The San Francisco call., 1899-12-07
THE IRRIGATION INQUIRY.

7 He efficient organization OF the Society Tor
Water Storage and Forest Preservation in Cali
iornia has already secured the active
operation OF the Federal authorities in making the
inquiries and asoertainment OF facts upon which fu-
ture action must be based.
Mr Elwood Mead, Chief OF the Irrigation Bureau
OF the Agricultural Department, has issued instruc-
tons to his special agents and observers in this State
covering the following subjects:
First-The amount OF water in the stream.
Second-The duty OF water in the different irriga-
ton basins.
Third-The claims upon the water collected by
streams
Fourth-The nature OF water right titles.
Fith-Adudicated claims upon the water
Sixth-The lands now irrigated and susceptible OF
irrigation
Seventh-The possible increase Of water for use by
storage in each system.
Eighth-The extent to which the irrigable area can
be increased by better methods OF distribution and
use
To this list we would add ninth inquiry into the
relation OF the value of the products of irrigation to
the cost OF the water used. This will develop the
element Of climate II irrigation will raise more than
field crop, or have peculiar value contributed
by climate when used on orchards and vineyards in
California that value will back 10 the cost OF Sc
curing the water. We desire in this respect to d-
erentate California from the high plateaus where.
by reason OF a less clement climate and short sea-
son, irrigation will not pay well as here
Mr. Mead designaes eight streams in this State for
investigation These are Yuba Kings Salinas Los
Angeles Kern, Santa Ana and Sweetwater rivers and
Hemet creek. Within the area served by these
streams the report will the whole subject of
present use OF the water, the rights thereto. and
whether these rights TO the land or are personal
The reports OF these agents will also carry ndepen
dent suggestions OF needed changes in the present
laws riparian otherwise. in the methods of appro
pration distribution and use SO will be seen that
composite OF these reports will cover the whole
question OF legislation TO water including the de-
post OF authority somewhere TO stand between the
water and It's user in fixing the price at which
il may be used.
Finally the reports will cover the all-important
question Of the steps needed 10 conserve the flood
waters which now run to waste, TO include State or
national control and define the rights to such stored
waters and determine who is entitled TO them.
This is the first attempt to rescue the whole subject
from the chaos and black night in which II has been
involved from the beginning When the INQUIRY is
finished and the report made the organization which
issued IRON the convention OF November Ia will have
the data upon which TO proceed Meantime ifs par-
ticpaon. financial and otherwise in the investigation
will be necessary and will not be lacking One of s
hrst duties will be semipoitical inasmuch as in ou-
judgment It should induce the two political parties
in the next State convention to withdraw their onno-
sition to State action in water storage in order that
as free hand be left the State as TO the Federal
Government
In the late convention the attitude of the two mar
ties on that subject felt be an unnecessary r..
sircuon and limitation The State can do nothing
anyway, without going 10 the people for authori,v
and surely neither party should object to this if be
finally decided that the State may usefully do some
thing TO save the waste OF the water which il ovns