Imperial Valley press., 1914-06-16
Col. Epes Randolph Gives
Views On River Control

! . tOlOilei TpeS TsdIiuoipii, ~ piCo'uChN VI
the Southern Pacific lines in Mexico,
who has been the chief representa-
tive of the Southern Pacific Com
pany in it's relationship to this val
ley since the beginning of develop
ment work, including the fight for
! control of the Colorado river, passed
through the valley yesterday evening
on his return from an inspection Of
! the Volcano Lake levee, and between
! FL Centro and Brawley he was inter-
viewed by the editor of the Press re-
garding the present situation.
Colonel Randolph said that in GO
ing to the levee break he had in view
suggesting that the levee be cut at
a point near the east end of the levee,
from which point the water would
spread over the greatest territory, re-
ducing the danger to the flume and
also the danger of the main current
Of the Colorado finding its way
through the break. On reaching the
levee he was pleased to discover that
the break had actually occurred at
the very point he had selected as the
most favorable one for letting out the
water.
Referring to the criticism which
has been directed at Engineer c. N.
Perry for not closing the break, Col
cnel Randolph said it would be i'm
possible to close the break at the
present time, because if the break
were closed. now the water would be
pouring over the levee during its en-
tire length, it not being possible now
to build the levee to the additional
4 height required.
4 In this connection he called atten-
I,tion to prediction he made in 1911
that within four years the silt depos-
it at Volcano lake would be so great
that the flood water would overtop
the levee, making it necessary to con-
tinue to raise it at the rate of about
four feet a year, until it had at
tained a height of 671s feet above sea
level, while as a matter of fact that
has been done this year-a year before
the date he had predicted.
Colonel Randolph says that Volcano
10 lrn 1onoeoys ov.ctc fhot thu c,.lt
deposit has filled it to the brim and
raised the brim ten feet above it's for
mer level in three years.
He is emphatic in his declaration
that the cheapest and only effective
method of controlling the river is to
build a levee on the line he had sur
veyed by Thomas Hind and which was
presented to the government three
years ago, with all the specifications
required for construction, which levee
the Southern Pacific Company agreed
to contract and maintain for year
at a cost of a million and half dol
lars.
Colonel Randolph, in making the
prediction that it would eventually be
found necessary to build the Volcano
Lake levee to a height of 671s feet
if that was relied on, had established
the hydraulic grade from the mouth
of the Hardy river to Laguna dam,
two fixed points, and this grade ne
found to be at the height specified
at Volcano lake.
Southern Pacific Position.
Colonel Randolph said he was not
authorized to speak officially for the
railroad company, but he advised that
the valley organize at once for
quick campaign in Washington, send
ing strong delegation to the capi-
tai, asking congress for an appropri-
alton of million and three-quarters
/. dollars for protective works, the APP
preparation to be sought as an emer-
gency measure and every power pos
sible being brought to bear to Sc
cure it.
Should this fail, he said it would
be necessary to get busy at once to
finance the work here, for it is an
absolute necessity that this work be
completed before the next summer
. flood. If congress will not make the
, appropriation, it would be necessary
/ for the irrigation district, the South
: ern Pacific Company and the Mexican
land owners to finance the work, and
, he was sure the railroad would do its
, part, in proportion to the property
: it has to protect
t Regarding the details Of the plan
for protection, as outlined by the
railroad company, the Press will later
have more to say.