Normal monthly and annual temperature in Egypt, Alabama, Texas, and Arizona.

It has been generally supposed that the climate of the country around the mouth of the Colorado River and extending up into the Colorado River Valley in Arizona and California is very similar to the climate of Egypt. Such, however, is not the case. Normal temperatures from Yuma, Ariz., are included in this table, from which it will be seen that there is a great difference between the temperatures of the two countries. Upper Egypt, no doubt, has a desert climate similar to that of Yuma, but meteorological records have not been kept in that part of the country.

Mean monthly and annual relative humidity in Egypt and in southern portion of the United States.

The evaporation, as determined by the United States Geological Survey hydrographer at Yuma, is as follows:

Observations at Bulls Head, Arizona, gave the following results for

Comparison of mean evaporation from the water surface in Egypt and in the United States.

Mr. Means compares the delta of the Nile with the upper stretches of the Colorado. There are many more points of resemblance between the deltas of the two streams than between their upper stretches. However, he recognized much similarity in the physical characteristics of the two rivers. The sections of the valleys of the Nile and the Colorado are much the same, as both have a "berm" on each side of the river and their lower lands extend to the desert foothills. Navigation of the two streams suffers from uncertain channels and sand bars, but the Nile, owing to the long period of settlement and the larger volume of water, has a large amount of river traffic, while the Colorado is almost unused for such purposes.

The slope of the bed of the Colorado is about 1:4400 between Needles and Yuma. On the Nile the slope is 1:13000 in low water and 1:2220 in flood, and the mean slope of the valley is 1:10800. The Nile has much the greater watershed, and has many large lakes at its head to act as reservoirs and regulators, but its flood and ebb come at the same period. During its flood period it scours its bed, and at low water it silts, as does the Colorado. Each river has formed great fan-shaped delta, but the Colorado also cut off an arm of the sea, which, during generations, has dried up and silted up until it is now a great valley. All the valley lands from Needles to Yuma were formed by Colorado River. Wells have been sunk in the Imperial Valley to over 500 feet in depth, and the character of the soil remained the same.

This region is among the easiest in the world in which to obtain a living from agriculture, the Colorado River bottom lands being of

great fertility. All crops grow with great luxuriance and require relatively little attention. For the Indian to plant, raise, and gather his crop of corn and melons along the Colorado, it is not necessary for him to work more than two or three days in the year. The seeds are planted by merely sticking them in the ground, and the next work is the gathering of the crop. There is no plowing, hoeing, weeding, or other care work. Corn grows and matures in about 6 weeks; it is, however, only 2 or 3 feet high, and bears but one or two ears to the stalk, though these ears are sweet and excellent for table use. There are many mesquite trees along the bottoms to furnish beans as forage for the cattle, which are not fed hay at all. The Indian judges the proper time for planting by the river foliage, and, when the cottonwoods turn green, puts in his crop.

About Yuma and Imperial the conditions approach closely those of Upper Egypt, where the year is divided into three seasons summer, flood, and winter. In the summer season, when the crops are sugar cane, millet, vegetables, and clover, the land is irrigated up to May. During the flood season the whole country is irrigated by the overflow of the Nile. There are 581,000 acres in Upper Egypt, which have a gross yield of $22,700,000, or $39 an acre. The first cost of all the works for reclamation was $27.50 an acre, and the cost of maintenance is 60 cents per acre per annum. The land is valued at about $60 an acre. It seems that lands of equal fertility with similar climatic conditions, cultivated by intelligent Americans and with markets near at hand, should have a much greater value.

During six months of the year the climate along Colorado River is nearly perfect. During the remaining months it is apt to be very hot, but the great heat of summer is relieved by a constant breeze from the Gulf of California and by the dryness of the climate; for the drier the atmosphere the greater the evaporation and the lower the sensible temperature.

SUMMARY.

In conclusion it may be stated that along Colorado River

1. There are five great projects of reclamation, involving nearly a million acres of land, which should receive immediate investigation. 2. These great projects present correspondingly great problems, and require continued study and the best engineering advice obtainable. 3. The lands to be reclaimed are of great fertility, and their reclamation would well repay the time and money spent upon them.

H. Doc. 44, 58-2—11

INVESTIGATIONS IN COLORADO.

By A. L. FELLOWS.

The work of the Reclamation Service in Colorado has been described in part in the First Annual Report of the Reclamation Service, on pages 129 to 160. General reconnaissance has been continued throughout the State to ascertain localities offering the best opportunities for development and to bring together all the facts available for forming a judgment of the relative merits of various enterprises. Detailed surveys have been concluded on South Platte River on what is known as the Sterling or Pawnee River on the Grand River project. survey for the proposed tunnel from of lands in Uncompahgre Valley.

Pass project, and along Grand
Work is still progressing on the
Gunnison River for the irrigation

The following pages give essential facts concerning the Sterling or Pawnee Pass project and the condition of work in Uncompahgre Valley. There is also appended a report by Gerard H. Matthes on the Grand River project.

STERLING PROJECT.

The Sterling or Pawnee Pass project has been described on pages 154-160 of the First Annual Report of the Reclamation Service. The field work, under the direct charge of Charles T. Pease, was discontinued on December 10, 1902, owing to the extremely cold weather which prevailed at that time. It was later decided that it was best that the field work should not be resumed, careful investigation demonstrating that the water supply was inadequate to insure the success of this project.

On May 28, 1903, the Pawnee Pass reservoir site was visited by a committee of consulting engineers, consisting of Arthur P. Davis, George Y. Wisner, and W. H. Sanders. This committee was met at Sterling, Colo., by A. L. Fellows and Morris Bien, engineers, and the report submitted by A. L. Fellows was examined and discussed. The committee, after full consideration of the water supply available for this project, made a report adverse to construction, stating that in its opinion the surveys made were sufficient, and that the project is not feasible, as the water supply is inadequate. In accordance with a recommendation contained in the committee's report, the land previously segregated by order of the Secretary of the Interior was thrown open for settlement and the project was abandoned.

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