Helix Water District

Helix History (1920-1929)

1920
All water reaches the Cuyamaca Water Company's customers in cast iron or redwood pipes after open-air storage. A statewide plan for water storage and conveyance is proposed.

At the same time
Women win the right to vote. Warren G. Harding is elected President. Gandhi becomes the leader of India. Water skiing is pioneered. Franz Kafka writes "A Country Doctor." Sinclair Lewis writes "Main Street."

1921
Land is purchased on the San Diego River for Fletcher Dam. The Cuyamaca Water Company acquires the Mission Gorge Dam site. Additional wells are drilled in the El Monte Valley.

At the same time
The first regular radio broadcasts are made, including the first broadcast of a baseball game. Sacco and Vinzetti are found guilty in their famous murder trial. The Unknown Soldier is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The Ku Klux Klan gains power in the south. D. H. Lawrence writes "Women in Love."

1922
The Boulder Creek Power project is approved and initial field work begins. Only a small amount of work is ever completed, however. The Colorado River Compact is formed. This interstate agreement among the states in the Colorado River basin appropriates 7.5 million acre-feet of water to the upper basin states and an equal amount to the lower basin states. Arizona refuses to sign. The City of San Diego files suit against the Cuyamaca Water Company, challenging their right to water from the San Diego River.

At the same time
Mussolini forms his Fascist government. The Irish Free State is proclaimed. The Soviet States form the U.S.S.R. Reader's Digest begins publication. Insulin is first used to help diabetics. James Joyce's "Ulysses" is published, but the Post Office burns the first shipment to the U.S.

1923
Fletcher and Murray compile extensive valuations and inventories on the Cuyamaca Water Company as they debate selling to the City of San Diego. The City of Los Angeles undergoes a survey to determine the feasibility of importing Colorado River water.

At the same time
The Teapot Dome oil scandal hearings take place in Washington D.C. President Harding dies and Calvin Coolidge assumes office. Sound motion pictures are demonstrated. The first birth control clinic opens. Time Magazine is founded. Jacob Schick patents his electric razor. Picasso is at the height of his painting career. "Lady with Blue Veil" is painted this year. Agatha Christie writes "The Murder on the Links."

1924
Talks begin about selling the Cuyamaca Water Company system to the La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and Spring Valley Irrigation District. An agreement is made, but the City of San Diego delays the action by filing to condemn the El Capitan Dam site.

At the same time
Calvin Coolidge wins the Presidential election. J. Edgar Hoover is appointed to head the F.B.I. Insecticides are used for the first time in agriculture. The first Winter Olympics is held. Will Rogers is at the height of his popularity. Cecil B. DeMille films "The Ten Commandments."

1925
The El Monte Pump Station is completely rebuilt. The cost of water is less than 4 cents per 1000 gallons.

At the same time
Adolph Hitler publishes volume 1 of "Mein Kampf." John Scopes is on trial for teaching the theory of evolution. The Charleston is being danced across the country. The Chrysler Corporation is founded. The new Madison Square Garden opens in New York. Charlie Chaplin is a star at theaters in "The Gold Rush."

1926
Ownership of the Cuyamaca Water Company passes to the La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and Spring Valley Irrigation District on January 4, 1926. Chet Harritt serves as General Manager and Chief Engineer. The District's original Administrative Office on Spring Street opens.

This building on Spring Street in La Mesa served as the District's Administrative Office from 1926 to 1957. The photo was taken in 1956 for an appraisal before the sale of the building. .

At the same time
The Hitler Youth is developed in Germany. Hirohito assumes the role of Emporer of Japan, replacing his father. The Book-of-the-Month Club is formed. Robert Goddard fires the first liquid fuel rocket. Kodak introduces 16mm movie film. Rudolph Valentino dies shortly after filming ends on "Son of the Sheik."

1927
The Quail Canyon and Los Coches Siphons are built to replace sections of the flume and difficult to maintain trestles. Helix Dam is completed.

At the same time
Charles Lindbergh flies alone non-stop across the Atlantic from New York to Paris. The first "talkie" movie is released featuring Al Jolson as "The Jazz Singer." The Acadamy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded in Hollywood. Babe Ruth hits 60 home runs during the baseball season. Johnny Weissmuller is a national swimming star. Willa Cather writes "Death Comes for the Archbishop."

1928
The Boulder Canyon Act is passed by Congress, authorizing the construction of Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. California's constitution is amended to require that all water use be reasonable and beneficial. California agrees to limit its appropriation of Colorado River water to 4.4 million acre-feet per year, plus half of the lower basin's surplus. Work continues to replace the flume with either underground pipelines or metal flume channel.

At the same time
Herbert Hoover wins the Presidential election. Mickey Mouse makes his debut in "Steamboat Willie." The first color movies are shown in demonstrations. Georgia O'Keefe becomes known for her abstract paintings. Aldous Huxley writes "Point Counterpoint." D. H. Lawrence writes "Lady Chatterley's Lover."

1929
5,500 feet of flume destroyed by fire in the San Diego River canyon requires extensive efforts to rebuild. An experimental gunite flume is constructed near Eucalyptus Reservoir to determine feasibility. Studies are underway to determine the best future water supply for East County and San Diego region. All water comes from either stream run-off or is pumped from wells.

At the same time
The Stock Market crash sends America into the Depression. The Cascade Tunnel opens, becomes the longest railroad tunnel in North America. Jimmy Doolittle performs the first all instrument guided flight of an airplane. The German Graf Zeppelin airship flies around the world. Salvador Dali joins the surrealist movement. Ernest Hemingway writes "A Farewell to Arms."

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