40 W. H. WARREN. 
Above Wilcannia a few small diversions into anabranch 
creeks, by means of cutting, are the only works for 
which facilities exist on the Upper Darling. Beyond that, 
pumping for a small amount of irrigation along the banks 
of the channels must be left to private enterprise. No 
works have been carried out in this area with the excep- 
tion of the experimental lock aud weir at Bourke. 
With the exception of the Bogan, all of the tributaries 
of the Darling traverse the artesian area to a greater 
or less extent, and where these two systems overlap, 
both sources of supply should be kept in view, so that 
there is no waste of water or expenditure in any schemes 
projected. 
The Bogan River has a small catchment area compared 
to its length of channel. The flow in average seasons 
seldom runs throughout its length, and in dry seasons 
through only a short length of the upper river. The 
only method of dealing with the stream is by the con- 
struction of a continuous series of storages by low weirs 
over its.whole length. Hven then it is probable that in 
dry seasons there will be a shortage at the lower end. 
The supply in the length below Nyngan can, however, be 
supplemented by diverting water from the Macquarie 
River down the Gunningbar Creek. Objections to this 
course have been raised by the residents of the Lower 
Macquarie, particularly on and below the Macquarie 
marshes, on the grounds that they have a greater right 
tothe water for irrigation purposes by natural flooding. 
The contention of the department against this is that 
the greatest good must accrue to the State as a whole by 
the widest distribution of the waters for stock watering 
purposes, the surplus being available for irrigation. The 
landholders on the Macquarie below the Gunningbar 
diversion are also within an area where fairly large 
