Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Harry Barnes papers
WRCA 025
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Title: Harry Barnes papers
Date (bulk): 1920-1960
Date (inclusive): 1872-1963
Collection Number: WRCA 025
Extent:
29 boxes
14 linear feet
Repository:
Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
Riverside, CA 92517-5900
Languages: English.
Gift of Mrs. Lucille Barnes, 1963
Collection is open for research.
Copyright has not been assigned to the University of California, Riverside Libraries, Special Collections & Archives. Distribution
or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the
copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable
rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
[identification of item], [date if possible]. Harry Barnes papers (WRCA 025). Water Resources Collections and Archives. Special
Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.
J. W. Harry Barnes was born September 16, 1883 in London, England, the son of H. H. and E. M. Barnes. He came to California
in 1894 and graduated from the University of California in 1906 with a B.S. degree from the College of Engineering. Prior
to his graduation, he gained experience in field work in railroad location and land surveying. In July 1914, he married Lucille
Lawrencein Alameda, California. They had three daughters: Ruth, Patricia, and Dorothy.
Employment History
May 1906-April 1909: Construction, etc., with Northern Electric Railwayand Shattuck-Edinger Construction Co.
April 1909-April 1910: Engineer for Los Molinos Land Co.;construction work, canals and levees, etc.
May 1910-January 1913: Office of Irrigation Investigation, U.S. Department of Agriculture;field work, investigations of water
supplies, use of water, etc., on projects in California. During this time, in the season of 1912, Barnes made a detailed investigation
of use of water of the San Joaquin River from Friant to the mouth of the Tuolumne River. The results were published in: Irrigation
Resources of California and Their Utilization, by Frank Adams.Washington: G.P.O., 1913 (Bulletin (Office of Experiment Stations,
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture) ; no. 254). (WRCA G200 Y-2 no. 254).
January 1914-January 1918: Engineer, Madera Canal & Irrigation Company.At the time, the Company irrigated 15,000 acres in
the vicinity of Madera with water from the Fresno River. Barnes was in charge of operation and maintenance of the Company's
canals. He made an inventory and appraisal of Company properties for rate-making purposes and made investigations into use
of water, etc. for the proceedings before the California State Railroad Commission.He also collected data for the lawsuit
with Miller & Luxon use of water on Fresno River (see 155 Cal.).
January 1918-September 1918: Again with the Office of Irrigation Investigation;made a study of use of Kings River water,
water rights, and water right litigation, which was published as: Use of Water from Kings River, California, 1918, by Harry
Barnes.Sacramento: California State Printing Office, 1920 (Bulletin (California Dept. of Engineering) ; no. 7). (WRCA G400
XE2 no. 7).
October 1918-April 1919: Office of State Water Commissionin San Francisco.
April 1919-November 1919: State Department of Engineering;made a study of Calaveras River and investigation of Valley Springs
Reservoir and Dam site. Report published as: Flood Problems of Calaveras River, by Harry Barnes.Sacramento: California State
Printing Office, 1919 (Bulletin (California Dept. of Engineering) ; no. 8). (WRCA G400 XE2 no. 8).
January 1920-December 1920: State Department of Engineering,located in Bakersfield; conducted a study on use of water of
Kern River under S. T. Harding.Involved studies of groundwater, irrigation use, crops, irrigated areas, etc.
Madera Irrigation District
In December 1920, Barnes joined Madera Irrigation Districtas Engineer engaged in the investigations in connection with litigation
with Miller & Luxover water rights on the San Joaquin River. These investigations included studies of the use of water by
Miller & Lux,water requirements, water supply, seepage losses, land classification, alkali reclamation, silt investigation,
groundwater, etc. Litigation continued until an armistice was signed by the litigants in September 1922.
As Chief Engineer, Barnes represented Madera Irrigation Districtin investigations and negotiations preliminary to the formation
of the San Joaquin River Water Storage Districtin February 1924. This District comprised 555,000 acres, including Madera Irrigation
Districtand lands of Miller & Luxand Stevinson along the San Joaquin River. Barnes then joined the San Joaquin River Water
Storage Districtas Chief Engineer. During that time his work included creating an inventory of Miller & Luxcanal systems and
other properties, surveys of additional canals, investigations of water supply, storage, groundwater, drainage, land classification,
and water rights. He remained in that position until the District dissolved in March 1929 when parties could not agree as
to terms of transfer of Miller & Luxproperties. He then returned to Madera Irrigation Districtas Chief Engineer, as extensive
litigation with Miller & Luxwas revived, eventually resulting in the "Haines Decree," covering waters of the San Joaquin River.
He also was involved in investigations and negotiations with the California Water Project Authority,and later the U.S. Bureau
of Reclamation,on all matters pertaining to the final inclusion of Madera Irrigation Districtin the Central Valley Project.After
that, he was involved in negotiations with the Bureau on water requirements and water supply, and on the construction of a
distribution system.
Barnes left Madera Irrigation Districtin November 1950 and began a private practice on consulting work. In the early 1950s,
he was retained by the Water Protective League of Kings Countyas a consulting engineer. In this capacity Barnes was instrumental
in bringing into being the Kings County Water District,which, for the first time, gave farmers of that area a public agency
with which to work for the protection of underground water, importation of water, and for a program to conserve local supplies.
Harry Barnesdied on November 23, 1962.
Biographical Sources:
Who's Who in Engineering. 5th ed. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1941.
Western Water News. Vol. 15, no. 3 (March 1963).
"Experience & Qualifications," compiled by Barnes, ca. 1952 (see Folder 162).
Correspondence, reports, subject files, news clippings, maps, and other papers, pertaining to: groundwater; surface water
supply; water rights; litigation involving Miller & Luxand others; irrigation works; water costs; and, irrigation districts
in the San Joaquin Valley, particularly San Joaquin River Water Storage District, Madera Irrigation District,and Madera Canal
& Irrigation Company.
Collection described in: Dictionary Catalog of the Water Resources Collections and Archives, University of California, Berkeley(G.K.
Hall and Company, 1970).
Library has unpublished subject and author indexes to individual items in collection.
Note: No folders numbered 25, 33, 86, 89, 101, 102, 113, 197, 198
See also the Bernard A. Etcheverry Papers and Sidney T. Harding Papers in the Water Resources Collections and Archives.
Collection number updated December 2018. Legacy collection number was BARNES. This change was part of a project in 2018/2019
to update the collection numbers for collections in the Water Resources Collections and Archives.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library's online public access catalog.
Madera Canal and Irrigation Company
San Joaquin River Water Storage District (Calif.)
Miller & Lux
Central Valley Project (Calif.)
Flood control -- California -- Calaveras River
Fresno River (Calif.) -- Water rights
Groundwater -- California -- San Joaquin Valley
Irrigation -- California -- San Joaquin Valley
Irrigation districts -- California
Kings River (Calif.) -- Water rights
Madera Canal (Calif.)
Madera Irrigation District (Calif.)
San Joaquin River (Calif.) -- Water rights
Water resources development -- California -- San Joaquin Valley
Water rights -- California -- San Joaquin Valley
Water-supply -- California -- San Joaquin Valley