Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-09-29
Irrigation for the West.


 Washington advices of the 20th in stant say that the adoption of the con ference committees report on the sun dry civil service bill virtually provides | for the expenditure of $100,000 in the investigation of the irrigation question by the geological survey. It was only about six years ago that the irrigation question began to attract more than passing attention even in the far west, where the sO-called arid regions lie, and this is the first congress that has had the matter so seriously brought before it. Even the friends of the system are astOnished as well as pleased at the success of their efforts, and they be- lieye that the most important prelimi- nary steps towards the solution Of the great problem have been taken. Sev- eral bills were introduced early in the session, nearly all of them local in i their character, looking to the develop ment of the irrigable lands in the
 southwest by Delegate Smith of Ari-
 zona, Delegate Joseph of New Mexico,
 Mr. Symes and Senators Teller and
 Bowen, of Colorado. All the present
 measures are in aid of various irriga-
 ton schemes but definite proposi-
 ton was finally reached in joint res
 olution which passed both houses and
 was approved on the 20th of March
 reading as follows:
 ''Whereas, A large portion of the
 unoccupied public lands of the United
 States is located within what is known
 as the arid region and now utilized
 only for grazing purposes, but much
 which, by means of irrigation, may be
 rendered as fertile and productive as
 any land in the world capable of sup
 porting large population, thereby ad-
 ding to the national wealth and pros
 perity; and
 "Whereas, All the water flowing
 during the summer months in many of the streams of the Rocky noun : tains, upon which chiefly the husband , man of the plains and mountain val l leys depends for moisture for his crops ; has been appropriated and is used fol ; the irrigation of lands contiguous thereto, whereby a comparatively l small area has been reclaimed; and
 "Whereas, There are many natura = depressions near the sources and alons Q the courses of these streams whicl s may be converted into reservoirs fo { the storage of the surplus water which l during the winter and spring seasons t flows through the streams, from whicl = reservoirs the water there stored cal 0 be drawn and conducted througl d properly constructed canals, at tn $ proper season, thus bringing larg
 areas of land into cultivation, an, a making desirable much of the publi ,f land for which there Is now no de d mand Therefore,
 5, "Resolved, That the Secretary c l. the Interior by means of the directo $ of the geological survey, be and is here Il by directed to make an examinatio n of that portion of the arid regions ( V the United States where agriculture e carried on by means of irrigation, a W to the natural advantages for the stol T. age of water for irrigating purpose
 with the practicability of constructin
 reservoirs, together with the capacit " of the streams, and the cost of COT h struction and capacity of reservoir
 and such other facts as bear on th ,t question of storage of water for irr m gating purposes and that he be flu a ther directed to report to congress { ,e soon as practicable the result of sue
 investigation"
 ,d A subsequent resolution of inquir in directed to the Secretary of the Inte a for, ehcits sd the information that 8 lv appropriation of $250,000 would O. necessary to carry out the provision ,d of the joint resolution The senat
 therefore, inserted, an amendmel n. in the sundry civil bill placing tn n, amount at the disposal, of the bures of of the geological survey for the pu h. pose indicated in the original resol Is ton. The house cut the appropri m ton down to $100,000, and refused n- consent to an increase. To-day Il he senate cOnferees agreed to accept u bv house amendment, and the appropri a. tion will be $100,000.
 70. Prof Powell, director of the geolo 1i- ical survey, states that he will p ed four surveying parties in the field
 once to begin the examination of t
 arid regions. In this connection N 1w Powell says;
 ut "It is undoubtedly true that t he greater the delay in the selection en areas for irrigation the greater will he the knowledge which can be broug
 to bear in making wise selections; b re- it is also true that the greater the ( ,es lay the more complex becomes t he practical problem by reason of the od reference of vested rights. The di tlv culties arising from vested rights ok outweigh, in my judgment, all consi
 eratiOn in favor of delay, and there
 even ground for regret that such s1
 veys and selections as are now prop ed were not instituted at an earl , ,o stage in the development of the al .od regions"
 of The four surveying parties " b;s therefore begin immediate operation ,,; One will go into Colorado working aI the valleys of both the Arkansas a ,;t the Platte, a second one will explC l'o the Walker river valley in Nevada, s,, third will examine the regions of t lre upper Rio Grande and it's tributar of in New Mexico; the fourth party W ,ot Of make preliminary surveys in Arizo laS +ad along the Gila and Colorado rive oot The surveys will be continued so far ow ~v the limited appropriation will allC oa ~" but it is stated that if the results pro ,t; satisfactory congress will not all lat so important q work to stopfor want y, ' y funds, The advocates of irrigation n oa exceedingly well pleased at the pr