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Show I . j if .... .... v v. 1 1 . . i I ,:::surc ncf regents i:c:t!is cf n:rd Wcrl: en P:rt U, ; cf tLc Joi:t Water Ccnmittcc y r The measure Intended to provide an entirely new law on the subject of lrrl-gutton lrrl-gutton waa Introduced In both houses today. . Thl bill, which covers thirty, five closely printed pages, represents a month's hard work on the part of the Joint Irrigation committee, State Engineer En-gineer Dorenrus, F. S. Richards, Judge J. B, Mllner and others who have made a careful study of the irrigation question. ques-tion. - Although the bill comes so late in the session, It has been so carefully drawn that It la hoped that a great Amount of discussion will not be necessary. . The more Important provisions of the measure follow: Section Tjne- of the bill - provides for the appointment of a State engineer and gives him power to- supervise the waters of the State. w Following sections sec-tions provide for his salary; his place for holding his office; his oath and bond; his reports to the Governor, which must be open to the public; his duties as to making hydrographlc surveys sur-veys and keeping maps of all river systems sys-tems in the State; giving notice before making hydrographlc surveys; Inspecting Inspect-ing all plans for dams and keeping duplicates of the plans examining the completed work; inspecting all diverting divert-ing works. - ... . . Section eleven provides that the State, engineer shall Hie statements showing the names and postofflce address of all persons using water ; from any river system snd giving all necessary Information. Infor-mation. The following sections provide pro-vide that within thirty days of the filing fil-ing of the engineer's statement the clerk of the court In which the. statement state-ment is filed must give public notice that all persons claiming rights must within six months file written statement state-ment setting forth their rights to the use of the water; the nature of the appropriation; ap-propriation; the flow per second; the character of the diverting works; the extent of the land Irrigated; the extent of the water power, i Persons failing to file statements are to be barred from asserting rights. ....-. Section fifteen provides for the ' appointment ap-pointment of referees to decide controversies. contro-versies. Following sections provide the manner In which the court shall be conducted.. Appeal may be. made to the Supreme court. Section twenty-six and following sections sec-tions provide that the State shall be divided Into water divisions snd subdivided sub-divided into districts by the State en-, gineer from time to time. Superintendents Superintend-ents of divisions and supervisors of districts dis-tricts are to be appointed by the State engineer and. Governor, who shall determine de-termine their compensation. Section thirty-four and following sections sec-tions provide that water-rights may be acquired by appropriation for any useful purpose, first in time, first In right. Other provisions of the bill are that flowing water Is publlo property; that water percolating- through the soil belongs be-longs to the owner of the soil; water-rights water-rights are lost after seven, years abandonment; aban-donment; Irrigators shall have right of why over public, private and corporate lands by condemnation; water-rights shall pass to the grantee of laid. provided pro-vided that they may be reserved by the grantor In the conveyance In expressed ex-pressed terms; water-rights may be transferred by deeds in the same manner man-ner as real estate: deeds shall be recorded re-corded or become void against Innocent purchasers. Section sixty-seven specifies the fees that may be collected by. the State engineer en-gineer to be paid into the State treasury. treas-ury. The existing irrigation districts are" not affected byVthe repeal of the present laws., It is provided in section seventy-three that no rights acquired under former laws shall be affected. |