77 



riirhts into ^r(nii)s ])y dates. The United wStatos Gooloirical Survey 

 maintains «2;auij:in^ stations on the stream, and the enji;ineer reeeives 

 weekly records of the discharge of the river. From these he deter- 

 mines what rijjhts can be suppUed and distributes the water accord- 

 insjlv. For instance, lie decides that the riirhts antedatinji; 1S75 can 

 be supplied at a particular time. Amonir the holders of ri<2;hts prior 

 to that date priorities are not recognized, but the water is distributed 

 to them in the manner in which, in the oi)inion of the engineer, it can 

 be made to do the most good. During the season of 1905 an attempt 

 was made to maintain all perennial crops and bring to maturity the 

 second cro]) of alfalfa throughout the valley. The engineer estimates 

 that during the season of 1905 this method of distribution saved the 

 Carson \'alley $200,000 over a strict enforcement of priorities. It 

 is probable that any holder of an early right might have succeeded in 

 securing his full supj)ly regardless t)f the suiferings of his neighbors 

 had he gone into court, but with one exception no objection was made 

 to the distribution made by the engineer. The party objecting 

 attacked a water commissioner and was fined for resisting an oflicer. 

 The water commissioners receive $4 per day, which is paid by the 

 county. It is estimated that the county of Douglas will pay during 

 the season of 1905 $600 for distributing water to about 25,000 acres, 

 or 2.4 cents per acre. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Parties entitled to water are retpiired to make application to the 

 State engineer before any transfer may be made, but in practice 

 farmers are allowed to use the water to which the}" are entitled on 

 lands other than those in connection with which the rights were 

 acquired if others are not injured by the change. That is, if a farmer 

 prefers to use his w^ater on new land and let the old land lie fallow, he 

 is allowed to do so. This is done upon the theory that the water 

 w^ould be used on the old land if the farmer w^as not allowed to use it 

 on the neW' land, and it makes no difference to the holders of the other 

 rights what land the water is used on. 



It wall be seen from this description of the work of the engineer that 

 he has maintained a very close personal relation with the water users 

 and that his work has been very largely that of a friend and adviser 

 rather than an arbitrary official. This system has apparently w-orked 

 very satisfactorily in the limited field in which it has been tried. In 

 the nature of things the engineer can not come into such close per- 

 sonal relations w^ith the people of the w^hole State as the irrigated area 

 is enlarged. It is doubtful, therefore, whether the law has thus far 

 had a fair test. 



