DOCSLIB.ORG

Leading Menof the Impe= Rialcanalsystem

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Leading Menof the Impe= Rialcanalsystem Imperial flbtees AND FARMER. "Water is King—Here is its Kingdom." VOL. 1. IMPERIAL, CAL, SATURDAY, MARCH I, 1902. No. 46 Work at Imperial Headgates. sedimentary deposits. At the present time there are the feet of water Hut little has been said of late re- LEADING MENOF THE IMPE= flowing through tin1 temporary head- garding the progress of work at or ing Banal to the headgates for the full near the heading of the Imperial Ca-— width of the canal. nal System on the Colorado River RIALCANALSYSTEM. When the headgatos were completed possibly because of the work of con- and the water was lot through, all the structing the distributing system for boards in the gates were not removed Imperial Water Company Xo. 1 was The Imperial Canal System lias become so extensive and there are still tV<> boards at the such a great undertaking that the en- and is growing so rapidly and is so intimately connected bottom of the pates') that can be re- tire attention of the public had been with so many people whose financial futures are so inter- moved at any time vhould it become directed to that work to the exclusion woven with the BUCCess of this greal irrigation system that necessary, and thus the channel of other work more distant from the it is but justice to the public that they should know some through the gates could be deepened points of observation. thing of the men who now have the enterprise inhand since to the extent of two feet in depth and While attention has been more gen- the retirement Mr. George Chaffey. sixty feet in width. erally directed to the work in the Mr. A. 11. lleher. late i>\ Chicago, is President and The temporal? canal could also be vicinity of Imperial, various reports General Manager of the California Development Company deepened very readily and very regarding have been put in circulation and in that position has general supervision over the affairs quickly to the extent of livo feet, the main canal near the heading on of the entire system under direction of the Hoard o\ should such a deepening become neces- the Colorado River that have been Directors of that Company. sary, and the dredge is at. hand to do misleading and have tended to create Mr. Heber has led a very active business life and has that work. in the public mind some incorrect been accustomed to dealing with large enterprises that re- The main canal below the headgates ideas regarding the value of the en- quire good judgment ancl more than ordinary executive for a distance of several miles has terprise. These reports ha*, o been In ability. not filled up at all with sediment, and by most cases circulated innocently When a young- man he entered the employ of the tIn* water has run through this canal parties who were not informed, with Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, where continuously ever since it was con- probably occasional assistance from structed, with two Blight interruptions parties who had other than honorable which were made necessary in the motives to guide them. process of construction. For instance, it has been reported A few miles below the headgates the that the temporary heading was a main canal runs into a natural settling partial failure, and that ithad so filled basin covering about 100 acres, and up with sediment carried into it in this basin some sediment has been by the waters of the Colorado River, deposited. This is what it is used that the— canal just below the for. From this basin the canal empties heading in fact for— several miles into the natural channel of the Car- below the heading had been filled ter River and from this channel it is up with sediment several feet in taken out again at the diversion gates depth, so that very little water could a few miles southeast of Calexlco on be obtained through this channel, until the Lower California side of the line. the flood waters begin to come in early This lengthy natural channel is not next summer, and that itwould require filling UP with sediment, in the least. several months to clean out the canal Just above the headgates, between the so as to obtain a sufficient supply headgates and the permanent heading of water to meet the demands of the is another large settling basin which Imperial Settlements as soon as the is not now used, but It will be used distributing system was completed so as soon as the permanent heading is as to distribute the water. completed and water turned h rough This, to put it mildly, is a mis- the same. statement of facts. Let us consider a At this permanent heading there will few facts which anyone can ascertain be another set of headgates to control to be facts by visiting the heading the water so that there will be two a few miles below Yuma. sets— of headgates to the main canal The headgates of the main canal are one between the upper settling basin located about one mile below the per- and the river and another below the manent heading which is now being upper settling basin. constructed. This upper settling basin is located near the Colorado River so that by headgates tempo- Just above these a means of a hydraulic dredge the sedi- rary canal is built to connect with ment may be pumped from the settling the river about one-quarter of a mile basin back into the river below the A. H. HEBER heading distant. permanent as fast as it ac- I'REBIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER OF THE CALIFORNIA DEVELOPMENT CO. cumulates, and the hydraulic dredge is The bottom of these headgates is now on hand to commence that work a, fully five feet below the surface of lie became telegraph operator. He was rapidly advanced as soon as it becomes necessary. the Colorado River at the temporary to the position of train dispatcher. Tie resigned that posi- Work on the permanent beading