Los Angeles herald., 1905-07-31
SUPPLY IS INExHAusTIBLE
Commissioners Elliott, Baker and
Mead Are Enthusiastic

water Commissioner j. M. Elliott is
one Of the men who has made a per-
sonal investigation of the valley and its
resources He said yesterday:
IT most heartily approve Of the
scheme as 1t will give to Los Angeles
an inexhaustible supply of the purest
water.
For many years 1 have watched the
growth Of the city and the lessening of
the water supply and have investigated
almost every plan which has been adj
vanced for furnishing the city with
water, but believe this to be the only
feasible one 30 far discovered.
II have personally been over the
ground and have Investigated the
conditions existing in the owens vail
ley. Before went up there may have
thought that Fred Eaton's enthusiasm
had carried him away, but when L
stood in the valley of the owens, beside
the rushing river, and looked upon the
miles and miles of towering mountains
making up the Sierra Nevada range,
/, too, caught the enthusiasm. 1t was
great deal better than 1 expected.
THE water supply there appears to
be inexhaustible, and there is enough
of it to supply the whole of Southern
California"
Is Rushing Torrent
"In winter we have more water than
we can use from the Los Angeles river,
but this gives out in summer In sum-
mer the Owens river is a rushing tor
rent, running perhaps $4,000 miner 5
inches, enough water to supply all o.
Southern California. This flow comes
when we need it most.
81 have also been over a part of the
route which it is proposed the aqueduct
shall follow. and 1 believe it quite
feasible. There are also several good
reservoir sites where it would be pos
sible to conserve the storm water ami
thus prevent any waste"
Water Commissioner Fred Baker who
was prevented from making the trip
through the valley with Mr.. Elliott on
account Of a strike, is nevertheless en-
thusiastic and said yesterday:
This is the greatest thing that ever
happened and the commission has sue
ceeded in getting options which VIII
make the water rights cost about a
million dollars, while If it had been
known that the city was after them
they would nave gone up to $1,000. .OOJ.
"The valley stands in the shadow of
the great Sierra Nevadas and is fed by
their perpetual SHOWS. There is enough
water there to supply all of Southern
California"
Mead Gives Details
william Mead is another water COM
missioner who believes that the solu-
tion Of the water problem has been
found. He said yesterday:
1.-THE citizens of Los Angeles are now
contemplating the greatest develop
rnent enterprise ever attempted in the
southwest and one Of the greatest and
most far reaching on record anywhere.
United States Engineer Lippincott
assures us that bringing the Owens
river into San Fernando valley Will
give us a water supply MANIFOLD
greater than Los Angeles needs or can
use at the present time or for years to
come and the city can sell enough wa
ter for irrigation purposes to double
the area of cultivated land in Los An
geles county.
"This is one of the side issues of this
tremendous and far reaching plan
which has been outlined, but while 1t
is but side issue 1t will mean much
20 our city In order to grow and pros
per the country about us must be pros
porous. Los Angeles county is now one
of the richest agricultural counties in
the state and this means the United
States.
when we get this great supply Of
water and barley fields are transformed
into orange orchards and vineyards,
the country Will jump into the lead and
the overflow of this prosperity will not
alone reach Los Angeles but will ex-
tend to Pasadena. the beach towns,
away down into Orange county and
possibly to San Diego.
Great Surplus Of Water
I'VE shall have 10000 miners inches
of water TO sell to the little municipali-
ties and ranchers. OF course. this
water could be sold at a price which
would pay the entire. operating ex-
penses OF the system but the plan out
lined Is 70 pay the running expenses
from the city consumers. as is the GUS
tom now. and sell the surplus water at
cost.
"The people win be asked to lend
their aid BY voting bonds. but they win
have the assurance that the water