166 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



STEPS TOWARD PROJECT CONTROL 



Report and Suggestions by Project Manager Fred D. Pyle to Members of Uncompahgre 



Water Users Association, Colorado. 



Under recent date Mr. Pyle submitted to Dr. A. C. McClanahan, president of the Uncompahgre Water 

 Users Association, the following letter, which, because of its detailed explanations and its general com- 

 prehensiveness, may find ready application in other districts. In the course of his communication he gives 

 a clear discussion of many problems connected with the taking over of the responsibilities and authorities 

 of project operation. 



I believe it advisable for the Association to take 

 over the operation and maintenance of the entire 

 project, as they will then have everything in their 

 control and there will be no possible points of fric- 

 tion with Government agents as to water delivery. 

 In order for the Water Users to adequately operate 

 the distributing system, it will be necessary for 

 them to have a complete organization with a com- 

 petent manager, consequently, the addition of the 

 Gunnison Tunnel and South Canal will not material- 

 ly increase their overhead expense. 



I believe that the government should complete 

 the work in the Gunnison Tunnel and the enlarge- 

 ment of the California Mesa lateral system, both 

 of which can probably be completed before the 1918 

 irrigation season, provided that sufficient mechanics, 

 laborers and teams can be obtained to keep the 

 camps full handed. Any remaining work can be 

 handled by the association as operation and main- 

 tenance work. 



Mr. Newell in his book on Irrigation Manage- 

 ment says : 



"The irrigation project built by a corporation 

 or by the Government is destined 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 large 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 provision as may be necessary towards 

 aiding the water users in appreciating the responsi- 

 bilities which they should assume. 



"The difficulties which have been experienced 

 in the past in the transfer of responsible control of 

 large irrigation works to the irrigators have grown 

 out of ignorance and lack of development of what 

 may be called a community conscience. An irriga- 

 tion project completed under the terms of the Recla- 

 mation Act, Carey Act, or District Law, is highly 

 complicated and an extremely expensive piece of ma- 

 chinery, comparable to a railroad system or a large 

 manufacturing establishment. If we imagine a large 

 railroad or mill, furnishing occupation to thousands 

 of men, transferred to the control of these men to 

 be operated by them, we have about the condition 

 which exists when a large irrigation project is 

 turned over to the landowners. In some cases there 

 has resulted confusion or even disaster until the en- 

 tire body of men concerned have been educated 

 through their losses to the observance of certain 

 well-established principles. The problem is to try 



to avoid these losses and the expensive education 

 which in the past has seemed necessary, by adopting 

 certain precautions and anticipating the dangers 

 which arise from the change. 



"This attitude of indifference to the observa- 

 tions of the rules and regulations which have been 

 found vital in older irrigated areas makes the prob- 

 lem of proper control of the work extremely difficult 

 and adds to the dangers of transfer of this control 

 to the entire body of water users. Without a strong 

 central authority no one is willing to come forward 

 to advocate the punishment of the influential neigh- 

 bor even if he is a notorious water thief. The whole 

 system falls into confusion until through the ac- 

 cumulated losses the community is awakened to its 

 danger." 



Your association is now in as good a condition 

 as it will ever be to take over the operation and 

 maintenance of the project and on account of the 

 advantageous conditions contained in the Secre- 

 tary's letter of May 26th there should be no doubt 

 about the proposition carrying when put up to the 

 Water Users. However, a publicity campaign 

 should be carried on so that the community con- 

 science may be awakened to its needs and necessi- 

 ties in time to avoid possible mistakes. 



The present organization is not the best for 

 taking over the project. While the proxy system 

 and accumulative vote may be according to the 

 State law and proper for certain classes of organi- 

 zations, it is a very vicious method and is certain 

 to lead to trouble in the operation of an irrigation 

 system of this magnitude, where the manipulation 

 of the proxies will be used for the selfish benefit of 

 individuals rather than for the benefit of the com- 

 munity. To avoid this your association might be 

 re-organized on the co-operative basis or as an irri- 

 gation district. 



One of the things which must be carefully con- 

 sidered in the future operation of the project is a 

 proper balance between efficiency and economy. 

 Good service must be the first consideration and 

 every possible effort should be made to maintain 

 good service in the most economical manner. The 

 saving of a few thousand dollars expense may easily 

 result in the loss of crops to the value of $100,000. 



Your executive organization will consist of a 

 Board of Directors, from which will be selected a 

 President, Vice-President and possibly a Secretary 

 and Treasurer. 



This Board should attend to all matters of 

 policy, such as rules and regulations concerning 

 collections, methods of water delivery, financing of 



