USA > California > San Bernardino County > Ingersoll's century annals of San Bernadino County, 1769-1904 : prefaced with a brief history of the state of California : supplemented with an encyclopedia of local biography and portraits of many of its representative people > Part 26
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Probably the first work done by these colonists was the digging of an open ditch carrying about forty inches from Raynor Springs into the stock- ade. This was soon after their arrival, in 1851 or 1852. The Davis Mill ditch was taken from the junction of City and Warm creeks in 1853 and car- ried some 1,500 inches of water, which was used to run the grist mill. The Rabel's Dam ditch was taken from Warm creek in 1854, and carried about 200 inches. The Tenney ditch, originally a large ditch taken from the Santa Ana near the head of the valley in 1855, was used to irrigate two or three sections of grain near Old San Bernardino. The Lord ditch and the Hale & Perdue ditch were taken from Lytle Creek in 1854 and 1855. These ditches, with others taken out about the same time, furnish the original water rights upon which many of the present water rights are based.
After the departure of the Mormons the settlers continued to use these various ditches, and others were taken out, as the Meeks and Daley, from Warm creek, carrying 600 inches, in 1858-9; the Timber ditch near the head of the Santa Ana, on the south side; the Cram-Van Leuven, the Waterman and the Berry Roberts ditches.
At first the water obtained was divided among the land owners as they mutually agreed, subject to the direction of Water Masters, who were appointed by the Board of Water Commissioners. These commissioners were elected by the people under a special act of the Legislature applying to San Bernardino county alone, approved February 18, 1864.
L. M. Holt says, regarding the distribution of water during this period :
"Usually a number of persons owning land in a compact form along the margin of a stream would unite together and agree to take out of the stream enough water to irrigate such lands. Each person thus entering the compact was to be entitled to such proportion of the water as he owned land to be irrigated, and each person was to do work in constructing the diverting ditch in proportion to the amount of water to which he was to be entitled.
"In those days it was not necessary to post notices of appropriation. In fact, it is not necessary now, only that it protects the person's rights
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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
while he is getting ready to commence work, and while the work is pro- gressing up to the time that the ditch is completed sufficiently to indicate how much water it would carry. When the diversion was once made and the water once used the right was established, and it could not be successfully attacked."
"Gradually, as land and water became more valuable, more elaborate and sometimes complicated systems of division and delivery grew out of the simple neighborhood associations which had at first been formed. Then came the period of regularly organized and incorporated water companies, in most cases deriving their rights from the old water rights, either by com- binations of the land holders, or by purchase. One of the first incorporated water companies in Southern California was formed at Riverside, growing out of the Southern California Colony Association, formed in 1870. "It was a land and water company combined. It was a close corporation and was organized to make money for its stockholders by selling water for irrigation purposes after all of its land had been sold. It fixed the price of water at first at a low figure, intending to advance the rate as the settlement grew. In those days there was practically no limit to what a company might charge for water." L. M. Holt.
In 1873 the South Fork of the Santa Ana ditch was organized informally, using the water from the Berry Roberts ditch, which was a relocation of the old Tenney ditch, to which was added water from the old Timber ditch. In. 1877 this association was merged into the Sunnyside Ditch Association, a combination of water users, for the improvement of their ditch and delivery system. Out of this has grown the Lugonia Water Company, organized in 1883.
The Colton Land and Water Co. was organized about 1877 with a capital stock of $50,000, acquiring its water from Raynor's Springs, the Rancheria ditch and from artesian wells.
The Cucamonga Homestead Company was also organized in 1877, deriv- ing its waters from the Cucamonga canon and cienega. These rights were a part of the Cucamonga Water Company's source of supply-that company coming into existence in 1887.
The Lytle Creek Water Company was incorporated in October, 1881. with capital stock of $75,000, and formed a part of the Semi-Tropic Land and Water Company, formed in 1887, with a capital stock of $3,000,000 to irrigate some 28,000 acres of land lying along the Lytle Creek channel.
The Redlands Water Company was formed October, 1881, with a capital stock of $1.500,000, divided into 1,500 shares.
The San Antonio Water Company was incorporated in October, 1882, to supply water from San Antonio canon and other sources for the newly started colony of Ontario.
