Show THIRSTY LAND Acres of Farm Lands Are Irrigated in Western US U.S. This Is the s second cond of two articles on California's world famous Central Valley irrigation project The prime objective of the Central Valley project is an equalization of the fabulous agriculture empires empire's wa water resources between the surplus surplus surplus sur sur- plus area of the north and the water deficient southern two thirds providing for tor irrigation of more than one million acres of fertile farm lands This is how it was worked out Surplus waters of the northern valley are conserved behind Shasta dam on the upper Sacramento river as well as Folsom dam under construction construction construction con con- on the American river and released as needed downstream I Reclamation projects provide additional recreational features for thousands of Californians Bass Basl and trout fishing are especially especially es es- es- es good In Shasta Lake The water is picked up by the Delta Cross Channel and flows south to the Tracy Pumping Plant on the rim of Central Valleys Valley's western foothills There the water is lifted feet into the thc Mendota Delta Canal to flow low another miles south to Mendota pool on the San Joaquin river At this point the imported northern northern north north- em ern supply takes over the job formerly formerly formerly for for- merly done by the San Joaquin I river By this exchange San Joaquin Joaquin Joaquin Joa Joa- quin waters can be retained behind Friant dam and diverted still further further further fur fur- ther south b- b by the mile Friant- Friant Kern Canal for tor irrigation use in the c critically r I it t i C call a 1 1 y water-deficient water areas along the east side of the San Joaquin Joaquin Joaquin Joa Joa- quin valley as far down as Bakers- Bakers field At the Friant dam another canal moves water 37 miles north for Irrigation irrigation irrigation ir ir- Ir- Ir purposes in Madera county The initial features of the project which will be completed and in operation operation operation op op- op- op this July will cost an estimated estimated estimated esti esti- mated of which 87 per percent percent percent cent will be repaid through sale of water and power developed by the project over a sixty year period The remaining 13 per cent is charged to reimbursable non-reimbursable items such as flood control ALTHOUGH THIS is a vast project project project it is only one small part of the nations nation's reclamation program that has already proved to be a fruitful source of new wealth from the development development development de de- de- de of the west's great natural natural natural natu natu- ral resources Reclamation opens new opportunities opportunities opportunities for people of this nation to build new farms new homes new Industries and new business establishments establishments establishments es es- es- es in our best and oldest American tradition Today some acres of arid and semiarid land are irrigated with crops produced on these lands averaging in excess of per year in value Since the first reclamation project was started in 1903 the west has been provided with 95 dams with combined storage capacity of 82 feet acre of water 35 power plants with more than kilowatts capacity miles of irrigation canals miles of electric transmission lines In return reclamation projects have produced worth of crops per year in power revenues in federal taxes between 1916 and 1949 and which is spent in every section of the United States each year This is the brief story of this nations nation's nations nation's nations nation's na na- na- na tion's attempt to bring water to thirsty land a story that has been repeated in many sections of the world since before the time of Christ but never on such a vast scale |