Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-08
OWENS PROJECT
MEANS MILLIONS
WATER COMMISSION DWELLS
ON POSSIBILITIES
Aside From Abundant Drinking Sup
ply Assured Electric Power De-
sired viii Yield Revenue to
the City

The water commission yesterday filed
with the city clerk a supplement tC
its report of the year ending November
!, 1905. AT the time the report for last
year was compiled 1t was found inn
possible to include some of the owens
river statistics because of the incom-
plete condition of many of the tran
sactions.
In the supplement filed yesterday
the elaborate figures of Messrs Lip
pincott and Mulholland on the hy-
biography of Southern California are
contained
In this supplement the water commits
sion declares:
"The year 1905 will, in all probability,
be regarded in the future as one ofthe
most important in the history of the
city. by reason of the inauguration of
one of the boldest undertakings for
providing municipal water supply
ever undertaken by a city the size of
Los Angeles. We therefore deem it
proper to state, in brief detail, the ne
cessity for entering upon the extraor-
binary project of bringing water from
a source so distant as the owens river.
and to relate the steps that have been
taken by this board, both Independent
ly and in conjunction with your hon
orable body, for the purpose of securing
for the city an adequate water supply.
Many Had Water Rights
Numerous projects were from time
to time proposed by various persons,
who had, or believed they had, water
rights to sell to the city that would
be adequate for her future needs, but
the board decided that before selecting
any of them for the use of the city
thorough investigation should be
made of all the available sources of
water supply in Southern California.
THE board accordingly employed j.
r. Lippincott, well known hydraulic
engineer who by reason of his extend
ed investigations in this region for the
United States government, was eX-
ceptionally well fitted for this work,
to make a report on this subject in
collaboration with William Mulhol-
land, Superintendent of the water de-
partment.
''Ther report shows conclusively
that no adequate water supply could
be secured in Southern California. 1t
became evident to this board that the
future growth and prosperity of the
city depended upon the discovery of a
source of water supply outside this sec
tion of the state SO that when Fred.
Eaton unfolded to the board his plan
for obtaining water from the owens
river valley, more than 200 miles dis
tant, it appeared to us to present the
only feasible scheme for providing the
city with a sufficient supply for its flu
ture needs.
Develop Electric Power
"While the chief value of this project
is the abundant supply of wholesome
water. yet we feel that mention should
also be made of the opportunities there
will be for the development of electrical
power along the line of the water con-
duit.
THE elevation above sea level of the
point of the owens river where the city
will probably esta ablish its first diver
sion works is about $500 feet, or more
than $500 feet above the elevation of
the city hall.
1T is estimated that from the fall of
the water at points along this conduit
at least $4,000 horse power might be
developed so that the city would have
from this source, after lighting it's own
streets, parks and buildings, a large
excess of power available for domestic
and other purposes.
Of Vital Importance
''It is easy to perceive that the
amount of revenue that might be de-
rived from this source, together with
the net income of the water depart
ment, would be sufficient to meet, if
not the whole, at least a substantial
part of the indebtedness to be incurred
ut seems to us that the Importance
of the Owens river project to the city