84 



tion for ri<;lit to iippropriiUc water, actual cost and expenses; and the State engineer shall 

 atlacli his approval to such plans and specifications if found satisfactory. 



The work of tlie engineer thus far fias been very largely one of explo- 

 ration to determine what development by irrigation is possible, and to 

 become acquainted with conditions throughout the State. lie is work- 

 ing in cooperation with the Irrigation and Drainage Investigations 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture in making surveys for 

 drainage works in the Red River Valley. Pie is cooperating with the 

 Forest Service of the United States Department of Agriculture in 

 determining the relation of the forests of the State to the water supply 

 of streams; with the Bureau of Plant Industry in experimenting with 

 various kinds of willows, as protection to the banks of streams, helping 

 to make their channels permanent; and with the Reclamation Service 

 of the Interior Department, in determining the feasibility of projects 

 to be undertaken under the provisions of the reclamation law. 



The irrigation law provides that the engineer cooperate with county 

 commissioners in the engineering work required to lay out and con- 

 struct drains. This is being done in cooperation between the Irriga- 

 tion and Drainage Investigations of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture, the State engineer, and the counties interested. 



The engineer is also charged with fixing rates for the sale of water. 



OREGON. 



The office of the State engineer was created in 1905, but he was 

 given little control of the waters of the State, his duties being con- 

 fined almost entirely to making hydrographic and topographic sur- 

 veys in the State. There was appropriated $2,500 for hydrographic 

 surve^^s and $2,500 for topographic surveys, both contingent upon 

 the setting apart of equal sums for similar work by the General Gov- 

 ernment. The United States Geological Survey has supplied these 

 funds, and the State engineer is the resident hydrographer of the 

 Survey. Gaugings of the various streams of the State and topograpliic 

 surveys of the irrigable lands are being made under this provision. 



DEFINING BIGHTS. 



Whenever the Reclamation Service wishes to begin the building 

 of works on any stream of the State the Secretary of the Interior 

 may notify the vState engineer, and he must then make surveys of the 

 stream and the ditches taking water from it and the land irrigated. 

 When these surveys are completed, the results are to be filed with 

 the attorney-general of the State, who, at the request of the Secretary 

 of the Interior, is to bring suit on behalf of the State for the determina- 

 tion of water rights on the stream. The validity of this provision 

 has not been tested. In view of the fact that the provision for the 

 beginning of adjudications by State officials has been overruled in 



