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has an area of 186 square miles. The run-off on average years is not over 0.25 of a second-foot per square mile, or a mean flow of 46 secondfeet per 33,300 acre-feet on mean years, and about 15,000 acre-feet on dry years. This water probably could be delivered to Lake Leavitt by a canal 12 miles long. No surveys were made to determine this. Using the measured run-off of Susan Creek as a guide, it is estimated that the following amounts of water could have been diverted to Lake Leavitt from Willow Creek: In the season of 1900-1901, 15,000 acrefeet; 1901-2, 10,000 acre-feet, and in 1902-3, 7,500 acre-feet. Add this to the available surplus obtained from Susan Creek and the diversion of the headwaters of Pine Creek, the surplus waters would be increased to the following amounts on the three years named above: 76,355 acre-feet; 26,352 acre-feet, and 11,021 acre-feet. These figures may be considered as the ultimate obtainable from the district northeasterly from Honey Lake as determined by data now in hand. They indicate the possibility of improving the supply for the 20,000 acres of lands now claiming water rights, and also the additional irrigation of from 10,000 to 15,000 acres of private land. The following memorandum concerning Willow Creek basin is presented by V. S. Barber, of Susanville:

PETE CREEK.

The dam site is very poor at the mouth of Pete Creek, the canyon being wide, and the abutments loose lava, or solid lava with large fissures and seams. Suitable clay or earth is not at hand. Within 100 feet of Willow Creek there is about 6 feet fall in Pete Creek, and, continuing upstream, the canyon of Pete Creek is very narrow for nearly a half mile, though with very little fall; then it widens somewhat and rises steeper for a quarter or half mile more, at which elevation it is about 60 feet above Willow Creek. Thus a rather long dam, over 60 feet high, would have a comparatively small capacity. It was, therefore, concluded that the placing of a dam at the junction of Pete and Willow creeks is not a practicable and economical means of storing flood waters at that point. Therefore no further time was spent on instrumental work at that point.

An investigation was made just below the mouth of Balls Canyon. The main portion of the reservoir site was meandered carefully, but the auxiliaries, dams, and possible extensions were not examined instrumentally.

The preliminary work showed that the conditions are as follows: (1) 10,000 to 12,000 acre-feet of water could be stored in a series of small reservoirs at a reasonable expense; (2) in the spring, even in the driest years, there is always enough water to fill the reservoir going to waste past this point; (3) there is high-grade irrigable land in close proximity to the site; (4) the embankments and beds of the dam sites

are of a good quality of puddle clay; (5) large spillway capacities could be provided at a low expense; (6) all losses by seepage from the reservoir, ditches, and irrigated lands will be valuable lower down, whether it finds its way back into the running streams or simply raises the ground water in the lower fields.

LONG VALLEY CREEK.

Long Valley Creek, exclusive of White Alkali Lake, has an area of 230 square miles. The western side of the drainage basin is the abrupt eastern face of the Sierra Nevada. The water from this creek can be advantageously distributed on the desert lands southeast of Honey Lake. The Honey Lake Land and Water Company was organized prior to 1894 to reclaim this land from Long Valley Creek. The construction of a dam for the impounding of these flood waters was then commenced about 6 miles from and 200 feet above the lake. The reservoir when full will cover nearly 1,000 acres to a maximum depth of 90 feet, and have a storage capacity 28,000 acre-feet. The dam was carried away before it was completed and the company failed. The dam was to be 500 feet wide at the base, 20 feet wide on top, and 96 feet high from the datum at the bed of the creek. The slopes were to be 3 to 1 inside, 2 to 1 outside, and the length of the dam would be 960 feet. In the low-water stage the creek is alkaline."

Judging from the appearance of the drainage basin, it is estimated that the stream is alternately either in flood or in drought, and that the water supply would not be reliable. In addition, the reservoir site is still owned by the water company, and 15,000 acres of land thereunder have been lately filed upon with State lieu scrip.

DUTY OF WATER.

In the water contracts that have been signed throughout this valley it has been customary to assign 1 miner's inch to 1 acre, the irrigation period extending from May 10 to, say, August 10. The water, however, is not available for so long a time. Should the irrigation extend over one hundred days this would be equivalent to a depth of 4 feet. Possibly 2 feet in depth annually would be sufficient. The experience on similar lands in Nevada generally calls for a depth of 3 feet. It is not believed that the duty could be placed higher than 2 feet. Upon the consultation with the county officers and representatives of the United States Land Office it was estimated that there were 100,000 acres of irrigable land northwest of Honey Lake, 150,000 acres southeast of the lake in California, and 100,000 acres southeast of the lake in Nevada. The lands northwest of the lake nearest to the available water supply from Susan and Willow creeks certainly should

a A detailed description of work is given in Engineering News, March 15, 1894.

be first irrigated. Judging from the topographic maps of the United States Geological Survey there are not over 60,000 acres of these lands northwest of the lake, but the area is greater than could be served from the available water supply from this source. Arrangements were made with the registrar of the United States Land Office at Susanville to prepare township plats showing all remaining public lands in this district. It has previously been stated that 20,000 acres now have water rights attached thereto, and the ultimate development of the basin would permit of additional irrigation of from 10,000 to 15,000 acres from Susan Creek and its tributaries. A large portion of the lands southeast of the lake are public, but they are not of so good grade. Moreover the water from Long Valley Creek apparently is not available publicly.

Generally speaking, the lands are good. They range from sandy loam to adobe, and are generally covered by sagebrush on the sidehills, merging into alkali flats near the lake. These flats would have to be reclaimed by drainage as well as by proper irrigation. The holdings, as a rule, are from 160 acres to 320 acres, the largest being probably about 4,000 acres. The uncultivated sagebrush lands under the canals are probably worth from $20 to $30. When sown to alfalfa they are worth fully $50. When not commanded by water they are practically worthless. The country is distinctly a stock country, and the prime crop is alfalfa, of which crop from 4 to 6 tons can be harvested in three cuttings annually.

