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

page 101

PROBLEMS OF IMPERIAL VALLEY AND VICINITY. 101 altitudes and that, therefore, more money can profitably be spent in such locations. Precipitation and the time of year it occurs also enter into the question. In parts of the Yampa, Dolores, and San Juan basins it is possible to raise crops by. dry farming, and bringing water to that land will not enhance its value so much as would water on the deserts. Transportation facilities have a major influence. The history of the West shows that large development of natural resources has always followed and never preceded the building of railroads. The Upper Basin is inadequately served by railroads. The Santa Fe touches the extreme south end, but the Union Pacific and the Denver & Rio Grande are its only major roads, while the Denver & Salt Lake, an ill-equipped independent, enters a small portion of the Yampa Basin. In Wyoming the Union Pacific crosses the southern part of Green River Basin, and while some is adjacent, most of the irrigable land lies north from 10 to 80 miles without a branch line. In Colorado the Yampa and the White River basins lie with only the eastern end served by the Denver & Salt Lake and a large part of the irrigable land at considerable distance. The Grand River main stem and the Gunnison are both well served by the Denver & }Rio Grande. In the Dolores Basin the southern end is traversed and inadequately served by a narrow-gage branch of the same road. The entire San Juan Basin has suffered much and been held back by the insufficient narrow-gage branch of the Denver & Rio Grande which serves it. Much of the irrigable land in the last two basins lies 10 to 70 miles from even the present railroad. In Utah the Uinta Basin lies about 80 miles from the nearest accessible railroad station, but recent plan's may result in a railroad to that locality at an early date. Aside from the Uinta Basin, other irrigable areas of size in eastern Utah are well served by the Denver & Rio Grande. In the south of Utah irrigable lands lie about 80 miles from the Salt Lake route. So the feasibility of a project may lie with something entirely outside the physical aspect of the project itself and this has to an extent influenced the class under which a project is placed. It is not at all probable that every project is placed in its proper class. In the following table are summarized the data which are developed in detail in the pages following: Irrigation, in acres-Upper Basin. BY STREAMS AND STATES. Irrigated, 1920. Possible future. Total ultimate. Under constructed project but not yet irrigated. Class A. Class B. Class C. Class X. Green River Basin, Wyoming.. Green River (direct), Utah... ^. Yampa Basin: Wyoming 357,000 5,000 10 000 92,000 96,000 98,000 150,000 7,000 93,000 146,000 3,000 62,000 "48,666" 101,000 53,000 16,000 54,000 890,000 155,000 20,000 425,000 65,000 300,000 Colorado.................... White Basin, Colorado......... Uinta Basin. Utah.............. 65,000 35,000 171,000 "27,666" 152,000 14,000