Imperial Valley press., 1910-05-28

1 ton Sea by way of New River, carry l ing out the Hume over New River and cutting off the water supply of the west side. The levee is on the crest of the divide, and it's function is to bar the northward overpour and force the waters to take southerly course by way of Volcano Lake and numerous channels through the delta into the Hardy and thence to the gulf. A levee built two years ago from Black Butte eastward north of Volcano Lake and across New River outlet prevents the ! flood from invading the valley at that point. A gap of nine miles between the Volcano levee and the new levee is on higher ground and will not be crossed by the flood this year, but unless the Colorado is put back into | it's old bed, the sitting up of the delta may make it necessary to close the gap with protective works.
 Receiver Holabird's levee was not started moment too soon, and if the work had not been done with extra ordinary celerity by MT. Bowker's forces it would not have been con- pleted in time to avert serious dam age to the canal system. The flood waters were tapping the southern slopes of the earth banks, thrown up 1 to check them, before the levee was finished. On Thursday, May 19, Re- ceiver Holabird, Engineer c. K Clarke Mir Bowker and others, including several newspaper men of the valley, inspected the work and found the wa ter standing against the levee for about five miles along the western | end. In one arroya crossed by the levee there was sixteen-foot head of water against the bank, and the work was being widened and strengthened at that point to avert any possibility of a break.
 The contract called for eleven miles of levee, but the overflow found un- expected courses to the northward be- yond the end and an extension of two miles was made. Also the height of the levee was increased by two feet for a considerable distance. The wat CT standing against the levee Is back water from the overflowed delta and has no current and no erosive action. Seepage and undercutting have been guarded against by understanding" the foundation of the levee, and the engineers have no fear that the high water next month will make any breach in the work. All the arroyas leading northward from the overflow were cut off with tapoons before the levee work was begun, and as there is sharp fall of land to the south it Is expected that the flood will cut deep channels in that direction and drain off through the Abejos and the Pescador into the Hardy without ris- ing against the levee. The overflow south of the levee is now about six teen miles wide.
 Construction of a levee thirteen miles long, eleven feet wide on the top and varying in height from five to fifteen feet is something of a feat to be performed in five weeks by a force organized specially for the oc- casion. A contracting company al- ready organized and having equip ment in the field under experienced men would be going some to do the work in that time. MT. Bowker had to organize his outfit on the jump, put green men and green stock on the fresnos and break men and mules to the work as he went along. He had 700 mules on the job two days after signing the contract, and the flood was so imminent that he had to throw up a protective border outside of the line of the levee to keep out the wat CT while he was clearing the line of brush and digging the muck trench.
 The foresight of the engineer and the judgment of Receiver Holabird and Judge Cole in authorizing the ex-