Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-09-24
POWELL ON WATER.
The Chief OF the Geologic II survey Make
an Addr. So Uf Moment.

Before the nenver society Of civil eng
lo't and arch cts MAJOR Powell, {
he U. s. geological survey, made son
mel Y and entertaining remarks ut IT,
Denver chamber of commerce ft
lights ago. Among other things he sail
A single individual can not 20 out int
lie desert and with his own efforts cult
ate twenty or thirty acres. He must hay
,Ssistance.
Now that almost over half of our conn
ry must be dependent upon irrigation
l"e que slion arises, is it 20 shle for Il
20 do this without despotisiu, Old write
and new Writers claim that it is not.
The coud tions for irrigation in thi
country are OF great diversity. The prob
ems found in one region are not What j
0 he found in another. Begin in Caifur
ia. The currents Ill the Pa'ific ocean
nave much to do with the land near th
II. But back u few miles the littl
,treams, the little brooks and creeks
must be put upon the land.
Westward from there We find the prea
Colorauo river. 1t finds its way lhrougl
- eat plateau. Deep gorges are fuunC
N every side. The country is disse,te,
md can never have much population
| Ahen the Colorado energes from tn
anons it then runs through 70l miles q
sood land all susceptible to irrigation
There nre possibly 10000, 900 acres thu
will some day lie used. Ii is Il scmi-lroI.
lral climate. The valley Of the Nile is al
most repeated there.
Let lis turn to the problem presente,
in Colorado. On the mountain ran!e,
| l,e snow falls all winter long. With tn,
summer it comes trickling down in
million rills and creeks and sometimes il
lvers. The region above is not re.iol
| / agriculture, but as soon as cool rush
ng river reaches the plains it changes t.
broad, shallow, muddy stream. UIt
mnlely reservoirs must he stored in tht
valleys above. How to do this is the
question.
Passing into western Kansas, thewnters
Which flow there are very small Ther.
ire no large rivers, creeks or streams
The region Of country is too arid Tor that
There are plenty OF storm waters, how.
yer. AS irrigation progresses in thi,
poftiOn Of the country less water will flow
in the streams. But it will be found in
Ihe sands and can he readily pumped out
II the farmers in western Kansas ana
Nebraska could only get little more
water they wonld have all they want.
This they should have from the storm
waters. Several farmers could unite and
build reservoirs. Ultimately this very re-
lion OF which | now speak will becom
he orchard belt, the >ineyar'lO Of America.
| wish particularly to call your attention
10 this fact, that the problem is never the
same in two places.
Now, what shall we do? What condi.
ions are necessary? Who shall do the
work, individuals, companies, the state ol
he nation?
Ii have Il lrm in Illinois can stake
out my property. Ii | have farm il
Colorado | can not do this. Land is no
more valuable here than the mir. Lane
rs land las 10 value here for agricultural
purposes. Now, who owns the water !
y no can stake ont the clouds? Who has
| brand upon them or upon the rain
Who owns the snowbank? Who owns
the water in the river? Who owns the
water i'll the sands?
BY some means or other these are ques-
ions which must lie adjusted. The prob
,eni has not yet been solved.
Our fathers in the establishment of the
.rcat American repuuli took great care
o establish tlnee kinds Of governments
e,slatlyc, executive, judicial. \ fourth
department. is practically recognized to
lay. Let me call it operative. The postal
service Is an example. The building OF
works to supply people with water will be
operative. The region oi country about
Which We are talking will have in time all
IT'S industries depending upon agriculture,
Ahich means water. You lave done
more to solve the problem in Colorado
tEnn in all the other states ana territories.
l wish to propose Il plan by which this
plan OF iiiia alton hay be solved. Would
nave this great arid region divided into
districts, where the people who come
lnder it can make their own laws and be
/ body polite to suit themselves-that is
10 have Il charter under hicli they may
Aork-as Denver is different from Pueblo
IN its authority and power. Let the peo
pie who live on stream handle that
Mater ior themselves.
But there is not enough water for the
lanl. lie ,ervoirs may do this IN time.
The people must have the timber
where it grows you will find the source
II the streams. 1t must he saved for the
paople. Now it is being DESTROYED 10y
ire. have seen one fire in Colorado
N Middle park, which destroyed more
,imber than has ever been cut in this
tate. the forests must be preserved by
the people about the source OF whose
stream it grows.
All the land should I've saved by the
government for homestead4. pea,i for
homes. am more Interested III cottage
homes than | am in great palaces. |
.ook with pleasure upon the great o<.ter-
prises in Colorado and all over the Lana.
But am more interested in homes for
the people. Let this and region be saved
lor homes.