88 THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



than on the conflicting evidence of a large number of volunteer 

 witnesses, 



(4) The organization of an efficient administrative system to di- 

 vide equitably the utilized waters of the state. 



Now all this might be effected at small cost to the state at large. 

 A transcript from each county of all records of appropriations and di- 

 versions of water as well as of all court decrees would form the nucleus 

 of the center bureau. 



In the matter of collecting the required data, the most urgent 

 need at the present time is a well defined system in which all individ- 

 ual and corporate water users would co-operate. 



As to the number of irrigating ditches in this state nobody knows. 

 We may have 2,000 and then again we may have 6,000 but whether the 

 number be small or great each ditch should have a properly designed 

 and constructed head- gate. If any head-gate did not answer the pur- 

 pose it should be the duty of seme state officer to compel the owner or 

 owners to renew it. 



In addition to effective head-gates the state should prepare gener- 

 al plans and specifications for measuring devices and one of these de- 

 vices should be inserted near each place of diversion at the expense of 

 the owner and under the supervision of the state. 



When proper means are provided to control and measure. water, it 

 is a comparatively easy thing to make the necessary measurements 

 and record the flow. Assuming that there are 4,000 diversion ditches 

 in this state, and that weekly observations are made at each measur- 

 ing device by local parties from June loth to Sept. 15th of each year 

 and the results forwardad to a central office, over 62,000 measurements 

 would be the combined result of one season's observations. 



Few can estimate the value of sush a record when carried on for a 

 number of years. Such information would not only form the basis of 

 the final settlements of water rights but af ber decrees had been ren- 

 dered the same system could be used to aid in a just division. 



If Wyoming has erred in adopting irrigation laws that are new to 

 America, it has been in rendering final decisions on the measurements 

 of one season. The valuable records pertaining to the flow of Western 

 streams collected by the U. S. Geological survey during the past ten 

 years, show the wide variations of the same stream in different years. 

 The prevailing order seems to be a year or two of comparative drouth, 

 followed by a like period of plenty and then several years of average 

 water supply. In other words it would require about five years' fkrv 

 to form an average. 



Nor is this the only objection to over-hasty water-right adjudica- 

 tion. Many of the canals have been built in recent years and the 20, 

 30 or 50 percent waste water or seepage from their channels and the 

 newly watered lands, is often locked up for years in the porous mater- 

 ial of the side hills and the upper mesas. It is well nigh impossible to 



