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<br />.:.f 1"......... <br />.tJ.,40 <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />THE NEED FOR WATER <br /> <br />9 <br /> <br />to flow at one-quarter of a league from the mission " * . and the <br />harvests are small considering the amount of grain planted." In <br />1810. which was many years before irrigation had been undertaken <br />in Southern California. Lake Elsinore had shrunk to little more <br />than a swamp about a mile long.' This indicates a long preceding <br />period of deficient supply since. according to Lynch, if no water <br />. f whatever flowed into this lake it would require eleven years for <br />a full lake to evaporate to dryness. <br />Beginning in 1810 and lasting for eleven years, the records show <br />a period of excessive rainfall. In 1822 another period of extreme <br />drought commenced, lasting until 1832. interrupted only by a large <br />flood in 1825. During this entire period crops almost without ex- <br />ception were very small. Father Fernando Martin. of the Mission <br />San Diego, wrote to Governor Echeandia in January 1829. say- <br />ing: "In this year of drought. when there is no pasture for the <br />sheep. where shall they be placed?" <br />Commandante Santiago Arguello wrote Governor Echeandia in <br />January 1831. saying: "The mission (San Gabriel) in sterile years <br />can scarcely support its neophytes, as has happened in the last two <br />years." The year 1833-34 is described as having been a very rain~' <br />one and the year 1839-,10 equally so. The season of 1840-41 is re- <br />ported as very dry. and many references to it appear in the records. <br />General Bidwell. who entered the state about this time. is recorded <br />by Royce' as saying that there had been no rain for 18 months. <br /> <br /> I I . <br />/"I "-\. ,h j/-ANNUAL MEAN f'1 ^ <br /> \ / v '\ , , f"I\\ i'/ "" l' <br /> , <br /> J .r' V' '\ 1/\/ IJ . <br /> I"" <br /> \f"~ ,r <br /> NOT~' , <br /> ~y '''''''~v<''''''' ,". pO<M, <br /> 1769_1/j50,~'\i19~flJll,,_/~. <br /> boo."". <br /> <br />:>:2 <br />;'00 g~ <br />~:>: <br />~ <br />'00 ~o <br />",>- <br /><;I ti~cx <br />g~~ <br />-'00 ~~>- <br />-700 <t~ <br />OZ <br />z"' <br />Z~ <br />"'~ <br /> <br />1110 1180 17;0 ,800 'elo 11110 'SlO 111-'0 o!l!>O 1860 11110 ,&eo IlIgo liIOO ''''0 19'2,J 19:10 1900 <br />YEAR <br />Fig. I-Rainfall cycles in Southern California <br /> <br />The results of the Lynch study have been combined with the <br />rainfall records of the past 60 years and are shown in the differen- <br /> <br />1 D.S.C.S. Water Supply Paper 447; p.321. <br />2 John Bidwell, Pioneer; C. C. ROYCE. <br /> <br />, <br />