AZ vs. CA:03 California Exhibits, Vol III; Nos. 114-150

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-3- of completing the system should be borne by the lands of the valley. Work on the Project. In August, 1904, D. W. Murphy, engineer, was assigned to the work of making an examination of the Imperial canal system, and of preparing estimates of the cost of construction, the present value, and the cost of putting in permanent structures and completing the system. An investigation of the amount of good irrigable lands in the valley was also made at this time. Gaging stations were established on the canals of the valley and a hy-drographer was placed in charge to determine the actual amount of land irrigated, the quantity of water used, the amount being wasted into the Salton Sea, and the duty of water in the valley. The purpose of these investigations, in addition to those set forth in the resolution of Congress, was to determine whether the general conditions in the valley would justify the consideration of a project by the Reclamation Service. Irrigable Lands. The amount of irrigable lands in the valley was based upon the soil survey of the Imperial area made by the Department of Agriculture. The conclusions arrived at from the report of this survey and from field examinations is that there are approximately 275,000 acres of irrigable land in the valley suitable for agricultural purposes. Consideration of the Project. In October, 1904, the chief engineer of the Reclamation Service, accompanied by Senator Bard, Messrs. Wis-ner, Sanders, Lippincott, Bien, Means, and Murphy, of the Reclamation Service, and Messrs. Holmes and Dorsey,