of flow between the junction of the Forks and the mouth. The average gain or depletion was computed from 4 years of record.

Runoff of the East and West Forks was recorded for only 6 years of the period of study. Runoff for the remainder of the period was estimated by correlation with Emigrant Creek at the dam, South Fork of Little Butte Creek at Big Elk Ranger Station, and Rogue River at Raygold.

Wagner Creek runoff

Talent Irrigation District diverts Wagner Creek runoff, supplemented by a transbasin diversion from McDonald Creek in Applegate River drainage, into their Frederick and Upper West laterals. Lands under these laterals are too high to obtain gravity water from division storage, and, consequently, are dependent upon direct diversions from Wagner Creek and McDonald Creek for their supply.

Wagner Creek runoff was recorded below the district's diversion during July 15-October 31, 1913. This record is not concurrent with other comparable streams in the vicinity on which runoff was measured during the period of study.

Runoff for the period of study was estimated by developing drainage area relationships between Wagner Creek and Ashland Creek based on these assumptions:

1. Summer runoff of both Wagner Creek and Ashland Creek is sustained from snowmelt or from ground water fed by snowmelt.

2. During April and May the entire drainage area of both streams contributes to the runoff.

3. During August, September, and October only the drainage area of either stream lying above 4,000 feet elevation contributes to runoff. 4. The runoff ratio between these two streams varies linearly between May and August.

Runoff estimates were made for Wagner Creek at the diversion and at the mouth.

Keene Creek runoff

Talent Irrigation District's Hyatt Prairie Reservoir has regulated the runoff of Keene Creek since 1923. Water released from the reservoir flows down Keene Creek about a mile to a diversion into Keene Creek Canal which carries it across the divide into Sampson Creek, a tributary of Emigrant Creek. The diversion dam and Keene Creek Canal would be abandoned under division operation.

Unregulated runoff of Keene Creek at the dam was computed from records of reservoir storage content adjusted for estimated evaporation losses, diversions into Keene Creek Canal, and, when available, recorded runoff in Keene Creek below the diversion dam.

Inflow to Keene Creek between Hyatt Prairie Dam and the diversion dam was computed for periods of available records, and estimated for the remainder of the period by assuming a direct proportionality between contributing drainage area and runoff for Keene Creek at the reservoir and at the diversion dam.

Beaver Creek runoff

Runoff of Beaver Creek was recorded at Howard Prairie Dam site during 41 months of the period of study. Runoff during the remainder of the period was estimated by correlation with the unregulated

runoff of Keene Creek at Hyatt Prairie Dam, and South Fork of Little Butte Creek.

Correlation with Keene Creek was satisfactory for April through December. Best results for January through March were obtained by correlation with South Fork of Little Butte Creek near Lake Creek. December runoff was estimated by correlation with South Fork of Little Butte Creek at Big Elk Ranger Station for the period of record and with Keene Creek for the remaining 9 years.

Little Beaver Creek runoff

Records of the runoff of Little Beaver Creek at Pinehurst are available for October 1943 through September 1948. Runoff during the remainder of the period was estimated by correlation with the unregulated runoff of Keene Creek at Hyatt Prairie Dam.

South Fork of Little Butte Creek runoff

Runoff of South Fork of Little Butte Creek at Big Elk Ranger Station was not recorded during 40 months of the period of study. Correlations of the runoff of this gage with the runoff of Keene Creek, South Fork of Little Butte Creek near Lake Creek or North Fork of Little Butte Creek at Fish Lake were unsatisfactory. There are no other comparable streams in the area for which the required length of record is available.

Runoff during the 40 months of unrecorded flow was estimated from hydrographs of monthly runoff per square mile of Keene Creek at Hyatt Prairie Dam and of the South Fork of Little Butte Creek near Lake Creek, plotted concurrently with the runoff recorded at the Ranger Station gage.

Deadwood Creek, Daley Creek, and Big Draw Creek runoff

Runoff was recorded at station 7281, Daley Creek near Lake Creek, from October 28, 1930, to April 29, 1931, and at station 7238, South Fork of Little Butte Creek near Deadwood, during April-July 1917 and March-May 1918. From the station descriptions, it is believed that these gages were both located on Big Draw Creek. Runoff of Big Draw Creek was also recorded at station 72102 from October 15, 1942, to January 31, 1943, and from April 15 to September 30, 1943. Runoff of Deadwood and Daley Creeks has not been recorded.

