56 IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS IN CALIi^ORNIA. 



was made simple by the use of a blank form which was in part copied aftei 

 the desert proofs used in the United States land offices, and which enabled 

 appropriators to state definitely, but briefly, the date when the ditch was 

 built and the successive dates when the area irrigated was extended. Many 

 were able to prepare their proofs without any advice or assistance and 

 without incun-ing any expense, as the sui'veys, maps, etc., were all paid for 

 by the State. Later on, when the State law was better understood, it was 

 rare that these proofs contained either inaccuracies or misstatements, but at 

 the outset some of the proofs submitted were curiosities. As it was known 

 that the amount of the appropriation would be fixed by the acreage of land 

 which had been irrigated, some of the claimants with expansive ideas included 

 in their descriptions lands which were many miles away from and hundreds 

 of feet above their ditches. Without the preliminary survey some of these 

 proofs might have been accepted, but with the official map before it the 

 board rarely failed to notice the discrepancies between the sworn statements 

 and the actual situation. It required tact, firmness, and patience to have 

 these attempts to secure excessive amounts of water rectified and prevent a 

 rebellion against a rigid adherence to facts which was in striking contrast to 

 the slipshod methods that had hitherto prevailed. It was made manifest, 

 however, that the board always stood i-eady to correct its maps or measure- 

 ments if they were shown to be in error, but until this was shown no variation 

 between them and the proofs would be permitted. A few test surveys were 

 made, but fortunately the official maps proved to be correct. Of late years 

 their accuracy is rarely questioned. 



When the agreement between the proof and the survey was finallv 

 secured a table was made which gave the acreage irrigated by each 

 appropriator and the amount of water required under an assumed duty of 

 1 cubic foot per second for each 70 acres of land described. The law 

 provides that after these proofs of appropriation have been submitted and 

 befoi'e any action has been taken thereon by the board all interested jjai'ties 

 shall have an opportunity to inspect them and contest any statements or 

 claims believed to be erroneous. There was a large attendance at the first 

 inspection and a general disposition to oppose the board's raling that the 

 volume of an appropriation should be determined by the acres iiligated 

 rather than by the volume claimed. But when the total volume required 

 for the land already watered was compared with the total flow of the stream, 

 and these with the table of recorded claims, there was a complete reversal 

 of this attitude. There were in all 132 ditches along the river. If claims 

 to water were to govern, the first appropriator would have a right to the 



