Imperial Valley press., 1910-09-10
REPORT ON CANAL PROJECTS
ENGINEER SCOBEY FINDS ALL AMERICAN ROUTE IMPRACTICAL
 BILE AND DOES NOT FAVOR lAGUNA CONNECTION

Under date of August 2S, 1910, Engi- neer F. c. Scobey transmitted to the Imperial Valley Water Commission his report on the different methods by which the valley may get water from the Colorado river. In compil- ing the report he had access to all surveys, maps and estimates of the Reclamation Service and to all the data possessed by the c. D. Go. MT. methods to be considered:
 1. An all-American canal from the Laguna dam to Imperial Valley.
 2. Canal from Laguna dam to the present heading; thence by the present system, straightened, to a point near the boundary line; thence by high line canals on both sides of the valley.
 3. Canal from Laguna dam to the present heading; thence by canal through Mexico, returning to United States at a higher level than later surveys for so-called high line canal
 4. Same canal without the section from Laguna dam to present heading.
 ,. Same canal from heading, but with new intake from the river at point 1000 feet above the present gate.
 6. Present system with the Colorado river controlled and intake kept open.
 Following is a condensation of the report:
 All American Canal.
 Estimate by U. s. Reclamation Service of cost of canal from La guna dam to serve 275,000 acres, on the basis of one second foot continu- ous flow to 75 acres, was $20,000,000 plus. Contemplates 13.6 miles open canal from dam, 1855 miles of 30-foot tunnel and 24.6 miles open cut to Alamo river. Does not cover cost of concrete conduits to carry water from washes over the canal from the dam, declared by Col J. A. Ockerson, who was consulting engineer on Laguna dam. to be necessary
 Question if channel of river above Laguna dam will always be available for conducting water into the sluice- ways, as basin is already filled with silt.
 Canal contemplated by Reclamation Service too small to serve proposed high lines and could not serve west side main without heavy fill of several miles.
 Engineers all agree that the projecU is not feasible.
 Concerning connection with Laguna dam: Cost of Yuma project estima- ted at $3,000,000, all to be repaid to the government in ten years; when turned over to water users, manage ment would be under a body located in two counties and two states, with possible international complications.
 Summary by Engineer Scobey:
 "The very nature of the dam would make possible the diversion of all the water in the river, provided a channel above the dam could be maintained to the canal gates The water would then flow for 136 miles through a canal located at the foot of steep washes; thence 15.5 miles through a concrete tunnel, emerging from the tunnel in a deep cut subject to blow ing sand, making a covered Hume possibly necessary; finally reaching the valley at point from which the land west of New River cannot be reached with practical construction The great cost, compared to other routes, would prohibit the construc- tion of this line"
 (The cost would be largely in excess of the R. s. estimate of $2O 1000, ,OOO )
 Method Number Two.
 Reclamation Service estimate for canal from Laguna dam to present heading. $762, ,258.2O cost of dredglne