Background

The Lower Mexican Heading was a channel that was dredged between the Colorado River and the Imperial / Alamo Canal to maintain the water supply for farms in the Imperial Valley, CA, USA.  The channel was dug as an emergency measure to bypass a section of the canal that had become congested with silt and could no longer deliver sufficient water flow.  Due to a variety of reasons, the installation of a headgate to control the flow of the water was delayed.

The engineers that supervised the dredging were not deeply concerned about the lack of a headgate as they thought everything was completely manageable through other methods.  Several floods that occurred after construction was complete deposited large amounts of silt in the channel, reduced its size, and made it necessary to re-dredge the channel to maintain adequate water flow.  This served to reinforce and support their position that the situation was well in hand and easily controllable without headgates.

With no concerns about losing control of the river, all efforts were focused on keeping the channel open and maintaining the water supply for the Imperial Valley, but that changed after a much larger flood enlarged and deepened the channel.  From this point forward all efforts turned towards closing off the heading.

Over the course of the next two years, many attempts were made to dam and close off the Lower Mexican Heading, but time after time they failed.  For large periods of time during these years, the entire Colorado River flowed through the heading to the Imperial Valley and into the Salton Sea, leaving the original river channel to the Gulf of California / Sea of Cortez completely dry.

Confusion and the Purpose of the Information Presented Here

Every book, magazine, and newspaper that describes the various attempts to dam and close the Lower Mexican Heading categorizes and summarizes those efforts in a variety of fashions and applies numbering schemes which can easily confuse a reader with the differing accounts.  Additionally, some sources completely ignore various attempts, while others use different names, and some even seem to conflate the locations of the various attempts with the ‘attempts’ themselves.

The summary of attempts presented here carefully examines each source, including pictorial documentation, compares it with others, and and applies the most accurate numbering method to date.  Below is the definitive reference about the multiple attempts to dam and close the Lower Mexican Heading.

Summary of the Locations (Sites) and the Various Attempts to Dam and Close the Lower Mexican Heading

First Attempt

When; The first attempt to close the Lower Mexican Heading was started at the beginning of March 1905.

Where; The first location of the first attempt was just over [half a mile / under 1 kilometer] west of the mouth of the heading.  The mouth  of the heading was located on the west bank of the Colorado River about [4 miles / 6.5 kilometers] south of the California, USA / Mexican border.

Dimensions; The size of the heading was only slightly larger than the original ~[half a mile / one kilometer] length, ~[50 feet / 15 meters] width, and ~[8 feet / 2.5 meters] depth.

Who; Charles Robinson Rockwood directed the operation, with both men and women from the US, Mexico, and several Indian Tribes employed to do the work.

How;Two jetties were constructed from the north and south banks of the channel.  These jetties were made by tying together bundles of brush together in fascines that were placed with the bushy ends facing up stream to catch drift, dirt, silt, and other debris to fill in the gaps.  The fascines were sunk and held in place on the bed of the channel by sandbags.  This process was repeated and eventually the layers of fascines and sandbags were built up to a level that was above the surface of the water.  The fascines allowed water to flow through the structure without damaging it, otherwise, the swiftly moving current may have swept it away.  At this point, Fresno scrapers gathered and dragged dirt and silt out onto this structure to make it impermeable to water.  When completed, the jetties were about 20 feet wide, and extended out into the channel leaving a gap of about 30 feet between them.  A pile driver mounted on the dredge Alpha was used to drive two parallel lines of piles across the channel approximately [15 feet / 4.5 meters] apart with about three feet between the lines. A platform was then built on top of the plies where additional brush and sandbags were stacked.  Then they did what humans do very well, they blew it up.  Specifically, they destroyed the supports of the platform with dynamite which caused everything stacked on it to suddenly fall down into the water and block the channel.  The dam would have been completed by using the Fresno scrapers to move dirt and silt onto the structure to completely seal it.  These were tried and proven methods that were similar to other successful dams that were used to close the Upper Mexican Heading and Bypass Channel for the Chaffey Headgate in previous years.

Outcome; The attempt failed on March 30, 1905 as claimed by Mr. Rockwood when a large flood from the Colorado River destroyed the partially complete dam.  Another contributing factor to the dams failure was the soft silt bed it was constructed upon settled which caused the dam to sink.  There is a slight conflict as to the exact date because records indicate the floods peak was on Mar 20 and 21, 1905.

Water Flow Rate Through Lower Mexican Heading; 2000 cubic feet per second

Notes; It is worth noting that the equipment used in this attempt was limited to a steam powered pile driver, Fresno scrapers, a couple of steamers and barges, horses, and human effort.  There were no bulldozers, steam shovels, or any other large equipment used as the resources of the Colorado Development Company were very limited.

