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Show THE ALL-AMERICAN CANAL. 13 diverting weirs. It is evident, therefore, that as irrigation is further extended in the basin of this river, the natural flow of the stream will not at all times be sufficient to meet the requirements of the irrigators. THE NAVIGABILITY OF COLORADO RIVER. Until the Colorado River made its change of alignment in 1909 the navigation of the river by very light-draft boats was possible from the gulf to and beyond Yuma. The river had, however, lost importance as a navigable waterway when the railroads were built which cross the stream at Yuma and at Needles. Navigation at its best was carried on under difficulties. The river flows in a broad bed with a bottom of fine sand. The width of the stream between banks in straight reaches is generally 600 to 900 feet. In bends and where there is much bank cutting the width is occasionally half a mile or more. At low water there was scant depth and at high water the swift current and large amount of drift added to the difficulties of navigation. At present the ascent of the river by boat from the Gulf of California is understood to be not practical at any stage of the river, owing to the fact that there is no continuous main channel through the Volcano Lake region, where the river spreads its water over a broad area. Under the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, between the United States and Mexico (1848), it was agreed that neither country would permit any works to be constructed on that part of the river which is the common boundary of the two countries which would interfere with the navigability of the river. The later treaty of 1853 canceled this provision, but guaranteed to the United States the free and uninterrupted passage of vessels and citizens over the same stretch of river. The construction of the Laguna Dam, authorized by an act of Congress in 1904 which gave the Secretary of the Interior the right to divert water from the river for the Yuma project, has interposed a barrier to navigation about 12 miles above Yuma and may be accepted as an indication that the United States regards the navigability of the Colorado River as of no importance. The utilization of the river's waters for irrigation far outweighs any possible utilization thereof for navigation. The most recent examination of the Colorado River, with a view to developing and improving navigation was made by Maj. R. R. Raymond, of the Corps of Engineers, United States Army. His report bears date of May 21, 1914, and has been published as House Document No. 1141 of the Sixty-third Congress, second session. Maj. Raymond, in this report, after referring to the fact that the navigabili ty of the Colorado River has been the subject of preliminary examination several times, states that with the information contained in the reports which he enumerates and that found in other records it was not necessary to |
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Original book: [State of Arizona, complainant v. State of California, Palo Verde Irrigation District, Coachella Valley County Water District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, City of Los Angeles, California, City of San Diego, California, and County of San Diego, California, defendants, United States of America, State of Nevada, State of New Mexico, State of Utah, interveners] : California exhibits. |