WSP06427

• File Number: 8277.200
• Description: California Water Resources Association/California Salinity Projects
• State: CA
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/1955
• Title: FACTS -- Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

The Metropolitan Water District \vas
organized on December 29, 1928 when its
Boatd oE DireccQrs held its nrsr meering in
Pasadena. It was organized in accordance
with the provisions of the Metropolitan
Water District Act adopted by the Califor-
nia State Legislature in 1927. There were
eleven cities, situated in Los Angeles and
Orange Counties, rhat originally made up
the District.

Purpose of District

The Metropolitan Water District \\"as
organized to plan, finance, build and oper-
ate a warer supply system from the
Colorado River. The District made water
diversion filings on rhe Colorado River
immediately afrer it was organized and en-
tered into a cootrace with the Secretary of
the Interior for a supply of water fcom the
Colorado River.

$220,000,000 Bond Issue

In September 1931 the <:icizens of (he
Metropolitan Water District, which rhen
induded thirteen incorporated ciries, voted
by a ratio of more than four to one to
authorize a bond issue of $220,000,000 to
finance the cost of buiJding the Colorado
River Aqueduct, Aqueduct construction
was starred in December 1932 and the
aqueduct system, in its initial development,
was completed and placed in operation in
June 1941.

66 Cities in District

The number of incorporated cities in the
Metropolitan Water District has increased
from the original eleven to sixry-six. Its
area has increased from 624 square miles

f7r.szuo

in 1928 to 2,691 square miles in February
1955. Originally the District areas were
situa.ted in Los Angeles and Orange Coun-
ties. In February 1955, District territoty
extended into five California counties, Los
Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernar-
dino and Riverside. The population of the
District has increased fcom 1,600,000 in
1928 CO more than 6,000,000 in 1955; its
assessed valuation has grown from $2,200,-
000,000 in 1928 to more than $8,000,000,000
in 1955. In population and assessed valua-
tion, the Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California now represents about
one-half the entire State of California.

No Federal Subsidy

The Merropo1itan Water Distri<.:t's aque-
duct system in February 1955 represented
an investment in excess of $270,000,000. At
this time a $75,000,000 expansion program
was also in progress. All construction COSts
on the aqueduct are met (a) by rhe sale of
Metropolitan \'(Iater District bonds, which
in turn are amortized with interest by tax
or water sales money provided by residents
of the District; (b) by tax or water safes
revenue received by the District from its
constituent a.reas. 'he Metropolitan
Water District aqueduct system is
not subsidized in any manner by
the Federal Government.

District Organization
The District is administered by a Board
of Directors with its members representing
its various constituenr entities. In February
1955 there were thiery-five members on the
DistriCt's Board of Directors.

Chairman of the District's Board of Di-
rectors is Joseph Jensen, one of the Los
Angeles Directors; Vice Chairman is War-
ren W. Butler, Director for Compton;
Secretary is Fred A. Heilbron, one of the
Directors from the San Diego County W'a-
ter Authority. General Manager and Chief
Engineer of the Discticr is Robert B. Die-
mer. Its General Counsel is James H.
Howard, and its Controller is A. W.
McKinlay.

Dam power from the United States Govern-
ment.

In addition to the pumping planes, the
main aqueduct system includes the follow-
ing principal fearures:

92 miles of runnels, 16 feet in diameter.

63 miles of concrete lined canals, 10
feet 2 inches deep, 20 feet wide at bot-
rom, so feet wide at top water level, with
maximum width of 55 feet.

55 miles of concrete conduit, same
size as tunnel.

4,000,000 More People

The Colorado River Aqueduct, built and
operated by the Metropolitan Water Dis-
trict, will have the ultimate capacity to
deliver 1,212,000 acre-feet of water annual-
ly to the people in the District. This
amounts to more than one billion gallons
of water a day. In 1955 tbe Aqueducr was
being operated at about 20 per cent of its
total ultimate capacity. The Colorado River
Aqueduct water supply will be sufficient to
meet the needs of between four and five mil-
lion more persons in Southern California.

29 miles of inverted siphons, varying
in diameter from 11 feet 5 inches to 12
feet 9 inches according to location and
operating conditions. Single barreJed si-
phons are 16 feet in diameter and rec-
tangular siphons consist of three 9 foot
nine inch square compartments. The lat-
ter are used for connections between
open canal sections. There arc 144 in-
verted siphons.

3 dams - Gene Dam, Copper Dam,
Mathews Dam.

237 miles of high voJrage Jjnes ftom
Hoover Dam to pumping plants, carry-
ing 230,000 volts.

Largest Water Supply Line
'fhe Colorado River Aqueduct is thi:.'
longest and largest domestic water supply
line in the United States. Ie has its intake
on the Colorado River two miles upstream
from Parker Dam and extends across the
State of California. Irs total length, includ.
ing the main line, the distribution lines,
and the San Diego branch line, is 556 miles.
Induded in the aqueduct system are 6,'c
pumping planes which lift the water a toraf
heighr of 1,617 feet over mountain barriers.
To operate these pumping planes, the Mer-
ropolitan Water District purchases Hoover

S56 Miles

In addition to the main aqueduct, there
is an aqueduct distribution system which
includes 314 miles of distribution lines
and 5 reservoirs. This makes a cotal of
556 miles of water lines on the aqueduct
system. Constantly the great Metropoli-
tan Aqueduct System is being expanded
to meet the ever increasing water needs
of the people.