Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1904-06-10

work il being done i'm Il dctuiIr
systematic manner never before Ill
dcrtakrn. When the water il turnc
into the new district the farmers wi
bc provided with means to drain mi
land aS well us with n way to irr
gate it.. When the government
works are constructed in the uppr
valleys drainage will he cared for "a
so. In the meantime the State ollie
crS will take steps to slowly bu
surely stop the present waste q
water.
The first step 10 he taken by tn
state Engineer in the determination
OF water rights Is II careful survey q
the irrigated land. Such Il survc,
will soon br finished of the entire uu
per Carson Valley in Ncvuda. Tn,
maps show in detail the location o
the bitches and the acreage and kin,
of crops. The exact position ufcvrrN
five foot contour has also been deter
mined SO that II new system of dis
tributinS bitches can lie easily plan
ned when the Government builds TN,
reservoirs on the upper Carson. AT
ter II completion of the survey, ties
timony will he taken toshOw anon.
other things the amount of land irri
S'N'Nl III tsN'h Ntstl HlllIt irrigation
began. This last requirement cause,
some criticism ut the time the bil
was PASSED. IL was cOntcndrrl thai
the first irrigntOrS have pissed awaN
and that ii wuuld he very difficult [,
determine the date OF the hr"iunin.
uf irrigation on some land. Thi.
criticism would seem to lie hut !:
strong argument for that particului
requirement. The longer such tcSti
mony il deferred the more unattain
able II Will become. 81 il is well tina
provision il made for its record even
ut this late date. So important i.
this record, that several years ngC
the owners Of bitches ON the lower
Walker River took the necessary
steps to p~crpctuatr testimony in II.
gard To their bitches. These mcl
were willing To put themselves to Il
considerable expense to secure the
record. The State now intends To de
the work for all ana III no cuSt (,
the farmer. In takin% the testimony
or PROOF of appropriation aS il i,
called. the State Engineer will per
SOnHlly visit every user Of water
His maps and ditch measurement.
will he ut the service Of the farmer
so that the lattcr's Inconvenience
will he reduced to II minimum.
When sufficient testimony is taken
II list ri the priuriticS will he mahr,
and after this list has been prepared
a certificate will lie issued to each
water User setting forth among
other things the priority number Of
Appropriation, the amount ri water
appropriated. the amount Of prior
appropriations. aud the legal subdi-
visions OF land to which the water il
to he applied.
After the priority Of water rights
mas been determined for an entire
Strchih. commissinnrrS will Lr nm.
pointed 10y the State Bonra uf Irri.
CATION whose duty it viii lie to di-
vide water among the appropriatOrs
according To the priority Of right
AMI n amount to which each Is Ell
titled.
Although water commissioners
have never before acted under tn,
authority al State luwS, the praCtir,
Is not an innovation i'll Nevada. Tn,
farmers along the East Fork uI tn,
Carson River own II number OF small
mountain lakes which they rrgnlat,
by means of simple dams and outlet
works. When the natural flow %
the river becomes insufficient in In,
summer, ii Is supplemented by tn,
stored waters The association
owning the lakes appoints two wa
ter masters to divide the incrrnSct
supply. The most serious trUuhl,
they have encountered il that som,
] farmers often help themselves and IN,
water masters have no way To stOI
them. As any Interference with tn,
3 DIn n n ~ ~. .N...t,N- ..-l. -