Imperial Valley press., 1915-01-29

Herein Is given, nOJ SllHply SJdte-
ment of the physical condition of the
California Development Company's
canal system, made by General Man
ager and Chief Engineer C. R. Rock
wood of the irrigation district to the
directors yesterday, but also brief
digest of Mr.. Rockwood's ideas of the
correct policy for the district.
The report to the directors shows
necessity for immediate provision of
$4,000 with which to raise the
banks of the main canal, and the
statement is very plainly made that
if this work is not done at once there
will be a serious shortage of water
during the summer.
The report suggests that if this
money cannot be secured from Re
ceiver Holabird, the mutual compa
ries should be called upon to use
their credit in advancing it.
To the Press Mr.. lockwood made
this statement:
"lf the mutual companies advance
this money to the irrigation district, l
will be glad to take charge of the
work, but if there is to be divided au-
thority, as in the past, do not care
to be in charge of it,
Mr.. Rockwood's report should re-
ceive the immediate and thoughtful
attention of every citizen of the val
ley. 1t is as follows:
GEL Centre, CAL, Jan. %, 1916
Board of Directors, Imperial Irriga-
tion Observation-Disclosures: l submit
for your consideration the following
preliminary report on the present
condition of the Alamo channel and
the general conclusions that l have
reached from the hurried trip which
| have made through it this week.
"1t will be necessary for me to pro-
iect surveys from Hanlon to Sharp's
along both banks and also make a
S"iOlui survey VI Cile DOlCOHl VI IHe
canal from the river to point at least
ten miles below Hanlon's, before I
can make you complete report. To
do this will require months and I
know that you are especially anxious
for an immediate expression of my
opinion as to the possibility of fur
nishing the valley with it's full sup
ply of water during the year 1915.
"In general, find the channel con-
dition better than I anticipated.
There are but few sandbars and at
this low water stage the water will
average about 125 feet in width and
a feet in depth. 1t was carrying to-
day, however, but 1,400 second feet.
In July you will require at least three
times this amount and the banks are
too low to permit the carrying of to
exceed 5000 feet without overflow.
Due to the deposit of silt which has
raised the bottom, it will carry less
volume than during the season of 1914,
and the valley will require more. The
dredgers that are now being pur-
chased by the receiver will be placed
in operation too late in the season
to alone render any relief this year.
They will not be effective in deepen
ing the channel, since, if no more
silt were coming in daily, the two
dredgers could not deepen more than
three miles per month, and the chan
mel is silted throughout most of it's
entire length of 81 miles. The dredge
to be assembled at Hanlons may give
some relief by so deepening the chan
mel below the headgate as to permit
a greater inflow during the low wa
ter period. The dredge to be assem-
bled at or near Sharp's will undoubt-
edly be of great use in raising and
strengthening part of the levees, but
there will surely be a very serious
water shortage this year unless the
work of the dredgers is supplemented
Dy team Work. AS no water is uSeu
for irrigation between Hanlon's and
the Cudahy check it is probable that
bank overflow may be permitted be-
tween these points without damage to
any present interests unless it be the
railroad, and that can be protected
with but little labor. From the Cud-
ahy check to the new East Side gate
no land is irrigated north of the chan
mel, and between these points it will
not be necessary to protect the north
bank this year. 1t will, however, be
necessary to rebuild the south levee
from the Cudahy check to the old East
Side heading. This is distance Of