The North Fork Water Company was incorporated in 1885. This grew
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out of water rights which had been used since the Mormon period, the water being derived from the North Fork ditch, the Cram-Van Leuven ditch and other claims. The increase in the value of water is well illustrated by a table made by Wm. Ham. Hall, from the records of the water-users of these rights. In 1865 one inch of North Fork water was sold for $18.00; in 1881, $60.00 ; 1883, $330.00; 1888, $720.00 ; at present the value would be not less than $1,000.00.
The Bear Valley Reservoir Company was incorporated in October, 1883.
The ."boom" of 1886-87 naturally largely increased the number of water companies and of irrigation projects. The value of the foothill and mesa lands was now understood; profits of from $250 to $450 per acre on citrus fruits were tempting-to say nothing of the wild figuring that was done at this time. Up to 1889 some 17,000 acres of land had been brought under irriga- tion in San Bernardino county. The United States census report of 1890 says :
"Irrigation in San Bernardino county .- This county contains some of the best examples of irrigation development to be found in the whole coun- try. Although dealing with comparatively small quantities of water, these systems are notable for the elaboration of details and the care and expense lavished in saving and utilizing the water resources."
MUTUAL WATER COMPANIES.
L. M. Holt, after a review of the irrigation interests of Southern Califor- nia, in 1890, states: "There are three plans for the ownership and manage- ment of irrigation systems under the laws of California at the present time
"First-The Irrigation District law-where the land in a given district is made the basis of credit on which to raise money to construct the irrigation system.
"Second-The Mutual Water Company plan, under which the system is owned by a corporation, the stock of which is held by the owners of the land to be irrigated in proportion to the amount of land owned by each.
"Third-Water companies for profit to be so managed as to pay dividends to the stockholders from the profits arising from the sale of water under rates to be fixed either by contract between the water company and the land owner, or by the board of supervisors as provided by law.
"It is seen that neither one of these plans or systems can be utilized to reclaim much of the arid lands found to-day in Southern California.
"First-Because irrigation districts are a business failure.
"Second-Because small land owners cannot raise the money to construct irrigation systems under the ownership of a corporation formed under the mutual water company plan.
"Third-Because private capital will not furnish money to construct
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works where boards of supervisors have the fixing of rates, unless the law will allow such company to contract water rights and rates with land owners."
The most successful method yet adopted has been the Mutual Water Company, regarding which Mr. Holt writes:
"During the past twenty-five years a system of Mutual Water companies has grown up that is deservedly very popular. The first company incorporated on this plan was the Pomona Water Company, in 1875. This plan was based on the idea that the stock of the water company should be owned by the men who owned the land to be irrigated, in proportion to the acreage of each, and that the water belonging to such company should be distributed to the stockholders only.
"This system was the natural outgrowth of the Southern California plan for subdividing and settling large tracts of land. A land company would purchase a large tract, subdivide it into small holdings, construct a complete irrigation system, deed such system to a mutual water company having as many shares of stock as there were acres of land to be irrigated in the tract. taking in payment therefor the stock of the company, and then it would sell off the land to actual settlers. transferring one share of stock with each acre of land deeded to such purchaser, so that when the land was all sold the stock was all transferred to the settlers and the transaction was closed and the land company would close up its business.
"The original Pomona Water Company ceased to exist, but its plan was afterwards adopted by the Redlands Water Company in 1881, by the Etiwanda Water Company in 1882, the San Antonio Water Company in 1883 at On- tario, and afterwards by the reorganization of the Riverside Water Company in 1884. After this the Temescal Water Company at Corona was formed on this plan, and the Santa Ana and the Anaheim Union Water Company were also incorporated on the mutual plan."
The water systems of Rialto, Highlands, Hermosa and of the North and South Fork Companies have been along this line.
The owners of water rights and holders of stock in Bear Valley water have recently formed the Bear Valley Mutual Water Company, and propose to secure control of the Bear Valley system and conduct it for the benefit of the landholders. This will be a new extension of the idea of a mutual company, and will be watched with interest. If it is proved that a plant as extensive as the Bear Valley can be handled by the mutual plan, a long step ahead in solving the irrigation problem in this state will have been taken.
THE WRIGHT IRRIGATION DISTRICT LAW.
