Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-25
WATER SUPPLY CROWS
FOR YUCA|PA COMPANY
Developments Produce Greater
Flow Than Can Now Be
Used on Co. Lands

From Oak Glen to Redlands, be-
tween the Potato canyon stream ana
the Riverside county line, practically
every source of water supply is con-
trolled by the Yucaipa Water com
pany. This district of nearly twenty
five miles in extent now has devel-
oped close to 1000 inches of water,
about 600 inches being on the Yucaipa
company's lands OF this total, some
400 inches is supplied to Redlands
orange groves, while many sources
are not worked, the water not being
needed on the valley lands. The Po-
tato canyon water comes primarily
from Burch creek which heads into
the range dividing the valley from
Mill creek. This was acquired from
the South Mountain Water company.
The flow into RedlandS is now close
to 200 inches, and the pipe capacity,
installed to permit added development
which is possible, will carry 100 inches
more. While this water is not carried
upon the lands of the upper valley
the lines of steel pipe laid to turnlsn
the townsite with its supply, through
the storage reservoir, were put doWn
of size sufficient to take care of 3O0
its diversion. West of the Burcn
ranch sources, cut by one section OF
private holdings, the lands of the COM
pany again intersect the canyon wa
ters, and from a tunnel which merely
taps without cutting the underground
stream, comes the 25 inches of water
which now supplies the colony. Ex-
pert opinion is that this water may
be increased to four times its present
flow by driving the tunnel, Which ex-
tension is now planned.
During the years of the use of the
Yucaipa valley for hay lands there
was never any demand for water in
quantity, the surface springs furnish
ing household supplies. Immediately
the company acquired control OF the
valley it began it's exploitation of the
water possibilities, and wherever it
has gone, so far, expectations have
been more than met. With the album
dance of supply at the north the t1rst
work was done in Wildwood canyon,
close to the south line of the tract.
An existing well two miles from the
hills had demonstrated that there was
a stream beneath the surface, and so
three wells were sunk in the mouth
of the canyon. Each found water, and
the one tested out gave more than
forty inches under the pump, con-
vincing the engineers that with con-
tinual pumping it would be good for
probably sixty inches. Up the canyon
a never-drying spring gives promise
of a fine flow when tunnel is drifted
in upon the line of the water course.
This demonstration at an elevation
from which all of the water will flow
naturally over the lands of the valley,
proves that there never should be a
lack of water sufficient for all crops
at any point upon the lands owned by
the company, and makes of the bench
property a most valuable district
The lower lands for generations have
had more water than could be
utilized in their cultivation. Where
for fifteen years vegetable garden of
100 acres has existed the irrigation
is furnished by a fifty-inch flow of
constant invariable spring. A trio of
wells flow naturally twenty-five
inches and pump $50 inches when the
water is needed, indicating that should
there ever be a demand for more
water in this lower portion of the val
ley it is ready to the hand.