Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-01
OWENS RIVER AN
IMMENSE SUPPLY
AT SMALL COST

The board of public works, which
has just returned from the Owens
river valley, is enthusiastic over the
prospects for an ineXhaustible water
supply for Los Angeles.
we certainly saw plenty of water
and when it is brought to Los An
geles the people of this city will be
provided with supply that will never
run short, however large the city may
grow" said d. K. Edwards, a MEM
I Der of the board of public works.
Measurements of the Owens river
and its tributaries received yester-
day by superintendent William Null
holland show that last week there were
2S6 900 miners inches in the Owens
river proper and 4300 miners inches
in the tributary springs and creeks,
making a total of $4,000 miners inches
now available over which the city has
complete control.
This is little below the normal"
said Mr. Mulholland yesterday. In
addition to these measurements there
is about 1000 or 5000 inches in the ir-
rigating bitches. This is water which
the city does not own.
River OverfIows Its Banks
In about six weeks the thaws will
come and the Owens river will over
flow its banks and the surrounding
country will be flooded. There has
been a very heavy fall of snow in the
mountains and when the thaws come
all this SHOW water will be precipitated
into the Owens river and its tributary
streams. About the same time water
will be turned into the irrigating
bitches and some of the surplus can be
handled i'm this way but there is no
doubt there will be a big flood in the
Owens river valley this spring"
Actual work is now being done to-
ward the building of the big conduit
which will bring the Owens river water
into Los Angeles. This work is not
being pushed very rapidly, for until the
city votes more bonds there will not
be sufficient money to carry on the
development to any great degree.
The $1,5OO,OOO of bonds which the city
voted about year ago was for the
purpose of taking up options in the
Owens river valley and this money has
been nearly all expended for that pur-
pose. Such work as is being done is
for the purpose of diverting the stream
and is a necessary legal proceeding in
order that the city may hold the land.
This divertng process is just south of
Charles Butte, where the first intake
will be constructed.
Gives an Immense Supply
1t is variously estimated that it will
require from three to six years to COM
plete 1t and Los Angeles will have q
water supply of 100000 gallons daily
New York city with its dense popuIa-
tion feels that it is fortunate to secure
100000 gallons daily and this supply
Is even in excess of the demands on it,
With 100000 gallons daily Los An
geles can furnish water to a popula-
ton of more than 100000 and have
enough left over to irrigate all the sur
rounding country if it should desire.
The preliminary work is practically
all completed. The city has secured its
lands and the riparian rights in the
owens river valley. While efforts have
been made to show that the titles to
some of these lands are cloudy, Assist
ant city Attorney Goudge, who has
handled the Owens river question from
its incipiency, declares these titles are
clear and that this fact will be estab !
lished in the courts.
No preparations have yet been made
for another bond issue and CITY At
torney Mathews has declared that the
people will not be asked to vote ON
more bonds until q competent board of
engineers which is yet to be selected
has passed on the engineering uues-
tions involved and given its opinion as
to the feasibility of the undertaking
and the cost.
Cost Comparatively Small
This question of cost is one on which
there is a great diversity of opinion.
Superintendent Mulholland who is a
competent engineer. and Fred Eaton.
whose ability in the same direction is
unquestioned, conceived the Owens
river project and brought it to its pres
ent stage. They have both gone over
the ground many times and are united
in their opinion that the water can be
brought to Los Angeles for $23, 900, 900.
Engineer Frank Olmstead, who accom-
panied the city council on its trip to
the Owens river valley in November
and who made careful calculations dur
ing the trip. remaining in the valley