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<br />ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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<br />
<br />Harold W. Kennedy is fully qualified to speak as an
<br />authority on policy problems and legal aspects of Cali-
<br />fornia's water problem. As County Counsel of Los Angeles
<br />County for the past ten years he has been deeply involved
<br />in the complications of the water and flood control
<br />problem. Since 1933 he has represented the Los Angeles
<br />County Board of Supervisors as legislative Representative
<br />at Sacramento and has taken part in the drafting and
<br />presenting of more than 500 bills which have become a
<br />part of the statutory law of California.
<br />
<br />In 1944 at the request of the late Senator Bradford
<br />Crittenden of San Joaquin County, who was then Chairman
<br />of the Joint Water Problems Committee, Kennedy drafted
<br />the State Water Resources Ad of 1945 and presented the
<br />measure to the legislative Committees, to representatives
<br />of organizations and associations interested in water
<br />problems.
<br />
<br />As County Counsel, Kennedy is attorney for the .Los
<br />Angeles County Flood Control District, ana the County
<br />Waterworks District. He has served as chairman of the
<br />Legal Advisory Committee of the County Supervisors
<br />Association and is currently President of the National Asso-
<br />ciation of County and Prosecuting Attorneys.
<br />
<br />Kennedy received his legal training at the University of
<br />California at Berkeley and graduated with an A.B. degree
<br />in 1923 and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the law school
<br />in 1925. He took graduate work at the University of
<br />Southern California and holds the degree of Master of
<br />Science in Public Administration.
<br />
<br />HIGHLIGHTS
<br />
<br />Important and Controversial Problems....................Page 6
<br />
<br />What Law Controls.mm........................m................Page 7
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<br />Legal History...............m..mm..........,......m...mPages 8 to 13
<br />
<br />County of Origin Protection........m......mm.............Page 13
<br />
<br />Administration Problems..........................................Page 15
<br />
<br />Californians and the Colorado River Controversy..Page 16
<br />
<br />Recommendations for Legislative Action................Page 16
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<br />
<br />lalong and romantic history of California thr.ds
<br />of "gold" have vitally affected our history, economy and
<br />welfare-the true gold discovered by John Marshall in the
<br />mill race of Suiters Saw Mill at Coloma on January 24, 1848,
<br />on the American River: the black gold discovered here in
<br />Los Angeles by Governor Don Gaspar de Portola when he
<br />camped on the site of the present Brea Pits on August 3,
<br />1769, (he thus being the first white man to discover oil in
<br />California)l; and the God-given a~d indispensable flowing
<br />gold-water, without which man would 'perish.
<br />"W-A-T-E-R" i. thus tha big five-letter word all over the
<br />country-and the lack of it has crippled our largest cities.
<br />It is becoming one of the most, if not the most important
<br />issue before the people of California today. The problem
<br />challenges our unselfish interest, our best thinking,
<br />our intelligent planning and greatest engineering
<br />skill.
<br />
<br />THE PROBLEM
<br />The estimated population of the State at present is 12,
<br />300,000 persons. In the next 25 years or byl980 there will
<br />be an estimated populetion of 19,000,000 persons in all of
<br />California.2 California contains 17.7501000 acres of irri-
<br />gable land, of which 6,700,000 acres are presently under
<br />irrigations.
<br />It requires an annual average of three acre-feet of water
<br />per year to irrigate one 'acre of land in most of the state.
<br />and five acre-feet or more for the desert areas. An acre-
<br />foot of water is the volume that would cover a one-acre
<br />area to a depth of one foot. An "ere-foot of water con-
<br />tains 43,560 cubic feet or 325,853.16 gallons. At present
<br />retes of consumption. one acre-foot of water will serve
<br />five persons one year. Most experts figure the urban per
<br />capita use of water at 180 gallons per day (180 g.p.d.).
<br />The State has a mean annual runoff of 70,798,000 acra-
<br />feat which indicates the maximum available surface waters.
<br />This figure is considerably lower during dry-cycla years.
<br />During the years 1927 to .1937 only 69% of the average
<br />runoff occurred, or 48,850,620 acre-feet.4
<br />, In addition, California has available (if we get our fair
<br />! ,..hare from the Colorado River) an average of 5,000,000
<br />I ..,....,. acre-feet per year from streams arising outside of the
<br />· state, principally the Colorado and Klamath Rivers." Un-
<br />I derground sources furnish about one-half of the domestic,
<br />! municipal, industrial and irrigation water.6
<br />J Competent water engineers, including State En-
<br />gineer A. D. Edmonston, are of the opinion that if
<br />
<br />l"Clllifornio Through Four Centuries," Phil Townsend H.~nno, (Fllrror
<br />& Rinehard, Inc., 1935).
<br />I Estim8tes by Reseorch Department. Security-First Netionel B8nk of
<br />Los Angeles.
<br />IReport of WlIter Committee, Agricultur<'!ll Council of Colifornill,
<br />June 10, 1954. .
<br />'Bulletin No. /, "Water Resources of Clllifornill," Stote Water Re-
<br />sources Boord (1951/.
<br />IS. T. H.uding "Bec ground of ClIlifornia Water lInd Power." 38
<br />ClIJifornill l.,w Review 547 (1950).
<br />'Bulletin No. I, "Woter Resources of ClIlifornill," State Wc.ter Re-
<br />sources Boord (1951).
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