The Salton Sea

In 1903, the US government tried to stop diversion of Colorado River water for use in the Imperial Valley. For that reason, and to bypass increased silting at the original intake, the California Development Company but a canal head in Mexico. A series of floods in 1905 destroyed a temporary dam and eroded the new canal intake. Water then rushed into the Imperial Canal-Alamo River system, allowing the entire discharge of the Colorado River to pour into the Salton Sink, creating the Salt Sea. After the floods had subsided, work on a diversion dam began. This first attempt failed. A second attempt consisted of a concrete flow gate, that became choked with silt and debris after a 1906 flood. Immense quantities of rock were brought to close the break, which was accomplished in February of 1907 after two years. Railroad magnate Edward Henry Harriman (1848-1909) played a crucial role n these efforts. These matters are discussed in this book by George Kennan *1845-1924), published in 1917.