46-158. High water; duty of board; automatic measuring devices; interchange of water.
It shall be the duty of the board of directors to keep the water flowing through the ditches and canals under its control to the full capacity of such ditches and canals in times of high water when the same can be beneficially applied to the lands thereunder and does not interfere with the rights of other appropriators, except that upon the filing of a petition in the office of the board of directors of any irrigation district, signed by a majority of the landowners who are electors therein, requesting that rules and regulations be adopted by the board permitting and providing for any of the following specific orders or changes in the method of operating its canal, it shall become the duty of such board to immediately provide for the adoption and enforcement of the same, namely, (1) that an automatic measuring device be placed in or near the headgate or any main diverting gate of the main canal, in order that a continuous record shall be kept by such district of the amount of water received into the canal for the use of the lands in such district, (2) that automatic measuring devices be placed in the headgates or all main laterals and distributing laterals within the district from and by which water is diverted to tracts or units of twenty acres or more, for the purpose of determining at all times the amount of water going to or being received upon any and all such tracts of land, and that the person having charge of the canal shall keep a separate and correct record of the amount of water delivered through each of such headgates at all times and shall file the same in the office of the board of directors for public inspection, and (3) that a system be provided for the interchange of water from one tract of land to another at the option of the owner or lessee of any lands within such district at any time, and further provide that rules made by the board or the person having charge of such canals for delivering water in alternate sections of a canal or ditch shall not interfere with this right.
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