Sources, Information, & Issues;

• The Imperial Press Saturday April 8, 1905 p. 6
• The Imperial Press Saturday April 29, 1905 p. 6; Records kept a Yuma, AZ, USA clearly indicated the flood rising to its peak as it approached Mar 20 and then falling afterwards.  The flow rate of the river on March 30, 1905, the day Mr. Rockwood claimed the dam failed, was actually the lowest of the month.  These dates of these readings are very accurate, so it might be that the dam was eroded and broke up over a period of time rather than being swept away all at once.  Or Mr. Rockwood was out in the middle of nowhere and just lost track of the days..
• The Salton Sea Menace by Edwin Duryea Jr. from Out West Magazine Vol XXIV, No 1 – Jan 1906 p. 14; A basic map is included on p. 15, but the numbering method disagrees with other sources that were directly involved with the work.
•  Destructive Floods in the United States in 1905 by Edward Charles Murphy – 1906 p. 54; The author explicitly states the dimensions of the original Lower Mexican Heading, with no approximations, but makes no mention of the first attempts to dam and close the heading.
• Statement of C R Rockwood – In the Matter of the Liability of the California Development Company for the Flooding of Salton Basin by Charles Rockwood – 1907 p. 20;  Mr. Rockwood deserves deference over the other sources as he was actually physically at the construction site of the dam.  The dimensions he states are not definitive measurements which is probably because the channel for the heading was not dug to exacting specifications and most likely varied in width and depth over its length.  No date is specifically given as to when construction was started, but March 1, 1905 is mentioned as a date where he made a decision about the construction, so it was probably shortly after this when construction actually started.
• The Overflow of Colorado River into Salton Basin by James D Schuyler – 1907 p. 5, 6; Nothing is noted by the author on the subject of attempts, but water flow rates are mentioned.
• The Possibilities of Salton Sea from Popular Science Monthly – Volume 70 by Charles Alma Byers – 1907 p. 13; The author of this story was a reporter that wasn’t directly involved with the work on the dam and wrote it almost two years after this attempt.  As a result, the story presents a broad picture of the events, but completely omits several attempts, with some details that disagree with other direct sources.  There are even pictures taken by Harry Thomas Cory, included as part of the Popular Science story, that have captions in his collection of pictures from Calisphere and UCLA (University of  California Los Angles), Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library that document the omitted events.
• Irrigation in Imperial Valley California Its Problems and Possibilities by C. E. Tait – 1908 p. 46; This author mentions precise dimensions and even includes a measurement of a [1.5 foot / .5 meter] drop in altitude between the mouth of the heading and the location of this attempt that no other sources reference.
• Born of the Desert – Imperial Valley in Its Making, not a Dream; A Brief History of the California Development Company by Charles Rockwood – from The Calexico Chronicle Second Annual Magazine Edition – May 1909 p. 24; This is another accounting of Mr. Rockwood’s memories of this attempt, so again deference must be given to him over other sources on what occurred, because he was actually there.
• The Story of the First Decade in Imperial Valley, California by Edgar F. Howe and Wilbur Jay Hall – 1910 p. 102; This author puts a precise date of March 25, 1905 as the start of the first attempt which is much later than other implied start dates and conflicts with Mr. Rockwood’s explicitly stated date of March 30, 1905 as to when the structure failed, because there’s noway they could have made the progress made in just 5 days.   He also describes a levee made of mud and silt, but neglects to mention the piles or mattresses used in the construction of the dam, which given the importance of these items in the structure, is more than a mild oversight.
• The Salton Sea – A Study of the Geography the Geology the Floristics and the Ecology of a Desert Basin by DT MacDougal – 1914 p. 19; This author breifly mentions the floods and the efforts to stop the flooding, but doesn’t include and specifics about attempts to close the heading.
• The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sink by Harry Thomas Cory with Introductory Monograph by William Phipps Blake – 1915 p. 1265, 1286-1288, 1288-1290; A map in this book includes several diagrams and dates of the various attempts and locations, but doesn’t completely match up with other sources.  So although definitive days are given to certain events, it must be kept in mind that Mr. Cory was not there in person for this attempt and relied on information from other sources.  The map of the Chaffey Headgate area is also not accurate as it shows two headings dug from the river to the Chaffey headgate when there was only one.  What Mr. Cory labels as the ‘original’ intake didn’t exist until 1906 when the Hanlon Headgate was built and what is labeled as the 2nd intake is actually the original one.  He also neglects to include a diagram of the channel that was dug around the headgate, but does describe it in writing later.  This leads to several errors in his later references to intakes, headings, attempts, and locations.  Mr. Cory’s wording of the construction of the dam is also a bit confusing, especially when he references a ‘single line’ of piles, which is incorrect as a platform required two lines. He also includes Mr. Rockwood’s 1909 story in Calexico Magazine.
• The Salton Sea – An Accounting of Harriman’s Fight with the Colorado River by George Kennan – 1917 p. 40; This book was written many years after this attempt was made and is a great story about the broad scope of events, but the author wasn’t there and based details on documentation from other sources, so it carries forward some of the same inaccuracies.  It also includes a copy of some sections of Mr. Rockwood’s 1909 story in Calexico Magazine.
• The History of Imperial County California edited by Finnis C. Farr – 1918 p. 97-153; This book contains the complete story from Mr. Rockwood’s 1909 story in Calexico Magazine, but doesn’t directly document any of the attempts to dam and close the heading.
• The First Thirty Years 1901 – 1931 – An Accounting of the Principal Events in the History of Imperial Valley, Southern California, U.S.A. by Otis B. Tout – 1931 p. 29-37, 100; This book includes a partial copy of Mr. Rockwood’s 1909 story in Calexico Magazine.  It also offers a description of the methods used to construction of the dam that seems to be based on information contained in Mr. Cory’s book that was published several years before this one.
• Imperial Irrigation District – The First 40 Years by M. J. Dowd – 1956 p. 32; The author(s) of this story seem to reference Mr. Rockwood’s recollection of ‘under 60 feet’ and misrepresent it as exactly ’60 feet’.  Aside from that it just seems to repeat and summarize other sources.

