The herald., 1894-01-01
A WET subject DRYLY TREATED,
The State Irrigation Commits
s;oners' Public Address.
An Outline of the Labor Entrusted
to That Organization.
Tho State Divided Into Districts Under
Each Commissioner = Informa-
tfon and Assistance Asked
From the Public.

The national irrigation congress which
met in this city in October appointed a
state commission which has issued an
address to the people OF California
through its chairman, Gen. Eli III.
Murray of San Diego, which reads as
follows:
The state board OF commissioners Of
the national irrigation congress has in
structed me to present to you the OBJ
jects of the labor which has been en-
trusted to it.
1t ia a self evident proposition that
the prosperity of California is founded
upon irrigation, and that the more per-
feet our irrigation laws the more Hasily
can our arid lands 5e reclaimed and the
more prosperous will be our agricultural
and horticultural population, and hence
the more prosperous will be all classes
of our people.
AS a result OF the late international
irrigation congress, hold in Los Angeles
last October, 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 by 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 s. Green of Colusa. and L.
M. Holt and J. A. Pirtle of Los Angeles,
and the chairman.
This commission has outlined vast
amount of work which will be vigor-
ously prosecuted if properly supported
and assisted by the public. Its work is
outlined under the following topics:
First--To compile information relative
to the various streams in the state and
their watersheds, amount of water that
can be used for irrigation purposes, and
the land subject to irrigation.
Second-To ascertain what amend
ments should be made to perfect the
present irrigation district laws and other
irrigation laws of the state.
Third-What legislation is necessary
to assist in rsclaiming the arid land OF
the state now owned by the government
lands which cannot be settled until
irrigated. Also the extent of such arid
government land that can be irrigated.
Fourth-The area of lands now irri-
gated in the state.
Fifth-The area of lands that are ca
pable of irrigation.
Slxth-The development of irrigation
water by means of artesian wells, saving
the underflow of streams and the stor
age of water in reservoirs.
Seventh-How should the waters OF
interstate streams be utilized?
II = IS l. - L.
performed, and theFvalue OF that work
will depend not only upon the energy
and ability of the commission, but upon
the cooperation and assistance OF those
interested in these great questions in
Offering suggestions and furnishing in
formation.
The first work of the commission will
be to compile information relative to
the streams OF the state and the irri-
gable land.
To facilitate this work the state has
been divided into five districts and each
commissioner has undertaken TO COM
pile the desired information in one dis
trict.
The first district includes the counties
of San Diego. Riverside and Orange. and
the work has been assigned to the chair
man of the commission.
The second district consists of San
Bernardino. Inyo, Mono and Alpine
counties, and the work has been as
signed to L. M. 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
counties, and the work has been as
signed to J. A. Pirtle of Los Angeles.
The fourth district consists of the
San Joaquin valley and al. that portion
of the state south of San Francisco
bay and including the counties of San
Joaquin and Ell Dorado, and the work
has been assigned to Hon. @. G. Wright
OF Modesto.
The fifth district consists of the Sacra-
mento valley and the remaining por-
ton OF Northern California, and the
work has been assigned to Hon. Will s.
Green OF Colusa.
ANY assistance which the friends of
irrigation can give relative to this COM
pilation of information will be thank
fully received.
One OF the important festures 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 bought under
irrigation eystsms. Our present laws
are entirely inadequate TO the reclama.
ton of these lands, because no one can
live upon then 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
ernment. In some instances railroad
companies own the odd sections. Sorae
plane must be adopted by The etate and
general govefnmeE; f,r tho reclamation
OF these lands. Thee arc probably
from 1000 900 to 1900, 900 acres of these
lands which are capable Of being rc-
claimed. III 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 inn
portant questions, will act promptly and
intelligentl, to advance the common
good. and that congress will ce-operate
with the authorities in the srlds states
and territories TO the end that q wise
avetano of lawa may be adopted for re-