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<br />116
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<br />CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME,
<br />
<br />But the unpredictability of the Colorado, its alternate periods of drought
<br />and flood, has sorely", troubled agriculturists.' And, always, there has
<br />remained the remembrance of the deluge of 1905-07 when, for 18 mont!Js.
<br />almost the full flow of the river poured into the Imperial Valley.
<br />To eliminate this menace, and for many other reasons, there is now
<br />a series of new dams on the river, and more are projected. Flood ann
<br />silt control water for irrigation and for domestic and industrial i!SP,
<br />and generation of hydroelectric power are the major purposes of rl!l'sP
<br />dams. But they have also had other effeets of which the new fi~h'ry
<br />of the river is an outstanding example.
<br />
<br />- '" --: -, Detluled Descnption'ofthe Lower River 3
<br />
<br />Most popular descriptio~s of ~e river have been coniined to those
<br />of the Grand Canyon or to the rushing waters traversed by explorers ant!
<br />adventurers who "ran" the Colorado. To those who have thought of
<br />the river only in terms of the flaming canyon walls' as painted by
<br />Dellenbangh or Moran, the more subdued coloring along the lower
<br />
<br />FIG, 48, "Placid waters near Yuma." The Colorado River in the vicinity of l'i' :tdl",
<br />Jan, 1942.
<br />
<br />stream will prove disappointing, And a first glance at seemingIJ~ placid
<br />waters near Blythe or Yuma will surprise those whose concept of It~ fio~
<br />has been based on tales of boats hurled and smashed in the rapIds 0
<br />the upper gorges. , .
<br />The sectiQll to be described here does lack many of the attr]but~
<br />which have given fame to the Colorado. Grinnell (1914) said that;t
<br />flowed". · · in relatively sober fashion." But while it lacks t e
<br />. 1" f .\"\J
<br />. Other descriptions of this same section ba:!!ed on biological surve)'s WIll Je ,'.>C'
<br />in Grinnell (1914) and Tappe (1942).
<br />
<br />':}:1:t{!'=::.;/--~:_. -----
<br />~-:::.,,)...,:--~;,) ',':;
<br />~~!~~~_'/ THE FISHERY OF THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER 117
<br />
<br />':--';":"S':'.'i~' have brought disaster to many, its currents and whirl-
<br />.e'l1 danger not realized by the unwary. Nor does it lack in
<br />I'm-'romantic interest. It was the lower river which was first
<br />'"bytbe Spanish when Hernando de Alarc6n entered the Sea
<br />;,em J.54O and sailed up the Colorado to become the :first Euro-
<br />:s~e:'Alta California. The old settlement of Cibola serves to
<br />~.the memory of Coronado's search for the "Seven Cities."
<br />"ho gave the river its present name, Father Garces, Captain de
<br />;~;#I~ah Smith-these and many others are linked closely with
<br />
<br />e"nver section with which we are con~c~rIle~J!;j~E,!"~t_g~~~~~~~
<br />_ , ",' esc-noeoITtdlybotn its natural and mancmade feature~-
<br />yhesimplest way to accomplish this task is to start at the low,er.
<br />~l.~.eyed area and proceed upstream. Many of the distances
<br />"'.:ven,are ap~roximate ones.
<br />
<br />"exiean, Bounda,"Y to Laguna Dam (21 maes)
<br />
<br />hdIide (Pilot Km>h) near the apex of the delta northeast to Laguna
<br />"','iBsomewhat JIluddy, and confined to a fairly narrow channel fringed
<br />re:-hilmediate country is flat and the former floodplain provides fertile
<br />in both Arizona and California. Striking evidence of meandering
<br />'form of Haughterm Lake, an oxbow on the California side near Bard.
<br />ation diversion, the old Alamo or Imperial Canal, takes out on the
<br />.':8,t Roekwood Gate. 1, miles above the international boundary. This, u
<br />:tbionly source of irrigation water for the Imperial Valley from 1901 to
<br />--i$;i!Ompletely supplanted for this purpose by the All.American Canal in
<br />-fp:resent it ('llrries water only to Mexico, Water from the All-American
<br />i)e,diverted through the Pilot Knob WURteway into the Alamo Canal or be
<br />'~e,!iver through Rockwood Gate. '
<br />
<br />ookwood Gate, diversion point for the Alamo Canal. Upstream view.
<br />Jan, 1942,
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