2^nd Attempt

When; The second attempt to close the Lower Mexican Heading was made at the end of March or beginning of April 1905, almost immediately after the first attempt failed.

Where; The second attempt was made at the same location as the first attempt, just over [half a mile / under 1 kilometer] west of the mouth of the heading.  The mouth  of the heading was located on the west bank of the Colorado River about [4 miles / 6.5 kilometers] south of the California, USA / Mexican border.

Dimensions; The size of the heading was not appreciably enlarged where any sources noted any size differences, leaving the the size of the heading close the original ~[half a mile / one kilometer] length, ~[50 feet / 15 meters] width, and ~[8 feet / 2.5 meters] depth.

Who; The crew, consisting of Charles Robinson Rockwood, men and women from the US, Mexico, and several Indian Tribes, were the same that made the first attempt.

How; The same methods that were used on the first attempt were employed on the second attempt.  See First Attempt, How, for a complete explanation.

Outcome; Before the dam was completed, a flood on April 15, 1905 destroyed the structure.

Water Flow Rate Through Lower Mexican Heading; 3000 cubic feet per second

Notes; No source gives a specific date as to the start of construction of the second attempt to close the Lower Mexican Heading and there is conflicting evidence as to the exact date the first attempt failed, so that is why a date range is given for the start date of the second attempt.  The date of April 15, 1905 seems to be accurate as Mr. Rockwood’s claim of this date is supported by the flow rates of the Colorado River measured at Yuma, AZ, USA which show the volume of the river peaking at this time.

Sources, Information, & Issues;

• The Imperial Press Saturday April 29, 1905 p. 6
• The Salton Sea Menace by Edwin Duryea Jr. from Out West Magazine Vol XXIV, No 1 – Jan 1906 p. 15, 16; This source has a crude map of the Lower Mexican Heading that was drawn 1907 and reflects additional items beyond this attempt.  It is hopelessly disorganized with the dates and inaccurate with the labeling and description of the attempts to close the heading and conflicts with several other sources.
• Destructive Floods in the United States in 1905 by Edward Charles Murphy – 1906 p. 49, 54; This is the only source that gives any indication of the size of the heading, but only implicitly in that it only mentions a size increase in May 1905.  The absence of size claims from other sources seems to indicate there was no appreciable change in size as no one bothered to mention or note it until it started to increase in size.
• Statement of C R Rockwood – In the Matter of the Liability of the California Development Company for the Flooding of Salton Basin by Charles Rockwood – 1907 p. 20; Again, most deference is given to Mr. Rockwood’s claims as he was actually at the site.
• The Possibilities of Salton Sea from Popular Science Monthly – Volume 70 by Charles Alma Byers – 1907 p. 13; As with the description of the first attempt, this source is reporting information second hand and contains errors.
• Irrigation in Imperial Valley California Its Problems and Possibilities by C. E. Tait – 1908 p. 46; This source seems to blur the first and second attempts together with a little bit of the third attempt thrown in, but gives an accurate description of the construction of the dam.
• Born of the Desert – Imperial Valley in Its Making, not a Dream; A Brief History of the California Development Company by Charles Rockwood – from The Calexico Chronicle Second Annual Magazine Edition – May 1909 p. 24; Again, most deference is given to Mr. Rockwood’s claims as he was actually at the site.
• The Story of the First Decade in Imperial Valley, California by Edgar F. Howe and Wilbur Jay Hall – 1910 p. 103; This source describes the jetties that were built, but not the pilings.
• The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sink by Harry Thomas Cory with Introductory Monograph by William Phipps Blake – 1915 p. 1289; After the first attempt, Mr. Cory’s accounting of events is sparse and blurry until the involvement of the Southern Pacific Railroad, which makes sense, because he worked for that company.
• The Salton Sea – An Accounting of Harriman’s Fight with the Colorado River by George Kennan – 1917 p. 40; Only brief mention of various attempts with no details.
• The History of Imperial County California edited by Finnis C. Farr – 1918 p. 97-153; No direct accounting of events by the author as he chooses to simply include Mr. Rockwood’s 1909 story in Calexico Magazine.
• The First Thirty Years 1901 – 1931 – An Accounting of the Principal Events in the History of Imperial Valley, Southern California, U.S.A. by Otis B. Tout – 1931 p. ;
• Imperial Irrigation District – The First 40 Years by M. J. Dowd – 1956 p. 32; Again, this source seems to pick information from earlier sources.

