AZ vs. CA:24 California Exhibits, Vol. XXIV; Miscellaneous

page 96

96 PROBLEMS OF IMPERIAL VALLEY AND VICINITY. Dos Pahnas unit.-The Dos Palmas unit includes all the land lying between the Imperial irrigation district and Salton Sea on the south and the rough, broken lands below the base of the Chocolate Mountains on the north, and extending for a distance of some 35 miles in a northwesterly direction from the northern end of the East Mesa unit. The gross area of the Dos Palmas unit is 107,43.5 acres. A large part of the soils consist of faulted, folded, compacted, heavy-textured alkaline clays, and the- balance are light-textured sandy and gravelly alluvial materials that form an extensive series of moderately to steeply-sloping alluvial fans lying between the base of the Chocolate Mountains and lower-lying clays. Wind-blown materials are confined to a very few small areas of dune sand. The unit is crossed by hundreds of washes and arroyos of varying size that serve td carry the storm waters from the higher lands north of the area surveyed. Owing to the violence of many of the storms the channels are often of not sufficient capacity and the storm waters frequently cover extensive areas of land, as short but violent floods. A large part of the soils carries excessive amounts of alkali, and as this material is associated with clays that are too compact and impervious to be drained, its removal is not a feasible undertaking. There is no settlement within the unit. Only about 7,000 acres of land possess favorable soil and drainage features that would permit of their successful agricultural development. Dos Palmas unit. Acres. Per cent. Agricultural land 7,550 99,885 7 93- Nonagricultural land.-___ Total.„..... 107,435 10O Coachella Valley.-The Coachella Valley is an oblong area lying to the northwest of Salton Sea, and lies at the northwestern extremity of the area covered by this reconnaissance. The gross area is 187,023 acres. Of this area there is a net agricultural area of 98,479 acres. There are 39,515 acres of heavily alkaline lands, which can not be handled under present conditions. If these lands were reclaimed, the tota^l agricultural area would be 137,994 acres. About 64 per cent of the area lies below the recently surveyed canal line. The valley is a long, relatively narrow valley, extending northwesterly from Salton Sea, and which is inclosed by the Santa Rosa and Chocolate ranges of mountains. The floor of the valley is very uniform, excepting for minor areas of dune sand, and the surface rises by gradual slopes to the adjacent mountains. The lower valley-lands range from about 249 feet below sea level to about 100 feet above. Along the bases of the mountains the surface rises to a maximum elevation of about 400 feet above sea level. The main line of the Southern Pacific Railroad passes through the valley, and the several stations constitute the only towns; The valley is well supplied with roads. The agricultural development of the valley began about 20 years ago, after the existence of artesian water was discovered. It is esti-