Pioneer Irrigation District v. Stone
Pioneer Irrigation District v. Stone
Opinion of the Court
— This action was instituted by the Pioneer Irrigation District under the provisions of sec. 2401 of the Rev. Codes for the confirmation of the proceedings of the district after a vote had been taken on a certain proposed contract with the United States and the Boise-Payette Water Users Association. After a hearing, the court entered a decree confirming the proceedings, and this appeal has been prosecuted.
Three questions are presented: First, that the contract has not been duly authorized by the qualified electors of the Pioneer Irrigation District and that the board of directors of the Pioneer Irrigation District is not duly authorized to exe
In the first place, the contract has been authorized by a vote of the qualified electors of the district in conformity with the statute. The statute, secs. 2397 and 2398 of the Bev. Codes, specifically authorizes the proceedings which have been taken in this case, and authorizes an irrigation district to enter into such a contract with the United States for the purpose of carrying out the purposes and objects of an irrigation district. Upon the question of whether or not an irrigation district has a right to provide means and expend money for the drainage of overflowed lands within the district, this court in the .ease of Bissett v. Pioneer Irr. Dist., 21 Ida. 98, 120 Pac. 461, expressed the opinion that such action might be taken. While the views there expressed were not essential to the determination of that case, a further investigation of the question convinces us of the correctness of the impressions the court then had on the subject, and we adopt the views therein expressed as the opinion of the court, and hold that an irrigation district possesses the powers necessary to drain its overflowed lands and to protect its land owners from seepage and overflow waters as well as to supply water to the dry and arid lands of the district.
The judgment should be affirmed, and it is so ordered. Costs awarded in favor of respondent.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PIONEER IRRIGATION DISTRICT, a Public Corporation v. F. S. STONE
- Cited By
- 11 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Powers or Irrigation Districts — Power to Contract With Secretary or the Interior — Government Declamation Service — Powers or District to Drain Overelowed Land. 1. Sees. 2397 and 2398 of the Eev. Codes authorize the board of directors of an irrigation district to contract with the United States for the construction of necessary works for the supply of water and irrigation of lands within the district, and the provisions of those sections have been complied with in this case and the action of the district has been regular and legal. 2. Under the laws of this state, an irrigation district may provide for the drainage and reclamation of lands within the district which have been flooded or water-logged by reason of overflow, percolation or seepage from its irrigation works, and the accomplishment of such purpose is one of the necessarily implied duties of the district equally as incumbent on the district as the irrigation of its dry and arid lands. 3. The Boise-Payette Water Users’ Association has the power under its articles of incorporation and the state statute, to sign and execute a contract with the Secretary of the Interior for supplying water to the district for the irrigation of its lands and the drainage of overflowed lands within the district. 4. Under the provisions of the act of June 17, 1902, known as the reclamation act (32 Stats, at Large, 388), and the decision of the circuit court of appeals, in Burley v. United States, 179 Fed. 1, 33 L. R. A., N. S., 807, 102 O. C. A. 429 and the act of Congress of February 21, 1911 (36 Stats, at Large, 925), known as the Warren act, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized and has the power to contract with an irrigation district for supplying water to such district, or partially supplying it with water for the irrigation of the lands therein and for the drainage of other lands within such district.