The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-02-28
FIND PURE
WATER IN
ABUNDANCE
Los Angeles Council
men Complete an
LII. Investigation.
Plentiful Supply Could Be
Piped From the
Mountains.
Clear Streams Run to Waste
While the AngelenOs
Are AthirSt.
COUNCIL MEETS TONIGHT.
TIE Action Awaited Anxiously by
People Who Have Been
Lonq-Suffering.
Clear Streams Run to Waste
While the Angelenos
Are AthirSt.
COUNCIL MEETS TONIGHT.
It's Action Awaited Anxiously by
People Who Have Been
Lonq-Suffering.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

los ANGEL ES, Feb. 27.-To-morrow
Is going to be a great day in the City
Council. The special committee, com
nrising Messrs. Order, Hutchinson and
Nautilus. will make a most interesting
and comprehensive report. 1t mas oe-
voted several weeks to the invest1ga-
ton of available sources OF mountain
water supply and has spent days IN the
wild and rugged mountains north CT
this CITY trying to find the sources OF
mountain water. From the committee
It is learned that it found plenty Of
water as clear as crystal and as pure
as purity itself, and all of it is still
unappropriated; consequently 1t is
available for the use of the city.
The most convenient mountain water
is that of the Big Tejunga Canyon,
where 1900 or 1000 inches Of crystal
water rolls to waste down the rocky
.gorges, while a hundred thousand peo-
pie are athirst for such liquid. The
greater part of the watershed of the
Big Tejunga is above the elevation CT
5000 feet, and the whole territory is
Government forest reservation. The
Big Tejunga watershed is but twenty
q
rain fall in that high altitude is usually
two or three times as great as 1t is In
the city and on the plains near me CITY,
Among the other sources of mountain
water supply is that of Piru and Ala
mos creeks in Ventura County, about
fifty Or sixty miles from the city. Those
creeks have an enormous supply OF
pure mountain water that is unappro-
priated, and their remoteness seems to
n he 1Iy obstacle
them as the source of supply for Los
Angeles. However, competent engi-
neers consider that such a distance is
not by any means an insurmountable
obstacle.
The Arrow Head Reservoir Company
is willing to sell its vast property at a
reasonable price. It's supply of good
water is practically unlimited. The
Hemet Land Company is another hold
er OF a large quantity Of pure mountain
water. The Hemet dam is already con-
structed and is one of the finest in the
world. while Lake Helmet is a vast body
of water covering a thousand acres and
filled with crystalline mountain water.
The dam, reservoir site and other prop
erty of the company can be bought at a
reasonable price.
Besides these there are many smaller
supplies of good water that are availa-
BILE for the use of the city. The water
of San Gabriel Canyon is too nearly
appropriated to render its use by the
city even remote possibility. Enough
is already known to prove that the city
can get plenty of pure mountain water
whenever its officials are willing to &C
. Quire 1t.
The great question will arise as to
what action the Council will take upon
the report Of the committee and the
recommendations which it will contain
. 1t is to be supposed that the committed
will recommend some course of action
1t will probably be in the nature Of an
instruction to the City Engineer and
City Attorney to investigate certain
. sources of supply, ascertain what the
title to them is, and whether the waters
g, are pure and can from an engineering
standpoint be used by the city. If the
Council decides to take this step, which
is in the nature of further investiga-
ton, then will move have been made
to make good the pledges all the politi-
cal parties made to the people of this
city at the last election, when they
promised to give them pure mountain
water for domestic purposes If the
report is simply sidetracked it viii
show that the water company and It's
syndicated dailies command the City
Council.