3^rd Attempt (actually an aborted attempt, but an attempt none the less)

When; Construction on a larger dam started on May 29, 1905

Where; The third attempt to close the heading was made at a second location closer to the river in hopes of finding a firmer foundation to build upon.

Dimensions; The size of the heading was reported very accurately by a US Hydrographer employee to be to be [108 feet / 33 meters] wide and [15 feet 3 inches / 4.65 meters] deep

Who; C. N. Perry, an employee of the California Development Company, took over the direction of a crew similar to the first and second attempt which consisted of men and women from the US, Mexico, and several Indian Tribes with additional employees of the Southern Pacific Railroad.

How; Similar methods to the first two attempts were employed on the third attempt, but with larger piles and better equipment supplied by the Southern Pacific Railroad.  See First Attempt, How, for details of the construction method.

Outcome; The late start of construction and the arrival of the summer floods from the Colorado River caused Mr. Rockford to order construction be abandon on June 18, 1905, until after the floods had passed.

Water Flow Rate Through Lower Mexican Heading; 4000 cubic feet per second, which represented about 10% of the entire river flow.

Notes; The Southern Pacific Railroad (SPRR) made this attempt possible when just two days before they agreed to loan the California Development Company (CDC) $200,000.00.  Residence of the Imperial Valley were actually thankful for these flood events as it meant their water supply was secured, but they would soon learn that ‘security’ came with a steep price.  Work on the dam should have started earlier, but the CDC lacked the funds to mount any significant effort until the SPRR stepped in.

Sources, Information, & Issues;

• The Imperial Press Saturday May 20, 1905 p. 6; This source finally confirms the width of the channel has only doubled in width to about 100 feet, which goes a long way in explaining everyone’s complacency at this point.
• The Imperial Press Saturday May 27, 1905 p. 7
• San Francisco Chronicle Sunday May 28, 1905 p. 20
• The Arizona Sentinel Wednesday May 31, 1905 p. 2
• Constructing Brush and Pile Dike at Heading No. 3, Imperial Canal, Mexico, Constructing Brush and Pile Dike at Heading No. 3, Imperial Canal, Mexico, and Steamer St. Vallier alongside brush dike at Heading No. 3, Imperial Canal taken by Harry Thomas Cory (or possibly an assistant of his) in the Joseph Barlow Lippincott Collection at Calisphere.;These are the first pictures to capture the construction efforts to close the Lower Mexican Heading and they provide substantial visual evidence as to the methods, size, people, and water craft, etc. used build the dam.  The panoramic view created by DDH from these individual images also are the first visual evidence, beyond hand drawn maps, that clearly shows the position of various other elements like the small island in the middle of the Colorado River, later aptly named Disaster Island.
• The Salton Sea Menace by Edwin Duryea Jr. from Out West Magazine Vol XXIV, No 1 – Jan 1906 p. 15, 16; Same confusing stuff as for second attempt.
•  Destructive Floods in the United States in 1905 by Edward Charles Murphy – 1906 p. 49, 54; Confirms some water flow information.
• Statement of C R Rockwood – In the Matter of the Liability of the California Development Company for the Flooding of Salton Basin by Charles Rockwood – 1907 p. 20; Mr. Rockwood gives a date of the middle of May 1905 as to the start of construction, but he was in New York selling the investment idea to the Southern Pacific Railroad.
• The Possibilities of Salton Sea from Popular Science Monthly – Volume 70 by Charles Alma Byers – 1907 p. 13; Same confusing account as on second attempt.
• Irrigation in Imperial Valley California Its Problems and Possibilities by C. E. Tait – 1908 p. 45, 47; This source briefly notes the end of the construction efforts in June of 1905, but includes a map, mostly of future attempts, that notes the location and date of this attempt.
• Born of the Desert – Imperial Valley in Its Making, not a Dream; A Brief History of the California Development Company by Charles Rockwood – from The Calexico Chronicle Second Annual Magazine Edition – May 1909 p. 24; Mr. Rockwood notes he is not present at the third attempt and is in New York, NY, USA, securing financial backing from the Southern Pacific Railroad.
• The Story of the First Decade in Imperial Valley, California by Edgar F. Howe and Wilbur Jay Hall – 1910 p. 103; No actual mention of the third attempt, just a muddy story about an experience by some people during a failure, most likely the second attempt.
• The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sink by Harry Thomas Cory with Introductory Monograph by William Phipps Blake – 1915 p. 1265, 1289, 1292; Mr. Cory’s numbering of attempts is shifted by one, as he doesn’t report the second failed attempt and instead identifies the third attempt as the second attempt.  But again, he didn’t personally come into the picture until after the third attempt failed.  Amazingly Mr. Cory includes a statement from Mr. Rockwood’s 1909 story in Calexico Magazine where he mentions the third attempt, but Mr. Cory ignores that in his numbering scheme.
• The Salton Sea – An Accounting of Harriman’s Fight with the Colorado River by George Kennan – 1917 p. 36-40; Another copy of Mr. Rockwood’s 1909 story in Calexico Magazine is copied by this source and just a brief mention of the failure or abandonment in June 1905.  This is the only other source that notes the widening of the channel to roughly double its original size.
• The History of Imperial County California edited by Finnis C. Farr – 1918 p. 97-153; Same as the second attempt, where this source just includes a copy of Mr. Rockwood’s 1909 story in Calexico Magazine.
• The First Thirty Years 1901 – 1931 – An Accounting of the Principal Events in the History of Imperial Valley, Southern California, U.S.A. by Otis B. Tout – 1931 p. 100; Based on this sources numbering scheme it appears to rely mostly on Mr. Cory’s book from a decade earlier.

