Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-05-23
TERMS OF IRRIGATION
System Made Plain by Idaho
Agricultural Professor.
Farmer Must Not Only be Student OF
Water Distribution, But Must Un-
derstand Soil, Seed, Climate
and Crop Pests.

Characterizng the intelligent, pains
taking farmer as the most essential
element of crop success in Idaho and
the irrigated West w. H. Olin. direc-
tor OF the agricultural extension of
the University OF Idaho gives out
lot OF interesting information and
comment about irrigation in his eighth
lecture OF the Idaho teachers CORES
pondence course. Copies of the lee
ture have just been sent from the Of
flee of Grace NJ Shepherd. state SUI
perintendent of public instruction, to
teachers in all the schools throughout
the state. who will in turn acquaint
/ the pupils With their contents.
irrigation calls for the highest
class ot intelligent farming" says
! Prof DIN. The farmer here must
not only be student Of water distrib-
ution and control. but he must also
understand the soil, the seed. his eli
matte environment and market essen
tials He must also study the habits
OF crop pests and learn the most eff
fective means of combating them.
The first irrigators gave no thought
In the beginning 10 their right TO use
creeks and rivers Water was run
ming to waste and they put 1t TO use
IN the same way as they enjoyed The
sunshine and breathed the pure all
OF the West There seemed no more
need at that time OF recording dat;
Of ditch construction and capacity o
same than there was for them 4
keep record OF elk and deer. grous
and duck, which they shot for food
All represented unused natural re
sources and they could not forese
the great future OF irrigation and wha
II should accomplish.
AS far back as 1876. the Kearne
code provided that the laws previous
ly In force concerning water courses
should be continued. The SPANS
conquerors In the sixteenth centur
found the Pueblo Indians OF the ri
Grande practicing irrigation farmin
and cropping the valley in mos
i creditable manner.
D In defining the fundamental term
> common in irrigation practice. Pro
Olin says. in effect.
d "A water right is a legal right
Z divert water from stream. reserve
or canal. TO crop land for irrigatio
purposes
An water rights possess appropri
y lion in order OF date of decree al
c the right Of priority is the right wi
e the first decree and must be reco
d nized as FIRST claim TO irrigation wat
n from the source stream, canal or re
u er,oir. Nhen adjudicated. as its deer
II shall name for full amount OF sa
decree.
There are two kinds OF wat
rights. direct and storage. a dire
y. water right gives the owner authorl
IS for direct use OF water from sourC
s stream or canal. and a storage rig
m gives legal authority for impoundi
IN water In reservoirs as storage 81
III plv for use as may be desired
I'd The custom OF opening headgat
OF all bitches leading TO reservoi
during period of heavy rains is qul
to generally practiced. This excess
III water is known as Hood water a
ee unless stored in reservoirs not or
ely often causes damages to crops a
VI property In the lower rivers. but 1t
TO also OF no economic use. Thereto
Il is the custom for reservoir own'
TO figure on food waters for their r
ervoirs. For this reason flood wa
&c rights have grown to have comm
lis cial value in connection with res
voir construction. When the run
of any given stream Is above norm
lin II is called food. OF excess water.
may be caused by the rapid melting
mountain SHOWS feeding the strea
cld or excessive rains within the wat
'ks shed. or both. The regularity OF
food. or high water, run-of of a civ
,s stream usually determines the &C
mercial value of these flood wa
- rights