Imperial Valley press., 1931-06-04
REPORT SHOWS ESTIMATES OF
DETAILED COSTS FOR CANAL

Construction of the All-Ameri-
can canal including diversion and
deSilting works. operation nd
maintenance during construction,
and surveys will cost $33,593 ,763,
according to the summary of esti-
mates compiled by the engineers of
the United States Bureau of Rec
lamation as contained in the COM
pleted report of Investigations just
received at district headquarters.
The summary places the cost of
the Imperial diversion dam to be
built five miles above Laguna dam
at S2,722,512. Desilting works at
the point OF diversion by means of
which 85 per cent of Imperial VAL
leys present silt worries will be
eliminated, will cost, according to
the estimate, $3,374,905 The COM
bined estimated cost of the canal
and the headworks is $32, 1853.
To that total the reclamation
service engineers have added an es-
innate Of sl,000,000 for priming and
operation and maintenance of the
canal during the construction per-
iod. They have added another
100000 for surveys past and fu-
ture.
That estimate includes the cost
of structures incident TO serving
the Yuma project, which, by the
terms of the All-American Canal
contract, will be subtracted from
the total that Imperial District is
to pay. Estimates of the Yuma
project structures total in excess of
100000.
1t has taken the reclamation serv-
ice engineers approximately two
years to complete their investiga-
tons and compilations of costs.
The work began in May 1929 un-
der the direction of H j. Gault of
the reclamation bureau. At vari-
Gus periods of the surveys his
crews aggregated 25 men. OF the
100000 appropriation (half to be
paid by Imperial and Coachella
districts and half by the United
States) $86,711.35 has been expend-
ed to date.
Location of the canal at present
calls for diversion from the Color
ado River at dam site five miles
above Laguna dam thereby gain
ing about 81 feet in elevation above
the former lower line, resulting,
according to the engineers report,
in large saving in excavation
through the sand hill region,
marked increase in power possibil-
tiles along the canal route, and
providing gravity irrigation facili-
ties to $4,000 acres of land west of
the sand hills that would, under
the earleir plan have required
pump lift.
Route Described
The report points out, however,
that there will be increased costs in
construction of the higher route
along the section from the diversion
dam to Pilot Knob as we'll as the
added cost of building the new dam
by which the desired elevation is
attained.
The canal will extend across the
mesa from the Sand Hills entering
the present district boundaries near
the Mexican border and continuing
westward approximately parallel to
the international boundary line to
the west side main canal. Rumors
that the plans did not call for con-
struction of the canal completely
across She present district are
shown To be without any foundation
by the engineers report. All neces-
sary structures are provided for,
such as checks, bridges and delivery
gates, in fact, everything that will
be required to connect with the
present irrigation system.
That part of the canal to serve
the east side mesa lands and Goa
chella Valley takes off at point
designated as mile ii near the sand
hills. 1t trayerses the desert a
short distance west of the sand hills
and swings northwesterly into Goa
chella Valley in such way as to
provide maximum gravity flow to
lands there.
Capacity of the canal is assumed
to be $4,000 second feet from the
diversion works to Siphon Drop,
where Yuma's supply is delivered.
From Siphon Drop to Pilot Knob
the capacity Is to be 10000 second
feet. From that point the capacity
is to be 10000 second feet for Im-
perial and Coachella Valleys.
The comparison of costs of the
alternative high line from Imperial
dam site and low line from Laguna
dam site shows that there will be
made available on the higher line
an additional power development
which, computed on a basis of two
mills per kilowatt hour, capitalized
at 6 per cent per annum, creates