has lowa, heading at extreme low water. The tion to go into the land business in Western and was already been commenced and this work — afterwards elected and re-elected to the position of Auditor will be continued until the upper head- Colorado River is, at—present writing gates of the permanent heading are middle of February several feet above of Keoknk County, lowa. completed. This work will be pushed extreme low water mark. His next move was to go to Southern Kansas where vigorously as soon as the rush of work distributing is so The temporary canal connecting the he organized a number of National Banks and the American on the system far advanced that it docs not. require the Colorado River with the main canal Mortgage Trust Company. Development attention of the entire force and en- just above the headgates was not He became interested in The California ergy of the company. ago, and he dug as deep as it might have been Company soon after its organization six years This permanent heading is being because It was not considered nec- and his friends contributed largely in a financial way to constructed through a conglomerate all essary or advisable to dig any get matters in shape to finally commence the construction cement rock that will stand for time to come, and it. is located at a deeper, and because its present depth of the canal system. in bend in the river where the force of would probably furnish all the water When George Chaffey took charge of the Company the current must necessarily hug the that could be used until the perma- April. 10.00, Mr. Heber was in the East dosing up husiness California bank very closely. nent heading was completed. affairs preparatory to taking an active part in the Company The large dipper dredge is located at present just below This temporary canal, one-quarter of in which he held so large an interest. He came to Los the time the head- gates. a mile in length, has not filled up with Angeles in August. k>oi. was soon after made General natur- This is a clear statement of the sediment at all, but the current Manager of the Imperial Land Company and very facts of the case, and any rumors that in this canal has been sufficient ally, on the retirement of Mr. Chaffey. he succeeded to his conflict with this statement are made to keep it entirely clear of all position. without a knowledge of the facts..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • George Chaffey Enabled the Imperial Valley to Bloom
    Click here for Full Issue of EIR Volume 24, Number 13, March 21, 1997 3. Water desalination. Taking the salt out of seawater irrigated agricultural land in California has declined 10% is a technology that has been practiced on a limited scale since it reached its peak of 9.7 million acres in 1981. If for at least two decades. There are a number of desalination the Newt Gingriches and Pete Wilsons, and the London processes (electrodialysis membrane desalting, reverse os­ oligarchical financiers have their way, this will be slashed mosis, and so on), but one of the biggest stumbling blocks further. is making the process commercially feasible. While work The Flood of '97 demonstrates that it is not natural goes on in that area, one of the most crucial features is to occun'ences, but incorrect economic policies, that caused develop nuclear power, because desalination uses a large the vast majority of preventable damage. Rather than waiting amount of energy. Cheap nuclear power, delivered by high for the catastrophe of the next flood, and the news media's temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs), would help spur retailing of ridiculous tales about why it occurred, there is the process. a simple solution: Reverse the trend and put the emphasis But these solutions are not being pursued in the nation back on one of the best examples of man's creative develop­ or in California. In Figure 10, notice that the amount of ment-infrastructure. of the California Development Company. His job was to George Chaffey enabled develop a desert area in the extreme southeast tip of Cali­ the ImperialValley to bloom fornia, which borders Mexico to its south and Arizona to its east.
    [Show full text]
  • A Sweet Time... We Had a Great Time at Our Quarterly Meeting
    EL CAJON HISTORICAL SOCIETY HERITAGE Volume 38 Issue 2 www.elcajonhistory.org April 2017 A Sweet Time... We had a great time at our quarterly meeting. We began with a tasty lunch at La Hacienda Restaurant, followed by Sue Bernabe 's reminiscences of her early life in El Cajon. We then moved on to Le Caramel, the caramel factory owned by Sue and Philippe's daughter, Christen, and her husband, Vincent. We toured the factory, learning the nuances of cooking caramel, were treated to a taste of the delicious treats, and most of us carried some treasures home with us! Our many thanks to the Bernabes and Kugeners! Up Next-Ancient Artifacts For our next meeting, you can be one of the first to view a magnificent display of artifacts discovered recently at one of El Cajon’s newest housing developments by Shea Homes. The Everly Homes development is located at Chase and Avocado, historically known as Granita Rancho. El Granito Springs quenched the thirsts of local and traveling Native American tribes for thousands of years. You may remember the property in more recent times as a ranch and riding school, complete with the usual horses, ducks, chicken, and goats, ECHS author and historian, Eldonna Lay as well as a couple less common ranch inhabitants- reindeer, and a camel with Paul Barnes, president of Shea Homes in San Diego, and the historic marker named Jasmine! When excavating the property for the new development, installed by Shea Homes to commemorate an enormous trove of beautiful, ancient Kumeyaay artifacts were exposed. the adjacent ancient site of El Granito You can see these-and more-at the new Sycuan Cultural Resource Center Springs.
