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jority of the land owners living near the upper end would not exert themselves or limit their supply in favor of their neighbors living miles away at the far end, who, in turn, complained that they did not receive water at the right time. or in sufficient amount and consequently could not make payment. Thus, to insure the repayment of the charges, if for no other reason, the Reclamation Service was forced to gradually take over the operations even of the smaller laterals and see to it that water was delivered to each and every farm instead of to groups of farmers.

As indicated in the preceding chapter, on certain of the projects pumping installations are necessary to insure an adequate supply of water, and the operation of these pumps and of the hydro-electric plants, which generate the power for their operation, constitutes one of the major activities of the Service. The operating methods employed differ in no essential respect from those followed in commercial practice.

As already stated, in connection with the Williston Project in North Dakota a mine is owned and operated by the Service for supplying the coal used in the generating plant.

Transfer to Water Users' Association. As has been noted, provision was made in the original Reclamation Act for the eventual operation by the irrigators themselves of the irrigation works constructed under the act, and the Secretary of the Interior was authorized to transfer the operation of the works to "the owners of the land irrigated... under such form of organization and under such rules and regulations as may be acceptable to the Secretary of the Interior." The act provided, however, that such transfer might be made only after the "payments required by this act are made. for the major portion of the lands irrigated from the waters of any of the works." With the passage of the Reclamation. Extension Act, however, which extended the time for payment of construction charges from ten to twenty years, it was provided that the transfer to a water users' association might be

made in the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior "whenever any legally organized water users' association or irrigation district shall so request."

The original act contemplated the transfer to the water users only of the canals, and provision was made for the permanent operation of the reservoirs by the Reclamation Service, it being provided that "the title to and the management and operation of the reservoirs and the works necessary for their protection and operation shall remain in the government until otherwise provided by Congress." The same section of the Reclamation Extension Act which provided that the transfer to water users might be made at any time in the discretion of the Secretary, also removed the limitation on the transfer of reservoirs by providing that the Secretary might transfer to a "water users' association or irrigation district the care, operation, and maintenance of all or any part of the project works, subject to such rules and regulations as he may prescribe."

Rules for the transfer of works to water users' associations have been prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior. The substance of these rules is contained in the following sections:

Action under this provision of the law will be taken by means of a written contract with the water-users' association or irrigation district, as the case may be.

Each such organization desiring the transfer of the care, operation, and maintenance of the project, or any part thereof, shall make application therefor to the Secretary of the Interior through the Director of the Reclamation Service, who will submit the same to the Reclamation Commission for recommendation thereon to the Secretary. Such application shall be based upon a certified copy of resolution of the governing board of the organization presenting the same, requesting the transfer, and shall be accompanied by a statement showing that the laws of the State and the charter powers of the organization authorize the acceptance of the duties resulting from such transfer. The statement shall contain appropriate reference to statute provisions, regulations and

charter powers in relation thereto. In any case the application may be approved and contract authorized conditional upon further satisfactory showing being made that the taking over of the operation and maintenance by the organization has been submitted to all the water-users affected and approved by a majority vote of all voting, provided at least three-fifths (%) of all water-users affected vote, otherwise by a majority of all water-users affected.

Except where the organization is an irrigation district a good and sufficient bond shall be given to the United States for the faithful performance of all duties required by law under the contract. Such bond shall be subject to approval by the Secretary of the Interior.

Reference has already been made to the necessity for impartial control of the irrigation works to insure an equitable distribution of the water among the several users, and to the difficulty that has been found in achieving that type of control under any form of local management. There has usually been manifested a tendency for one man of influence to obtain an undue share of water or for the majority to neglect the rights of the minority in the distribution of the supply.

For this reason the successful operation of any plan of local control involves an extended process of education of the members of the prospective association. The Reclamation Service has, therefore, encouraged the development of water users' associations on projects as soon as possible after their opening. Each owner of irrigable land, by virtue of his ownership, becomes a member of the water users' association and, as such, is urged to become interested in all that concerns the future of the project. As far as practicable these men are kept informed of general conditions through bulletins and through the local press, with the idea of gradually bringing them to the point where they will be able to work together as a unit and to take control of the distribution system.

On many of the projects there has been impatience on the part of water users to obtain control of the works because of a natural belief that they could operate them more economical

ly and satisfactorily. At the same time the officials of the Reclamation Service have been equally desirous of turning over the rather troublesome and vexatious work of water control to responsible men selected by the water users. With the approach of the time when the Service is ready to turn over the works to local control, however, reluctance on the part of the water users to assume such control is encountered. Up to the present time two water users' associations, on the Salt River Project in Arizona, and on the Minidoka Project in Idaho, have taken over the management of the works from the Reclamation Service. In the case of the Minidoka Project the form of organization adopted has been that of an irrigation district formed under state law.

Water users' associations may also enter into contract and be appointed special fiscal agents of the United States to collect the construction and operation and maintenance charges and all penalties in accordance with section 7 of the act of August 13, 1914. It is provided, however, “that no water right applicant or entryman shall be entitled to credit for any payment thus made until the same shall have been paid over to an officer designated by the Secretary of the Interior to receive the same."

Dissemination of Information to Water Users. From the beginning of its operations the Reclamation Service has conceived it to be its duty to assist the water users on its projects in every way practicable. The development of its activities in this direction has been the natural outcome of its duty of determining the limit of area per entry on the several projects and units. This has necessitated the collation of a great deal of valuable data relative to the local soil, crop, and market conditions. In addition, in connection with the records kept of the delivery of water on the several projects, to which reference has already been made, much useful information is obtained. The project manager, moreover, is generally chosen from among the engineers who were engaged in

the construction of the project works and is, therefore, in possession of detailed information regarding local conditions. It has thus resulted that the water users on the government projects have come to depend very generally upon the judgment of the project managers in a great variety of matters and so to require an assistance and guidance which, although not contemplated in the law, are found to be essential to ulti

mate success.

In this work the project manager was assisted from time to time by experts detailed or transferred from the Department of Agriculture, and during the years immediately following the passage of the Reclamation Act, in 1902, it was assumed and so stated in official publications that the Department of Agriculture would take a larger and larger share in furnishing advice with regard to cultivation of crops and quantity of water to be used. Experiment stations were established on many of the projects and demonstration farms started, but it was found that the problems were so complicated that scientifically accurate data were not available in time to be of immediate service to the early settlers. As a result, it not infrequently happened that through some accident or undiscovered cause the crops on the demonstration farms were not such as to afford encouragement. Occasionally, indeed, a settler without experience and resources would obtain better results than did the expert with all facilities apparently at his command. Because of these conditions the demonstration farms were generally discontinued. In 1913 the Secretary of the Interior created the position of Supervisor of Irrigation and designated an experienced irrigator to fill the position, with orders to "advise and counsel with water users as to the best practice of irrigating and cultivating irrigated lands, the development of markets, and all questions affecting the welfare of settlers and water users."

The Service also publishes a monthly bulletin known as the Reclamation Record, which is devoted to the interests of irrigators, and which is distributed free of cost to all water users

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