238 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



claims to water in most of the arid states are so loosely 

 drawn that appropriations of excessive amounts have 

 been the rule rather than the exception. 



The uncertainty lies in the failure to unify riparian 

 rights and those arising out of appropriations. In the 

 establishment of rights to water, each state has been a 

 law unto itself, and the only way in which the Federal 

 government can interfere, as matters now stand, is in 

 controlling interstate streams, many of which rise where 

 the riparian doctrine has been abrogated and flow into 

 states where the riparian rights are closely and rigidly 



Fig. 3 



1 



475,000 

 450,000 

 425,000 

 400,000 

 375,000 

 350,000 

 325,000 

 300,000 

 275,000 

 250,000 

 SS5.000 

 200,000 

 175,000 

 150,000 

 125,000 

 100.000 

 75,000 

 50,000 

 25,000 



ANNUAL DISCHARGE 



OF STREAM 



1,138,369. 



ACRE FEET 



Fig. 



ACRE FEET 

 AVAILABLE FOR 

 IRRIGATION BYDIRECT 

 DIVERSION 

 747,292. 

 66 PERCENT OF 

 ANNUAL FLOW 



Courtesy U. S. Dept. Agriculture. (Mead.) 



IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS DIAGRAM SHOWING FLOW OF GALLATIN RIVER, MONTANA, AND 



STORAGE FOR ITS COMPLETE USE IN IRRIGATION. 

 White areas represent amount of flow during nonirrigation period. Black areas represent 



amount of flow which could be used by direct diversion. Hitched areas represent the 



volume which must be stored and the time of its use. 



guarded. The report deems it of first importance to de- 

 cide what a water right is, and then determine the 

 amount of that right which an individual may possess 

 for his land. Because the appropriators of water could 

 not agree upon this simple question, Nebraska, Wyom- 

 ing and Colorado declared for state control of all the 

 water. 



Although, as says the report, "the appropriation for 

 the irrigation investigations of the 

 Department of Agriculture, makes the 

 study of laws affecting irrigation and 

 riparian proprietors and institutions 

 relating to irrigation the leading feat- 

 ure of its work, its duties are wholly 

 educational, the responsibility for 

 legislation rests ultimately with the 

 people themselves. The facts, so far, 

 have succeeded in arousing public sen- 

 timent to the need of reform. What 

 is suggested is the passage of laws 

 which should include : 



"1. A determination of the priority 

 and amount of all existing rights. 



"2. The division of states into dis- 

 tricts based on drainage lines and the 

 creation of an authentic record of the 

 priorities and amounts of appropria- 

 tions of water in each of these dis- 

 tricts. 



"3. The protection of rights to wa- 

 ter in times of scarcity by the division 

 of streams among appropriators by 

 some public official. 



"4. Limitation of all rights to use 

 and the attachment of rights for irri- 

 gation to the land irrigated. 



"5. The establishment of some sys- 

 tematic and orderly procedure for the 

 record of all future appropriations, 

 and the prompt establishment of prior- 

 ities and amounts of rights acquired 

 through beneficial use." 



As to irrigation in the humid sec- 

 tions of the United States, the report 

 is of the opinion that it is not yet de- 

 termined whether it will pay, but the 

 question is of sufficient importance to 

 justify a thorough investigation. In 

 New Jersey it has been determined 

 that an irrigation plant will pay in 

 connection with trucking and fruit 

 growing, and that it will be of service 

 every year for one or more crops. In 

 Wisconsin irrigation has proved prac- 

 tically successful, notwithstanding a 

 total rainfall of 19.49 inches for five 

 months. In leachy soils where the 

 rainfall is not retained, irrigation gave 

 an increased yield. In Missouri it is 

 settled that irrigation will pay in the 

 case of vines, nursery stock, orchard 

 and small fruits. 



The report contains a highly inter- 

 esting letter from Hamilton Yancey, 

 of Borne, Georgia, on the subject of 

 irrigation in the south, which will ap- 

 pear in full in the columns of the AGE. 



ACRE FEET 

 WHICH MUSTT 



BE STORED 



391,077. 



34 PERCENT OF 



ANNUAL FLOW 



