Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-16
The IRRIGATION PROBLEM
Consideration of the Subject Before
the Assembly.

ment and preparation OF final report, be reduced
| from $4,000 to $780, 900. Mr. FELTON, of San Mateo
moved to strike out the entire item, upon the
! ground that 1t unconstitutional that the ia"
insttut ng the surveys and this investigation only
authorized the amount to be expended which was
then appropriated, and that it would require q new
| Law to authorize further appropriation that the
work to have been completed and report sub
United to the Legislature of 1880; that from Sl25,
600 to s50000 had already been expended, and still
! the work was incomplete that the investigation
was in the interest of only section OF the State,
and not general that large amount was expended
| in 1876 in the survey and location Of canal from
| Tulare lake. and four years afterwards the bottom
OF the canal was eight feet above the water in the
| lake.
| Mr. Edwards also opposed the appropriation, and
said he noticed those now in favor Of this item in
the bill were anxious to repeal the debris bill,
and that this of the same nature-for exp ndi-
ture of public money for certain section of the
State. He also claimed the appropriation was IN
constitutional; that it would require legisla.
ton before further appropriation could be made,
and that under the call Tor the extra session OF the
Legislature such authority could not now be en-
acted.
Remarks in favor of the appropriation for this
object and in reference to the subject Of irrigation
the necessity for information and the benefits to be
derived from judicious system OF irrigation were
made as follows:
Mr.. Del Vale, in reply to the objection raised to
the appropriation, read the law establishing the
Office of State Engineer and his duties upon the
subject under consideration ard ia;d hold that
the State Engineer is of the officers OF the State
government, and it no more requires special stat
ute 10 authorize US TO appropriate money for this
office than would be necessary TO enact special law
each year authorizing the payment of the salary OF
the Governor any other officer In regard to the
questions raised by my frier from San Mateo, he
may be sincere in his opposition to this appropria-
tion, but fear his private interests may bias his
judgment as to the importance OF the issue. hold
that the irrigation problem is not one which can be
solved in one day. nor one year. but it requires sue
cessiye seasons to ascertain the amount OF water
carried or furnished by any given stream, or
amount OF the appropriations made Of the water in
the various streams ard rivers Of the State Owing
to the ind finite nature of these appropriations, it
is impossible to easily determine as 10 the respect
i've rights and interests OF their appropriations, ard
the amount of water which is still unappropriated,
and these facts constantly drive parties into Courts
BY the present Investigation the cunt Of surplus
waters will be ascertsned which viii 90 far towards
solving these difficulties as well furnish
necessary data for further development The re-
suit will also lay before the different sections OF the
State a volume OF information concerning the man
ner and localities in which water may be most
economically stored for irrig .tion purposes. The
benefits from this investigation have already been
seen in many parts OF the State 1t would be folly
thepaTt OF the Legislature to now fail to make the
necessary appropriation for completion OF the work
The information TO be obtained and made available
by the publication OF the report will only prove
of interest those in the southern and central por
tons of the State, and to California large but
make their homes among 1t is the unanimous
desire OF my constituency that this investigation
be carried forward and believing that it is Of great
Importance to the future of the whole State, hope
the appropriation will be made
Mr. Hendrick-I believe this appropriation is en-
tirey right and proper in this bill, under the Gov
ernors call for an extra session OF the Legislature
and that the appropriation is in the interests of the
people, and not of one section merely, but of the
whole State Whatever is for the material develop
ment OF any ar.e portion OF State, is for the inter
est of the entire State. We know that all OF the most
civilized and intelligent nations of Europe and ASIA
after investigation and experience OF long period
of t me, have inaugurated and are carrying sue
cessfully system OF irrigation by which previously
worthless des TT tracts have been made exceedingly
productive Tor all kinds OF vegetstion and valuable
In passing the Act instituting this investigation
upon the subject Of irrigation in this State, and
to the amount of water and its locality, which can
be made available for this purpose, the people OF
this State or their Legislators, were acting in
cordauce with the experience of these nations, and
say it judicious and wise legislation, and for
the general interests OF the State There are in
California large tracts OF land which, with the
appcat on of water, would be exceedingly fertile,
ami their production ain ost phenomenal but which
at present are dry and arid to be utterly value
less A. the of the Legislature of lS77-7S
OF this State an Act was passed establishing the
office of State Engineer, and authorizing direct
ing this investigation. You will perceive that
the object OF that law was to promote this
work OF irrigation in those sections Of the
drainage OF swamp and overfowed lands in other
portions and also the fun ther inquiry the nav
liability Of cesain rivers. Acting in accordance
with the suggestions Of that law, State Engineer
was appointed, and the investigation was com.
