Imperial Valley press., 1913-06-19
VAST WATER SYSTEM
COVERS MORE LAND

w. II. Holabird, receiver Of the Cali
fornia Development Company, supply
ing Imperial valley with water, deliv-
cred to the mutual water companies
1000 cubic second feet, plus a large
amount for seepage and evaporation.
Two thousand cubic second feet is
equivalent to 1000 acre feet, or 100 900
miners inches, which is five times the
| theoretical maximum capacity of the
| Los Angeles aqueduct.
| Undoubtedly, the California Devel-
opment Company in Imperial valley is
| furnishing more land with all the water
| required than any other irrigation sys-
TEN on this continent, and compares
favorably with the volume of water
carried in some Of the great irrigation
| systems OF India and Egypt.
The earnings of the California De-
velopment Company for May exceeded
S4S, 900, and will probably reach $780,
600 for June. The months Of greatest
consumption begin with May and end
with August, although there is a large
demand for water during the rest Of
| the year.
The new StOney gate at HanlOG
heading, on the Colorado river, is now
il use. This structure cost about $50
600 and comes up fully to the expecta-
| lions of the receiver, and adds greatly
to the efficiency of the water system.
A new hull will be built for the
hydraulic dredge FL Centre. which op-
| crates at the mouth of the intake canal
| the present hull being an old barge
| that was put into use as temporary
eXpedient.
The dredge Imperial, operating be
| low the gate, is in splendid condition,
and keeps deep basin pumped out.
which causes the settling of all the
cOarser solids coming down from the
Colorado river, which is very great
help in operating the canal system and
freeing it from silt.
The dredge Delta, lying in the Alamo
channel. twelve or thirteen miles from
the heading at the Colorado river. will
be got in shape and operated in the
near future. This is one of the large
type of dredges.
The dredge Gamma. also a large
type, which has been for many months
in operation near Sharp's heading.
above CaleXicO. struck a snag and sank.
L
a new hull built Immediately. The
dredge had served its day and the
timbers were too rotten to justify ef-
forts to raise and repair the old hull.
Three portable dredges with half
yard clam shell buckets are owned and
operated by the receiver on the main
canals in Imperial valley. These
dredgeS are of the most useful type
and it is difficult now to see how the
system could have been operated with
out them.
This makes seven dredges in opera
ton all or part of the time by Receiver
Holabird.
Beginning with the appointment of
Receiver Holabird. December 13. 1909.
up to and including March, 1913, the
total expenses. both ordinary and eX
traordinary, for the California Devel-
Opment Company aggregated Sf,203,
939.61. of which SS12.74S.24 was eX-
pended in the United States and S393.-
1917 in Mexico.
The gross receipts from farming Op
eratons in the Imperial valley for 1913
will probably exceed 100000. The
population of the valley has increased
enormously.
The receiver states that the east
high line canal, now about completed
to Imperial Junction, and the existing
west side main canal. constitute the
final exterior boundary lines of the ter
ritory that will be placed under irriga-
ton in Imperial valley. The irrigable
areas within these boundary lines, after
allowing for railroads and cities, waste
bitches, ETC., is little in excess of
100000 acres. To this should be add
ed the area in Lower California, which
will be from 100000 to 100000 acres.
all served by the same canal system.