42 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



protecting rights on flood water streams. On such 

 the floods run off early in the spring, leaving the 

 stream practically dry during the summer months. 

 Rather than build expensive reservoirs, the pioneer 

 settlers flooded their lands by means of ditches or 

 temporary diversion dams, thus storing water in the 

 soil itself. In most cases but one crop of wild 

 hay yielding about one ton to the acre is produced, 

 but under favorable conditions one to two cuttings 

 of alfalfa have been produced. 



In such cases, a larger rate of flow is allowed 

 and the total quantity of water for the irrigation 

 season limited to 2.5 to 4 acre-feet per acre. The 

 volume limitation in certain cases has been further 

 qualified by defining the amount in acre feet which 

 can be diverted within any period of, say, thirty 

 days. Such a decree is difficult to enforce. No re- 

 liable and inexpensive instrument has yet been de- 

 vised for automatically recording acre feet. The 

 water master must be employed whether a contro- 

 versy exists or not, and no water user will know 

 whether or not he is getting the amount of water 

 decreed him, unless he keep an independent record 

 throughout the entire season. 



Many water masters will thus have to be em- 

 ployed as each ditch will have to be measured one 

 or more times each day. If the water master is not 

 present when water is being run, his records will be 

 incomplete. 



Under such system it will be difficult to con- 

 vict one of stealing water. It will also be difficult 

 to convince each water user that he has received 

 his full share of water. Such system of defining 

 water in acre feet is more suited to large canal 

 systems where numerous ditch riders are necessary 

 to distribute the water, and where but little addi- 

 tional expense would be entailed in keeping accu- 

 rate ditch records of the volume of water used each 

 day. 



Gravity irrigation under large ditch systems did 

 not become a complete success until the common 

 carrier canal was abolished, and water was made 

 by law appurtenant to the land. Those planning 

 to pump water have not forgotten the early experi- 

 ences of the water user under such canals where 

 the charge for water, after the expiration of the 

 original short-time contract, was increased by the 

 company in accordance with the settler's ability to 

 pay. It is believed that pumping for irrigation pur- 

 poses will not reach its fullest development until 

 both the power and the water are made appurtenant 

 to the land benefited, either through district or state 

 ownership and distribution of power. 



This question is of particular interest to Ore- 

 gon for the reason that we have a considerable area 

 which cannot be economically supplied by gravity 

 canals, but which may be irrigated by pumping 

 from adjoining streams, or from underground 

 sources. 



Along Snake River in eastern Oregon, a pump- 

 ing plant was recently installed for the irrigation 

 of 6,000 acres where the maximum lift was over 

 100 feet. An irrigation district has been formed 

 for the irrigation of 20,000 acres adjoining the above 

 project where the lift will be 200 to 300 feet, and 

 the land about 2,300 feet above sea level. 



In central Oregon there are great interior 



basins, each containing several hundred thousand 

 acres of level land, where the rainfall does not ex- 

 ceed the evaporation. In most of these basins a 

 limited supply of water is found from 20 to 40 

 feet below the surface. \\ ith a permanent supply 

 of cheap power this water could be pumped for at 

 least partial irrigation of these districts. 



It is the duty of the state engineer to refer to 

 the state water board any application wherein the 

 proposed use conflicts with determined rights, or is 

 a menace to the safety or the welfare of the public. 

 This board can direct the refusal of such applica- 

 tion after full hearing, if public interest demands. 

 This feature of the law has recently been upheld by 

 our Supreme court (Cookingham vs. Lewis, 114 

 Pac. 88) and marks a distinct advance in water legis- 

 lation. 



In Oregon we have a number of large irrigation 

 projects which can be developed at reasonable cost. 

 Unfortunately, the early settlement in these dis- 

 tricts has occurred along the streams, and there is 

 a strong natural tendency to complicate and delay 

 the construction of the larger projects through the 

 construction of power plants in the stream channels, 

 or the building of railway lines through available 

 storage basins. If the entire stream basin were 

 owned by an individual, he would compel the power 

 plants to locate a few miles distant on some tribu- 

 tary of the stream, where the water could be used 

 for irrigation after passing through the power 

 wheels, although such construction would be per- 

 haps a little more expensive. He would also com- 

 pel the railroads to locate their lines around and 

 above feasible power and reservoir sites, in order 

 that the large projects which must be eventually 

 built will not be unnecessarily encumbered, and 

 their construction correspondingly delayed. 



The state is endeavoring to look somewhat to 

 the future in these matters as indicated by the above 

 authority granted to its administrative officers for 

 the protection of the public interest. 



Recently a further step in this direction was 

 taken by our legislators. The sum of $50,000 W 7 as 

 appropriated for the making of detailed plans and 

 estimates of cost of a number of these projects, and 

 authorizes cooperation with the United States. The 

 Government has allotted an equal amount from the 

 Reclamation fund and the investigations are now 

 being carried on jointly. The necessary land and 

 water rights are withdrawn so as to prevent further 

 complications, and it is the intent to assign such 

 plans, and rights to the people forming themselves 

 as a district for the construction of the project, or 

 to private capital, who will undertake to carry out 

 the public plans on terms satisfactory to the people. 

 Failing in this, the legislature has submitted a con- 

 stitutional amendment for vote of the people in 

 1914, authorizing the issuance of bonds equal to two 

 per cent of the assessed valuation of the state for 

 the construction of irrigation and power projects, 

 and for developing the cut-over timber and other 

 lands of the state. 



In other words, the state is now authorized to 

 make water filings, and to gather all necessary in- 

 formation relative to these large irrigation and 

 power projects, which may be necessary in promot- 

 ing their construction by either private or public 



