1905 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



321 



Yuma Valley, it being- in effect a pro- 

 longation of the Laguna dam for di- 

 verting such flood waters from such 

 lands. 



As a result of the above recommen- 

 dation the Secretary of the Interior 

 has advertised for proposals for the 

 construction of about 12 miles of dyke, 

 involving the excavation of about 445,- 

 ooo cubic yards of earth, and clearing 

 125 acres of land. Specifications, 

 forms of proposal and plans may be 

 obtained from the Chief Engineer of 

 the Reclamation Service, Washington, 

 D. C., from the Supervising Engineer, 

 Los Angeles, California, and from the 

 Engineer of the Reclamation Service, 

 Yuma, Arizona. 



These bids will be received at the 

 office of the Supervising Engineer of 

 the U. S. Reclamation Service, at Los 

 Angeles, California, until 2 o'clock p. 

 m., August 17, 1905. 



The Yuma project is one of the 

 most interesting undertaken by the 

 government up to the present time, 

 involving as it does an extensive sys- 

 tem of drainage and levees, unique 

 engineering features for the disposal 

 of silt, and a tunnel to carry the ir- 

 rigating water under the bed of the 

 Gila River. The engineers have un- 

 der consideration a plan to install 

 pumps for lifting water to 25,000 acres 

 of exceedingly fertile mesa land south- 

 east of Yuma. Three million dollars 

 have been set aside for the construc- 

 tion of the works, and it is estimated 

 that 85,000 acres can be reclaimed 

 thereby. 



A special act of Congress was nec- 

 essary to authorize the construction of 

 the Yuma project on the lower Colo- 

 rado River, as this river is a navigable 

 stream, and complicated international 

 questions were involved. 



The bottom lands are of great fer- 

 tility, having been enriched for cen- 

 turies by the silt washed down from 

 the mountains by the Colorado River. 

 The mesa lands are particularly adapt- 

 ed to the cultivation of early fruits, 

 including the citrus varieties, and early 

 vegetables. Probably the earliest veg- 



etables in the United States can be 

 furnished from these mesa lands when 

 properly irrigated. On account of 

 the possibilities of intensive cultivation 

 the farm units probably will be forty 

 acres. 



The Secretary of the Interior has 

 executed a contract with the Gila Val- 

 ley, Globe and Northern Railway 

 Company whereby the above named 

 company agrees to make special 

 freight rates on material and machin- 

 ery to be used in the construction of 

 irrigation projects under the act of 

 June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388). 



These reductions in freight rates are 

 made in view of the fact that the gov- 

 ernment irrigation systems on or trib- 

 utary to the lines of the railroad com- 

 pany will be of great benefit to the 

 country traversed by those lines, and 

 to all parties doing business therein. 

 The money thus saved will be covered 

 into the reclamation fund and will re- 

 duce the cost of construction and pro- 

 mote the development and settlement 

 of the lands under the project. 



Bids for the construction of the dis- 

 tributing system of the Minidoka pro- 

 ject, Idaho, and also for a pole line 

 and telephone system in connection 

 with the same project, were opened at 

 Boise, Idaho, yesterday. The lowest 

 bids for sections of the distributing 

 system, which consists of about 21 

 miles of main canals and 102 miles of 

 branches and laterals, were as follows: 



Orman & Crook, Pueblo, Colo., 

 schedules I, 5, 6, and 7. 



Hubbard & Carlson, Boise, Idaho, 

 Number 2. 



Monarch & Porter, DesMoines, 

 Iowa, schedules 3 and 4. 



Vulcan Iron Works, Chicago, 8. 

 Total of lowest bids, $680,000. Four- 

 teen bids were received. 



The lowest bids on the pole line and 

 telephone system was that of Crumb 

 & Co., of Iowa $6,335. 



The Secretary of the Interior has 

 executed a contract and approved the 

 bond of James O'Connor for the con- 

 struction and completion of division 

 8 of the Interstate canal, North Platte 



