40 



THE IRKIQATION AGE. 



express his views as well as the well-paid government 

 official. 



It may be well to state for the benefit of the gentle- 

 men connected with the Reclamation Service that a 

 movement is on foot to investigate some of the methods 

 under which they controlled the Sacramento Cngress, 

 and sooner or later these gentlemen will be made to 

 know that the National Irrigation Congress is a body 

 supported and made possible by the delegates who are 

 not officials of the government, and that these gentle- 

 men who represent the Reclamation Service and other 

 bureaus will not be permitted to exploit the congress 

 according to their own desires. 



The* congress which is to be held at Albuquerque 

 next year may possibly be organized along different 

 lines. At any rate that is the opinion of THE IRRI- 

 GATION AGE. 



Another feature in connection with the Irrigation 

 Congress which is worthy of notice is the fact that the 

 railway companies worked in harmony with the govern- 

 ment officials to shape the policy of that body. Several 

 officials of western railways were in attendance and 

 used their efforts to retard progress along certain lines. 

 T4is is a strange attitude on the part of the railways 

 when it is considered that the heads of the companies 

 maintain that the Reclamation Service is working at 

 cross purposes with them. Those who are acquainted 

 with inside facts know this to be untrue, and yet it is 

 difficult to understand why the representative of the 

 Great Northern Railway should attempt to frame the 

 policy of a national irrigation congress. It is also diffi- 

 cult for the average delegate to understand how the 

 reclamation officials get together and shape policies 

 when the administration under which these officials 

 secured their positions is evidently opposed to certain 

 plans of the railways. 



This subject will be taken up later in discussing 

 the congress to be held at Albuquerque and letters will 

 be published from delegates expressing their individual 

 views concerning the conduct of the Sacramento meet- 

 ing. : 



HOW WATER IS DIVIDED ON A PRO RATA BASIS 

 AMONG USERS. 



BY JOHN G. HALL. 



For the benefit of those. interested in irrigation and 

 unfamiliar with the methods used, I will endeavor to 

 explain briefly how water is measured by ditch riders 

 for irrigation purposes. A man must be kept at the 

 head-gates of all canals of any size, and more especially 

 on streams that are liable to fluctuate; to regulate 

 amount of water going into canal, to prevent breakage 

 of canal banks, also to be in touch with river commis- 

 sioner, who is dividing the water in the stream among 

 various ditches taking water from same. 



Now that we hpve defined the duties of the head 

 gate keeper, we will next discuss the duties of the ditch 



riders. It is almost impossible to handle a canal with- 

 out a telephone line from the head gate of the canal 

 to the lower end. The ditch rider-in-chief should ride 

 the lower division, having his assistants on divisons 

 above. When riders are stationed on their respective 

 divisions, the rider-in-chief ascertains from the head 

 gate keeper by telephone the amount of water coming 

 in at head. Given heights over weir at head of canal 

 will give stipulated amounts per water right after a 

 certain percentage is deducted for seepage and evapora- 

 tion. This is done in the morning before riders start 

 on their divisions. To illustrate : If the rider-in-chief 

 finds that he has water sufficient to give fifty inches 

 per right for the day each division rider is so instructed 

 by telephone. Tomorrow it may be increased or di- 

 minished as the supply warrants. Each large lateral 

 has a lateral superintendent, who informs canal rider 

 on his division of the needs of those under his lateral. 

 For instance, if ten water rights are called for by lateral 

 superintendent under a certain lateral for the day and 

 the canal is giving fifty inches per right this would 



\U\\\ 



v&x 



\ 



a Three rights flowing over weir in dividing 

 box. 



b Weir where dividing boards apportion water 

 to three users, each receiving one-third of space 

 on weir. 



c Earth banks. 



d Private laterals. 



make five hundred inches for that lateral for that twen- 

 ty-four hours, and so on the whole length of the canal. 

 After the lateral superintendent has his issue for the 

 day at the head of his lateral he proceeds down his 

 lateral, sub-dividing the water according to the rights 

 of each user by giving him his percentage of the width 

 of the weir where his water is taken out, which should 

 always be in a dividing box constructed for that purpose. 

 There should be a dividing board in said dividing box 

 that can be shifted to cut out any percentage of the 

 water at that point. Generally there are several of these 

 dividing boxes in a laferal of any size. All divisions 

 having been made, the water is now in the hands of the 

 irrigator. 



