THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



267 



Fullo i H. Sears 

 (Fallon. Nev.) 



CEDERAL WATER USERS on the Truckee- 

 * Carson project in Nevada will meet July 11 to 

 complete steps for the formation of a recognized 



\Vater Users' associa- 

 tion. 



The organization 

 meeting will be a vic- 

 torious culmination of 

 a fight extending over 

 many years for the cre- 

 ation of such an asso- 

 ciation. The Truckee- 

 Carson Water Users 

 have had a voluntary 

 association, but never 

 succeeded in being rec- 

 ognized by any Secre- 

 tary of the Interior, be- 

 cause of the opposition 

 of F. H. Newell, di- 

 rector of the Reclama- 

 tion Service, and other officials to any thorough or- 

 ganization of Water Users. Demands for charter 

 membership of at least two-thirds of the settlers on 

 the project and for the acceptance of the charter- 

 form created for new projects were the weapons 

 used constantly to keep the settlers from organiz- 

 ing. This was done despite the fact that the Water 

 Users' contracts demand that they belong to a 

 \\ ater Users' association. 



Despite these tactics, the Water Users, realiz- 

 ing the value to themselves and their project of a 

 recognized association, kept up their battle to ob- 

 tain one. Fulton H. Sears, former president of the 

 voluntary association, and member of the Execu- 

 tive Committee of the National Federation of 

 Water Users' Associations, led the fight, and to him 

 is due. largely, the credit for obtaining acceptance 

 by the Reclamation Commission of a charter which 

 is also satisfactory to the settlers. This charter is 

 the most modern and advanced of Water Users' as- 

 sociation contracts with the government, as it not 

 only fulfills all the requirements of the Reclamation 

 Act, but also contains provisions for co-operative 

 enterprises of all kinds among the settlers. Under 

 it the Water Users can do co-operative buying and 

 selling, banking, build mills, warehouses, cold stor- 

 age plants, and provide other necessary equipment 

 for handling the produce of the project. They are 

 also given full powers under which they can operate 

 their project when it is turned over to them by the 

 government. 



Obtaining of approval of this charter was no 

 small task. Mr. Sears made several trips to Wash- 

 ington to obtain aid from the various Secretaries 

 of the Interior in forming an association. He told 

 the officials that conditions on the Truckee-Carson 

 project, the oldest among all of them, were such 

 that it was impossible to get the settlers to accept 

 the more or less archaic form, which the Reclama- 

 tion Service adopted when associations were formed 

 on newer projects. He explained that the govern- 

 ment had attempted to settle for private water 

 rights through individual contracts in the Truckee 

 country, driving a different deal with each water 

 owner, instead of working through an associa- 

 tion, as was done on the newer projects. But all 

 in vain. 



Finally a conference was arranged in Chicago 

 between W. A. Ryan, comptroller of the Reclama- 

 tion Commission, Mr. Sears, and the editor of the 

 Federal Water Users' department of THE IRRIGA- 

 TION AGE. The situation was explained fully to Mr. 

 Ryan. It was agreed that Mr. Sears should draw 

 such a charter as would comply with the Reclama- 

 tion Act, and which also would meet the needs of 

 the Truckee-Carson project. Mr. Ryan agreed to 

 see that it received the attention of Secretary of the 

 Interior Lane and the Commission. 



The charter was examined thoroughly by Judge 

 King, counsel of the Reclamation Commission, and 

 with some minor changes, approved by him. These 

 changes were accepted by Mr. Sears. 



Then came a long wait. Finally, early in June, 

 word came from Judge King that as soon as the 

 association was organized, Secretary Lane would 

 recognize it by entering into a contract with it. Mr. 

 Sears immediately began work of arranging for the 

 organization meeting. Harvesting of alfalfa made 

 it necessary to delay the meeting until in July, but 

 meanwhile the Water Users have had opportunity 

 to study the charter closely, and it is believed in 

 Fallen that a very large percentage of the settlers 

 will join the association at the first meeting. 



VOTE FUNDS FOR WAPATO PROJECT 



The Senate voted favorably recently on an 

 amendment to the Indian appropriation bill, pro- 

 viding $200.000 for starting work on the Wapato 

 irrigation project on the Yakima Indian reserva- 

 tion in Washington. As the House had already 

 passed the appropriation bill, construction of the 

 project, which will put water on 60,000 acres and 

 provide storage supply for another 60,000 acres, is 

 assured. 



