National Republican., 1873-11-13
CANALS ron IRRIGATION AND FOR


|
FOR IRRIGATION AND FOR 1
NAVIGATION. IL
On the Goth ultimo convention was held ,
at Denver, Colorado, composed OF delegates
from oil the States and Territories west OF
Minnesota, called for the purpose Of consid-
crinc the subject Of irrigation In connection
with agriculture. After an interchange Of
yicwa by those gentlemen who apparently
had considerable experience, 1t was agreed
upon and resolved to present TO Congress
rctiiion, cmbodying the views of the con-
vcntion, showing that millions OF acres oi the
public lands, now utterly worthless, would,
hy q proper system OF irrigation, be fertll-
lied and brought into cultivation, ana
thereby made to produce valuable crops, and
al.o he of ipcacuablc benefit to the mining
Interests, requiring water for their works.
The petitioners propose that theee several
States and Territories shall undertake the
construction Of the necessary works for irri-
cation, such as reservoirs, feeders and
canals, and that Congress shall give them,
for the purpose Of carrying out such works,
oil the public lands lying within their re-
spcctivc boundaries.
The question Of irrigation has become one
Of great importance to those States and Ter
ritorles from the rapidly with which popu-
lation is flowing into them, and is deserving |
of the immediate attention and action Of Con- |
grcss. For 1t Is only by general law Of Con-
grcss on this subject that future compllca- |
tions can be prevented and never-ending litl- |
CATION respecting riparian rights growing out
Of such unsystematized lines OF canals for
irrigating purposes as arc now being con-
structcd In several Of these States and Terri
tories. The whole subject was brought to
the attention Of the Transportation Commit
tee OF the Senate last July In commuuica-
ton relative to the construction Of trans
continental canal, which we published early
In September, wherein II was recommended
| that works Of such general public utility
should be entrusted by Congress to the super
vision Of the corps Of engineers, under the
direction Of the Secretary Of War. BY 20
doing Congress would act for the best inter
ests OF the States and Territories Immediately
interested, as also for the general public; and
would thereby prevent unpleasant compli-
cations and differences In the future conflicts
of State rights, and the clashing Of private
and personal interests which would be certain
to eusue II their construction should bc en-
trusted to the different States and Territories.
The natural reservoirs and feeders for the
irrigating canals must to great extent be
the nayigable waters, either rivers or lakes,
of the districts where the works arc re-
uuired, or In the adjacent States or Terrific.
rics. These waters during the dry seasons
become partially unfit for navigation, and II
Is manifest, therefore, that II 10 Of genera
public interest that the Federal Government
through Its officers, should have the entlr'
control Of such works TO prevent the unne
cessary waste Of the supply waters or th'
drawing OF from one section Of the suppl!
to which 1t would be naturally entitled, AM
In addition, preventing the main lines o
transportation from being deprived Of th
!, supply necessary for navigation. Under th
control Of Government officers, all partie
!. entitled TO the benefits Of irrigation shoul
be at all times protected In their rights. TIL
entire system should be divided into sections
q each section under the control Of an office
/ OF tho engineer corps.
a In constructing the canals for irrigatin
q purposes they should, wherever possible, b
4 built so as to afford navigation, as for In
n | stance, between the head waters Of the Ye
lowstone and the Columbia river. There ca
be no doubt that canal must soon he bull
Q between thesc two points. Recent survey
: have demonstrated that the former river
b better adapted for navigation than the uppe
e Missouri. being deeper, wider and more fire.
y from rocks and shoals, and extending fui
: thcr west to the dividing ridge between tn
c waters of the ailluents of the Columbia an
the Missouri. Eight thousand feet above th
| Ia, ha all pala hy
p gineering skill to supply sufficient water fc
'e a canal to the allluents Of the Columbi'
e which Is less than one hundred miles distant
d aud some hundreds Of feet lower than III
d Yellowstone.
A work similar In character has been n
n Gently constructed in Italy-namcly, Il
Is Canal di Cayour"-uniting the waters (
Lake Maggiore with the Po, which Ia, In par
Of used for navigation, although intended origlI
" ally for the purposes Of irrigating the plair
,e of Lombarly. The italian and Spanish sy
D. tens were carefully examined and considere
10 by the English officers Of the royal engineer
le before they adopted the vast systom Of irr
10 CATION now established in their East India
" possessions, and which are entirely under Il
control of officers OF that scientific corp
IL The plan has been found to work with smoot
ness and regularity over a region Of great c.
tent, where they have wet and dry scasol
IN periodically, as In our Western Statos al
In Territories. They draw their supplies f
to their feeders and reservoirs from navigab
y, rivers which aow through regions under dl
'le tinct and separate territorial governments Al
60 Jurisdictions, thus being geographically
n some measure analogous to our territorit
&C. In the consideration Of the projected worl
On 1t would, perhaps, be advisable for Congre
TO to examine the reports Of the working Of Il
Anglo-Indlan system before making hn
i, decision as to the construction Of these pr
- jected irrigating canal, either by the FEEDERS
State or Territorial governments.