838 THK RECLAMATION OF THE WEST. 



l)y means of swinmiiiiy- and ])y usinu- a pneniiiatic mattress or rubber 

 bed as a raft. They put in small rubber ])ags the necessary food and 

 a little underwear. In ten daj's, by floating, swimming, and climb- 

 ing, they succeeded in getting through and locating the point at which 

 may be placed the headworks to take the water out l\y a tunnel into 

 Uncompahgro Valley . 



The tunnel, heading in the steep clifi's, passes under the mountain 

 to the valley beyond, a distance of nearly 5 miles. Careful surveys 

 and examinations are being made, and it is believed to be feasi))le to 

 Imild the tunnel, if enough irrigable land can be found to justify the 

 undertaking. 



Another project which has l)een under examination is that in south- 

 ern Wyoming on the North Platte River, at what is known as the 

 Devils Gate, on Sweetwater River, a short distance above the point 

 where it 'enters North Platte River. Unfortunately the amount of 

 water available at this point is small, and after careful examination 

 there is now ])eing considered another reservoir site known as the 

 Pathlindor, at a lower point, where there is ample water for storage 

 purposes. This is on North Platte River itself, below the mouth of 

 Sweetwater River. 



The water stored in the Pathlinder reservoir in AVyoming will be 

 turned doA\'n North Platte River to a point near Guernsey, where it 

 can be diverted and taken out upon land in Avhat is known as the 

 Goshen Hole, in eastern W^'oming, adjacent to Nebraska. It is prol)- 

 able that the canals can ))e extended to cover ])road areas in western 

 NeT)raska on both sides of the river. 



In northern W} oming there is another reclamation project, that on 

 Shoshone River, which here flows through a granite range. Surve3"s 

 are being made to demonstrate the practicability of diverting this 

 river and carrying it out to the broad plains of the Big Horn basin 

 east of the town of Cody. 



One of the greatest works in the United States is the utilization of 

 the great Colorado River of the West. The headwaters come from 

 W3'oiuing and Colorado, flow through Utah and northern Arizona, 

 and the river Anally enters the Gulf of California. Along this stream 

 are lands capal)le of high cultivation, as the soil is rich and the climate 

 semitropical. 



The rank growth on the bottom lands shows that wherever water 

 is found the vegetation is extremely dense. It is, in fact, almost 

 impossible to pu.sh one's way through this vegetation. The illustration 

 shows some of the broad l)ottoms that can' be reclaimed. 



The river itself is constanth' changing, shifting over a very broad 

 extent of channel. Last Christmas a party of us took a trip down the 

 river in a boat. We floated, paddled, and at times waded for 400 

 miles down that stream, under the most delightful climate in the 