The combined runoff of Deadwood, Daley, and Big Draw Creeks was estimated. A study of the records for these streams indicated that their runoff characteristics approximate those of South Fork of Little Butte Creek at Big Elk Ranger Station and the unregulated runoff of Keene Creek at Hyatt Prairie Dam. Runoff correlations were made of Keene Creek plus the South Fork of Little Butte Creek with the runoff in acre-feet per square mile of Big Draw Creek at station 72102 and at station 7238.

The total drainage area is 24.2 square miles. It was concluded from a study of maps that 14.9 square miles would have runoff characteristics similar to those of Big Draw Creek at station 72102, and 9.3 square miles would have characteristics similar to Big Draw Creek at station 7238. Composite correlations were made to represent runoff relationship between Keene Creek plus the South Fork of Little Butte Creek and the combined runoff of Big Draw plus Daley and Deadwood Creeks.

Dead Indian Creek runoff

Runoff of Dead Indian Creek was recorded for only 33 months. Runoff during the remainder of the period was estimated by correlation with Keene Creek at Hyatt Prairie Dam.

QUALITY OF WATER

Irrigation has been practiced in the Bear Creek basin for nearly a century with no apparent deleterious effects on the lands or crops using the water supply from Bear Creek, Keene Creek, and South Fork, Little Butte Creek drainages.

Analysis of a water sample collected on November 9, 1933, from Talent lateral, which diverts from Bear Creek, shows: electrical conductivity (ECX106 at 25° C) to be 281, percent sodium 34, and boron 0.62 part per million. Based on standards of the Salinity Laboratory the dissolved solids and concentration of sodium indicate the water is of "good" quality. Water quality, based on boron content, is rated as "good" in relation to sensitive crops and "excellent" for semitolerant or tolerant crops.

WATER RIGHTS

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Water rights in Rogue River Basin have become well established through a long period of use. With few exceptions, rights affecting the division are well defined. Procurement of water rights would be necessary for the proposed division diversions from the South Fork of Little Butte Creek, Deadwood Creek, Daley Creek, Big Draw Creek, Dead Indian Creek, Beaver Creek, Little Beaver Creek, Soda Creek, Corral Creek, and any other named or unnamed streams intercepted by the South Fork-Big Draw collection canal or Howard Prairie delivery canal. Storage rights would be required for Howard Prairie Reservoir and for enlargement of Emigrant Reservoir. All necessary rights would be obtained under the three withdrawals described below.

ADJUDICATED AND PERMIT RIGHTS

Rights to the waters of the Rogue River and its tributaries above the mouth of the Illinois River, excepting Little Butte Creek, were adjudicated in the Jackson County circuit court. The final decree

of this adjudication is dated April 26, 1919. The State engineer, in a "Supplemental Findings of Fact and Order of Determination" dated January 10, 1940, reviewed proof of completion of rights listed in the 1919 decree as inchoate or conditional.

The decree limited the irrigation season in the Bear Creek Basin to the period from April 2 to October 31, inclusive, and the mining season from November 1 to June 1 unless otherwise specified in the decree for the particular right. Apparently no fixed duty of water was adopted for the adjudication. Permit rights issued by the State engineer subsequent to 1909, the date of enactment of the State Water Code, have granted diversions on a basis of a continuous flow of 1 cubic foot per second for 80 acres.

Relative rights to the waters of Little Butte Creek and its tributaries were determined by the State engineer April 17, 1928, and his findings were verified by a decree of the circuit court of Jackson County dated

August 15, 1949. This decree defines the irrigation season as April 1 to October 1.

Only permit rights have been granted for the use of waters of Keene Creek, Jenny Creek, and their tributaries. These permits, excepting one small irrigation right on Keene Creek, are all junior to the division right.

Water rights from Bear Creek and its tributaries are summarized in table 9. This tabulation does not include Talent Irrigation District rights.

Water rights in the Jenny Creek Basin pertinent to division operation total 9.95 cubic feet per second, exclusive of district rights. Of that total, 0.04 cubic foot per second is senior to the division rights and 9.91 cubic feet per second are junior.

Rights in the Little Butte Creek Basin senior to the division rights total 623.2 cubic feet per second, exclusive of those on Dead Indian Creek, including a single permit for 500 cubic feet per second which has never been exercised in excess of 37.5 cubic feet per second. Dead Indian Creek prior rights total 7.10 cubic feet per second, of which 3.70 cubic feet per second are above the division diversion site. The California-Oregon Power Co. has a power right on Rogue River at Raygold, with a priority of August 5, 1902, for 1,560 cubic feet per second from September 1 to June 1, and 1,060 cubic feet per second from June 1 to September 1 of each year, plus a continuous flow of 10 cubic feet per second for the operation of a fish ladder. Water rights below Raygold would be satisfied from the flows granted the Raygold right.