1904 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



163 



tions, therefore, in this drainage basin 

 have been preliminary explorations for 

 reservoir sites and the determination of 

 the available water supply. 



In this work particularly, and other 

 work in general, the State of California 

 is extensively cooperating with the U. S. 

 Geological Survey in carrying out these 

 investigations, the state paying a mate- 

 rial portion of the field expenses, and 

 the Geological Survey paying the sala- 

 ries of the employes. The governor of 

 the state is particularly active in his de- 

 sire to assist in the development of this 

 section by an exhaustive study of its re- 

 sources, and by bringing the attention of 

 both the nation and the local public to 

 the latent opportunities. 



In addition to the work of the Geo- 

 logical Survey, the forest cover of the 

 mountainous portion of the basin is being 

 studied by Mr. Gifford Pinchot, Forester 

 of the Agricultural Department, and his 

 assistants, with a view to preserving the 

 forests and thus protecting the water 

 supply. The Topographic Branch of the 

 Geological Survey is also receiving as- 

 sistance from the state and is concen- 

 trating its efforts in the preparation of 

 a contour map of the irrigable lands of 

 the Sacramento Valley. About six to- 

 pographic parties are now in the field 

 carrying out this work. They are mak- 

 ing their maps on the scale of 2 inches 

 to the mile, with 5-foot contour inter- 

 vals. 



Cache Creek. Cache Creek is one of 

 the large tributaries of the Sacramento, 

 entering the valley from the Coast 

 Range. This tributary was extensively 

 studied for the Geological Survey by 

 Mr. A. E. Chandler, the present state 

 engineer of Nevada. 



A very extensive opportunity for im- 

 pounding water economically in Clear 

 L,ake has been found and the subject 

 discussed in an irrigation and water sup- 

 ply paper entitled ' Storage of Water 

 on Cache Creek." Within the past 

 year all of the water rights of Cache 

 Creek have been concentrated under one 

 holding by certain parties living in 

 Woodland, their intention being to de- 

 velop Clear Lake as a reservoir site for 

 the irrigation of the lands of Yolo 

 county. It is understood that the ob- 



ject of this concentration is the general 

 development of the county. 



The agents of the Geological Survey 

 have held numerous conferences with 

 these gentlemen with a view to having 

 this work undertaken under the Recla- 

 mation Service. The Survey was in- 

 clined to make favorable recommenda- 

 tions to the Secretary of the Interior 

 bearing on this subject, provided a favor- 

 able adjustment of water- right questions 

 could be arrived at with these owners. 

 After negotiations had been carried on 

 for several months, assisted by the gov- 

 ernor of the state, it was found im- 

 possible to reach a conclusion with the 

 owners which could be recommended by 

 the engineers of the government to the 

 Secretary of the Interior. It was a 

 matter of regret that this adjustment 

 could not be accomplished, as it is be- 

 lieved natural opportunities of marked 

 merit exist here, and the broadest de- 

 velopment of these lands and prosperity 

 of the community would be assured by 

 this means. 



The entire project hinges on the use 

 of Clear Lake as a storage reservoir 

 This body of water, covering 40,000 

 acres, has been declared as navigable 

 by several acts of the California legis- 

 lature, and it is a serious question 

 whether it can be used legally without 

 the consent of the government. It is 

 not deemed advisable to legally contest 

 this point at present. The California 

 Water and Forest Association, as well 

 as the Woodland Chamber of Commerce, 

 cooperated with the Geological Survey 

 in the investigation of Cache Creek. 



Stony Creek. Stony Creek is a west- 

 ern tributary of the Sacramento. In 

 cooperation with the California Water 

 and Forest Association, as well as with 

 the Willows Chamber of Commerce, 

 the Stony Creek basin was investigated 

 by the Geological Survey ; numerous 

 reservoir sites were found thereon, and 

 gaging stations established, the records 

 on which are still being continued. A 

 report on this drainage basin known as 

 The Storage of Water on Stony Creek, 

 California, has recently been issued by 

 the Geological Survey. 



Puta Creek, another tributary of the 

 Sacramento, has been explored during 



