Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-17

land, 200 miles to the south, has one
Then down the long ocean frontage of
Oregon and California, it is 500 miles
to San Francisco, the next one and
thence 500 miles to San Diego the
last one. Only four gateways into
the country in 1000 miles. Another is
being built and will be completed in
about two years at San Pedro which
is the port of Los Angeles fifteen
miles south of that city and is des-
tined to become shortly a part of the
municipality This will make Los An
geles the port of entry of vast COM
merce and with other natural re-
sources make the anticipation of a
population of million by no means
incredible. This is the reason that the
city turns to the Owens river valley
for a greater water supply.
Owens River Valley Supply
On the eastern edge of central Cali
fornia, bordering on the state of Ne
vada, is Inyo county, 1925 square
miles in area, equal in size to Mary
land, and 25 per cent larger than Mas
sachusetts. AS rain rarely falls, the
population is less than 5000, and the
assessed valuation of it's property is
about $2,500000. Stock raising and
alfalfa growing are the principal oc-
wholly
in the Owens river valley, a district
in the western part of the county
about ten miles wide and 10 miles
long, comprising in area about one
tenth of the county, but containing
nearly all of the countys wealth anG
population. The valley is about 400(
feet above sea level, or $500 feet net
above Los Angeles, and it has a water
shed of 2500 square miles. From north
n GnIIfh hn
river, carrying an average of 80, 000
miners inches Of water A miners
inch is one-f1ftieth of cubic foot per
second, so that the average daily flow
is about 400,00O,00O gallons. 1t empties
into owens lake. The location can be
readily identified on so ordinary a map
as that contained in a railroad folder
You will see a railroad leaving Reno
and running south through Nevada and
California, and terminating at a sta
tion called Keeler. This station is on
the eastern shore of Owens lake. The
lake has no outlet, it is more alkaline
than the Great Salt lake, and despite
the addition of so large a body OF
water daily as the river, it is slowly
disappearing under the desert sun.
The Owens river valley opens to the
south on the Mojave desert. On the
east 1T is bounded by mountains, east
of which lies the famous Death valley.
On the north and west the valley is
bounded by the Sierra Nevada noun
tain, which here assume their grand
est form, rising abruptly from the
valley to the highest point in the
United States There are more than
forty peaks along the range which are
over 10000 feet high, many of them
are over 1900 and one, Mount Whit
ney, the highest, is $4,000 feet high.
This rugged saw-tooth range is COW
cred with snow which, in many places,
never melts. It's scenic grandeur is
only equaled by the Alps and cannot
be surpassed in the wide world for
its rugged beauty From every can
yon there flows a stream of clear water
which finds its way into lovely noun
tain lakes and through forty creeks
into the valley and is supplemented
by springs gushing from the rocky
TANKS of the mountains.
part of the water is used for irri-
cation in the valley and a portion OF
this finds its way by seepage, together
with all the remainder not used for
irrigation, into the Owens river. Some
idea of the magnitude of the supply
may be gained from the statement that
the amount of this seepage, after irri-
cation, Is greater than the entire pres
ent water supply of Los Angeles.
Magnitude of the Plant
The proposition is for the city 10 ae-
quire by purchase the water rights I'm
the Valley--it has already acquired
many Of them-to dam the river thirty
seven miles north of the lake, at a
point called Charley's Butte, and by
thus diverting the water to carry II
by conduit to Los Angeles. 226 miles
away. 1t will be the longest conduit
supplying a city with water In the
world; and with one exception the
longest for any purpose. That exeep-
ton Is the Coolgardie system in West
! Australia where water Is, for mining