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<br />OOlO~4 <br /> <br />board member. An example of ratchet legislation applied to water districts is California, where <br /> <br />, <br />water districts are subject to a weighted vote change once they reach a constituency level of <br /> <br />50,000 people. <br /> <br />Other atemaJ devias to effect a change in grJVet'TUlJIa <br /> <br />In addition to legislation directly mandating change within districts, there are some types <br /> <br />of legislation that might indirectly encourage or foster reform. <br /> <br />Consolidation of districts, Maybe smaller districts should be encouraged to merge into <br /> <br />larger multipurpose districts. Because tbe 1982 Reclamation Reform Act cbanged the Bureau's <br /> <br />previous policy so that the 160 acre limit was applied nationally, it now makes sense to combine <br /> <br />districts in a couple of states, However many districts may now feel tbey have a vested power <br /> <br />over land and water they do not want to voJimtarily relinquisb or dilute. The suggestion was <br /> <br />not for tbe abolition of irrigation districts but rather for consolidation for multiple purpo5e <br /> <br />management This is another place where it may be important to compare irrigation districts <br /> <br />with the hi5torical agricultural co-op, Co-ops bave been faced with 5imilar types of issues. At <br /> <br />what point does a private cooperative lose its relevance in light of change, or does <br /> <br />independence lose its importance in light oC change. At what point does a free-standing <br /> <br />irrigation district lose its relevance and therefore should be forced to merge into a larger, <br /> <br />multiple purpose organization? <br /> <br />Another laver of districts. Some participants felt a likely way to improve the governance <br /> <br />function oC Clcisting inigati~n districts may be to create anotber layer 6f, special districts rather <br /> <br />46 <br />