The San Francisco call., 1901-10-24
ACQUIRES
RIGHTS FOR
THIS CITY
Filings on the Tuolumne
River Are Made by
the Mayor.
Watershed Above Snow Line
Now in Control Of San
Francisco.
The Spring Valley Company Will Be
Asked at Once to Place Valua-
ton Upon Its Prop
erty. g.

The preliminary steps IN the acquisition
Of a municipal water system were taken
last week when Mayor Phelan, in behalf
Of the city Of San Francisco, filed upon
the water rights and storage reservoirs at
the source of the Tuolumne River. This
information was contained IN the volum-
inous report on the investigation Of water
supplies made by City Engineer Grunsky
and his assistants and submitted to the
Mayor on Tuesday.
The report also states that the filings
have .bene placed Of record in the United
States Land Office. Accompanying the re-
port is a recommendation by the City En-
gineer that the Tuolumne River supply be-
acquired by the city. Under the charter
the Spring Valley Water Company will be
asked next Monday by the Board of Su-
pervisors to state a price at which it Will
sell to the city. The two propositions will
then be submitted to the people at a spe-
cial election to determine choice. The
recommendation reads:
On the basis of the facts herein set forth.
and the comparisons made between nearby
sources Of supply and the rivers OF the Sierra
Nevada Mountains it has seemed desirable to
recommend that the imTaediate further exam
nations be confined to single Sierra Nevada
stream and to the maturing of single in
dependent project
The Tuolumne River project presents the
most attractive features. 1t has therefore been
recommended that complete general plan of
works for the utilization OF water from this
river be made with cost estimate based
less reconnaissance work and more definite
lections Of location canals. pipe lines and
structures than have been available in making
the financial forecast hereinabove presented.
Recommends Tuolumne Supply.
In communication accompanying the
report the Board of Public Works says:
The investigation of the water supply for this
city has embraced every available source. From
this investigation there has been selected one
which does not interfere with vested rights in
any way. and which is capable Of developing
an independent water supply of $50. OOo 900 gall
Ions of water per day, of being used in
conjunction with existing supplies to reinforce
the same. This supply is gathered upon an
area well above the line uninhabited
at present and by nature untitled for human
habitation. 1t Is. therefore, not only initially
pure. but will remain pure for all time.
1t was necessary to move in its acquisition
with extreme caution, as interested parties are
willing to seize upon any public utility and
cause the city to pay enormously therefor. To
forestaH this action, the Mayor Of this city
has filed upon the water rights and storage res
ervoirs for and in behalf of this city in the
basin of the Tuolumne River. and these filings
have been placed of record in the proper United
States Land Office. In connection with this
supply. an abundance Of electric power can be
developed and transmitted to the city for what
/
The necessary preliminary steps have been
taken in the acquisition Of these rights ex-
clusively for the city. II they are utilized
in the spirit with which they have been thus
acquired this city will stand pre-eminent
among all cities in the world as having the
purest and most abundant water supply.
Mayor Registers Filings.
In communication to the Registrar OF
the Stockton Land Office City Engineer
Grunsky submits for fling the following
| data the subject:
l. An application by James D. Phelan for
right Of way for a reservoir on Tuolumne River
in Tuolumne County. Cal in township north.
range 20 east and township 1 north, range u
east, Mount Dtablo base and meridian. consist
ing Of the following maps and papers in dupli-
cate: Field notes of survey Of reservoir on
/ IuOlumne R1Ver, IuOlumne county, Cal.s
discharge estimates of TuoIu1nne River
at proposed dam site; affidavit Of appli-
cant; map Of reservoir site on Tuolumne River.
| 2 An application by James D. Phelan for
| right of way for reservoir at Lake Eleanor,
/ Tuolumne County, CAL in township 1 north.
range 10 east, and township 2 north. range 10
| east Mount Diablo base and meridian, con-
| sisting of the following maps and papers in
! duplicates: Field notes Of survey of Lake
Eleanor reservoir site. Tuolumne County. Cal:
discharge estimates of Eleanor Creek at pro-
posed dam site; affidavit of applicant; map OF
Lake Eleanor reservoir site.
! I hand you also for transmission with the
above papers a certificate from the Secretary
Of State certifying that the laws Of the State
Of California governing corporation water
rights and irrigation have been filed in the Of
fee Of the Department of the Interior, together
with the notice Of appropriation Of water by
| lanes d PheIan from Tuolumne River posted
! on the 18th day of July. 1901. and recorded in
the records of Tuolumne County; also the no
tice of appropriation Of water by James d.
Phelan posted on Eleanor Creek below Lake
| Eleanor on the 18th day Of July. 1901 and re-
| corded In the records OF Tuolumne County.
The report of the City Engineer desig-
mates the proposals made to the Board Of
4 Continued on Page Two.