WATER FOR DRY LAND

this all life in the region deserts are dry lands where little rain falls the main line railroads over which freight and passengers are hauled westward to Los Angeles and Southern California must cross hundreds of miles of barren desert [Applause] not enough rain falls here for most kinds of trees and plants to grow when there is rain in the desert the water runs off quickly or is dried up by the hot Sun and wind in the southwest the widest stretches of arid land where little or no rain falls are the Great Mojave and Colorado deserts in Arizona and Southern California the Sun makes everything very hot in the desert especially in summer often no water can be found for long distances travellers who cross the desert must take water with them canvas bags are used to carry water for drinking and other purposes on the hot desert the radiators of automobiles often boil dry if a man could not get to water he would die of thirst but some places in the desert do have a supply of fresh water such a spot where there are Springs or wells is called an oasis plants can grow and people can live at an oasis despite the intense heat small towns have grown up to supply the needs of travelers because there are places along highways where fuel and water can be obtained it is no longer dangerous to travel long distances across the desert [Music] the land outside an oasis is barren and dry some desert plants keep alive by storing up water whenever it rains the few creatures that can live in the desert get some water from the plants that grow on the parched land strong winds sweeping across the driest part of the desert pick up loose sand and pile it into dunes in the days before there were paved roads settlers sometimes had to lay wooden tracks over the shifting sands so that they could haul heavy wagons into their communities if their wells ran dry and there was no longer water for drinking and for growing food the settlement had to be abandoned scattered across the deserts of the southwest there are many of these settlements which have been left to dry up and become ghost towns Foster's who went to the southwest searching for gold and silver came even into Death Valley it is the hottest place in all the desert in much of the valley the ground is covered with poisonous salts which have spoiled most of the little water that can be found no man or animal or plant can live for long without good water from scorching Death Valley one can see snow-capped mountain II the highest peak in the United States when forced up the sides of high mountains winds are cooled and lose some of the moisture they carry then there is rain or snow in the mountains the slopes are covered with trees whose roots help hold back the water so that it does not run off too rapidly in the Rocky Mountains which form one of the world's great watersheds the snows begin to melt when warm weather arrives the water starts on its way to the valleys below it flows first into Brooks then into mountain streams [Applause] further on hundreds of streams will join to make the great Colorado River if too much water comes down from the mountains at one time a river may overflow its banks sometimes a swollen river causes great damage to help prevent floods and to store up the water from rain and melting snow dams have been built in the southwest the waters of the Colorado River are held back by an immense wall of concrete this dam has created an artificial lake to save water draining down from the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains there is no better example of the way man controls water and puts it to good use than at Hoover Dam when the stored up water is released it flows through pipes with force enough to turn the heavy wheels of machines in the power plant these generators spend day and night making electricity for the southwestern states [Music] from the powerhouse electric current flows out over hundreds of miles of high tension wires the power maid at Hoover Dam goes into the neighboring state of Nevada and is distributed all over southern and central California this electricity generated by water power is cheap and abundant plentiful low-cost electricity distributed from Hoover Dam has made possible the rapid development of communities and industries all the way to Southern California the largest community served by Hoover Dam is the great city of Los Angeles now one of the largest cities in the United States covering a greater land area than any other city in the Western Hemisphere its growth has been so extensive that downtown Los Angeles is unable to serve the entire city and important business centers have developed in the suburbs hydroelectric power serves most of the factories of the Los Angeles area today Los Angeles is beginning to compete with eastern industrial cities in the manufacture of iron and steel products it has already become the aircraft manufacturing center of the entire United States large quantities of cheap electricity make it possible for the Southwest to produce aluminum needed for building planes young and growing industries have attracted many thousands of people to Los Angeles comfortable clothing designed for casual living has become popular in all parts of the country the growing demand for California styles is building still another industry in the southwest the discovery of rich oil fields created new wealth in Southern California oil derricks are a common