234 



THE IERIGATION AGE. 



$35,000 was voted to aid the director of the United 

 State Geological Survey in making topographic maps, 

 gaging streams, surveying reservoir sites and the like. 

 The money derived from the sale of Government lands 

 in California may likewise be used for the survey and 

 construction of irrigation works, and for the three 

 years ending December 30, 1903, this fund amounted 

 to $1,287,119. 



Few will question the wisdom of these appropria- 

 tions for forestry and land and water surveys, as well 

 as the building of large storage reservoirs by the Fed- 

 eral Government. At the same time, every fair-mind- 

 ed person must admit that these expenditures, although 

 of great value to the future welfare of the State, are 

 of practically no immediate benefit to the present own- 

 ers and occupants of farms, orchards and ranches of 

 California. It is, however, this class of citizens which 

 provide by far the larger part of the revenues of the 

 State, and it is asking no more than common justice 

 that in granting funds for the development of .agricul- 

 ture their needs be carefully considered. 



We have endeavored to plan the irrigation investi- 

 gations now being carried on jointly by the State of 

 California and the United States Department of Ag- 

 riculture for the benefit of the irrigator. How far we 

 have succeeded in accomplishing this purpose is a mat- 

 ter for you to decide after having heard the following 

 brief report of the different lines of work that have 

 been taken up: 



SEEPAGE LOSSES IN IRRIGATION. 



Irrigation enterprises have interfered with natural 

 conditions. Before irrigation was practiced in Cali- 

 fornia the water which escaped by gravity from the 

 mountain slopes flowed in natural channels to the 

 ocean. Now, in many sections, such as the San Joa- 

 quin Valley, much of the natural flow is diverted dur- 

 ing the period of irrigation and spread over the sur- 

 face of cultivated lands. If this were done in such a 

 manner as to avoid loss there would be no seepage. 

 Unfortunately over 90 per cent of the ditches and 

 canals in Western America are built in earth, and the 

 loss by sepage is, in many cases, very great. As a re- 

 sult of measurements made on canals and laterals in 

 arid America during the past five years under the su- 

 pervision of Prof. Elwood Mead, the loss on convey- 

 ance is estimated to be 40 per cent. When one con- 

 siders that there is an additional waste of water in its 

 application to the surface of fields, it will be apparent 

 to all that as a rule less than one-half of the water 

 which is now diverted through headgates is put to 

 beneficial use. In other words, the water which is now 

 used on 9,000,000 acres would suffice to irrigate 18,- 

 000,000 acres if all losses and waste could be prevented. 

 It is not practicable to prevent all of this loss, but it 

 would prove a paying investment in most cases to ex- 

 pend more money in improving canal channels, as well 

 as the surface of irrigated fields. Improvements of 

 this character are seldom made until the owners possess 

 definite knowledge of present losses. A part o'f the 

 money appropriated by both the Federal and State 

 Governments to investigate irrigation in California has 

 been devoted to this purpose. Typical canals in both 

 the Santa Clara and San Joaquin Valleys are being 

 measured to determine this loss. 



Some five years ago Director Carpenter, of the 

 Colorado Experiment Station, estimated the financial 

 loss to that State from this cause to be $8,000,000 per 



annum. Owing to better methods of irrigating and to- 

 the costlier structures in use in Southern California 

 the loss in this State is considerably less. There is, 

 however, ample opportunity for improvement which 

 will save vast sums in water which is now wasted. 



It is our intention, if the funds at our disposal 

 will permit, to make experiments on the cost and effi- 

 ciencies of different kinds of suitable linings for ditches 

 and canals. 



IRRIGATION DISTRICTS OF CALIFORNIA. 



Whether the Wright irrigation district law is good 

 or bad is not now a vital question. Districts have been 

 formed to the number of fifty, a large portion of the 

 best irrigable lands and available water supplies hav<? 

 been included within these organized limits, and the 

 large majority, for reasons that are well known, have 

 not been successful. Little benefit will accrue, we be- 

 lieve, from a further discussion of the causes which 

 led to these failures. Our plain duty is to unite in an 

 effort to change failures into; successes. This change is 

 being rapidly accomplished by the people of the Mo- 

 desto and Turlock districts. Last year the area irri- 

 gated in the two districts was about 12,000 acres; this 

 year the area will be increased to from 25,000 to 30,- 

 000 acres. At this rate it will not take long to re- 

 claim the 250,000 acres of fertile lands of both dis- 

 tricts. When this is accomplished it is no exaggeration 

 to state that the value of crops produced by irrigation 

 will exceed those from dry farming by $5,000,000 a 

 year. A community which is determined to accom- 

 plish this task deserves the encouragement of every 

 citizen as well as the financial assistance of both State 

 and Nation. 



The completion of the Central Canal in the Sacra- 

 mento Valley, which is now to be carried out, will add 

 150,000 acres to the credit of the Wright act and make 

 a marvelous change in the population, taxable wealth 

 and agricultural resources of the valley. 



A part of our appropriation is being used to as- 

 sist the people of the Toulumne districts. Water regis- 

 ters have been installed on each canal just below the 

 La Grange dam to keep a continuous record of the 

 flow; the duty of water and seepage losses will be de- 

 termined and a study made of the best methods of 

 water delivery under the district law, the proper prepa- 

 ration of land and its effect on crops. 



The rise of the ground water level will also be 

 observed and recorded in order that measures may be 

 taken to drain certain portions before any injury is 

 done to the crops. These studies and examinations of 

 representative districts may prove valuable to other dis- 

 tricts that are less advanced. 



PREPARING LAND AND APPLYING WATER. 



Another portion of our vailable funds has been 

 expended in ascertaining the different methods em- 

 ployed in preparing land; the cost of each method has 

 been discussed and compared, and the most efficient 

 implements described. This information has been col- 

 lected and compiled and is now in the hands of the 

 Government printer. It is hoped that a.' practical bul- 

 letin on this subject will be of some use to every irri- 

 gator. It will enable those who are familiar with the 

 methods in vogue in their vicinity to compare them 

 with others practiced elsewhere, and it is believed that 

 it will assist the new beginner on an irrigated farm 

 in making a proper choice of the methods best adapted 

 to his local conditions. 



