Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-06
REAR POWER PLANT
NEAR OWENS LAKE
CITY TO OPEN BIDS ON MONDAY
FOR EQUIPMENT
Sierra Snow Water VIII Furnish En-
ersy with Which to Construct
Gigantic Aqueduct for Los
Angeles Use

BY May 1 next the $1S5,000 Cottonwood
creek power plant wi. be ready.
Sierra snow water will develop power
to build the aqueduct which will bring
the Sierra snow and Owens river water
to Los Angeles--perhaps by 1870
AS one of the larger phases OF the
Owens river project engineers of the aque-
duct bureau have developed plans which
call for the construction of an electric
plant on Cottonwood creek by next year.
The work of preparing plans, specifica-
tions and estimates has been in charge
of e. F. Scattergood, consulting electrical
engineer for the aqueduct.
Bids for furnishing the electrical equip
ment, power machinery and materials for
ninety miles Of transmission line will be
opened Monday by the board of public
works.
Construction of the diversion ditch and
pressure pipe has been under way for the
PAST six weeks.
Erect Plant In January
It is expected that the erection of the
power plant and the installation of ma
chinery can commence soon after the
opening of the year.
Cottonwood creek is stream of con-
siderable size which flows eastward from
the main range of the Sierra into Owens
lake, and Los Angeles In undertaking
| electrical power development In this
vicinity at a distance of more than 200
miles from its own limits stands unique
among cities.
! -Four months ago the city purchased all
property interests and riparian rights
which in any way might Interfere with
the control Of water power or the opera
| tion of the plant. .
| The water of the creek will be diverted
| from the stream bed far up in the canyon,
| - H. for
distance to Cottonwood hump, then snot
| through a steel pipe from an elevation of
| 1900 feet to the power house below. The
power plant will be built in close prox-
| unity to the line of the conduit and the
water after being used for power pur-
4 poses will be permitted to flow into the
! auueduct ultimately to mingle with tna'
| of owens river and be carried to Los
| Angeles.
Ninety-MiIe Transmission
| From Cottonwood the electrical energy
will be carried as far south as Plne
canyon, or within eighteen miles OF
! Mojave.
| The transmission line will follow the
aoueduct survey for distance of ninety
miles and will furnish power for driving
/ the many miles of tunnel that are to be
bored in the mountains lying between
! Little lake, Jaw Bone and Pine canyons
| Wherever possible electrical machinery
will take the place of steam-driven equip
ment
| At the low price at which the city is
able to develop electrical power at Cot
| tonwood there is SO per cent saving over
| that of steam.
In this connection the excavation for the
! aqueduct for a long distance between
Cottonwood and Mojave will be under
taken with electric shovels.
/ The plant which is to consist of two
| $50 kilowatt hydro-electric generating
units, will be of permanent character
to be continued in operation after The
completion Of the aqueduct If 1t is so de
sired.
Il Tha capacity will be twelve times tha
OF the Division creek power plant which
aqueduct engineers are now installing II
owens valley and will cost when com
pleted approximately $4,000.
This is exclusive of the hydraulic pip
line which is being built at an expendi
ture of $4,000.
The transmission line, to be of $4,000
volt, 3-phase, 3-wire transmission, viii
cost complete approximately s115,0O0 ant
will be used for construction purposes
only.
The undertaking calls for the trans