OCR Text |
Show -7- The entire area is made up of water laid sediments and consists of great beds of sand, overlaid and interstratified with layers of finer materials left by the river and overflow waters, as they shifted and covered the area from one side of the valley to the other. The soils are not directly traceable to the parent rock, whence they were derived, as the Colorado River with its many tributaries drain [sic] immense areas, any one of which may be chiefly responsible at different seasons for the sediments in the bottom land area. The Colorado River has often been called the Nile of North America. The sediments brought down by the river and its tributaries are deposited on broad flood plains, together with the quality of water, are very rich in plant food, making them some of the most fertile and best agriculture areas in the world. Generally, and considering the morphology of the area, the soils are young, consisting of coarse to fine textured materials and of mixed lithological character. The soils are recent and are too young to have been influenced by local soil-developing forces, and as a rule consist of a deposit of coarse, light, medium and fine textured soil material within the solum varying from a few inches to several feet and underlaid by fine to coarse sand. The soils of the valley can be extensively farmed and are well adapted to crops commonly grown in the desert and semi-desert areas in the Southwest United States. Crops well adapted, which will produce high yields, include cotton, alfalfa, small grains, flax, and many varieties of vegetables, such as cantaloupes, peas, spinach, cabbage, carrots, melons, beets, lettuce, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes. Grapes, olives, figs, pomegranates, and deciduous fruits such as apricots, plums, and pears will also do well in the area. Land classification surveys of the area indicate all of the soils are arable and can be used with varying intensive- |
Source |
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] : |