IRRIGATION FROM SAN JOAQUIN RIVER. 227 



Under the supposition that this water could be stored and dealt out throughout 

 the year as might be necessary, it would furnish 3,074 cubic feet per second, and 

 would, according to my assumption, irrigate fully 490,000 acres, instead of 120,000 

 (omitting the wild grass lands, indefinite in extent) which are irrigated at the present 

 time. In other words, more than four times the present irrigated area might be 

 brought into the watered region with a corresponding increase in values and .pro- 

 ductiveness. 



As the flow here given is only the average during six years, and is greatly in 

 excess in some months and deficient in others, the necessity for ample storage is 

 apparent. 



The gagings of Fresno River for the same years show that in the period from 

 November to Januar}', inclusive, the average flow is 66 cubic feet per second, which, 

 with a duty of 160 acres per cubic foot per second, would serve during this period 

 10,560 acres. In the interval from February to April, inclusive, the average flow is 

 482 cubic feet per second, which, on the same basis, would serve 77,120 acres. From 

 May to June, inclusive, 127 cubic feet per second, the average flow, supposing all 

 the water to 1)e available, would provide for 20,320 acres. In the period from August 

 to October, inclusive, the flow is given as 3 cubic feet per second, which would irri- 

 gate only 480 acres. In the same way, as before explained, if the entire flow of the 

 river, which averages 160 cubic feet per second throughout the j-ear, could tie stored 

 and dealt out as required it would provide for 25,600 acres, instead of the average 

 of 10,000 acres, or an area over two and one-half times as great as is at present 

 irrigated. As in the case of the San Joaquin, thp necessit}' for ample storage is 

 apparent. The irrigated region might well be extended in a direction southerly 

 and westerly from the town of Madera. T 



The records of the flow of Chowchilla Creek during the years 1878 to 1884 give 

 for the period from November to January, inclusive, a mean discharge of 44 cubic 

 feet per second, which, on our assumption, should provide for 7,040 acres during 

 that period. From February to April, inclusive, 456 cubic feet per second is the 

 mean flow, which should provide for 72,960 acres. From May to June, inclusive, 

 the mean flow of 118 cubic feet per second should provide for 18,880 acres, and from 

 August to October, inclusive, 2 cubic feet per second would provide for only 320 

 acres. By storing and regulating the supply as before described, about 24,640 acres 

 might be irrigated throughout the j-ear instead of 5,000 or 6,000 acres during a few 

 months of each year, as now. 



At present much of the freshet water of the Chowchilla is lost to irrigation by 

 being turned aside into Ash and Berenda and other sloughs in order to prevent the 

 destruction of the dams jet remaining intact. The advantages of storage and con- 

 tinuous supplv in these cases seem verj' evident, and as the soil and topography of 

 these localities are peculiarly suited to irrigation the irrigable area might be largely 

 increased, probabh' by 15,000 acres. 



