Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-24

, critical and contained such sign'ti
cant geologic and economic iniorma
ton as had been, brought out IN tne
course OF q rather careful genera
study Of the. valley. The fifth OF the
series has Just been issued as wafer
Supply Paper No. 219.
A Report on the FoothiIl eelt.
This latest report presents evidences
and conclusions which will be OF vaiue
to water users In the important region
that lies along the south base OF the
sen Gabsiel Mountains from Cuca'
monga westward to Los Angeles. The
belt embraces q small area in the ex'
IRENE western part OF San Bernafdi'
no County, but 1T lies for the most
part within Los Angeles County anu
Is conveniently and appropriately de-
signated the "foothill belt"
The foothill belt comprises only
about $50 square miles of lowlands'
but between $1,000 and 10000 acres
Exclusive Of the munic palities) are
under irrigation. large proportion be-
ing in citrus fruits. This irrigated
land ranges In value from 5000 to
$4,000 an acre, and may lie conserva-
lively estimated to be worth 100000
600 to $25.000,0O0 In the same area
there are about 40 flowing wells ana
nearly 400 pumping plants. represent
ing an investment of at least $1,000
900 In wells and plants alone. 1t Is
that the pumping plants
supply the equivalent of so to 100
cubic feet Of water per second. con-
tinuous flow, used largely for trri-
CATION.
Source Of the Ground Waters.
The conditions that affect the oc-
currence and circulation OF ground
waters are discussed fully in Mr. Men,
denhalls report. and the ground-wat-
er districts and irrigation enterprises
are described in detail. Concerning
the source Of the ground waters Mr..
says:
1.-The statement has frequently been
made that the underground waters
are just as dependent as the surface
run-off on precipitation within the
local contributing drainage basins. but
the tenacity Of the oft-asserted belief
that these subterranean. reservoirs
have some other source than local
rainfall makes 1t desirable to repeat
this statement with emphasis. Each
Of the important sub;er-aneah basins
In southern California is supplied ex-
By the water which falls
upon its surface or flows into II
through some tributary stream. Any
other hypothesis. as, for example,
that the waters from the distant
Sierra or the Colorado River or the
Pacific Ocean may. by underground
channels or by seapage. reach the
San Gabriel Valley or the Pombna
neightorhood, is erroneous, and con-
clusions based on 1t are wrong and
lead to false policy in the utiliza-
ton Of the ground waters"
Maps Of the Region.
All Of the foothin belt and .many
square miles OF mountains north Of It
are shown on three Of the United
States Geological Survey. topographic
sheets-the Cucamonga, the Pomona.
and the -Pasadena-drawn on a scale
Of about mile to the inch On these
maps as. bases all the Information in
regard to the ~ater supply Of the foot
hill belt that is capable Of graphic
presentation has been assembled, such
as lands irrigated. chief pipe and
canal lines of the various irrigating
pumping plants. artesian
wells. a few of the domestic wells,
levels Indicated by n.y.
contour lines), and ar
tesian areas past and present.