, 1888-11-18
A CHAPTER ON WATER.
Annual Report of the Territorial
Hydraulic Engineer.
WyOming's Rich Soil and R5apta-
bility to Irrigation.
About I,260,I43 Acres of Farming
Land Under Ditch.
Facts About the Territory Never
Before Made Public.
A GOOD REPORT.

1t is. with pleasure that THE LEADER
this morning presents the appended in
teresting excerpts from the comprehensive
and accurate report of Territorial Engin-
eer Mead to Governor Moonlight. The
report is a valuable document, and if dis
tributed broadcast would attract further
attention to Wyoming. In it matters
of which but little has heretofore been
known, are treated IN a clear, terse style
without exaggeration. The facts were
cleaned from practical experience.
SOIL.
The soil, wherever examined, is fertile,
apd wherever irrigated becomes exception
ally productive. Grasses and the harder
grains and vegetables do well in all parts
of the territory, but in some localities the
elevation is too great to grow corn and
some kinds of vegetables. The eastern
and northern portions of the territory are
able to produce nearly all kinds of fruits
and vegetables grown in temperate reg
ions, the lower elevation of the northern
part $500 feet at Sheridan) compensa-
ting for the difference in latitude.
IRRIGATION.
A distinctive feature of Wyoming's ir-
rigation is that it outstrips all the states
and territories of the arid region in the
number OF Its streams available for irriga-
ton. The valleys bordering most streams
are narrow, ranging in width from one
half to five miles. The uplands between
these valleys are too high to be watered
and must remain for grazing land. This
contiguitY of large tracts of grazing land
to that devoted to farming, affordink as
it does free summer pasturage for the
farmers stock, is a material advantage,
and is destined to increase the profits OF
the farmer and greatly enhance the value
of the irrigated lands.
bitches.
The counties of Laramie and Albany
furnish the best examples of ditch build
ing, the largest and best constructed
bitches being found here. The irrigation
works of these two counties also most
nearly utilize the waters Of their streams,
a majority of which the aggregate
capacity OF the bitches exceeds the average
discharge of the streams during the irr.-
eating season, and the further extension
Of the irrigating territory can only be ac-
through the construction of
reservoirs to store up the surplus water
of the spring floods. The fertility of
these lands and their nearness to a mar
ket for their products makes it extremely
desirable that such reservoirs should be
built, but their cost puts the work out of
the field OF individual effort.
In nearly every part of the territory
visited there are favorable locations for
the investment of capital in The construc-
ton of irrigating works of too great mag
nitude for purchasers to attempt. These
will no doubt be utilized in the near
future 1t will be seen however, in the
statistics given further Oh in this report.
if the land in this territory now
under bitches and susceptible of being
irrigated were being cultivated Wyoming
would take rank as an important agrcul-
tural commonwealth. At present not
one-twentieth part OF this land has ever
been titled. The reasons are found in a
lack OF railway facilities for transporting
the produce of the farms to market, and
lonH Of unnnpC an fhA na-e 81 g..
ers to bring their lands under cultivation.
of %laterals and other work
to reclaim said lands entails a
heavy burden of expense the first few
years. In no part of this country, how
ever, can agriculture be pursued with
success and profit than in this terri
tory, and the present condition of affairs
must 500 disappear.
DITCH STATISTICS.
Subjoined is a summary of the irriga-
ton development Of the territory as far as
the record has been completed.
The statistics for Carbon and Fremont
counties have not yet been compiled.
While the tendency of statements is to
exceed the actual facts, the fact that 20
per cent of the statements failed to give
the acreage, and about 10 per cent omit
giving the length, will make the TO-
tails rather below han above the truth:
No. Ditch Length Capa- Acre
es city age
.lbany........ 2S 400 COZ 345,24l
Crook......... lis 1893 562 5S,937
Iohnson-.... 43I 79 9,ll7 303,36O