Imperial Valley press., 1929-08-12
DISTRICT RUNS
MINIATURE CITY
AT ALCOD0NES

In the extreme southeastern corner
of California, practically on the
banks Of the Colorado river, within
sight of the state of Arizona and
within an arm 8 throw Of old Mexi-
co, there is a miniature city main
tanned by the Imperial Irrigation
District, with assets back of it to-
falling $23,512, 2,s9454. 1t has its
own private water system, private
railroads consisting of two locomo.
tives and approximately 100 rock
ears, private telephone system, which
also embraces Imperial valley, and
the homes are equipped with all
modern conveniences in the way of
electrical appliances, heating, etc.
There is a private post office, ice
grocery store combined, for the
benefit of its population, which var
les from 65 to $50, depending on the
season of the year. One of the most
spacious buildings in the city is the
eompany's commissary, which has a
seating capacity to feed 250 en-
ployecs. During the busiest season,
which has just passed and lasts from
the latter part Of spring until July,
the company employs sufficient
number of laborers to necessitate
two settings of tables.
This huge building fronts beau
tiful and well kept lawn and is shad-
ed with various shade trees, which
makes living pleasant and eliminates
the severe heat from the hot desert
sands that surround the city.
Through this miniature city flow
the very necessities of life for I'm
perial valley, which means hundreds
of thousands of dollars to citizens
of Imperial county-water. The big
lockwood intake which forms a part
of the bank of. the Colorado, is
equipped with 76 gates measuring
oE feet in width. The water that /
flows through these gates, it was
pointed out by one of the officials !
yesterday, has % percent silt. There
fore, farmer in the Imperial valley !
ordering four feet of water receives
only three feet.
Just a mile below the lockwood
intake is the old original Hanlon
gate across the canal, which is a !
young river in itself. 1t was ex-
planned that the two gates are main
tanned in an effort to decrease the
flow Of silt as much as possible. The
silt is naturally heavier at the bot
tom of the channel than at the top,
and as the water is forced to flow
over the Hanlon gate "a large amount
of the silt is caught. In this big
canal between the lockwood intake |
and the Hanlon gates are two large
river dredges which serve to clean
the channel Of debris and to pump
the accumulated silt back into the !
Colorado river.
At present there are thousands of
feet of water flowing down the riv-
er going to waste. But in the bus /,
lest season here in the Imperial val |
ley and when there has been little !
snow in the Rocky and Sierra Ne
er, every foot of water is conserved !
and used by valley farmers.
When the river is low and a water !
shortage is threatening, huge weirs
are placed in the river bed which
dam up the river below the intake.
To accomplish this, a 30 ton hoist
is used TO lift these weirs, which !
10 ,t hA hnt ~
tom and about three feet at the
top and made of river reeds. and
are run out over the river by use
of an overhead cable and deposited.
This feat is accomplished at a huge
expense. Each weir costs approx
mately 800. In the spring when
the snow in the mountains melt,
these must be dynamited to prevent
an overflow of the rivers banks.
One of the important facts at the
camp is the huge rock quarry. Since
the district was formed in 1911,
half of Pilot Knob has been blast
ed away and its rocks dumped along
banks on the California line. The
100 rock ears are always kept load
ed with rock and boulders for
emergencies that arise.
Less than half mile from this
little city, which is indirectly own
ed and controlled by the citizens of
Imperial valley, lies the little bord-
Ell town of Algadones, Mexico. This
is known as Yuma's Mexicali. On
this side of the international border
is the American station for United
States custom officers, Andrade.