SOIL SUEVEY OF THE RED BLUFF AREA, CALIFORNIA. 15 



vast producer of widely varied crops and render it a section of 

 small intensive farming industries. It has not as yet. shared in 

 that extensive irrigation development which has transformed so 

 many of the other regions of the State into gardens of productive- 

 ness. All agricultural interests are feverishly awaiting irrigation 

 development, and perhaps a foresight of the greater era to come 

 discourages any attempt to make the most of present conditions. 

 A realization of the next necessary step is everywhere present, and 

 land values ^s well as attitudes toward agricultural development 

 all anticipate the coming of extensive irrigation. Prices of land 

 over the entire area are based upon their worth as irrigable lands 

 and not upon their intrinsic present worth without water. The 

 improvements anticipated are certain to come and everyone realizes 

 the present transitorv state of agriculture. 



IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE. 



The Sacramento Valley is perhaps the only region of its size and 

 importance in the United States whose advancement and develop- 

 ment is retarded by such conflicting soil conditions. Great bodies of 

 rich, deep soils are rendered uninhabitable or practically useless for 

 agricultural purposes by periodic floods. Bordering the territory so 

 affected are other still greater bodies of soil only slightly more ele- 

 vated yet continuously lacking even tJie relatively small supply of 

 moisture needed to mature even a grain crop. 



It is principally upon soils occupying the mean between these two 

 extreme conditions that the greatest number of homes and industries 

 have been built. The greater areas occurring as overflow and semi- 

 arid lands have nowhere been extensively utilized or effectively man- 

 aged. The largest problem of the future in the Sacramento Valley 

 wnll be the reclamation, through a comprehensive drainage and pro- 

 tection project, of the lands now rendered useless by floods, and the 

 storage of waters for the irrigation of such lands as need irrigation. 

 The engineering and financial features involved are formidable and 

 intricate, but must be solved in the progress of time. It is agreed that 

 the ideal method involves the simultaneous handling of the two prob- 

 lems. Storage of vast quantities of water will relieve the flooded 

 areas, and the stored water will be available for irrigating the higher 

 lands. Pending the consummation of such a vast undertaking vari- 

 ous irrigation systems of small scope have been installed throughout 

 the valley. The Eed Bluff area contains some such scattered systems. 



The lower soils of the Red Bluff area are not subject to such ex- 

 tensive and continuous flooding as in sections of the valley occurring 

 farther south. Much damage is done, however, and the handling of 

 the flood waters of the Sacramento would materially increase the pro- 

 10970^—12 3 



