THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



113 



THE SIXTEENTH NATIONAL IRRIGATION CON- 

 GRESS. 



THE SALINAS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. 



Matter received recently from the headquarters 

 of the Sixteenth National Irrigation Congress, Albu- 

 querque, New Mexico, indicate that preparations for 

 this meeting are progressing very satisfactorily. The 

 office of the Congress is located in the Commercial Club 

 building in Albuquerque, with Col. Williard S. Hope- 

 well, chairman of the Board of Control, and Col. 

 R. E. TwitcheL, secretary. These gentlemen are 

 aided by a corps of efficient clerks who are engaged day 

 and night sending out literature to the various execu- 

 tive committeemen and others prominently identified 

 with irrigation matters in the seventeen states and 

 territories in which work under the Reclamation Act 

 is carried on. A great deal of correspondence is also 

 being carried on with eastern manufacturing firms, 

 farm journals and commercial organizations. 



The great railway companies whose lines traverse 

 this territory are manifesting great interest in the 

 successful outcome of the Congress and are aiding New 

 Mexico in every way to make this the greatest session 

 of the Congress yet held. We are assured that the 

 very best rates possible will be made by the Trans- 

 continental Passenger Association and the active co- 

 operation of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe System 

 in advertising the Congress and Exposition has been 

 assured by the executive officials of that company. 

 The lowest of rates will be announced in due time. 

 Special freight rates for exhibits will also be made, 

 and the Denver & Rio Grande system will transport 

 all exhibits over its lines in Colorado and New Mexico 

 free of charge. The several passenger departments of 

 the railway companies are taking the liveliest sort of 

 interest in preparation for proper and extensive adver- 

 tising of the Congress and all New Mexico commu- 

 nities which desire to take the fullest advantage of this 

 sort of advertising should get their literature to the 

 office of the board of control at the earliest possible 

 day. 



Already reservations for twenty-five thousand feet 

 of space for exhibition purposes have been made for 

 New Mexico communities, notably the Pecos and Me- 

 silla Valley, Colfax county, Otero c unty, San Miguel 

 county and other places full reports as to which will 

 be announced later. 



The city of Albuquerque will build a convention 

 hall for the accommodation of the Congress which 

 will cost upwards of twenty-five thousand dollars and 

 will be a permanent structure of magnificent dimen- 

 sions and having a seating capacity of five thousand. 

 There will be a steel truss roof without a pillar to 

 obstruct the view in the vast auditorium. 



Look for Government Aid. 



Bulletin No. 104. 



Is just issued by the American Well Works, 

 Aurora, 111. It illustrates all the styles of centrifugal 

 pumps made for different purposes for such pumps 

 such as farm irrigation, drainage, brewery pumps, fire 

 pumps and many other similar purposes. This well 

 known firm also furnishes complete literature in re- 

 gard to machinery for well drilling, oil, gas, etc. Our 

 readers will do this publication a favor by stating where 

 they read this notice, in writing this firm. 



(Special Correspondence.) 



As the January number of the IRRIGATION AGE 

 contained an article on the Salinas valley, in Monterey 

 county, California, setting forth its charm of climate, 

 fertility of soil and the fact that its people have had 

 surveys made with a view to ascertaining the feasibility 

 of making it a project for government irrigation, per- 

 haps a few words as to further steps that have been 

 taken may be of general interest. 



The surveys spoken of were not made altogether 

 at the expense of the people of the valley. The report 

 of the engineer who made it, at the request of the 

 Salinas Valley Irrigation Association, contained much 

 valuable data from Report No. 89, by Homer Hamlia 

 of the government geological survey, issued about six 

 years ago. This data all related to the reservoir sites 

 on the magnificent feeder streams of the Salinas the 

 San Antonio, San Lorenzo, Arroyo Seco and Reliz 

 rivers. 



The balance of the report, made at the people's ex- 

 pense, gives the cost of a wier dam in the Salinas river 

 at Wunpost, the head of the valley. While there is no 

 reservoir site here, this dam could supply the 80-mile 

 long, 40-feet wide and 7-feet deep canal with abundant 

 water for winter and spring irrigation. Then, when the 

 winter floods had ceased (which in ordinary seasons 

 occurs about the first of June) the waters of the San 

 Antonio reservoir would come down the river bed into 

 the ditch at Wunpost; those of the San Lorenzo would 

 come in at King City, 30 miles further down, and those 

 from the Arroyo Seco at Greenfield in about the center 

 of the valley. Thus would there be water in super- 

 abundance for irrigation the year around. 



While the report as to cost of the main canal is not 

 accurate, no lines having been run, it served its pur- 

 pose at Sacramento last September in demonstrating 

 to the Reclamation Service, California's governor, and 

 his representatives in Congress, that here is the best 

 project of its size ever started ; that approximately $3,- 

 000,000 will make from 150,000 to 200,000 acres of 

 $20 land worth $150 per acre up. 



Chief of the Service Newell and Chief Hy- 

 drographer Leighton were much interested in the project 

 as set forth by the delegates from this valley to the 

 congress, and later had Engineer Clapp, head of the 

 geological department in California, look it over. His 

 visit has resulted in visits by several other of the gov- 

 ernment engineers, among them Mr. Marshall, under 

 whose supervision all the topographical work is being 

 done in the Sacramento valley. 



These engineers confirm everything as to soil, cli- 

 mate, water supply, apparent quality of water, feasi- 

 bility and probable cost, that is claimed by the people 

 of the valley. They regret there are no funds available 

 now to begin the work, but have suggested that the 

 people organize and raise $25,000 for a topographical 

 survey which would include 250,000 acres, and when 

 completed, present a contour map of the project to the 

 reclamation people. By the time that was completed 

 there would surely be money available and the actual 

 work of construction would begin. 



