WATER STORAGE ON SWEETWATKR AND SAN JACINTO RIVERS. 371 



the low mesas of heavy soil on either side. Ten wells, or shafts, 6 by 6 feet, 15 feet 

 deep, were sunk in a straight line, 60 feet apart, and curbed with wood. A 6-inch 

 suction pipe was laid in a trench bj- the side of the wells, some 6 feet deep, with 

 2-inch branches extending to and into each well. The pump used was a 5-inch Krogh 

 centrifugal, actuated bj' a 12-horsepower Fairbanks «S; Morse gasoline engine. The 

 water was lifted a total height of 30 feet to a flume, whence it flowed by gravitj^ 

 down the reservoir to the outlet tower, where the water was emptied into the tower, 

 and so reached the sj-stem in the ordinary way under a head of about 20 feet at the 

 dam. This elevation above the bottom left an opportunit}' to collect a pond of small 

 size below that level, in the lower part of the reservoir next to the dam, the surface 

 level of which was lower than the surface of water in the wells above. The volume 

 of water developed by this plant was about 25 miner's inches. 



The second plant in the reservoir bed was placed about two-thirds of a mile 

 above Plant A, and is called Plant B. It was a duplicate of Plant A in every respect, 

 and yielded the same quantitj' of water. A flume reached down from B to A and the 

 water thus pumped was delivered with that obtained from Plant A. Both A and B 

 were discontinued and removed November 1, 1899, after having operated continuously 

 for six months, at the average yield of 50 inches for the two. It was anticipated the 

 stream would surely yield a large run off during the season of 1899-1900, and that 

 there would be no further need of pumps to maintain the supply. They were 

 replaced, however, in the latter part of Maj-, 1900, and resumed pumping about 

 June 1. The total yield of water derived from the bed of the reservoir last year was 

 about 360 acre-feet. 



Next in order of development are the two plants installed by the Sweetwater 

 Fruit Company at Bonita, in Sweetwater Valley. This company has lands riparian 

 to the stream bed, and on March 16, 1899, installed Plant B at a point opposite the 

 Bonita schoolhouse. This plant consists of a 5^ b^' 8 inch triplex-acting pump, 

 actuated by a 12-horsepower gasoline engine, delivering water with a maximum lift 

 of nearly 125 feet through a 1-inch casing pipe. The volume obtained at this point 

 is about 15 miner's inches, which is developed by means of an open trench, excavated 

 in the immediate river channel. Theoretically the pump at 60 revolutions should 

 deliver 16| miner's inches, and it was usually run at 70 revolutions per minute. 

 With the allowance for slip, the delivery was estimated at 15 inches. An auxiliary 

 to the plant is a 6-inch centrifugal pump for dredging the sump and pumping water 

 to an alfalfa field and walnut orchard on the adjacent low bottoms. Plant A is 

 located at the Bonita store one-half mile below Plant B; was completed in April, 

 1899, and has developed about the same quantity of water, 15 miner's inches, from a 

 similar open trench in the river channel. This is forced to the distributing sj-stem 

 of the ranch with a lift of 60 feet, b}' means of a 5^ by 8 inch triplex-acting 

 Smith- Vaile pump, actuated by a 15-horsepower Otto gasoline engine. A 3.-inch 

 centrifugal pump is attached for dredging the sump at the pump, and for low lift to 

 supply irrigation to adjacent bottom lands. The total pumping operations of the 

 Sweetwater compan}' for 1899 resulted in a combined discharge from the two plants 

 of about 60,000,000 gallons or 183.6 acre-feet, at a total cost for fuel, lubricating oil, 

 and labor of $1,927, or about $3.25 per 1,000 gallons. Thus the average cost was 



