THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



149 



responsible for the conditions existing 

 upon this project should be dismissed 

 from the service and that their successors 

 in office be submitted to the board of 

 directors of the Water Users' association 

 for approval, to the end that we be given 

 immediate relief from the intolerable con- 

 ditions that exist and that a congressional 

 investigation of the affairs of this project 

 be made." 



This meeting and resolutions are evidently a 

 culmination of a long-standing protest on the part 

 of the settlers who have made little headway in 

 their encounters with local officials of the Reclama- 

 tion Service. 



At the time the writer visited Caldwell in June 



of this year, Director Davis and Judge King, Chief 

 Counsel, were at Boise, but apparently ignored that 

 branch of Water Users which was represented in 

 this meeting. 



At that time Mr. Magee stated that "the time 

 had come when the education of the Water Users 

 on Government projects of the incapacity of the 

 Reclamation officials must be undertaken." 



This meeting was, no doubt, a result of an effort 

 to get the members of the association together so 

 that some weight would be given any resolution 

 presented and passed, and it is our opinion that the 

 authorities in Washington cannot easily ignore so 

 decided and emphatic a protest. 



TAKING OVER THE PROJECT 



In a recent issue of the Montrose Enterprise, Montrose, Colorado, Mr. Chas. A. Block offers the fol- 

 lowing suggestions. 



In view of the importance of this move on the part of the Water Users, great caution should be used 

 as this venture will be watched with interest by officials of other projects who may later demand simi- 

 lar concessions. 



The water users will be asked in the near future 

 to vote on practically the tentative agreement 

 reached between Secretary Lane and the committee 

 that visited Washington about two months ago. 



The provisions of these agreements are em- 

 bodied in the letter of Secretary Lane to Dr. Mc- 

 Clanahan, president of the Water Users' association, 

 as published in our local papers about the end of 

 May. 



A discussion of the secretary's letter, therefore, 

 is timely and of importance to all water users. For 

 this reason, I wish to touch on a few points, as I 

 see them. 



As the project must be taken over by the Water 

 LIsers' association sometime in the future, the sooner 

 they take charge of the management, the better it 

 may be for all concerned. 



However, the water users are taking a great 

 risk, which may prove costly to them, in taking over 

 the management of the entire plant at once. It may 

 be prudent for them to take over only part of the 

 plant at a time, so as to limit losses and errors to 

 a minimum, maintain the greatest efficiency, build 

 up an efficient organization, etc. For instance, a 

 good plan might be for them to take over the man- 

 agement of the Ironstone canal and all the land on 

 that side of the river below the canal for the first 

 year. If at the end of that period, the management 

 has proven successful, then they could take over the 

 Montrose & Delta canal, and all land on that side of 

 the river the second year. If this has proven suc- 

 cessful, then the Selig and the tunnel could be taken 

 over by them. 



It also may be well for the water users to con- 

 sider, that in taking over the management of the 

 entire project they must have a considerable amount 

 of money on hand in the bank for running expenses, 

 and also an emergency fund of at least $100,000. 



The stockholders of the association either must be 

 assessed for these necessary funds or the association 

 will be compelled to issue bonds, and right there the 

 water user will begin to pay interest. 



Now, if the association took over the manage- 

 ment of only a part of the project, its running ex- 

 penses would be much less and the emergency fund 

 could be gradually accumulated by comparatively 

 small extra annual assessments, the payments of 

 which no one would feel. This fund could be in- 

 vested in some readily available security such as 

 liberty bonds. Thus instead of paying interest, the 

 water users would be receiving interest. 



Mr. F. H. Newell, in his book on "Irrigation 

 Management" has the following to say on the 

 "Transfer of Control" : "The irrigation project 

 built by a corporation or by the government is des- 

 tined ultimately to go into the hands of the water 

 users. The sooner this transfer is made the better 

 for all concerned, if the water users will accept the 

 full responsibility and employ men of experience. 

 The manager who is thus acting as agent of the 

 original builders must look forward to the time when 

 the water users themselves will exercise more direct 

 control and make such provisions as may be neces- 

 sary toward aiding the water users in appreciating 

 the responsibilities which they should assume. 



The manager of the project which has already 

 passed through this period and which is being oper- 

 ated and managed by the water users themselves, 

 has, of course, a somewhat different set of problems, 

 but the manager who, as above stated, is acting for 

 the government or an outside corporation, must 

 make a definite effort to bring to his water users a 

 realization of future duties. It is apparent that there 

 cannot be any divided control, but as the irrigators 

 acquire more experience there would be put upon 

 them a large and larger share of definite responsibil- 



