Opportunities For Government 



Irrigation in California 



As I Saw T hem. 



HON. PRANK W. MONDELL, of Wyoming, Chairmaa of the National House Cammlttee an Irrigation 



OUR Congressional Irrigation Party, consisting of Members of the House 

 and Senate Committees on Irrigation of Arid Lands, spent a most 

 enjoyable, interesting, and, from the standpoint of increased knowl- 

 edge of irrigation conditions, profitable week in California in June of 

 this year. 



The Southern Pacific Railroad gave us splendid special train 

 service; its officials rendered most thoughtful and valuable assistance in 

 planning and arranging our itinerary; and the business organizations and 

 people of every locality visited left nothing undone to make our sojourn 

 delightful and to afford us every possible facility for seeing the results of 

 irrigation development. In addition to this, the officers of the National 

 Reclamation Service, who are charged with the development of irriga- 

 tion projects in California gave us the benefit of their wide and thorough 

 information and knowledge of opportunities and conditions throughout 

 the State. 



It is from the standpoint of the knowledge acquired on the trip 

 in question, as well as on the occasion of former visits to California, and 

 from a somewhat careful study of the past history and present prospects 

 of irrigation development in California as effected by the laws, customs 

 and decisions relating thereto, that I respond to the invitation to write 

 briefly on "The Opportunities for Government Irrigation in California as I 

 Saw Them." 



A stranger to the irrigation development of California on his first 

 visit to the State is invariably greatly impressed with the remarkable char- 

 acter and extent of such development and the marvellously successful 

 results which have been obtained thereby; but if he be interested in the 

 subject of irrigation and take the trouble to investigate conditions, he 

 will soon find himself even more impressed with the magnificent oppor- 

 tunities for further irrigation development, the vast extent of fertile lands 

 and abundance of water supply still remaining to be utilized. 



Nowhere in the arid region are to be found streams of such splen- 

 did volume with easily reclaimable adjacent areas of such great extent, 

 favorable topography, and great fertility as are to be found in California 

 to-day. In this condition of affairs, it requires no argument to demon- 

 strate the possibility of enormous development by the construction of ad- 

 equate irrigation works. With numerous and alluring opportunities 

 stretching from the head of the Sacramento Valley to the southern line 

 of the State, it would be impossible in the space of a brief article to specify 

 and enumerate the particular advantages of each available project. Suffice 

 it to say that with the people of the regions to be benefitted in active 

 and complete harmony with the contemplated development; with questions 

 of water-rights and available water supply and division of the land into 

 small holdings, as contemplated by the National Reclamation Law, set- 

 tled, there is abundant opportunity in California to expend profitably and 

 to the vast advantage of the State and country in the construction of 

 works under the National Irrigation Act a sum larger than the $28,000,000 

 now available for the entire country. 



Of course no such sum as this can be used in California by the Na- 

 tional Government, at least for many years to come; but the Reclamation 

 Service stands ready to make a goodly beginning at an early date. Upon 

 the officers of that Service rests the responsibility of determining, after 

 taking all features and factors of each project into consideration, where 

 the first expenditure may most profitably be made. 



