res no , ▁but ▁were ▁destroyed ▁in ▁subsequent ▁flo ods . ▁The ▁vulner ability ▁of ▁the ▁small ▁local ▁infrastr ucture ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁ir rig ation ▁districts , ▁which ▁were ▁formed ▁to ▁construct ▁and ▁maintain ▁can als ▁in ▁certain ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁valley . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁was ▁the ▁Rob la ▁Canal ▁Company ▁in ▁the ▁Mer ced ▁River ▁area , ▁which ▁went ▁into ▁operation ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁but ▁was ▁soon ▁sur pass ed ▁by ▁the ▁Farm ers ▁Canal ▁Company . ▁The ▁district ▁built ▁a ▁di version ▁dam ▁on ▁the ▁Mer ced , ▁sending ▁its ▁water ▁into ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁can als ▁still ▁in ▁use ▁today . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁powerful ▁early ▁ir rig ation ▁emp ires ▁was ▁the ▁K ern ▁County ▁Land ▁and ▁Water ▁Company , ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁by ▁land ▁spec ulator ▁James ▁Ben ▁Ali ▁H ag gin , ▁which ▁grew ▁to ▁supply ▁over ▁ ▁through ▁their ▁canal ▁system . ▁However , ▁H ag gin ▁soon ▁ran ▁into ▁conflicts ▁with ▁other ▁land own ers ▁over ▁rip arian ▁water ▁rights , ▁as ▁the ▁larger ▁districts , ▁including ▁his , ▁had ▁more ▁financial ▁res erves ▁and ▁engineering ▁expert ise , ▁and ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁build ▁d ams ▁and ▁divers ions ▁on ▁a ▁large ▁scale . ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁dry ing ▁out ▁of ▁streams ▁and ▁rivers ▁before ▁they ▁reached ▁down stream ▁users ▁and ▁spark ed ▁conflict ▁over ▁how ▁much ▁water ▁could ▁be ▁all otted ▁to ▁whom . ▁In ▁H