Imperial Valley press., 1935-01-24
TEXT OF ENGINEERS REPORT ON
DEVELOPMENT OF CANAL POWER

the Colorado river has been studied
and reported on from time to time
for many years. and in all of these
reports il has been determined that
the development of quite an amount
of hydro electric power is possible
on this canal.
The Boulder Canyon Project Act
gives the right to develop this pow
er to the districts paying for the
canal and the Imperial Irrigation
District by the contract between
| the government and the district
dated December l, 1892 and by the
contract entitled, Agreement of
Compromise between the Imperial
and Coachella Valley County Water
District - dated February IA, 1894,
the Coachella District agrees that
| the Imperial District shall be the
agency for developing all power
rights (Which it may have on the
All-American canal and provides
for the Imperial District to distrib-
ute power in the Coachella Valley)
Also in Article ID of the Imperial
contract with the government, the
Imperial District agrees to pay the
net proceeds from power develop
ment to the government until the
cost of the All-American canal has
been repaid.
Also, in Section 18 of the Imper-
ial-Coaehella contract, Coachella
District agrees within six months
after the Imperial District notifies
Coachella District that it is ready
to serve electrical energy, to obtain
! for the Imperial District contracts
| or applications for power, signed
/ by the consumers using electric
power at the time of service of such
notice, not less than 80 per cent OF
the power load then being consum-
ed in the Coachella area.
The purpose of this report is to
study the feasibility of developing
the power possibilities and also to
see what markets might be available
for the power output.
This is a very simple power de-
velopment from an engineering
standpoint. The plants, are sit
uated on the canal which supplies
water for irrigation throughout the
entire year and there is nothing
difficult in the construction. Al
the plants are within easy reach Of
the valley towns.
The supply of water for the pas
and which will prevail at the starr
is matter of many years recor1
and contains no uncertainties as /
will be guaranteed by Boulder dam
This is discussed hereafter under
the head of water supply.
The building of these plants is {
part of the contract between tht
government and the Imperial Dis
trict whereby the district must pay
back the cost of the canal to tht
government and the sale of thi
power is one of the avenues BY
which these costs can be paid. I
is my recommendation that in ord
er to escape the expense of inter
fering with the operation of th'
canal after it is in service, th'
plants be built with the building o
the canal.
The distance from one end of I'm
perial Valley to the opposite end o
Coachella is approximately 10
miles and the valleys average abou
so miles wide and in time nearl
all will be in intensive cultivation
This section is at present serve
with electric power by the Southerl
Sierras Power company over Wha
is called the longest Transmission
line in the world with consequen
high power costs.
I do not see how conditions coul,
be more ideal than they are her
for the building of an electric powe
system. in a desert country Wher
an adequate supply of low cos
electricity means so much for tn
prosperity and comfort of the peo
pie. 1t certainly will be a grea
asset and will contribute to tn
rapid growth of this community t
be relieved Of the burden of trans
mitting power in here from such
long distance.
All-American Canal
Tho A1l-Apoariooto oopal which