The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-31

portionment of the waters of a stream
common to both states.'
The Breckons report was prepared
under the direction of Professor Ell
wood Mead. Another current paper
by Clarence T. Johnston, assistant in
irrigation Investigations, deals with
the water supply of the river and its
diversions. The Bear river valley
was chosen for study, because in its
course of little more than 800 miles
1t crosses state lines five times, fin
ally emptying into Salt lake, which is
less than so miles distant from it's
source, thus presenting, in small COM
pass, a great variety of interstate
problems, and offering exceptional OPP
portunities for the inauguratio of
this class of inquiries.
In his letter submitting his reports
to Secretary Wilson, Prof Mead says:
Bear river exhibits an unusual num-
Der of water right complications Of in
terstate streams. For the past 10
years people who use water in Wyo-
ming from the river for purposes of
irrigation have been clamoring for an
establishment and protection of their
rights according to the state laws The
man who has paid no attention to the
state irrigation code fares as we'll as
the one who has fulfilled all it's require
ments. The state irrigation authori-
ties have determined the priorities and
amounts of appropriations on contigu-
Gus state streams, and water commits
sioners protect these in times of scare
ity. They can do nothing for the irri-
gators along Bear river. 1t is useless
to determine priorities of bitches Who'll
ly within the state, when later ones,
with head gates across the border in
Utah, cannot be closed, because the
water commissioners authority does
not extend that far To close down
the bitches around Evanston would not
add to the water supply of the earlier
Wyoming appropriations So miles north
of there; it would simply raise the wa
ter level of the Utah bitches which ir-
rigate Woodruff flats. A determine
tion of priorities along two sections of
stream, with an intervening section
left undisturbed, would accomplish no
useful purpose; hence, the Wyoming ir-
rigation authorities have delayed an
adjudication until some provision is
made for including head gates on the
Utah as well as on the Wyoming side
of the boundary Nor is the plight of
the Utah irrigators in the Woodruff
valley any more satisfactory. AS the
Yellow creek and Hilliard bitches in
Wyoming are extended they see later
rights taking more and more of their
water supply. and, while both states
recognize the superior claims of an
earlier user, lack Of concerted action
causes his claim to be ignored.
"It is unfortunate that the future
importance of irrigation was not rec
ognized when state boundaries We're
being established A change of 500
square miles either way would have
disposed Of the interstate problems of
Bear river. 1t would have thrown all
| the controverted portion of the stream
| into either Utah or Wyoming There
are scores of similar instances along
| the boundaries of these and other arid
states. The reforming of these boun-
| diaries is now practically out of the
| question, but the enactment by the diff
| farent states of uniform irrigation laws
| and the entering into amicable agree
| ments for the protection of irrigators'
rights are not only possible. but ought
! to be among the earlier results of the
evolution now taking place.
1.-THE most effective means of promot-
| ing this is to study and give publicity
! to the facts. The discussion by Mr..
| Brackons of the change in property
| rights in this river the moment its wa
! tiers cross an invisible barrier can
scarcely fail to lead in the near future
to a less violent difference in the laws
| which govern these rights"
HOSFORD.