Desmond v. Sander
Desmond v. Sander
Opinion of the Court
About the year 1868, one R. A. Maple settled upon the south half of the northeast quarter, and all of the southeast quarter of section 21, in township 18, north, of range 18, east of the Willamette Meridian, now in Kittitas county, and afterwards acquired title thereto. Immediately upon making such settlement he, for irrigation purposes, made an appropriation of the waters of Reeser creek, and afterwards conveyed the land and water right to the plaintiff, Patrick Desmond, who now owns and is in possession of the same. Patrick Desmond and his grantor, R. A. Maple, have, since such original settlement and appropriation, continuously cultivated the above described land, using the waters of Reeser creek to irrigate the same. The defendants Carl A. Sander and Olive Sander, his wife, are the owners and in possession of the northwest quarter of section 22 and the southeast quarter of section 16, in township 18, north, of range 18, east of the Willamette Meridian, lying to the north and northeast of, and adjoining, the plaintiff’s land. The defendant Jacob Bowers is the owner of the northwest quarter of section 21, and holds a lease of the southwest quarter of section 16. all in township 18, north, of range 18 E., W. M., lying northwest of and adjoining the lands of the plaintiff.
About the year 1904 a large irrigation ditch, known as the Cascade canal, was constructed some distance north of all of the above described lands, carrying water from the Yakima river and intersecting Reeser creek in its course. For many
All of the assignments of error are based on the contention that the trial court erred in making its findings of fact, and in refusing those requested by appellants. It will thus be seen that the controlling questions now before us are questions of fact only. The trial court found that the parties severally own the tracts of land above mentioned; that Reeser creek, a perennial stream, now flows, and from time immemorial has flowed, from a point on Sander’s north boundary down through his and Bowers’ lands, to and through the lands of the respondent; that said stream flows a large quantity of water which diminishes as the season advances; that its surface channel, at points north of Sander’s land, ordinarily becomes dry before the month of June; that after the surface channel has become dry at the points aforesaid, water
These findings are in substantial accord with the contentions of the respondent. The appellants insisted that Reeser creek, from and after the 1st day of May in each year, became entirely dry, save that a small quantity of water stood in low places or pools in its bed, but which was in no way running water and could not flow to the lands of the respondent ; that, by reason of the irrigation of the appellant Sander’s land from the Cascade canal, and the irrigation of the appellant Bowers’ land from First creek, a considerable amount of waste water collected by seepage in the bed of Reeser creek on their lands, creating a sm'all flowing stream; that none of such water came from the upper portion or sources of Reeser creek, which at that time was entirely dry; that
We have carefully examined the evidence and, in the light of the surrounding circumstances, conclude that its preponderance sustains the findings made by the trial court. It unquestionably appears that the respondent and his grantor successfully irrigated their land from the waters of Reeser creek at all times since its original settlement; that the appellants Sander did not irrigate or cultivate their land until about the year 1904, after the Cascade canal was constructed; that although the appellant Bowers has for many years irrigated his land from the waters of First creek, he irrigated the eastern portion thereof for only a part of that time, and that since the construction of these dams the' respondent cannot irrigate his lands as successfully as before. We fail to find that the evidence satisfactorily sustains the contention of the. appellants that the water they Avere seeking to collect and use in' the bed of Reeser creek came by seepage from their own lands or from First creek, or the Cascade canal.
The findings made by the trial court, Avhich we noAV adopt, sustain the final judgment, and it is accordingly affirmed.
Hadley, C. J., Mount, and Fullerton, JJ., concur.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.