Pacific service magazine . entioned in a con-struction project of immense importance tothe agricultural development of a large sec-tion of the San Joaquin Valley. The lack of sufficient impounded waterto encourage proper agricultural expansionhad long been a serious handicap to the ter-ritory supported by the Stanislaus riverwatershed, and ever since 1916, realizingthe need of greater storage to provide latesummer and fall irrigation, the officials ofthe South San Joaquin and Oakdale Irriga-tion Districts had been engaged in makingstudies of various reservoir sites. The finalselection was made
Pacific service magazine . entioned in a con-struction project of immense importance tothe agricultural development of a large sec-tion of the San Joaquin Valley. The lack of sufficient impounded waterto encourage proper agricultural expansionhad long been a serious handicap to the ter-ritory supported by the Stanislaus riverwatershed, and ever since 1916, realizingthe need of greater storage to provide latesummer and fall irrigation, the officials ofthe South San Joaquin and Oakdale Irriga-tion Districts had been engaged in makingstudies of various reservoir sites. The finalselection was made at the head of Iron Can-yon, some few miles below the town ofMelones, where the Stanislaus river formsa natural gorge. It was decided to dam theriver at that point with a concrete arch-type structure 185 feet high above thestream bed and 590 feet long on the crestand thereby create a reservoir stretchingback some twelve miles above the dam andof an estimated capacity of 112,500 feet. Concurrent to the storage of water for. The Meluiie- irrigation purposes, the development of thehydraulic energy of the project became animportant issue, for rural electrification isplaying a more and more important partevery day in the development of the greattracts of valley lands that stretch fromnorth to south of our Golden State. Hereit was that Pacific Service came in witha proposal to make common cause with theirrigation districts for the general were entered into for the saleof the water impounded by the Melonesdam for power purposes. In other words,the parties entered into a combined irriga-tion and power project, a mutual enterpriseto the economic advantage of both partiesinvolved as well as to the general benefit ofthe communities interested. The entire project under the agreementreferred to called for an initial expenditureof approximately $5,000,000. The damnow under construction was financed by abond issue of $2,000,000 voted by the twodistricts; its construction cos
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidpacificservi, bookyear1912
