The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-01-03

Inc local management stated last night
that Duffy had been signed
mingham. To a greater degree would 1t be
impracticable to control the watershed OF
the East Cahaba river, as the price OF
lands and unsuitable contour of the coun-
try for a storage reservoir would make
the cost too great To buy and pipe the
springs would necessitate purchase of the
greater part of the territory to get rid
of the riparian rights
The watershed of Five Mile creek would
be very costly on account of its numerous
settlers and improved lands, but con-
siderable reservoir could be obtained near
its headwaters as a feeder, but not suf
ficient supply for the needs of Greater
Birmingham. The purchase of its entire
watershed and the building of a 200-foot
dam would supply large amount of wa
| ter.
The Coosa River.
| The use of the Coosa river has been
| suggested, and / am told has been advo-
| Gated by some of our prominent citizens.
| This would unquestionably give abun-
| dant supply of water but 1t Is doubtful
| as to its purity, as there are a great
many small towns situated on its waters,
and two large ones-Rome and Gadsden-
both growing, and in the case of Gadsden,
most fatal disease germs are carried for
scores and even hundreds of miles in
large streams, and with such large towns
above our source of supply we would be
exposed to this danger at all times. The
cost of a dam across such large stream
and several ranges of mountains the pipe
line would have to cross, the distance
traversed and consequent length of the
pipe line and the several pumping sta
tfOnS bat hax 70
be established, would make the first cost
very great; also the cost of maintainence
OF these pumping stations and reservoirs
would add greatly to the cost of water
for all time to come, and what we want
particularly at this juncture of our
growth Is water at low price for indus
trial plants.
Considering all of these things, 1t seems
| to me that 1t would be best 10 control a
watershed absolutely by purchase, as do
the cities of New York, Philadelphia and
Washington. These cities have large rivers
running by or through their limits. and
all have bought the watersheds of COM
paratively small streams, built dams of
great heighth and stored water from the
winter rains for their yearly consump-
ton; these storage reservoirs being at
long distances from their distributing
points and the water carried by covered
conduits. l suggest that Birmingham fol-
low the example of these cities; they
nave mad the same problem we now have
and 1t Is in this way they have solved 1t.
The finding of a watershed near enough
with an abundance of water Is what Ia
wanted
About eight years ago. at the instance
OF Senator John T. Morgan, / had occa-
sion to look into the availability of the
water supply of nearby streams, more
particularly as to sites for storage re-
serves, and the probability of a supply
for these reservoirs by the rainfall of its
particular water shed. The Little War
rior river would give by storage reser-
voirs sufficient quantity but it is open
to the same objections as the Coosa and
Cahaba rivers: 1t is impracticable to
control it's water shed by purchase or
otherwise, and the numerous towns,
mines and otherwise plants would GER
tainly contaminate the water. The Null
berry fork of the Warrior is open to the
latter objection. but to less extent,
but it is too far and an additional range
of mountains would have to be pumped
over.
Most Available Water Shed.
The most available water shed within
reaching distance of Birmingham is that
through which the Blackburn fork of the
Little Warrior flows. This water shed
covers about 12e square miles, and this
stream flows through a narrow gorge for
three miles, after a very slight fall for
fourteen miles from it's source This
makes it particularly suited for storage
reservoir for rain water, at a minimum
cost Taking the average rainfall at
fifty inches (Which is considerably less
than the average for the last ten years)
and the area at 1z6 square miles there
will fall during one year about ITO. 600 OO0.-
600 gallons per day; Glowing for evapor-
alton and waste still there would be
available 200,000,000 gallons per day. IL all
was gathered and stored This is an
abundant rainfall, the problem being to
catch and store it. The storing of this
water is comparatively easy from an
engineering standpoint. as a dam can
be built three miles above the Murphree
Valley crossing, at the head of the gorge
about 100 feet above the valley, and 700
feet above the sea, that would make
storage reservoir OF eight miles long by
one mile wide; the dam being a maximum
of 100 feet in width and 500 to 1000 feet
long. A dam of 200 feet in center and
1900 feet long would make reservoir Of
twelve miles long by two to two and one
half miles wide.
Considerable Cutting.
Considerable cutting would be encoun-
tered at one or two places to bring water
by gravity to Birmingham down MUIR
phrees Valley, without a stand-pipe or re-
servoir above the dam. and l would sug-
gest that q reservoir be established on the
mountain about one and one-half miles
from the DAM where suitable ground is
available for any size reservoir desired,
at an elevation of 1900 to 1850 feet-then
by direct pipe line about twenty-five
miles to Birmingham. This would give
about $50 feet fall. and would be sufficient
to overcome friction and other retardents
putting the water into Birmingham by
gravity in covered conduits. The quantity
will be regulated entirely by the size of
the reservoir and conduits.
This plan would best assure the supply
of pure water in abundance. There are