Arizona republican., 1916-06-11
MAMMOTH TASK i.
IN IRRIGATION
Project Proposed for San
Asked That Government
Put Louis c. Hill In
Joaquin Valley. 1t Is
Charge Of 1t ::

The government. is asked to under
take for the San Joaquin Valley thu
greatest irrigation project ever en-
tered upon in this country. 1t is de-
/ sired that the government shall choose
/ for direction IF it, Louis c. Hill. who
/ built the Roosevelt Dam and is now a
member Of the firm OF consulting en-
! gireers, Quinton. Code and Hill.
The Los Angeles Times says of it:
Planning the greatest irrigation pro-
jet in the United States, and one OF
the largest in the world. representa-
tives of six proposed districts in the
San Joaquin Valley have asked, it be-
came Known here yesterday, that Louis
Il C. Hi, Il Los Angeles consulting en-
gineer, be delegated by the Secretary
of the Interior to inspect and report
on the feasibility Of constructing a
mammoth reservoir in the Kings River
canyon.
The area that it is planned to irri-
gate, comprises 100000 acres in Fres-
no, Tulare and Kings counties or about
twice as much land as is now under
irrigation in the Imperial Valley, out
side Of Mexico. One-half of this land
is already under cultivation. Some Of
il that vas formerly under cultivation
* now under the waters of Tulare
Lake.
The appeal of representatives of the
SIX proposed districts to the Secretary
of the interior. specifically asks that
Director Arthur p. Davis of the United
States Reclamation Service be in
structed to detail Consulting Engineer
Hill Ito make an examination of the
Il proposed site of the Pine Flat reser-
voir and check over the tentative plans
and estimates made by our local en-
l gineers for the construction Of the dam
| or Kings River"
Mr.. Hill was the builder of the great
| Roosevelt Dam in Arizona and was
i formerly supervising engineer of the
/ United States Reclamation Service in
i charge of all work in Arizona, South
ern California, New Mexico. Texas,
Il Utah. 4 portion of Nevada and parts of
II " omirs and Colorado.
1T is the biggest irrigation proJeer
II N tie United States. The present
largest project is only a little over
n 200. 900 acres, outside of Imperial VAL
II ley. which is 100000 acres, not incIud-
III ing Mexico rhe 800 ,000-acre project
is the Boise Payette project i'll Idaho
N This san Joaquin Valley proposition Is
n over five times as big. as far as acre
MI ase is concerned as the Salt River
IL pr6 srct which includes the Roosevelt
i am
VI Kings River comes down out OF
III the mountains and part of l. runs int
rulare lake. which has been RISING
I'M ana. has destroyed a lot of crops" sail
iii Engineer Hill. The river also spreads
T1 in another direction nut the water!
III finally come together and run into th'
III san Joaquin River. But it does no
WI have any well-defined channel.
I'm This river runs in such way tina
I'M 1t is high water in June and july TIN
aI season of the highest demand for irri
IsI CATION water. But it runs down yer,
a1 quickly. and the excess water whicl
#J cannot he used runs into Tulare Lake
l1 floods them out there, and also run
HIM toward the San Joaquin. flooding LAM
hl as It goes and doing much damage.
I'M The idea is 10 build a reservoir il
HIN Kings River Canyon. near Pine Flat
HIN to store the water when it is i'll ex
gI cess and then to use it during the il
Hin rigaton season 1t will be one of tn
sTl highest dams in the world and will b
q very large one, but the cost per acT
HIN for all the lands that are to he serve
HUN viii be comparatively small. due
AI the fact that there is such a larg
lHHI acreage to be included in the projec
aaHI The reservoir does not have to be &
HIM large as it would if the water can
NHI down at the wrong season of the year
#l In order to give an idea of VIII;
HAi 1000, 900 acres means, Engineer HI
IHHt lemaIked that il represented a piet
HMl of land 100 miles long and twen
lTHI miles wide In the proposed dam the
TTHu would be two and one-half times
HsSHI many yards of masonry as there a
#hI in the great Roosevelt Dam and t
H,-I lake behind the dam would be abo
lMAl sixty feet deeper In extent it Won
HIM be about 100000 acre feet, thus maj
AHHl ing it one of the very large reserVoi
fHI Of the world. 1t would take abo
HAMI three wears to build the dam after
HR preliminary work was done. Mr. Il
Nll stated