The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-12-28
IRRIGATION COMMISSION
DRAFTS Comprehensive BILL
1t Proves for the Equitable Distribu-
ton of Impounded Waters to Cor
porations and Individuals.

tie early in the month remaining in
session until the l6tn, a period of
twelve days, when it adjourned and
again met in Spokane on the 10th inst,
holding four days session. The men,
bers of the commission are: Harold
Preston, Seattle, chairman; J. A. Shak
elford, Tacoma; Geo. L. Cottrell, Seat
tie; f. A. Byran, Pullman; DIR. Blalock,
Walla Walla; Walter Granger, Zillah;
w. B. Bridgman, Sunnyside; c. b. Lund,
Spokane; John Smithson and Austin
Myers of Ellensburg.
At these meetings discussion was had
on proposed legislation and a bill was
drafted which will be introduced at the
coming session of the state legislature.
A copy of the bill which will soon appear
in printed FORM is in the hands of Mr..
Bridgman, of Sunnyside. While in the
city the latter part of last week he had
the following to say regarding it:
"By the proposed bill there will be
created the offices of state engineer and
water masters. The state engineer, who
will be technically qualified engineer,
will have charge of the photographic
surveys of the state and with the COM
missioner of each division will ascertain
the amount of water needed for the
various tracts of land now or hereafter
irrigated and these two officers as ref
erees of the board, will, under their own
rules of procedure, make preliminary
investigations of each irrigated section
to gather information upon which to
determine the extent of tine water
rights of various persons and companies.
"The bill provides for the division of
the state into four water divisions in
each of which will be one water commits
sioner having charge of the distribution
of the waters therein. The state engi-
neer and water commissioners are to be
appointed by the governor for term of
six years. This part of Washington
will be in what is known as water divis-
ion No. 2, and embraces all the land
draining into the Columbia river from
the right bank between Sentinel Bluffs
and Cascade Locks.
"The federal government will under
take no reclamation in the Yakima val
ley until the water rights in the valley
nave been adjudicated, so that they will
be safe in making an appropriation of
the natural waters of the river and will
be able to store waters in the mountains
and carry them past other bitches to the
intakes of their own canals. The pro-
posed bill provides for the adjudication
of the water rights for irrigation in this
state, beginning with the stream sys-
tenn most used for irrigation which as
matter of fact is the Yakima valley.
When these rights are determined the
gates of the canals can be fixed so as to
allow of the passage of storage water
down to the canals entitled to such stor-
age waters and private parties of the
federal government will know what
water there is for them to appropriate
from the river.
can extensive photographic survey
will be first made by state engineer,
an office created by the bill, so that the
adjudication of water rights may be as
accurate as possible In the case of those
who have begun to use water, but who
have not fully utilized their appropria-
tions the following provision is made:
Provided further that the court
shall, where proper, decree an incepted,
incomplete or inchoate right to the use
of water which has not yet been ap-
piled to beneficial use, such right to ma
ture upon completion of the application
thereof to beneficial use within a rea-
sonable time
"In regard to the storage or impound-
ing of waters the bill will contain the
following provisions: Tn considering
the question of public interest in passing
upon the applications for a permit to
impound waters the state engineer shall
take into consideration the future devel-
opment of the storage site and the flu
ture development of the full practicable
amount of irrigable land of that drain
age area
"a permit may be granted under and
conformity to the provisions of this
act for the storage in any lake, pond,
stream, river, draw, coulee, ravine or
other suitable place of water for benef-
cial use upon specified lands. The con.
troll of all storage works shall remain
in the state engineer, and the control
of the gate or gates and the regulation
of the flow from each reservoir shall be
in the water commissioner in whose d.
vision it is located, subject to the suepr-
vision of the state engineer who shall
establish rules and regulations to secure
to each owner of the right to use water,
the quantity allowed in mis- permit at
the time required for the use thereof.
All waters impounded and not applied
to beneficial use under permit or H.
cense shall be considered "a n,,hl;c uat