43D CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 1st Session. Ex. Doc. IRRIGATION OF THE SAN JOAQUIN, TULARE, AND SACRAMENTO VALLEYS, CALIFORNIA. MESSAG E FROM THE THE UNITED STATES, PRESIDENT OF TRANSMITTING The report of the Commissioners on the Irrigation of the San Joaquin, Tulare, and Sacramento Valleys, in the State of California. MARCH 24, 1874.-Referred to the Committee on the Public Lands and ordered to be printed. To the Senate and House of Representatives: I have the honor to transmit herewith the report of the Board of Commissioners on the Irrigation of the San Joaquin, Tulare, and Sacramento Valleys of the State of California, and also the original maps accompanying said report. EXECUTIVE MANSION, March 23, 1874. U. S. GRANT. Report of the Board of Commissioners on the Irrigation of the San Joaquin, Tulare, and Sacramento Valleys of the State of California.- Lieut. Col. B. S. Alexander, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A.; Major Geo. 1. Necessity of surveys.-2. The system of irrigation.-3. The influence of irrigation on the navigation of rivers.-4. What is irrigation?-5. Existing and hypothetical 1. Introductory-Law of Congress authorizing the commission-Order of the President creating it-Its final organization-Scarcity of funds. 2. Preliminary reconnaissance-Examination of the rivers and lakes in the valleys of San Joaquin, Tulare, and Sacramento-These three valleys designated "the Great 3. The map; it embraces the Great Valley of California; what it shows-Sketch of INTRODUCTORY. The following is the act of Congress authorizing the commission : Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America pose the officers so assigned may associate with themselves the chief of the geological survey of California, and also one other civilian distinguished for his knowledge of the subject. SEC. 2. That these five persons shall constitute a board, with power to fill vacancies, whose duty it shall be to make a full report to the President on the best system of irrigation for said valleys, with all necessary plans, details, engineering, statistical, and otherwise; which report the President shall transmit to Congress at its next session, with such recommendations as he shall think proper. SEC. 3. That the Secretary of War shall furnish subsistence and transportation for the board while in the field, and the compensation of the members of the board who are not in the service of the United States shall not exceed two thousand dollars each, but the other members of the board shall receive no additional compensation for their services. Approved March 3, 1873. We insert here the following order of the Secretary of War, organizing the board of commissioners: [Special Orders No. 75.] WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Under the act of Congress approved March 3, 1873, published in General Orders No. 56 of 1873 from this office, Lieut. Col. Barton S. Alexander and Maj. George H. Mendell, Corps of Engineers, are hereby appointed members of the commission, Lieut. Col. Alexander to be president thereof, for the purpose of examining and reporting on a system of irrigation in the San Joaquin, Tulare, and Sacramento Valleys of the State of California, and will hold themselves in readiness to proceed to the duties of the commission on receipt of further instructions from the Secretary of War. By order of the President of the United States: Official: J. P. MARTIN, Assistant Adjutant-General. E. D. TOWNSEND, Also the further instructions of the Secretary of War: Adjutant-General. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, SIR: A copy of the act of Congress approved March 3, 1873, published in General Orders No. 56, current series, Adjutant-General's Office, authorizing the assignment of two engineers of the Army and one officer of the Coast Survey now stationed on the Pacific coast, for the purpose of examining and reporting on a system of irrigation in the San Joaquin, Tulare, and Sacramento Valleys of the State of California, and for that purpose the officers so assigned may associate with themselves the chief of the geological survey of California, and also one other civilian distinguished for his knowledge of the subject, is herewith transmitted for your information and guidance. The President has, in Special Orders No. 75, Adjutant-General's Office, Washington, April 9, 1873, a copy of which is inclosed herewith, appointed you and Major Mendell members of the board, and also Prof. George Davidson, assistant in the Coast Survey, as contemplated in the first section of the act. The board so constituted are authorized to associate with themselves the chief of the geological survey of California, and also one other civilian distinguished for his knowledge of the subject. As the president thereof, you will convene the board in San Francisco, or such other convenient place as you may select, and proceed to the business devolving upon it. As soon as practicable, the board will proceed to the valleys mentioned, and make the investigations called for in the act, reporting progress monthly. Having completed these investigations, the board will return to San Francisco and make up their report, and, if practicable, transmit it to this office in time to be handed to the Secretary of War before December 1, 1873. Estimates will be made upon this office from the appropriation for "surveys for military defenses," for such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of the act, not exceeding in amount five thousand dollars. By order of the Secretary of War: Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Lieut. Col. B. S. ALEXANDER, A. A. HUMPHREYS, Brigadier-General and Chief of Engineers. Corps of Engineers, San Francisco, Cal. Professor Davidson received the following instructions from Prof. Benjamin Peirce, the Superintendent of the Coast Survey: CAMBRIDGE, MASS., April 25, 1873. DEAR SIR: As already advised by telegraph, you have been appointed by the President of the United States as commissioner for examining and reporting on a system of irrigation in the San Joaquin, Tulare, and Sacramento Valleys of California, as by act of Congress approved March 3, 1873. You are authorized to accept the appointment, and to proceed to the discharge of the duties specified in the act. Yours, truly, GEORGE DAVIDSON, Esq., BENJAMIN PEIRCE, Superintendent United States Coast Survey. Assistant, Coast Survey, San Francisco, Cal. In accordance with these instructions the board, consisting of Lieut Col. B. S. Alexander, Corps of Engineers; Maj. George H. Mendell, Corps of Engineers; and Prof. George Davidson, of the Coast Survey, met in San Francisco, April 23, 1873, organized, and elected Professor Davidson its secretary and Major Mendell its treasurer. A letter signed by the members of the board was forwarded to Prof. Joseph D. Whitney, State geologist of California, but then at Cambridge, Mass., inviting him, in accordance with the first section of the act of Congress, authorizing the commission, to become a member of the same. At the same time a telegram was sent to Professor Whitney asking him to join the commission as a member. In answer to the telegram, Professor Whitney replied that he could not join the commission. On the 6th of May, 1873, it was unanimously resolved that the president of the commission be instructed to invite Mr. R. M. Brereton, of San Francisco, to join the board as a member, in accordance with the terms of the act of Congress. In answer to the letter of the president of the commission, Mr. Brereton declined to become a member in consequence of professional engagements. Having thus exhausted the requirements of the law creating the Board of Commissioners on Irrigation in reference to its organization, it was determined to proceed to the duties before us, under our present organization, and without any further addition to our numbers. We may add that we were driven to this course by the want of funds at the disposal of the commission for the purpose of making the necessary reconnaissance and report. Only $5,000 were allotted to us for carrying out the provisions of the act of Congress in reference to this subject. If two civilians had been associated with the board, they would each, by the terms of the law, have been entitled to $2,000 as compensation for their services. This would have left us only $1,000 for making the necessary maps to illustrate our report, and for the transportation and subsistence of five members instead of the present organization of only three meшves without salaries. With only $1,000 for these purposes, we feared that the object to be attained in creating the commission would have been defeated. PRELIMINARY RECONNAISSANCE. On the 13th of May the board proceeded to make an examination of the Merced, San Joaquin, King's, Kaweah, and Kern Rivers, from the |