76 IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS IN CALIFORNIA. 



familiar with world-wide data on this subject, and the figures he has given as the 

 basis of available water supph' maj" be accepted with confidence. 



To account for the water annually flowing into Honev Lake and lost bj- evapora- 

 tion, Mr. Hall made a rough estimate of the water j-ield from various sources. To 

 assist him in arriving at this estimate he had the help of local engineers and other 

 observers, and the benefit of his own study of water courses and watersheds. But it 

 is at best onh' an approximate figure in round numbers and chieflj' valuable as 

 indicating, in a general way, his view of the relative importance of the various sources 

 of supply. The estimate is as follows: 



Acre-feet. 



Susan River 100, 000 



Willow' and Pete creeks 30, 000 



Balls Canyon Creek 29, 000 



Long Valley Creek 34, 000 



All other sources 10, 000 



In dealing with the necessitj' of storage Mr. Hall calculates that of the three 

 irrigations necessary — May, June, and August, respectively — the first might be taken 

 wholly from the natural flow of the stream, while the second must be drawn mostlj- 

 from storage, and the third entirelj- from that source. The chief value of Mr. Hall's 

 report for our purpose is the fact that he furnishes us with scientific authorit}' for 

 the statement that 100,000 acres may be irrigated, in addition to the amount alread}- 

 in cultivation, from the waters which now flow uselessly into Honey Lake Valley and 

 are there lost by evaporation. If we put the value of the product of an acre.of land in 

 this valley as low as |10 this waste of waters represents an annual loss to the com- 

 munity of $1,000,000. But this figure does not begin to measure the social and 

 economic gain which could be realized bj- the proper conservation of the water sup- 

 ply. As the character of the streams is torrential, and the perennial flow far below 

 the needs of agriculture when any great area shall be under cultivation, storage must 

 be availed of upon an extensive scale. 



CHARACTER OF WATERSHED. 



The most painstaking estimate of the watershed tributaiy to Honej' Lake Basin 

 is that contained in Mr. Hall's report, and compiled bj* him, with the assistance of 

 Albert Halen, civil engineer. This is as follows: 



Watershed tributary to the Honey Lake Basin. 



Square miles. 



Susan River, mountains to mouth of canyon 256. 8 



Mountain side south of Susan River Valley 25. 6 



Hills south of Susan River Valley 20. 



Hills north of Susan River Valley 36. 2 



Susan River Valley, to mouth of Willow Creek 47. 4 



386.0 



Willow Creek, above Pete Creek 101. 



Below Pete Creek 10. 3 



Pete Creek, exclusive of Horse Lake watershed 74. 8 



186.1 



'Of the amount credited to Willow Creek, 5,000 to 7,500 acre-feet are due to the leakage from 

 Eagle Lake, apjieariug at the head of the creek in the form of springs. 



