Thread: Human rights activists demand more safety measures at canal

Human rights activists demand more safety measures at canal

Drowning deaths at border are cited

By Leslie Berestein, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 10:28 p.m.

The long-anticipated task of lining 23 miles of the All-American Canal in Imperial Valley with concrete is nearly complete, but controversy over the fallout of the project continues to simmer.

Human rights organizations and activists gathered Wednesday in front of the San Diego County Water Authority office in Kearny Mesa to protest what they said was a lack of adequate safety measures in the lined portion of the canal, which is regularly crossed by people being smuggled illegally into the country.

Seventeen body bags were laid on the ground outside the building, one for each drowning death in the canal since early August 2008, they said.

“It has become a mass graveyard,â€

Swell, let's just provide flashlights and rafts so the illegals can break in easier.

People drown in every canal everywhere in this country. But this canal is different. It is on the border of the United States and another country. It is used for border crossers to come into this country illegally. It should be maintained as a deterrant, not as a safety crossing. Besides, on which side would you put your glow-ladders? The side closest to Mexico I hope.

Originally Posted by ShockedinCalifornia

People drown in every canal everywhere in this country. But this canal is different. It is on the border of the United States and another country. It is used for border crossers to come into this country illegally. It should be maintained as a deterrant, not as a safety crossing. Besides, on which side would you put your glow-ladders? The side closest to Mexico I hope.

Just for clarity, the canal isn't right on the border. You must already be on U.S. soil to reach it.
The ladders alternate side to side.

Pictures at this link:

http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2 ... news02.txt

Canal lining finished

By MEGAN BAKKER, Staff Writer
Friday, April 17, 2009 11:44 PM PDT
JOSELITO VILLERO PHOTO

Gravity forces water from the Colorado River to flow on a completed cement-lined canal through Drop 2 on Thursday at the All-American Canal.

The All-American Canal lining is essentially finished, bringing to a close a project 20 years in the making.

“It’s a very exciting time for us,â€

Map of the All American Canal/Border at this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coachella_Canal

Picture of the Coachella Canal before it was enlarged and lined with concrete at this link:

http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.js ... +-+Title+I

This is the map I was thinking of.

1. http://www.iid.com/Media/All-American-Canal-Map.jpg

2. http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegal ... _1333.html

All-American Canal
The All-American Canal, the largest irrigation canal in the world and a key landmark along the U.S.-Mexico border, is the focus of this image, taken by the crew of Expedition 18 aboard the International Space Station. The prominent dark line crossing the image is the canal, which is crossed in this view by Interstate Highway 8. The canal carries 26,155 cubic feet of water per second westward from the Colorado River to support the intensive agriculture of California's Imperial Valley to the northwest and nine cities, including San Diego. The canal system is the Imperial Valley's only source of water, and it allows irrigation of more than 500,000 acres of agricultural fields. The Coachella Canal, one of four main branch canals, leads water north to Imperial Valley.