In 1887 the Legislature passed an act which became known as the Wright Irrigation District law. Under this act a community might organize an irrigation district and bond itself to develop or purchase water, and to pro- vide itself with a complete irrigation system. Districts were thus formed
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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
all over the state, bonds were voted in almost unlimited quantities; the "boom" had inflated values and repeated decisions of the courts sustained the legality of these bonds and they became a favorite investment and found ready sale.
In this county the following districts were organized :
Grapeland 10,787 acres
$200,000 bonds votcd, none sold
Rialto 7,200 acres
500,000 bonds voted. all sold
Citrus Belt 12,160 acres. 800,000 bonds voted. all sold
Alessandro
25.340 acres
700,000 bonds voted, all sold
East Riverside 3,000 acres 250,000 bonds voted, $100,000 sold
The expansion of the Bear Valley Irrigation systems to provide the Ales- sandro District in this county and the Perris District in San Diego county with water, the large amount of money expended and the large amount of work actually done-all to result in a gigantic and dismal failure, is still fresh in the minds of many.
Mr. Wm. M. Tisdale, in his History of the Water Question in Redlands, says :
"To deliver water at Alessandro, from the mouth of the Santa Ana river, a ditch or pipe line was necessary which should span the wider Mill Creek cañon, climb the steep northern slopes of precipitous San Timoteo cañon. dive into that abyss, ascend the still heavier grade on the south and cross the range of hills between the San Timoteo canon and the San Jacinto valley, traversing. in all, some fifteen to twenty miles of exceedingly rugged country. Nothing daunted by the great engineering difficulties in the way, the Bear Valley Irrigation Company carried water to Alessandro through a line of steel pipe twenty-four inches in diameter. Commencing at a point 300 feet higher than the point of final delivery, this line twists about, down hill and up hill, across cañons, around curves and through fifteen tunnels, the dig- ging of which was necessary in order to avoid the steepest grades. Sweep- ing through the longest of these, 2,330 feet in length, the water bursts from the mountain-side at an altitude of several hundred feet above the broad acres which it was intended to fertilize and above the village of Moreno, still three miles distant. The comparatively slight difference in altitude between the point of departure and the point of delivery was sufficient to make up for all the loss in momentum through friction. The grades along this pipe line are very nicely calculated, and it is, in every respect, a creditable piece of engineering.
"The Alessandro Town Company was organized, with a capital stock of $1.500,000, and the Alessandro Land Company, with a capital stock of $1,000,000. There was great rejoicing at Alessandro when water was finally "turned on" at the farther end of the long pipe line and sparkled into the
FRANK M. BROWN
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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
flumes and ditches that conveyed it still farther to spread abroad upon the thirsty acres waiting to receive it."
Town sites were laid out and buildings erected, a complete system of distributing pipes was laid, and it was confidently believed that a rival to Redlands and Riverside was already in the field.
The sudden collapse of the Bear Valley projects and of the irrigation districts, in 1893, was a death-blow to these plans. The stockholders found themselves utterly unable to pay interest, to say nothing of the bonds them- selves. Suit after suit followed, and in 1895 a decision rendered by Judge Ross declared the Wright act unconstitutional, and many districts were allowed to lapse and their bonds became void.
The whole history of the Wright Irrigation District law is a most remarkable example of the utter inadequacy of any law yet evolved to deal with irrigation problems. And its utter failure has been a great hindrance to the legitimate extension of irrigation systems since. As the irrigation laws now stand there is little or no prospect of any extensive development of our water supply. The whole question of water ownership and distribution is in confusion, and the courts have rendered decisions which are so conflict- ing that there is no basis for any certainty in a question concerning water.
BEAR VALLEY RESERVOIR AND THE BEAR VALLEY IRRIGA- TION COMPANY.
The possibilities of Bear Valley as a storage reservoir were first brought to notice in 1880, when a topographical survey was made under the direc- tion of the State Engineer, and Bear Valley was reported as one of the best sites for a storage reservoir in Southern California. In 1883 the founders of the new colony of Redlands were looking about for an increased water supply for their lands. Mr. F. E. Brown, in company with Hiram Barton, who' was familiar with the ground, went up into the mountains and examined Bear Valley. Both gentlemen were satisfied that the impounding of the waters which annually ran to waste in these mountains was the only practical solution to the water problem before them. After their investigation they were convinced that a storage reservoir could be constructed and that the channel of the Santa Ana river might be utilized for the flow which could be diverted at any elevation required. Such use would not interfere with water rights already in force and covering the flow of the Santa Ana.
