52 BULLETIN 1177, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Texas. — Texas first provided for the creation of irrigation districts 
on April 15, 1905. The law has been twice completely reenacted, 
the latest revision having been in 1917. Practically all development 
has taken place since 1913 and has been fairly uniform, having been 
predominantly for taking over and improving existing irrigation 
systems. 
The largest group of districts in the State is found in the lower 
Rio Grande Valley from McAllen to Brownsville. All of the systems 
in this region were originally built, independently of each other, as 
parts of land-selling enterprises. After a few years of operation, 
however, some of the irrigation companies became financially involved 
and it became necessary for the settlers to take over and operate the 
irrigation systems in question, which led to the formation of eight 
irrigation districts. These districts have almost invariably made 
extensive improvements and enlargements and one has reconstructed 
its irrigation system on such a scale that the work has amounted 
practically to new development. All systems in the valley derive 
their water supplies from the Rio Grande by pumping. 
A smaller group of districts lies in Pecos Valley and tributary 
valleys in Ward, Reeves, and Pecos Comities. These districts were 
all organized to take over going concerns and generally to improve 
them and to provide additional water by storage. The remaining 
districts are found in Wichita County, in the Gulf coast counties of 
Matagorda and Nueces, and on the Rio Grande project in El Paso 
Comity. 
Utah. — Mention has been made of the early Utah districts. The 
last of the early district laws was repealed in 1898, and it was not 
until March 22, 1909, that a law based upon the Wright Act was 
passed, which law was completely revised in 1919. 
The law of 1909 w T as enacted at a time of widespread district 
activity in the Rocky Mountain States and resulted in the rapid 
organization of districts in Uintah Basin of Utah. Very little real 
development was accomplished at this time, however, and there was 
no further activity until 1917. The years 1920 and 1921 brought 
forth considerable interest along district lines, all districts proposed 
being intended to provide for the further development of communi- 
ties already partially supplied with water. The greater part of the 
district activity has been centered in Cache Valley, Salt Lake Valley 
hi Weber and Davis Comities, Utah Valley, and Uintah Basin. 
With one exception the early districts faced great difficulties. 
Although nearly all were formed to acquire irrigation systems already 
partly constructed, nevertheless most of them were located in pioneer 
communities and suffered from lack of adequate transportation and 
great distance from markets, excessive overhead costs, lack of capi- 
tal, and damage to the canal system. One early district, however, 
and most of those formed within the past few years have been more 
favorably located. 
Washington. — With its enactment of March 20, 1890, Washington 
was the first State to follow California in authorizing the creation of 
irrigation districts. The law then passed was nearly identical with the 
Wright Act, but included also the amendatory and supplemental 
California acts of 1889. The latest codification of irrigation district 
laws was in 1915. 
