▁River ▁and ▁Tul are ▁Bas in . ▁ ▁Henry ▁Miller ▁exerc ised ▁enorm ous ▁political ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁and ▁most ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁Valley ▁inhabitants ▁either ▁were ▁av id ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁him ▁or ▁des pis ed ▁him . ▁When ▁Miller ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁his ▁company ▁owned ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁Valley ▁alone ▁with ▁hundreds ▁of ▁miles ▁of ▁well - develop ed , ▁maintained ▁ir rig ation ▁can als . ▁As ▁said ▁by ▁Tom ▁M ott , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Miller ▁and ▁Lux ' ▁ir rig ation ▁super int endent , ▁" M iller ▁realized ▁you ▁couldn ' t ▁do ▁anything ▁with ▁the ▁land ▁unless ▁you ▁had ▁the ▁water ▁to ▁go ▁with ▁it . ▁Perhaps ▁more ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁person , ▁Miller ▁had ▁more ▁of ▁a ▁last ing ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁River ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁individual ." ▁ ▁Even ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁so ▁much ▁water ▁was ▁being ▁di vert ed ▁off ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁River ▁and ▁its ▁trib ut aries ▁that ▁the ▁river ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁suitable ▁for ▁navig ational ▁purposes . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁commercial ▁navigation ▁began ▁a ▁decl ine ▁starting ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁and ▁was ▁completely ▁gone ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁With ▁over ▁ ▁under ▁ir rig ation ▁along ▁the ▁river ▁by ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁– ▁this ▁figure ▁has ▁only ▁grown ▁h ug ely ▁since