144 IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS IN CALIFORNIA. 



KATE HAYES COMPANT. 



This company was originally known as the Milton Mining and Water Company. 

 In 1890 it was disincorporated and was reincorporated as the Kate Hayes Company. 

 The rights of this company are located near the headwaters of the Middle Yuba, 

 where the company owns several valuable reservoirs. The principal one, about 13 

 miles east of Graniteville, is English Lake. This reservoir was formed between 1856 

 and 1858 b^' constructing thi'ee crib dams, which connected two granite knobs at the 

 lower end of a glacial lake with higher lands on each side. In 1876-77 Hamilton 

 Smith, jr., raised the height of the dams to 86.57 feet above the bottom of the gates. 

 The back wall of the center dam had a height of 131 feet. The walls were of dry 

 rubble, covering a solidly filled crib, and faced with plank on the upstream side. 

 The cost was $155,000. At 81 feet above the gates the elevation is 6,605 feet above 

 tide, area 363 acres, and capacity 650,000,000 cubic feet, and the catchment area is 12 

 square miles. The center dam failed in June, 1883, causing considerable damage 

 below. It has never been rebuilt. The cause of the break has never been ascertained. 

 The two end dams are at present in fair condition, with the exception of the facing 

 and flash boards. 



At Milton, on the Middle Yuba, there is another reservoir site. It, however, 

 has never been developed. This reservoir has an approximate elevation of 5,800 feet, 

 an area of 90 acres, and a capacity of 28,000,000 cubic feet. It could be utilized at a 

 comparatively small cost. A main dam about 30 feet high, 250 long, would be 

 required, besides an additional smaller dam 120 feet long. The reservoir has a catch- 

 ment area of 30 square miles below the English Reservoir. 



At Little Grass Valley there is another reservoir site which would have an area 

 of 65 acres and capacity of 62,061,250 cubic feet at a depth of 70 feet. The reservoir 

 has a very small catchment area, but could be used as a service reservoir in connection 

 with Milton Ditch. It would require two dams, the largest of which would be 70 feet 

 high and 600 feet long. 



The principal canal of this company is the Kate Hayes, or Milton Ditch, which 

 takes water from the Middle Yuba at Milton, where the company has a small diverting 

 crib dam. The canal follows the main ridge between the Middle and South Yuba to 

 French Coral. The ditch has a total length of 63 miles. It is 7.65 feet wide on top, 

 4 feet wide on the bottom, and 35 feet deep. The grade is from 16 to 32 feet to the 

 mile. It was built in 1873-74 at a cost of $462,998, and its original capacity was 

 3,000 miner's inches. 



Most of the water in the Kate Hayes Ditch is used at the Badger Hill Mine. 

 About 200 inches are used at French Coral for irrigation and mining. The low-water 

 discharge of the Middle Yuba is capable of supplying this ditch for only three or 

 four months of the yeai-. The balance of the time water is obtained from the reser- 

 voirs of the North Bloomfield Gravel and Mining Company. 



The charges made by the company are 12.5 cents per inch for ten hours, and 20 

 cents per inch for 24 hours, for water used for irrigation. The farmers along the 

 line of the ditch consider this rate prohibitive for ordinarj- crops, and consequently 

 use the water only to irrigate gardens and orchards. During 1900 the owners decided 

 not to maintain the lower end of its ditch, but, as this would leave the farmers in the 



