152 lERIGATION INVESTIGATIONS IN CALIFORNIA. 



AVatee Eights ix South Yuba. 



The company claims and holds all the South Yuba water, and water from all its 

 tributaries below or west of the South Yuba Water Companj-'s systems. It claims 

 that no other company' has any prior right to anj- natural waters that are discharged 

 into the South Yuba or any of its tributaries below or west of the South Yuba Canal 

 Company's system. 



Nearly everyone having land situated so that it can be watered from the ditches 

 does more or less irrigating. The crops irrigated are alfalfa, orchards, gardens, and 

 grain, the latter being irrigated only during very drj' years. 



In 1898 the area irrigated with water from this system was l,88i acres; in 1899, 

 1,352 acres, and in 1900, 1,251 acres. 



The company's charges for water depend on the kind of crop irrigated. Six 

 dollars per acre per season is charged for grass, and $5 per acre per season for 

 orchards. Irrigators are allowed all the water they want. Thej- are supposed to use 

 it by rotation, but water is so abundant that there is generallj- no trouble in getting 

 it except on a few smaller ditches, such as the Spenceville Ditch. 



The waste of water due to its abundance and to unskilled irrigation is great. 

 1 ullj' 60 per cent of water turned on the fields runs off and into the nearest ravine. 

 All the water which runs into Deer Creek above the headgate of the China Ditch is 

 picked up again by that ditch and utilized, but all that runs in below is wasted. 

 That which runs into Big Ravine above the Farm Ditch is saved. 



The value of good land above the ditch is from $12 to $15 per acre; the same 

 class of land below the ditch brings $25 to $30 per acre. The soil is a red clay con- 

 taining a small percentage of iron and copper. It is from 2 to 6 feet deep, but when 

 properly irrigated and worked it will raise good crops. Hay in 1900 was worth $10 

 per ton, and most of the crop was shipped to Nevada City and Grass Valley. 



NEW BLUE POINT MINING COMPANY'S DITCH. 



In 1858 the Nevada Eeservoir Ditch Company built a ditch from Wolf Creek, a 

 tributary of Bear River, to the gravel mines neai Smartsville. Water was turned 

 into the ditch bj' a crib dam in Wolf Creek about 15 feet high. The ditch is 30 

 miles long and on a grade of 12 feet to the mile. The first 27 miles it is 6 feet wide 

 on top, 4 feet wide on bottom, and 2.5 feet deep, with a capacity of 800 miner's 

 inches. The last 3 miles had a capacity of 1,200 inches. The total cost was 

 about $75,000. Along the line of the ditch there are several drops which might be 

 utilized to develop power — one 4 miles from the headgate, of 75 feet; another 10 

 miles from the headgate, of 160 feet; a third, 28 miles below, of 150 feet; and one 29 

 miles below, of 150 feet. 



The companj' owns two small reservoii's along the line of the ditch which are 

 situated about 1 mile apart. The lower one is about 3 miles from the end of the 

 ditch. They have an area of 20 and 15 acres respectively. During the dry season 

 the ditch depends on the waste water from the Grass Vallej^ mines. 



Verj' little water is used from this ditch for irrigation, there being only about 

 100 a«res watered in all. Five dollars per acre per season is charged for the use of 

 water. The customer is allowed as much as he wants whenever he wishes it. The 



