V PRESENT AND FUTURE OF IRRIGATION. 27 



into San Francisco Bay. The mean annual discharge' for these years was 

 nearly 26,000,000 acre-feet. On a duty of water of 2 acre-feet per acre, 

 this would irrigate 13,000,000 acres. It is doubtful, however, if it will 

 require 2 acre-feet of water t(i irrigate an acre of land in Sacramento Valley. 

 As near as can be determined, the irrigable area of the valley is less than 

 13,000,000 acres — probably somewhere between 10,000,000 and 12,000,000 

 acres. Hence the water which runs to waste from the Sacramento Valley, 

 if it could be made available, would more than suffice to in-igate every acre 

 that can be reached by canals from the river or from its tributaries. 



An effort was made to secure the full discharge of San Joaquin River, but 

 without success. From the records of the gagings made on the headwaters 

 and on a number of its tributaries, it seems probable that the total flow of 

 this stream is ajij^roxiraately one-third that of the Sacramento, enough 

 certainly, if conserved and economically vised, to irrigate several million 

 acres of land. Not all this water can be used. A large percentage will 

 always run to waste during the winter months; but storage will do much 

 to lessen this, a wise forest policy will aid, and winter irrigation will 

 supplement both. The first step, however, is to use that which now escapes 

 in the summer. The doing of this has hardly begun. In Utah and Colo- 

 rado a stream like the Sacramento running practically to waste in August 

 would be regarded as next to a crime. Even tlie ditches already built to 

 divert its flow remain empty. This is not because water for iirigation 

 lacks value. The yearly rental for water supplied by the Soutli Yuba 

 Water Company is $45 an inch. It is evidently worth this much to irriga- 

 tors, or the price would not be paid. How many acres an inch will in-igate 

 is not known, as reports vary from 3 to 10 acres. Assuming the average 

 to be 5 acres, the water thus used on an acre is worth §9. The land 

 irrigated from the North Fork Ditch, on American River, is worth more 

 than twice as much as the adjacent nonii-rigated land. The water from 

 tliis canal rents for 84 an acre for citrus fraits and S3 an acre for deciduous 

 fruits, with an added charge of 81 an acre for maintaining the irrigation 

 system. The annual water rental for lands seeded to alfalfa is 83 an acre; 

 tliat for small grain 81 an acre, with, as before, 81 an acre added for 

 maintaining the canal and distributing works. The orange crop from one 

 10-acre tract in this colony sold last year for over 87,000. There was 

 expended for labor in its cultivation 82,000, and the land itself is valued 

 at 8350 an acre. Comparing the financial returns, the number of men 

 employed, the increased productiveness and value of land where irrigated, 

 witli the scanty pojjulation, diminished fertility, nonresident landlordism, 