As a result of Mr. Brown's report and of his enthusiastic plans a com- pany was formed and was incorporated, October 2, 1883, with a capital stock of $360,000, and with F. P. Morrison, E. G. Judson, F. E. Brown, G. A. Cook and W. C. Butler, of Redlands; Jas. G. Burt, Lewis Jacobs, Jas. A. Gibson, H. L. Drew and H. M. Barton, of San Bernardino, and Geo. W. Meade, of San Francisco, as stockholders. The capital stock was divided
.
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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
into 3,600 shares, and Mr. David Morey parchased the first ten shares ever sold out of the original issue, at $9 per share, paying for the same in labor in the construction of the dam. Later the price went as high as $125 per share. A temporary dam was first placed in the canon and work upon the permanent dam was commenced June 17, 1884, and completed in Novem- ber of same year. All the supplies for the hundred men employed, and such material as was not upon the ground, had to be hauled by way of the Cajon Pass and the desert to the valley, a distance of seventy miles or more. The dam is founded on granite, and abuts against granite mountain sides. Its length between abutments is 250 feet, over all 300 feet. It is in the form of an arch, having a radius of 335 feet, with the convex side up stream, and is 64 feet in heighth. The structure is of granite, rough-ash- lar masonry on both faces and broken coursed rubble on the interior, all laid in a cement mortar and grouting. The or- iginal cost of the dam was about $75,- 000.
"The rock of this country is, for the most part, granite, of which huge bould- ers and massive BEAR VALLEY RESERVOIR SITE ledges crop out around the slopes, particularly towards the western extremity of the valley. Limestone is found near the eastern end, and some excellent lime has been bnrned. The channel, at the point where the dam was placed, was some sixty to seventy feet wide when construction was commenced. It is entirely practicable to increase the height of this dam and to strengthen it, or to build a new dam immediately below, thereby greatly increasing its storage capacity. With the water standing in this dam at a depth of 57 feet the lake extends back for about five and a half miles, and this supply would give a daily flow of 8,58] miner's inches for one hundred days. If the height of the dam could be doubled the lake would extend back eleven and a half miles and the capacity of the reservoir would be a daily flow of 116,000 miner's inches for one hundred days.
"Bear Valley itself is a remarkably large and flat mountain basin, about 6,200 feet above the sea. Apparently this valley once held a lake, whose
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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
waters, at a surface elevation of 125 feet above its bottom, overflowed at its eastern extremity into a canon which leads away into the Mojave desert. At the present time there is a deep, narrow, rock-bound gorge at the western extremity of this mountain valley, which is the upper extremity of the canon of the Santa Ana, and is perhaps fifteen miles from the outlet of the Santa Ana river into the valley. This gorge holds Bear creek, and the dam was thrown across the narrow cañon a little distance above the point of departure of Bear creek from the valley. It has been conjectured that the western end of the valley was formerly closed, the waters of the basin escaping, as we have already said, into the desert at the eastern end, but that the gorge was rent asunder, and the outlet of the mountain lake changed from east to west, by an earthquake. The rugged character of the cañon and the rapid fall of Bear creek after leaving the dam support this theory.
"The watershed tributary to this mountain basin is forty-five square miles in extent, and is heavily wooded. Yet altitude, rather than area, is the fea- ture to be considered when estimating water sheds in these mountains, and. being the highest water shed of importance in Southern California, Bear val- ley is in the midst of the heaviest annual rainfall. The clouds collect around. and bank up against, the lofty peaks of San Bernardino and San Gorgonio and spread over into this water shed. Holding so great an altitude its precip- itation is largely received in the form of snow, which, in the wooded and shaded portions of the water shed, lies unmelted for several months. The reservoir also receives a number of little streams from the wooded hillsides having springs along their margins."-Wm. M. Tisdale.
The land for the reservoir site was obtained by purchase, 3,800 acres from Los Angeles parties, and 700 acres from the Southern Pacific Company and the government, at a cost of about $30,000.