Special Note; The map on p. 45 of the book Irrigation in Imperial Valley California Its Problems and Possibilities by C. E. Tait – 1908 is the most detailed and accurate map of the various attempts to dam and close the Lower Mexican Heading.  This image overlays Mr. Tait’s map onto a satellite image of the area as it exists today and the features match.

4^th Attempt

When; The fourth attempt to dam and close the Lower Mexican Heading started on July 9, 1905, after the summer floods dissipated, and ended on July 30, 1905.

Where; The location of the fourth attempt was moved to a third location, this time in the Colorado River itself.  The mouth of the Lower Mexican Heading was immediately west of a small sand island that soon got the nickname ‘Disaster Island’ which split the Colorado River into two channels.  The location of this attempt was constructed in the western channel of the river between the tip of Disaster Island and the western bank of the river, [several thousand feet / about 1000 meters] upstream.

Dimensions; The size of the heading had increased to [about 300 feet / almost 100 meters].

Who; Mr. Rockwood along with a similar compliment of both men and women from the US, Mexico, and several Indian Tribes, plus the addition of some Southern Pacific Railroad Employees conducted the work.

How; Two jetties were constructed.  One started at the northern tip of the Disaster Island and moved diagonally across the channel to the western bank of the river.  The other jetty started on the western bank of the river, [several thousand feet / about 1000 meters] upstream, and was built towards the other jetty.  The thought was that the jetties would create ideal conditions for a natural sand bar to form, essentially causing the river to ‘self dam’ itself.  This endeavor was partially successful in creating such a sand bar as the jetties were extended out into the river.

Outcome; As the jetties extended towards each other and the gap between them narrowed, it caused the rate of water flow through the opening to increase to the point that it was impossible to further the construction, so the work was abandoned.

Water Flow Rate Through Lower Mexican Heading; 17,000 cubic feet representing about two thirds of the entire Colorado River flow.

Sources, Information, & Issues;

• The Imperial Press Saturday Jul 15, 1905 p. 1
• The Salton Sea Menace by Edwin Duryea Jr. from Out West Magazine Vol XXIV, No 1 – Jan 1906 p. 15, 16; This source becomes even more confused and it was just realized the author of this story is the person Mr. Rockwood mentions in his statement several times.  History would seem to indicate that Mr. Duryea was a complete idiot that only had a confused grasp as to what was occurring, but really had it in for Mr. Rockwood.
•  Destructive Floods in the United States in 1905 by Edward Charles Murphy – 1906 p. 49, 54-55;
• Statement of C R Rockwood – In the Matter of the Liability of the California Development Company for the Flooding of Salton Basin by Charles Rockwood – 1907 p. 22, 23; Mr. Rockwood in his own words said he was there and supervised the work.  He also mentions Mr. Cory and a conversation on July 30th, so possibly Mr. Cory was on site sooner than August.
• The Possibilities of Salton Sea from Popular Science Monthly – Volume 70 by Charles Alma Byers – 1907 p. 13; This source blurs right past this attempt, just like the others.
• Irrigation in Imperial Valley California Its Problems and Possibilities by C. E. Tait – 1908 p. 47; This source pins down the location and gives a broad start date, but really conflicts with other sources as to the end date and the outcome.
• Born of the Desert – Imperial Valley in Its Making, not a Dream; A Brief History of the California Development Company by Charles Rockwood – from The Calexico Chronicle Second Annual Magazine Edition – May 1909 p. 24; Similar to his earlier statements
• The Story of the First Decade in Imperial Valley, California by Edgar F. Howe and Wilbur Jay Hall – 1910 p. 103-104; This source continues to forego numbering the different attempts and just focuses on what was attempted.
• The Salton Sea – A Study of the Geography the Geology the Floristics and the Ecology of a Desert Basin by DT MacDougal – 1914 p. 25; Very little detail offered by this author as his focus for the book was on other subjects.
• The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sink by Harry Thomas Cory with Introductory Monograph by William Phipps Blake – 1915 p. 1290, 1292; Mr. Cory identifies the first date he arrived at the site as August 1905 and his accounting of events becomes more accurate and detailed.
• The Salton Sea – An Accounting of Harriman’s Fight with the Colorado River by George Kennan – 1917 p. 47-48; This source again seems to repeat sources from the past.
• The History of Imperial County California edited by Finnis C. Farr – 1918 p. 37; This author includes very little detail, but what little he does really shows the almost decade and a half separation of the events of this attempt and the writing of Mr. Farr’s book
• The First Thirty Years 1901 – 1931 – An Accounting of the Principal Events in the History of Imperial Valley, Southern California, U.S.A. by Otis B. Tout – 1931 p. ;
• Imperial Irrigation District – The First 40 Years by M. J. Dowd – 1956 p. 99-101; There is no mention from this source about this attempt so the subsequent number labeling of attempts goes way off.  He just skips straight to the involvement of the Southern Pacific Railroad.

