Page:California Highways and Public Works Journal Vols 8-9.djvu/26

 San Luis Rey River Gaging station has been established at Bensall and an additional one near Oceanside.

Gaging Stations in San Diego County Discussions have been had with Mr. H. M. Savage, hydraulic engineer, city of San Diego, and it was agreed that the state would contribute $75 per month toward the maintenance of stations at or near the international boundary on Campo, Tecate and Cottonwood creeks if the remainder would be contributed by the city of San Diego. However, these stations have not been established because it is felt desirable to secure the approval of the Mexican authorities on any sites for gaging stations which may be selected.

Whitewater River A station was established on Palm Canyon Creek. In addition to this station, stations have been established on Whitewater River at the upper highway crossing and also below Indio. No attempt is to be made to meter the discharge of these two stations.

Kern River The matter of gaging stations at Monache and on the North Fork near Whitney was taken up with the Federal Power Commission, but no decision has been reached by that organization to date.

Santa Clara Valley Investigation November 5th the Santa Clara Valley Conservation District was approved by the voters and request was made to the state for a general hydrographic investigation of the entire Santa Clara Valley, of which San Jose is the principal city, by the State Division of Water Resources. The water plane in Santa Clara Valley has been dropping for many years past and the permanent ground water supply appears to be very much overdrawn by pumping. The program for conservation will consist in its first stages of spreading the runoff from the streams and causing it to sink underground, and probably at some future date in building reservoirs to iron out the peaks of the floods. The investigation desired is similar to those which the State Division of Water Resources has conducted in other coastal basins of the state. A tentative program for such an investigation was outlined, and as a part of the water resources investigation of the state it was agreed that one-half the cost of the investigation could be paid by the state under the appropriation of $390,000 for water resources investigations made during the last legislature, if the district could advance the remaining half. This was agreed upon by the district and the investigation is being started.

San Joaquin Valley Investigation About 20 miles of San Joaquin-Kings River Exchange Canal have been retraced and marked with pipes. Topography has been completed on about 6 miles.

About 80 miles of line have been located on the Kings River-Kern River Canal, cross sectioned, and special topography taken at stream and other crossings. The work during the last month has been particularly slow and tedious because of the location passing through the many orange groves in that vicinity. There remains about 5 miles of this type of work before the line emerges into the open country on the tule delta.

The U. S. E. D. survey of the San Joaquin River from Mossdale to Mendota has been completely checked and revised.

Tracing of the topography of the Mammoth Pool reservoir site proper has been completed.

Estimates of the water supply of the entire San Joaquin Basin have been prepared for the period 1889 to 1929 and averages for each stream basin and for the entire basin for the past 40, 20, 10 and 5 years have been made.

The Kings River investigation has been continued in close cooperation with representatives of the Federal Power Commission in San Francisco.

Sacramento Valley Investigation

The preliminary draft of report on Feather River has been completed. Water supply studies of streams in the Sacramento Basin have been continued during the present month. Classification of land and survey of crops have been made on 2,750,000 acres determined from field survey and on 537,000 acres based on data available in the office. Data have been gathered on actual use of water for irrigation and the probable use for certain crops from all available sources.

The activities of this subdivision are being directed first to the prosecution of the current work before the office and second to the development of personnel and methods necessary to adequately handle the duties imposed upon the Department by the law providing for the supervision of dams. Considerable time is also being devoted to coordinating this work with other activities of the division in which much attention is being given to the rearrangement of the file system and the establishment of a direct and adequate method of interoffice exchange of data.

During the present month applications have been received for one new dam, namely, the Hansen Dam of the Los Angeles County Food Control District, and for the revision of two dams. Lake Hodges and Black Rock. Sixteen applications have been received requesting approval of existing dams and two for revisions and alterations of dams already built. The total amount of fees received for the inspection of dams to December 14, 1929, amounts to $47,062.26.

A total of 32 field inspections of dams has been made since submission of our last report, and certificates of approval have been issued for four dams, namely. Lake Hodges, Lake Almanor, Shaver Lake and Bear Gulch. During the present month a check of the plans and spillway capacities of Sunset Canyon and Hansen dams of the Los Angeles County Flood Control District has been made.

The consulting board retained to investigate and report upon the San Gabriel Dam has made an investigation of the Mulholland Dam of the city of Los Angeles, and is now preparing a report upon its findings. There has been considerable comment as to the safety of this structure, and it was therefore deemed advisable to have this same board make an investigation of this dam.

An analysis of the stresses in this dam has also been made by the Division of Water Resources.

Maintenance of Sacremento and San Joaquin Drainage District

The project maintenance work on the Sutter Bypass system in Sutter Couuty has, during the last period, been confined largely to routine maintenance