OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 295 



of the valley of Kings River in California, one of the most important 

 irrigated sections of the United States, a comprehensive drainage snr- 

 vey has been carried on this year for the relief of the overwatered 

 lands. A large and well equipped partj^ under the direction of Prof. 

 O. V. P. Stout, agent and expert, has been at work determining the 

 losses from canals and how the surplus supply could be removed in 

 the most effective manner at the least cost. 



The execution of a plan for a cooperative study of the drainage 

 I)roblems of Colorado, which has been under consideration for several 

 years by Hon. A. J. McCune, State engineer of Colorado, and the 

 chief of the irrigation investigations of this Office, has been begun 

 under the direction of C. G. Elliott, drainage engineer, and the results 

 alreadj'^ secured make it certain that they are to be worth many times 

 their cost in the success of irrigation and the ultimate extent of the 

 reclaimed area. 



STUDY OF IRRIGATION LAWS. 



The study of irrigation administration in Utah has been completed, 

 and the report on the irrigation laws and practices of the pioneer 

 Commonwealth of the Rocky Mountain region will be published in 

 the near future. A beginning has been made in the study of the 

 irrigation system of Colorado through the preparation of a report on 

 irrigation in the valley of the Big Thompson River, made under the 

 direction of the State engineer's office of Colorado and written by Hon. 

 John E. Field, assistant State engineer. It gives in detail the historj^ 

 of irrigation administration on that stream, the manner in which the 

 rights to water were acquired and established, the problems growing- 

 out of their protection, the issues which have given rise to litigation, 

 and the nature of the court decisions. The nature of the agriculture 

 and the problems created by its development along this river are tj'pical 

 of all eastern Colorado, and the lessons taught by the detailed facts 

 disclosed bj' this report will serve to show just what is the strength 

 and weakness of the Colorado system. 



Another important report on irrigation in Colorado has been pre- 

 pared for this Office by the Hon. J. Sire Greene, ex- State engineer of 

 Colorado. It deals with tlie water-right contracts of irrigation com- 

 panies, as illustrated by irrigation practice in the valley of the Arkan- 

 sas River in Colorado. 



An investigation of water rights and the administration of streams 

 has been carried on in Montana under the direction of Prof. S. Fortier, 

 director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station and an irri- 

 gation engineer of extended experience. In this work Professor Fortier 

 has had the assistance of Mr. Arthur P. Stover, of this Office. This 

 reiDort will give the history of irrigation, from its beginning to the 

 present time, in the valley of the Gallatin River and its tributaries 

 in Montana. It Avill show the results which have been secured, the 

 character of the rights established, tlie controversies and unsettled 

 issues which have been created, and will aid the people of that State 

 in determining whether or not changes are desirable, and if so, the 

 nature of the reforms to be secured. 



The legislature of Nevada at its last session made an appropriation 

 for cooperative work between the agricultural experiment station of 

 Nevada and this Office in a studj^ of the irrigation problems of Nevada. 

 Prof. A. E. Chandler, resident agent of the irrigation investigations 

 in Nevada, has been gathering the facts showing the extent of the 