J. B. Schuyler, in his "Reservoirs and Reservoir Sites," says: "Probably the most widely-known irrigation system in California is that of the Bear Valley Irrigation Company, chiefly by reason of the remarkably slender pro- portions of Bear Valley dam, which has been to the engineering fraternity the 'eighth wonder of the world,' and has no parallel on the globe. The dam has no stability to resist water pressure except the arched form, and has been expected to yield at any time, although it has successfully withstood the pres- sure against it for twenty years past, and is to-day apparently as stable as ever. The probabilities are that nothing short of an extraordinary flood or earthquake or a combination of unusual movements will accomplish its de- struction."
As Redlands grew and more orchards were planted the demand for water increased until, in 1886, the directors determined to issue a dividend to the stockholders and also devise a means of regulating the water supply to con- summers. In place of the original 3,600 shares of stock 7,200 "Class A" certifi-
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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
cates were issued. These certificates entitled the holder to receive a continu- ous flow of one-seventh of an inch of water to the acre of land to which the said certificates might be applied-under certain conditions. Thus came into existence a peculiar form of water scrip or certificate of title to water, the exact legal status of which is still an unsettled question. In 1887 many of these certificates were put to use, and in order to deliver this water in Red- lands and beyond, the Redlands Canal was conveyed to the Bear Valley Land and Water Company, and from February, 1887, until 1894, the water was under the certificates distributed through this canal without extra charge to the users. But in 1894 the directors of the Bear Valley Irrigation Company attempted to impose a charge for this service, and litigation followed which resulted in a decision in favor of the certificate holders, so far as their right of way through the canals of the com- pany were con- cerned. The holders of these certificates have always received their proportionate share of water under them, although the question of the val- idity of their title has never been de- termined.
BEAR VALLEY DAM
On June 1, 1886, the Bear Valley Company entered upon an agreement with the North
Fork Company, whereby the Reservoir Company by the payment of $4,000 acquired a half interest in the North Fork canal, which was to be jointly reconstructed and enlarged, and the North Fork Company was in return to receive a stipulated amount of water delivered through the canal. A similar agreement was entered into with the South Fork Company. After the issue of the Class A certificates the Bear Valley Company still had water to sell, for the normal capacity of its reservoir in an ordinary season was not yet exhausted. It therefore made some sales of water outright, conveying title by deed. The principal sale was that made to the Redlands, Lugonia and Crafton Domestic Water Company of two hundred inches of water. The Class A certificates and this deeded water are now the principal sources of the water used in Redlands, with the exception of that developed from artesian wells. After providing for its obligations to the North and South
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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
Fork Ditch Companies, the Class A certificates and the deeded water, the capacity of the reservoir, or rather the supposed capacity, based on results for several years, was still not all utilized. There were also large projects on foot for the increase of the water supply.
The original projectors of the Bear Valley reservoir undoubtedly did not realize at the outset the vast possibilities of the enterprise which they had undertaken. But as the situation developed and they found that the value of water and of the land upon which water could be placed was increasing rapidly, they began to realize that they held a bonanza, and to plan to make the most out of their holding. They decided to increase the capacity of the dam by building it higher and by putting in other subsidiary dams. December 30, 1890, the Bear Valley Land and Water Company executed a deed of all its property to a new company, the Bear Valley Irrigation Company, which assumed all the obligations of the old organization. The capital stock of the new company was $4,000,000, $1,000,000 of which was preferred stock, the balance common stock. Out of the earnings of the company the preferred stock was to be paid a dividend of 8 per cent, after which the common stock was to receive such dividends as the company might be able to pay. In order to carry out all the projects of the company various auxiliary corporations were formed, among these the Alessandro Improvement Company and the Bear Valley and Alessandro Development Company. Thirty thousand acres of land in the San Jacinto valley were purchased at prices varying from $12.50 to $18 per acre. This land was subsequently put on the market and 10,000 acres of it actually sold at from $50 to $125 per acre. The Alessandro and Perris Irrigation Districts were formed and issued bonds which were turned over to the Bear Valley Company in payment for water rights in the form of certificates known as Class B certificates, of which 100,000 were to be issued. These carried a right to one-eighth of an inch of water, and were valued at $15 apiece, with an annual rental for delivery of water called for by each certificate of $2.78 in place of $1.00, as in the case of the Class A certificates.
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