The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1917-01-05
new WATER RIGHT LAW
TO HOLD YOU MUST USE IT
Proposed Water Code BilI-KnoCks
Speculative Value Out of Water Rights

Speculative Value Out of Water Rights
Under the proposed new water right
law the right to hold 9water rests on its
use. II one has water righterand uses
it he can hold it. It's non-use divests
one OF the title. This is the correct
doctrine. In an irrigation country
where water is scarce, and it is some
times scarce in all irrigation countries,
it is an irreparable waste not to use it.
The new water code will come up
for adoption by the Legislature which
meets next week. Because oil the great
interest In water for irrigation In this
valley the bill is now being circulated
among newspapers, interested citizens
and public officials.
The keynote Of the bill is that a
man must use the water to which he
claims a right in order to retain it.
Use is held to be the essence Of the
property owners right in a stream, and
this right he will ultimately lose if he
does not use the water. II enacted in
to law the bill will prevent person
from acquiring a riparian right and
holding it purely for speculation.
This water code was adopted by the
Water Code Conference called by
Governor Lister at Tacoma. July II
and IL, 1916, and adjourned to North
Yakima November IS, 1916. The
conference was representative OF the
following interests: Water power com
panies; water users associations; ir-
rigation districts and companies; state
bankers association; clearing house
associations; state bar association; rail-
road companies; chambers OF commerce
and commercial bodies; state higher
educational institutions; civil, hydraulic
and electrical engineering associations
and cities and towns of the state.
The principal contest in the confer
ence was between the riparian rights
representatives and the irrigationists.
This conflict is disposed Of by sections
a. and As Of the water code, which
fixes limit of time within which
person claiming riparian rights must
exercise them.
The water code provides for state
hydrauli: engineer and gives him lib
eral authority to settle water contro-
versies (sections 6 ct seq.)
All applicants for water rights must
make application to the state hydraulic
engineer (section IS. } ia full hearing
is had and rights of all concerned are
determined after hearing (see sections
16 to 27.
This water code has been carefully
prepared by a water code commission
appointed by the governor, consisting
OF the following men:
o. L. Waller, chairman, Pullman;
Judge Carroll B. Graves, Seattle; Hon.
Charles P. Lund, Spokane; D. L.
Huntington, Spokane; Hon. Ira P.
Englehart. North Yakima; Judge Cyrus
Happy. Spokane; Arthur J. Shaw,
Spokane; E. w Burr, secretary, North
Yakima; Marvin Chase, Richmond
Beach; R. S. williamson, North
Yakima; Laughlin Mclean, Spokane;
E. c. Burlingame, Walla Walla; Charles
H. Swigart. North Yakima; Joseph
Jacobs, Seattle; L. K. Armstrong,
Spokane; J. D. Blackwell, Seattle;
Hon. L. o. Meigs, North Yakima.
The code has been carefully consid-
cred by two conferences called with
reference to the diverse water interests
OF the state.
F. c. Blankenship received five