Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1916-09-16
WATER COMMISSIONER Tc
DISTRIBUTE WATER ON
FOX DITCH

Governor appointed Mr.. Charles D..
Boyard water commissioners for the
Fox ditch which is one of the oldest
and most important in the valley.
The appointment is appropriate and
acceptable because of the long resi-
dence and experience of the new COM
missioner who has been actively
farming in Mason Valley since 1885.
| The ditch at that time, for number
of years had been the source of sup
ply for number of farmers who at
times were unable to secure sufflci-
ent water for irrigation purposes and
the trouble which necessitated the ap
pointment has been of annual recur-
| rance and annoyance. Farmers US
| ing water from the tail end of the
ditch of course were the principal
sufferers and frequently when water
was scarce were shut off with little
or none. At the same time the waste
| each season was sufficient to supply
all with enough for irrigation of al
| their crops.
Those more rtunately situated
near the head of the ditch were &C
cued of "nogging" the water and
trouble was of frequent occurrence.
The ditch being filled at the head
water was diverted from the MAR
ditch by each user who has DO,
at the head of his individual ditch
The practice has been that each in
dividual would attend to his own sup
rlv and when H.. wl,:. TO irrigat:
would go to his own box and turf
on the water Through carelessnes.
and often press of work the waite
would be allowed to run long afte
sufficient for ample irrigation was OBJ
tanned. This would deprive those fur
Their down of the benefit of waite
that was entirely wasted. AS tbs
ditch is maintained by assessment i
would frequently occur that those
lower down the ditch would pa.
their prorata and get no water. A
the beginning of the season every
one is anxious to get water at tn.
same time. 1.-THE indiscrimate ane
wasteful use by those at the head
the ditch would frequently result i.
those having a single share in tn,
ditch securing and wasting mucl
more water than a neighbor who
might have several shares.
All these troubles can obviated BY
a commissioner who can regulate the
proportion of the water running il
the ditch and see that each gets his
supply. The aalouat of saving II
all will and does exceed the amour
of the commissioner salary. The
excess of water run on ground afte
it is sufficiently wet has Caused tn.
loss of thousands of dollars not onl,,
from the immediate loss of crops BY
flooding but also by the sou-ing of tn,
land which follows. At the approach
of the end of the season the waite
commissioner can apportion the sup
ply and prevent the waste by divert
ing it from user to user and by at
tention to the distribution. By thi.
attention a small supply of water cal
be made to irrigate many acres ant
all the owners can be accommodates
without loss or trouble. Because o
the increasing value Of water Mr.
Bovard advocates the use Of eleckri
city fer the opening and ciesiag Of
the supply boxes at the head Of 10
dividual bitches. This would save
much time which could be giNea BY
the commissioner to other matters
affecting the distribution and would
reduce the expense and increase the
benefits arising from the service fal
in excess of the expense of instafla
ton and maintenance of the system
Each year the land of Mason Valley
is becoming more valuable and thu
numbers of acres under cultivation is
increasing. Without the water this
land would all be worthless.
The neglect by owners of bitches,
to which Mr.. Bovard has called at.
tention, has caused trouble which has
previously been overlooked. In many
cases farmers who have been care
less have laid themselves liable to
penalties and damages which have
been overlooked and ignored. In
some cases the penalties are heavy
and the nuisances are becoming SC
frequent that prosecutions will in.
evitably follow further disregard Of
the rights of others. Though the ef-
forts of Mr.. Bovard a number of abus
es have been abated that would have