WATER COMPANIES.

The Colonial Irrigation Company, of Honey Lake Valley, about 1894 obtained possession of some water properties, including reservoir sites, on Susan Creek. It was a colonizing enterprise. This company and its predecessors obtained possession of McCoy Flat and Leavitt Lake, and also of the canal system, by filing right of way applications. The capital stock of this corporation is stated currently to be $800,000, in addition to the bonded debt, which is still outstanding. This would all have to be reckoned with in case the Government undertook the construction of the works. The other diversions of water in this valley are by private parties, with short canal systems, the lands being frequently flooded by placing weirs in the river and spreading out the waters of the creek over the adjacent farms. At the delta of Susan Creek the oldest inhabitants of the valley have settled. They are locally known as the "Tule Confederacy," because of the manner in which they have stood together in water litigation protesting against upper diversions. There irrigation is almost entirely by flooding from the creek channels, the result being the production of a crop of about 1 ton of native hay to the acre. These lower rights would have to be dealt with, but it is alleged that these people will not resist a Federal movement to construct a comprehensive system.

PUBLIC SENTIMENT.

The public sentiment of this valley is said to favor the construction of works by the Government. However, the parties living in the lower end of the valley, in what is known as the "Tule district," were not interviewed and their position is known only by hearsay. In the higher foothill lands and at Susanville the sentiment seemed to be markedly in favor of the project.

SUMMARY.

Probably from 10,000 to 15,000 additional acres of land can be irrigated from Susan and Willow Creeks, and the land now being irrigated brought under a more satisfactory supply if these streams were properly regulated, as they can be by the construction of reservoirs. Our records for stream flow are for dry years, but not the driest. These series of years of low rainfall should properly be the controlling ones in the development of the irrigation system. The irrigable lands are practically all in private ownership. In addition, water corporations and private water rights will have to be dealt with and consolidated, the situation being complicated. It would be necessary, in order to proceed satisfactorily with this matter, to surrender all water rights in the valley to the Government and to place all comers on an equal footing, for the development of a harmonious and comprehensive system.

INVESTIGATIONS ON COLORADO RIVER.a

Surveys and general investigations along Colorado River, from latitude 35° 36' to the Mexican line, were inaugurated during the months of October and November, 1902, and continued until June, 1903, E. T. Perkins being engineer in charge in the field.

The surveys were mainly topographic, a large amount of triangulation and primary and secondary leveling being done. As the Reclamation Service had not yet organized a corps of skilled topographers, most of the topographic work was done by topographers detailed from the division of topography of the United States Geological Survey. The work of the topographic division about Needles, Cal., was under the general charge of E. C. Barnard, and that about Yuma, Ariz., under R. B. Marshall. Later in the season Mr. Barnard's duties called him elsewhere, and Hersey Munroe succeeded him.

Primary triangulation was extended from 100 miles above Needles, Cal., to the Mexican line, 300 miles south. Principal lines of levels were extended by R. B. Farmer from the Pacific Ocean to Yuma, a distance of 275 miles; and then on each side of Colorado River, north and south, over all territory under consideration; other lines of levels branching from these principal lines were run so as to have

a Extract from report of E. T. Perkins. See also report on Colorado River diversion, in First Annual Report of the Reclamation Service, pp. 106-129.

complete control. Topographic surveying parties mapped all of the region adjacent to the river, save that between Picacho and Ehrenberg, which work will be mapped during the coming field season.

A diamond drilling outfit was put to work at the lower end of Pyramid Canyon, near Bulls Head, Ariz., in order to determine the depth to bed rock and to ascertain the feasibility of constructing a high dam at this point.

At Bulls Head and at Yuma, Ariz., gaging stations were established. The discharge of the river was measured three times a week and the height of the water was observed daily. Samples of the river water were regularly sent from Yuma to the Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Arizona, where Prof. R. H. Forbes made a study of the physical properties of the water. During the winter new appointees of the Reclamation Service were instructed in the general methods of topographic surveying as practiced by the United States Geological Survey.

During the course of the detailed topographic mapping the topographers classified the area mapped into first, second, third, and fourth class lands, so that there was obtained, in addition to the contour map, a land-classification map. The land was divided into two general classes-irrigable and nonirrigable land. Irrigable land was classed as first, second, and third class; under "nonirrigable land" was included land too rocky, too broken, or too full of alkali (as shown by surface deposits of "white" or "black" alkali) to permit of agriculture. The topographer was guided by his own knowledge, by frequent consultations with the inhabitants, and, in a general way, by the vegetation.

A more detailed, searching investigation of the soils about Yuma is now being made by J. Garrett Holmes, of the Bureau of Soils, Department of Agriculture. It is the intention of Mr. Holmes to investigate each 40-acre tract, and to mark upon the ground and upon the topographic map the point of investigation, so that actual proof of this investigation can be shown when the lands are classified for homestead segregations. The soil maps will show conditions for the first 2 feet in depth and for a total depth of 6 feet. A circular bearing upon the relations of soil conditions and vegetation has been issued by the Agricultural Experiment Station, University of California, Bulletin 140, supplement.

Wherever possible, high-water marks were recorded, so that the areas covered by floods could be estimated. A further study of this subject is being made.

PROJECTS INVESTIGATED.

The work of the winter 1902-3 along Colorado River, from latitude 35° 36′ to the Mexican line, has shown the projects named below to be either feasible or worthy of further investigation. In order of

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