these valleys is from $10 to $20 per acre, according to the quality of the soil and facilities for irrigation. In all the valleys in this section more or less crude irrigation has been practiced. The farms in Big Valley are rather large, averaging possibly over 640 acres. The area

of the tributary drainage basin is 3,041 square miles, ranging in elevation from 4,000 to 10,000 feet.

WIDOW VALLEY RESERVOIR SITE.

Widow Valley, situated on the Modoc and Lassen County line in T. 39 N., R. 7 E., Mount Diablo meridian, is 12 miles north and west of the town of Bieber, and 8 miles from Lookout. The land of Widow Valley is used for grazing and is partly fenced. White residents have left it and one Indian rancheria is the only habitation at present. The highest practicable dam at this place would be 35 feet high, with a bottom width of 120 feet and a top width of 210 feet. Such a dam would flood the valley for about 5 miles, and the average width would be three-quarters of a mile. This would probably store 25,000 acre-feet of water if there was an adequate supply. There was no water running in September, 1903. The topographic map shows a drainage area of 15 square miles, ranging in elevation from 4,400 to 6,500 feet.

The water from this reservoir could be used on the west side of Big Valley on its higher levels. The water supply, judging from the size of the basin, would be inadequate. Residents of Big Valley, however, claim that the flow of this stream is very material. visible in the bottom of the valley at the dam site. slope are cliffs of lava formation and on the south pine timber.

ROUND VALLEY RESERVOIR SITE.

No bed rock was On the northern slope is earth and

Round Valley is on Ash Creek, north of Adim, in Modoc County, Cal. The proposed reservoir is in T. 39 N., R. 9 E., Mount Diablo meridian.

A dam site here has a width of 305 feet on the bottom and 1,020 feet at an elevation of 100 feet, above which the slope continues uniformly for another 50 feet. Bed-rock appears in the stream bed 200 or 300 feet above the dam site. There is no visible bed rock on either slope, and it was impossible to make an estimate regarding it without soundings.

A dam 100 feet high would flood the valley several miles back. It is estimated 15 square miles would be flooded. The east slope of the dam site is composed of cliffs and bowlders, the west slope of loose lava rock. It is estimated that the water flowing past this dam site is equal to one-half the discharge of Pit River at a point where Ash

Creek empties into it; it was not measured. The drainage area above the dam site is 264 square miles, ranging from 4,200 to 7,000 feet in elevation.

Round Valley is all meadow land and has six or seven resident families therein, with lands mostly fenced. The water impounded here could be used to irrigate lands on the east side of Big Valley. These lands are in private holdings. The same lands could be commanded by a high line canal from Pit River heading at Stone Coal. This reservoir could also be used to supplement the low-water supply in the Sacramento Valley, as in the case of the Bieber reservoir site. This site is of possible value in connection with local developments.

WARM SPRINGS VALLEY RESERVOIR SITE.

This reservoir site is in Modoc County, Cal., on Pit River. The site is situated in Ts. 41 and 42 N., Rs. 10 and 11 E. The elevation of the drainage basin varies from 4,400 feet at the dam site to 8,000 feet along the crest of the Warner Range. The area of the drainage basin is 1,692 square miles.

The dam site is about 4 miles below Canby. A dam here would be 270 feet long on the bottom and 700 feet long at the 100-foot contour. Such a height would flood a large area in the valley and would back the water for 20 miles. No instrumental work was done here other than at the dam site, but an outline of the reservoir was sketched. The reservoir would probably have an area of over 40 square miles, with a possible capacity of 750,000 acre-feet. The entire valley is owned and occupied by ranchers. The value of these lands is from $10 to $20 per acre in the bottoms. The dam site on the right bank consists of cliffs of lava rock and bed rock shows in the stream bed. The left bank is covered by loose lava rock.

The water from this reservoir could be used on the lands in Big Valley, which are practically all held in private ownership, and can be supplied with irrigation waters without the construction of this impounding basin. The greatest benefit of this great reservoir site, as in the case of that at Bieber, would be in the development of the Sacramento Valley. However, it probably would not be necessary to construct both of these reservoirs, as the capacity of either is sufficient to control the water from this basin in ordinary years.

RATTLESNAKE RESERVOIR SITE.

This site is situated in Modoc County, Cal., in T. 43 N., R. 12 E. The land is in private ownership. The drainage basin is not large and consists of rolling timbered country. It ranges in elevation from 4,800 to 5,200 feet. The stream was dry in September, 1903, but on November 22, 1903, was discharging about 100 second-feet at the

county road crossing. With a dam 40 feet high the capacity of the reservoir would be probably 40,000 acre-feet, but the available water supply is limited.

The land irrigable from this reservoir is in the valley of the South Fork of Pit River in Modoc County. The greater portion of these lands are in private ownership, but some public lands probably could be served.

On one of the branches of Rattlesnake Creek is a reservoir with a dam 25 feet high and 600 feet long, capable of impounding approximately 40,000 acre-feet. This reservoir is being constructed by the residents of Alturas for use near that city.

JESS VALLEY RESERVOIR SITE.

This site is situated in T. 39 N., Rs. 14 and 15 E. The reservoir site is in private ownership. An examination with a hand level indicated that the bed of the reservoir would cover about 3,000 acres of meadow. A dam 150 feet would flood about 8 square miles. It is estimated that a 100-foot dam would impound 150,000 acre-feet.

The drainage area, including East Creek, Mill Creek, and South Creek, is 91 square miles, ranging in elevation from 5,000 to 8,000 feet. It is on the western slope of the Warner Range and includes the slope of Eagle Peak (9,934 feet high), which is the highest mountain in this portion of the State. The water supply from this range of mountains is believed to be large.

