Los Banos Rotary Club History
Urges Study Of Wiley Plan

Declaring that California is now walking into the semi-finale of a state water plan and that it best behooves us to be sure and certain of our ground, C. D. Allen, well known San Francisco engineer and industrial consultant, told members of the Rotary and Lions Clubs here Tuesday that this community should be vitally concerned about the state's water resources and should keep our legislators well informed as to our thinking and desires.
Allen is owner and retired president of Allen Engineering Associates, Inc. San Francisco. He is a graduate of Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont, and has had a wide experience in engineering fields, including service as transportation coordinating engineer for the Canadian Government. He is a registered professional engineer and a past president of the California Society of Professional Engineers.

Labeling Governor Knight's recent message to the California Legislature as the governor's 1958 election platform rather than an honest endeavor to present a workable water plan for the legislature's consideration, Allen said the Feather River Project as now conceived, is impractical, unduly expensive, and will not accomplish its objectives. In his opinion the legislature will not authorize the project during the present session, but will vote more funds for more investigation.

Regarding the Feather River Project, Allen pointed out that the planned dam at Oroville is a power dam rather than for storage and flood control, as only one-seventh of its total capacity is designated for flood control. Such a power reserve would be necessary however, to at least partially supply the power demand necessary to deliver irrigation water from the project. Even at the best, he said, the Oroville project could supply only one-fifth of the total power required for such purpose.

Cost of the Feather River Project, Allen said, is estimated at $128 per acre-foot of storage capacity. By contrast, the Plan will accomplish the same storage at an acre-foot cost of only $48.00.

Allen reviewed the plan conceived and sponsored by W. M. Wiley, a former Miller & Lux engineer, as providing for a total of eleven dams at higher elevations, bringing irrigation southward along the east side of the valley by ditch and pipe as far as Friant dam, with a major artery line to the west side of the valley at a point just south of Gustine. Such time would be a steel and concrete siphon line delivering water at a point near San Luis at an elevation of about 400 feet. From there pipe line and ditch would convey water to the south end of the valley and eventually into southern California.

Allen pointed out the Wiley Plan provides primarily for gravity flow and said that savings in power costs is estimated at about $50 million a year as compared to the Feather River Project. Cost of the 11 proposed dams in the Wiley plan, he said, would be only $284 million as compared to the $450 million cost of the Oroville Dam.

The Wiley Plan, utilizing surplus wintertime waters otherwise wasted into the ocean, could also supply large quantities of water for the San Joaquin Valley to be used in re-building our underground supply.

Allen also pointed out the Wiley Water Plan can be built as needed, extending and enlarging the facilities as needs of the state develop, with an abundance of water eternally preserved for the areas of origin.

As to the proposed San Luis Dam, Allen said the dam is entirely unnecessary and, by seepage through the heavily laden gravel basin, could conceivably damage and ruin thousands of acres of now fertile farm lands lying below the reservoir.

January 11, 1957

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