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<br /> <br />.1 ..~ tl'~'" <br />L'-oj'~ <br /> <br />CHAPTER 7 <br /> <br />Construction Utilities <br /> <br />FROM THE Colorado River westerly to Big Morongo Canyon <br />near the head of the Coachella Valley the aquednct line for <br />190 miles is located across a desert terrain, subject to ex- <br />tremes of climatic conditions, and practically devoid of inhabitants. <br />Surface water supplies are nonexistent, and power sources remote. <br />Prior to the period of District activity roads were few and poor, <br />communication facilities rudimentary. Miles to the south, the <br />Sonthern Pacific railway skirts the Salton Sea on its way to Yuma; <br />east of Mecca the only railroad facilities serving the aqueduct are <br />those afforded by the Phoenix branch of the Santa Fe which crosses <br />the aqueduct line at Freda, some 50 miles west of the river. <br /> <br />The magnitude and diversified character of the work were such <br />that it appeared desirable to divide it for construction purposes into <br />a large number of relatively small schedules, the size of each de- <br />pending in part upon the length of a feature, as for example a <br />tunnel, or upon its structural unity, as in the case of a dam or <br />pumping plant; and in part upon the financial outlay involved. <br />This policy made it possible to secure competitive bids from many <br />independent contractors, and at the same time by allowing combin- <br />ation bids on any number of related schedules gave full scope to <br />the largest aJid most adequately financed contracting organizations. <br /> <br />In order to put the bidders more nearly on an equality and avoid <br />wasteful duplication or other uneconomic development of facilities, <br />as well as to make it possible to provide more satisfactorily for the <br />health and comfort of the workmen, a unified program of utility <br />constrnction and operation was clearly indicated. Among the <br />first contracts to be awarded by the District therefore were those <br />to provide a construction water system, surfaced trunk ruads, and <br />power transmission and telephone lines. Use of the District roads <br />is free of toll to all; the other services are supplied to the District <br />contractors under rates and conditions definitely set forth in each <br />case in the construction specifications. <br />[ 124] <br /> <br />( <br />, <br />