Imperial County CA Archives History - Books .....In Conclusion 1918 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 14, 2006, 5:15 am Book Title: History Of Imperial County California IN CONCLUSION And now, after all that has been said concerning the general features of this newest county in the State of California, what is the conclusion of the reader? Undeveloped even yet? Yes, there will be no dispute about that; the fact is freely admitted, even by the most enthusiastic dweller in the Valley. But this man will ask you to consider what has been done in the few years that have intervened between the great desert waste and the fertile garden of today. He is optimistic about this, and he has a right to boast over it and throw up his hat. But the work of complete reclamation has only been begun. But there is a momentous energy of purpose that gathers force as the work proceeds. New possibilities are discovered every day, and new ways to develop them are continually suggesting themselves. The control of the great Colorado River is now more complete perhaps than ever before. And yet this will always remain the paramount problem here upon which all other features must depend. The construction of a series of huge reservoirs is now under contemplation, and Congress will be asked to call a convention of all parties interested in the near future. Some six or seven of these great reservoirs are proposed at a total cost of $15,000,000 per acre-foot, one of these alone to impound 8,000,000 acre-feet of water, or three times as large as any-other reservoir in the United States. The estimated cost of these vast storage basins is $50,000,000. From four to five million acres of rich land, now barren, or only partially productive, could thus be irrigated. And it is significant to state that of this estimated cost it is claimed that the land now under cultivation in this Imperial Valley alone produced this year enough to defray the entire cost of this reservoir system. This plan would also make possible a vast power development west of the Rocky Mountains. And it is further urged that this vast storage of water would be sufficient to irrigate all the irrigable land below the Grand Canon in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California and New Mexico, leaving a vast surplus for Mexico. Whether or not this great project will be carried out remains to be seen, of course. The full control and conservation of this Colorado water is regarded as second only in importance to the Panama Canal. If the plan now under consideration goes through it will take at least from eight to ten years for its consummation, according to the government engineers. But unfortunately there is a vast deal of official red tape between this and even the beginning of the work. The region of country drained by this wonderful river and its tributaries is about 8000 miles long and from 300 to 500 miles wide, and it comprises 244,000 square miles. This river has been likened unto the Nile, and is often called the "Nile of America" because of the similar aspects presented. The climate in each case is much the same, while similar deposits of fertilizing silt are brought down. But these features have already been referred to in some detail in previous chapters. And yet it should be said in this connection that this subject of reclamation of arid lands in the United States is beginning to attract more attention by reason of the prevailing food scarcity, which leads foreseeing men to cast about for some new source of supply. Only a few days ago David Lubin, a California delegate to the International Institute of Agriculture, made the assertion that the reclamation for cattle raising on the lands of the eleven arid states of the Union was the key to the food problem. And he proposed in his report to Congress that measures should be taken at once by the government to carry out the plan. Continuing, he said that the cattle of Europe were being rapidly eaten up, and the cattle supply of the world was diminishing under the unprecedented demand of the war for hides and meat. He did not propose this national reclamation scheme for the war merely, but for all time in the best interests of the nation. His proposition includes the leading of small streams from the mountains over these arid lands, and also the boring of many artesian wells. Be this at it may, however, it has become very apparent that the normal food supply of the nation has become inadequate, and every reasonable effort should be made to increase it. Not that we are obliged to feed the foreign nations which are now engaged in bitter conflict, but for our own protection and welfare as the population increases, both from natural causes and the arrival of immigrants after the war. In any conservative aspect therefore that presents itself there seems great promise of a grand future for this Valley in the years to come. "Come and see!" is the invitation we extend in closing this article. And this invitation is re-echoed from every corner of this new county. The pioneer stage of development has passed, and the period of aggressive activity has arrived. Modern methods and facilities are everywhere apparent, and there is a hearty welcome awaiting every newcomer. "Come and see!" Additional Comments: Extracted from: THE HISTORY OF IMPERIAL COUNTY CALIFORNIA EDITED BY F. C. FARR IN ONE VOLUME ILLUSTRATED Published by ELMS AND FRANKS BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 1918 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/imperial/history/1918/historyo/inconclu229nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb