Daily Los Angeles herald., 1882-02-04
Wasted weslsa-No 2.

Before we enter upon a discus
sion of the right methods of maxi
ing the latent riches of Los Ange-
les county available in wet years
or dry, it is well that we should
take o glance at other water re-
sources which far overshadow
those of the Los Angeles river.
Principal amongst these are the
Arroyo Honda, the San Gabriel
and Santa Ana rivers. In addi-
tion, the most valuable section of
Los Angeles county, in its most
productive aspects, is absolutely
independent of the Los Angeles,
the San Gabriel and Santa Ana
rivers and of the Arroyo Honda, as
we'll. The fine range of mountains,
which is always in full view from
our city, is at all times prolific
dispenser of the lifs-giying waters.
The visitor who shall take q posi-.
tion upon Fort Hill, and who
looks towards the Sierra Madre
mountains, will see, to the left,
glancing towards the San Gabriel
range, . series Of rugged buttes
which discharge immense volumes
Of water; although, as compared
with the water sheds of our we'll
known, rivers, these aqueous
discharges are comparatively in
significant in volume. New.
ertheless, the smallest range
yields splendid stream at the
DEVILS gate which, divided, forms
the resources for irrigation of the
superb Lake Vineyard aud Pas.
adena colonies. Proceeding in an
easterly direction, fine streams
are found discharging themselves
from this superb mountain range,
which give the abundant irrigat-
ing resources of the Stoneman,
6horb, Rose and Baldwin ranches.
The volumes OF water thus rem.
dered available to the agriculture
ist, while they in no instance can
be dignified by the name of river,
are simply immense. Utilized on
>~9h Intelligent plan, and distributed
in pipes, they would suffice to irri-
gate the whole country between
the foothills and the country DOM
mated by the Los Angeles river.
In addition, there is q foothill
region which commands copious
resources for irrigation from these
venerable old mountains. The
places of Mr.. Kinney, Mr.. Vosburg
and the Sierra Madre Villa,ar cases
in point. Still sticking to the foot
hills, the Duarte, Azusa, and other
valuable and we'll watered regions,
towards the East, are the centers
OF very remunerative production,
which can 90 indefinitely in.
creased.
Swinging down to the southeast
Of the San Gabriel valley, we strike
the full and opulent stream of the
San Gabriel river, which, little
further In the same direction, is re.
inforced by the Arroyo Honda.
These grand old mountains distiIl
almost Unlimited moisture, nine.
tenths OF which is wasted. But
even the partial utiliz alton of these
precious waters has resulted in
prodigal output of agricultural and
pOmological wealth. Taking the
San Gabriel river and the Arroyo
Honda together, we think there is
ample water, piped in iron, or in
cemented bitches, to irrigate a
couple of hundred thousand acres
OF land, which, by the way, in four
years out Of five, will not need irri-
cation.
Dropping even further to the
south, we encounter the abundant
waters of the Santa Ana river,
which are utilized in the same
CLUMSY fashion that characterizes
all the water handled in this coun-
ty. The Santa Ana river is pre-
cipitated from the grandest range
OF mountains known in the world,
with o few triling exceptions,
which do not go over the
fingers of q mans hand.
This stream, which starts
in the San Bernardino mountains,
is renewed at every stage OF Its
debouchure into the lower Los An
geles valley. Its capabilities are
simply immense; and, when they
are properly utilized, there will be
fine center of wealth aud produc-
tion in the southern portion of Los
Angeles county. Indeed, such
centers already exist in Anaheim,
Santa Ana, Orange, Westminster
and Tastin City.
We have never doubted that Les
Angeles county Is Independent of
the rainfall of nature, and the
spontaneity of the soil here lie so
great that q scant rainfall amounts
TO far more than q tremendous
plnvial outpour in less favored
lands. But there ought to be no
wasted wealth. here or elsewhere.
When q commission of engineers
Of the United States visited Spain,
and examined her irrigating sys-
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