Weekly journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1908-1929, 1919-01-08

covds show that it cost the city 1514
cents per thousand gallons to pump
water from Del Rio in 1918. This in
cludes nothing but the cost OF pump
ing, the total cost, including upkecp.
interest on bonds, etc, being 90
cents per thousand gallons. Engi-
neers have already estimated that
the cost of bringing water from a
storage dam on Potts Creek, could
not exceed two cents per thousand
gallons.
While Engineer Phillips will in
vestigate the four sites named above,
it is generally conceded that the
Potts Creek water shed offers the
logical solution for the city's water
problem Even as far bacS as 1897,
when "Bucky" O'Neill was mayor,
the desirability of the Potts Creek
site was recognized, when Engineer
]. J. Fisher Investigated and report
ed upon the feasibility of construct
a storage dam there In his report
to the city council at that time En-
gineer Fisher pointed out that the
Potts Greek watershed embraced
some 100000 square feet, which,
with the average rainfall, would sup
ply POS, 42sO32 U. s. gallons annual
ly. Aspen Creek watershed, tribu-
tary to Potts Creek, the flow from
which could be diverted to Potts
Creek by means of a simple earth
canal, embraces 100000 square
feet. and would furnished 379, 5SS, 30S
U. S. gallons per annum, a total OF
5S9,Ol6.34O U. S. gallons year for
the project.
Bv the construction of a 65-foot
dam across the head OF Potts Greek
canyon. Engineer Fisher estimated a
lake 5000 feet long and 500 feet wide
would be formed, impounding ap-
proximately 9.SS4,040 gallons OF
water. sufficient, he stated, to sup
ply 40 gallons per capita per day, to
a city OF 7,S4O people, for ABS days
before emptying the reservoir. Tnat
such a reservoir would be filled more
than once every 435 days was safe
prediction, he declared.
While not ready to commit him
self prior to an examination, Engi-
neer Phillips, after casual survey
OF the Potts Greek site, said;
"Why limit yourself 10 a 65-foot
dam? Why not build lOO-foot
dam. say, and impound sufficient
water for a city several times the
present size of Prescott"
Neither would Engineer Phillips
venture a guess as to the probable
cost. preferring to wait until he had
made his examinations and submitted
his report, but, back in 1897, Engi-
neer Fisher gave the council the fol-
lowing estimate for 65-foot dam:
Canal and diverting dam
from Aspen Greek S 5000
Cost OF dam (aprroxi-
mately) .......-.. 10000
Pipe line to city reser-
voir .-...--.....-.. lS,OOo
Engineering and Incl
dental expenses 1900. 6,120
Total ...-..... .$S5,12O
The advisory board OF engineers,
appointed at that time, and consist
ing of w. A. Drake, T. G. Barlow
Massicks, R. B. Burns, chief engi-
neers of the Santa Fe-Pacific, and
other well known engineers and citi-
zens Of the city. endorsed the pro-
ject and recommended its construc
ton, but, unfortunately for the city,
Mayor O'Neill soon afterward went
to war, and for some unknown rea
son, the succeeding city officials per
mitted the matter to lapse, with the
result that Prescott is again faced by
a serious water shortage
Councilman Roy l. Smith, chair
man of the water committee, who
has followed the needs OF Prescott in
this regard very closely Tor many
years, frankly admits tnat the pres
ent water supply is not only made
quate to future needs, but IS OF the
opinion that, unless immediate ac-
tion is taken looking to an addition |
al supply, the city may well face the /
possibility OF being without fire pro-
lection next summer. For the past
three years, as chairman OF the water
committee, he has strained every re
source OF the city TO keep the supply /
up to local requirements, but with
the building OF Fort Whipple, he adj
mits there can be no enlargement OF
present facilities that will care for
this added consumption and leave /
sufficient to meet the needs of the /
citys population He favors the