Several history books blame Rockwood for the flooding that occurred in the Salton Sink from 1905 to 1907. Some authors even going so far as to declare his actions criminal. While his actions did lead to the accidental flooding of the Salton Sink and creation of the Salton Sea, he made those decisions to preserve the existence of the farms in the Imperial Valley. His efforts to save the valley from drought would never have been necessary if the man in charge of construction for the Alamo Canal, George Chaffey, had followed the original plans. Unfortunately Mr. Chaffey changed the route of the canal, modified its design, and improperly constructed a headgate at Pilot Knob, CA, USA. If not for all of the mistakes made by Mr. Chaffey, Rockwood would never have been forced to dig the channel that lead to the flooding and creation of the Salton Sea.