IRRIGATION IN THE ARID STATES. 



153 



to the process of uniting land and water in a permanent union. 

 No less than thirty-eight districts have been organized already, and 

 they include a total of about two and a half million acres, upon 

 which bonds to the extent of twelve million dollars have been 

 voted. About three million dollars in bonds have been actually 

 issued and sold ; seven districts have some of their ditches con- 

 structed and full of water ; one has completed its entire irrigation 

 system and is in successful operation. It will take a considerable 

 time to obtain the desired capital and complete all the districts 

 organized. Some of them are very large, and will greatly add to 

 the irrigated area. The following table shows the acreage and 

 estimated cost of water supply in the ten largest districts : 



Irrigation Districts. 



Name. 



Acreage. 



Estimated cost. 





363,000 

 308,000 

 271,000 

 176,000 

 156,000 

 129,000 

 100,000 

 84,000 

 80,000 

 150,000 



$2,000,000 





850,000 



Alta 



1,000,000 



1,200,000 



750,000 



675,000 



600,000 



Colusa 



Kern and Tulare 



700,000 



Modesto 



1,400,000 



Palmdale - 



175,000 









Total 



1,717,000 



$9,350,000 



The bulk of the district acreage is included in these ten dis- 

 tricts, nine of which are situated in the San Joaquin and Sacra- 

 mento Valleys. The lowest estimate of cost in any of the thirty- 

 eight districts is $2.56 per acre, and the highest is $83. The 

 last is in the famous orange colony of Riverside, where the water 

 is piped to the land, and where the science of irrigation is perhaps 

 better understood than in any other colony in America. The aver- 

 age first cost of water per acre is a little over eight dollars. Bonds 

 issued are a lien upon all the real estate within the boundaries of 

 the district, as well as upon the irrigation system itself, and are 

 considered by conservative bankers as excellent security. 



Beyond doubt the irrigation district laws of California are full 

 of suggestion for cheap and effective work by the land-owners 

 themselves. They are best adapted to communities that have 

 learned something of the value of irrigation and can work to- 

 gether. There are many places where no irrigation will be done 

 until the Government or some private corporation takes hold with 

 the required skill and capital to secure the water and distribute it 

 to the land ; then the scattered settlers will use it, and others will 

 come in and buy the land and water. Some of the irrigation dis- 



