Imperial County CA Archives History - Books .....Some Early Irrigation History 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, 3:27 am Book Title: History Of Imperial County California SOME EARLY IRRIGATION HISTORY This having been the supreme creative factor in the reclamation of this great desert waste makes it imperative that some specific mention should be made here. But the reader will find this subject treated with scientific detail in subsequent chapters of this work by the most competent authority in the land. And this man once dreamed of writing a romantic history of this wonderful valley. And if space were at command in this volume a thrilling and racy thread of romance could be interwoven in this story-fabric of detail that begins with the discovery of this sandy-sink of the Colorado Desert, and follows down the years of its development and reclamation until the glowing results of today were reached. But for irrigation there could, of course, have been no Imperial Valley nor-any Imperial County to write about. Without entering deeply into the ancient history of irrigation and the date of its origin, it may be said that modern scientists seem to agree that it was in use in very ancient times, and was used in this hemisphere at the dawn of civilization. Early explorers found extensive and successful systems in Mexico, Central America and Peru. Even in our own land are traces of early irrigation projects that had been carried out along the Colorado, Rio Grande and Gila Rivers. In India some of the most costly and magnificent engineering enterprises of this kind are found today. And most of the foreign countries are operating extensive systems of this kind. Modern reclamation in America in 1890 had nearly four million arid acres to its credit. But these systems were in no way comparable with those used in this Imperial Valley in extent. The reclaimed area in this valley at this time is far greater than was the total in the southern third of California in 1890. In India there are twenty-five million acres of such land, in Egypt about six millions, Italy about three millions, France 400,000, and in the United States about four millions of arid acres. Thus some forty millions of arid acres have been brought under successful cultivation by irrigation. Not, however, until 1902 was the construction of irrigation systems under the control of the Secretary of the Interior begun. This plan has been successfully carried out since then by the Reclamation service, the sole purpose being the transformation of desert lands into attractive and productive farm property. The Colorado Desert was visited at least by military parties in 1846, and geological investigations were made in 1853. It was surveyed by government contractors in 1855 an<^ l&56> and the overland stations were established there in 1858. It was resurveyed in 1880, and finally crossed by the railway soon after. The reclamation project was proposed in 1892, and again in 1902, which finally resulted in the adoption of the irrigation scheme. Since that time the enterprise has been duly exploited in the public press. This tract in 1846, being still a part of the Mexican territory, was frequently visited by Mexican desperadoes, and General Phil Kearny's famous expedition by the Santa Fe Trail to the coast crossed the Valley. With this expedition was a corps of government engineers who were to make observations and report as to the topography, natural history and geography of the region. The date of this report was November, 1855. It stated that at the ford of the Colorado, where the engineers crossed, the river was 1500 feet wide and flowed at the rate of 1 1/2 miles per hour, the greatest depth there being four feet. The banks were not over four feet high, and evidences of overflow were found. The water was torpid and hence immense drifts of sand were encountered. A few days later a basin or lake was reached (probably Badger Lake, now dry) and this was then about 3/4 X 1/2 mile in extent and too salt for the use of man or beast. Their report of this desert contained this: "Ninety miles from water to water is an immense triangular plain bounded on one side by the Colorado River, on the west by the Cordilleras of California, on the northeast by a chain of mountains running southeast and northwest." This report has a record of many hardships endured by the men under Lieutenant W. H. Morey, who was in charge. They had a sharp engagement with the Mexicans at Los Angeles, where he planted the American flag to stay, however. Another military expedition was sent out in 1853 under Lieutenant Williamson, with Professor William P. Blake as naturalist, who afterward wrote a graphic description of the desert and the result of his geological studies there. He concluded that the physical aspects of the desert were due to flood erosion upon rocks near Palm Springs. He also predicted that potable water could be obtained from artesian wells in that region, which proved true 35 years later, and again by the engineers of the Southern Pacific railway. In 1858 the first overland mail route between St. Louis and San Francisco was established, it being known as the Butterfield Stage Line. This trip took 22 days and was made every two weeks. There were three stage stations on the desert. That same year, however, America had a much more important event to record in that region. This was the discovery of the possibility of reclaiming this Colorado Desert. Dr. Oliver M. Wozencraft, a native of Ohio, who had been educated in Kentucky, was the first man who seriously proposed to bring the waters of the Colorado River into this sink for the purpose of agriculture by irrigation. Like many other men who have conceived great ideas ahead of their time, Dr. Wozencraft was laughed at as an airy dreamer at the time. But he had this project so thoroughly mapped out in his mind that had it not been for the breaking out of the Civil war in i860, the full consummation of his plans would probably have been carried out, or at least begun at that very time. And it is interesting to note here that his original ideas were very similar to those embodied in the final project which were carried out so many years later. But he joined the great gold rush in 1849, being the Indian agent at the time. He was also instrumental in securing the railway line from the east to cross this desert. In his diary of that time he describes most graphically his first excursion to that region in May, 1849, which might well be quoted here in full if space permitted. It was on this trip when he first conceived the idea of reclaiming this great desert. He presented his scheme to the California Legislature, which promptly ceded him all state rights in the construction of his proposed reclamation plan of this desert waste. He next took the matter to Congress, where he received a favorable report from the committee in charge. But then the crash of arms at Fort Sumter prevented any further action at the time. At the close of the war he lost no time in the prosecution of his one absorbing purpose. But during the troubles attendant upon the reconstruction period after the war it was crowded aside from time to time in the maze of national affairs. Thus on the eve of the session in 1887, when another hearing had been promised him. he was suddenly stricken ill and died. In writing of her father's pet project afterward, his daughter said he had lost a fortune and had finally given up his life in the effort to achieve success. And yet some think he was ahead of his time, the precise period for the consummation of his project, even if successfully carried out at that time, might not have proved for the best interests of the region. The railway was not built until 20 years later. And yet Dr. Wozencraft is still credited as being the "father of the Imperial Valley." 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 Printed by Taylor & Taylor, San Francisco File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/imperial/history/1918/historyo/someearl203nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 8.5 Kb