IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS ON CACHE CREEK. 



By J. M. Wilson, C. E., 

 Agent and Expert. 



INTRODXTCTIOBT. 



The district to which the investigations described in this report were directed is 

 the watershed and valle}- of Cache Creek (PI. XI). It embraces the county of Yolo 

 and parts of Lake and Cohisa counties. All of Lake Count}' is mountainous, as is 

 also that part of Colusa County which is drained by Cache Creek. The western 

 boundary of Yolo County is the crest of the eastern ridge of the Coast Range. The 

 eastern slope of this ridge covers about one-third of the count}' and is of little value 

 agriculturally, except as a stock range. To the east of this mountain region lies a 

 border of low hills; beyond, the great Sacramento Valley stretches away in an 

 almost unbi'oken plain, from Suisun Baj' on the south to Red Bluff on the north, a 

 distance of about 1-40 miles. The topography is well shown in the section of Drake's 

 relief map of California as given in PI. XII. Yolo is the second county north from 

 the bay, and lies directly across the river and west from the city of Sacramento. 



As with most of the agricultural country west of the Missouri River, the stock- 

 man was the first occupant. Pasturage was abundant, and continued throughout the 

 year. The mild winters seemed to make unnecessary the providing of food for stock, 

 as in the more rigorous climate ot the East. Following the discovery of gold in 

 1848 came the rapid development of the mines and the golden age of California, 

 bringing a ready market for all staple products at remunei-ative and sometimes 

 fabulous prices. The stockman had every encouragement to expand -his herds, but 

 with the winter of 1S61-62 came unprecedented floods and disaster. It was estimated 

 that -to per cent of the cattle in Yolo County perished from the effects of storms, 

 floods, and lack of food. The spring of 1862 was again favorable, and, stimulated by 

 good prices, which still prevailed, the cattlemen sought to retrieve their losses. With 

 1863 came scanty rainfall, to be followed again in 1864 by a drought of unprecedented 

 severity. There was no food for the stock, and it either perished or was sold for a 

 song, to be driven over the mountains into Nevada. The cattlemen were ruined. 

 The reign of the vaquero was over. 



In the meantime the agricultural interests were gaining ground, and it had become 

 apparent that the returns from tilling the soil, though more modest, were less pre- 

 carious than those from stock raising. It had also developed that the soil and climate 

 Avere particularly adapted to the production of small grains. Prices wei'e good and 

 shipping facilities improving. From experimenting with a few acres in 1849 and 

 18.50 the area cultivated was increased until in 1860 there were, in round numbers, 

 39,000 acres seeded, chiefly to wheat and barley. B\' 1866 the acreage had increased 

 to 87,000. From this time forward the increase was steady till in 1900 the total area 

 reported under cultivation in wheat and barley alone is 249,848 acres. 



Before California became a part of the United States the lands extending along 

 both sides of Cache Creek from the head of the Capay Valley to Sacramento River 

 had been granted away by the ^Mexican Government. The Rancho Canada de Capay 

 extended from the head of the valley to near the present site of the town of Madison, 



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