THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



243 



greatest difficulties and stand most in need of an early 

 solution. The success of irrigated agriculture in this 

 region requires first of all the creation of institutions 

 which shall offer a just and adequate foundation for 

 future development. Such a foundation requires that 

 the users' rights to streams must be clearly defined in 

 order that those who now use streams and those who 

 expect to use them may understand how much of the 

 water supply is appropriated and how much remains 

 open to appropriation. The litigation and controversy 

 which now menace communities and which are a con- 

 stant source of anxiety and loss to irrigators should, be 

 brought to an end. In order to effect these desirable 

 reforms, a knowledge of certain essential facts is re- 

 quired. Among these are the quantity of water re- 

 quired to grow crops, the losses from seepage and evap- 

 oration in distribution, the character of the control over 



ment stations, and at the same time has aided them to 

 take hold of other studies, such as problems relating to 

 the economical use of water on different crops. It 

 makes possible the bringing together of observations 

 from the whole country. It promotes uniformity of 

 methods in these investigations and thus gives to the 

 results a wider value than is possible with each station 

 working independently and alone. It brings together 

 the experience of the whole irrigated West for the use 

 of each locality, and shows the farmers of one section 

 where their practices can be improved by adopting those 

 of other and oftentimes far distant sections. 



AGRICULTURAL AND ENGINEERING PROBLEMS. 



The studies of the practical questions involved in 

 diverting water from streams; transporting^.!!; through 

 canals and ditches, distributing it over the land, and de- 

 termining the requirements of different crops have been 



Irrigation Investigations- Flume and Register Used in Measuring Irrigating Water. 



streams already vested, and the kind of administrative 

 measures needed to insure effective division of streams 

 among the multitude of users who depend thereon. 

 Specific information along these lines is indispensable 

 to wise and effective action in the future either by the 

 Government or by individuals. It is the information 

 which should have been gathered at the very outset of 

 this development, but the long delay in its collection 

 renders it all the more urgent that it be carried on now 

 to an early and effective completion. 



The work along agricultural and engineering lines 

 has been largely carried out in cooperation with the 

 agricultural experiment stations of the different States, 

 and with the State engineers in States having such 

 officials. By undertaking systematic work on some of 

 the general problems of irrigation, this office has been 

 able to supplement and extend the work of the experi- 



carried on in all of the arid and semiarid States with 

 one exception. In general, the results of this work 

 show that the losses in distribution are much greater 

 than has usually been supposed, and that the quantity 

 of water required, where these losses are included, is 

 somewhat greater than has been estimated by many 

 writers on the subject or stipulated in many water-right 

 contracts. The stations for the measurement of the 

 duty of water are scattered over nearly one-third of the 

 United States. The averages of the different measure- 

 ments for the past two years show a surprisingly close 

 agreement when this wide range of conditions is consid- 

 ered, as appears from the following summary : 



Feet. 

 The average depth of water applied to crops in 



1899 was 4.35 



The average depth of water applied to crops in 



1900 was 4.13 



