The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-08-17
A MEETING OF THE
IRRIGATION COMMISSINN
Representatives From Many Counties
in the State Met at Walla Walla
Thursday-Judge Reavis' Address.

The Joint commissions of Washing
ton and Oregon when met in Wala
Walla last week for the purpose of dis
cussing the great question of irrigation
and also to formulate provisions after
the laws of Idaho and other western
states and demand of the next legisia-
ture the embodiment of such provisions
in code of laws governing the use and
purposes in this state drew up a set of
provisions the most important Of which
are herewith given:
|. All unappropriatcd waters within
the limits of the state from all sources
of water supply not navigable to be ded-
icatcd to the public. and to be subject
to appropriat ton for beneficial use. pref
crcncc in order to domestic. irrigation,
mining and milling purposes.
I. All applications for rights to the
use of water to he made to state en-
gineer under such regulations as he
may prescribe. He shall be a technically
qualified and experienced hydraulic en-
gnecr
9. Water turned into any enamel or
artificial watercourse may be reclaimed
and diverted therefrom, subject to OK
listing rights.
a.
concerning claims to water and water
rights should be left entirely to the
courts: no individual or commission
should be charged with judicial func-
tons.
4. The state engineer shall make due
record of all applications for rights to
the use of water, and i'll approving the
same shall specify the time of beginning
I.N, %f,.
application of the water to a beneficial
use. A failure to begin the work within
the time specified or TO prosecute the
same with due diligence shall constitute
"A forfeiture of all rights acquired under
such application. At the expiration of
the time allowed. the right to appropri-
ate water shall cease as to the amount
not actually applied to a beneficial use.
the state engineer shall also at such
time inspect the works constructed by
the applicant, and issue a certificate,
stating the amount of water then actu-
ally applied to a beneficial use. Such
examination shall be at the expense of
the applicant. Any decision of the state
engineer affecting the rights of an APP
picant to the use of water should be
appealable to the courts.
r. IL. NtNen. cUltl vi tIP ulltu
States reclamation bureau. and Maurice
Bien. We're the men who drafted the
above provisions and submitted them to
the Joint commissions of Washington
and Oregon There were a great many
prominent men from all over the state
who attended the convention in Walla
Walla and several very able addresses
were delivered on the subject.
excellent discourse on what irrigation
has done for the Yakima valley. He
also touches upon tine riparian rights
of settlers. 1t will be impossible to give
the Judges address in full. but herewith
is published some interesting facts.
Central Washington, and particular
ly Yakima and Kittitas counties, which
two counties are bounded by the Cas-
cade mountains on the west, the Simcoe
mountains OH the south. the Columbia
river on the east and spurs of the Cas-
cadc mountains on the north, is an arid
region. There is but little precipitation
in the form of rain during the entire
year. There is ample snowfall during
the winter months. which is stored in
tine mountains. and the melting snow
entirely supplies all the natural water
courses of the two counties during the
spring, summer and fall seasons. All
the streams have their sources in the
mountains. Almost all the lands farm
ed were originally covered by growth
of sagebrush. and the soil is volcanic
ash. Since the earliest settlement of
these counties the cultivation of the
land mas been by irrigation. The In
dians, long before occupancy of the
white race. irrigated their gardens for
every agricultural product used in their
simple lives. Afterwari when homes
We're established, gardens were made
along the streams where vegetables for