1905 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



351 



miles above Yuma, where the river 

 flows between two low walls of solid 

 granite, and is the lowest site on the 

 river where solid rock for spill- 

 ways and abutments can be found. 

 The total length of the dam is 4,780 

 feet, and the maximum height above 

 low water is 13 feet. The settling 

 basin formed by this dam will be ap- 

 proximately ten miles long, with an 

 average width of two miles. Water 

 will be drawn into the irrigation canals 

 from the surface of this reservoir. The 

 heavier sands and silts which settle to 

 the bottom will be disposed of by 

 sluiceways through the abutments of 

 the dam, and below the grade of the 

 regulating gates. 



The overflow lands of the valley 

 will be protected and the flood waters 

 of both the Colorado and Gila Rivers 

 controlled by means of dykes on either 

 side of the stream. 



The total area of irrigable valley 

 lands on the Yuma project is approxi- 

 mately 90,000 acres, and the area of 

 mesa land proposed now to be irri- 

 gated by pumping, from 20,000 to 25,- 

 ooo acres. The reports of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture on the Yuma 

 lands show them to be very fertile. 

 The silts of the Colorado River, which 

 cannot be all removed, act as a fer- 

 tilizer to constantly enrich the soil and 

 keep it in a condition for a high state 

 of cultivation. The climate of this 

 area is such as to permit of the grow- 

 ing of certain crops throughout prac- 

 tically the entire year. Citrus fruits 

 can be grown on the mesa under the 

 proposed pumping system. 



The sum of $3,000,000 has been set 

 aside by the Secretary of the Interior 

 for the construction of this project. 

 The contract for the construction of 

 the Laguna dam has been awarded by 

 the Secretary of the Interior to J. G. 

 White & Co., and it is expected that 

 actual construction work will be begun 

 at an early date. 



The Klamath project is situated in 

 Klamath county, Oregon, and in Mo- 

 doc and Siskiyou counties, California. 

 It includes the valleys of Lost River 



and of the upper portion of the Kla- 

 math River. The watershed area 

 above the Klamath basin extends from 

 the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the 

 west to the Warner Mountains on the 

 east, and north to Crater Lake. It 

 includes within its area the Klamath 

 Indian Reservation. The principal 

 streams which drain this area are the 

 Williamson and Sprague Rivers which 

 empty into Upper Klamath Lake, and 

 Lost River which empties into Tule 

 Lake. 



Upper Klamath Lake, together with 

 its marginal swamp lands, has an area 

 of about 100,000 acres. It is the head- 

 waters of the Klamath River, and acts 

 as a storage reservoir for regulating 

 the flow of that stream. 



Tule Lake, which receives the drain- 

 age of Lost River, has an area of over 

 90,000 acres. It is situated on the 

 boundary between California and Ore- 

 gon ; it has no outlet. 



Clear Lake, which with its margi- 

 nal swamp lands, has an area of about 

 15,000 acres, is situated at the head 

 of Lost River and is fed by Willow 

 Creek. This lake acts as a storage 

 reservoir in controlling the flow of 

 Lost River, water flowing into it dur- 

 ing the flood season, and out of it dur- 

 ing the low stages of Willow Creek. 



Lower Klamath Lake, also situated 

 on the boundary line between Califor- 

 nia and Oregon, has, with its marginal 

 swamp lands, an area of about 90,000 

 acres. Water flows into this lake 

 from the Klamath River during flood 

 periods of the river, and in the oppo- 

 site direction when the river is at its 

 lowest stages. A short distance be- 

 low Lower Klamath Lake the river 

 begins a series of steep rapids. 



The peculiarities of the tomography 

 of this region, lend itself in a re- 

 markable way to the economic recla- 

 mation and irrigation of this project. 

 It is proposed to lower the waters of 

 the Klamath River by a cut at the head 

 of the rapids below Keno, sufficient to 

 practically drain Lower Klamath and 

 the marginal swamp lands, thus mak- 

 ing them a part of the reclamation pro- 



