366 IRRIGATION PRACTICE 



vision given to the distribution of the water and to the 

 maintenance of the system. 



Some sort of supervision exists under practically all 

 canals, but it is exceedingly varied. Under the Davis and 

 Weber Counties Canal in Utah, serving 12,000 acres, divided 

 among 520 farmers, four men only are employed to dis- 

 tribute the water equitably. Under the Farmers' Canal 

 in Montana, serving 15,000 acres, owned by sixty farmers, 

 two men on part time supervise the distribution of the 

 water. On the other hand, the Gage Canal in California, 

 serving only 9,000 acres, finds it profitable to maintain a 

 chief engineer and six other men for the proper distribution 

 of the water flowing through the canal and for the main- 

 tenance of the system itself. The same force of men can 

 usually supervise the distribution of the water during the 

 irrigation season and maintain the system itself. 



The head of the organization for water distribution 

 and canal maintenance, called, possibly, the manager or 

 superintendent, should be an irrigation engineer. He 

 should be, however, an engineer of a new type one who 

 understands enough of engineering to maintain in a high 

 state of excellence the dams, canals, laterals and gates of 

 the irrigation system, and who understands enough of 

 modern irrigation agriculture to direct the use of the 

 water for the production of crops under the canal system. 

 To such a man belongs justly the title of irrigation engi- 

 neer. If one canal company does not feel itself wealthy 

 enough to maintain such a trained superintendent, it is 

 often possible for adjoining canal systems to employ the 

 same superintendent who can be assisted by water-mas- 

 ters from the respective systems. Much money could be 

 saved in legal and engineering services if such permanent 

 expert help were employed. 



