The Imperial press., 1905-09-23
PROGRESS OF THE WORK
Observations Made And Conditions Noted At The Imperial Intake
 And Fanlon's Heading
Colorado RSu Of Efforts To Control Water Only
 Short me-Rok Deposit Near Iieadgt Removes Grave Difficulty

could not throw the mud far enough and it would slide back into the cut. This forced the abandonment of this plan and the adoption of the proposi- ton to cut ''sh0o flies" around the main channel to carry the water and then dam the main channel and build a headgate in it. In pursuance of this plan the dredger was moved to the north side of the channel and has cut hole from point on the canal about 100 yards north of where it intersects the intake channel, easterly for about 800 feet and when we were there it only
 lacked about 15O feet of being through to the main channel.
 This cut will be for a passage way for the water now flowing i'll the intake channel when the dam is put in to turn out the water and make place to put in the headgate. A powerful pump was seen to be necessary when the putting in of the headgate come to be done so the old hydraulic dredge was put into thorough repair and an inn mense centrifugal pump installed on it to be operated by it's machinery. If the by pass that is now being cut by the dredger proves to be inadequate to carry the water in the channel when the dam is put in, 1t is Mir. Gaines intention to lave the dredger complete the cut they abandoned on account of the quicksand sliding in This was caused by the great height of the banks. He will overcome this by building a small dirt dam in the cut behind the dredger and have the other boat with it's centrifugal pump throw enough water over this little dam to float the 1 dlpper dredger at such height that it can handle the dirt successfully and not be bothered with 1t sliding back into the cut. It seems to be certain that side cuts, "shoo fies," by passes, or whatever is proper to call them, can be made and the water turned out of the main channel of this lower intake, and l by the construction of two dams and the operation of the centrifugal pump, the bottom of this channel can be bailed out and made ready for the installation of a headgate i'll 1t. 1t must be borne in mind however that this is quick sand bottom and that the channel at this point is 300 feet wide and about twenty feet deep, also that the headgate here installed must be a powerful one | for 1t must stand an enormous strain. 1 It will be located about 5000 feet back 1 from the old channel of the Colorado and if the water is to be turned down that channel again and made to follow its old course to the Gulf, this headgate must bodily lift the whole stream for l four feet or more even i'll ordinary stages of the water.
 The concensus of opinion among all 1 the engineers is that in order to make headgate, installed in such conditions and required to perform such work, absolutely safe it must have plenty of large rocks to sink in the sand for a foundation and to floor the channel for an apron both above and below the gate. Every engineer with whom we have talked has given the opinion that with plenty of rocks the work could be done while without them it was doubt ful. The great problem has been how to get the rocks and transport them where needed. The Southern Pacific has seriously contemplated building a branch road for this purpose aud carry ing the rock to the headgate on their cars. The great drawback to this was the time 1t would take to build the road. However, while those in charge were in distracting dilemma hardly knowing which way to turn or what to do, the Colorado river was working on the problem ill it's own way. And the Colorado has way of working on it's problems and it is noted for always bringing the right solution, too. It will be noted that from the point on the old