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EIMPFRIAL VALLEY PRESS' TUROAYS. ELCF.NTRO. CAL. G. HAVENS, >r and Publisher SUBSCRIPTION One War .... ti.oo Six Montlifl • ' • • • .60 Three Months .... .25 Single Copi«*a . . . .05 ADVERTISING RATES * IVr Month 1 inch * 1.00 .2 to 18 inches (1 column) \*r inch .75 22)£ Inches iM page) IMB 45 inches («» pitfc) 25.00 90 inches (full page, 45.00 • # • \v«uii (he subscription date on your paper. The number of our paid circulation will be furnished on application Entered a* second-clan* matter March 3d, l*>O6atttu> pmtofflccat SI Certtro, California, under the Act <>f Conines* of March 3. 187'». A TRIP TO THE HEADGATE On Wednesday afternoon last we left El Centro for a trip of examination to Sharp's Heading and the Alamo river to see the structures there, and look at the conditions there obtaining. We accompanied Mr. W. S. Schee and Mr. G. W. Bothwell on the trip. Mr. Schee Is president and Mr. Both well a director of Imperial Water Co. No. 5. and both these gentlemen were out on jus* such a trip as I took. We went • by a team. , On the drive to Calexico, we passed the point In the Main canal whsre the railroad to Calexlco crosses it. At this point the big new dredger of the California Development company Is teinoorecLwaitlng for the railroad track on down the fggj^V.te^te^ work sof^channel making down. We stopped here and went on board the dridger and looked It over. Our ex amination convinced us that there is no reason to doubt the ability of the California Development company to keep its canals open and capable of carrying any needed amount of water. From there we drove on Into Calexico down Imperial avenue and past the splendid ranches of Peter Barnes. Fritz Kloke and Valentine Gant. These ranches are fine examples of what the excellent soil about Calexico will pro duce. They are principally devoted to alfalfa and thriftier fields one will not see any*here. Arriving in Calexico we at once became aware of the pres- . ence of more water than Is desired. A large force of teams was working on the levee protecting the town and a force of Indians was also engaged in shoveling it up in corners and places where teams could not work to advant age. We were Informed by Mr. Perry of the California Development com • pany that when the water began to rise a few days before and it became evi dent that a flood was coming, Mr. Tit comb of the Southern Pacific made a proposition to the Calexico people that if they would pay 20 per cent, of the expense the railroad company would build a levee along outside their track which would protect their property and the town as well. At that time the railroad tracks were all dry and there was no water in the yards. This prop- j • osition was considered at first by the people and the railroad company] sent j down a couple of trains of gravel and dirt and put up a small levee. Itjthen became apparent that the water was rising too fast for the railroad people to get the dirt there in time to build 'the levee where it woupi^ protect their property, consegtt*riUy-"th%y threw up the job ao^*'^4ut>wWi«n the.Cal ifornJf .^jNe.w^J n^pt c^panjrprofttwed ( tV&k^fct^^ney would ,'s?s£ | pelice^ofVhe expense of buUblng th*. present levee* a^hlgh as needed? to*^ protect th*'toW^*\rhis was accepted and the dirt wgs;'fiylhg when we got to L Calexico. i• '■ "-A '■'%{ On WedntywtyVv evening the land about the depot und< In the railroad yards was nearly a!f dry. the little dike the railroad company had put up not yet having given waty but on Thursdty morning the dike was broken In several places and as "the water In New river was within an Inch of Its highest water mark and stl!l rising the railroad yards were rapidly filling with water. I climbed to the top of the bank building and tne view to the west was a pretty wet one. First is New river channel proper which flows by Calexlco. The water is just rippling over the tops of the railings of the wagon bridge and Is a raging torrent about 3-4 of a mile w de. Then there Is a body of higher ground a mile or more In width, that Is still uncovered. Then a wide ex panse of flooded country, so far away It was Impossible for me to tell how wide it was or how swiftly it was flow* ing' I was told that this body of wat er was about three miles wide and was flowing a strong current, and that in fact it was possible the main channel of New river might change and run through there as a result of the cutting out that i« going on. There Is one ; thing a man can quickly determine by a look from the top of this building. and that Is that there is an immense amount of water passing between him and Signal Mountain. We got started from Calexlco early Thursday morning and drove to Sharp's Heading. On the way we passed the fine ranch of the California Mexican Land and Cattle Co.. on both sides ot the boundary line, also the McHarg ranch and McCollum ranch. All of these ranches show what excellent farming country surrounds Calexico. Alfaifa seems to be their principal crop, and it is all plenty fine enough to satisfy the most inveterate croaker. . On the way up we passed the splen did new headgate of the California De velopment