5th Attempt

When; Construction began on a new dam to divert water from the Lower Mexican Heading on October 13, 1905

Where; The dam was constructed in the channel of the Colorado River to the west of Disaster Island, between the tip of the island and the western shore of the river. This is the fourth location.

Dimensions; After the summer floods there were no additional events that served to expand the heading beyond its current 300 foot width.  But after the destruction of the Edinger Dam, the width doubled to about 600 feet.

Who; E. S. Edinger, an employee of the Southern Pacific Railroad was in charge of the staff that still consisted of men and women from the US, Mexico, and several Indian Tribes.  The Dam was named the Edinger Dam

How; The same method of construction on previous attempts was implemented on this attempt.  See the full explanation on attempt number 1.

Outcome; The dam was successfully completed but not able to withstand a very large flood at the end of November 1905.

Water Flow Rate Through Lower Mexican Heading; Upon the demise of the Edinger Dam, 100% of the Colorado River was flowing into the Imperal / Alamo Canal leaving the normal channel of the river to the south dry.  At the time of the failure, this represented a flow of over 100,000 cubic feet per second.

Notes; There are a wide range of dates given on the demise of the Edinger Dam from different sources, but newspaper reports indicate the water level of the Colorado River was at its peak on Nov 29 and then reported the failure the next day on the 30th.  It is possible that the dam was not ‘swept’ away in one feld swoop, but broke up, starting on the 29th and then gone on the 30th.

Sources, Information, & Issues;

• The Arizona Sentinel Wed November 29, 1905 p. 4
• The Los Angeles Times Thursday November 30, 1905 p. 13
• The Salton Sea Menace by Edwin Duryea Jr. from Out West Magazine Vol XXIV, No 1 – Jan 1906 p. 15; About the only accurate item in regards to this attempt is that item number 6 on the map, while not being attempt number six, is the location of where the Edinger Dam was built.  And some how he’s back on the correct number for which attempt it is.
•  Destructive Floods in the United States in 1905 by Edward Charles Murphy – 1906 p. 55; Only a brief mention of the November flood and destruction of the dam.
• Statement of C R Rockwood – In the Matter of the Liability of the California Development Company for the Flooding of Salton Basin by Charles Rockwood – 1907 p. 24; Although Mr. Rockwood was involved with the effort, it is doubtful he was on site during November as his project, the Rockwood Headgate had been canceled in October.  He gives a precise start date of Oct 13, 1905 as the start of construction, and with no other sources declaring a specific date, Mr. Rockwood wins.
• The Overflow of Colorado River into Salton Basin by James D Schuyler – 1907 p. 5, 6; Mr. Schuyler doesn’t mention the attempts directly, but notes the various floods, including the one that destroyed the Edinger Dam.
• The Possibilities of Salton Sea from Popular Science Monthly – Volume 70 by Charles Alma Byers – 1907 p. 13; The reporting tightens up a bit and information starts to match other sources.
• Irrigation in Imperial Valley California Its Problems and Possibilities by C. E. Tait – 1908 p. 47; For some reason, this source reports the name of the dam as the Toland Dam.  It is the only source to make this reference as all others refer to it as the Edinger Dam.  The other details match other sources.
• Born of the Desert – Imperial Valley in Its Making, not a Dream; A Brief History of the California Development Company by Charles Rockwood – from The Calexico Chronicle Second Annual Magazine Edition – May 1909 p. 25, 26; Details match other sources quite well, so more confirmation.
• The Story of the First Decade in Imperial Valley, California by Edgar F. Howe and Wilbur Jay Hall – 1910 p. 106; This source refers to the 4th attempt as the ‘Hind Jetty’, which is incorrect as Mr. Hind was not involved until 1906.  The date isn’t stated explicitly, but given as Thanksgiving Day, which turns out to be Nov 30 when newspapers first started reporting it.
• The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sink by Harry Thomas Cory with Introductory Monograph by William Phipps Blake – 1915 p. 1298; No exact date is given in regards to the start, just general statements that indicate the beginning of October 1905.  And as mentioned, Mr. Cory’s accounting of everything is far more detailed as he and the Southern Pacific Railroad are directly involved.  Mr. Cory states in his book that the flood took place on Nov 29, but in his picture collection he notes it as Nov 30.  Numbering still off of course.
• The Salton Sea – An Accounting of Harriman’s Fight with the Colorado River by George Kennan – 1917 p. 50, 51; This book was written much later and simply seems to pick information from earlier sources.
• The History of Imperial County California edited by Finnis C. Farr – 1918 p. 97-153; This source only includes a copy of Mr. Rockwood’s 1909 story in Calexico Magazine.
• The First Thirty Years 1901 – 1931 – An Accounting of the Principal Events in the History of Imperial Valley, Southern California, U.S.A. by Otis B. Tout – 1931 p. 102; This source incorrectly refers to this attempt as attempt 4, but other details seem to match.

