Year: 1874

How II May be Reclaimed or Converted


into a Great Chain of Lakes.


Senator Jones of Nevada has received
full reports of the results of a scienti-
fic exploration made at the expense of
himself and a private citizen of Califor-
MIA last summer for the purpose OF as
certaining the practicability of reclaim
ing or submerging the Great Colorado
Desert by turning into it the water of
the Colorado or the Gulf of California.
The report of Mr.. j. E. James, the engi-
neer of the expedition, and elaborate
commentary upon it by Mr.. R. E.
Stretch, an eminent civil engineer of
San Francisco, furnish the following
very interesting information, much OF
which is entirely new:


The exploration shows that the great
est portion of the Colorado Desert and
the Mojave Valley and Death Valley,
which lie north of it, are from forty to
one hundred feet below the level of the
sea, and that this great desert, stretch
ing from Lower California to Inyo
county, in the State of California, and
from the base of the Coast Range
Mountains to the Colorado river, COM
prisinp an area about 800 miles long by
| l5O wide, may be converted into chain
of lakes or irrigated ny the method
above mentioned !; and also that large
portion of this "desert" really consists
of extremely fertile soil, being q deep
alluvium susceptible of the highest cul-
tivation. 1t is further shown that the
prevalence of what arr known as "sand-
storms" and hot desiccating winds and
the deficient rain fall-the evils suffered
by the surrounding country and as far
north as the Tnlare Valley of California
are directly traceable to the existence
of this desert from which, as from q
great furnace, there constantly rises in
the summer time vast column OF heat
ed air without appreciable humidity.


Thus the moisture of the raln-bear-
ing clouds, which are blown northwest
erly during the summer months from
the Gulf of California, is dissipated as
soon as they reach the borders of this
superheated region, and prevented from
reaching the dry but fertile plains OF
California beyond. The shells found
on the surface of this desert prove that
it has been at one time the bed OF n
sea, and at subsequent period the bed
of fresh water lake. The shore lines
of both sea and lake can still be seen
and recognized in many places; and
Mr.. Stretch expresses the opinion that
the Aztec civilization of the adjacent
region in Arizona (of which there are
so many traces) came to an end IN con-
sequence of the climatic changes caused
by the evaporation of these lakes IN
Southern California, after the Colorado
river had cut down its bed in the Great
Canyon, 50 deep that its course was di-
verted at Colville to southerly dlrec-
ton.


The question is suggested whether
these desert lands cannot be reclaimed
by irrigation, and thus saved, instead
of being totally submerged, asit is con-
sidered certain that covering them with
vegetation would tend to prevent the
evaporation of moisture and at the same
time act as preeipitant for whatever
moisture the atmosphere may carry !;
or whether both plans might not be
combined.


Senator Jones expresses the opinion
that, although either course would in
volve large expenditures of money,
the matter is of such public interest as
to be worthy of investigation by the
Government, which alone has the neces-
sary resources and appliances at com.
mand for q thorough examination Of
the subject. If by such IN examina-
ton the feasibility of the work should
be demonstrated, private capital might
be found to undertake it. He there
fore proposes to bring the matter to
the attention of Congress, with the view
to having survey made by the Govern
ment.