1 66 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



April 



nines for the different periods of the 

 year. Litigation has practically ceased 

 and good will prevails. Probably fifty 

 lawsuits have been dismissed as a result 

 of these agreements. This association 

 joined forces with the Geological Sur- 

 vey for the examination of this district. 

 At the request of the president of the 

 association the engineers of the Recla- 

 mation Service went to Fresno, and, at 

 an extended meeting with them, ex- 

 plained the operations of the Reclama- 

 tion Service with a view of constructing 

 these reservoirs as public works. The 

 matter was thoroughly discussed at two 

 conferences held at Fresno in November. 



The flow of King's River is peculiarly 

 adapted to the needs of this district, or 

 inversely such crops and agriculture 

 have been developed in this locality as 

 best suit the flow of the stream. In 

 other words, the vineyards, if supplied 

 with a copious volume of water in the 

 spring and summer, when the river is 

 normally at its flood flow, are able to 

 produce satisfactory crops without fur- 

 ther irrigation in middle and late sum- 

 mer. The dairy industry, however, 

 which is now beginning to be developed 

 in this region, requires a continuous 

 water supply. The operations of the 

 reclamation law were fully explained 

 to the officers of the King's River 

 Storage Association, representing some 

 twelve or fourteen canal companies, and 

 it remains largely with them to say 

 whether the construction of these res- 

 ervoirs under the federal law shall be 

 undertaken. The sentiment expressed 

 at the meeting was rather unfavorable 

 to the procedure because of the expense 

 involved and because of the general 

 satisfaction with present conditions. 



Since the investigation of 1 900 nearly 

 all the canals diverting water from 

 King's River have increased their ca- 

 pacities, and it will be necessary for 

 them to make some concessions of water 

 from the spring and early summer flow, 

 and also from the midwinter flow, in 

 order to adequately supply the reservoirs 

 considered. This water would be avail- 

 able for use in late summer. The flood 

 water that could be saved and aug- 

 mented by the present supply used for 

 irrigation would be the floods of Febru- 



ary and March and a portion of the 

 highest water of April, May, and June. 

 The policy of the department prohibits 

 any effort at the promotion of irrigation 

 enterprises on a community, and they 

 will not act as advocates in this or any 

 other situation for the construction of 

 public works. 



Salinas. The drainage basin of the 

 Salinas River was investigated by Mr. 

 Homer Hamlin, engineer, United States 

 Geological Survey. An elaborate report 

 has been prepared and is now in the 

 press. It shows the possibility of devel- 

 oping the Salinas Valley by impounding 

 a reservoir on the Arroyo Seco. Plans 

 and estimates are given in detail, irriga- 

 ble lands are shown, and a map pre- 

 sented showing the depth to ground 

 water and the possibility of obtaining the 

 water supply by pumping therefrom. 



Santa Barbara. One of the most de- 

 lightful districts in the State of Califor- 

 nia is the narrow coastal plain near 

 Santa Barbara. Unfortunately, this dis- 

 trict does not have an adequate water 

 supply from local drainage basins. The 

 U. S. Geological Survey, cooperating 

 with the city of Santa Barbara, has pre- 

 pared a series of topographic maps cov- 

 ering all the lands on either side of the 

 mountain range, and particularly in the 

 drainage basin of the Santa Ynez River. 

 Following this topographic survey, ex- 

 plorations were made for reservoir sites 

 in the basin of the Santa Ynez. The 

 Santa Ynez River flows in a northerly 

 direction, but on the eastern side of the 

 Santa Ynez range of mountains it is 

 separated from Santa Barbara by this 

 range. 



The stream flow is of a very spas- 

 modic or erratic nature, passing off in 

 great flood waters almost entirely in the 

 mid- winter season, and in the summer 

 season dry throughout the greater por- 

 tion of its course. These storage reser- 

 voirs, if built, would catch these winter 

 floods and hold them for summer use. 

 The reservoirs were surveyed, stream 

 records have been kept, and following 

 these the city has located a tunnel line 

 from a point below the reservoir sites on 

 the river to a point on the south side of 

 the range. While it is proposed that the 

 city construct this tunnel, it is their 