sight around los angeles electric pumps draw oil out of the ground and electric drills dig deep into the earth to find more California produces gasoline for automobiles and airplanes and supplies fuel oil to the ships that load at its ports through the Port of Los Angeles there is a constant flow of trade with other parts of the country and with foreign lands Los Angeles might never have become so important a center of Commerce and Industry without the hydroelectric power that is made at Hoover Dam besides making electricity water serves another important purpose water from the Colorado is now made to flow from the dam to the Imperial Valley where it turns a once dry land into a farming paradise during dry weather when the farms in the Imperial Valley need water the gates of the dam are opened this water from mountain rain and snow was stored up in the lake behind the dam now it will be put to good use the all-american canal was dug so that water could be brought to places where it is needed most it is one of the longest irrigation canals in the world and cuts through mile after mile of desert locks were built and at control stations along the way the flow of water is regulated so that water will not be wasted only enough is released to meet the needs of farmers [Applause] finally in the Imperial Valley the water is distributed to the small ditches on individual farms like much other dry land in the southwest the soil of the valley is rich in the minerals that plants need now a good supply of water all through the year has changed a worthless desert into productive farmland because of the hot climate the growing season lasts the year-round as soon as one crop is gathered the ground is prepared for another planting thousands of farm workers are needed in the Imperial Valley many Mexicans as well as Japanese and Chinese have come here to work in the fields certain crops must still be planted and picked by hand [Applause] the agriculture of the valley is a large and profitable business the produce from these irrigated fields not only helps supply food for the crowded cities of the southwest but also is sent to markets all over the United States when it is too cold to grow anything in many parts of the country all kinds of vegetables and fruits are grown and harvested in the Imperial Valley most fruits and vegetables are picked before they are fully ripe these will be shipped in refrigerated freight cars to keep them fresh by the time this farm produce reaches its destination it will be ripe enough to eat but not all of the water for California's farmlands comes through the irrigation canals underground wells provide water for many of the Fluke ranches in the San Bernardino Valley here are some of the largest citrus groves of the southwest oranges lemons and grapefruit can grow only in a mild climate and must be protected from frost the trees require much water all the fruit of an orange tree does not ripen at the same time while ripe oranges are being picked it is not uncommon to find blossoms and small green oranges on the same branch unless their groves are served by irrigation canals fruit growers have to obtain the water they need from wells that have been drilled deep into the ground the water is piped to outlets so that it will flow freely between the rows of trees often the pumps that draw water from underground are run by electricity generated at Hoover Dam after the oranges have been gathered they are taken to packing houses to be prepared for shipment oranges are first cleaned and then graded according to size and quality to keep the fruit from spoiling each orange is wrapped in tissue paper thousands of car loads of citrus fruit are shipped every year from packing houses in the southwest and markets all over the world in addition to making electric power and providing irrigation water from the Colorado River is piped a hundred miles to the city of Los Angeles from municipal reservoirs it is distributed through underground pipes to every building and home in Southern California the mountain water that man has saved beautifies the city and provides healthful recreation [Applause] because of water the city's parks and playgrounds are green throughout the year water is the first requirement of modern sanitation and cleanliness the water which has made it possible to grow fruits and vegetables in the Imperial Valley even keeps them fresh and clean in the market people who live in Los Angeles could not have lawns and gardens without water during long dry periods the water supply may run low if it does people will not be able to use their sprinklers the very existence of millions of people who live in the cities of the southwest depends upon water man has brought there from the mountains water and electricity made with water power are helpful servants in the modern home water is so much a part of everyday life that few people realize how necessary it is to them seldom does anyone stop to think how often water is used or in how many ways it serves man without water one's home would not be safe from fire the people of the Southwest even more than those who live in other places are conscious of the value of water well they know that water rules all life as long as man knows how to conserve the water of the Colorado River great cities can blaze with electricity new factories can be built and new farmlands can be reclaimed from the desert in the American Southwest [Music]