IRRIGATION DISTRICT OPERATION AND FINANCE. 53 
The history of irrigation districts in Washington parallels to a cer- 
tain extent that of California, although the early experience in Wash- 
ington was neither so extensive nor so disastrous as that in California. 
District development occurred only in these two States in the early 
nineties, was affected by the financial panic of 1S93. ceased in both 
States at about the same time, and was revived almost simulta- 
neously a decade and a half later. 
Little was accomplished by the early districts. Interest was 
revived in 1911 and has since been continuous, the greatest activity 
having occurred in 1917 and 1920. The Washington districts fall 
mainly into the following five groups: (1) Puget Sound region; (2) 
Okanogan. Methow, Columbia, Wenatchee, and tributary valleys in 
Okanogan. Chelan, and Douglas Counties: (3) Yakima and Columbia 
River Valleys in Kittitas. Benton. Franklin, and Walla Walla C 
ties: (4) Walla Walla Valley: and (5) Spokane Valley. By far the 
most extensive development has taken place in Yakima Valley and 
has been closely identified with the activities of the United States 
Reclamation Service on Yakima River. 
There have been very few district failures in Washington, and not 
more than one district at the present time is failing to discharge its 
obligations as they become due. This fortunate situation is due in 
large measure to the conservative character of development that has 
actually taken place and to the fact that relatively few bonds have 
been sold for construction of irrigation systems where the value of 
the security did not exist prior to the bond sale. The principal 
district activity has occurred since the failures elsewhere during the 
first decade of this century and has been influenced by the fact that 
bond investors were no longer ready to lend money freely toward the 
reclamation of arid land. As a matter of fact, the United States has 
financed the construction of five of the nine operating districts which 
have developed new works, and only one of the others was constructed 
in a community where high values had not already been established. 
This attitude on the part of bond buyers is reflected in the fact that. 
aside from obligations contracted with the United States, the amount 
of money loaned to irrigation districts since 1911 has been $4,321,530 
for supplemental development as against SI. 046, 900 for new develop- 
ment, of which latter figure 60 per cent was furnished by a railroad 
company which was interested in the development of a project and 
25 per cent additional was used only for prehminary expenses and 
the acquisition of rights by other projects for the actual construction 
of which bonds have not been sold. Another comparison in point is 
that the area included in operating districts in which new develop- 
ment was undertaken is 36,000 acres, whereas there are approxi- 
mately 1,014.000 acres in undeveloped projects under district organ- 
izations the reclamation of which must await the sale of many millions 
of dollars worth of bonds. Irrigation district achievement in Wash- 
ington, therefore, while very considerable, has been overwhelmingly 
along the lines of the reorganization and betterment of existing 
irrigation systems. 
Wyoming. — The irrigation district law was first enacted February 
19, 1907, and was completely revised in 1920. Early activity 
practically ceased in 1911 with the collapse of the bond market and 
was not revived until 1920. Only two of the seven early districts 
