The San Francisco call., 1906-03-25
WARDEPA ART NENT
FAVORS MEASURE
McKinlay's Bill for Diver
sion of the Sacramento
River Water Is Considered
NAVIGATION PROTECTED
Federal Government Will
Reserve Right to Stop
Irrigating at Any Time
Special Dispatch to The Cali.

CALL BUREAU. POST BUILDING,
WASHINGTON, March A.--At a confer
ence at the War Department today
amendments were agreed upon to be in
corporated in the McKinlay bill for the
diversion of the water of the Sacramento
River for irrigation purposes. Those
present were: Representative Stevens of
Minnesota, chairman of the sub-commit-
tee Of the House interstate commerce
committee, having charge of the bill;
Frank Freeman Of Willows, representing
the company to build the irrigation
works. and General Mackenzie, chief of
the engineer corps Of the army. They
had before them the report of Colonel
Heuer, the division army engineer, cover
ing the whole situation as to the navi-
gability of the Sacramento River.
Before the conference adjourned the
following amendments were agreed upon:
First-NO water is to be taken from the
river that will injuriously affect naviga-
ton.
Second-AH dams and works built by
the company shall be under the super
vision of army engineers and a water
gauge is to be kept, by which the amount
Of water carried can be determined.
Third-Giving the Federal Government
power, If navigation is being injured at
any time, TO take charge of the works
and shut them down altogether if neces-
sary.
Fourth-Reserving the right to the Gov
ernment to utilize at any time it sees
fit the excess water for irrigating pur-
poses.
The subcommittee will meet early next
week and there appears no doubt that
the McKinlay bill thus amended will be
reported favorably to the full committee
and by it in turn to the House.
Representative Gillett today intro
duced a bill appropriating 100000 to be
used by the Secretary of the Interior in
making examinations and surveys "for
the location of reclamation and irriga-
ton works for the storage. diversion and
control OF waters arising or occurring
in the valleys of the Sacramento and
San Joaquin rivers in California and the
streams tributary thereto"
Mr.. Gillett stated that the purpose of
the bill was to carry out the views ex-
pressed by c. E. Grunsky, consulting en-
gineer, contained in an official report of
January Is. 1906. addressed to the di-
rector of the Geological Survey and
called forth by resolutions adopted by
the California Miners Association at the
annual convention held last fall in Ne
vada City.
The purpose of the bill is to provide
funds for the survey of the Sacramento
and San Joaquin rivers and the streams
tributary thereto for the purpose of as
certaining the possibility of carrying out
future projects for the purpose of drain
ing and the reclamation of lands ada
cent thereto and for carrying out a great
scheme to irrigate the lands in said val
leys by water stored in reservoirs. The
storage of this water in the winter time
will relieve the rivers of floods and can
be used in the summer time for irriga-
ton.
Mr. Gillett has been working with F.
H. Newell, chief engineer of the reclama-
ton service, on this subject Mr. Newell
is deeply interested in the Sacramento
Valley project and favors the Gillett bill.
Mr.. Gillett says that in this great pro-
ject the State win have to cooperate
with the Government and the necessary
State legislation viii have TO be enacted
1t viii cost anywhere from twelve to
fifteen million dollars to complete this
project, which it is believed will be one OF
the greatest ever undertaken in its bear
ing on the development of California
Its elimination will mean the develop
ment of the arid lands of the section and
/ use of settlers.
velopment in the Sacramento Valley
should be safeguarded by the Government
for the benefit of the people and not per-
mitted tc pass into the hands of specu-
lators."