The dam site is 500 feet below the head of the canyon. The left side of the canyon is composed of loose lava rock, as is also the right side, to an elevation of 125 feet, above which are cliffs. At the dam site the canyon has a width of 300 feet on bottom, of 600 feet at 100foot elevation, and of 800 feet at 150-foot elevation.

The lands that would be irrigated from this reservoir are situated in the valleys of the North and South forks of Pit River and in Warm Springs Valley. While the greatest portion of the land is in private ownership, some public land would probably come under the canal line. The elevation of this valley ranges from 4,400 to 4,800 feet. The forage plants will be the principal crop.

WEST VALLEY RESERVOIR SITE.

This reservoir site is situated on the Lassen and Modoc County lines T. 39 N., R. 14 E., at an elevation of 4,800 feet, in what is known as West Valley Canyon, a tributary of the South Fork of Pit River.

The reservoir site is owned by one individual, and is meadow land. With the water impounded to a maximum depth of 100 feet, the reservoir would be about 4 miles long with an average width of 3,000 feet; the estimated capacity being 40,000 acre-feet. The drainage basin

ranges in elevation from 4,800 to 8,600 feet, and has an area of 144 square miles.

On September 26, 1903, the discharge of the stream was 8 secondfeet, which is the low-water stage.

The dam site has the following section: 20 feet wide on bottom, 220 feet wide at 50 feet elevation, 325 feet wide at 75 feet elevation, and 470 feet wide at the 100-foot elevation. Above the 100-foot elevation the left bank rises abruptly in cliffs. On the right bank the slope continues uniformly to 130 feet, which is the limiting contour. The lands that would be watered from this site are in the valley of the South Fork of Pit River, and are the same as those irrigable from Jess Valley.

These two reservoirs could be used for the same irrigable lands. While the majority of the irrigable lands are in private ownership, some Government land could probably be served.

The land in the valley proper of the South Fork of Pit River is nearly all marsh, but the rising lands, which would be covered by the two last reservoirs above mentioned, is a fine quality of sagebrush land.

SUMMARY.

It is impossible to make any reliable estimates on cost of works or available water supply from the data now on hand. The estimates of capacity given above are but rough determinations with hand levels. The reconnaissance indicates that the conditions are such as to justify the continuation of the investigation, particularly as to available water supplies.

RECONNAISSANCE IN KLAMATH RIVER DRAINAGE BASIN.a

A reconnaissance was made of Klamath River drainage basin in order to ascertain whether there were any desirable sites for storage reservoirs. The route traversed was from Craig, in Big Valley, to Cornell, on the southeast side of Tule Lake; thence to the Jesse D. Carr ranch on the northeast side of Tule Lake (where the State line is crossed), and around the north side of the lake to Merrill, Oreg. From Merrill the investigation was continued south across the State boundary line to the Davis ranch in California, situated at the head of Willow Creek, at the foot of Dome Mountain; thence west to Samuel D. Prather's ranch at Ball post-office. There is a great deal of open country lying south of Tule Lake which would be made valuable by irrigation, but there is no water available unless it were diverted from Clear Lake.

At Ball post-office a conference was held with Samuel D. Prather regarding irrigation possibilities in Shasta Valley. He stated that he had run levels through and across the Shasta Valley and these indi

a Extract from report of H. E. Green,

cated that it would be necessary to divert water above Shovel Creek Mud Springs (or Beswick post-office) on Klamath River to bring that river into Shasta Valley.

From Ball post-office, the reconnaissance was extended north into the canyon of Klamath River, near Topsy, about 18 or 20 miles below. Keno. The project of diverting water from Klamath River into Shasta Valley appeared feasible within reasonable limits of cost. The length of the conduit would be about 35 miles. It is estimated that from 50,000 to 100,000 acres could be irrigated in Shasta Valley from Klamath River. This is a well-known project which has been discussed by many engineers. No detailed work has ever been done on which to base an estimate of the cost. An examination of the United States Land Office records shows that there is practically no public land that would come under such a ditch. The valley is taken up by cattle ranchers, alfalfa being grown. The Prather Brothers have spent a great deal of money in irrigating their ranch, which lies to the north of Montague.

Little Shasta River, having a high mountain watershed, discharges a considerable amount of water through Shasta Valley in the spring. On this stream there is a small reservoir site which could be used to supplement a diversion from Klamath River. Klamath River was measured by meter at the railroad bridge at Klamathon, at its low stage this year, and was found to be discharging 2,000 second-feet. Local residents state this flow to be the smallest in several years.

The Southern Pacific Railway traverses the Shasta Valley. From Montague, which is the largest cattle shipping point in this section, there is a branch road running to Yreka. On the west side of the valley is the old Yreka ditch, built a great many years ago to supply water to the town of Yreka. At present it is used for the irrigation of ranches in the Shasta Valley, but is not carrying much water.

From Laird station on the Southern Pacific Railway, a little north of Ager, a lumber railroad which has been built up the Klamath River Canyon, surmounts its side by a switchback about 10 miles below Shovel Creek Mud Springs. This road has lately been completed, and runs as far as Pokegama, about 30 miles from Klamath Falls. From Pokegama a stage runs to Keno, and from this place a gasoline launch makes trips up the river to Klamath Falls. This is the most convenient way of getting into the Klamath Lake country from the Southern Pacific Railroad.

After leaving Shasta Valley the investigation was continued up the Southern Pacific Railway to Ashland, Oreg., where Mr. C. B. Watson was interviewed. He is at present an attorney at law of Ashland, but in the seventies was deputy county surveyor and did work in Lake and Klamath counties. He stated that the best reservoir sites for irrigation schemes that he knew of were, first, Clear Lake in Modoc