IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS. 



39 



MANAGEMENT OF IRRIGATION ENTERPRISES. 



One of the most noteworthy facts brought out by the census re- 

 turns is the large percentage of the area under irrigation that is 

 under S3'stems managed by the irrigators themselves, and the great 

 area in enterprises under way that is or will eventually come under 

 such organizations. The following table shows the acreage and the 

 percentage included in each type of organization : 



Acreage and percentage of lands irrigated in 1909 and included in enterprises 

 under way, divided according to type of organization. 



Type of enterprise. 



Irrigated in 1909. 



Included in enter- 

 prises under way. 



Individual and partnership 



Cooperative 



Commercial 



Irrigation districts 



Carey Act 



United States Reclamation Service 

 United States Indian Service 



Total 



Acres. 



6,258,401 



4,646,039 



1,444,806 



533,142 



288,5.53 



395,646 



172,912 



13,739,499 



Per cent. 



45.5 



33.8 



10.6 



3.9 



2.1 



2.9 



1.2 



Acres. 

 10, 154, 153 



8,84.5,437 

 5,096,337 

 1,589,865 

 2,573,874 

 1,973,016 

 879,068 



100.0 



31,112,100 



Per cent. 



32.7 



28.5 



16.3 



5.1 



8.3 



6.3 



2.8 



100.0 



k 



Nearly 11,438,000 acres, or over 84 per cent of the total acreage irri- 

 gated in 1909, was in individual, partnership, or cooperative enter- 

 prises or irrigation districts, the management of all of which is in the 

 hands of the irrigators themselves. When the enterprises of these 

 types now under way are completed, and the Carey Act and Eeclama- 

 tion Service projects settled and the management turned over to the 

 settlers, more than 25,000,000 acres, or 81 per cent of the lands then 

 irrigated, will be in enterprises managed by the irrigators. More- 

 over, judging by the trend of the past 15 years, a considerable 

 part of the systems now constructed or being constructed by com- 

 mercial companies will pass into the hands of the irrigators, and it 

 is safe to say that eventually 85 per cent of all the lands irrigated 

 will be in enterprises managed by the irrigators themselves. 



Many changes in the organization of the enterprises already man- 

 aged by the irrigators will also take place. Reorganizations will be 

 necessary to meet new conditions, necessary extensions, etc. ; consoli- 

 dation of private, partnership, and small cooperative ditches must 

 needs follow the increase in the value of water in many sections; 

 some of the large cooperative companies will find the district form 

 of organization advantageous; and in some cases the Carey Act or- 

 ganizations will be changed to irrigation districts soon after the 

 settlers obtain unencumbered title to their lands and the management 

 has been turned over to them by the constructing companies. 



The irrigators are thus brought face to face with all the varied and 

 complicated problems of organizing, financing, constructing, operat- 