    [Show full text]
  • Chaffey Brothers Irrigation Works in Australia
    Engineers Australia Engineering Heritage Victoria Nomination Engineering Heritage Australia Heritage Recognition Program CHAFFEY BROTHERS IRRIGATION WORKS IN AUSTRALIA February 2017 Front Cover Photograph Caption The triple expansion steam engine designed by George Chaffey and built by Tangye Brothers, Birmingham which provided the first stage of pumping from the Murray River to Kings Billabong until replaced by electric pumps. The engine has been restored and is cared for and run by a group of Mildura volunteers. The use of marine type triple expansion steam engines direct driving to multiple centrifugal pumps was extremely innovative when George Chaffey designed the engine in the late 1880s however the date of the order on Tangye Brothers is not known. Image: Heritage Victoria. Chaffey Brothers Irrigation Works in Australia Nomination for Heritage Recognition page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Table of Contents 3 1 Introduction 5 2 Heritage Nomination Letter 7 3 Heritage Assessment 8 3.1 Basic Data 8 3.2 Historical Notes 9 3.3 Heritage Listings 9 4 Assessment of Significance 10 4.1 Historical significance 10 4.2 Historic Individuals or Association 10 4.3 Creative or Technical Achievement 10 4.4 Research Potential 10 4.5 Social 11 4.6 Rarity 11 4.7 Representativeness 12 4.8 Integrity/Intactness 12 4.9 Statement of Significance 12 4.10 Area of Significance 15 5 Interpretation Plan 16 5.1 General Approach 16 5.2 The Interpretation Panel 5.3 Possible Interpretation themes for Interpretation Panels 17 8 References 18 9 Acknowledgments, Authors
    [Show full text]
  • Early History of Water in the Imperial Valley
    ^ƚƵĚLJ'ƵŝĚĞ for Educators͗ Early History of Water in the Imperial Valley tƌŝƚƚĞŶďLJĂŶĚĚŝƌĞĐƚĞĚBrian McNeece &ƵŶĚĞĚďLJ/ŵƉĞƌŝĂů/ƌƌŝŐĂƚŝŽŶŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ Here are some tips to help educators use the video to teach about the early history of the Imperial Valley. As in presenting any lesson, you first get the students ready to watch the video. Then they watch it. And last you discuss what you watched and perhaps assign work for students to explore the topic further. Learning Outcomes: After watching this video students will know 1. The Imperial Valley had few permanent residents prior to the arrival of irrigation water from the Colorado River in 1901. 2. Prior to the Valley’s settlement, it was repeatedly filled with a giant lake by a meandering Colorado River 3. In the mid-1800s, travelers and scientists realized the Imperial Valley could be irrigated from the Colorado River by gravity. 4. Several of the attempts to bring water to the Imperial Valley failed. 5. Charles Rockwood started the California Development Company and tried for seven years to find funding to bring water. 6. George Chaffey was the one who actually brought water to the Valley in 1901. 7. Before dams were built, the Colorado River had huge variations in flow, and so the California Development Company couldn’t deliver water in early spring without making risky diversions of the Colorado River. 8. In 1905, the Colorado River overflowed its banks and flowed into the Imperial Valley, flooding many settlers’ farms and forming the Salton Sea. 9. The Southern Pacific Railroad took over the California Development Company and spent millions to put the Colorado River back into its channel.
