Sierra Madre Cañons San Dimas Cañion..... San Dimas Land and Water Company.. group (2). San José Ranch Company.. Acres. 100 125 San José Land and Water Company. (?) 2,550 Eaton Cañon..... Santa Anita subgroup San Pit Cañon........... (c). Sierre Madre cañons group (2). San Pasquel subgroup (d). Santa Anita Cañon... Duarete Mutual Irrigation Canal Company Azusa Water Development and Irriga 1,500 600 500 50 Rubio and Les Flores Rubio Cañon Water Company 200 Basin group (3)........ San Gabriel and Santa Anita Cienagas. San José Creek Marengo Water Company.. Alhambra Addition Water Company. Phillips Ditch Rubio Cañon Land and Water Association) 150 6,000 50 Fryer's Ditch 100 Rubottom Ditch.. 40 STATEMENT OF W. S. GREEN, OF COLUSA. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I come from a region of country that will produce 2 per cent. of the wheat of the United States. Therefore, we do not claim to have any arid land in that region. We think, bowever, that irrigation will benefit us to the extent that we have farmed four districts under the Wright law, and propose to irrigate 300,000 acres of land in that county. And that would be our opinion of irrigating arid lands. After discussion among the people there they have voted in those districts, some four or five to one, in favor of irrigation. Of course, it is their opinion and my opinion that the arid lands can be irrigated to a great benefit. They have no arid lands in that district; but they have voted bonds there to the extent of some million and a half of dollars for the purpose of irrigation, and some of the bonds have been sold. The central district was the first to sell the bonds, the first to have contracts to do work under the law of two years ago, the session of the legislature before the last. After hearing Mr. Hall and after seeing his report, I should say that he has gathered facts to which I can add nothing. But I should like to say a word on the subject of sanitary conditions of irrigation. I have investigated that question for a great many years, and I believe there is no such thing as malaria in the atmosphere of California; that it is entirely in the water we drink. Where irrigation has made the locality unhealthful, it is because irrigation has simply changed the condition of the water. The atmosphere is all the time in motion, and you can not poison it any more than you can poison the ocean or a stream of running water. It takes too great an amount of poison, and from actual observation—and I have been in the State twenty-five years-I can say that with the same atmosphere and drinking different water some persons will have malaria and some will not. I find that malaria exists in spots. When I commenced to investigate the subject I took several portions of the State and I found that to be true that malaria exists in spots. But it is not due to irrigation or the want of it. It is in the water that is drank, and those who are careful of the water they drink need not ever have malaria; that is, in this State. I could give a good many instances of that. The CHAIRMAN. I understand you have given some attention to the subject of the effect on the water supply of cutting timber on the wa ter-shed. Mr. GREEN. I have not given the matter such attention that I could give to this committee any facts. I think this timber should be protected. That is the result of my observation. But I can not give you any figures. The result of my observation has been that the cutting of timber decreases the rain fall, and the assembling of timber will make it more precipitous in the valleys. But I am not prepared to give any figures. In fact I was not expected to meet this committee until yes terday, and, therefore, have no figures to present. I should like to call the attention of this committee to the importance of Congress regulating the taking of water from the navigable streams and their tributaries. There will be some trouble to grow out of that unless it is regulated by Congress. If everybody can say that naviga tion is affected by it, and can bring suits for taking the water from the streams and tributaries, there will be trouble to grow out of it. That subject is being discussed in our county, and I think it is an important thing for the committee to take into consideration. There should be some authority to say how much water shall be taken away. |