Their dramatic achievements stand out boldly in this age of engineering
triumphs. The mighty floods of western rivers have been checked behind
enormous masonry dams, several of which are ranked among the highest
in the world. Physical geography has been altered by transferring
rivers from one drainage basin into that of another. Whole rivers are
now flowing through tunnels that pierce lofty mountain ranges, and the
water is being distributed in thousands of miles of canals to a million
acres of desert.
[Illustration: FIRST SETTLERS ON DESERT LANDS