SOUTHER S CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 137 



Work of the United States Reclamation Service in 



California 



BY J, B. LIPPINCOTT, Supervising Enginter. 

 (Read Before the Section of Geology, Oct. 24, 1904.) 



There is anomaly in the classification of the Grovernment 

 work as relates to the administration of certain departments. 

 The resulting complications have caused less practical dupli- 

 cation of work than would have occurred otherwise, because 

 the defects of the system are very well appreciated upon all 

 sides. 



The United States Geological Survey has been given charge 

 of that portion of the study and construction which relates 

 to the utilization of the nation's water supply for the benefit 

 of the greatest possible number of inhabitants. Briefly stated, 

 the plan of operations in each irrigation district is as follows : 



When the actual owners of the land have accomplished 

 the proper organization of an association for water distri- 

 bution under conditions now clearly established by law, the 

 Government formally agrees to build and operate suitable 

 headgates without charge for taxes or interest. The original 

 cost must, however, be paid back to the Government by the 

 users, in such annual charges for the water as may be neces- 

 sary to liquidate the total sum in a long series of years. The 

 national Government contracts directly with the local asso- 

 ciation, but it is stipulated that from 40 to 160 acres shall 

 be the maximum allowance for each land owner and that 

 shareholders shall be laud holders only, at one share per acre. 



Under these requirements of law, already a large amount of 

 work has been undertaken. Each district is in general charge 

 of a supervising engineer, with an adequate corps of engineers, 

 assistant engineers and other employes. These gather the 

 necessary information and submit projects which are care- 

 fully scrutinzed by a board of six consulting engineers. 



The California District extends from Central Oregon to 

 and including the Colorado River. Work is now well ad- 

 vanced in this large area upon four projects of importance, 

 which together are estimated to contain sufficient water, prop- 

 erly conserved, to irrigate considerably more than half a mil- 

 lion acres of land accessible therefrom. 



Below are given brief outlines of the work thus far under- 

 taken in this California District under my supervision : 



Klamath Project.— Klama'th River, outlet of Klamath Lake, 

 Oregon, with large swamp areas, feeding by overflow process 



