THE YUMA MESA 



B\ A. E. J'inson, J'. J. Crider, and G. E. Thompson 



GENERAL INFORMATION 



For many vears the irrigation of the Vuma Mesa with the 

 water of the Colorado River has been discussed. Variovis attempts 

 by individuals and companies to accomplish this end have been 

 undertaken with more or less success ; and investigations made by 

 engineers of the U. S. Reclamation Service have shown the recla- 

 mation of large tracts on the Mesa to be possible at reasonable 

 cost. It has been realized, however, that the determining factor in 

 the establishment«of a permanent project of this nature has been 

 whether or not the agricultural possibilities are such as to warrant 

 the necessary investment. As early as 1891 Mr. C. B. Colling- 

 wood, at the request of Mr. H. W. Blaisdell, investigated the char- 

 acter of the soil of this Me.sa and made a special study of the 

 amount and composition of the silt carried by the Colorado River. 

 These results were published as Bulletin No. 6 of the Arizona 

 Agricultural Experiment Station. Aside from the general soil sur- 

 vey of the Yuma district by J. Garnet Holmes, of the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Bureau of vSoils, in 1903, and minor observa- 

 tions made in reports of the Reclamation Service engineers, noth- 

 mg further bearing on this phase of the project has been attempted. 

 At the request of the Reclamation Service, this commission was 

 appointed by Dr. R. B. von KleinSmid, President of the University 

 of Arizona, to make such investigation and report upon the agri- 

 cultural possibilities of the Yuma Mesa with special reference to 

 the production of citrus and other commercial fruit crops. This 

 commission was composed of the agricultural chemist, the horti- 

 culturist, and the agronomist of the University of Arizona, College 

 of Agriculture, who were already more or less conversant with con- 

 ditions on the Mesa, having made previous observations there in 

 connection with their regular work. 



After thoro consideration of all available information the com- 

 mission visited the tract again early in November, 1918, to make 

 further investigations. In this work they were generously as- 

 sisted by Mr. W. W. Schlecht, Project Manager of the Yuma Re- 

 clamation Project; Mr. J. W. Longstreth, Agricultural Agent of 

 Yuma County ; Mr Geo. M. Hill, a citrus grower, and other persons 