Attempt 5.5 (Interlude)

On page 1302, Mr. Cory in his book, The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sink mentions that the dredge Alpha was sent to a location far to the west in an attempt to redirect some of the flood water in the Imperial / Alamo Canal to the Gulf of California / Sea of Cortez.  This accounting is corroborated in the book Destructive Floods in the United States in 1905 by Edward Charles Murphy – 1906 on p. 54 and 55.  Both accounts declare this ‘side attempt‘ a failure.

6th Attempt;

When; Preparation for the sixth attempt began during the summer of 1906 and the first material to arrive at the site was on Aug 15, 1906.

Where; The dam was constructed in the Lower Mexican Heading a hundred or so feet from the river and west of Disaster Island and although really close to the first two attempt locations, it was slightly west so it became the 5th location were an attempt was made to close the heading.

Dimensions; During the winter, spring, and summer floods, the heading had widened to about [half a mile / a kilometer]

Who; Mr. Hind was in charge of the usual crew of men and women from the US, Mexico, and several Indian Tribes along with a large number of Southern Pacific Railroad employees.

How; Sheer brute force was brought to bear on the damming the heading because the previous efforts of constructing a dam made of piles and brush demonstrated it simply wasn’t possibly to withstand major flood events.  A railroad track was laid starting in Yuma, Arizona, USA, crossed into Mexico and ran parallel with the Colorado River for about [4 miles  / 6.5 kilometers] to the the heading.  Jetties were constructed out from the north and south of the heading on sandbars that had been exposed after the summer floods to narrow the opening a bit.  A trestle bridge was then constructed across the remaining width of the heading making it possible for large side dumping railroad cars known as battleships to dump huge chunks of rock into the water.  Because of concerns that the large aggregate would sink into the soft silt bed of the heading, brush mattresses were constructed and placed on the bed of the channel and held in place by the pilings of the trestle bridge.  Over the course of several weeks, thousands of railroad car loads of rock were dumped into the water from the trestle bridge.  Eventually it was built up to a level above the waters surface and silt, clay, mud, and smaller aggregate were used to seal off all of the gaps in the structure.

Outcome; The dam was completed at the beginning of October 1906, but the Rockwood Headgate that had been built to the north of the dam to deliver water to the Imperial Valley failed on October 11, 1906 allowing the entire river to once again flow into the canal system and on to the Imperial Valley and Salton Sea.  The Hind Dam itself was fully intact, and the river had essentially bypassed the dam through the channel the headgate had been in.

Water Flow Rate Through Lower Mexican Heading; 12,000 cubic feet per second while the Rockwood Headgate was in place, surging up slightly and then falling to under 10,000 cubic feet per second over the next week or so.

Sources, Information, & Issues;

• Arizona Republic Wednesday Oct 24, 1906 p. 3
• Imperial Valley Press Saturday October 27, 1906 p. 8
• General view of Hind Dam; October 6, 1906
• The Possibilities of Salton Sea from Popular Science Monthly – Volume 70 by Charles Alma Byers – 1907 p. 14, 18; This source continues to lack details on the subject except an addition at the end that was made after the story was written.
• Born of the Desert – Imperial Valley in Its Making, not a Dream; A Brief History of the California Development Company by Charles Rockwood – from The Calexico Chronicle Second Annual Magazine Edition – May 1909 p. 27-28; Mr. Rockwood is no longer on site and collecting information from others at this point.
• The Story of the First Decade in Imperial Valley, California by Edgar F. Howe and Wilbur Jay Hall – 1910 p. 122-123;
• The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sink by Harry Thomas Cory with Introductory Monograph by William Phipps Blake – 1915 p. 1316-1317, 1324-1339;
• The Salton Sea – An Accounting of Harriman’s Fight with the Colorado River by George Kennan – 1917 p. 61-69;
• The History of Imperial County California edited by Finnis C. Farr – 1918 p. 97-153; his source only includes a copy of Mr. Rockwood’s 1909 story in Calexico Magazine.
• The First Thirty Years 1901 – 1931 – An Accounting of the Principal Events in the History of Imperial Valley, Southern California, U.S.A. by Otis B. Tout – 1931 p. 104-105;
• Imperial Irrigation District – The First 40 Years by M. J. Dowd – 1956 p. 33; Very light on details

7th Attempt

When; Almost immediately after the failure of the Rockwood Headgate on Oct 11, 1906 construction began on extending the Hind Dam to the north, which was the 7th attempt to stop the uncontrolled flooding.

Where; The location was immediately north of the Hind Dam, and was the 6th location of the construction work.

Dimensions; Because of lower water flow, the channel that the Rockwood Headgate was in was not enlarged beyond 200 feet and eventually completely closed off.

Who; Thomas Hind continued supervision of the work with the same mix of men and women from the US, Mexico, and several Indian Tribes plus the Southern Pacific Railroad employees.

