Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-31

by rain as compared with one fed by
snow, the maximum discharge of the
San Gabriel being over thirty times it's
mean for the year, while the maximum
discharge of the owens river is but little
over two and one-half times the mean
for the year.
Relative Flows
Diagram No 2 gives an estimate of
the relative volume of the five streams
for the year 1904, from which 1t will
be seen that the discharge of the
owens river is greater than that of the
four Southern California streams COM
bined.
With the exception of that of the
Mojave, the normal flow of the waters
of Southern California streams Is all in
use at the present time. The head
waters of the Santa Ana river are
used in the orange growing section at
the head of the San Bernardino valley,
the water being taken out of the river
and tributary streams, and pumped
out of the artesian basin at the head
of the valley.
The waters of the lower Santa Ana
are used on the coastal plain, supply
ing the needs of the extensive horti-
cultural and vegetable district in
Orange county, the surface water be-
lllS ldhcll OuI Ill CilltllS anu lllt
ground water being pumped from the
coastal artesian belt.
Supplies Orange Greves
The headwaters of the San Gabriel
supply the orange growing section of
the San Gabriel valley-Monrovia,
Azusa, Glendora, Alhambra and other
populous settlements depending upon
this source for their water.
The surface flow of the Los Angeles
river is entirely consumed by Los An
geles city, the escape, underground
flow supplying the region between Los
Angeles and the sea.
| The Mojave river, on the completion
of the Arrowhead reservoir system
will mostly be turned into the head OF
the San Bernardino valley, where there
is now much land not supplied with
water.
The Santa Ana, San Gabriel and Los
Angeles rivers water lands from which
is now taken annually about $40 900, 00C
worth of horticultural and farm prod
ucts. The fact that the surface streams
of Southern California do not furnish
water enough for use on adjoining
lands is apparent to anyone who visits
the streams in summer time when
water is most needed. The work of
Mr.. Mendenhall of the geological sur
vey points to the conclusion that the
artesian basins are hardly equal to
them. The amount of flood waters that
can be saved in storage reservoirs is
uncertain, but few sites are available
and it is doubtful if the supply can
be greatly increased by the use of
reservoirs.
The fact that in journeying in any
direction through the most fertile sec
tions of Southern California, one passes
from orange groves, with annual re-
turns of from $100 to $1,000 per acre, to
vacant land of the same character,
covered with cactus and sagebrush and
yielding no return whatever, is a
striking example of the insufffciency of
the water furnished by the streams of
Southern California.
Sources of Supply
Besides serving vast agricultural and
horticultural interests, the Santa Ana,
San Gabriel and Los Angeles rivers,
with their tributaries are, at present,
directly or indirectly the sources of
domestic water supply for Los Angeles,
with population of 240,000, the cities
of Pasadena, Long Beach, San Ber-
nardino and Redlands, each with a
population of over 10000, at least five
cities with populations of over 5000
each and also of numerous smaller
places ranging over a thousand in pop
ulation.
The value of water in Inyo county is
small as compared with its value in
Southern California. For example, the
city of Riverside alone has a larger
population than is contained in all Inyo
county, has greater assessed value
than Inyo county and the annual value
of the crops produced within it's city
limits is greater than the entire an
nual production of Inyo county.
The prosperity of other communities
in Southern California Is as dependent
upon their water supply as in River
side. and the damage that would be
done them by attempting to secure a
supply. from any of the streams of
Southern California, or their tribu-
taries, can readily be IMAGINED