401 
tions  ? Which  is  the  best  and  cheapest  water  supply  ? How  much 
water  is  required  to  irrigate  an  acre  of  land  ? What  grades  shall 
be  given  to  the  channels  in  order  to  avoid  erosion  on  the  one  hand 
and  sedimentation  on  the  other?  How  soon  may  settlers  be  ex- 
pected to  utilize  both  land  and  water  and  what  form  of  water  con  - 
tract will  deal  justly  with  both  company  and  water  user?  In  the 
matter  of  operation  and  maintenance  there  is  a broad  field  of  in- 
quiry which  has  been  scarcely  touched  upon.  Each  canal  superin- 
tendent pursues  his  own  methods  but  the  work  has  never  been 
systematized  as  it  has  been  on  transportation  lines.  The  delivery 
of  water  to  users  is  still  a question  of  guess  work  as  few  accurate 
measurements  have  been  taken.  And  lastly,  but  not  least,  how  are 
we  to  make  the  revenue  balance  the  expenses? 
Earnest  efforts  have  been  made  during  the  life  of  irrigation  in 
the  West,  to  devise  accurate  and  at  the  same  time  reasonably 
cheap  and  efficient  devices  for  the  measurement  and  division  of 
irrigation  water.  Many  methods  have  been  employed  and  each 
has  its  own  set  of  supporters,  but  there  is  still  a widespread  dis 
content  concerning  our  best  measuring  devices  and  it  is  hoped  this 
discontent  will  lead  to  further  efforts  in  this  direction  -which  may 
result  in  the  adoption  of  methods  that  will  more  nearly  meet  the 
requirements.  The  current  meter  has  been  found  a useful  instru- 
ment for  the  measurement  for  streams  and  canals,  but  its  use  has 
been  confined  largely  to  the  engineering  profession.  Wires  of 
both  the  rectangular  and  Cipolletti  forms  have  also  been  largely 
used  and  have  proved  a reasonably  accurate  method  except  where 
silt  and  other  debris  have  interfered  with  the  accuracy  of  the  re- 
sults. Many  prefer  the  submerged  orifice  of  one  kind  or  another 
and  I know  of  several  men  who  are  now  at  work  in  attempting  to 
devise  some  kind  of  a water  meter  which  will  answer  the  purpose. 
Although  we  can  not  boast  of  our  modes  of  measuring  water, 
yet  a measurement  which  comes  within  five  per  cent,  of  accuracy 
is  much  better  than  no  measurement  at  all.  The  bulk  of  the  irri- 
gation water  used  in  the  United  States  is  now  divided  by  guess 
work  and  it  is  impossible  for  even  the  most  experienced  to  make 
a close  guess.  Many  have  long  felt  that  the  lack  of  accurate  meas- 
urements is  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  waste  throughout  the  arid 
regions. 
There  is  another  phase  of  this  subject  which  is  productive  of 
great  waste.  I refer  to  the  system  of  proportioning  water  for 
canals  on  an  acreage  rate.  So  long  as  users  are  permitted  by  their 
water  right  contracts  to  as  much  water  as  they  consider  necessary 
to  irrigate  an  acre  of  land,  there  can  be  no  economy.  Whenever 
there  is  a full  canal,  those  under  it  will  endeavor  to  utilize  as  much 
as  possible  for  their  respective  needs.  This  wasteful  method  has 
resulted  in  an  effort  to  have  land  and  water  inseparably  connected. 
The  doctrine  has  been  preached  in  every  hamlet  of  the  West  that 
water  must  be  appurtenant  to  the  land  irrigated,  and  in  an  effort 
to  conform  to  this  doctrine,  the  bulk  of  our  appropriated  water 
