IRRIGATION DISTRICT OPERATION AND FINANCE. 35 
Districts of the above class, with the exception of King Hill irriga- 
tion district, Idaho, which has had a unique history, have been 
formed at the instance of the Reclamation Service on the reclamation 
projects proper. Other irrigation districts, however, originally formed 
independently of the United States, have found it to their advantage 
to contract with the United States for the purchase of water supplies 
or for the construction of irrigation systems without strictly becom- 
ing a part of any Federal reclamation project. The Warren Act, 3 
passed in 1911. authorized the sale of water in excess of the require- 
ments of the authorized projects to individuals and various types of 
associations including irrigation districts, and the cooperation of the 
United States with such bodies for the construction and use of irri- 
gation systems. Districts of two classes have contracted under this 
act — those needing total or partial supplies of water, other provision 
having been made for construction of works, and those which desired 
irrigation or drainage systems to be constructed by the Reclamation 
Service. Up to the present time, in addition to the fact of securing 
financial aid, the greatest advantage to the districts of this plan over 
that of disposing of bonds in the open market is that interest has 
not been required on deferred payments. The United States has also 
reaped benefits from these contracts. Wider markets have thus been 
secured for water developed, to which end the Reclamation Service has 
been willing to construct systems for districts adjacent to projects to 
the extent of available funds. Furthermore, in connection with the 
drainage of Boise project, Idaho, the Reclamation Service has been 
able to construct drainage systems for neighboring irrigation districts 
that have been of material benefit to the project as a whole. 
It was the original policy of the Reclamation Service to require 
the deposit of bonds to secure the payment of contractual indebted- 
ness over a period of years, but with the clarifying of State statutes 
on the subject the assessment for payments called for in the contract 
is now considered a sufficient hen upon the land. The only districts 
required to deposit bonds were the first ones to enter into such con- 
tractual relations in Yakima Valley. Wash. 
UNITED STATES INDIAN IRRIGATION SERVICE. 
District relations with the Indian Service have been very limited. 
Contrary to the policy of the Reclamation Service, the Indian Irri- 
gation Service has not encouraged the formation of irrigation districts 
on the Indian projects. The needs of the case, of course, are different, 
for the reclamation projects are designed for eventual operation and 
repayment by the settlers themselves, whereas the Indian projects 
may continue under Federal operation indefinitely. 
Nevertheless it was felt by the white settlers on Yakima Indian 
Reservation, Wash., whose lands comprise a large portion of the 
Wapato project, that an organization was needed through which to 
deal with the Indian Service. So an irrigation district was formed 
there to include the " white" lands and any additional lands that 
might thereafter come into white possession. For the present the 
sole function of the district is to afford a medium through which the 
white settlers and the project management may consult. 
'36 U.S. Stat. 925. 
