The Elbert County tribune., 1903-07-02
FARMING MATTERS.
w0fk o. n. pI,eh RIder.


During the early irrigating season.
when the streams are In food and be-
fore The work of irrigation Is In active
operation. says Field and Farm. the
duties Of the water commissioner are
comparatively simple aimee Mt this time
there Is generally enough water for all
claimants, who may take all they want
without interfering with the rights OF
others Later in the season, when the
floods have subsided the streams have
resumed their normal level. the
weather tas become hot. the soil
parched with thirst and the maximum
area Of crops Is suffering for the want
of moisture, the work becomes compli-
Gated and his lot is frequently not u
happy one.
As thero is not sufficient water for
all. " becomes necessary to consult the
list OF priorities and watching closely
the gauge upon the stream which in
forms him Of the quantity of water
passing, he must shut off the supply
from those whose prloriiies do not en-
title them to its use at this stage OF
the water permitting It TO be diverted
by those who have the earlier and
prior rights, II is at this period that
his troubles and hard work begin. II
would be a comparatively simple mat
ter 10 distribute properly the water In
the order Of prior appropriations II II
corresponded with that Of the position
OF tie various claimants upon the
stream. This however. is never the
case.
PrioHiies are numbered according to
the dates under which the works were
a. II tod hn n
made eforti while the position Of tho
works along the stream are governed
by other eonditions entirely. Canal No.
l may be- located near the lower end
of th' stream, while No. 100 may be di
verted nom point fifty miles up the
stream from the latter When. for eN-
ample the stage OF water requires that
the headgates through which priority
No. 80 Is diverted be shut down. he
may have 10 travel twenty miles To
reach them. VI the river by this time
has fallen 10 an extent requiring that
No. 19 be shut down. he may have to
return up stream ten or fifteen miles to
perform this duty. while No. -, which
is next In order of deprivation. may
require him to return to the vicinity
of No 50, or perhaps travel even far
ther than this to close It's gates
II The stream does not tiuctuate. but
CONTINUES to go steadily down. this
closing Of gates likewise continues un-
I'll only those remain open the priori-
ties Of which are the oldest and best
and the aggregate amount OF which
rights does not exceed the quantity of
water flowing In the river at Its lowest
stage. These. OF course. are never mo-
Tested and the farmers whose opera
q .t..I al
are fortunate. They are always pros
porous because they get plenty OF
water and therefore invariably have
good crops If the river huctuates
rapidly. sometimes rising and again
falling the water commissioner has an
even more difficult task. for in addl-
tion to the work of closing gates he has
with each rise to see that the gates
of those thus becoming again entitled
to waier are raised. which Is matter
of urite as much Importance as that
of closing those of the appropriators
who have not the right to its use
In the time of scarcity he has in
the discharge Of his duties not only the
right to close the headgates of those
not entitled to water at the time. but
the authority to lock them down.
When this authority Is exercised he
usually posts written notice upon
the gates so closed. which gives warn
ing that they are under the control OF
the water commissioner and must not.
under penalty of the law. be opened or
interfered with except by his authority.
Such interference constitutes misde-
meanor for which. upon conviction. the
offender may be punished by fine or
Imprisonment. or both.