The herald., 1893-12-23
/ WET subject DRYLY TREATED,
The State Irrigation Commits
sioners' Public Address.
An Outline Of the Labor Entrusted
to That Organization.
Ths state Divided Into Districts Under
Each Commissioner Informs
tion and Assistance Asked
From the Public.

The national irrigation congress
which met in this city in October ap-
pointed state commission which has
Issued an address to the people of Cali
iornia through its chairman, Gen. Eli
II. Murray OF San Diego, which reads as
follows:
The state board OF commissioners of
the national irrigation congress has in
efructed me to present to you the OBJ
jeoss OF the labor which has been en-
trusted to 1t.
II is self evident proposition that
the prosperity of California 10 founded
upon irrigation, and that the more per-
feet our irrigation laws the more easily
can our arid lands be reclaimed and the
more prosperous will be our agricul-
tural and horticultural population, and
hence the more prosperous will be all
classes of our people.
As result of the late international
Irrigation congress, held in Los Angeles
last October, q systematic investigation
Of the arid land and irrigation questions
Is being made throughout the arid states
and territories. This Investigation is
being conducted in each state and terri
tory ~ an irrigation commission OF five.
and the chairmen of these commissions
form the national irrigation executive
committee.
The commission of this state consists
OF the Hon. G. Wright OF Modesto,
author of the irrigation district law,
Hon. Will 8. Green OF Coluea and L. hi.
Holt and J. A. Pirtle of Los Angeles,
and the chairman.
This commission has outlined vast
amount OF work which will be vigorous
" prosecuted if properly supported and
asslsted by the public. Its work is out
linsGi under the following topics:
Fwst-To compile information relative
to the various streams in the state and
their, Watersheds, amount OF water that
can bks used for irrigation purposes, and
the land subject to irrigation.
Secoald-To ascertain what amend
ments should he made to perfect the
present. irrigation district laws and other
irrigation laws of the state.
Thirdk-What legislation is necessary
to assist in reclaiming the arid land OF
the staske now owned by the government
lands which cannot be settled until
irrigated Also the extent of such arid
governma mt land that can be irrigated.
Fourth The area of lands now ini-
gated in the state.
Fifth--1h he area OF lands that are, ca
pable of mitigation.
SIXTH he development of irrigation
water by m cans OF arteeian wells, saving
the underfSo ow OF streams and thoistor-
age of wate,- in reservoirs.
Seventh How should the waters OF
interstate ST reams be utilized?
Here is ia a vast amount of work to be
performed, and the value of thatfwork
will depend not only upon the energy
and ability sof the commission, buuupon
the co-opera tion and assistance oftthose
interested fin these great questions
in offering suggestions and furnishing
information. se
The first ork of the commission will
be to compile infaFsaa4ion re ehtive to
the etreams OF the state and tbs irriga-
BILE land. eEz~JE<ls5 ~ 4
To facilitate, this work the state has
been divided tinto five diktricts rand each
commissioner has undertaken TO COM
pile the desired information in'one dis
trict.
The first dis trict includes the,counties
Of San Diego. Riverside and Orange, and
the work hasSbeen assigned to the chair
man of the commission.
The second district consists OF San
Bernardina, lnyo, Mono and Alpine
counties, and the work has been as
signed to L. NJ. Holt of Los Angeles.
The third district consists of Los An
geles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis
Obispo. Monterey, San Benito, Santa
Cruz, Santa Clara and San Mateo COUP
ties, and the work has been assiged to
]. A. Pirtle of Los Angeles.
forwth 1;.xfr;ox oono,af. oE @lo c.
Joaquin valley and all that portion OF
including the counties OF San Joaquin
and Ell Dorado, and the work has been
assigned to Hon. @. G. Wright of Mo-
desto.
The fifth district consists of the Sacra-
mento valley and the remaining por-
ticns of Northern California and the
work has been assigned to Hon. VIII S.
Green of Colusa.
Any assistance which the friends of
irrigstion can give relative to this com
pilation of information will be THANK
fully received.
One of the important features of our
work will be an attempt to perfect as
far as possible the present irrigation dis
trict laws and the presentation of our
plans to the next legislature. In this
work we need the advice of those who
have had experience with the district
system.
There are vast tracts of government
land in this state today worthless be-
cause they are arid, and which can be
made valuable by being brought under
irrigation eystems. Our present laws
are entirely inadequate to the reclama-
tion of these lands, because no one can
live upon them until they are irrigated,
and hence there are no voters to form
districts, and if the districts were formed
there are no lands to tax to support
them as the lands all belong to the gov
eminent. In some instances railroad
companies own the odd sections. Some
plans must be adopted by the state and
general government for the reclamation
OF these lands. There are probably
from 100000 to 100000 acres of these
lands which are capable of being re-
claimed. II this vast area was reclaimed
it would add hundreds OF millions to our
wealth and hundreds of thousands to
our population.
We believe the people of the state.
when all the facts and reliable data are
laid before them touching these i'm
portant questions, will act promptly and
to advance the common
good, and that congress will cooperate
with the authorities in the arid states
and territories to the end that wise
system OF laws may be adopted for re-
claiming the great arid wastes in this
great western emDira.