PREFACE In offering this book as a text to be used in those secondary schools of the West, in which a course is given in the law of irrigation, I make no pretense to any greater originality than goes with a careful compiling and arranging of matter gathered from many sources. In presenting this subject to my classes at the State Agricultural College of Colorado, I have been obliged to use the lecture method because of the want of a text properly prepared to reach the grade of students that we find in these schools. As far as I have been able to learn, the books written upon the subject of Irrigation Law have been prepared by lawyers for the use of lawyers and abound in discussion which though useful to the legal profession is confusing and of little value to the mind untrained in legal. technicalities. The monumental work of Kinney and the scholarly volumes of Wiel have left little to be desired by the lawyer upon this important subject, and in the preparation of the lectures which are here published I have made liberal quotations from these authors. I have also gone to the original sources of information, such as the reported cases, bulletins and Rules and Regulations issued by different governments. 325802 In drawing upon these sources I have avoided the citation of title of case and volume of report as this is of little use to the reader who has not access to such matter, and serves only to confuse the lay mind. I have found that students, after hearing the lectures in class, desire a book which has been so prepared as to make its subject matter readily available for future use and reference. Many farmers living in the irrigated area of our country have felt and expressed the need of such a book, hence its publication. The lectures are based primarily upon the law as it is in Colorado, but care has been taken to point out wherein this law differs from the law in other states. In view of the limitations of the human mind, it would, perhaps, be hoping too much to believe that the book is free from errors; great care has, however, been taken to reduce their number to a minimum. I shall esteem it a favor to be advised of any errors which may be discovered. July 1st, 1915. CHAS. F. DAVIS. OUTLINE OF LECTURE 1 Statistics of water. Three classes: Fly-off, run-off and cut-off. Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Egypt. Caesar in England. France and Spain. North America in general. Peru. Mexico. Arizona. Modern irrigation works; in Egypt; Assuan Dam. Conditions in Egypt. In India. In Australia. In South Africa. In Italy. An exact science in Italy. Three types in Lombardy. The Grand Canal owned by Government. A corporation enterprise. Manner of dealing with consumers. Mutual organization. Three methods of regulating charges. |