The Battle for the Irrigation Ditch

Certain North Yakima residents are kicking on the recent action of the city council in lowering the grade on Wenas Avenue, thus cutting off the lots on the east side from getting irrigation water from the street ditch. There being no city water on which those residents can rely for irrigation purposes, the matter is assuming a serious aspect for those who have fruit trees and vegetables in their lots. The question is whether or not the city should furnish those people with water for irrigation purposes by means of the ditch; whether the council has the right to lower the ditches in such a way as to cut off portions of the adjacent property from getting water from them for irrigation purposes. The city authorities hold that the city is not required to maintain ditches for irrigation purposes, except to supply the shade trees. Others say that everyone who pays taxes has a right to the use of the water for irrigation, and that the city must maintain ditches so as to make the water procurable. This is an interesting question to a good many thriving cities east of the Cascades, and its settlement in the courts would have a big influence on future work on the streets in those cities, where there are street irrigation ditches.