The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1917-10-19
MARVIN CHASE ON IRRIGATION

sutton season is ended, so far as PROV
lns crops are concerned, this ve,.
Marvin Chase, state hvdraplic ona,.
eer' is buisily engaged upon what ho
CONSIDERS the most important water
propiem now confronting farmers and
Tue orchard interests. His object is to
Dring these interest to practicaI ro
a'lAation of the value of intelligent
ana economical use of water tbrouoh
volutary efforts of individuaI usars
rather than by compulsory authority
OF the state department tbroupb tho
supervision of officially appointed
water masters.
consistent cooperation of individual
users along these lines with the stato
department. will. Mr.. Chase figure,
not only save taxpayers of the various
counties OF the state thousands of dol
lars in needless expense annuallv bnt
1t VIII actually add hundreds of thous-
ands OF dollars in the aggregate to
total crop values.
1t is simple problem in arithmetic
as the state hydraulic engineer ex-
plains the irrigation situation as If
prevails now and has prevailed all
through the years of irrigation in tbis
state, except In the instances of large
and carefully managed irrigation COM
panies. AS general rule the indiyid-
ual user has dug his ditch from the
stream upon which he held a water
right strictly with regard to his per-
sonal interests in the result. When he
had received what he thought was suf
hcient water upon his land he filled
up the mouth of the ditch with stones
or temporary structures. Measuring
and equitobly apportioning the water
among the various rights has appar-
emily been the least consideration.
AS summer advanced and the water
supply decreased, while the necessity
for irrigation became correspondingly
greater, the user built barriers farther
out into the stream to divert more wa
ter upon his land. still without regard
to the needs of his neighbor below.
The result of this practice has been
recorded in costly litigation that is
not yet finished, together with wide
spread dissatisfaction and frequent
bitter feeling. State Engineer Chase
is convinced that the source of diver
sion disputes can most effectively be
removed by the users themselves. I'm
der the new irrigation code he has am
pie authority to appoint all water
masters needed and he has made num-
erous appointments. but on this point
he says:
For the supervision and control of
public water being diverted for bene-
fetal purposes, Section 9, Chapter 1T,
Session Laws of 1917, provides that
water master shall be appointed upon
a reasonable showing of the necessity
thereof, the spirit of this being that no
district need be created or maintained
where the need of it does not exist
"The haphazard method of diver
sion now in practice on nearly all the
small streams of the state are pri-
responsible for the need of
water masters. Under a strict inter
probation of the code and the former
law. | do not feel that one could have
been appointed except that an emer-
gency existed during the present irri-
CATION season. This must be remedied
before the commencement OF divers
ions for the ensuing year as provided
in Section 81. which is identical with
the law of 1890. When this is complied
with there will be very little need, If
any. for the appointment of water
master, as an orderly and modern
method of diversion and measure
ments will prevent nearly all disputes,
recognizing the fact, as we all do, that
beneficial use is the basis, the measure
and the limit to the use of water. NO
vested rights to continue wasteful
methods are acquired by appropria-
ton or diversion and use"
Section 81, here cited, makes the
following requirement: "The owner or
owners of any ditch or canal snail
to the satisfaction OF the
state hydraulic engineer, substantial
works and measuring de-
vice at the point where the water Is
diverted. and these shall be so con-
structed as to permit or accurate
measurement and practical regulation
of the flow of water diverted into sald
ditch or canal. Every owner or man
ger of a reservoir for the storage Oh
water shall construct and maih'ain'
when required by the state hydrauiic
engineer. any measuring device neceS-
sarv to ascertain the naturai ITO" 'h''
and out of said reservoir
Installation of such coh'roi.i"s
works and measuring devices pe'oie
the next irrigation season opens
what Mr. Chase is seeking to accom-
nlish with the least friction anu ''c
most satisfactory results. He figures
the cost of the required device at 'roi''
$40 TO $50 to each diversion from ''e
stream. according to locatioh' anu
,ovs tbe diverter will be saved many
times the cost in labor and efilcieh'y
during the first season of operating
with an efficient and easily reguia'eu
and controlled diversion WORKS anu
measuring device. = ~
The consequent elimination OF wa. va.
fer masters will save the county 30 a iol
Zach dav the water master is einp'oSeu
in regulating haphazard diversions as
standard devices can De reg
without extra cost by represenla''se' o
Of the state hydraulic engineer S oe
A far more important saving VII, pe