224 IBRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS IN CALIFORNIA. 



of storage or irrigation in the high-water season. The benefit of irrigation in this 

 region is shown by the well-linown fact that irrigated lands are worl^h, on the 

 average, at least twenty-five times the value of those in the same localit}' which 

 remain unirrigated. 



Some miles below the Chowchilla Canal, on the same bank and belonging to the 

 same companj', is the Blyth Canal, recently constructed for irrigating the wild grass 

 lands on the Chowchilla Ranch. It is a short canal, 0.75 of a mile in length, and 

 introduces water into the drj' bed of the Fresno River, from which the water spreads 

 out upon the adjacent plain and irrigates 9,000 acres of land. With a sufficient 

 water supply this area could be largely extended or increased. 



Still farther down on the right bank of the San Joaquin is the East Side Canal, 

 sometimes called the Stevenson-Mitchell Canal, which irrigates 2,500 acres of land, 

 distributed as to crops as follows: Alfalfa, 1,000 acres; barley, 300 acres; wheat, 

 loo acres; "hog corn," 100 acres; pastures and wild grasses, 1,000 acres. Much 

 more land in the vicinity might be irrigated with a greater water supply ; but no 

 storage reservoirs are possible in this locality, and onl}- by winter and spring flooding 

 of the lands and storage of water could the irrigated areas be increased. 



On the westerly or left bank of the San Joaquin we find, first, the James Canal, 

 fomierly known as the Enterprise Canal. It is owned by the James Canal Compan}", 

 which possesses a large ranch of 65,000 acres, lying in the angle between San Joaquin 

 River and Fresno Slough, and south and west of the latter. The company proposes 

 to irrigate nearlj- the whole of this tract, either for pasture lands or for the production 

 of alfalfa or cereals. Thus far, 42,650 acres have been irrigated from the canal; but 

 at present its operation is enjoined by the superior court of Fresno County as the 

 result of a suit brought against the company by Miller & Lux. The details of the 

 litigation will be given hereafter. 



Next on the river, below the James Canal, is the largest, most complex and 

 extensive sj-stem taking water from the San Joaquin. It is known as the San Joaquin 

 and Kings River Canal and Irrigation Company. Miller & Lux, a corporation, are 

 the principal stockholders in this company. It owns the "Main" or "Old Canal," 

 the China Slough, and Outside Canal, which form one line; the Parallel Canal and 

 the Dos Palos Canal, with numerous branches. In addition to these, Miller & Lux 

 own independently Poso Slough, Temple Slough, and Santa Rita Canal, which are 

 used only to irrigate ranches belonging to that corporation. More than 100,000 acre 

 of land have been, at one time or another, irrigated by this entire system, and in each 

 year, on the average, about 50,000 acres are thus prepared for crops of alfalfa, cereals, 

 or fruits. In addition to this must be mentioned the immense but indefinite areas of 

 wild grass lands belonging to Miller & Lux, which are flooded by the high waters of 

 the river taken in through Poso and Temple sloughs, and which furnish pasturage for 

 cattle, bred and raised for the supply of the San Francisco market. With the present 

 conditions of water supply' it seems impracticable for this company' and corporation 

 to extend their irrigation systems ver\' considerably, as they have no storage reser- 

 voirs, but rely upon the flow of San Joaquin River for the required amount of water. 

 The length of their supply canals already reaches 87 miles, and these have branches 

 amounting in all to over 200 miles in length. With an increased supply of water 

 from storage this •side of the valley, the west side plain, for a much greater distance 