meneed and carried forward A great deal of work
was done in making the SURVEYS and collecting
the desired and valuable data. The next Legisla-
tlre passed what is known the drainage act,
of which, il is needless to say, all the members are
familiar Under that Act between four and five
hundred thousand dollars have been expended upon
certain and restricted portion OF the State with
view to improving the drainage or protecting the
lands OF that sectiJn. The gentleman from San
Mateo raises the point 70 the cOnstitutonality OF
the appropriation made by this section of the pres
ent bill IN regard to that have to say that SINH
lar appropriations have been made here to-day-ap.
preparations which, seemingly at least, do not come
any more under the article OF the Constitution re-
ferred to by the gentleman than this, ard not
withstanding the disclaimer put in by that
gentleman | am inclined to believe that owrg to
the different nature of the locality from which he
comes he is somewhat preiudiced and uuiustlv
biased upOn the subject Of irrigation. / have been
informed by the State Engineer and also by per.
sons intimate with the subject and the affairs of
the State Engineers ciiice, that under the proyi-
sions Of the law upon this matter extensive surveys
and investigations baye been made during the past
three years, and vast amount Of material amassed
which would be rendered Of practical value If
the work Of investigation and putting this lnfcr.
nation into the form OF report, as originally in.
tended, should be stopped at the present stage and
the report not Issued II this inves igaton had
never been entered upon # no money had vet been
expended upon the subject, it might then be best
not to commence 1t, bit the Investigation having
been begun and Carried far, it is rot wise now
t. stop and not only lose the future beneficial
results to the State which will grow out of
successful solution OF the subject, but also to
lose By not publication all the valuable data
which hes been already collected. | claim also
another fact which has so.e bearing upon the cues
ton Il is that all portions Of the State should be
treated alike. So long large appropriation has
ffa .lffh he cola ,nf
lands, il IS but right that 50 small a sum of money
as $4,000 should be expended TO reclaim lands
worth thousands and thousands Of dollars, extend
ing from the central to the southern portion of the
state Let this inyestig zion ~ on for two years
longer. Let US have the result Of the State Engi.
nee S work tabulat d and eigen in form that it
may be rendered available for solving this important
problem, which viii Lot only help to enrich thar
portion OF the stte but the whole State, by the in
crease OF her wealth, and inducing immigration for
the cultivation OF these pTesen- ARID plains. am
Informed that o large amount of the SO 600 will be
returned the State by the sale Of the reports and
maps to be issued by the State Engineer when com
petcd. This will reduce the adGIto al cost now
required to small amount, which should by all
means be furnished.
Mr. strecter-I have taken great deal of pains
10 investigate the ork that has been done in our
county under the Supervision Of the tate Engineer
and have also taken pains inye tigate the mat.
ter during the last Legislature, by vitii the State
Engineers office, to what has already been accom-.
plished. Since that time have also conferred with
the people ia the county represent, and find that
they DESTROYS that the work hail he ,ompleted,
believing that 1t will be benefit to the people OF
our section Of the State particularly, and although
less directly that it will also be TO the interests OF
the people Of tue whole State
Mr.. Gnihth-I d sire 20 say that hsve had this
matter under serious consid ration for some time
and have arrived at the conclusion that this matter
is OF vital interest only TO the southern AID
central portions, but to the entire State from its
northern n its southern boundaries 1t is Of inter
est 10 the whole State for the reason that il is con-
tsmpatei to place in the hands OF all our people
accurate information in reference to agricultural
resources. Every State in this Union has certain
great interests which require appropriations OF
money in order that such interests may be devel-
oped This matter Of irrigation has received atten-
ton at the hands Of the Federal Govcrnm Mt Some
seven or eight years ago a Commission was ap.
pointed and sent to Europe and India upon this
subject Oae Of the Commits ION, was Professor
Davidson OF California He visited India and studied
the systems inausursted aud in there under
the provincial go.ernment. From there he went
to Europe and Investigated the system in operation
IN Italy, and particularly in Lombardy; also in
Spain and certain pol tons of France. Upon his
turn he hIished volume containing much val
uabe information, TO the results OF his observa-
tons, as well as from careful study Of works pub.
lished under the Indian Government and in Eu-
ropean countries referred TO- IL estimated that
there il larger area Of irrgahle lard on the west
ern side Of the Rocky Mountains than in the whole
Of agricultural British India, and that when brought
under proper system Of irrigation il would yield
a much larger return than the lands in that coun-
try, the resources here being so varied under the
skiiiful hands Of our people. This shows the