    [Show full text]
  • Xerox University Microfilms
    INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the original submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting thru an image and duplicating adjacent pages to insure you complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a large round black mark, it is an indication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have moved during exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You will find a good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed the photographer followed a definite method in "sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued again — beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. The majority of users indicate that the textual content is of greatest value, however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from "photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix I (Narrators, Interviewers, and Transcribers)
    Appendix I (Narrators, Interviewers, and Transcribers) Narrators Keith Bright (b.1915) was born in Taft, California, earned a degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Southern California, and built a career in the oil industty. In 1968, Keith and his wife Jane moved with their three children from the Los Angeles area ro a cattle ranch in the Owens Valley. Early involvements with state party politics led ro an appointment in 1986 ro a seat on the Inyo County Board of Supervisors. At the same time, Keith served as a negotiaror for the Inyo County-Los Angeles Long Term Water Agreement. In 1993, he was appointed to serve on the Advisoty Commission for Manzanar National Historic Site. The Brights live on their historic ranch north of Independence. Truman Buff (1906-1996), an Owens Valley Paiute, was born at the Fort Independence Reservation and lived there most of his life. Excelling in music and sports as a boy, he studied violin and saxophone at the Sherman Institute, an Indian boarding school in Riverside, California. He later played with dance bands in southern California and in the Owens Valley. Following a tour of the western states with an all-Indian band, he returned to the valley, mar­ ried, and worked twenty-seven years as a heavy equipment operator for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. A talented baseball player, he played for over thirty years with teams in the Owens Valley. Owen Cooper (b. 1916) retired in 1984 from Chalfant Press in Bishop, capping a fifty-year career as printer and co-publisher of the Owens Valley newspapers.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comparative Case Study of Lake Tahoe and the Salton Sea
    University of Nevada, Reno The Promise of Pleasure and Prosperity in the Desert Landscape, 1958-1976: A Comparative Case Study of Lake Tahoe and the Salton Sea A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History by Margarethe R. Eirenschmalz Dr. C. Elizabeth Raymond/Thesis Advisor December, 2018 © by Margarethe R. Eirenschmalz 2018 All Rights Reserved THE GRADUATE SCHOOL We recommend that the thesis prepared under our supervision by MARGARETHE R. EIRENSCHMALZ Entitled The Promise Of Pleasure And Prosperity In The Desert Landscape, 1958-1976: A Comparative Case Study Of Lake Tahoe And The Salton Sea be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS C. Elizabeth Raymond, Ph.D., Advisor William Rowley, Ph.D., Committee Member William Eubank, Ph.D., Graduate School Representative David W. Zeh, Ph.D., Dean, Graduate School December, 2018 i Abstract In the early 1950s the Salton Sea was hailed as a desert paradise to rival Palm Springs and the Riviera. By 1976 it had become a blemish on the landscape of Southern California and little more than an agricultural sump. Lake Tahoe on the other hand has thrived as a tourist and recreational destination for over a century; even when its slopes had been denuded of much of its forests people were still eager to visit the area. A fundamental preference for a European landscape aesthetic explains the continued attraction of Lake Tahoe and the efforts that have been made on its behalf; while a rejection of the desert landscape aesthetic accounts for the neglect suffered by the Salton Sea’s reputation and environment.
    [Show full text]
  • The First 40 Years =
    IID: THE FIRST 40 YEARS = M. J. Dowd IID: THE FIRST 40 YEARS = HISTORY OF IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT and the DEVELOPMENT OF IMPERIAL VALLEY by M. J. Dowd Executive Officer 1956 PREFACE The following history of the Imperial Irrigation District was prepared by Mr. M. J. Dowd, who served the District from 1922 until his death in 1965, as Consulting Engineer and Executive Officer to the Board of Directors. The history covers the early years of the District until 1940. It was Mr. Dowd’s intention to prepare additional chapters covering the All-American Canal project, power development, the Salton Sea, and the period from 1940 to date. It is unfortunate that he was unable to complete that work. Mr. Dowd’s original manuscript prepared in 1956 contained a bibliography, and reference list which were not completed and therefore, are not included here. They are filed in the Imperial Irrigation District’s Dowd Memorial Library located in El Centro. Mr. Dowd labeled this manuscript a “Preliminary Draft”, but no attempt has been made to make any changes other than minor editorial corrections. Richard N. Taylor, Director Community & Special Services PLEASE NOTE: In 2012, this document was scanned using optical character recognition software, and reformatted using modern type treatments on digital equipment. Other than minor typographic corrections, the document retains its original verbiage as written by Mr. Dowd. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. DESCRIPTION OF AREA The Colorado Desert ...................................................................................................................................................................1
    [Show full text]
  • Certified Local Government Report
    CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPORT 2013-2014 City of Ontario Annual CLG Reporting local historic preservation program City of Ontario Planning Department activities, training, and participation from October 1, 2013- 303 East B Street September 30, 2014 for the City of Ontario. Featured above is Ontario, CA 91764 Phone, 909-395-2000 the recently unveiled “Ontario Through the Years” history mural www.ci.ontario.ca.us that represents the founding and development of Ontario. Certified Local Government Program -- 2013-2014 Annual Report (Reporting period is from October 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014) CompleteINSTRUCTIONS: Se This a Word form with expanding text fields and check boxes. It will probably open as Read-Only. Save it to your computer before you begin entering data. This form can be saved and reopened. Because this is a WORD form, it will behave generally like a regular Word document except that the font, size, and color are set by the text field. Start typing where indicated to provide the requested information. Click on the check box to mark either yes or no. To enter more than one item in a particular text box, just insert an extra line (Enter) between the items. Save completed form and email as an attachment to [email protected]. You can also convert it to a PDF and send as an email attachment. Use the Acrobat tab in WORD and select Create and Attach to Email. You can then attach the required documents to that email. If the attachments are too large (greater than10mb total), you will need to send them in a second or third email.
