PLAN TO RECLAIM MILLIONS ACRES CALIFORNIA LAND

SACRAMENTO. Jan. 13.—Plans 1 for reclamation of approximately 12,000. acres of California land are a project known as the Marshall plan, are being- prepared for presentation to the legislature, and may he presented before the end of this week. The plan probablv will call for an appropriation of $500,000. Colonel Robert Bradford Marshall, who offers the plan, for eleven years Vo's been head of the United States Geological Survey and formerly was national superintendent of parks. Colonel Marshall devoted twenty-five years and spent more than $1,000,000 government funds in plotting the contour lines and deriving from them the basic maps now providing for the storage and distribution of virtually the entire flow of California streams. According to his estimates it would reclaim 12,000,000 acres in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, Concord, Livermore and Santa Clara valleys and would supply Los Angeles with four times the volume of the Owens river aqueduct and one half the distance. The plan also provides for development of the remaining unappropriated power resources of the state. Senator L. L. Dennet, Modesto, is an executive committeeman of the Cali-, fornia State Irrigation Association, which is backing the plan. Senators on the association’s advisory board include F. S. Boggs, Stockton; W. R. Sharkey, Martinez; M. B. Harris, Fresno; and Herbert C. Jones, San Jose. Assemblymen on the board are 1. H. Parker, Auburn; Edgar S. Hurley, Oakland; C. W. Cleary, Lindsay; Guy Windrem, Madera; Edward Lewis, Marysville, and Percy West, Sacramento. Regarding the reclamation plan, Colonel Marshall said recently: “The project provides for diversion of the Klamath river into the headwaters of the Sacramento, impounding of the accumulated waters by a dam near Kennett. If necessary, the present Iron Canyon site might be used. From this point, canals would be sent down both sides of the Sacramento valley. The west side canal would be carried under the Carquinez Straits by an inverted siphon, provided with an outlet for San Francisco, the bay region and the Santa Clara valley and continued to Dos Palos, at an elevation of a bout 350 feet. “The east side canal would skirt the foothills to near Fresno, whence we would go back to a higher altitude with a break at this point diverting the Stanislaus, Touloume and Merced rivers and carrying them down the San Joaquin valley to a point below Li ke Tulare. The fourth canal would originate on the San Joaquin, northeast of Fresno, at an elevation of about 1,000 feet and would carry the flow of the San Joaquin, Kings and Kaweah rivers, passing east and south of Bakersfield and swinging north, via Coulinga, to meet the west side canal at Dos Palos. For Southern California we would divert the Kern river through a 30-mile tunnel, thus delivering four times the amount oF'water of the Owens river aqueduct. “T am convinced the plan is practicable. Every detail is”based on sound engineering estimates. In addition to reclaiming 12,000,000 acres, it would provide absolute insurance against fpcd damage. “The work would be done without placin' - additional burdens on taxpayers. The bonds could be retired and interest paid by sales of water and power. It would take approximately ten years to complete the project, but urgent needs could be met by finishing important units first.” E. G. Ankeney of Oklahoma City arrived here yesterday to visit his siste . Mrs. A. C. Baskin of Seventh -treet. She has not seen her brother for twenty-five years and they had a happy reunion on his arrival.

Plan to Reclaim Million acres California Land for Water Conservation. This article is from: Calexico Chronicle, Volume XVII, Number 129, 13 January 1921 — PLAN TO RECLAIM MILLIONS ACRES CALIFORNIA LAND [ARTICLE] found online on October 13, 2022 at https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=CC19210113.2.36&dliv=none&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1

Robert B. (Bob) Marshall was born in Amelia County, Virginia in 1867 the son of Joseph Warren and Harriett Armsted (Mann) Marshall. 

Marshall started his career as a geographer with the U.S. Geological Survey, rising to the ranks of Chief Geographer in 1910. 

In 1915, at the urging of Stephen T. Mather, then assistant to the Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane, Marshall was appointed to be the next (and last) Superintendent of National Parks, a position he held until 1917 when Director Mather became the first Director the newly established National Park Service. Bringing with him into this position was his secretary, Isabelle Story, as well as chief draftsman, Arthur Demaray, both of whom went on to become key players in National Park Service history. 

Marshall resumed the position of Chief Geographer in 1917 and went on to develop the Marshall Plan of irrigation and water control for Central Valley in California. He died in 1949.

http://npshistory.com/publications/directors/index.htm

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