382 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Reclamation Notes 



Under the present rule this cannot be done later 

 than September, but hereafter it will be allowed un- 

 til late in the fall. 



CALIFORNIA. 



The State Reclamation Board of California, has 

 been reorganized under the provisions of the act of 

 the Legislature generally known as the Shinn Bill. 

 The act increases the membership of the board from 

 three to seven. 



The new act adds to the territory over which 

 the board holds jurisdiction over half a million acres 

 in the San Joaquin valley, making the entire acreage 

 of the reclamation district thus legally created over 

 a million and three quarters. It increases also very 

 much the powers and duties of the board, giving it 

 jurisdiction over reclamation and reclamation work 

 in fourteen counties in the basins of the Sacramento 

 and San Joaquin rivers somewhat similar to that 

 exercised by the State Railroad commission over 

 public carriers and their business. 



The act definitely recites that the People of the 

 State of California have a primary and supreme in- 

 terest in having erected and maintained throughout 

 the basins named levees and embankments properly 

 protecting the lands subject to overflow, and to that 

 end in carrying into effect the plans of the California 

 Debris Commission for flood control of the Sacra- 

 mento and San Joaquin rivers. These plans, as modi- 

 fied by the report of February 8, 1913 have been ap- 

 proved by the Army engineers on Rivers and Har- 

 bors. 



The Alta Irrigation District has filed suit 

 against John A. Rogers, et al, seeking to prevent 

 the defendants from obstructing the water flow into 

 the Alta irrigation ditch as it comes from Kings 

 River. It is the claim of the plaintiffs that for 

 years they have been taking water from Kings River 

 by way of Cameron slough, a natural waterway 

 from the river. The water has been used over thou- 

 sands of acres in the Alta district near Dinuba. The 

 defendants, according to the complaint, have opened 

 the bank of Cameron slough and are damming up 

 the intake of the Alta canal with the intent of taking 

 the water away to their own lands. A temporary 

 injunction has been secured while the matter is be- 

 ing heard. 



Articles of incorporation have been filed by the 

 Big Springs Water Company, having their principal 

 place of business at Montague. The purpose of the 

 company will be to promote irrigation in the Mayten 

 district, the water to come from Big Springs. The 

 company has two flowing wells, enough to irrigate 

 several hundred acres of land. 



A special assessment of $75,000 for the repair 

 and improvement of the upper works of the Modesto 

 Irrigation district has been levied by the board of 

 directors of the district and will be included in the 

 next tax levy. The money is needed for the replac- 

 ing of several flumes with hydraulic fills. Another 

 important action was taken by the board in regard 

 to the distribution of water. One of the changes 

 will relate to the time for watering trees and vines. 



There are 75,000 acres of alfalfa, which are 

 growing in the Turlock irrigation district, estimated 

 on the basis of an average yield of six tons to the 

 acre and on a selling price of $10 per ton. The dis- 

 trict total crop approximates a value of $4,500,000. 



The largest yield of currants on record in Cali- 

 fornia has been marketed from the orchards of D. 

 M. Denison of Tehachapi during the past sum- 

 mer. A few years ago he started the growing of 

 currants as a crop between the rows. He is said to 

 be making from $200 to $800 per acre on this be- 

 tween-the-rows crop. 



Truck crops in and around Live Oak are tak- 

 ing the place of growing fields of wheat, which 

 grew there in years past. Many of the farmers have 

 planted vegetables and the yield will make this sec- 

 tion an important supply point for the wholesale 

 supply of garden truck. 



The installation of pumps and motors for the 

 irrigation system of the Big Spring Water Com- 

 pany is about completed. 



The farmers of Riverbend county are greatly 

 elated over the report and order of the State Rail- 

 road Commission in the irrigation hearing held re- 

 cently, whereby a temporary order has permitted 

 the turning of the water in the ditch to the full 

 head. Many of these people are getting their first 

 water for irrigation this season. 



C. H. Glenn plans to irrigate his 1,000-acre 

 ranch in the river section of Glenn county. Water 

 will be obtained from the Sacramento river and 

 wells which will subsequently be sunk. 



B. J. Twilling, manager of the Tisdale ranch, 

 intends to put the entire ranch of 2,800 acres, near 

 Meridian, under irrigation. 



The first of the pumps of the Mt. Shasta Land 

 & Irrigation Company, a San Francisco corpora- 

 tion of which C. M. Starkweather of Sacramento 

 is president and George W. Pelspier a director, was 

 started recently at the Big Springs, and lowered 

 the water in that basin but two inches. The pump 

 raises 400,000 gallons an hour to a height of 56 feet 

 and forces the water through 2,000 feet of 24-inch 

 steel pipe. This with another pump which is ex- 

 pected will soon be installed will furnish water for 

 several thousand acres of desert land which will 

 when irrigated grow some of the finest alfalfa in the 

 State of California. 



NEVADA 



Farmers in the Truckee groups, representing 

 all of the large ditch owners of the valley, have 

 decided to enter into a rotation system of irrigation, 

 as was done last year. This will mean water for 

 all, and will also result in more water for the 

 Truckee-Carson project. 