Company, at what they call Station No. 134, which is about two or three miles * west from Sharp's Heading. This gate is for the pur pose of controlling the amount of water coming down the main canal to Water Company No. 1; and No. 4. There Is a very large waste gate here through which all the surplus water is turned out and flows into New river. - Quite an important change has been made within the last year or so in Ihe location of the Alamitos ditch. This Is a lateral canal for supplying the very highest lands In Water Company No. 1. It was formerly taken out of the main canal at the point described above as the location of the controlling gate and waste way. This was found to be too low as the water flowed so slowly for the first three or four miles that .the ditch soon silted up. This has all been changed now, and the Al amitos ditch is taken out at Sharp's Heading. This puts It on high ground, covers several thousand acres of addi tional land and gives the ditch plenty of fall. This changes the Alamitos from being a source of woe and the most unsatisfactory ditch In the Valley, as it formerly was, so that now it is about the best ditch in Water Co. No. 1. Arriving at Sharp's Heading" the first man we met was Mr. Sharp him self, the pioneer water man of the Cal ifornia Development Company, and the man whose continuous manage ment of the controlling gates of.the company's entire system since their first beginnings has given his name to the gates themselves. Mr. Sharp not only lives at these water gates, but It can be truthfully said that he lives with them. He has each one named and In his way attaches a personality to them. He has been in charge at this place for six years, coming here when the first work of putting the dam across ♦!ie Alamo channel was begun. He has seen every one of these great gates put in, and knows by actual ex- perience that they were put in right. iSharp's Heading, proper, consists of ! fWo,great water gates, and two lesser ones, aside from the works at Station 134\described above. The two great er gat?s'of Sharp's Heading, are the gates controlling the flow into the main canal ofcwater Company No. 1 and No. A. f a\d the great waste gate for dlscharglng\urplus water into he Ala mo channel. The lesser gates are the gate discharging water Into the Enclna canal, which supplied Imperial Water Company No. 6, and a large tract In Mexico, and the old Eastslde waste gate. Mr. Sharp Informed us, and In fact showed us how the amount of water being discharged through the Enclna canal and through the waste gate from the main canal could be very largely increased; in fact It could be practically doubled with complete safety If necessary. These structures art both apparently as solid as Gib* ralter. and no doubt will stand just as they are until they rot down. From the controlling gate of the Water Co. No I main canal we drove over to the Alamo waste gate, This Is only about 200 yards, but on the way we cross the head of the Alamitos ditch and the historic levee across the Ala mo channel which was the beginning of Sharp's Heading, and which stands and Is still In service, looking much as it did when we first saw it. more than four years ago, though everything else about it has changed, Arriving at the Alamo waste way, we were treated to an inspiring sight. This great waste way is 80 feet wide, and the outlet of the water Is controll ed by ten gates each 8 feet wide. The water thus released pitches down a floored Incline about 50 feet long, and strikes the body of water In the stream below with a terrific force boiling and splashing up ten or twelve feet high in an excess of watery fury, The water was turned through this gate before the wings were fully completed, but not before everything was perfectly safe. Mr. Fred Moore and his. outfit of teams was at work filling in the wings of this waste gate. We were told that the water was turned through this gate before the carpenters had time to nail the battens over the cracks of the In clined apron over which the water Is discharged. We were also told that the apron was well protected by sheet piling so driven that the immense hole that will inevitably be bored by the dis charge of such a large body of water cannot undermine or endanger the structure in any way.- The fact that the water being discharged through this waste way into the Alamo could have been turned out through the Enclna or the main canal waste way into New river and the structure kept out of use till fully finished and the apr?n battened and rendered water tight gave rise to considerable conjecture as to the rea son why the water was turned through this gate as soon as It iwas. The only plausible, reason advanced was that the engineers considered the structure ab solutely safe, which indeed it has every appearance of being and also that if the water now being turned down the Alamo was discharged into New river through the main canal waste way or Encina canal It would probably raise that stream at Calexico faster than the force now available could build up the levees. After looking o>er the ground pretty thoroughly and learning all we could at this point we went over to the little