A CONVENIENT EARTHQUAKE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1957, 6 April 1885, Page 2

A CONVENIENT EARTHQUAKE.

The San Francisco correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes:—There is an Irrigation Commission from Victoria in California, and the California Legislature is endeavouring to solve the problem of riparian rights, which is troubling this (State at present. It is a difficult question, but I fancy it will prove itself, Parts of the San Joaquin Valley andothersouthern valleys have been so-saturated with water in the past six or eight years.that. a drainage system has become necessary. This is the case in Fresno County especially, and Los Angelos and San Bernardino will be in tho same fix before long, unless the present system of surface irrigation is modified, Speaking of irrigation reminds me of the service recent earthquake tremors have rendered in Lassen County, where a great scheme of irrigation is in progress, Ic was deemed essential to tap Eagle Lake, a body of fresh water 80 aquai'o miles in extent, to proourc water to irrigate about 230,000 acres of dry land in Honey Lake Yalloy; bill; these shake. 1 ) have loosened the earth, increasing the flow ef water front the springs originating in the lake and feeding Willow Greek, so that the tunnel into the lake may be reduqed to half its original dimensions of Bft by 10ft, This v/ill be a great saving in the expenditure, The superintendent of the works reported to Mr Creighton, Secretary of the Company, last week that the water in Willow Creek had risen ten inches, and continued a steady increased (low since the tremors began, although there had been no storm in the mountains or valleys for weeks, I think the great earthquake in Wellington helped to build the road to the Hutt in the early colonial days by raising the beach line,; and Nature seems to be doing an equally serviceable act in Northern California, ■