Imperial Valley press., 1921-06-27
LAKE LEVEE
CRUMbl|NG
BENEATH
FLOOD
Miracle Only Can Save Col
OradO From Inundating
Vast Stretch of Rich Agri-
cultural Lands Below In
ternatiOnal Border.

Thousands of acres OF agricultural
land in Lower California are in imme-
diate danger of inundation by flood
waters Of the Colorado river from a
break in the Volcano Lake levee which
is expected momentarily by officials
Of the Imperial Irrigation District ac-
cording to statements given out. this
afternoon by President Nickerson and
Director c. w. Brockman. There is
chance that the scores of men on
the levi, will be able to hold back the
flood until after the peak is passed,
but the levee is badly weekend by
saturation and little short of miracle
will prevent break, il is said.
There is no danger to lands in the
United States or of break causing
water shortage i'll any part of the
irrigation district in the United
States, Director Brockman asserts.
Should a break occur the water will
follow a we'll defined shallow place
across the country to the New River
channel and be carried off to Salton
Sea without any damage other than
that to lands flooded in Mexico.
The discharge of the river was 1885,
900 second feet at lockwood gate to-
day, and the water level on the Vol
cano Lake levee is rising at the rate
Of about two-tenths of foot every
"a hours according to latest informa-
ton. On the Ockerson levee the water
the water. is rising very slowly, the
increase in the level being only one
tenth of foot last night and in about
the same ratio today.
The danger zone on the Volcano
Lake levee extends from point about
three miles east of Tortuso check to
half Il mile west of that point. and
it was due to the dangerously soft con-
dition of the levec that the side slid
into the back water under the weight
of locomotive, rock spreader and a
water car of the rock train Friday. 1t
is explained that after being saturated
the earth section of the lcvee cracks
badly in drying out, making deep
openings through which the next flood
has little trouble in finding its way to
the center of the earthworks, thereby
causing it to become badly weakened.
Along most of the section where
the danger now lies there has been
little rock dumped in the past, this
section being considered far the safest
of the entire levee, but at the present
time rock is being rushed -to,the levee
as fast as it is possible to handle, il
from the quarry, and hundreds Of sand
bags are being piled against the leve,
below the point where the derailed
train prevents the passage of rock
trains.
Since the slide last Friday which
ditched the rock train, the side of the
levee has given way further and let
the three pieces of equipment further
into the water, the water car being
submerged wheels up, the engine is
lying on it's side at the waters edge
and the rock spreader is standing or
the side of the embankment as though
ready to topple into the swirline
flood.
The presence of the Solfatara cana
Immediately behind the Volcano Lake
levee adds to the menace of the floot
according to Director C. w. Brockmar
who points out that in the event tha'
the levee breaks it will be more dir
ticult to close on account of the cana
being so near the levee and so deep il
the ground. Water rushing through
a break in the levec would enter thu
Solfatara canal and cut directly west
ward toward New River. forming
triangle with the levee and New
River channel as the other two sides
Under such circumstances the onl,
damage would be to agricultural land
inside the triangle, and possibly fey
hundred acres to the north. TIL
Cerro Prieto canal and the Westsid
main canal would not be reached o
even threatened and no water short
Continued on Page TwOl