Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-01-13
RESERVOIR
IS FILLING
Walter Elevation Increased
1866 al Last Report
AN ADDED TWENTY FEET
That Is the Prediction for
the Reading This Morn
ing Rate of Inflow Was
Increasing Rapidly Yes
terday-Other Storms.

The reading at Roosevelt yesterday
morning showed the elevation of the
water in the big reservoir at so: ~
feet, representing 52.l56 acre feet of
stored water. The reading the day be-
fore was So 50, representing PISA
acre feet of stored water, practically
half as much. During the twenty -four
hours the water had raised 1885 feet
practically doubling the amount in
storage.
But that is only the small part of
the story. Later yesterday ii was re-
ported that the water had raised two
feet more and was flowing over the
intake dam at the salt river source
four feet deep, while the Tonic was
sending down a pleasing flood from
the other principal drain from the wa
tershed. The reservoir level was rails
ing more rapidly than ever. Howard
Reed, the engineer in charge of the
canal system in the valley, said that
if the reading this morning did not
show twenty feet more than il did yes
terday morning he would not only be
disappointed, but would acknowledge
himself a poor guesser.
If Mr.. Reeds hope is discounted a
part of a foot and the reading stands
at 100 feet this morning, the reservoir
will contain los. $50 acre feet of water.
The greatest amount of water that was
ever in the reservoir was pa, $40 acre
feet, when the elevation stood at 125
feet. Though that was more than
double the amount hoped for this
morning, the elevation was only %
feet higher. but il must be remembered
that above 100. feet the storage capac-
ity of every foot has rapidly in
Creasing ratio. For instance the top
ten feet of the reservoir, if it were full,
would represent 157,945 acre feet, or
as much as the lower 112 feet.
But this is early in the water game.
The present storm is not yet entirely
over and the run-off is only well under
way. 1t is expected that a good flow
of water into the reservoir will be
maintained for several days yet, and
as it is all being restrained except
what is needed for the power canal,
il is not improbable that the present
storm will fill the reservoir to a point
at least equal to its former high mark
of 126 feet. And that there Will be
more storms during the coming spring
is the confident expectation of every
body. Should it prove as wet as some
spring seasons, the big tapoon will be
filled.
Reverting from speculation to pres
ent conditions, the flow in the Verde
was well maintained until yesterday
morning, when four feet of water was
passing over the dam at Granite
rapidly, but there is no doubt that
the Verde will furnish all the water
needed in the valley for a week or so,
even without more rain, making it
possibly for the storing of all that
runs into the reservoir.
At { p. m yesterday Weather OBJ
server l.. y. Jesunofsky issued a bull
letin saying the gauge reading in Salt
river at Tempe was three feet and
predicting a further rise of from three
to five feet within "a hours. Yes
terday he issued the following bulle
tin:
AT 10 a m the river gauge at
Tempe reads So; river falling slowly"
Commenting on the river and
weather situation yesterday afternoon,
Mr.. Jesunofsky said the crest Of the
flood at Tempe was S.4 at about 7:45
a m, and by p. m. it had fallen two
feet, according to an improvised gauge
on the Phoenix bridge over Salt river.
where a permanent gauge will be es-
tablished as soon as practicable.
Mr. Jesunofsky said it was still
raining and showing lightly in the
north and east, but he believed the
storm was about over and predicted
fair weather for last night and colder
temperature today. The total precipi-
tation for the entire storm in Phoenix
at that time was leg inches. Prior
to Wednesday pa inches had fallen
in the upper Verde valley.
His general storm report was that
the storm i'm the Missouri valley
Manitoba. Assiniboia and vicinity was
moving east very slowly, its severity
being maintained. Temperatures Were
from 25 to As below zero. The cold
wave was creeping into northern
Texas and Louisiana. over Ohio, Ken
lucky and Tennessee. 1t has not yet
reached this section. where the tenn
peratures were still abnormally high.
Cave creek has been cavorting all
through the storm and Wednesday
night and yesterday morning carried
away about 30 feet of the south
of lateral 16, but so far as learned
yesterday but little or no damage had
been done to land and crops on this
side. There were number OF small
breaks west OF that point