How; The same methods used on the 6th attempt were used with a couple of exceptions.  The water level downstream of the new breach exposed the bottom of the Hind Dam and it could be seen that it was unnecessary to use brush mattresses to keep the large rocks from sinking into the silt, so this step was eliminated.  Additional railway sections and train trestle bridges were built to speed the delivery of material.

Outcome; The efforts were successful and on November 4, 1906, all of the water that had been flowing uncontrolled into the canal system was turned into the Colorado River’s original channel that lead to the Gulf of California / Sea of Cortez

Water Flow Rate Through Lower Mexican Heading; 0 / Nothing.

Sources, Information, & Issues;

• The San Bernardino Daily Sun Tuesday November 6, 1906 p. 13
• The Possibilities of Salton Sea from Popular Science Monthly – Volume 70 by Charles Alma Byers – 1907 p. 14, 18; Just a bit of confirmed information reported by this source
• Born of the Desert – Imperial Valley in Its Making, not a Dream; A Brief History of the California Development Company by Charles Rockwood – from The Calexico Chronicle Second Annual Magazine Edition – May 1909 p. 28; Only broad details addressed by Mr. Rockwood
• The Story of the First Decade in Imperial Valley, California by Edgar F. Howe and Wilbur Jay Hall – 1910 p. 123; Some broad descriptions from this source and only a few details
• The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sink by Harry Thomas Cory with Introductory Monograph by William Phipps Blake – 1915 p. 1345-1346;
• The Salton Sea – An Accounting of Harriman’s Fight with the Colorado River by George Kennan – 1917 p. 69-72;
• The History of Imperial County California edited by Finnis C. Farr – 1918 p. 147, 148; This is just a copy of Mr. Rockwood’s 1909 story in Calexico Magazine.
• The First Thirty Years 1901 – 1931 – An Accounting of the Principal Events in the History of Imperial Valley, Southern California, U.S.A. by Otis B. Tout – 1931 p. 106; This source gives a really confusing description that is riddled with inaccuracies
• Imperial Irrigation District – The First 40 Years by M. J. Dowd – 1956 p. ;

8th Attempt

When; December 5, 1905 saw a large flood destroy the levee to the south of the Hind Dam allowing flood waters to once again race through the canal system and onto the Imperial Valley and Salton Sink.

Where; This was the 7th location and was situated to the south of the Hind Dam.

Dimensions; The levee was compromised in several locations and during construction of the new dam several floods occurred which caused the width of the breech to vary on some occasions reaching several hundred feet.

Who; Thomas Hind was assigned to work on levees further downstream leaving Mr. Clark in charge of the usual mix of men and women from the US, Mexico, and several Indian Tribes plus the Southern Pacific Railroad employees.

How; The same methods used on the sixth and seventh attempts were used on this attempt, although slightly longer pile, some as large as 90 feet had to be used because of the depth of the channel.

Outcome; On February 10, 1905 the Clarke Dam was completed.  The efforts were finally successful making this the last and successful attempt to dam and close the Lower Mexican Heading.

Water Flow Rate Through Lower Mexican Heading; After the flood that destroyed the levee, water flow fell to about 12,000 cubic feet per second, but rose to almost 50,000 cubic feet by the end of the month.  During January it fluctuated from a low of 17,000 cubic feet to a high of 44,000 cubic feet.  And of course with the successful closing of the heading, water flow through the channel fell to zero.

Sources, Information, & Issues

• The Possibilities of Salton Sea from Popular Science Monthly – Volume 70 by Charles Alma Byers – 1907 p. 18; This source only notes the beginning of the break in December, but since it was published in December 1906, it didn’t include the end of the story as they had probably been convinced in November that everything was taken care of.
• Born of the Desert – Imperial Valley in Its Making, not a Dream; A Brief History of the California Development Company by Charles Rockwood – from The Calexico Chronicle Second Annual Magazine Edition – May 1909 p. 28; Only broad details addressed by Mr. Rockwood
• The Story of the First Decade in Imperial Valley, California by Edgar F. Howe and Wilbur Jay Hall – 1910 p. 124-126; Some broad descriptions from this source and only a few details
• The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sink by Harry Thomas Cory with Introductory Monograph by William Phipps Blake – 1915 p. 1362-1369;
• The Salton Sea – An Accounting of Harriman’s Fight with the Colorado River by George Kennan – 1917 p. 72, 83-87; The author of this book is a big fan of Mr. Harriman and gives the account as if Mr. Harriman were out there with a shovel himself.  Mr. Harriman is important to the story of course because he was essentially paying for all of the work.
• The History of Imperial County California edited by Finnis C. Farr – 1918 p. 147, 148; This is just a copy of Mr. Rockwood’s 1909 story in Calexico Magazine.
• The First Thirty Years 1901 – 1931 – An Accounting of the Principal Events in the History of Imperial Valley, Southern California, U.S.A. by Otis B. Tout – 1931 p. 106-107, 108; Information on this attempt from this source matches other sources quite well.
• Imperial Irrigation District – The First 40 Years by M. J. Dowd – 1956 p. 33-34; Just a brief summary that matches other sources.

The below map does an excellent job of showing all the major components of the Imperial / Alamo Canal and the work done to dam and close the Lower Mexican Heading.