waste gate formerly^ used as the Eastside gate. This gate has been in the ground about five years and Is getting pretty well rotted out. The apron or flume through which the wat er turned through this gate was dis charged into the Alamo channel had also gotten undermined and part of It carried away. So a solid earthen dam was constructed across the ditch lead- Ing to this ga'.e and the water discharg ing through it is completely suit off. It is the intention to take this gate out and put in a much larger one. built on the same plan as the large waste gate just described above. This work will be begun just as soon as the carpenters get back from* putting In a gate In the main canal near the Five Gates. This will be only a few days. In regard to tne volume of water at Sharp's Head- Ing and the problem of its control we feel perfectly safe in saying that It Is a solved problem. Mr. Sharp told us that the water was only rising about one Inch ,'n 24 hours there and that the total amount of water being turned out through all the gates was not more than 200.000 to 250.000 Inches. The stream at Sharp's Is not more than 600 feet wide, so It can be seen that only a comparatively small amount of the :o tal volume of water coming Into this Valley from the Colorado river Is fol lowing the Alamo channel to Sharp's Heading. It Is also perfectly apparent that the facilities for turning the water out through the waste gates are ample for discharging a far greater volume of water than the Alamo c-.n carry to this point. In fact, I believe It could be turned either way. Should the No. 1 main canal break or Its condition re quire It, It could be shut down and tho entire stream turned through the waste gates Into the Alamo channel and con versely It could all be turned out through the Enclna and main canal waste ways If it was found necessary to shut down the Alamo waste gates. So much for the conditions at Sharp's Heading. The next point of interest we desired to, visit was the north bank of the Ala mo channel from the heading of Im perial Water Co. No. 7 to the high mesa. This is a distance of about five miles and In past seasons of high water in the Alamo the water has found Its way across the country a this place and has inundated and damaged lands In Water company No. 7. Not know- Ing the country or its condition we de cided to follow as nearly as possible along the International boundary to the -mesa, which we reached at Monument No. 216. From there we drove south east along on the edge of the mesa for about three miles or more till we came to the place where the Alamo channel flows along the foot of the mesa. It is from this point to the head of the Num ber Seven canal that the levee is need ed for the protection of Number Seven from the overflow. From what we had been told of conditions at this place we expected to find a large and powerful levee and be able to drive back along its entire length to the Num ber Seven heading. In this we were disappointed for not only was no levee In sight but there was plenty of water In sight and it was almost ready to ov erflow the ground where the levees must needs be built. After hitching the team and examining the situati.n for a half mile or more west from the mesa and along the river bank we de cided that Mr. Bothwell would take the team and return to Sharp's Head- Ing .by the way we had come and Mr. Schee and ourself would undertake to follow the Alamo channel back to that point and see what ' the real situation was. So we struck out across the mud flat. For quite a distance some protection from the water is afforded by small levees shoveled up from hum mock to hummock across the . low 'ground but there is no place for a mile along at this part where a rise of six Inches will not overflow the bank_ and run water down across No. 7. At the end of this low ground we came to an old slough heading where for a quarter of a mile or so the dredger had been at work last summer and had ■ thrown up quite a levee. From this levee on west we went following the river bank and noting that in no place was the bank more than one foot above the water level. When about two miles out on our walk we were treated to a surprise that was as agreeable as it was genuine. We came suddenly up on a big camp of Mexicans with teams, scrapers, plows and everything needed to build this very levee we could so clearly see the necessity - for. Upon coming up to the camp we remarked that the teams and some of the men looked familiar. Upon looking around we discovered that we had seen sever al of the men and teams at work on the levee at Calexlco the evening be fore. We found one Mexican who could talk English and from him learn ed that there were thirteen teams In the party, that they had come from Calexico during the night before and tha* they were there to build a levee from the mesa to the heading of Wat er company No. 7 just as quick as It could be done. They had the right of way already cleared for nearly a mile and nearly a quarter of a mile plowed and were ready to begin with the scrap ers In a few minutes after we were there. As they will only need to build the levee about three feet high In or der to make It