Imperial Valley press., 1915-07-14

railroad will have to be raised to per
NIT trains to pass over the proposed
levee. This, | presmn-, viii have TO
be done at our expense.
As canal heading, except for tenn
porary and emergency uses, this gate
could not take the place of the Han
Ion gate
First, because we should, for po-
litical reasons, protect our water sup
ply by heading in the United States
Second, when | built the gate at
Hanlon's, its ultimate use was to be
a controlling gate at the lower end Of
settling basin chat | proposed to
build between it and the intake gate,
which was to be located on the river
bank Il miles above. | am now more
convinced than when the Hanlon gate
was built, that the settling basin, with
adequate hydraulic machinery, is the
only solution of our great silt prob
lem, and the Mexican controlling gat
would not fit into the plan.
The gate will, however, serve three
distinct purposes, to wit:
First, in my opinion it is the safest
and at the same time the least eX-
pensive method OF protecting the val
ley and the canal system from over
flew or flood due to cnannel change.
Second, it will be located at point
where it will serve as the diversion
gate for the High Line East Side ca
nal, unless that canal is eventually
brought down from the Laguna dam
In any case it will serve as the di-
version gate for all lands in Mexico
above the Cudahy check, and when
used for the irrigation of Mexican
lands those lands will, under the Mex.
lean tariff, have to return TO us its
cost.
Third il will serve as a second or
alternative headgate if, for any rea-
son, one is required, and | predict
that one of the reasons will soon be
apparent, viz, the inability to obtain
sufficient water for our uses through
the Hanlon heading, due to a low river
and the sitting up of the channel be-
tween the Hanlon gate and the rail
road bridge. If this, which | fear.
happens, the gate propose with a
safe opening to tie river through
either the Hind or Clark dam might,
II 1t were in now, save to our farm
ers this season several times its cost
since with the one exception of the
river breaking in On us nothing could
do rs as much damage as a serious
water shortage and this controlling
gate, while not eliminating that dan
ger, will greatly diminish it. it would
he used while the channel below Han
lon was being deepened Should any
thing happen TO the Hanlon gate ne
cessitating its shutting off until re-
pairs could be made the lower gate
would permit il to be done without in
terference with the water supply,
Cost.
Without accurate surveys and plans
an estimate Of cost is largely guess.
work, but ] believe the gate and levee
can lie built for $4,000, and we will
be entirely safe if we assume cost
Of $4,000 for the combination of
wooden and concrete structure with
the proposed leveeS and railroad work
complete. A compared with this cost.
approximately $S5, 900 was spent last
year IN a futile effort to protect the
river levees, and IN excess of $3.50
has been spent this year to protect
the Yuma valley, the government has
already spent on IL river levees over
81 100000 and the work IS unfinished
Our l2na! t-o1. the proposed control
ling gate west. rs far enough away