    [Show full text]
  • NEH Coversheet
    Narrative Section of a Successful Application The attached document contains the grant narrative and selected portions of a previously funded grant application. It is not intended to serve as a model, but to give you a sense of how a successful application may be crafted. Every successful application is different, and each applicant is urged to prepare a proposal that reflects its unique project and aspirations. Prospective applicants should consult the Preservation and Access application guidelines at http://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/preservation-assistance-grants-smaller- institutions for instructions. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to consult with the NEH Division of Preservation and Access Programs staff well before a grant deadline. Note: The attachment only contains the grant narrative and selected portions, not the entire funded application. In addition, certain portions may have been redacted to protect the privacy interests of an individual and/or to protect confidential commercial and financial information and/or to protect copyrighted materials. Project Title: Ontario City Library Local History Room Preservation Assessment Institution: City of Ontario Project Director: Kelly Zackmann Grant Program: Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Rm. 411, Washington, D.C. 20506 P 202.606.8570 F 202.606.8639 E [email protected] www.neh.gov Ontario City Library Model Colony History Room Preservation Assessment Project Narrative A. What activity (or activities) would the grant support? If selected, the National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistance Grant will support three activities. The first being an overall assessment of the collections housed within the Ontario City Library’s Robert E.
    [Show full text]
  • El Centro History
    itstory *E1 Cerro Chamber of Commerce* http ://www.elcentrochamber.comlhistory .htm Location El Centro Weather The Chamber Member Informati ELQ4'4t Visitors Guide Clamber of Commerce Community Profile & VISITORS BUREAU "Where the Sun Spends the Winter" History History Home Email Us It was the Colorado that led Dr. O.M. Wozencraft, who originally had come to California for the Gold Rush, began his thirty eight-year quest to bring water to the area. In 1859, Wozencraft received support for his idea from the State Legislature of California, which granted him rights to the land should he be able to establish the water supply as he proposed . The Federal Congress showed some interest in Wozencraft's proposal, but the Civil War and other matters demanded greater priority . Until his death in 1887, Wozencraft, realizing the many possibilities for wealth in the agriculture potential of the Colorado Desert Valley, worked diligently to achieve his unfulfilled dream. Nearly forty years of speculation and comment had taken place regarding various desert irrigation plans when, in 1892, a company out of Colorado sent Mr. C .R. Rockwood, an experienced irrigation engineer, to Yuma . While investigating the possibility of irrigating the Sonora, Mexico, desert area with water from the Colorado River, Rockwood found instead that such a project was more feasible into the Colorado Desert . The project was approved and the search for financial backing was begun. Rockwood was named as chief engineer. Surveys revealed a total of two million acres in the Salton Basin and Baja California could be irrigated from a single canal project .
    [Show full text]
  • The Story of the First Decade in Imperial Valley, California
    ThestoryofthefirstdecadeinImperialValley,California EdgarF.Howe,WilburJayHall <i*• ' '; ffl s i*' y? ME THE S TORY OF THE FIRST DECADE In I mperial Valley, California BY E DGAR F. HOWE and WILBUR JAY HALL IMPERIAL Edgar. F Howe & Sons 1910 Copyright, 1 910 By Edgar. F Howe and .Wilbur Jay Hall *.;■ STORYF O THE STORY For s everal years it had been my dream some day to write the romantic history of Imperial Valley, and when the time was drawing near for celebration of the tenth year of the beginning of reclamation, I said to myself: "Now I will write 'The Story of the First Decade.' " Butn i the print shop man proposes and the necessity of current events disposes. The inability to find time for the work led me to call in as an " associate" in the writing of the story Mr. Wilbur J. Hall and events have so shaped themselves against my purpose that the finished book is primarily the work of the "associate." In looking over these pages, now that the work is concluded, I feel that I can congratulate the public that fate de creed that the important task of recording this history was res cued from my hands and placed in those of an abler man. Thiss i the time for the story to be told. The pioneer period is drawing to a close. The ten years of struggle has laid the foundation for an addition to Southern California such as it has never before received. Yet t he structural labor is but begun. We can see today more clearly the possibility of building a new Egypt.
    [Show full text]