FEATURES AND "WATER RIGHTS OF YUBA RIVER. 147 



River, to the North Bloomfield Mine. Its length, including distribution ditches, is 

 55 miles, and it has a grade of 12 to 16 feet to the mile. It is 8.65 feet wide on top, 

 5 feet on the bottom, and 3.5 feet deep, with a capacity of 3,200 inches. The ditch 

 was finished in 1876, at a cost of $466,467. The ditch and supports of the flumes 

 are in fair condition, but the boxing of the flumes should be renewed in many places. 

 The following data, from Bowie, give the rate of loss by absoi-ption, leakage, 

 evaporation, etc.: 



Three thousand miner's inches of water, turned in during the dry season at the head of the 

 Bloomfield Ditch, will deliver 2,700 inches at the gage, 40 miles distant. Two thousand four hundred 

 inches of water, turned in at the head of the Milton Ditch, formerly delivered at the gage, 29.5 miles 

 distant, 1,450 to 1,600 inches; but at present 2,500 inches, turned into the head of the ditch, deUvera 

 2,000 inches at the gage. 



Irrigation'. 



Only a small fraction of the water from the Bloomfield Ditch is used for irriga- 

 tion, according to Supt. L. L. Meyers, of Noi'th Bloomfield. The total revenue from 

 the water sold for irrigation does not exceed $25 per annum. This does not include 

 some 200 inches which, as previously mentioned, is sent to French Coral through the 

 Milton or Kate Hayes Ditch. Most of the water is used at the North Bloomfield 

 Mine, and when not thus used is run to Badger Hill and Cherokee. There are no 

 regular prices for water used for irrigation, nor are there anj- rules regarding the 

 distribution of water for irrigating purposes. The people are allowed all they wish, 

 provided the supplv of water in the ditch is not reduced below a certain amount. A 

 great deal of water is wasted by the irrigators. The rea.son the companj' does not 

 measure the water which it sells to irrigators is that the revenue from that source is 

 too small to Warrant any expense, and the companj- is indifferent as to whether the 

 people use" the water or not. When the companj-'s mine is being operated use is 

 found for all the water the "ditch can carrj-. 



MARTSVILLE AND NEVADA POWER COMPANY. 



This company has a water right at Goodyears Bar, on the North Yuba, of 20,000 

 miner's inches. It is intended to divert the water at this point and carry it to a point 

 opposite Alabama Bar, where it will be used to generate power and be returned to 

 the river. 



At Alabama Bar the same companj- has another right of 10,000 miner's inches. 

 It intends to divert this water from the river and carry it to a proposed reservoir at 

 the Oregon House in the drainage basin of Dry Creek. This reservoir, with a dam 

 130 feet high, will have an area of 2,000 acres. It is at an elevation of 1,500 feet 

 above tide. This elevation is sufficient to develop a large amount of power and leave 

 sufficient head to deliver the water for irrigation and domestic uses to coast and 

 vallej- cities. 



The company also has rights at the Narrows for 25,000 inches, and owns 57 acres 



on both sides of the river at this point. It is intended to use this water for power 



and irrigation purposes. 



Caxals. 



Daggett Ditch is being constructed. It takes water from the Yuba above 

 Smartsville. The cost to ^te has been $3,000. O'Brien Ditch commences at the 



