446 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



Octobe 



mately 100 miles in length, or by means 

 of comparatively short tunnels through 

 the high divide between the Animas 

 and La Plata rivers and a much shorter 

 line of canals connecting the ends of the 

 tunnels with the points of diversion and 

 delivery. 



If the development of this project, 

 which contemplates the reclamation of 

 approximately 50,000 acres of land, is 

 found feasible, it will be necessary to 

 supplement the minimum flow in Ani- 

 mas River during a portion of the irri- 

 gating season by storage, both at the 

 head of La Plata Valley and on Animas 

 River, there being an abundance of 

 water for this purpose during high- 

 water period. 



Preliminary investigations have been 

 made and reconnoissance surveys for the 

 purpose of locating storage facilities. 

 At the present time field parties are 

 being equipped for a survey of the diver- 

 sion canal lines and possible reservoir 

 sites and lands affected by the project. 

 Probably two or three months will be 

 required for this work. 



Favorable The progress made by 



Outlook in the engineers of the Rec- 

 California. lamation Service in Cal- 

 ifornia during August is 

 most gratifying. Stream measurements, 

 duty of water measurements, and evap- 

 oration records were maintained in vari- 

 ous places in the state, and the several 

 projects have received general and indi- 

 vidual attention. 



Yicma Ptojcd. Work on this project 

 consisted principally in making plans 

 and estimates on canal lines, quantities 

 for canals, and estimates on a pumping 

 plant for the Yuma mesa, and in the 

 preparation of a map of farm un'its for 

 this project along the lines of practice 

 established elsewhere. As early as Au- 

 gust 27, 75 per cent of the area of pri- 

 vate lands below the canals and inside 

 the levees had signed the contracts nec- 

 essary prior to advertising for bids for 

 construction. When all the lands sub- 

 ject to the Reclamation Act for in- 

 stance, the Indian reservation are in- 

 cluded, this percentage is materially 

 higher ; in fact, nearly sufficient. 



Klamath Project Surveys are beinj 

 made of the Horse Fly and Clear Lab 

 reservoir sites, and a topographic sur 

 vey of the Klamath River near Keno 

 where it is possible to lower the channe 

 and drain the lower Klamath region 

 A determination of the area of irrigabli 

 lands and surveys and other preliminar 

 work will be rapidly pushed in order t< 

 determine the feasibility of this projec 

 at as early a date as possible. 



(hi'ens Valley Project. --During tb 

 month of August, Mr. J. C. Clausen 

 of the Reclamation Service, who ha 

 charge of the Owens Valley project 

 completed the examination of all tb 

 sma mountain lakes along the easteri 

 side of the Sierra Nevadas tributary ti 

 Owens Valley. The most promising o 

 these have been surveyed sufficiently ti 

 compute the capacities of reservoir sites 

 A map of the irrigated lands in the val 

 ley is being revised for the purpose o 

 making a distinction between the land 

 with sufficient water supply and thos' 

 with insufficient supply, and a study i 

 being made in the valley in a prelimi 

 nary way of a large percentage of lam 

 that through irrigation has becorm 

 swamp or alkali. 



Another inspection was made of tb 

 Long Valley dam site. The rock a 

 this site is of volcanic origin, weighinj 

 about 100 pounds to the cubic foot, an< 

 appears to be in one well-consolidate< 

 mass and not in independent layers 

 As the use of this reservoir site is en 

 tirely dependent upon bed-rock condi 

 tions, a thorough exploration with tb 

 diamond-drill machine will be made 

 If this reservoir is found feasible, a de 

 tailed survey will be made in the valley 



It is believed that this project woulc 

 supply water to from 75,000 to ioo,oo< 

 acres, 40,000 acres of that amount nov 

 being irrigated in the valley. The en 

 gineers believe that the smaller tribu 

 taries of Owens River will supply suffi 

 cient water during spring and earl} 

 summer for all the systems, and b\ 

 holding back the entire flood flow o 

 the Owens River for late summer use i 

 will be possible to greatly extend am 

 benefit the irrigation system in the val 

 ley and supply water for the irrigation 

 of additional lands. 



