Imperial Valley press., 1921-04-14
SA n DIE 60
WILL BACK
VALLEY To
LIMIT
Coast City to Study Our
Problems That She May
Aid In Solution of Local
Difficulties.
(By WINFIELD BARKLEY.)

San Diego continually has lent the
weight of her influence and money to
Imperial Valley, helping in the devel-
opment of that fertile section and in
the obtaining of favorable legislation.
Imperial never has called upon her sis
ter county for aid that San Diego has
not responded to the fullest of her
ability-in fact the bay city has many
times anticipated such requests by in
itiating helpful propaganda.
San Diego is not playing the part of
magnanimous big sister in thus help
ing Imperial, for, in the final analysis,
the valleys great flood of prosperity
has inundated San Diego's shores leav-
ing a rich sediment of dividends. Time
and again, the people of Imperial have
said that they preferred to trade with
San Diego's merchants and to ship
through this port, thus fully capitaliz-
ing the San Diego and Arizona rail-
way.
That the people of San Diego may be
in position to intelligently assist I'M
perial Valley, they should thoroughly
understand the problems with which
the valley has to deal. The first and
foremost of these problems is water,
the foundation of Imperial's prosperity
and the commodity which has turned a
desert into the greatest garden spot in
the world.
While there always has been con-
tinuous and ample flow Of cheap water
through the irrigation canals Of the
valley, this cheapness is only relative
in comparison with the cost of water
in other sections of the country. The
Imperial Irrigation District brings its
water through foreign country and
also spends huge sums in control of
the flood waters of the Colorado river.
1t is stated that practically every citi-
zen of the valley is looking forward to
the time when the Mexican lands shall
nay their just proportion of this ex-
pense and the Colorado river floods
shall have been permanently controlled
by the Federal government.
The Imperial Irrigation District
takes the entire valleys supply of
water from the Colorado River at
Hanlon's Heading, across from Yuma.
Hanlon's Heading is just north of the
international boundary line. From
that point. the diversion canal sweeps
down through Mexico, divides into a
number of main line canals, again en-
tering the United States in the vicinity
of Calexico. From this latter point,
which is at sea level, the water flows
northward by gravity to beyond Cal
ipatria and INLAND which are $50 feet
below sea level
Under international agreement Mea-
leo is entitled up to so per cent of the
water passing through the canals, al
though up to the present time she has
never used to exceed % per cent. The
Mexican lands pay sc cents per acre
foot for water and the American
farmers 85 cents-but, and here is the
/, big angle, each acre of land on the
American side paws an assessment Of
95 cents yearly, interest and sinking
fund on the bonded indebtedness of
the irrigation district, and also pays
an assessment of So to SIS yearly to-
wards maintenance of the canals. Mex
leo pays nothing towards interest OF
upkeep charges. In other words, the
water costs the American farmer STA
per acre foot and the Mexican agricul-
turist SEC and the valley people be-
lieve that the treaty should be redrawn
so that the Mexican lands bear their
just proportion of the maintenance ex-
penses.
(This is the first half of an article
prepared by Mr. Barkley for publica-
tion in the San Diego Union of next
! Sunday. The conclusion will be print.
ed tomorrow-Editor.)