Amador ledger., 1910-02-25
A Big Hrriga-
tion Scheme.

lead 10 important results later, mas Just
been filed in the superior court of this
county The suit is brought by the
California Storage Water Company "a
corporation) VS.. Ernest Krentz and
sixty-dve others named defendants, be-
sides some forty John Does and Richard
Roes and is for the purpose of con-
deming lands along the Calaveias river
for a distance of some six miles from
Petersburg down the river. The COM
plant lis sworn to by John w. Nc
Keehan vice president of the corpora
tion and Solinsky & Wehe appear as the
attorneys.
This complaint which is lengthy
document of some seventy-tive written
pages sets forth the purposes OF the
COMPANY as public service corporation
entitled TO the rights of 'emnent
domain" to be for storing waters for
irrigating purposes, the generating Of
electricity, etc. 1t is set forth that half
a million acres of land within the scope
OF their irrigation plant now practically
without water can be made capable of
high state of cultivation by irrigation,
that the towns of Valley Springs, Bur-
son, Wallace, Jenny Lind and Milton in
Calayeras county, Bellota, Linden Lodi,
Woodbridge, Peters, Pennington, French
Camp, Lathrop, Ripon sand Atlanta in
San Joaquin, now without adequate
water supply, can be supplied by their
reservoir.
1t further alleges that from Petersburg
for distance OF six miles down the
Calaveras river is a natural reservoir
from one half to five miles wide in
which can be stored the flood waters of
the river, estimated in the rainy season
to be rs, 900 cubic feet per second that
a dam l75 feet high and 1000 feet long
on top built on said river near the
center of swl4 of sec 81 t 4 r ii G,
would store 20, 600, 0CO, OC0 cubic feet off
water each year, sufficient to irrigate
$50, 900 acres Of land furnish the resi-
dents with water for domestic purposes
and generate 10000 horse power
electricity.
1t is further alleged that the corpora
tion now owns the larger portion of the
land that would be covered by the reser-
weir site and the water to the amount of
l,500, 600 miners inches that the reser-
voir would cover ten square miles and
would render all the land asked for total
ly unfit for other purposes. Wherefore
the corporation asks judgment; First.
To be declared public service corpora
ton.
Second, to have the lands specifically
described in the complaint condemned
to the use of the corporation.
Third. That the conflicting claims to
any of the lands be judcially deter
mined.
Fourth That the value Of he property
be assessed separately to each parcel.
Fifth. That when payment is made or
satisfactory bond given the plaintiff cor
poration be put in possession OF the
property.
AS we understand the matter this is a
step towards the consummaton of big
project for which Mr. McKeehan has
been working for some time. 1t is not
intended to prevent future negotiations
by. which title may be acquired on terms
mutually satisfactory to the parties con-
cerned. A large amount of capital is
now promised for the development of
the project sufficient to carry it TO sue
cessful completion, but the investors re-
quire assurance that it will be carried
through to completion and that all legal
points as 70 clear title TO the lands re-
quired be settled or in a course OF settle
ment. Another object of bringing the
suit at this time is to prevent any other
parties from doing the same thing and
so hndering the plans of this corpora
tion which have been maturing for four
or five years. Prospect