Letter including map from James M. Montgomery (Pasadena) to Thomas A. Campbell (Las Vegas), April 13, 1954

CAMPBELL REALTY CO. JAMES M.MONTGOMERY APR 14 9l9AM'54 CONSULTING ENGINEER 15 NORTH OAKLAND AVENUE PASADENA 1, CALIFORNIA RYA.N | 7290 . SYCAMORE 3 7129 April 13, 1954 Mr. Thomas A. Campbell President, Board of Directors Las Vegas Valley Water District 135 South Fourth Street Las Vegas, Nevada Dear Mr. Campbell: My letter to you of March 23, 1954 recommended that the District authorize the Las Vegas Land and Water Company to develop or acquire additional production facilities as quickly as possible to assure an adequate supply for this coming summer's anticipated heavy demand. I also stated that I would be glad to cooperate with the Land and Water Company in any way possible. Briefly, the best plan appears to be the immediate drilling of two additional wells and the equipping of the Land and Water Company's existing Well No. 11 with a deep-well turbine pump at a total cost of about $88,600. The additional wells can be located on the present waterbearing lands on which the Land and Water Company's existing wells are located. The two locations which appear to be best are tabulated below and are shown on the print accompanying this letter. Proposed Well Approximate Location 12 Between Wellw Nos. 8 and 9, 520 feet from No. 8 and 690 feet from No. 9. 13 Between Wells Nos. 2 and 3, 550 feet due east of the Big Spring. Both wells should be deep wells, approximately 1200 feet deep, and should have 16" I. D. casing. The approximate costs of such wells, equipped with 2500 gpm capacity pumps with bowls set at 150 feet are itemized below. JAMES M MONTGOMERY ' CONSULTING ENGINEER ' 19 NORTH OAKLAND AVENUE . PASADENA 1, CALIFORNIA Mr. Campbell Las Vegas Valley Water Dist. -2- 4-13-54 Item Approximate Cost 1. Wells 16" diameter 1200 feet deep - 2 @ $23, 500 = $47,000 2. Test Pumping (48 hours - ea. well) 2 @ $1,200 = 2,400 3. Pumps (Installed) (Deep well turbine type 2500 gpm capacity) 2 @ $8,000 = 16,000 4. Connecting Pipe Lines Well No. 12 - 500 l.f. of 14" Transite = Well No. 13 - 1060 l.f. of 14" Transite = Subtotal 3,600 6,960 $75,960 5. Engineering & Contingencies (10%) 7,600 $83, 560 The location of proposed Well No. 12 in close proximity to existing Well No. 11 (520') will result in an additional pumping lift of about 6 feet for Well No. 11. Since this well is now equipped with a horizontal centrifugal pump that has a very flat head-capacity curve, this additional head of 6 feet will greatly reduce its capacity. To maintain adequate flow this pump will have to be replaced with a deep-well turbine-type pump with a steeper characteristic curve, and with bowls set at such a depth that a good flow will be assured. A deep-well pump with a capacity of 1800 gpm and a bowl setting of 130 feet will cost approximately $5,000 installed. It is believed that this expenditure is justified, however , in that during the summer months the existing pump is probably operating at a low point on its curve and is not producing what it should. In determining these locations for wells, we studied various locations and also considered the possibility of adapting existing private wells and connecting these to the system. Investigation showed, however, that no wells of adequate capacity and reasonable cost were available and that the best locations for additional wells were in the vicinity of the existing Land and Water Company's wells. A good location for an additional well would be just south of Charleston Boulevard in line with the rest of the Land and Water Company's wells. In considering such a location, however, weight was given to such items as the high price of land acquisition, JAMES M MONTGOMERY * CONSULTING ENGINEER * 15 NORTH OAKLAND AVENUE * PASADENA 1. CALIFORNIA Mr. Campbell Las Vegas Valley Water Dist. -3- 4-13-54 a zoning variance, a pressure sand trap, the encroachment upon potential subdivision area, and the necessity for quick action. After considering these various factors it was thought best to locate the wells on Water Company land where sand traps are already available and no zoning variance would be required. It is believed that both proposed wells will be capable of delivering 2500 gpm. Well No. 12 is so located that it will probably result in a decreasViiTproduction from Wells Nos. 8, 9 and 10 (based on their existing pump curves) of about 400 gpm, leaving a net gain of 2100 gpm. The behavior of Well No. 13 is more difficult to predict, but it is believed that the net gain will be in the neighborhood of about 1800-2000 gpm. Such added capacity should be sufficient to carry the City over peak demand periods this coming summer. In conjunction with drilling these wells, it will be necessary to file applications for permits to appropriate and to put to beneficial use the water needed. Section 6 of Chapter 178, An Act Relating to Underground Waters, requires that said permits be obtained prior to the construction of the wells to be used for the appropriation. The length of time involved in processing these permits would probably be about 10 weeks and the drilling of these wells after such a period of time would mean that they would not be available for this summer's use. As a result, the District should probably intercede for the Land and Water Company with the State Engineer, and as a public necessity, ask for special permission to drill the wells concurrently with the processing of the permits. There is a number of engineering details on these proposed installations that are beyond the scope of this letter. I will be available to the Land and Water Company to discuss the project and assist in any way I can. In order that the Land and Water Company officials may know more quickly of the recommendations being made, copies of this letter are being sent to Mr. Bennett and Mr. Maag. A copy is also being mailed to Mr. Shamberger. _ JMM:mg cc: Mr. Bennett cc: Mr. Maag cc: Mr. Hugh Shamberger Very truly yours, James M. Montgomery Little Spring Middle Spring LAS VEGAS LAND AND WATER COMPANY WELL FIELD MAP TO ACCOMPANY LETTER OF 4-13-54 TO THOMAS CAMPBELL FROM J.M. MONTGOMERY SCALE 1"=600' PROPOSED WELL No. 12 PROPOSED WELL NO. 13