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Show 20 The most peculiar thing about the San Juan River is the difference between low water and high water. The water in th San Juan River, in this particular stretch, at times becomes so low that at times it is possible to drive a team right up into the river bed. And I think that the evidence will show, too, that the average maximum flow of that river is in the neighborhood of 22,500 cubic feet per second, although at flood time it will run as high as 150,000. The river is heavily loaded with silt, and the experts estimate that a large portion of the silt which shows up down in the irrigated districts of Arizona comes from the San Juan watershed. The country in there is of such a character that the water which falls is not absorbed, but has a very rapid runoff. From time to time there are sand waves on this river from 8 to 12 feet high. There is no history of navigation upon that river whatsoever. It is impossible to operate even a motorboat upon that river. It is true that from time to time they have tried to get around in it in skiffs, and they have used them for crossing the river; but that is as far as any navigation has ever gone. Another peculiar thing about that river is that the temperature falls to very low degrees during the winter months; so that during the months of December, January, and February, the river is practically frozen over. It gets so 1981 |
