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<br />.,..;rf <br />6.. ,.. <br /> <br />3G3\) <br /> <br />FOREWORD <br /> <br />, <br />, <br />I <br />I. <br /> <br />THE rapid influx of population and industry into Southern <br />Calif o I'll ia is continuing unabated. The increase of both has <br />caused a further increase in the amount of water required <br />to sustain human life and to meet the demands of industry. Prior <br />to the tUI'll of the century the irrigation developments, cities. and <br />towns of the coastal plain obtained their water supplies from local <br />:;urface or underground ~ources. "Vith the increases in population <br />and industry the demand on these sources of water exceeded the <br />supply with thc result that the shortage of water became serious. <br />In 1913, the City of Los Angeles completed the Owens River Aque- <br />duct to provide supplemental supply. but in less than ten years it <br />became apparent that this source of water would become inade- <br />quate in a few short ,'ears. To meet the demands of the present <br />and to provide an adequate supply for the future the Metropolitan <br />Water District of Southern California was incorporated on De- <br />cember 6, 1928. following a favorable vote of eleven cities at an <br />election on November 6 of the same year. The courage and fore- <br />sight of these cities provided the Colorado River Aqueduct which <br />brings to the District the adequate supply for the present and for <br />many years to come. <br /> <br />According to the U. S. Census and the projections made by the <br />Security-First National Bank of Los Angeles. the population of Los <br />Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino Coun- <br />ties was 266.000 in 1900, 3,418,000 in 1940. 5,268,000 in 1950, <br />6,200,000 in January 1954, 7.500,000 in 1960, and 9,600,000 in <br />1~)75. The estimated population in 1975 is approximately 50 percent <br />higher than the present population. <br /> <br />On June 30, 1954, the District consisted of 51 incorporated cities <br />and large areas of unincorporated territory with a population of <br />4,5711,000, and an area of 2,139 square miles. Additional areas are <br />actively engaged in preliminary steps to annexation which when <br />successfully completed will add approximately one million to the <br />population. one thousand square miles to the area and one billion <br />dollars to the assessed valuation. <br /> <br />[ 1 <br />