entirely safe, It can be seen that they will make very rapid progress with the force of teams they had About a mile further on we met Mr. Chester Allison and his assistant running out the line and setting the grade stakes and from him learned that the work would be hurried through and completed at the point near the mesa where It Is most urgently needed first of all but that no stop would be made for Sunday or holiday till the levee was completed the entire five miles from Number Seven heading to the mesa. With the remark that the men In charge of the California Devel opment company certainly appreciated the urgency of the case In the matter of this levee we resumed our walk back to Sharp's Heading. All along the line we passed within a few hundred feet at farthest from the edge of the water In the Alamo channel and made observations at frequent Intervals. It was our conclusion that In the five miles tnere are a few places where a talse of three Inches will start the wat er to running across toward Number Seven, that there Is one mile of dis tance that a six inch rise would cover and that a rise of one foot would causa It to flow across the country to Num ber Seven In a body three miles wide. Out of the five miles or more of dis tance between ihe Number Seven heading and the mesa there Is from 3-4 of a mile to one mile that was built up by the dredger last summer and a mile or such a matter that Is possibly too high to require much If any levee to keep out the water. How ever Mr. Allison told us that It was their purpose to raise the levee all along the line to such a height that there will be no possibility of danger. Upon our return to Sharp's Heading we were kindly given our dinner by Mts. Moots. This we relished very much as an 8 mile walk Is a very ap petizing "bitters." From Sharp's Heading we then drove to Holtvllle.. following the Water Co, No. 5 main canal all the way down to where the power canal of the Holton Power Company leaves it then follow ing along that canal to Holtvllle. Thli brought us down through what is practically the heart of Imperial Wa ter Co. No. 7. We passed quite a lot of raw land, some of It uncleared and In a state of nature, and almost all of It quite rough and covered with hummocks. When looking at the rough land we would wonder why peo ple would settle on such lands and put forth the labor and expense necessary to level It and get it into crops, but when we came to the Improved land, and noted the magnificent fields of al falfa, the answer was before us. These farmers are raising alfalfa and hogs, and are chuckling over their proximity to the big headgates at Sharp's Heading. One thing they count on and that is that no one else will ever irrigate with the water that dont get past their ranches. From Holtville we returned home on the Holton Inter- Urban automobile on Friday morning. Taking our trip as a whole, we are very much pleased with it, as we learned many quite In teresting things and now feel, more than ever satisfied of the absolute safe ty of the works at Sharp's Heading. There is only one thing that we did not see for ourselves, and we were in formed that It would take a two day's trip from Sharp's heading, to see it, and that isthe place where the water goes across from the Alamo channel to New river. This must be quite a stream or else, if shallow, it must be very wide, for the volume of water flowing In New river is many times greater than that reaching Sharp's Heading. We are Informed that there are several of these streams and that most of the water goes' down the Pa drones river nearly to Volcano Lake, and then breaks over Into New River from being backed up by a log jam ob struction. From the point where we stood on the high mesa in Mexico, where the Alamo rivtr runs a|ong Us base, we could see for a good many miles across the country. The Alamo at that point Is not to exceed one-half mile wide and Is not flowing nearly as rapidly as New river. The country beyond it looked to be high grease wood land with quite a few sand dunes and big mesqulte hummocks. Away to the southeast is a green fringe, on the> horizon, and our curiosity was aroused to see what was going on down there. However, that Isn't so Import ant as what the water Is doing here In the Valley. . . -^ ;l^ While at Calexlco we were Inform ed that very little progress was being made toward extending the large chan nel of New river; that the water had divided up Into six or more channels, none of which had enough water In It to cut much in the character of soil it is flowing in. Quite a bit of blasting has been done, but with very little ap parent effect. However, the water flowing through Blue Lake Is cutting a large channel and making back toward the lake, and unless the other channel, where the work Is.belng done, is gotten back far enough to shut off the water going through Blue Lake, this cutting back will continue with Increasing force and the main channel of the river will pass through that way. Should this occur, it would cut out its channel very rapidly and would soon relieve the flood situation In Water Co. No. 1 , but it would destroy a beautiful lake and a lot of good farms in doing It.