Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-18
L|PPINCOTT'S PAY
FIXED At $4,000
OWENS RIVER PROJECT Is
CONSIDERED
Appointment Of Board of Three Ex-
pert Engineers Held In
Abeyance by Water
Board

No action was taken by the water
board yesterday on the question of ap-
pointing board of three expert engi-
neers to pass upon the plans for the
Owens river project.
Following the regular meeting, The
board held Il short executive session,
and upon the adjournment the mem
bers said that the appointment of en-
gincers was still in allegiance. 1t Is
understood. however. that negotiations
are progressing satisfactorily and that
there Is n prospect that q selection
will be made within the next few
days.
The only action bearing on the
owens river project was the passage
of the following resolution;
THAT it is the sense of the board of
water commissioners that j. B. Lip
rincott should be employed at a salary
of $4,000 per annum by the city as as
sistant engineer on the owens river
project, and it is so recommended to
the board of public works."
The question of stopping the pumps
in the San Fernando valley was not
formally discussed by the commits
sioners. superintendent Mulholland
said that no action in that direction
would be recommended by him unless
in his opinion it became absolutely
necessary. but if it was found that
the reservoirs were becoming SO low as
to place the city of Los Angeles in
danger the order to shut down the
pumps would be issued in accordance
with the court decision rende: 1 sew
eral months ago.
Nearing the Danger Line
According to Mr.. Mulholland, the
water level is considerably lower now
than it was at this time last year. The
ranchers, he says, are drawing from
reserves stored in the gravel basin.
and the effect of this will be felt later
in the year The river is entirely dried
up now at the narrows, and last week
water in one of the reservoirs was
drawn upon. The former level has
since been restored, but Mr. Hulhol-
land says that a protracted period or
warm weather probably would bring
about serious conditions.
THE trouble simply is due to con-
tinued rapid growth of population
without a corresponding increase in the
supply of water said Mr.. Mulhol-
land. present conditions are well IL
Illustrated by comparison of figures
showing the amount of water used now
and four years ago. Los Angeles now
is using 160 gallons of water day per
capita. whereas in 1902 the per capita
use was 3O2 gallons a day. Conse-
uuently, with the same population
four years ago that we have now we
would have had almost twice as
much water The supply has been
steadily decreasing, and but for the
steps taken by the board to prevent
the waste of water the city would be
experiencing an actual famine now.
Less Water Is Wasted
'Up to within a year or two ago an
+,,. o-t ta1
but the installation of meters has put
stop to much of this. So far about H.
900 meters have been pat in, and we are
now installing them at the rate OF
about $50 a month. In this way we
are reducing to a minimum the amount
of water that is wasted"
Mr.. Mulholland says that in spite of
the hot weather the city has been
holding it's own with respect to the
water supply ever since last Friday,
and he is hoping that the necessity for
stopping the pumps in the San Fer
nando valley yet may be averted.
There are about 100 of these pumps,
and the stopping of them at this time
would bring about a serious state of
affairs. There are 900 acres of berries
in the valley, besides a large acreage
of alfalfa and without water from
their present source of supply these
crops would be ruined. Superintendent
Mulholland recognizes this fact fully,
but he takes the position that the
water belongs to the city, that the
ranchers knew what they were facing
in view of the decision of the courts
in the water cases, and that the city of
Los Angeles must be the first consid-
GRAFTON of the water board. He points
out that water famine in this city
would result in a much greater hard
ship than would the stopping of the
pumps in the San Fernando valley.