The San Francisco call., 1910-02-28
BALLINGER SEEKS TO
REVOKE WATER GRANT
Continued From Page L

of other Sierra sources of water
supply. At the hearings before the
senate and house committees hav-
ing under consideration proposed
legislation looking to the congress
sional confirmation of the permit
accorded the city, however, the rep
resentatives of San Francisco ad-
mitted that there are available
other sources of supply, which
sources, in the opinion of eminent
engineers, are reasonable and prac-
ticable, it further appearing that
the preference for the Hetch
Hetchy valley is based primarily
upon the consideration that it is
the only source free from conflict
ing private claims. The further
advantage claimed in its favor is
that this one must forever remain
free from habitation by virtue of
the natural conditions and by vir-
tue Of the fact that it is in the
hands of the national government,
which will maintain it as a reserva-
ton
Other practicable sources of sup
ply being available, the first claim
of the city resolves itself into the
question of the relative cost be-
tween the national park project
and the development of such other
sources, and is in my opinion not
justified.
The permit now in force provides
for the, full development of the Lake
Eleanor site, to which no opposi-
tion appears on the part of the
public. If there can not be reason
ably made available, through the
development of this portion of the
proposed scheme, supply of water
ample to meet the present and pros
pective needs of the city the second
claim that the city could not af-
ford to safely develop the Lake
Eleanor site alone without every
assurance possible to be given by
the government that the Hetch
Hetchy site will be available as
soon as the needs of the city ex-
ceed the Lake Eleanor storage
capacity" is justified, and this ques-
tion has received careful considera-
tion at the hands of Hill and Hop
son and myself.
AS above indicated, such ade-
quacy must be measured in the
light of the future needs of San
Francisco and the bay cities which
may possibly at some time unite
to form a metropolitan water dis
trict. The population and the water
consumption of such a district 40
or so years hence are, of course,
altogether matters of conjecture,
and there is a wide divergence be-
tween estimates by the city engi-
neers and other engineers, ap-
parently equally qualified.
There is an unfortunate dearth
of rainfall and runoff data for the
streams tributary to the Lake
Eleanor basin, but general hydro
graphic study of the Tuolumne and
other Sierra drainage systems JUS
titled the conclusion that there is
a general diminution in precipita-
tion and yield as we proceed south
ward; it is, therefore, practicable,
on the basis of relative areas, to
conservatively estimate the pro-
portion of runoff represented in the
long term gauging records at La
Grange.
Basing his calculations upon the
more generous claims of the city's
engineers as to prospective popu-
lation and water consumption, and
making due allowance for the flow
required to satisfy vested rights
of the Modesto and Turlock irriga-
tion districts, Engineer Hopson has
from the drainage areas, that can
be made tributary to the Lake
Eleanor reservoir. and finds that
this storag ge will provide an avail
able supply entirely sufficient TO not