son and Nogales passes through the site and through the narrow gorge in which the dam would be situated. However, if the site should be considered more desirable for a reservoir than for a railroad right of way, the road could be transferred to the hills without encountering serious engineering difficulties.

The hills on the north are composed chiefly of limestone, seemingly of a quality that would be satisfactory for purposes of construction, while those on the south of the railroad are covered with loose rock and dirt, the rock varying in size from a pebble to a cobblestone.

Only a small amount of water runs in the creek, but it enables the few ranchers to irrigate garden patches and small fields. A reservoir established here would furnish water to the flats adjacent to the Babacomari, in addition to a supply for the valley itself.

INVESTIGATIONS IN CALIFORNIA.

By J. B. LIPPINCOTT.

In the State of California general investigations have been carried on widely to obtain full information as to the possibility of reclamation of arid lands in all parts of the State. Detailed surveys have also been conducted at important points, particularly along Colorado River, in the drainage basin of Sacramento River, in Salinas Valley, and in other parts of the State. A careful study of the quantity and distribution of underground waters in southern California has been made, in order to obtain facts upon which to base estimates of future development. Explorations have also been conducted in northern California along the rivers draining into the interior, and in the eastern part of the State, notably in Owens Valley.

The results of these surveys and examinations are described in the following pages. They consist mainly of extracts from reports prepared by E. T. Perkins, H. E. Green, J. C. Clausen, and other engineers and assistants, to whom credit is due for faithful performance of the work.

There are described, first, the Owens River project, from the report by Mr. Clausen; next, the Sacramento Valley surveys, from the statement by H. E. Green; and finally, the conditions along Colorado River, from the report by Mr. Perkins.

OWENS RIVER PROJECT.a

In June, 1903, J. C. Clausen was detailed to make a reconnaissance of Owens Valley, to determine the amount and quality of arid public lands and the possibilities of water storage for their reclamation.

LOCATION.

Owens River Valley is situated between the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains, in Inyo and Mono counties, Cal. It is about 100 miles long and has an average width of about 5 miles. About 200,000 acres of this area have passed from Government control, and it is estimated that 60,000 acres still under Government title and 50,000 acres

a Extract from report by J. C. Clausen.

of good land belonging to private parties could be reclaimed at a profit.

These figures are preliminary and will be revised when detailed sur

veys are made. The soil is of a granitic character, due to the wash from the adjoining mountains.

RESERVOIR SITES.

A possible reservoir site was found at the lower end of Long Valley, in T. 4 S., R. 30 E.; T. 4 S., R. 29 E., and T. 3 S., R. 29 E., Mount Diablo meridian, in the southern part of Mono County, Cal., at an elevation of 7,000 feet. As a result of this reconnaissance it was decided to make more detailed investigations. A survey of the Long Valley reservoir site was ordered and on August 15, 1903, J. Č. Clausen organized a party for this purpose. This survey is now under way and is being pushed with energy, but owing to the incompleteness of the work no definite figures as to the capacity and costs of construction can be given. It can safely be said, however, that the storage capacity is ample for irrigating the lands to be reclaimed. The watershed above this site has an area of about 300 square miles, an elevation of from 7,000 to 12,000 feet, and a large portion is subject to a heavy fall of snow.

The dam site, situated in sec. 19, T. 4 S., R. 30 E., Mount Diablo meridian, is a fair one. A 110-foot dam would have a crest length of 450 feet and a base length of 175 feet. Bed rock outcrops at both abutments. This rock is of volcanic origin, very light, weighing not over 100 pounds per cubic foot, and somewhat porous. Sufficient quantities of this rock for construction are in the immediate vicinity of the dam site. A granite quarry may be opened at a distance of less than onehalf mile from the dam site, and the rock delivered by a downhill haul.

WATER SUPPLY.

The water supply is being thoroughly investigated. On August 3, 1903, a permanent gaging station was established on Owens River, above its junction with Rock Creek, in sec. 10, T. 6 S., R. 31 E. Frequent meter measurements are taken and daily gage heights are observed. Stations have also been established on Rock, Pine, and Bishop creeks, and measurements are being taken on all streams tributary to Owens River. Here again, due to the limited records, nothing definite can be said as to the probable quantity of water available for storage. The available water supply is the measure of possible development.

Private capital has extensively developed irrigation in the valley by the construction of about 15 canals of varying capacities, from 100 to 200 second-feet; and in order to determine the quantity of water required to satisfy existing rights it was necessary to establish gaging stations on each canal. This has been done, and frequent meter measurements are taken.

The drainage problem must be carefully studied, as many acres now under irrigation have been ruined by alkali and saturation. By draining these lands they may be restored and the water utilized elsewhere.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

To obtain all data necessary for an intelligent decision as to the feasibility of the reclamation of land in Owens Valley, not only will the completion of the work now under way be required, but it will be necessary to map the present irrigated land, in order to determine the duty of water and the existing private rights, to make preliminary canal surveys, to reestablish Government lines, so as to determine accurately the quality and quantity of land belonging to the Government, and to make surveys of the lakes in the high Sierras to ascertain whether they can be made feeders to a larger system.

WATER STORAGE IN THE DRAINAGE BASIN OF SACRAMENTO RIVER.a

The drainage basin of Sacramento River has an area of upward of 11,000,000 acres, of which 2,685,000 acres are valley lands. The Sacramento rises at Mount Shasta, in the Sierra Nevada, and flows nearly directly south, through 37 townships, to Suisun Bay.

Up to the present time the watershed on the west side of the valley, along the Coast Range, has been investigated. When this investigation is completed all available water-storage basins within the watershed will be mapped with a view to the construction of canals for irrigating the Sacramento Valley, the main supply during seasons of high water in the spring and early summer to be taken from Sacramento River at Red Bluff, where the river enters the valley proper through the bed-rock gorge called the Iron Canyon. The river is of importance for navigation as far north as Red Bluff. The discharge at this point varies from 3,600 to 151,000 second-feet, and while the greater portion of the irrigation supply can be obtained from the normal flow of the stream, this must be supplemented by impounded reservoir water during the low stages of the river, so that the irrigation supply may not only be maintained but also the navigation interests may not suffer.

CLIMATE OF SACRAMENTO VALLEY.

The following general statement concerning the Sacramento Valley is quoted from Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 86:

The seasonal rotation in the Sacramento Valley much resembles that in the southern valleys of the State situated between the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Range. There is more rain in the Sacramento Valley but it falls in the same months. There is a distinct dry summer extending from April until October. In midsummer the temperature is at times as high as 114° and the relative humidity is low, ranging from 10 to 20 per cent. In the other half of the year the rainfall ranges from 25.56 inches at Red Bluff, at the head of the Sacramento Valley, to 18.19 inches at Woodland, in Yolo County. The minimum temperature recorded by the United States

a Extract from report by H. E. Green.