El Nuevo mexicano., 1916-12-28
Flood Waters Made
To Return Millions

Much devastation has occurred In years
past on valuable Horticultural properties in
the Southwest through flood waters that
come tearing down the mountain canyons
and ravines during violent transforms. An.
nually, many tons of water have gone to
waste, doing millions of damags to prop
|erty.
With the rapid development Of this sec
ton, its starting increase in population, anu
vast investments. such conditions are des-
tined to be controlled. In fact, the flood
water menace has in so many places be
come a source of profit by its use for irri-
cation purposes, that today claims have
been filed for the right to use all flood
water coming out or every mountain canyon
in southern California. Many legal con
tests have occurred between the claimants
but the courts have established a prece-
dent of awarding claims to- those parties
or concerns who can show their ability to
make the widest. possible use OF the flood
water.
Recently the Los Angeles courts awarded
flood-water rights to a company in the
Pomona valley because 1t was able to dem
~onstrate the existence Of a natural. under
ground range Of clay hills in the valley,
which acts like a dixie, or dam, tending to
create a subterranean reservoir for undery
ground Waters. Their ides is to spread the
flood water uniformly over this area that it
may collect in the big underground basin
and so repIenish irrigation wells at lower
points IN the valley. Pomona valley lies
at the foot Of the Sierra Madre mountains
and in the path Of San Antonio creek, one
Of the largest and most damaging flood
water streams along the whole &
AS soon as the legal fight was won, the
company bought about 1000 acres Of rocky,
sage brush land at little expense. This was
Immediately on the west side Of San An
tonic creek and abutting the foot of
mountains Al concrete dam was next con-
/ structed across the mouth Of the creek
Ia flood-water intake Just west or it. From
the intake heading a wide shallow ditch, a
mile long, was run parallel with the creek.
From this. at uniform Intervals, lateral
bitches were made running westward, and
as these extended over the ground they
GRADUALLY subdivided into smaller and
smaller tributary bitches until the porous
granite soil drank up all the water distrib-
uted. A large protection ditch was then
made to bound the extreme western edge
of the distributing ground so that If any
water got away it would be diverted back
into San Antonio creek at a point below
and thus save possible damage to other
property.
During 1915. 10000 acre.feet Of flood wa
ter was taken in at the intake and spread
over 500 acres at an operating cost Of only
$2216. An increase in the water levels Of
the wells at lower elevations was noted
within six months. Wells formerly pump
ing At lifts Of from go to 80 feet now had
lifts Of only 10 to 20 feet. Other wells Of
shallow lifts became artesian and flowed
above the surface without pumping. Care
I'LL calculation showed that Of the amount
OF waters spread, fully IS per cent was re-
covered In the wells during the season. The
uroiact was affecting the wells which sup
bied 1900 acres with irfigating water and
five cities with domestic whter-a territory
of approximately 10000 persons.