The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-25
now TILE DESERT Is MADE TO BLOSSOM AS THE RON,
DnWk Man Qmp Nature to Furnish Water for the Arid Lands the Great West
Marvellous Results Attained

The enforcement of these rights Of prior
ity and the distribution OF water under
them Is accomplished by water commits
sioners or water masters. In some states,
as Colorado and Wyoming these commits
sioners are appointed by the, governor and
are under the general direction OF the
state engineer In others. as Idaho and
Montana, they are appointed by the Judge
of the court rendering the decree. and are
responsible for the proper performance
Of their duty to no other authority
That this supervision OF the distribution
of the water may be effective A. detail.
IL becomes necessary to police and patrol
the streams from which & is diverted To
this end II Is the duty OF the water COM
missioners or water masters 20 examine
and regulate the head gates OF all bitches
or other conduits by which water Is d.
yerted from the stream or streams under
his charge. to determine that each claim
ant receives the volume of water to which
he is entitled under his decreed priority OF
right. During the spring, when the
streams are in food and before the work
OF irrigation is in active operation, these
duties are comparatively simple. since at
this time there usually IS enough water
for all claimants, who may take all they
want without interfering with the rights
Of others; but later In the season. when
the floods have subsidized, the streams have
resumed their normal level, the weather
has become hot, the soil parched with
thirst, and the maximum area " crops IL
suffering for the want of moisture, his
work becomes complicated and his lot is
frequently not happy une.
As there is not sufficient water for all,
X now becomes necessary 10 consult his
list Of priorities. and, watching closely the
gauge upon the stream which informs him
OF the quantity of water passing. he must
shut off the supply from those whose pri-
a m asarf Ia thStr a t.
this stage OF the water, permitting II TO
be diverted by those who have the earlier
and prior rights. IL Is at this period that
his troubles and hard work begin. IL
would be comparatively simple to dlstrib-
ute properly the water I'm the order OF
prior appropriations II this order corres-
ronded with that Of the position of the
various claimants upon the stream. This,
however, II never the case. Priorltles are
numbered according to the dates under
which the works were constructed and the
appropriations made effective, while his
position OF the works along the stream is
governed by other conditions entirely
That canal whose order or number OF prI-
GRITTY Is l, may be located near the lower
end OF the stream, white No 100 may be
diverted from a point fifty miles up the
stream from the latter. When, for ex-
ample, the stage Of water requires that the
head gates through which priority No so
Is diverted be shut down, he MAJ have TO
travel twenty miles to reach them. II the
river by this time has fallen TO an extent
requiring that No. 70 be shut down. he
may have to return up stream ten or If
teen miles to perform this duty while No
~. which is next IN order OF deprivation
may require him to return 70 the vicinity
OF No. 80 or perhaps travel even further
than this TO close Its gates. II the stream
does not nuctuate. but continues to 20
steadily down. this closing OF gates like
wise continues until only those remain
open whose priofities are the Oldest and
best. and the aggregate amount ~ which
rights goes not exceed the quantity of