Imperial Valley press., 1917-03-07


neer of the California Development
Company and for many years asso-
ciated with irrigation engineering in
the Valley, is in position to speak
authoritatively of the needs OF this
section. Mr.. Allison has written to
the District directors expressing his
views on the proposed bond issue. His
letter is as follows:
"Board of Directors, Imperial 1rri-
cation District, Ell Centre, Califor-
nia-Gentlemen have been asked
hy a number of taxpayers in the Val
ley with regard to the improvements
to the irrigation system which are
proposed by your engineers under the
$2,5OO,OOO bond issue. A short dis
cussion of the purposes for which
this money is to be expended and OF
the results to be obtained may be OF
interest to voters and may aid you in
obtaining the required number of sig
natures to the petition.
with very few exceptions. the
items of proposed construction as des-
ignated by your engineers are all
new and permanent improvements
and come under the head of capital
account. Very few, if any, can be
classed under maintenance work. The
correction of imperfections and the
additional improvements to the sys-
tenn, as proposed, will insure more
adequate service Of water, at the
same. time making possible great
reduction in maintenance cost in the
future. i,;S>. ,,aa
Il have noted that the major items
Of work are dssignatsd to improve
conditions in. the. Alamo canal from
tie Hanlon headgate down. The Ala
mo canal at tlIe heading and through
the area Upon which the work is pro-
rossd represents the weakest link in
OUT water system, and has been the
cause of all the water shortages Of
any consequence which have ever been
experienced in the Valley. Wise judg-
n,ent has been exhibited by the d.
,ectors in designating this section of
the system as the point requiring first
attention and the greatest expendi-
ture Of money. The installation Of the
new intake structure with improve
ments to the new Hanlon headgate,
the supplying of additional dredging
machinery, the construction of cut
offs along the Alamo to shorten the
course and to 'steepen its grade, the
revetment Of ritter and canal bank at
the heading and the raprapping OF
the canal area to correction its Sec
tion, are all improvements which will
Immediately result in great benefits
to the water service. The completion
of these proposed works will enable
those in. charge of your system to
materially reduce your maintenance
cost in the future, and will enable
them to properly provide the lands in
the district with a continuous and
adequate water supply.
"The items Of flood protective
work, which include the purchase Of
equipment, raising and repairing the
levess, etc., will further insure the
safety of the Valley from river flood.
Our levee system, though not fully
complete, is adequate for our present
reeds II fully maintained. The pro-
vision for thix ,maintenance, as pro-
vided for a youf sheineer's estimates,
seems to me. to be wisely distribu-
ted sa9s N f'6f d
S"The other minor items Of expense,
which include largely the construction
and replacement of wasteways and
sideways, are all designed to i'm
prove the water service to the user,
and to reduce maintenance cost, which
ir turn reduces taxation. At pres
ent, the system Is inadequstely pro-
vided with the necessary wastewaysI
to properly handle the large VOL
vines Of water necessary in the op-
Grating Of a system where rotation
is not practiced and whore the sluic-
ing of silts from the canals is 50