Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-07-29
TINE RESERVOIR SYSTEM.


The Great Bear Valley Reservoir-A
Beginning of a Great and Valu-
able System That Should be Car
ried Out to Great Extent-An
Opening for System TO Irrigate
FIFTY Thousand Acres Within
Twenty-Five Miles of Los Angeles
Profits of the Enterprise.
The HERALD has always advocated the
construction of great reservoirs for the
storage OF water from our mountain
streams, but the plan is very slow in be.
ing carried into effect. A large number
of small reservoirs have been made, but
the making of large basins for storage of
winter water has been long delayed. But
now, at last, the great Bear Valley res
ervoir, covering l,500 acres, is well
under way, and promises to be a per-
manent source of wealth and prosperity to
large district Of our Southern country.
The following cheering account OF the
progress of this great work is taken
from the San Bernardino iader. "The
stock of the Bear Valley Land and Wa
ter Company has been so largely bought
up by land owners in Redlands, Lugonia,
Grafton and elsewhere that there are
now between eighty and ninety share
holders. The price has materially ad-
vanced within the last thirty days, and
the appreciation has been from very favor
able reports from the valley; every
stockholder, without exception, who has
visited the scene of operations has been
astonished at the amount OF water and
the facilities provided by nature for
placing it under complete control. Mr.
Brown, the engineer in charge, has a
force of forty men at work and the dam
is well under way. An extra amount of
the best English Portland cement will be
forwarded Immediately and the work
finished in the most durable manner.
The safety co.eificient is placed at a
high figure, but this will be made still
greater, and the dam built in the form
OF an arch in order that the mountain
wall of solid rock may sustain the press
ure. No effort has been made or will be
made to boom the stock, which has risen
and will continue TO advance, solely on
its merits. The owners thereof offer no
facilities for speculation in it, nearly all
of them being holders of land. As
owners Of this splendid piece of proper.
iy they are to be congratulated, for by
their efforts they are not only laying up
treasures for themselves, but doing a
work that will be OF untold value to this
county and the State. g59H
This statement should arouse public
attention to the necessity of other great
reservoirs in other parts of the country.
The Anaheimers have started out for
the construction of a large reservoir, but
the prospect now is that the matter will
be long delayed by some disagreement
among the various parties in interest.
There is plenty Of room for reservoirs
among the hills of the city and on the
San Rafael Rancho. But the greatest
opportunity for water storage to irri.
gate cheap land is about twenty five
miles from this city on the north slope
of the Sierra Madre.
ON THE MoJAvE DESERT.
One very large, robust stream, Rock
Creek, and lesser creek. the Cotton
wood, can be turned into series Of res
ervoirs, one below another, and made to
irrigate $1,000 acres of land, which is
government, school and railroad land,
that can be purchased at very low rate,
from 81. .25 to IS per acre.
The rival claimants for the Rock Creek
water are about sixteen in number, and
as no one OF the parties seems. able te
develop an irrigation scheme, it would
seem the most reasonable thing in the
world for all of them to unite in great
irrigating company in connection with
| MR.. NJ. Il. wICKs.
Mr.. Wicks is the largest land owner
on the desert, and could put in an i'm
mense amount of land as stock in such q
company. By this combination 50, ,O0C
acres Of dry land could be irrigated suf.
fciently for an abundant production.
Besides, Mr.. Wicks spends half his time
on the desert, and could look after the
affairs of the company at his office al
Lancaster, where he has shown his faith
in desert lands by sinking an artesian
well that flows heavily all the time, and
the investment of 500, 600 in real estate
in that locality.
By little reflection such a project
will appear Of the greatest advantage to
the country. Fifty thousand acres o.
desert land changed to very highly
pro 1uctive tract will become worth a
least 500 per acre in the future, which
will amount to S., 900, 600. That look
like a very profitable undertaking, ant
it is certainly feasible and can be very
easily done.
An expenditure of 100000 could
make q system Of waterworks to irri
gate the whole $4,000 acres. This ex
psnditure and the cost of the land will
not exceed $3.50, 900, and with aresult
of s.. 900, 900 ought to look very attrac
tive to capitalists. All this can be done
and that quickly. The benefit to thil
county of the cultivation Of so, 900 acre.
Of irrigable land, with the great crop
Of grain and fruits which they weult
produce, would be enormous. At tn,
most moderate estimate the annual pro
duct will be about 81, 500, 600 for such ,
body of irrigable land, which amouat il
liable to increase when small fruits ant
vineyards are in bearing. This produc
in ten years would bring $25, ,00O, 600 Il
the tillers Of the soil of that locality il
the county of Los Angeles. Here is ;
grand opening for capital and enterpris'
that may be of untold advantage to thu
people of this county in the future
Will the project be carried out?