50 
at this point, the box being 8 feel wide, one division would be made 
7 feel wide, the other 1 foot wide the part flowing into the smaller 
section being withdrawn from the side while the rest flows on down 
the ditch. Where the ditch Lb large, if the rider knows the amount 
of water at his disposal, he can turn out at any point a proportionate 
amount through the culvert, which is nothing more than a rectanffu- 
lar wooden pipe Bet through the hank of the ditch. By opening or 
closing the sliding valve at the end of the box he can regulate the 
How. A rise or fall in the ditch will alter the quantity, of course, hut 
the variation is probably not enough to affect the result seriously, and 
in any case a rise or fall will affect all alike. Where the water i- -old 
by measure more accurate method- are desired. In such cases an 
additional measuring flume or weir is placed in the lateral, and the 
outlet gates are regulated until the proper depth is attained in the 
flume or over the weir. 
The water in the river is divided among the different ditches in 
accordance with their priorities by the public officials, who are the 
water commissioners of the district, appointed by the governor upon 
recommendation of the hoards of county commissioners of the counties 
in which they are to serve, the superintendents of irrigation for each 
division, and the State engineer, also appointed by the governor. 
A water commissioner generally has charge of a single tributary or 
of a section of the main stream, and it is his duty to visit each ditch 
whenever it is necessary to regulate the amount of water flowing into 
it: he reports to the superintendent as often as necessary, stating the 
volume being carried by each ditch, the volume coming into and going 
out of his district, and the volume required to till all ditches. The 
superintendent from these reports knows whether the water is being 
properly divided among the different districts, and if it is not orders 
the commissioner of one district to take more water, or less, and speci- 
fies the volume which should be allowed to pass into the district below, 
his orders being generally to close all ditches with priorities subse- 
quent to a certain date. Protests against the actions of the commis- 
sioner are made to the superintendent, who passes upon the points in 
dispute. If his determination is unsatisfactory to any one interested, 
appeal may be taken to the State engineer and from him to the dis- 
trict court. The commissioners are subject to the orders of the super- 
intendent, and both to those of the State engineer. 
The commissioners are paid £.5 per day for each day they are on 
duty, and the superintendent a like sum, his term of service continu- 
ing a- long a- any commissioner in his division i- at work. In most 
cases this is for the entire year. In the winter the storing of water 
and the repair of head gates and placing of rating flumes and weirs are 
in progress, and the commissioner, besides attending to the dividing 
of the water for storage, usually gh es directions and advice concerning 
