams to flood
stage, and for the first time in IS
years water again entered the dry
lake basin.
During the run-off season of 1897
! the lower basin was filled and wa
| ter spread until approximately so
| sections went under. On these Sec
tions were planted crops of wheat,
| barley, sugar beets and cotton, all
of which were a total loss.
Last December, cloudbursts in the
Sierra and floods in all streams sent
an increased flow of water into Tu-
lare Lake. This was followed by
heavy run-offs the following Febru-
ary, with the streams still running
high that soon raised the lake level
to the danger point. Levees that
had been protecting growing crops
gave way one after another, even
after huge sums of money were
spent to raise the levees higher and
higher. Over 100000 was spent
on one levee alone, but it too gave
way to the tremendous pressure of
the water, and all one can see is an
island out in this big body of water.
In their unsuccessful fight to save
their crops against the rising lake
water the most modern type of ma
chinery was used. Huge .'bull-
dozers" and carry all scrapers oper-
ated by tractors piled soil from the
dry side to the top of the levee un-
til their height was over 200 feet
above sea level. Some of the barley
and wheat was harvested before the
levees protecting them finally gave
way. Big harvesters working day
and night saved some of the golden
grain before it was covered with
water.
Farm machinery valued at hun
dreds of thousands of dollars had
been removed from the danger zone,
as the water began mounting high
er against the levee sides. Cabins
that had been occupied by farm
families Of workers were also skid
ded off the threatened lands and the
loss of buildings and machinery will
be small.
Although the cost of building
levees to protect the grain were
enormous, running into hundreds of
thousands of dollars, it does not
nearly approximate the loss occas-
ioned in the vast area of growing
wheat and barley destroyed by the
flood waters. .
The great loss is shown in figures,
on the crop of 1886 grown and har-e
vested under the favorable condi-
tions that prevailed before the food u
waters filled the lake basin.
In that year there was harvested
from the lake lands 117,S84 acres of
wheat and barley, which at prevail
ing prices brought $3,050,8O0, to
say nothing of the large acreages of
cotton and sugar beets, the value Of
which would reach an additional
million of dollars. Land in the dis
trict still protected by levees has
yielded as high as As bushels of
wheat to the acre, two bales of cot
ton, 70 bushels of barley or Is tons
of sugar beets. The future o. this
area which has already obtained the
distinction of being the largest and
most productive grain producing
area in California can only be guess
ed from what has happened under
similar conditions experienced in
other flood seasons.
Records show that following the
season of 1906 the next heaviest
food season to the present, water
remained in the lake basin for Pc
riod of six years, varying in extent
with rainfall and snow pack in the
there is every reason to
believe that with normal conditions,
Tulare Lake again will remain on
the map for at least as long a Pc
riod as has been noted in the past
AS the water recedes the shallow
waters may be pumped off over into
the next levees and the grain ''mud-
ded in 'Mudding in consists OF
broadcasting the grain in the mud
and drag narrowing it, using big
cleats on the tracks of the tractors.
This will continue until the water
completely disappears from the lake
again.
Some claim that two years of
flooding with the silt washed down
from the mountain area makes land
as good as new Residents of the
area, recalling the smell of decayed
fish as the lake dried up about 1918,
will testify that it is we'll fertiliZed.
There will be large yields again.
Price? Fortunes were made before.