CONCLUDING SUGGESTIONS. 67 



arid States. The investigations of tlie Department of Agriculture to deter- 

 mine the duty of water liave thrown nuich light on the necessities of 

 irrigation, enabling rights to be established more nearly in accord with 

 actual use than ever before. 



THE PROTECTION OF BIGHTS TO "WATER. 



After rights are defined they must be protected. This can not be left 

 to the appi'opriators themselves. Public control is a necessity. To make 

 this control effective, so that each user will be assured of his just share, no 

 matter how far from the mountains his farm is located, requires organization 

 and administrative ability of high order. At the head of this system should 

 be an inigation engineer of demonstrated ability and executive capacity. 

 When the tribunal has concluded its adjudication of the rights to a stream 

 it should transmit a list of the priorities and amounts of appropriations to 

 the State eng-ineer, who should jjrepare proper instructions for his subordi- 

 nates for the protection of these rights. The division of streams will require 

 the State to be divided into districts of convenient size, the boundaries of 

 which should be drainage lines and the number of the districts should be 

 determined by the importance of the work to be done, the aim being to 

 have no district larger than a commissioner can properly attend to. It will 

 be impossible for the State engineer to dischai'ge properly the other duties 

 devolving upon him and give the necessary personal supervision to the 

 work of these commissioners. This supervision will make it necessary for 

 the State to be divided into larger areas, called divisions, and a superin- 

 tendent should be provided for each. Southern California would form one 

 division, northern California could be one at present, later on two will be 

 required. 



The State engineei' should have charge of the surveys and measure- 

 ments which precede the determination of existing rights. This will enable 

 him to become familiar with the conditions on each stream, to have a knowl- 

 edge of its water supply, and have in his office the records and information 

 needed to promptly instruct water commissioners and superintendents in the 

 performance of their duties. 



THE ACaXTIREMEN^ OF RIGHTS HEREAFTER. 



Thus far we have considered onlv the rights already in existence. Pro- 

 vision should be made for the establishment of rights hereafter, so that 

 development may 2)roceed without au}^ interruption or uncertainty. In 

 order to do this all unappropriated water should be declared State property 

 and the methods by which rights to this water may be acquired clearly 



