Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-06-09
Beginning Work a the Wrong End

A late dispatch from Washington says
that Major Powell, director of the United
States survey for the irrigation of arid
lands, has laid out the work to be done in
this State, and that the area to be COW
cred will comprise the unmapped por-
tons of the drainage basins OF the Yubs,
American, Consumes, Mokelumne,
Stanislaus, Truckee and Carson rivers.
We have seen no announcement, Of
fetal or otherwise, which indicates
that Southern California is to have
the slightest attention paid to her
by Major Powell's bureau. And
yet, it would seem, on all common-sense
principles, that the portion of the State
which is essentially the irrigating portion
ought to receive attention in preference to
that portion which is not. If the object
is, as we understand it to be, to make
surveys 80 as to determine the most ad-
vantageous points at which to establish
reservoirs for the natural catchments of
the mountains, from whence canals can
be brought to irrigate the lands lying
under them, then Southern California lis
the very part of the State to
which the attention of the survey
ors should be FIRST directed. The
amount of irrigation done in Northern
California is really Insignificant. 1t is
true that irrigation is required for the
extensive dry belt on the west side Of the
San Joaquin; but the great bulk Of the
water that is available for that belt will
have to be brought to it from the Sierra
Nevadas, and would be included in the
developments for the contemplated
canals to be brought from the head
waters of the San Joaquin and other
streams north Of the MERGED.
But for all that extensive range of
country which lies under the Sierra
Nevadas north of the MERGED, and which
may be termed the northern belt, all the
Government could do would be to desig
nate the points for storage reservoirs and
the irrigating systems that would be the
best to be established. There is very
little public land left in that
region, and none of it could be
properly designated as arid. If
the survey will point out the
lines of work that would be most adyan-
tageous, private enterprise and capital
might possibly find it profitable to erect
reservoirs and build canals. But, as we
said before, it is not an irrigation coun-
try, and it is waste of the money Of the
nation to start the work in that locality,
when great practical and beneficial
results can be accomplished by starting
it in Southern California.
From point, say, at the hesdwaters
of the Stanislaus to the headwaters of
Kern river, in the Sierra Nevadas, the
SHOWS and rains are all required to rem
der the great arid plains that lie beneath
them valuable to the cultivator. 1t is
true that these lands have passed into
private ownership in great measure, yet
there is enough public land left to
justify the Government in facilitat-
ing the irrigation of the whole area
by such work as would lead to the de-
yelopment of all the available water and
it's economic storage in reservoirs SO stu
ated that it could be brought in canals over
the immense San Joaquin valley lands.
How far the work of the Government
should 60 is matter for further consider
alton. If the principle ia laid down that,
where the lands to be irrigated are mainly
in private ownership, we are not to expect
the Governmental do more than make
the surveys, then private enterprise
must carry out the works indicated by
the reports Of the surveyors.
But, to our mind, if this survey is to
accomplish the great object for which it |
has been organized, and for which Con.
gress has appropriated money to carry it |
put, it should begin at this end OF the |
State. There are millions of acres of |
arid lands that belong to the Government
in the Colorado and Mojave deserts that
should be the very first to receive the at
ention Of Major Powell's Commission.
There is no limit to the work the Gov
'rnment could properly do to reclaim
hese lands by supplying them with
Vater, for it would really be in the ma
nre of the improvement of public
roperty. 4
We, therefore. throw out the reflection
nat 1t would appear to a common-sense
bserver that there is something behind
ais survey OF which the public know
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