Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-01-04
o,,r,cE HAS GENERAL SUPERNl-
u,TEP RESOURCES OF
STATE OF WASHINGTON
CONTROL WATER DIVERSION
Cake Cooperation Of Appropriations
n
nv Protecting Rights When State
*
Assumes Regulation.

uvdrauLc Engineer Marvin Chase
moo completed and submitted to the
GOVERNOR December 81. The report
covers a period of two years. from
necember l.. 1918, to November 80,
1000. and consists Of sc pages.
As implied in the legislation creot'
inc the office of state hydraulic engi-
,eer the two principal duties Of the
daoartment are that OF gathering and
recording photographic data and that
NJ supervising and reguiat ing the
use and development of the water re-
sources of the state. '|f y
While the department has record
ed and received $40 applications for
temporary permits and has issued
1857 permits, and 26 water rights GER
ufcates, the gathering of new and
comprehensive data has gone u for
ward as rapidly as possible.
It has been the endeavor Of Mr..
Chase in the supervision Of the de-
yelopment and use of the water re-
. sources Of the state to obtain, so far
As consistent with effective regula-
tons, the cooperation of those direct
" concerned. Particularly III the
matter Of diversions, the appropriated
must be shown that his rights will
be protected when the state takes
over the regulation Of the stream.
the appropriation then appreciates
the fact that he no longer needs to
provide for, more water than he can
benefcially use, because the state
will see to 1t that he gets his share
Of water at the proper time without
trouble. '''-|' 81
Thus the elimination of this un-
necessary struggle for water among
the various appropriations of a stream
has made it possible in practically
all cases to obtain the support and
cooperation of those concerned IN
carrying out, q reasonable and con-
sistent policy Of regulation. '0
The cause OF many controversies
Is also removed where the coorera-
ton of the water appropriations leads
to unreasonable lengths and some
times results in serious personal
quarrels. This form of controversy is
almost entirely eliminated BY coop
erative regulation. M
One of the great problems Of irri-
cation practice l nthe state is to pre-
vent avoidable losses through trans
portation and methods of use. Until
the last two years fully 40 per cent
Of the water diverted from the
streams in the state for irrigation
purposes was wasted or lost, so far
as immediote purposes of irrigation
were concerned. While the Office has
not supervision over bitches, yet it
has been possible in many cases
through friendly cooperation and ad-
vice to- bring about a more econom-'
ical use Of water aevre7 eaw reruiC
I'm section 8 sofothe act dfo 1919
there lis provision of the states
water resources by the state hydraulic
engineer. The question arises:
What are the states resources in
water?" ..~. l- a. 90 y..t..,
Water for beneficial use in this
state may be divided underu three
heads, namely, irrigation, power and
municipal or domestic suppiyi The
water now irrlgoting 538, 400 acres
Of land within the state produces all
annual wealth Of 100000 to
$S0,0O0,000. The state has addi-
uonal water more than sufficient to
supply its 2,526,600 acres of arid
and reproductive but irrigable
lands. In addition to the irrigation
water, the state controls the use OF
water developing more than $4,000
morse power in 60 or more hydro
electric plants now being operated in
the state. This is only 6 per cent of
the 100000 horse power in the
water falls of the state. In other
words, the water resources of the
state for irrigation is 1913 per cent
developed. while for power it is only
. per cent developed, according to
the report.
IN the arid sections of the state
y'ng east Of the Cascades, the land
mat may be irrigated at a reasonable
oost Is limited by the water supply.
us supply is sufficient to irrigate
o,ooo'oOO acres of land, of which
ooo'ooO acres are now being irri-
sa'eo' consuming about one-sixth Of
'ne water supply available for that
purpose. OF this amount 450, 900 is
irrigated by the Yakima and its trib-
u'aries' The largest single develop
ment is the Sunnyside unit of the
United States reclamation service,
'skima project. which covers an