Imperial Valley press., 1915-01-29

! Iiedlly IL IllieS. IHe HlSH water Ol
last year was for most of this dis.
tance within one foot of its top ant
for long stretches was within one hall
of a foot. 1t was held last year witt
great difficulty and at heavy expense
Many breaks occurred. The canal bot
tom is higher this year and the same
amount of water that was carried last
July would now overtop this levee
for miles. Besides, it is honeycombed
by rats. 1t must be rebuilt and raised
at least two feet, and most of this
work must necessarily be done by
teams, and the work should start at
once, during low water, since to wait
until the water raises against it will
fully double the cost of the work.
"Until a survey is made of this
levee, / can only guess at the cost of
rebuilding and raising it, but l doubt
if it can be made effective to furnish
water for this year for less than $685.
900, exclusive of the cost of operat
ing the dredgers. The north bank
from the new East Side gate west a
distance of four miles, must also be
greatly strengthened if the same
amount of water is carried as last
year. l consider this section of the
canal as very dangerous. The water
surface in it, even at this low stage,
is for several miles from four to six
feet above the ground surface and,
were it to break, serious damage would
be done to the entire valley, but es-
pecially to the lands and canals in
Water Companies Nos. 5 and 7.
GAS soon as possible, plans should
be adopted to lessen this danger by
decreasing the volume carried through
this section.
POSSIBLY the most feasible plan
that could be adopted would be to ar
range to abandon the present East
Side heading and take all of the wa
ter required for the East Side COM
panies through the new gate now
being built for Water Companies Nos.
8 and 5.
"Also the Encina should be taken
out opposite this point.
"Mr. Cory, I believe, planned a
concrete structure at or near this
point, from which all of the water
for the valley would be diverted,
leaving the Alamo below to be used
as waste only. I think the plan
good one, but too expensive to be
considered now, but something will
have to be done soon to relieve the
situation or very serious trouble will
surely come.
at is impossible, of course, for
the irrigration district to undertake
the works necessary to relieve this
danger and to insure the people of
an ample water supply for this sum-
mer, as it is not as yet in possession
of the main canal system, nor has it
the money with which to do the work,
and the emergency money which it
proposes to borrow by virtue of the
authority recently given by the legis-
lature will all be required on the
Volcano Lake and Sais protective
levees, but the work must be nuder-
taken, and at once. Delay will cost
the valley in crops many times the
cost of protecting them and I sug-
gest that the board take the initi-
ative and try to secure fund of
$4,000 to insure our water supply,
either from the receiver or from the
mutuals. Respectfully,
&C. R. RCOKWOOD,
General Manager and Chief Engi-
neer."
Southern Pacific Ready to Sign.
Mr.. lockwood said yesterday that
a telegram had been received from
w. F. Herrin, chief counsel of the
Southern Pacific Company, saying the
San Francisco officials have been in
structed by the board of managers
in New York to sign the contract for
transfer of the Southern Pacific in
terests in the California Development
Company's property to the irrigation
district so soon as two or three mi
nor changes are made, and that he
was taking up the matter with At
torney Ives of Tucson.
Mr.. lockwood stated that he be-
lieves the document will be signed
next week.
$50 soon as this contract is signed"
said he, "the district will take the
place of the Southern Pacific Com