1905 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



347 



sentials as to the extent to which the 

 arid lands might be reclaimed. With 

 this large mass of information at hand, 

 supplemented by further studies, the 

 Reclamation Service has endeavored 

 to pick out the localities where the 

 largest results might be obtained and 

 the public most benefited. It so hap- 

 pens that the conditions were most fa- 

 vorable on the extreme north and 

 south. The Colorado River, the larg- 

 est stream of the arid region, was first 

 considered. Maps were made of the 

 irrigable land in the valleys along its 

 course and full consideration taken of 

 the opportunities presented. As a re- 

 sult, the so-called Yuma project was 

 first worked out and presented for ap- 

 proval of the Secretary of the Inte- 

 rior. 



In the far north, and lying partly in 

 Oregon, is the Klamath project, where 

 there is also an abundance of water 

 and a vast extent of arid land. Here, 

 also, the conditions seemed most fa- 

 vorable for producing prompt re- 

 sults, and in turn the Secretary of the 

 Interior has conditionally approved 

 construction. 



At about the center of the State and 

 east of the great mountain range, 

 there was found to be, in the Owens 

 Valley, an excellent body of ini^able 

 land with a somewhat uncertain water 



supply. Here, also, there appeared to 

 be an opportunity for successful re- 

 clamation and efforts have been con- 

 centrated on ascertaining the available 

 supply preliminary to considering con- 

 struction. 



The great problem of the future, 

 however, as regards the entire state, 

 is the best use of the water of the 

 great interior valley, including the 

 Sacramento on the north and San 

 Joaquin on the south. After results 

 have been attained at Yuma and Kla- 

 math, it is believed that the storage 

 and control of the headwaters of the 

 Sacramento and San Joaquin is the 

 greatest which can be undertaken by 

 the government and by the state. 

 As preliminary to such operations, it 

 is necessary to obtain facts as to river 

 flow extending over several years 

 and to make surveys of almost innu- 

 merable reservoir sites and points of 

 storage for diverting waters. For 

 this reason investigations are being 

 continued throughout the great valley 

 of California, and it is hoped that 

 upon the completion of the great pro- 

 jects on the north and south efforts 

 may be concentrated toward the so- 

 lution of the problem of river control 

 in the interest of irrigation, and inci- 

 dentally, in that of all other industries 

 in the state. 



REFORESTING IN CALIFORNIA 



BY 

 T. P. LUKENS 



"T 1 HAT the first effort to reforest the 

 mountain water-sheds should be 

 made in Southern California, is na- 

 tural, because there exists the greatest 

 need, owing to the never abundant 

 forest covering having been destroyed 

 by irrational use, fires, and stock graz- 

 ing. In consequence of the depletion 

 of the brush and trees on the moun- 

 tain slopes, surface streams have 

 greatly decreased in volume, and in 

 many cases the flow has entirely ceased 



in summer, succeeding floods in win- 

 ter. 



The destruction has been 0:1 the in- 

 crease until quite recently, while the 

 demand for water has been rapidly in- 

 creasing. Irrigation in any form is- 

 practically on but one acre in 6 l / 2 

 acres of the arable land in Southern 

 California, and the water is used to- 

 its fullest capacity. Xot only is all 

 stream flow used, but every effort is 

 being made to secure water by tunnel 



