The record-union., 1892-05-11
HULARE IRRIGATION DISTRICT.
What Can Be Accomplished By Ener-
getiC Men.
a Reservoir Holding Six Hundred and
Forty-seven Billion Cubic
Feet of Water.


RECORD-UNION.
TULARE, May 7th.-This district has
secured the rights of the Settlers Ditch
dating back to 1874. They are entitled,
by engineers measurement, to l57.02 Gu
bic feet Of water per second perpetually,
or, in other words, to 1861 miners inches,
whenever that amount is in the st. Johns
River. They also purchased small wa
ter right, with their reservoir site, and
later on they bought two-thirds OF the
waters of the kaweah Canal and Irrigat-
ing Company. The other third is re-
served by the owners who agree to pay
the Tulare Irrigation District 81 25 per
acre, annually. for keeping up bitches
and canals to supply them water for such
land as they irrigate. This system has
been taking from the Kaweah River, dur
ing the past thirteen or fourteen years,
from 800 to 400 cubic feet of water during
the irrigating season. Ten canals and
fumes are made to carry 800 cubic feet of
water per second.
j. w. Mackie, President of this district,
thinks that the completed system will
cost not to exceed S450,000 in bonds. He
thinks from his experience with this that
the original system would have cost at
least three times that amount, and that
great credit is due to Stephen Barton an
old pioneer, who had studied out the
present plan OF bringing out water years
ago, and gave tnefesult of his work to
the district for 500 down and $500 upon
acceptance of his plan. 1t seemed that
the idea had not occurred to the engineers
to take the water from the north side of
the river and tfume it across the stream
for use on the south side.
Where this canal is taken from the
river is headgate that is wonder in
its way. To avoid any possibility of
washing out piles were driven down,
after the bedrock had been blasted out,
and heavy redwood planks are sunk
fifteen feet in the ground and thoroughly
tamped. Mr.. Hulen, who has had charge
OF the work, has braced it with all possi-
bic care, and is justly proud of the
structure.
THE RESERVOIR.
A site for this has been chosen and
about one-half the necessary land pur-
chased. 1t will cover 100 acres, to an
average depth of 134 feet, and contain SIX
hundred and forty-seven billion (647, ,GO0,-
900. COO cubic feet OF water, 1t is intended
| TO hold this in store and never draw
upon ii except in case of a dry year. The
cost of the reservoir, when completed,
will be between Sl25, 600 and Sl50,0OO In
such year as the present it will not be
needed, for the snow is very low down on
the mountains and the water supply will
be something phenomenal.
THE CONSTRUCTION.
This proceeded slowly during 1891 in
the face of many difficulties: among these.
by no means the least, was the trouble IN
negotiating bonds. At last the associa-
ton was formed that quieted litigation and
the gordlan knot was cut by K. Linder a
publlcSplrlted citizen, who contracted To
finish the system by May 10, 1892. for
eleven cents per cubic yard for the earth
work and forty seven dollars per thou
sand for the lumber in place in head
/ gates, drops, fumes, etc. All this work
/ is payable in bonds. He put on the help
and crowded the work through to COM
/ pletion SO rapidly that they expect to
turn water in to-day. In the meantime
every precaution was used to make the
work as thorough and substantial as nos
sible. When farmers take fifteen sacks
of wheat. or eight tons of alfalfa or an
hundred dollars worth of fruit from each
acre Of land in place of the uncertain
crops they have been getting. | hone
they will give some credit to the men who
have surmounted so many difficulties
/ in completing this grand system. When
! tablewater is supplied by conditions
that will follow two or three seasons use
and people have learned TO distribute
water economically. the experience of
other systems warrants the estimate that
the Tulare Irrigation District can serve
two hundred thousand acres of land At
present there are IS, 800 acres in the dis
trict, but as success grows more certain
others are applying to come in, and there
is vast tract of additional land that can
be covered. Great credit is due to the
able engineering of j. A. Graham.
The future of Tulare never looked so
bright now that il is placed upon the
solid basis that its rich soil, certainty of
water and sunny climate gives. When
distribution shall have been systemati-
cally arranged no farmers on earth can
approach nearer TO mathematical calcula-
| tions of results. FRANK S. CHAPN.