OBSTACLES TO DEVELOPMENT. 83 



CONTROVERSIES OVER DISTRICT ENTERPRISES. 



Another reason for the prejudice agamst irrig-ation in CaHfornia has been 

 the zeal of its advocates and the mistakes made because of their enthusia.sm. 

 If, in connection with the Wright act, there could have been some public 

 control of development which would have restricted the works undertaken 

 to immediate necessities and have deferred the construction of large and 

 costly works until the feasibility and the best methods of construction 

 could have been fully determined, there is little doubt that the area under 

 irrigation in California to-day would be far greater than it is. An illustra- 

 tion of the danger of making haste too rapidly was seen on the road between 

 Chico and Willows. Tlie Central Canal, or what would have been a canal 

 if there had been any water in it, was several times crossed dhring this ride. 

 It was one of the projects inaugurated under the Wright district law and 

 belongs to the central irrigation district. It was planned to irrigate about 

 156,000 acres, and estimated to cost S750,000. The canal was begun in the 

 face of active and influential opposition and has been involved in litigation 

 from the outset. Five hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars was 

 expended before work was stopped. Unless the project is carried to com- 

 pletion this large sum of money will be wholly lost, as no portion of the canal 

 is being used or can be used in its present condition. Outside of hostile public 

 opinion there was no reason why this canal should not have been: a success. 

 The physical obstacles were "not serious; there is an abundance of water, 

 and the lands covered by the canal need irrigation and are well adapted to 

 the easy and efficient distribution of water. That the canal will ultimately 

 be completed seems inevitable, because the increase in value and productive 

 wealth of the land when watered will warrant this The opposition was due 

 in part to the size and cost of the canal. The project was too large. Land- 

 owners were frightened at the heavy preliminary outlay. If, instead of this 

 immense canal, works had been begun in a small way with a ditch large 

 enough to water 5,000 acres, and its extension deferred until the profits of 

 irrigation had been demonstrated, the central district would, in my opinion, 

 have been a success. Opposition to the enterprise on the scale undertaken 

 was not wholly unreasonable. Irrigation meant a complete change in agri- 

 cuhural methods. It involved either the breaking up of the large estates, 

 or an immense outlay on the part of their owners to prepare the land for 

 being watered. Many of these owners were not financially able to under- 

 take the latter. The conditions were all favorable to a small project and 

 against a lai-ge one. But the fight against this particular project has led 

 23866— No. 100—01 3 



