A group of Mormon settlers were the first to attempt to bring irrigation to San Joaquin County. Arriving in 1846, they settled along the Stanislaus River and built a perfectly graded ditch, which was still visible in 1910. Although the Mormon settlement didn’t last long, their irrigation ditch foreshadowed how irrigation could profit the South San Joaquin.
In 1886, Wright Cowell, a resident and landowner in the area, sought to establish a water system by purchasing water rights along the Stanislaus River—a dream which was realized with the formation of the San Joaquin Land & Water Company in 1889. However, this company was soon disbanded when farmers refused to purchase water and the principal parties disagreed on countless issues.
Nearing the end of the 1800s, it was necessary to bring a reliable irrigation method to the southern portion of San Joaquin County. In hopes of doing so, several irrigation companies formed and sold bonds throughout the West. However, many plans failed and multiple companies proved to be in fact fraudulent.
Soon after the previous attempt, H.W. Cowell and N.S. Harrold formed the Stanislaus and San Joaquin Water Company in 1895, with a system of ditches along the Stanislaus River from Knights Ferry to Manteca called the “Tulloch System,” spanning 47 miles in all. In doing so, they distributed water to some 3,000 acres of land in Manteca and Oakdale, allowing farmers to see high yields and flourishing dairy farms, as well as introducing new crops to the area including alfalfa.