248 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



June 



ing built for a single generation, but 

 for all time, and every step taken is 

 carefully considered. 



The knowledge that a vast storage 

 reservoir is to be constructed at the 

 headwaters of the Colorado River will 

 relieve much of the apprehension that 

 now exists in the lower valley regarding 

 the proposed diversion of this stream 

 upon lands above Yunia. It will also 

 simplify in a large measure many vex- 

 ing questions which might arise be- 

 tween Mexico and this country over 

 the division of the water. 



A board of six consulting engineers, 

 with Mr. J. B. Lippincott, supervising 

 engineer of the work- on the Colorado, 

 and Mr. E. T. Perkins, engineer in 

 charge on the ground, recently made a 

 thorough study of the results of the 

 surveys and investigations in the lower 

 valley. As a result of their determina- 

 tion that the proper storage could not 

 beobtained on the lower Colorado River, 

 the recommendation for the withdrawal 

 of the Kremmling reservoir site was 

 made to the Secretary. 



The area which can be irrigated by 

 the proposed government works is esti- 

 mated at about 2,000,000 acres. These 

 lands are not only unusually fertile, but 

 on account of the climate will produce 

 crops during practically the entire year. 

 The climate and physical characteris- 

 tics of the river and the features upon 

 which irrigation will depend partake 

 largely of the nature of the Nile in 

 Egypt, involving much the same prob- 

 lems and returning much the same pro- 

 ducts. 



For the successful completion of these 

 works the normal flow of the stream 

 must be supplemented in midsummer 

 by storage, for without storage of water 

 it would not be possible to irrigate more 

 than one-fourth to one-third of the 

 amount of land that can be supplied 

 with proper storage facilities. 



Difficult 



Reclamation 



Problem. 



The Farmers' Cooper- 

 ative Irrigation Asso- 

 ciation, an organization 

 of certain farmers of 

 Crook county, Oregon, has sent a peti- 

 tion to the Secretary of the Interior 



bearing 300 signatures and asking that 

 a thorough investigation be made by 

 the reclamation engineers of the irri- 

 gation possibilities in that section of 

 the state. 



Senator Mitchell has interested him- 

 self in the matter, and has urged upon 

 the Department an early investigation, 

 of this section. The location of the 

 proposed work has been studied in a 

 general way by the engineers of the 

 Reclamation Service, and the situation 

 has been found to be complicated by 

 the fact that the water supply must 

 apparently be obtained either from 

 Crooked River, the summer flow of 

 which is practically all appropriated, 

 or from Deschutes River, the water 

 supply from which must be carried 

 across Crooked River valley at great 

 expense. 



It has been found that the lands 

 which may be watered from Deschutes 

 River have to a large extent been se- 

 lected by the State of Oregon, and 

 will require the greater part, if not all, 

 of the flow of the Deschutes. The 

 question of water rights, therefore, is a 

 very serious one, and under the cir- 

 cumstances the Reclamation Service 

 does not think it practicable for the 

 government to go into this region while 

 the state is attempting to reclaim large 

 tracts under the operation of the Carey 

 Act, or before it is definitely known 

 what action will be taken under the 

 contracts made with the state for the 

 reclamation of lands along the Deschutes 

 River. 



Inyo County, In Inyo county, Cali- 

 California. fornia, on the eastern 

 slope of the Sierras, is 

 a large area of desert public land which 

 bears a strong resemblance to several 

 districts in southern California. The 

 United States Geological Survey is pre- 

 paring to send a competent geologist to 

 investigate this region with a view to 

 the discovery of artesian water. 



Mr. Willis T. Lee, now in Arizona, 

 will probably commence an investiga- 

 tion early in the summer, and will pub- 

 lish a report on the geologic conditions 

 of Inyo county. 



