State Agricultural Society. 3G5 



chains break off at the southern end of the valley, and there is nothing 

 to prevent the ingress or' the southeast winds except the furnace pre- 

 sented by the large desert, and over which they are compelled to blow. 

 The question then is presented, How shall we so change the nature of 

 this area that it shall no longer interfere with these southeast winds? 

 If we can reduce its temperature, should we not induce a rainfall within 

 its limits and increase that in its neighborhood, thus increasing the pro- 

 ductiveness of all Southern California? 



Whether the submersion of a portion of these lands would so increase 

 the value of the remainder that there would practically be no loss of 

 value, is a question which we have not sufficient data at hand to enable 

 us to take up at the present stage of inquiry, but that such a submersion 

 of a very large area is feasible, can readily be shown. It might be 

 accomplished either with fresh or salt water, though the former method 

 might largely interfere, for a time at least, with the navigation of the 

 Colorado .River. From Death Valley, in latitude thirty-six degrees, to 

 the State line, in latitude thirty-three degrees, or thereabouts, or over 

 a region of country north and south for a distance of two hundred and 

 fifty miles, there is a series of depressions covering large areas which 

 are below sea-level. The most southerly of these can certainly be 

 filled with sea water from the Gulf of California, as shown by the 

 accompanying map and profiles; whether those to the northward are 

 connected with this. depression, or whether they can be filled from the 

 Colorado, is one of the objects of future investigation. But if this large 

 lake, or chain of lakes, were established, it is more than likely that they 

 would modify the climate to a very appreciable extent. The water 

 surface would not absorb the same amount of heat, and become so 

 intenselj 7 hot as the present unprotected earth, and we might reasonably 

 expect, from the known phenomena in other localities, that it would 

 attract the rain-clouds instead of dispersing them, thus accomplishing 

 the result sought for. 



But we also know that if the ground be protected by vegetation, 

 pretty much the same results would follow, and as the explorations so 

 far made have shown the exuberant fertility of much of this land when 

 thoroughly watered, and also to some extent the feasibility of supplying 

 large areas of it from the Colorado River, it would seem eminently worth 

 while to investigate still further the relation of that river to these plains, 

 to determine whether a portion of its waters may not be diverted at 

 various points, and used in the irrigation of these lands. 



The absolute certainty that if so watered vegetation will spring up 

 in a few weeks, that this vegetation will tend to prevent the evaporation 

 of the moisture, while at the same time it will act as a precipitant for 

 whatever moisture the atmosphere may carry, would lead us to expect 

 much from this plan of reclamation, while we should utilize all the 

 ground instead of destroying any portion of it. 



It might, however, prove on investigation that a combination of both 

 plans might be most desirable. This, in the present state of our knowl- 

 edge, it is impossible to determine, but under any circumstances there 

 are few more profitable or desirable lines of inquiry open in California 

 to-day. 



As bearing on this question, it may not be out of place to note, as 

 pointed out by Major Baldwin, who has recently been over a portion of 

 this region, that at Collville, at the head of navigation on the Colorado, 

 the elevation is about one thousand feet above sea-level, and that at this 

 point there is a break in the big canon of the Colorado and a level pass 



