150 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Approximately, 115,000 acres of land which were with- 

 drawn from entry in connection with the Salt River Irriga- 

 tion project, Arizona, have been restored to the public do- 

 main and will become subject to settlement and entry on 

 such dates and after such notice by publication as the Sec- 

 retary of the Interior may prescribe. These lands lie in 

 townships 4 to 7 N., R. 1, 2, and 3 E., and 1 and 2 W., Gila 

 and Salt River meridian. 



Indications are that there will be an abundance of water 

 lor irrigation under the Truckee-Carson project, Nevada, 

 during 1909. The amount of snow falling during January 

 in the Sierra Nevadas was greater than any year on record. 

 On the 15th of the month there was approximately 110 

 inches of snow at Summit Station, and at the end of the 

 month 170 inches. The maximum amount recorded on the 

 first of February in any previous year for which there is 

 any record was in 1907, at which time 140 inches were re- 

 corded. There is a possibility also of heavy floods in the 

 spring, but from recent experience with high waters it is 

 believed the works will stand the strain. 



Negotiations for the purchase of Lake Tahoe controll- 



ing January. Unfavorable weather and the depleted condi- 

 tion of the first unit minimized the number of filings, al- 

 though the number of mail and personal inquiries did not 

 perceptibly fall off. The government buildings are being 

 used as far as possible for the temporary shelter of in- 

 coming settlers. 



The Secretary of the Interior has just decided a ques- 

 tion of some importance to the water users on the projects 

 under the Reclamation Act. It deals with the situation 

 arising during the pendency of proceedings for the cancel- 

 lation of an entry and a water right application on account 

 of failure to make two payments when due. 



As it may not always be possible to conclude these pro- 

 ceedings in the two or three months prior to the opening of 

 the irrigation season, the question has arisen whether water 

 could be furnished for land while the matter of cancellation 

 of the entry and water right application was under consid- 

 eration. 



The Secretary has just held that if the water user pays 

 the charges for operation and maintenance due at the be- 

 ginning of the irrigation season, water might be furnished 



Ranch Home in the Salt River Valley, Arizona. 



ing works are still in progress. On February 1 the eleva- 

 tion of water surface of the lake was 6288, showing a rise 

 of 1.88 feet during January. This is an extraordinary rise 

 for the month of January. In the nine years for which 

 there are records of the elevations of the lake the water 

 lias fallen during five and risen during four. At present 

 the water is about 18 inches below the spillway level, and 

 the amount of snow in the mountains is, more than suffi- 

 cient to fill the lake. 



For this reason the owners of the outlet have been ad- 

 vised to let out all water possible now to avoid damage to 

 the marginal lands when the summer rise comes. 



The Secretary of the Interior has announced that the 

 charge for operation and maintenance on the Minidoka 

 irrigation project, Idaho, shall be 60 cents per acre for 1909. 

 and that this rule shall remain in effect for subsequent years 

 until further notice, the charges becoming due to December 

 1 each year. 



Twelve new water right applications for water under 

 the Shoshone irrigation project, Wyoming, were filed dur- 



to him, upon the distinct understanding, however, that if his 

 entry and water right application should be canceled before 

 the end of the season his right to the use of water would 

 immediately cease, and he would also forfeit to the United 

 States the amount which had been paid for operation and 

 maintenance. This will enable the water user to cultivate 

 his land and perhaps raise crops while the question of can- 

 cellation is pending. 



The same rule would, of course, be applied so far as the 

 circumstances permit to the case of lands in private owner- 

 ship. 



Contracts have been awarded for furnishing 104,600 bar- 

 rels of Portland cement for various projects of the Recla- 

 mation Service, exclusive of the Pacific Division, for which 

 contract of 25,000 barrels was recently awarded to the Pa- 

 cific Portland Cement Company of Portland, Ore. 



The new contracts are as follows : 



To the Colorado Portland Cement Company, Denver, 

 10,000 barrels for the Uncompahgre project, Colorado, at 

 $1.18 per barrel, and 16,600 barrels for the two projects in 



